Holiday Edition [R2-D2 & C-3PO] - SW [S - P1] - Exclusives

Hasbro and Lucasfilm, Ltd. are delighted to present, for the first time, this Star Wars Holiday Edition commemorative. Inspired by the artwork of renowned artist Ralph McQuarrie, this specially designed set captures the imaginative vision of McQuarries's art in collectible 3¾" action figure scale. Our gift to you, this piece is a distinctive addition to any Star Wars collection. May the Force be with you, and happy holidays.

In the Fall of 2002, Hasbro took a leap of faith right before the holiday season and released their very first Holiday Edition commemorative set of action figures. Officially called Holiday Edition, there was no reference on the packaging that identified the characters inside (R2-D2 & C-3PO). Talk about being cultural icons, there was probably no need to qualify the most popular droid duo in our universe. Released very limitedly at Walmart, the two-pack came in a makeshift “snow globe” styled package. Inside was two freestanding action figures, a beautiful display base and a replica of the 1979 Lucasfilm Ltd. Christmas card created by renowned artist Ralph McQuarrie. A beautiful gift set, it retailed for a palatable thirteen dollars and change. While that is more than two figures at $4.99, the extras included here make it more than worthwhile as a collectible purchase. The transformation of this holiday illustration from nearly a quarter of a century ago into action figures is refreshing, and we hope Hasbro has more in the works for the future.

It may comes as a surprise to you, but both figures are all-new sculpts. No matter how hard we try, we cannot find any reused parts on these at all. Interestingly, while C-3PO has a 2002 date stamp, R2-D2 has a 2000 date stamp. It appears as if Hasbro had other plans for this sculpt, but nothing panned out for it until this release. R2-D2 comes with minimal articulation. He has a swivel dome and two swivel legs. The feet do not pivot and there is no third leg. Despite the cutback in articulation, Hasbro still included the “light-up” eye port gimmick. It doesn’t work that well in this case, but it’s still in place if you’re interested in it. The paint job is simple and better than average, but you’re not going to be able to get a good range of motion from this action figure, especially since R2-D2 is a bit top heavy thanks to the reindeer antlers fastened onto his dome. In a slightly surprising move, these antlers are NOT removable. We would have imagined that Hasbro would have blessed the figure with a little more versatility, but that is not the case here.

C-3PO is perhaps the more interesting of the two figures included. He too is an all-new sculpt, but it’s a version of C-3PO approached like no other to date. He comes with a standard five points of articulation. This includes head, shoulders and hips, all of which are swivel points. Since he is wearing a Santa jacket, there is no waist joint, nor a need for one. The open belt is faithful to the McQuarrie Christmas card art, but it does come across as a little unsettling on an action figure. Perhaps it would have been better for C-3PO to have been designed with a fastened belt. But we’re obviously being picky here. C-3PO also comes with a permanently attached Santa hat. We would have loved to have this as a removable accessory, but again, that wasn’t in the plans. He is also holding a Santa beard which has been sculpted as part of his hand. Is it that much to ask for separately molded accessories for figures like this, Hasbro? It would have been nice. Both figures come with a beautiful display base which looks like some comfortable throw rug in warm and cozy cabin in the country. The set looks great and captures some of the spirit of Christmas. We love it.