C-3PO (Protocol Droid) - SW [S - P1] - Basic (’02 #04)

It’s astounding how sharply a character’s background story can turn once the established canon can get altered by a new and perhaps “more important” storyline from a movie or something. That’s a lengthy way of saying that what we know about a character seems to change at the drop of a hat anymore in Star Wars. Thankfully, Attack Of The Clones kept things simple for C-3PO, a character who was the equivalent of a nervous system in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. In Episode II, we see the character “fully clothed” and without the internal parts showing thanks to mismatched plating. C-3PO received this covering while staying at the Lars homestead. It was a happy reunion of sorts when Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala returned to Tatooine searching for his mother and then came across a more completed C-3PO. Sadly, the happy reunion would turn to grief as he recovered his barely-alive mother, who quickly died in his arms in the Tusken Raider nomadic camp. How C-3PO received the new plating wasn’t revealed in the film, but Hasbro gave collectors some of the deleted content with the release of C-3PO (Protocol Droid) in the Star Wars “Saga” line. We now have an inkling of how it all went down.

Rumors exist that a deleted scene in Episode II showed C-3PO receiving the outer coverings. This rumor tends to be accepted as proof, thanks to the Hasbro action figure. Hasbro packaged C-3PO (Protocol Droid) in the “Episode I” configuration along with eight separately sculpted panels, as well as a storage box to recreate the supposed chopped scene in Attack Of The Clones when the protocol droid received the temporary outer mixed gray panels. The figure has some merit, but hardcore collectors may find the gimmick of adding the panels annoying as the aesthetics are ultimately ruined by how the figure looks “completed.” C-3PO (Protocol Droid) has a bulky appearance and ill-fitted parts. Plus, with only six articulation points, C-3PO (Protocol Droid) can’t give you any meaningful movement. Moving the limbs too abruptly may result in one or more panels to come loose and detach from the figure. The sculpt of C-3PO (Protocol Droid) isn’t incredible either. With all of the panels removed, the figure looks wonky and not like what we see in Episode I. The legs are much too close together, and C-3PO has an awful center of gravity. Very little is “right” with this release, sadly.

C-3PO (Protocol Droid) will no doubt interest younger collectors. Admittedly, piecing together the loose parts does create interest. The pieces fit together like a puzzle as each piece is for a specific part of the body. The head, chest, arm, and thigh panels are for only one spot, but the shin panels look as if they’re interchangeable with each other. They’re not. So make sure you choose wisely to ensure a good fit. Collectors have to accept that the Star Wars “Saga” action figures come with action features and gimmicky additions. C-3PO (Protocol Droid) may not be a traditional action figure, but it does have a little bit of charm. Don’t get us wrong, we’re not crazy about this figure, but it will undoubtedly resonate with younger Star Wars fans. And honestly, all is not lost on this action figure. It does have a relatively excellent paint job. It doesn’t have the diversity of the C-3PO figure from the Episode I line, and it isn’t manufactured nearly as well, but it holds its own in its unique way. C-3PO (Protocol Droid) will not be an action figure for everyone. But it’s still cool to own this version of the fussy protocol droid, which by default is technically an Expanded Universe take.