BATTLE DROID Arena Battle (Red)
Saga Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84861 No. 84865
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #0211
Includes: Backpack, blast effects, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99
Availability: January 2003
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: A decade earlier, the Trade Federation's army of battle droids invaded the peaceful planet of Naboo. Now these droids are back in even greater numbers, ready to march against the Jedi and the forces of the Galactic Republic. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy room.

Commentary: Better late than never! When I was at Celebration II in 2002, Hasbro told me that they were already working on changing the tan version of this figure to release in red, as soon as possible. That was May-- and this redeco Battle Droid, complete with revised packaging, wouldn't hit shelves until the following January. It's pretty much identical to the 2002 tan release, but it's red, and closer in color to the movie from which it was meant to appear. The articulation on this release isn't nearly as good as the 1999 Episode I figures, but it's pretty good-- you get shoulders, elbows, hips, and neck... which is decent. As Hasbro made more droids based on this model, it seems each figure gets a little less in the way of articulation. A pity, but this one is pretty good in terms of its sculpt. It could be a little better at standing up, as if you place it on a display base, it will sag and deform over time. Specifically, the one foot will stay plugged to the base and the rest of the figure-- if not posed expertly-- will deform and "melt" downward over time. Curse you, gravity! The head has a habit of falling off, so that's why I left the clear rubber band on this sample.

Collector's Notes: Despite being the corrected figure, this one was in distribution for less time than the tan "error" version. It was phased out shortly after its release in early 2003, and so far really hasn't made a comeback in the red color. A repaint of this mold would return later, but if you want the red one, you'd be out of luck. ( MORE IMAGES )

Day 643: February 8, 2008