CZ-4 CZ-Series Droid
30th Anniversary Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87500 No. 87303
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #3026
Includes: Coin
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Fall 2007
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Originally a simple CZ-series communication droid, CZ-4 has been modified by Jabba the Hutt to continually scan the environment and warn the crime lord of imminent attack. The strain of doing Jabba's bidding has taken its toll, and now the droid lies in pieces in the bowels of the palace until Jabba wants to use him again. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' Jabba's Palace playset.

Commentary: This figure has an interesting history. Fans have been clamoring for CZ-3 (a droid from Mos Eisley) for years, but Hasbro met the request in 2007 with CZ-4, which lead to a lot of confusion as they're very similar. Some fans are asking for a new version with the right name, but they're similar enough where you can buy two and throw one into your Star Wars dioramas from either film. The figure's construction is quite unique. For starters, the figure is a white plastic figure painted over in grime. The end result is a unique, weathered looking robot that shows Hasbro is really trying new things when it comes to making their figures look more like the movie. If someone asked you if making this droid bright white plastic and making it filthy would result in a nearly-perfect figure, you'd probably say no-- and yet, here you are. Kudos, Hasbro. The figure has a unique undocumented feature which, from the look of things, was entirely intentional. It can be pulled apart at the waist, and there's a peg that looks like it was meant to be seen by fans. In short, it seems like Hasbro designed this figure to be dismantled, perhaps for future torture rack use, build-a-figure possibilities, or some other reason. But there you have it-- it can be split. Also, the articulation is good. He's not much of a sitter, but he does have the full compliment of 14 points of articulation, making him super-articulated. While his shoulders don't have ball joints and most of his joints are restricted by the design, he's about as moveable as he can get.

Hasbro's sculpting work on this figure is nothing short of excellent, as the detail is brought out nicely by the paint. It looks gritty, real, and old, plus it may even be more detailed than the suit used in the movie. I can't imagine Hasbro doing a much better job with this figure, even if it is from Jabba's Palace. Get one if you can, it looks great in any scenario.

Collector's Notes: This figure shipped in Wave 4 and its revisions, and so far, that's it. It could end up being scarce if more cases aren't still in the system, although it seems like Wave 4 2007 assortments continue to trickle out, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Day 647: February 12, 2008