The Legacy Collection (Blue)
U-3PO
We just did a review on C-3PO with Ewok Throne from 2006, and I feel that it’s still a good figure for today. Even though it’s under articulated, the super shiny vac metal finish, the nice sculpt, and the hinged knees that allow for sitting make it perfect for several display opportunities. The biggest problem is the lack of articulation. Later in TVC, Hasbro released VC06. The articulation was excellent, but the sculpt was definitely a bit off, and along with the weird random removable panels and the dull, non-vac-metallized finish, it left something to be desired. Yeah, the figure eventually grew on me, but it’s not everything Hasbro could do with the character. If only Hasbro had at their disposal an excellent SA protocol droid mold that also captured the essence of how we know C-3PO to be in the films.
Enter the Build-A-Droid protocol droid sculpt from the Legacy Collection. U-3PO was the first character chosen for the new sculpt, and it’s pretty great. While the shoulders and neck are only swivel, it otherwise has the standard super articulation for the day, including a ball jointed waist. The likeness to the on screen protocol droids are pretty spot on, and it’s a superior figure in almost every way to the C-3PO we just reviewed. Hasbro even used this BAD mold as the basis for a droid factory AOTC C-3PO. However, they opted not to vac-metallize it for an OT version, and instead went in a new direction with VC06.
In any case, this is the first figure of U-3PO. He plays a huge part in Star Wars lore because he was walking right behind C-3PO ad R2-D2 in the hallway of the Tantive IV in the very first shot of actual characters in A New Hope. I mean, you can’t get a simpler and more direct “Scene It!” than that first shot, and you could only complete 2/3 of that shot until 2008. U-3PO stumbled along behind Threepio and Artoo for a couple of moments before choosing to see what was behind Door #1, and we never saw him again. Maybe it would have been an interesting bit of storytelling if U-3PO was like a Star Trek Red Shirt. Maybe he could have stuck with the group, and all three could have jettisoned down to Tatooine. Then perhaps U-3PO could have been eaten by a Krayt Dragon or something at the start of their journey, which could have raised the stakes for the audience.
U-3PO was painted in a bright silver color at first, but there was a running change for which Hasbro gave him a bit more of a golden sheen. My sample is the original silver, but for whatever accidental reason, he looks more like the correct color in the last diorama shot. Besides the color, that image is a good comparison of the two sculpts I just wrote about. You can see that Threepio is just like a Volvo: Boxy, but good. Meanwhile, U-3PO is pretty perfect looking.
This is a cool droid, and an important backgrounder for OT fans. If you’re looking to track this figure down, either version is good, but I believe the second one with the more golden coloring is a better approximation of U-3PO. If you have the silver one, you might think he makes a better E-3PO, the one on Cloud City that told Threepio to go scratch. Whatever your preference, get this figure.
What you need to build U-3PO:
