Updating EP1: Collection 3

After reviewing surviving figures from Episode I Collections 1 and 2, lets round out the basic figures that persist in 2025 displays by taking a look at Collection 3...

Once again, these are figures that manage to find a home in today's displays, either because they have not been updated, or they retain some value due to a feature or accessory that wasn't carried forward with newer iterations of the character. Also, despite the occasional oddity in the decision-making, the plan by Hasbro was to split the collection into 3 parts, ostensibly based on screen-time/importance. They did this for much of POTF2 as well, but while I chose to break down those figures by OT movie source during the recent look-back, I categorized these Episode I figures by their collection #.

For reference:
Collection 1
Collection 2

As I mentioned previously, going into this exercise, I would assume that the remaining figure counts would increase through the collections, since the odds of Hasbro re-making a deep cut figure from Collection 3 should be significantly less than of a main character from Collection 1. So we'll see how that went at the end of the article.


Alrighty then:



1/2. Gasgano w/ Pit Droid: Man, the pod racer pilots are a mixed bag. The designs are insanely ridiculous, but you have to buy into these species seemingly being built for the complex demands of podracing. As figures, they can be interesting aliens, but their body shapes often make them a challenge to display. Gasgano was the first pilot released in the line. He's got 4 articulated arms, and not much else going on. He's got legs that could fit nicely inside the VC45 clone armor. As such, he may be bit tricky to get to stand up, especially if there's any warping over time. Gasgano was re-released during TPM3D. Apparently Hasbro thought he was good enough, even 13 years later. Given the street cred of this character, it will likely have to suffice for eternity. The Pit Droid is pretty decent. It's only 4 POA, but it has a big advantage over most of the other Pit Droids in the line, as it stands easily on its own. That's kind of a big deal.

3/4. Ody Mandrell w/ Otoga 222 Pit Droid: Another spindly pod racer like Gasgano, Ody was never even re-released. He's got some nifty removable goggles, but is otherwise fairly forgettable. He is packed with a different model of Pit Droid, Otoga 222. The figure is 4 POA, and also can stand, like the aforementioned version above. It was repainted with mechanic Anakin in POTJ and yet again in TVC with Ben Quadinaros, but has never been resculpted.

5. Boss Nass: A fun figure at the time of release, it has definitely not aged too well. He's got a weird ceremonial staff that wasn't in the film, and he's always pointing for some reason. But he looks great and has some really nice paint details. The problem is that he's tiny. Boss Nass is a Gungan of tremendous stature, and would easily defeat the London Silly Nannies in an NFL game, singlehandedly. He was done one more time for POTJ about a year or so later. That one is definitely better proportioned, but is very scene specific (Naboo celebration). He's not on too many wishlists, but a TVC Boss Nass would certainly be interesting to see.

6. TC-14: TC-14 is a great looking protocol droid, with her bright chromey silver coloring. She's also got a tray with a...uh...an other type of accessory. TC-14 has never been done again, and for now, that's fine, while we wait for Hasbro to give us a definitive Protocol Droid update. Then they can repaint away. And while going back to our review of this figure, I couldn't help but cut and paste this here:

Here’s a bit of strange trivia; The voice of TC-14 was that of Scottish actress Lindsay Duncan. She has won Tony awards, and has had an accomplished TV and film career, including a role in the 2014 film Birdman, which starred Michael Keaton and won an Oscar for Best Picture. For anyone who watched the HBO series The Leftovers, she had a small role in the third season, but arguably stole the series with one amazing monologue about losing her three children during the “Departure.” If you didn’t see it, take my word for it, it was awesome. But it doesn’t end there. Lindsay Duncan, who happens to have been appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE), is married to Hitlon McRae. Do you know who Hilton McRae is? Do you? He played Green Leader Arvel Crynyd, the man who sacrificed himself to bring down the Executor above Endor.

Neat!

7. Chancellor Valorum: While some figures have articulation which would allow them to kneel before Zod, Zod himself cannot kneel. That's not to say this isn't a nice figure. For 1999, it was awesome. The likeness to Terrence Stamp, the sculpting details in the clothing, and the intricate paint applications make this a fine addition to the line. It would be amazing to see a TVC update, but given everything about the character (minimal screen time, minimal plot impact, few lines, old white guy politician) it's not exactly screaming for it.

8. OOM-9: OOM-9 is a retool of the regular Battle Droid, and comes with Binoculars. While far from perfect, it's reasonable to continue to display him, along with his fellow E1 Battle Droids, as we discussed last week. HOWEVER, amazingly, in the midst of this series of Episode I articles, it was announced that we are getting new Battle Droids. There is a lot of differing opinions on which existing B1's are the best. They all seem to have their pro's and cons. I personally don't think the Episode I Battle Droids are the best, but they are still worthy of display. The upcoming 4-pack addresses one of the problems (wet noodle legs), but the Two Handed Weapon Grip and updated articulation remain...elusive. Meanwhile, the pack does have some weathering paint variations, as well as an OOM-9 variant. We'll see what the final product is like, but I would predict that it's not quite the death knell for these 1999 droids.

There are 5 other figures in Collection 3 that have been rendered moot by updates. Mace Windu exists in TVC. Ki-Adi-Mundi remains in desperate need of a TVC update, but this figure has still been surpassed by later versions. Some might argue that the ROTS version, which was decent for 2005, is different than his E1 appearance. Even if you felt that way, the KAM that came with the SAGA Jedi Council sets has hinged knees. Same for Adi Gallia having slightly better articulation with the Council Set. Captain Tarpals got a similar leg update for his SAGA release with the Kaadu multipack. Amazingly, R2-B1 has 2 updates, and either one beats this one.

The final counts of survivors in 2025:
Collection 1: 11/22 figures (counting Battle Droid variants as distinct figures)
Collection 2: 15/18 figures (counting 2-packs as distinct figures)
Collection 3: 8/13 figures (counting 2-packs as distinct figures)

So out of 53 distinct basic figures from the Episode I line, 34 persist, for one reason or another. That's a 64% survival rate. One might say the figures were so amazing that they have yet to been topped by modern technological efforts. But obviously that's nonsense. The vast majority of them are pretty terrible by 2025 standards. Our recent discussions about March Madness would seem to indicate there is some pent-up demand among collectors for at least a few Episode I characters to receive the TVC treatment. Maul, Padmé, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Anakin, Panaka, Nute, and Rune have all been bounced around. We'll see if Hasbro makes any moves on these for TPM30, a million years from now.

Next up, a look at Episode I deluxe, vehicles, playsets, beasts, etc.

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