K-2SO - RO - Basic

A reprogrammed Imperial security droid now loyal to the Alliance, K-2SO is an alarming sight standing within a secret Rebel base. The pragmatic droid is an effective insertion agent, as he can blend in perfectly at Imperial installations and outposts.

For those that despise simply articulated action figures, Rogue One’s K-2SO may be the figure that redeems them. It’s not like we’re jumping on a new bandwagon or something, but the 5POA K-2SO figure has us impressed, despite its many limitations. Obviously, we’re only going to get super-articulation in The Black Series (both 3.75” and 6”) formats. But when a simply-articulated figure like K-2SO gets made this well, we bet that many might be willing to forgive (somewhat) the horrible misstep Hasbro has made with the basic figure line. Instead of one plane swivel articulation, Hasbro has worked in glorious ball-socket articulation to K-2SO. Aesthetically, this is how this character functions (based on what we have seen on the 6” figure), but it’s a gift to get it on the 3.75” as well. Sure, the range of motion the articulation offers is still significantly inhibited, but you get a whole heck of a lot more thanks to the 360 degree-ish movement that ball-socket articulation offers. K-2SO, of course, needs elbow and knee articulation. You’re not going to get that here. But check out what the ball-socket hips and shoulders offer to this action figure and tell us you’re not remotely impressed.

K-2SO also has upgraded articulation in the head as well. He comes with a standard ball-socket head, but he also has been given a reverse ball-socket neck. This allows you to make the figure look down and around as well as turn his head. The amount of movement here is staggering. We’re thankful that Hasbro has thrown us a small bone here. On top of decent articulation, Hasbro has tooled an impressive sculpt. This looks just like the onscreen K-2SO character. The ridges, lines, shapes, and detail is beyond impressive. At the same time, it makes our hearts ache that we’re not seeing so much talent being worked into a figure with super-articulation. Such is the way this goes we suppose. He also has a strong center of gravity and can stand unassisted. So, with enhanced articulation and a divine sculpt, there’s not much else we’d like to see on this action figure is there? There is. K-2SO has a beautiful paint job. He’s mostly dark gray/black, but he has been given some applications to show where he is worn and damaged. And then the finer details like the white outlined shape on his torso, function lights and insignias look splendid.

The Black Series [Phase III] K-2SO (24) 6” figure didn’t come with any weapons. But the simply 5POA Rogue One version does. For lack of a better description, it looks like some grappling claw. Or, perhaps it is some advanced zip line. This is not a screen-accurate accessory. It has been included to offer more pay value for the kids. It fits like a gauntlet and our K-2SO sample had no difficulty holding it or standing with it despite its daunting size. What’s more, it’s been decorated similarly in the way that K-2SO has been colored, so it truly looks like a natural extension of his character. In short, it works. These new “playthings” that Hasbro is adding to the Rogue One line are so much better than those stupid Build A Weapon pieces, have meaning and relevance and complement the figures rather beautifully. We’d still like to see Build A Droid return or some other better pack-in premium. But this is working for the time being. In summary, K-2SO is one of the better figures in the Rogue One basic figure line. Check out our Photo Gallery to see what the figure can do. While it has limitations, it has a whole lot less than most others in this lineup.