Vulture Droid [Version 2] - ROTS - Deluxe

Vulture droid starfighters are highly maneuverable and effective in battle. When not in flight, they can change into a walking mode allowing them to be used in surface patrols.

The opening sequence of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith, the Battle of Coruscant, was sensory overload for most viewers. But in that skirmish alone were plenty of opportunities to see Vulture Droids in action as they pursued both Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi as they attempted to rescue Chancellor Palpatine. The Vulture Droid isn’t anything new to the Prequel Trilogy. We saw them in the opening scenes of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, but they were a different color and possessed a couple of various features. Hasbro has released two distinct versions of the Vulture Droid in the Revenge Of The Sith Deluxe line. We can’t say with complete certainty, but one looks based on the ones seen during the Battle of Utapau, while the other feels like a throwback to Episode I (the green-colored one). The Vulture Droids seen during the Battle of Coruscant are more prominent, but they have red photoreceptors, while the Deluxe blue version has green photoreceptors. Maybe it’s just a mistake in the toy line (very possible), but it's hard to tell for sure where Hasbro got their inspiration.

The Vulture Droids are based on 1999’s EI Trade Federation Droid Fighters three-pack vehicle set. For the 2005 Revenge Of The Sith Deluxe line Hasbro has retooled portions of the Vulture Droid and have given it an all-new 2005 date stamp. Back in 1999, we received three of them. This time Hasbro packages them one per unit, and for $9.99 we’re not sure if anyone is getting a real bargain here. The biggest issue we have with the Vulture Droid is its scale. The Vulture Droid is much, much too small. In our rough estimation, we don’t think it’s even at half scale to its standard size. It is probably closer to one-quarter the actual size (again, just a guess). Yes, these “vehicles” are droids, but they’re meant to be gigantic when standing next to the average human male in the Star Wars saga. The small size also limits what Hasbro can do with the sculpt. It seems if it were a large sized “vehicle” that Hasbro would have worked in more articulation and perhaps an articulated neck (an essential and lacking feature in our opinion) to make these cool Separatist droids more screen accurate. But that’s not what we get here. There are so few features here that we know collectors are going to be disappointed.

The Vulture Droid comes with two, perhaps three, areas of articulation. Both wings are removable but rotate in a swivel motion when plugged into holes on the side. This does give the Vulture Droid a range of movement for display purposes, but when it comes to being functional, you’re going to find that you’re severely limited. While in a flying mode, the wings must be flush with the center of the Vulture Droid. And then the Vulture Droid can stand when you pose it in a standing mode. Lastly, the Vulture Droid comes with a projectile that snaps underneath its body and can be launched thanks to a firing button to set off the action feature. And that’s pretty much all the Vulture Droid offers. As a bonus here, Hasbro has also included a Buzz Droid which is pretty adorable. Although they’re dangerous to astromech droids, the Buzz Droid is well painted. It has no articulation, but that’s fine. It is meant as a complementing piece and not the focus of this Deluxe set. Both styles of Vulture Droids are beautifully painted. You cannot fault Hasbro with how nicely their toys are decorated. But whether you get enough for the $9.99 MSRP is going to have to be your call.