C-3PO (Tales Of The Golden Droid) - POTF2 [FB/CT] - Masterpiece Edition

THE COLLECTOR FIGURE
An exclusive, large collector figure of C-3PO.

• Features realistic silver leg and blaster residue finish
• Limited issue available only in this Masterpiece Edition
• Collector-quality, 12 inches tall, fully articulated – with limbs that can be taken apart and reassembled
• Complete with the net Chewbacca used to collect C-3PO's detached parts in The Empire Strikes Back

THE BOOK
An illustrated history of C-3PO, Star Wars' most paranoid droid, written by Daniel Wallace and Josh Ling, coauthors of Anakin Skywalker: The Story of Darth Vader.

• The story of C-3PO's exploits and adventures - from Episode I and the classic Star Wars trilogy
• Over 100 photographs and illustrations, many never before seen
• Reflections by George Lucas, Ralph McQuarrie, and other creative forces behind Star Wars
• Comprehensive review of C-3PO collectibles

The “Masterpiece Edition” moniker maybe be ever-so-slightly exaggerated, but it certainly wasn’t a misnomer by any means. The Anakin Skywalker (The Story Of Darth Vader) set included one of the finest “Action Collection” figures to date by Kenner/Hasbro, and Anakin Skywalker showed what they were capable of producing in the 12 Inch Figure Scale. Although technically not part of the “Action Collection” categorization, the Masterpiece Edition sub-line produced the same type of large-sized action figures. And these figures were indirectly part of it. Anakin Skywalker (The Story Of Darth Vader) was very popular. And although sales got sluggish after it sat on shelves for a while, it remains one of the most popular collectibles items with Kenner’s/Hasbro’s involvement. Keeping the momentum going, Kenner/Hasbro planned a second release a year later. After the release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in theaters, fans around the world learned of C-3PO’s beginnings and the droid’s close ties to Anakin Skywalker. So C-3PO became the next logical progression in the Masterpiece Edition series. But what scene-specific version of C-3PO that Hasbro didn't make yet would be this set’s focus?

Kenner/Hasbro already produced multiple versions of C-3PO from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The first version, 1996’s POTF2 [R/G] C-3PO portrayed character as shiny and new. While 1998’s POTF2 [FF/TKC] C-3PO (Electronic)/R2-D2 (Electronic) Toys R Us exclusive set portrayed C-3PO as filthy from trekking along the dunes of Tatooine after exiting the escape pod. The next and best choice that was unique to previous iterations of C-3PO would be one that focused on the character’ battle-damage from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. So, C-3PO (Tales Of The Golden Droid) contains a version of C-3PO that includes Chewbacca’s cargo net, where he carried the pieces of C-3PO around Cloud City. But what’s more is that C-3PO comes with removable limbs just like the 1983 TESB C-3PO (Removable Limbs) action figure. How awesome is that? Additionally, C-3PO comes with flecks of carbon-scoring and the Stormtrooper’s blaster damage that impaled him and blew him to pieces in the Ugnaught’s work area. This release presents C-3PO as an extremely screen-specific character. But that’s alright. Collectors will enjoy this release. But sadly, all we need is a large-scaled Chewbacca figure to interact with this figure.

C-3PO breaks down into head, torso, left arm, right arm, left thigh, right thigh, left lower leg and right lower leg. All of the pieces fit into the cargo net wonderfully, and Kenner/Hasbro produced an authentic 12 Inch Figure that breaks down believably and incorporates a lot of play value. The battle-damage may not be screen-accurate as there are no burned wires, and C-3PO breaks apart in a manner different from the fil. But we strongly believe that Kenner/Hasbro intended to pay strong homage to the classic vintage Kenner figure. No other “Action Collection” figure has broken down into smaller parts like this. Collectors should consider themselves fortunate. For us, the best part about C-3PO is the inclusion of the silver right leg. It’s nice to see Kenner/Hasbro pay such close attention to this character and accurately recreate what they could here. C-3PO comes with a book written by Daniel Wallace and Josh Ling. They recount the many stories of the golden droid in great detail and provide a wealth of information on C-3PO collectibles. Collectors will love the features inside. Also, the deluxe packaging is gorgeous. They produced a trapezoidal box that’s colorful and functional and perfectly houses the figure and the book. The only thing you should grumble about here is the MSRP.