MB-RA-7 - TLC - Build A Droid

It would have been much easier if Hasbro simply called this action figure Death Star Droid. And we are not sure if we know where to begin explaining why. Clearly a nod to the vintage Death Star Droid, MB-RA-7 is colored nearly identical to match it. And you might assume that this Build A Droid is just a clean version of the one we saw on the Sandcrawler, but if you think that, you are unfortunately incorrect. (That droid is 3B6-RA-7 which differs from MB-RA-7 by having silver toned eyes, no black color on his shoulders and a gold color that washes over the rest of his body.) The two droids are different thanks to a naming inconsistency (and the action figures of them being creating decades apart). We think the confusion started when Matt Busch, an illustrator, gave the [vintage] Death Star Droid the designation MB after his own initials. This basically made MB-RA-7 an EU droid by default since 3B6-RA-7 had previously been identified as such. As with much Star Wars EU continuity, things have gotten quite scrambled, but now these “two” droids are “three” droids. So, the simplest way we can put this is that MB-RA-7 is a nod to the exact look of the vintage Death Star Droid, which itself (vintage Death Star Droid) was intended to be the Sandcrawler droid 3B6-RA-7 back in the 70s when he was first developed. This has become a little bit like what came first; the chicken or the egg? But this is what happened here and we agree that it is definitely puzzling to consider how a modern figure based on a vintage figure is from the Expanded Universe.

Now that we have gotten this aside, let’s talk about the figure. MB-RA-7 is a great Build A Droid figure from The Legacy Collection. He is the second Death Star Droid we have received as a pack-in (after 5D6-RA7 from wave 3). He is not as super-articulated as you may have expected because he has a limited but generous articulation. This is a figure that could have seriously benefited from jointed ankles. But with 10 areas of articulation with a total of 15 total points, you can attain quite a bit of movement from this protocol droid. This droid is however a bit difficult to pose and stand because his center of gravity is off a bit and he wants to fall backwards almost every time we play with him. We do hope that if Hasbro decides to make 3B6-RA-7 as an eventual Build A Droid that they first tweak this droid’s legs to allow for additional posing ability. It is sorely needed. The coloring on the droid is a little bit too flat. As all of us know, the vintage Death Star Droid was as shiny as they come, and although we may not want MB to be that shiny, a little better finishing detail would have served him much better. The black details on his shoulders and eyes are very faithful to his vintage counterpart, so Hasbro did a great job here. His torso and details on limbs are excellent and we think Hasbro nailed the likeness. Besides his standing ability and ankle joint issues, there is not much more to complain about with this figure. It is one more off the checklists for [vintage to modern] collectors and another to populate your sandcrawler/purchase of the droids diorama. MB-RA-7 will certainly add nostalgia and diversity at the same time to your ever growing collection.

While we have already received 3B6-RA-7 in our collections as both a vehicle pack-in (simply named RA-7 Droid) from 2004’s OTC Sandcrawler vehicle, as well as 2007’s TAC RA-7 Saga Legends from this line's basic figure assortment, we hope that Hasbro has it in their parking lot to revisit him with a significant amount more articulation and details like this Build A Droid figure has. Like its vintage version, MB-RA-7 is too clean for being a Death Star Droid stuck on Tatooine. But we guess that is why we have 3B6-RA-7? We really aren’t trying to confuse you here, honestly! It is however nice that Hasbro is releasing more and more of our vintage figures into the modern line. But this MB-RA-7 situation makes us wonder quite a few things about the revisits of vintage figures: Are they planning to release Ponda Baba with flippers for feet? Will Hammerhead be released wearing an aqua-colored shell? Will the next Snaggletooth be Takeel’s head on Zutton’s body? (In other words, are the vintage figures of these cantina aliens the expanded universe versions of the movie accurate figures? No way!) Our heads are exploding! Vintage figures were made based on the source materials and what details were shown at the time. Things that couldn't be seen in photo references was based on the artist’s/sculptor's creativity. (And this goes for the modern line as well – but source material has significantly improved over time.) But to create a convention of new names/characters based on errors in authenticity? Well, we just aren’t sure if this is the route that Hasbro should be taking to develop and populate the action figure line. Please give us movie authentic and not vintage authentic figures Hasbro. That is our request anyway.