The Power of the Nerdy: A Look at Hasbro's Death Star Droid and R5-D4 Figures

I recently learned the hard way that toy conventions are places where nerds like me go to lose money. Case in point: my recent purchase of large-scale action figures of the Death Star Droid and R5-D4, Star Wars figures that were released by Hasbro. The Death Star Droid was released through the "Power of the Jedi" line, while R5-D4 was released through "The Kenner Collection" line.

This may not seem like a big deal for most toy collectors but finding these at a toy con (the Maryland Toy Expo, to be specific) was a big deal for me. As a lifetime Star Wars devotee, my preferred order of collectibles from that franchise follow this hierarchy: 1. Vehicles, 2. Droids, and 3. Armor Suits (e.g., Stormtroopers, Mandalorians, some of the Sith Lords, etc.). These two droids fit my second category; they also make for a matching droid set to go with my C-3P0 and R2-D2 figures from the same Hasbro lines.

The Death Star Droid and R5-D4 were first made into toys by Kenner during its second wave of Star Wars figures. However, neither got the large-scale treatment until Hasbro began releasing Star Wars toys in the '90s. This time around, the Death Star Droid also included a near scale-accurate Mouse Droid.

Cardback callback: The second wave (left) and first wave (right)
of Kenner's original Star Wars figures

Overall, these Death Star Droid and R5-D4 figures are of the same quality as Hasbro's large-scale C-3P0 and R2-D2 figures. Both are largely screen accurate, with R5-D4 having painted-on scuff marks that match his first on-screen appearance as part of a Jawas' used droid sales inventory on Tatooine. R5-D4 has the same range of motion as the R2-D2 figure, with rotating head, adjustable legs, and retractable third leg. 

The Death Star Droid has a more limited range of motion; like the C-3P0 figure, its joints have a limited range of motion. For some reason, Hasbro added a swivel joint to the Death Star Droid's right wrist, but not the left wrist. In contrast, the C-3P0 figure has no movement in its wrists.

I don't know how many fans realize this, but the droids in Star Wars have been part of George Lucas' world-building process from the very beginning. These robots are almost everywhere in each movie, with many featuring similar designs and shapes to suggest that they are different models from the same manufacturer. Even in the opening scene with C-3P0 and R2-D2 in the first Star Wars movie (a.k.a., Episode IV: A New Hope), there's a droid walking behind them that's identical to C-3P0, suggesting that both droids are part of a mass-produced droid series. Of course, these additional droids were made from re-used and re-painted C-3P0 and R2-D2 parts for the purpose of adding background details, but it's details such as these that add to the history and personality of the Star Wars universe.

Droids in 3D: All four droid figures in anaglyph (top) and stereoscopic (bottom) 3D.