Kenner R5-J2 (custom)

Far from an original idea, but none the less this is a piece I am happy to have created. As I’ve said before, I’m a big fan R5-D4 and the way that the toy lives beyond his appearance in the film. With that said, he just doesn’t work with Imperials, so a simple custom was in need.

My custom take on him might be a little too accurate for a Kenner figure, but we could imagine this redeco came out a little after ROTJ, and that Kenner had access to better source material. Okay… that’s a really bad excuse, but I think he looks cooler than Hoth so there! If anyone wants to make one like mine, here’s the sticker I used below. It can be printed and attached to the droid with a good spray glue.

Kenner FX-7

While I won’t be the first to say it, FX-7 has to be pretty much the strangest figure in the Kenner Star Wars line. He’s just so much less of a character, I’m not sure he could even move on his own. That itself is sort of the cool, novel appeal of this guy. He’s more of a prop, but the unusual nature of the toy makes him something to behold.

Thankfully the figure is more than a stick, in ways. All of his extra arms pop out which is pretty cool and detailed. His head raises, and can turn all the way around, but that is it. The paint details are also very, very good on the little figure, but as a toy there’s not too much you can do with him. It’s surprising they didn’t try throwing him in with a playset or something, as he might make more sense as more of an accessory than a single-carded figure.

This was a figure I particularly sought out despite that I have no real interest in owning a more accurate, modern version of the droid. It’s the kind of novelty I really enjoy: something strange, different, and really out of place with its contemporaries.

Fashionable Clones

So I picked up these Stormtroopers on an Ebay auction a while ago listed as “Fashionable Clones”. Given, it’s pretty apparent what these are, but I’ll go with fashionable, since at the end of the day these are very attractive figures.

So in the set, you get a white trooper and a black one, a Shadow Stormtrooper if you will. The package comes with a bubble amusingly shaped like a Stormtrooper helmet, and a card that would feature a lot of random art bits making it seem equal part tasteless and hilarious. I especially like the art snagged from Star Wars Battlefront’s cover in the top corner there.

The figures themselves seem to mock Kenner’s construction on these guys, hard plastic torsos with soft limbs. As you might expect it feels really cheap, the soft parts especially are too pliable which I find nerve-wracking, though they seem to be holding up well so it might just be my own paranoia. The blasters included are made of a nice, hard plastic, and are comparable to at least your average reproduction blaster. Lastly, the paint applications are of good quality on both of my two figures, they’re at least on par with anything Hasbro might make.

The white Stormtrooper looks almost just like the original, but definitely doesn’t feel the same in terms of plastic quality. A big issue is also that his stance is very narrow, which I am afraid to attempt fixing given I don’t want to risk breaking the plastic anywhere. A shame but no big deal given this guy provides great squad fodder without breaking the bank.  Were the Emperor to arrive, I’m sure the old man wouldn’t spot him in a crowd.

Real Kenner Stormtrooper on the right.

The “Shadow Stormtrooper”, is the real gem of this set, and mind you he looks very fashionable. He has the same quality issues as the white one, but the figure is far more interesting and unique. He is cast entirely in black plastic, with silver details painted on his eyes and chin. He makes a very interesting compliment to a collection of Kenner Imperials, given how iconic the Stormtrooper is. I do wish that he might have included a blue blaster to break up some of the black and contrast a bit more, but this is a small problem that can be easily remedied.

All in all, this is both an interesting and cool set. For what these are, they are of quality better than you might expect, and it’s also nice to be able to fill out a squad of Kenner Stormies with these that cost you a fraction of the price. They’re fairly common now, but down the road these might become more sought after once Episode VII comes out and the supply dries up. I recommend it if you're into collecting figures of the... less official kind.

Kashyyyk AT-RT Driver

It’s funny, but for some reason with clones I like them better when they’re as much different as they can possibly be. Ironically I feel too many of the clone variants are just too much alike, and that’s where there’s something appealing that can be found from an AT-RT Driver in Kashyyyk themed colors.

The truth is I think I find this guy more interesting than the AT-RT he’s meant to drive. I think what’s so nice about him is how he expands the Republic’s army out beyond Clone Troopers and Commanders. The design is a nice departure from the normal Clone Trooper, in unit specific colors he blends in a little more, but still breaks up the look a bit with other clones. His unique helmet and the way the armor is more broken up around his waist and legs help that a lot.

On this figure in particular, his colors seem a little brighter than most other Kashyyyk clones, but again I think that helps him stand out. I also really like the blaster he includes; with its detailed strap he can get some great poses with it. Albeit, it seems he was designed to use his left hand with this blaster, something I find strange once you have a bunch of left-handed clones wondering about. But who knows, maybe they aren’t that much alike after all, or maybe Jango Fett was ambidextrous?

POTF 2 Jawas

There’s not much appreciation nowadays for the 90’s Power of the Force line, and admittedly, the line was a bit of a crapshoot. Still, when these came out, they were the first Star Wars toys in ten years and explored a number of characters the Kenner line ignored. The line also did a good job of remaking a few characters with toys that have held up well to this day. The Jawas are one good example of that.

Unlike the Kenner figure, the POTF2 Jawas come in sets of two, with two different Jawa figures. This to me makes them seem like a better value than a normal figure; contrasted with the original which would incorporate soft-goods to better the value as so many know. Also included is a gun for each figure, which is about normal for the line given your average figure typically included two accessories, usually guns.

These Jawas look good and aren’t exaggerated like many other POTF2 toys. They have good proportions and reasonable looking poses. They also feature a lightpiping gimmick, which makes their eyes glow when held under light. Aesthetically this hurts their looks a bit, but the gimmick works and plays off a good visual feature of the character, so it’s more good than bad. For these reasons, I count the Jawas as one of the best pieces from POTF2, and one that’s held up well against modern times.