C-3PO - ROTS - Basic (III 18)

At last, the protocol droid C-3PO receives his complete body shell. He and his companion R2-D2 find themselves in the midst of tumultuous circumstances in their loyal service to Padmé.

Revenge Of The Sith originally intended to show Star Wars enthusiasts how C-3PO came to receive his golden armor. Due to time constraints of the film, that part of the storyline was abandoned. While it would have been an incredible progression of events in Episode III to see this actually happen onscreen, thankfully Star Wars fans could still witness the explanation of how this came to be for C-3PO courtesy of Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars micro-series. It was in Volume 2 where we saw Threepio abashedly show off his new shiny golden exoskeleton once he removed his disguise for Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. It was definitely cool to see that part of Star Wars folklore visually, but it still never explained exactly how C-3PO received his new plating (and why). We suppose that will remain an enigma until it is fully explained elsewhere. But being that this was the first time C-3PO appeared this way in the Prequel Trilogy, Hasbro brought an all-new version of C-3PO forth to the Revenge Of The Sith line and it’s a pretty fine specimen of our favorite protocol droid. It’s hard to call it “perfect” because it isn't as articulated as one might have expected, but it nonetheless will become a welcomed addition to the basic figure line and your collection. With excellent proportions, a fair paint job and a portrait that we find couldn’t really be much better, C-3PO is a much need addition to the Revenge Of The Sith line and to protocol droid aficionados everywhere.

C-3PO only comes with six points of articulation, but all of the staple points are included here. He comes with a reverse ball-socket neck joint that functions more like swivel articulation and as a bonus, the head is removable. C-3PO also comes with two swivel shoulders with both arms that are removable as well. C-3PO’s midsection is ball-jointed and he is finished off with two swivel hips (also removable). You might be inclined to believe that his legs weren’t intended to be removed from the body (when compared to the design of the arms), but can be easily removed with little to no effort at all. Because C-3PO does come well prepared with all of this versatility, this version may be the best to utilize as a crossover figure of sorts. We say this because his particular version of C-3PO can really be screen accurate for all of the Star Wars films. C-3PO isn't free from some minor faults though. The paint job Hasbro gave C-3PO seems ever too slightly pale (or more silver we should say) and we’d venture a guess that Hasbro is still looking for a way to master how the eyes (photoreceptors) get painted on the "face" of C-3PO because they aren’t exactly perfect. (They're too big.) At this stage of the game, we’d very much like to see a C-3PO with ball-jointed elbows and knees, but it seems we’re just a ways off before this becomes a reality. But that would definitely give us an ultimate version of this protocol droid.

There are some other great points about this figure as well. He looks fantastic on his Mustafar-inspired environmental action figure stand. He also has superb posturing. The ball-jointed torso does a great deal of good for this sculpt and without it this figure may have not become the success it has. The flexibility in his midsection give him just the perfect amount of attitude and indignation he needs. C-3PO is a Star Wars character that is hard (in general) for Hasbro to mess up. Pretty much all of the versions to date have been successful. But perhaps this 2005 version may take the cake. C-3PO is a staple character in all of the Star Wars films. We were directed off of the path in Episode I (or Episode II for that matter) because he looked so differently. But Episode III has made an effort to connect the remaining dots together so that a smooth storyline of the Star Wars saga can exist. And with a fine sculpt and decent paint job, this version should stand the test of time until Hasbro find a way to include more articulation into the sculpt. Revenge Of The Sith ties up many open ended plot lines. The film basically skipped over the key points of C-3PO’s for the most part, but we are happy to see him in his original state, beautifully gold and always a hero despite his panicking and whining. We just want to know what specifically precipitated him getting this golden overhaul.