Friday, January 1, 2021

Wrapping Up 2020: R5-P8 from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 

   Yes, it's officially 2021 but I've still got a dozen or so figures that I picked up in December or received for Christmas that I need to review so let's get started with wrapping up 2020 by taking a look at R5-P8. R5-P8 is part of the Target exclusive Galaxy's Edge Trading Outpost subset of The Black Series and is intended as the droid companion of Hondo Ohnaka, another figure releases in the Galaxy's Edge subset. I haven't gotten my hands on Hondo yet but I'm about to just bite the bullet and order one because I doubt we'll see him again. Anyways, R5-P8 did appear in a few episodes of The Clone Wars but he's also part of the ride Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, which is what this version of the astromech droid is based on. Let's take a quick look at R5-P8 after the break...


The Facts:

Height: 3 1/2 inches

Articulation: 6 rolling wheels, 3 hinged ankles, sliding middle leg, swivel side legs, 2 hinged chest panels, 2 hinged interior arms, and a swiveling dome.

Accessories: 2 removable leg panels.

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars

Comparison:

* The body for R5-P8 (middle right) was originally used by R5-K6 (right) back in 2016 and was later used for R5-D4 (middle left) and R5-D8 (left). It's the same sculpt (with the body going back to 2013's R2-D2) with new paint applications so there's nothing really new or exciting here.

The Positives:

* We've seen this droid body multiple times and while it's been used over and over it's still a very good sculpt. The paint applications are what differentiate the different droids and while red highlights isn't unusual on an R5 unit the teeth-like paint details on the dome are. It definitely makes R5-P8 looks... fierce, I guess? I like it but I'm not sure if it's intimidating or endearing. Originally part of the Ohnaka Gang, the version o R5-P8 in The Clone Wars sported a blaster mounted on his dome but that's not present here.

 

* R5-P8 is covered in random bits of dirt and dust. Whether this is from Batuu or just from years of neglect by Hondo is unknown. Actually, the dome looks kind of rusty which was present in The Clone Wars, so I'd lean on the neglect side.

 *  Since he shares the same body as every other astromech droid in the line, R5-P8 also features a retractable third leg. Rotate his head and the leg descends (rotate his head the other way and it goes back up into his body). It works well and nicely gives him a few different display options.

 *  Again, since he shares the same body as the original R2-D2, RP8D4 features the two hinged panels on the front of the body that open up. Inside is a hinged claw arm on the left and a data port/ universal computer interface arm on the right. He also has the removable side panels so you could add jets or other side panels from previous droids to customize your figure a bit.

The Negatives:

* So, this is pretty much like beating a dead horse at this point but the astromech droids in this line are actually too small. At this point I expect that R2-D2 might be the only droid to get a fix as it would be weird to have every other droid out of scale with the rest. Still, it's a negative.



   Like the rest of the R5 units I've reviewed, the droid itself is decent with nice paint applications and a good sculpt but the fact that we don't get any of the extra parts is a bit frustrating and makes this figure rather lackluster. How cool would it have been to at least give R5-P8 the blaster attachment like he sported in The Clone Wars? Then you could have either a Clone Wars era version or a Galaxy's Edge version? Alas, he's kind of lackluster and a victim of the $5 Hasbro exclusive tax. I'm giving R5-P8 an Eh and a 1/2. Completists will want him but most folks can pass him by. 

 

This is the first figure of R5-P8 I've reviewed on the site. For more reviews from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III check out the following:
0-0-0 (Triple Zero)
442nd Siege Battalion Clone Trooper, 212th Attack Battalion Utapau Trooper, Coruscant Guard ---(Phase II), and 501st Legion Clone Trooper 4 pack
4-LOM
Admiral Ackbar and First Order Officer
Admiral Piett
Ahsoka Tano 
Anakin Skywalker (Padawan)
Elite Praetorian Guard
Elite Praetorian Guard (with Heavy Blade)
Emperor Papatine and Throne
Enfys Nest's Swoop Bike/ Enfys Nest
Ezra Bridger
Finn (First Order Disguise)
Finn (FN-2187)
Finn (Jakku)
First Order Flametrooper
First Order General Hux
First Order Jet Trooper
First Order Snowtrooper
First Order Snowtrooper Officer
First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter
First Order Stormtrooper
First Order Stormtrooper Executioner 
First Order Stormtrooper (with Gear)
First Order TIE Fighter Pilot
Gamorrean Guard
General Grievous
General Leia Organa
General Veers
Grand Admiral Thrawn (SDCC Exclusive)
Grand Moff Tarkin 
Guardians of Evil 4-Pack
Guavian Enforcer
Han Solo (Exogorth Escape)
Han Solo (Mimban)
Han Solo (Solo)
Han Solo (The Force Awakens)
Heavy Battle Droid
Heavy Infantry Mandalorian
Hera Syndulla
IG-11
Imperial AT-ACT Driver
Imperial Death Trooper
Imperial Death Trooper, Captain Cassian Andor, and Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha) 3 pack
Imperial Hovertank Pilot 
Imperial Jumptrooper
Imperial Patrol Trooper
Imperial Probe Droid
Imperial Shock Trooper 
Imperial Royal Guard 
Inferno Squad Agent
Jaina Solo (Legends)
Jango Fett
Second Sister Inquisitor
Sergeant Jyn Erso (Eadu)
Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha)
Shadow Stormtrooper
Sith Trooper
Snowtrooper 
Stormtrooper (Mimban)
Stormtrooper (With Blast Accessories)
Supreme Leader Snoke (Throne Room)
Tobias Beckett
Tusken Raider 
Val (Vandor)
Vice Admiral Holdo
Wedge Antilles
X-34 Landspeeder & Luke Skywalker (SDCC Exclusive) 
X-Wing Pilot Asty 
Yoda (Force Spirit)
Zorii Bliss
Zuckuss




2 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. It is quite distinctive, isn't it? Still, I wish he had the blaster on top of his dome.

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