Kenner ESB C-3PO & R2-D2 Review

 Now I come to the main characters of Kenner's Empire Strikes Back line, and I hate separating R2 & 3PO so I'll combine them for the purposes of this blog post. Both figures have new features that ended up replacing their 1978 versions entirely. So from this point on, if you bought 3PO or R2 these were the versions you got, and this is the final version of C-3PO until his 1985 Droids action figure. So, read on as I cover the new features of these 2 droids, in their mostly final look from the Original Trilogy!

First up is C-3PO. Now you may remember from my Star Wars review of him that several of the 1978 versions were on Empire Strikes Back cards. However as we saw in the film, C-3PO does get taken apart due to being shot by Stormtroopers. This version has removable arms and legs, although the head cannot be removed. It can however turn around so he can be "backwards". If you ever come across an ESB carded Threepio, the way to tell if it's a 1978 release is if it doesn't have a bag behind it. If it has a bag, that is the cargo net used by Chewbacca to carry him around Cloud City as they escaped. Other than the break apart feature and the cargo net nothing really has changed from the 1978 C-3PO. Also, you can't put his arms in his leg sockets or legs into his arm sockets. That would come in the modern lines. This would also be on a ROTJ card in 1983.

R2-D2 also has a new feature. He gets a "sensorscope" which is of course not film accurate, or even the correct name. Artoo uses his sensor dish to scan for Luke when he's reported missing, and his periscope once he falls off Luke's X-Wing and into the Dagobah swamp. In this figure, it is the periscope that can go up and down. Surprisingly, the scope does not interfere with the dome articulation. Of course it's been over 35 years since I played with this version as I had it and lost it during moving. But from what I remember I had no trouble. The periscope is a lighter blue plastic so it's easy to recognize which is the 1980 version and which is from 1978. Like 3PO, some 1978 R2's made it onto ESB cards. But the sensorscope feature was announced on the box so it's easy to see which is which version. This would also be available on a ROTJ card, which is the one I had him on.

Both versions are good, and are the easiest ones to find, IMO. As the Hasbro Retro figures have become popular so have the Vintage Kenner figures, especially these 2 droids! You should be able to get them for a reasonable price, however if you find the 1978 versions at a good price and condition I would go for those versions. Either way, having C-3PO & R2-D2 are ESSENTIAL for any Star Wars toy collection!