Review: Star Wars Black Series Droids retro-carded See-Threepio (C-3PO)
- Mephitsu
- 59 minutes ago
- 5 min read
"What a perilous chain of events. We're lost in a game of chance to a new master, who turns out to be a smuggler.”
Star Wars: Droids (The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO) was one of two animated spin-offs from the original Star Wars trilogy, airing in 1985 across a solitary 13-episode season that explored the adventures of Artoo and Threepio before they found themselves on the Tantive IV in A New Hope. Kenner’s action figure line also continued into the Droids series, with a selection of Droids-themed 3.75-inch figures released in 1985, an extension of the final Power of the Force figures from the original movies, and including a collector coin alongside the figure.
Marking 40 years since the end of Droids in 1986 and some of the final Kenner figures, Hasbro has returned to the Droids series for a wave of Star Wars Black Series Fan Channel carded figures for late Summer 2026. Each figure is carded, paying homage to the original Kenner designs, and comes with a collector's coin scaled up to the 6-inch figure.
These new Droids cards are scaled up for the 6-inch line, but use the colours and artwork of the original Kenner line, with a blue header with the Droids logo at the top. The Threepio release mirrors that from 1985 in terms of artwork and wording, with the bubble, including an extension for the coin, sitting to the right of the card. Behind the bubble is a coloured panel as per all of the Kenner cardbacks from the 1980s, and like the other carded Kenner homage figures from Hasbro, the card front foregoes the Hasbro logo and instead carries the original Kenner logo next to the age warning sign.
Around the back, the entire cardback is coloured the same blue as the header on the front, with a pictorial checklist of the full 4-figure wave at the top. Under this is the short background text we get on most Black Series releases, which talks about the Droids storyline for Threepio “prior to coming into Luke Skywalker’s care” and how the adventures in Droids are predominantly around finding “a good master”. As a carded figure, there is no way to open the blister without some level of damage.
Like all of the other figures in this Droids retro-carded wave, Threepio uses the existing Black Series figure, updating the colour scheme to match the animated styling of the 1980’s cartoon while retaining the live-action proportions. C-3PO’s golden body and limbs are converted to two tones of base yellow, light yellow on the torso, lower arms, and across most of the legs. A darker secondary yellow creates a cell shading effect around the upper shoulders and arms, the groin area, and the knees and feet. Threepio’s central circular panel above his stomach is also darker in tone, with the wiring in the stomach section coloured entirely in blue, again matching the more simplistic colouration used in the Droids animation.
There is a further touch of blue in Threepio’s neck, while the head uses the lighter golden yellow with a painted black slit at the mouth, and white eyes with a black Droid equivalent of a pupil. It is this small touch that really mimics how we see Threepio in the Droids episode, bringing him to life in a way the live-action suit wasn’t able to match.
vs the 2016 Boxed Release (right)
Threepio comes in with 16 points of articulation, using the slightly newer Protocol Droid body with the updated elbows, including the piston bend. These elbows still don't bend overly far, but the added movement does help in some of those Threepio arm gestures.
Threepio stands pretty well, including Threepio’s iconic Butler-esque pose with feet relatively close together, with arms out gesturing; accurate to both Anthony Daniel’s on-screen look as well as the animation of Threepio in the Droids cartoon.
Threepio has zero accessories, but like the other three figures, he does come with a collector coin. The original 1985 Droids figures used aluminium, and while these modern replications are simply plastic, they do mirror the gold colour and the design of those original coins. Like the original Kenner Threepio release, the coin features a picture of C-3PO surrounded by other Droids in the background. His name sits above the illustration, and under this is the word Droids.
The limitations of the plastic are evident on our purchased figure, with a scratch straight out of the packaging across the face of the coin. The back of the coin is mainly text, talking about Threepio as a protocol droid and how he speaks “over 6MM forms of communication” and how his adventures in Droids with companion R2-D2 are very much around “seeking a new master”. While the Fett and Stormtrooper coins featured a Kenner-era POTF logo for Star Wars, the back of R2’s coin uses the Droids logo, and there is no “May the Force Be With You” text. Like the original Kenner figures, there is no stand or display feature for the coin, but these do sit nicely into most 40mm coin stands for display if - like me - you’ve ripped your Boba figure off the cardback.
Of the four 2026 Black Series Droids releases, I think C-3PO is the most visual and the one that most evokes the original Kenner figures. The colour choice is great, and that cell-shading effect in terms of having two tones of yellow works brilliantly. Articulation is, of course, limited; it always has been on Protocol Droids, but there is plenty of arm-gesturing movement to be had. The coin, as the solitary accessory, is OK but very much looks the part in the packaging rather than in hand, where the limitations of plastic are easy to see.
While Boba and the Stormtrooper work fine on their own, the power of Threepio is putting him with the Droids R2-D2, where the pair steal the show in terms of bringing back the feels of those 1980’s Saturday morning cartoons.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
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