Pilot Droid "Rex" has a long association with the Disney Parks, originally working as the pilot droid, RX-24 for the Star Tours ride. He has since changed professions and now works as a DJ in Oga's Cantina in Black Spire Outpost at Galaxy's Edge under the name R-3X. Hasbro brought R-3X into the Star Wars Black Series in 2019 as part of a multi-pack of Droids from Galaxy's Edge that was sold exclusively on the park. In 2020, the Galaxy's Edge figures were repacked as single figures and sold in the US exclusively in Target stores as part of their wider Galaxy's Edge merchandise arrangement with Disney.
The 2020 Target Galaxy's Edge figures utilise the Phase 4 packaging dimensions and base design and artwork. We have a cut in circular panel to the right of the window that states that the item is has been transported directly from Galaxy's Edge Trading Outpost. The box for R-3X has been expanded to be deeper than the standard box which is to incorporate his wide base.
The usual red side spine on the right hand side of the box (as we look) has been replaced with a dull sandstone effect with an orange Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Trading Outpost header. At the base of this side section is one of two Star Wars faction symbols. These apparently vary on the same figure. On the figure I bought it is a First Order symbol. You can also get the same figure, but with the Resistance logo - a nightmare for packaging variant collectors, particularly if you are ordering online.
The back of the box has the usual expanded version of the front artwork and a simple background piece about R-3X and his role at Black Spire Outpost.
"Rex was recently reprogrammed to be a DJ in Oga's Cantina. Today, he can be found playing the latest hits from around the galaxy in the heart of Black Spire Outpost"
The figure is unpacked as normal via the top or bottom flap. He sits in an inner plastic tray, and be mindful of his three arms as you remove him from the box. The backing card is a dark grey almost black colour and this doesn't really make the box leap out in the way the red Phase 3 packaging does, or the Gaming Greats do with their varying accent colours.
2.5
I have not been to Galaxy's Edge, so ahead of this review I did a bit of research on DJ R-3X - and when I say research, I mean I watched some YouTube footage. What Hasbro have brought us is a fairly accurate representation of the animatronic R-3X from Oga's Cantina. The proportions of the head are a good match, with the headphone piece, brow over the eye and the shaped mouthpiece. The colours are a little muted in a flat grey rather than metallic tones and the brown of the body is also a flat colour and a tad darker perhaps than the prop.
There is no discernable paint apps across the body and it is crying out for weathering and some grime. What we do get are some silver applications to mimic paint scratching and peeling but these are only applied on the base and round the side of the body - with this last one being applied on the grey of the body which technically shouldn't flake?
The other decor applications include blue of the headphones and the eyes. The white markings on his brow and the application of the orange body colour on segments on the grey cast arms. The Aurebesh plate just under his neck is very well done as a sculpted segment and picked out in blue
3.5
DJ R-3X has no accessories included. Nor do any spring to mind that could have been included without going much bigger and into a Deluxe release format with DJ R-3X figure and his DJ station from Oga's Cantina.
N/A
R3X obviously does not conform to the usual format of articulation. On my count he does have a total of 20 moving elements. The main body includes a variety of segments that rotate around the central axis, this allows the central body to vary its position with each component and its attached manipulator arm rotating independently of the others.
The neck rotates and also telescopes upward to extend the head. This is done by simply pulling the head upwards. My gripe with this part is that it is either up - until it clicks and locks - or down, there is no middle ground to hold the neck extended part way up. At the top of the neck is a ball joint which allows tilting to the side and front and back. The headphone piece does articulate - although it is not required too, you can deploy it as some kind of visor if you wish.
R3X has three arms, all of which are articulated. The top one on the upper grey rim is jointed at the body allowing rotation and a one way pivot bend. There is a secondary joint at the "wrist" which rotates and articulation on the pincers allowing the bottom pincer to open and close vs the other two.
The middle arm - the largest - also rotates at the body and is jointed in two places on the main shaft. Each of these two joints rotates and pivots. We again have a rotating wrist and opening pincer piece.
The lower arm has the same rotation as the others at the body and a pivot within the base section to allow one directional movement. There is a further pivot further up and another rotating wrist. The claws on this arm are fixed. This final arm has a weaker joint at the base and can pop out of its base housing when being posed.
4.0
R-3X is a figure that perhaps does not have the same attachment to Star Wars fandom as characters from the movies or the TV shows. As a momento of a visit to Galaxy's Edge then it makes perfect sense, for the rest of us it is probably more a background droid character that benefits from being a very different design than the usual Astromech's and Protocol droids that we've had in the Black Series so far.
What Hasbro have given us is a six inch representation of R-3X with a lot of articulation options. The joints all work in conjunction with each other to create almost endless combinations for posing R3X and my only gripe is that the head doesn't hold part way when the neck is extended.
The figure could do with a more weathered look, as could many Black Series releases, and a more metallic finish than the flat colours used.
I am certainly not sold on the packaging for the Galaxy's Edge figures. They come across a little drab and the varying decals would drive me mad if I was a boxed collector - deliberately creating unnecessary variants.
I score the Galaxy's Edge DJ R-3X release a total of 3.0
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...
action figures, reviews, review, articulation, star wars, black series, hasbro, galaxy's edge, olgas cantina, DJ rex, R-3X, exclusive
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