“The map… give it to us”
The HK-87 Assassin Droids were first introduced into the Star Wars Universe in The Mandalorian where they acted as bodyguards for Morgan Elsbeth on Corvus. The droids would continue to serve Elsbeth in the events of Ahsoka on Disney+ with several droids attacking Ahsoka on the planet Arcana. These droids had an updated paint job to a blood-red finish and wore black cloaks. One of these HK-87 Droids from Ahsoka was selected to be part of the first wave of Star Wars Black Series figures from Ahsoka and it was released in 2023 as the 5th and final figure of Wave 13 of the Galaxy Collection- the entire wave being dedicated to Ahsoka on Disney+. The Ahsoka figures were assigned a turquoise blue colour scheme which featured on the packaging and artwork, a shade different to that already in use for the Gaming Greats. The HK-87’s artwork follows on from that of its master, Morgan Elsbeth and leads into the Wave 14 release of Hera Syndula.
The HK-87 is the same figure as released earlier in 2023 as part of Wave 10 of the Galaxy Collection. That HK-87 was released under The Mandalorian banner and was based on the droid’s look on Corvus. It appears that this droid is based on the ‘leader’ of the group that attacked Ahsoka on Arkana and so this time round the base droid body is cast predominantly in a dull red finish with painted gun metal chest panel, gun metal shoulders, and lower legs, and black and silver joints to break up the mass of red paint. The droid gets an updated belt, but this is left unpainted in the same base red. And we have a new soft goods cloak that covers one shoulder. This one is black with a tattered hem and no other trim or markings. The cloak can be removed to create variant HK-87 droids, although I assume Hasbro will most likely do that for us in the future now the droid type is established in the line.
The head is exactly the same as the first release, but less defined thanks to the decision not to include any paint apps other than a tiny silver component on one side of the face. While there appears to be some minimal attempt at weathering with splodges of random silver paint in areas, the entire figure is a wash and a bit of detail away from at least being on par with the first release, if not exceeding it - but as it stands it looks cheap and unpainted.
Our new HK droid also comes with the same blaster as the previous release. This feels lazy considering this particular HK-87 droid fought Ahsoka with an electro-staff and never used a blaster. Even the variants of the droid we saw with variant colour schemes used melee weapons and not blasters. The gun itself is OK with crisp detail and a sufficient gunmetal finish. It fits in the right hand and can be cradled by the left for a two-handed pose.
Articulation is 18 points in total and the droid has an impressive range of movement without any bulkier armour to restrict the joints. Those joints are also part of the aesthetic with another droid release from Hasbro where the joints are designed with the figure and not disguised beneath other sculpted parts. Our HK-87 can be posed kneeling, standing, fighting or firing his blaster so there are plenty of choices (if only he had that electro staff). The flaw we saw with the original release and the stability is sadly carried forward. It is not as though the ankle joints are weak, they are simply not ratcheted in the right places to plant the feet on the floor. The feet click from too far forward to too far back with no middle ground to balance the figure on display and the droid is prone to toppling backward (or forward depending on the feet position). This is best avoided with the use of an after-market stand.
The HK-87 from Ahsoka feels like a lazy release. I have no issue with the re-use, that is part of collecting and very consistent with the use of the same droid types across both The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. What is poor is the decor and paintwork, particularly the head, and the choice of accessories which is not in keeping with the droids scenes within the Ahsoka show. The figure will no doubt spawn future variants too and let’s hope one of those provides us with the correct electro-staff weapon that this droid really needs.
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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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