Stormtrooper - SW [DV/ROTS] - 12-Inch Figures

Stormtroopers are the elite soldiers of the Galactic Empire. Armed with blasters, they enforce the harsh rule of the evil Emperor Palpatine.

Why is the consistency of Hasbro Star Wars products all over the map? Where Hasbro made positive strides with the Luke Skywalker 12-Inch Figure, they backslid with the Stormtrooper 12-Inch Figure. It’s no secret that Hasbro is utilizing the blueprints of the 3.75” scaled Saga Legends and Mission Series figures to bring them into the 12-Inch Figures line. The Stormtrooper looks like a giant version of 2013’s SW [DV/ROTS] Stormtrooper (SL11) figure because, well, technically it is. But just like the 3.75” scaled version, the 12-Inch version of the Stormtrooper is incomplete and not sculpted with precise screen accuracy. There are some positive points to the Stormtrooper 12-Inch Figure, however. The head sculpt looks much better in the larger size. This beckons us to ponder what came first: the chicken or the egg? Are the 12-Inch Figures planned first, and then converted to 3.75” scale, or is it the other way around. Or is it technically none of the above? Perhaps it’s the former because the helmet isn’t too rounded and wonky like the Saga Legends figure appears and the shoulders look more proportionate too (you know, less of a shoulder pad look in this size). Whatever the process, it’s interesting and makes us consider what the true methods/correct order of operations is for these figures. But the bottom line? Well, the Stormtrooper isn’t too hot.

So why isn’t the Stormtrooper 12-Inch Figure nearly as good as it could or should be? Aside from the aesthetically displeasing stature (his arms are way too close to his side), this figure severely lacks much-needed paint operations, and it's NOT our responsibility to paint these things. Not all collectors are good with a paintbrush, nor should they resort to that. The Stormtrooper looks as if he is wearing a nude (or white) body glove. The lack of black detailing in between the armor pieces is very disheartening to see, and these missing details give the Stormtrooper an otherworldly and non-Star Wars feel. You know it’s a Stormtrooper obviously, but then you think something is very off about him, because, well, your interpretation is correct. He is off because Hasbro’s saved pennies of the paint operations makes him look odd. In particular, his body glove collar is most glaring. With all of the budget figures, there seems to be some saving grace. And the same is true for the Stormtrooper. And that would be the separately sculpted gun. (It’s hard to believe that a separately sculpted gun needs to be considered a “benefit” in the budget line.) Hasbro decided not to permanently mold his E-11 blaster file to either hand, thank goodness. The detailed gun is very nice, and it’s great that kids and collectors have options with how to pose him with or without it. But sadly his arms are so stinking close together that it makes attaining any realistic pose with the gun nearly impossible.

We can’t fully discount the sculpt of the Stormtrooper 12-Inch Figure, for it has some very nicely sculpted parts. The abdomen area of the armor is especially impressive, as is the cod section and back. There would have been some potential here. But despite the good-looking parts, the functionality of the figure is quite disappointing, and the missing paint operations border on unforgivable for us. We know these aren’t super-articulated collectors' figures, but the points of articulation these figures do have should at least be fully functional in our opinion. But that’s not the case for the Stormtrooper. His arms are so close and come into his body that you have to force them to his core to tuck his arms behind his back. What’s more, his legs don’t bend backward in the slightest because of the way his “butt” armor is sculpted. They almost possess a blocking feature when the legs bend any direction backward. This makes posing the figure quite frustrating. But we still don’t think that’s the biggest weakness of the Stormtrooper 12-Inch Figure. If you look at the back of the figure, it looks like an empty white canvas. That isn’t an unfair assessment. We know these figures don’t get full paint operations. But the reverse side of the Stormtrooper is so bland and boring; it feels like it’s been left unpainted; which it has. Not Hasbro’s best by a long shot, we’re sure some kid will find it somewhat interesting. It’s just that we think it’s a lazy effort on Hasbro's part generally speaking. And it certainly won't capture the attention of the collectors, who are more likely to have a luxury budget to waste on these things.