Stormtrooper - SW [SOTDS] - Saga Legends (SL25)

Stormtroopers are the military enforcers of the Emperor's will. They strike with speed and accuracy to quell any uprising against the Empire. From Coruscant to the Outer Rim, they keep order with an iron fist, serving as ground forces and a space-based Imperial fleet.

Hasbro decided to release a tweaked Stormtrooper based on 2006's TSC Shadow Stormtrooper figure (instead of that figure's base sculpt which was 2004's VOTC Stormtrooper). It's not sure why this approach was taken because for all intents and purposes the figures are identical, save for the date stamps. It is this version of the Stormtrooper, originally released as 2009's LC Stormtrooper (BD46) figure, that is packed in the 2011 Star Wars [Shadow Of The Dark Side] Saga Legends line. It appears as if Hasbro picked higher quality plastics this time around because the figure now looks brighter and cleaner than ever before. Because the materials used are absolutely different, this neo-classic figure has been cast in a very brilliant white plastic and the black details look a tad bit sloppier than previous versions. While it's nice to get this Stormtrooper released for the first time as a Saga Legends figure (surprising isn't it), it is a great figure to help collectors army build their Imperial armies while not wasting slots in the main line instead. Plus, the MSRP is cheaper than The Vintage Collection ($7.99 or cheaper).

If you have the vintage-styled figure (or any other iteration released to date – including the many Sandtrooper figures released), then you pretty much know what you're getting here. The figures only have mildly different variances. Stormtrooper has 23 points of articulation, can hold his weapon well and is very authentic to the film. We have felt for quite some time now that troop builders must come with ball-jointed hips now. There is almost no reason to waste money on extra knee or ankle joints when swivel hips will inhibit optimum movement. It was great technology for 2004, but now that this figure was originally released in the 2009 line and now 2011 Saga Legends, we just want more from him at this point. Currently, the articulation (of the legs) only benefits the action figure in that it allows it to be seated (and seated realistically of course), but it doesn't allow for an unlimited amount of action poses. Until this feature is added into a Stormtrooper action figure, we will say that this isn't the definitive Stormtrooper figure (and we will wait indefinitely until we get it). (Editor's Note: Hasbro released 2011's TVC Stormtrooper (VC41) which perfected many of this figure's problems.)

On a side note, we prefer our Stormtrooper action figures to have a slight white space between the black rim and the visor (as seen below in the movie still). If you recall the 2007 TAC Imperial Stormtrooper (30 20), the visor and black rim are seamless and it makes for a very different looking Imperial (an inferior one in our opinion). Many other collectibles have followed this format, including Sideshow Collectibles' 1:6 Scale Imperial Stormtrooper figure. If you're looking to build your Stormtrooper ranks with an excellent sculpt, this is your second chance at this decent sculpt! Hopefully Hasbro will meet us in the middle and show a little respect to long time collectors and give us a non-removable helmeted Stormtrooper again that is super-articulated with much better lower body movement. While we wait for an unknown amount of time, we will certainly enjoy this “new enough” figure in our collections. As a side note, this figure comes with very tight joints. This of course makes posing it much more easily (which in turn makes it much more fun)! For this release you also get a Galactic Battle Game card, a die and a display stand.