Dark Trooper (Phase I) - LC - Basic (BD56)

The dark trooper project is the creation of Imperial General Rohm Mohc to create advanced battle droids. The project is done in phases to refine the design. The Phase One dark trooper has an unfinished appearance and primitive programming.

Collectors have had the opportunity to add the Dark Trooper into their collections for years now since it first debuted in 1998's The Power Of The Force collection. It has been one of the most popular action figures of our lifetime and it seems that demand is hard to fill. (It disappeared instantly in the 1998 line and it disappeared again in the 2007 Saga Legends line despite shipping in multiple cases.) Fans clearly wanted the other Dark Trooper flavors so now we get the droid in its first phase for the very first time in 2010's Legacy Collection. (And the action figure is a pure pleasure.) Both phases of the droid appear in the Dark Forces video game and while it is the first model of the dark trooper design program, it actually has some "cooler" aspects than the big bad boy, the Dark Trooper (Phase III). Interestingly, the figure has a ton more detail than what is visible on the characters seen in the video game have (which is a great thing by the way). There is a lot more to appreciate in its design thanks to the wonderful toy makers at Hasbro. A droid with not too much personality in the face, it is hard to gauge what they are "thinking" and as a result it is best to judge by their swords and shields that they are on a mission to destroy.

The final Hasbro figure is quite different in color from the droid in the video game. But you shouldn't care because the action figure looks much, much better. Cast in a very cool silver and black color palette, the Dark Trooper Phase I looks quite stunning thanks to this use of little to no color. The tallest figure in the Expanded Universe wave of the Legacy Collection,(and one of the tallest figures in the line), this droid is imposing, threatening and looks like it has the capability to guard anything quite well. The droid's style in definitely inspired from an aged period of time, like maybe something from the Renaissance period because it looks a lot like a jousting warrior in some regards. It also looks a lot like something in Star Wars, so don't freak out that it looks like it's not. Dark Trooper (Phase I) looks fantastic when posed with its shield and the droid has a very attractive posture that allows him to appear more alarming than it probably is. The droid has two photoreceptors on its "face" and it immediately reminds us of a Cylon from Battlestar Galactica. The outer silver armor plates contrast brilliantly against its rather dark gray underbody and this style was replicated for the shield as well. This is an action figure not to take for granted as it offers a lot more than you may initially realize.

Hasbro didn't leave one detail spared here. The figure grows on us daily and we think it will gain momentum at an exponential rate. We recommend picking it up when you see it. The figure is just full of surprises and details that are incredibly wonderful. For example, on top of an amazingly sculpted body, Hasbro has incorporated tubing all over the droid's quarters. These extra "parts" bring the droid to life in ways that we are unable to capture in words. Another nice feature are its "back horns" (for lack of a better word). Slightly reminiscent of the protrusions seen on Giger's alien, it adds a quality of deep space creepiness that is very effective for making this droid even more mysterious than it already is. Dark Trooper (Phase I) is super-articulated and can be posed in a variety of ways. This figure will impress the collector and will absolutely become a fan favorite. While not as popular as the Dark Trooper (Phase III), this figure certainly holds an important place in your Star Wars collection. We believe that the Phase I trooper will create some competition in your collection against the Dark Trooper (Phase III) figure. They are both cool, but the new Phase I trooper is a step or two above the Phase III. But you'll have to pick one up for yourself in order to make this judgment call.