Hoth Rebel Soldier - POTF2 [R/G] - Deluxe

Height: 1.74 meters (Average)
Status: Rebel Soldier
Classification: Human
Affiliation: Rebel Alliance
Weapon of Choice: Blaster Rifle

Star Wars collectors quickly became indifferent to The Power Of The Force “2” Deluxe line. Instead of focusing on the plethora of onscreen ideas Kenner/Hasbro could have implemented into the format, they decided to go with “off screen” and “outside of the box” ideas. Many of these concepts were silly, and the characters we already have were rehashed in ways that did little to interest us. But by the time we reached the second “green” phase of The Power Of The Force “2” line, Kenner/Hasbro got back to basics and redeveloped the line to focus a little more heavily on ideas and concepts from the films. Sure, they still made up their own things, but three out of the four Deluxe sets in The Power Of The Force “2” [Green/Freeze Frame] line are from The Empire Strikes Back. And one is a Kenner/Hasbro concept. In the line before this, three out of three were Kenner/Hasbro concept. As you can see, the Deluxe line made significant progress. One of the most anticipated releases in the modern Star Wars line was the Hoth Rebel Soldier Deluxe set. We received a unique Hoth Rebel Soldier action figure, but most importantly we got a “more to scale” Anti-Vehicle laser cannon. And the large accessory is brilliantly executed.

The Hoth Rebel Soldier pose is not much different than 1997’s POTF2 [FF/TKC] Hoth Rebel Soldier figure. But the two figures don’t share any of the same parts. While the legs are most similar, there are enough differences to call them unique to each other. This time, the Hoth Rebel Soldier comes wearing goggles. The basic figure version has goggles off and laying on his chest. So, the head sculpts, and torso sculpts are blatantly different from each other. The arms are posed differently as well, to accommodate the Anti-Vehicle Laser Cannon included with the figure. The cod section and the legs are similar, but once again, differences exist between the two versions. The Hoth Rebel Soldier also comes with a removable survival gear backpack which plugs into the back of the figure securely and completes his unforgettable look. When fully assembled, the Hoth Rebel Soldier looks ready for the Battle of Hoth to defend Echo Base at any cost against the Galactic Empire. The paint operations are also nicely executed here. And they added a different color palette than the basic figure, which is nice because it helps to create a diverse-looking group of troopers. With a figure that interacts beautifully with the large accessory included here, collectors should consider themselves blessed.

The Anti-Vehicle Laser Cannon is an all-new accessory. It’s big. It’s beautiful. And you’re going to love it. It doesn’t look completely to scale, but you’re not going to care. It dwarfs the vintage Kenner accessory by a landslide, and it includes some awesome play features which don’t interfere with the aesthetics of the toy at all. It comes with a missile “laser” projectile that fires with the press of a button. And there is another button to recreate the effect of an “exploding” radar dish which works surprisingly well. The sculpt and coloring of the Anti-Vehicle Laser Cannon are beautifully done too. It is covered in speckled weathering, and the deep gray color of the plastic utilized here is nearly perfect to the on-screen prop. Kenner/Hasbro added a nice finishing touch to the Anti-Vehicle Laser Cannon. Shimmery foil stickers decorate and accent the accessory by giving it the “solar panels” detail this weapon needs. Overall, we love the Hoth Rebel Soldier Deluxe. It’s nice to receive Deluxe figures that are based on actual scenes from the Star Wars Original Trilogy. And the latest wave of Deluxe figures have mostly concentrated on various things during the Battle of Hoth from The Empire Strikes Back. This is toy gold for them, and they should continue making things like this to appears the Star Wars collecting community.