Sith Trooper - TVC - Basic (VC162)

Celebrate the legacy of Star Wars, the action-and-adventure-packed space saga from a galaxy far, far away, with this collection of premium, highly-detailed 3.75-inch scale figures and vehicles. (Each sold separately. Subject to availability.)

The new specialized First Order Stormtrooper for The Rise Of Skywalker is the Sith Trooper. Not much different-looking than the Crimson Stormtroopers from the old Expanded Universe, the new Sith Troopers are mostly a mystery at this point. Disney allowed these characters to be utilized for the Triple Force Friday merchandising event, but aside from what they look like, not much else is known. Hasbro faithfully recreated the striking neon red color of these characters’ armor excellently, and seeing them side by side with a standard white First Order Trooper helps you appreciate how different they indeed are. Not only is the color distinct, but the textures and stylizations of their armor are unique also. You’ll find equidistant patterns of scoring throughout these characters’ armor. And the design of some of the panels is like nothing we’ve seen before. The Sith Trooper was the first character from Episode IX teased by Hasbro, and it came in the form of The Black Series [Phase III] Sith Trooper SDCC exclusive. Hasbro made collectors of The Vintage Collection wait a tad bit longer, and the Sith Trooper is part of the second wave of figures, with a “deluxe” version coming as an Amazon exclusive later in the year shortly before the release of the film in theaters. By the way, the “deluxe” version is a first for The Vintage Collection, and the figure will receive the same number designation as this figure but followed with an “A.” (162A)

If you’re into the First Order and all of their shenanigans, you’ll likely welcome the Sith Trooper into your collection with open arms. Just like the Original Trilogy, getting variations on the core “bad guys” makes collecting fun and an enjoyable experience. There are many specializations in any military force, and getting a Sith Trooper adds to the ranks while offering a completely new take on the First Order. In the first “Triple Force Friday” wave of The Vintage Collection, Hasbro offered collectors the First Order Jet Trooper. Without doing any careful analysis, we assumed that Hasbro would utilize most of the figure’s parts for the Sith Trooper in the following wave. But a side by side comparison shows that is not the case at all. Aside from POSSIBLY reusing one or two pieces (like maybe the thigh armor and we believe they were tweaked too), the Sith Trooper is an all-new figure. The “score” markings are found on both characters, so you’re left with the allusion that Hasbro reused some of the parts. But a careful review of them will show they’re unique to each other. You’ll notice the height difference too. We also found it interesting that while the “neon” red color is similar between the two characters, they vary in shade. We’re not sure if this was intentional, or a slight oversight on Hasbro’s part. Regardless, both the Sith Jet Trooper and the Sith Trooper look fantastic side by side.

The Vintage Collection gives collectors the most articulated action figures to date. As expected, the Sith Trooper has received the same benefits. Loaded with a wonderful 30 points of articulation across 17 areas, the Sith Trooper offers collectors a wide array of movement. The armor inhibits some of the full range of movement you’d like to achieve, but you do get enough “give” that makes these points worthwhile to the figure. Hasbro finds ways to seamlessly work in many joints that aren’t necessarily visible to the naked eye. You have to look for them to see them, and for that, we’re grateful they spend so much time ensuring the highest quality aesthetics possible for their action figures now. The Sith Trooper beautifully exemplifies this. Hasbro did go a little “cheap” on this figure’s accessories, however. They included the standard First Order blaster (which is also in the same color as the figure’s armor) and then a "heavy" blaster rifle. And like all other First Order Stormtroopers, Hasbro incorporated a slot on the right thigh armor to snap the gun into when not in use. It’s a little loose, but the gun stays in place if you push it into the slot forcefully. We hope that the Sith Troopers won’t be underutilized in The Rise Of Skywalker. Disney creates so much unwarranted hype with some of the coolest-looking characters in the Sequel Trilogy. The First Order Executioners come to mind immediately for example. But until we find out, be sure to enjoy the Sith Trooper action figures Hasbro put out. They are excellent action figures.