Clone Commander - SW [S - P1] - 12 Inch Figures (Exclusive)

Ten years after the fight to save Naboo from invasion, the galaxy is on the brink of civil war. Under the leadership of a renegade Jedi, thousands of solar systems threaten to secede from the Galactic Republic. A courageous Jedi Knight, his impulsive and headstrong apprentice, and a queen-turned-senator are drawn into the heart of the conflict... and the beginning of war.

Virtually indistinguishable from one another, clone troopers are identical in physical appearance, mental capability, and stamina. Grown and trained specifically for military combat, the clone army was mysteriously commissioned ten years earlier.

Attack of the killer Clone Troopers! There’s a new Stormtrooper in town, and it goes by the name of Clone Trooper. But there isn’t ONE new style of them. There are five. In Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones, we learn that bounty hunter Jango Fett is the genetic template for the Grand Army Of The Republic. And while we mostly see the all-white Clone Troopers on Kamino and during the Battle of Geonosis, you can also see Clone Captains, Clone Commanders, Clone Lieutenants, and Clone Sergeants. Hasbro decided to relegate two of the Clone Trooper flavors to KB Toys as exclusives. They gave them the Clone Commander (the one with the yellow color flashes) and the other they accidentally called the Clone Trooper but is instead a Clone Captain (as designated by the red color flashes). Both KB Toys exclusive clones are based on 2002’s Star Wars “Saga” [Phase I] Clone Trooper, the all-white one. The only details that set them apart are the red or yellow paint that makes their officer ranking unique. For one reason or another, the Clone Trooper officers turned out better than the standard infantry Clone Trooper released to the mainstream market. It appears that the color helps streamline the figure a bit.

Clone Commander and Clone Trooper [Captain] come in the standard packaging of the 12 Inch Figure line. The trapezoidal packaging is elegant and very, very blue. As you know, Hasbro decided against labeling the Star Wars “Saga” line with the words “Attack Of The Clones” because from the start, they anticipated being an all-encompassing line of Star Wars toys and collectibles. Unfortunately, the Clone Commander and Clone Trooper [Captain] come with bulky armor. The pieces that wrap around their bodies are too big and loose-fitting. Sometimes the thigh armor slips down, showing too much of the body glove underneath. And then the arm armor is too tight, making it a bit difficult to articulate the arms as needed. Surprisingly, the figure articulated believably and looks fantastic doing so. Despite the bulky body armor, both the Clone Commander and Clone Trooper [Captain] have appropriately-sized helmets. And you get a wonderful range of movement from the ball-socket joint upon which it sits. You may become pleasantly surprised by how many options are available to you when it comes to posing these figures. They have an excellent center of gravity, and despite their issues, overall they look good displayed on a shelf.

Clone Troopers utilizes multiple weapons, but you only get one weapon here. Most Clone Troopers use DC-15 blasters of DC-15 blaster rifles. Most action figures come with both weapons or one of these weapons and something else. So, we find the lack of accessories in the 12 Inch Figures line extremely frustrating. Both the Clone Commander and Clone Trooper [Captain] figures come with the longer DC-15 blaster rifles. The gun is beautifully detailed, and we’re blown away by how much detail Hasbro etched into the accessory. But even if Hasbro only included one weapon here, why didn’t they add something like macrobinoculars or something else to give these figures a little more value. Because of the limited range of movement allowed from the upper body, you can’t do too much with the Clone Commander and Clone Trooper [Captain] while holding the DC-15 blaster rifle. With a little patience, you can get the figures to hold the gun with both hands, but it’s a challenge to execute. Set $2 higher than the other mainstream figures in the 12 Inch Figures line, both the Clone Commander and Clone Trooper [Captain] are KB Toys exclusives that retail for $21.99 each. We don’t think a little color warrants a $2 price hike, however.