ARC Trooper [Lucasfilm 50] - TBS [AC] - Six Inch Figures (Exclusive)

The Clone Wars are brought to life in a unique animation style that captures the drama of this epic period. Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces.

We have to admit that although we were initially excited to see what Hasbro would do to produce an ARC Trooper from the Clone Wars micro-series for the 6-inch line, we ended up more than disappointed. Like the many recent releases Hasbro created for The Black Series line, this one is another letdown. Hasbro is getting lazier and lazier with The Black Series line every year. And we’re at a point now that Hasbro has shot their load regarding newly-tooled figures for the format. Hasbro continually scrambles for rehashed ideas because the tooling budget has either depleted or has diminished significantly, much to the chagrin of the line collectors. Let us lay it on you. The ARC Trooper is nothing more than 2021’s TBS [Lucasilm 50] ARC Trooper Echo with an all-new helmet and an entirely new paint job. It’s “so” identical that the ARC Trooper comes with a backpack, which is altogether inaccurate for the character in Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars. Why couldn’t they, at the very least, remove this accessory for the ARC Trooper? Does Hasbro even look at reference materials anymore? Or do they pick the closest buck and repaint it with as few changes as possible? Maybe the ARC Trooper didn’t need all-new tooling, but it could have used new parts because it has unique details. And Hasbro omitted the word "Captain" from the figure's name to match the 3.75-inch figure released nearly a decade ago.

If you recall, Hasbro based most of ARC Trooper Echo on the new Clone Trooper tooling first used with 2020’s TBS [P4] Clone Trooper (Kamino) (TCW01) figure. There are many unique parts here, but the figure’s core is based on that original tooling. But with only adding a phase I clone trooper helmet with an articulated rangefinder, they’ve converted it, or so they thought, into the ARC Trooper that stole the show in the original Clone Wars micro-series. The ARC Trooper Echo figure came with a new layer of chest armor that Hasbro fitted to the torso. But they did not change it when transforming it into the ARC Trooper. It’s immovable and provides a distinct look for the characters in The Clone Wars, but it doesn’t work so well for the characters in Tartakovsky’s universe. The unremovable backpack is a deal-breaker here. Then, if you wish to nitpick, there are also issues with the finer details of the figure. The pauldron, kama, and holster/belt form a single combination piece that isn’t screen-accurate. While they appear to pass at first glance, ultimately, they are a disservice to the revered ARC Trooper character. The Vintage Collection community made out like bandits getting two screen-accurate characters in both red and blue in a 3.75-inch scale.

The lower arms and lower legs were newly tooled parts for Echo, and while they look nice, they, too, are inaccurate. As you can see, ARC Trooper is a mess. Thankfully, or maybe it doesn’t matter, Hasbro didn’t go cheap on accessories for the ARC Trooper figure. They included both the DC-15 blaster and the DC-15 blaster rifle. The figure holds these guns all right, but we wish the hands allowed for a tighter grasp because they fall out relatively easily, especially when carrying them with one hand instead of two. Hasbro also included two DC-17 blaster pistols. These much smaller weapons are gorgeously tooled and fit into the holsters tightly. ARC Trooper doesn’t have a removable helmet, which we think is correct. But Hasbro graciously added a swivel rangefinder, and it’s nice to have this detail added to the figure. The Vintage Collection versions do not have this feature. Despite the tooling inaccuracies, Hasbro painted it beautifully and ensured it captured all of the details and nuances of the on-screen two-dimensional character. The red color flashes are vibrant and match most of the details of The Vintage Collection ARC Trooper Captain (VC213) figure, and these paint operations help to hide the figure’s lack of updated tooling. The Black Series ARC Trooper is a Walmart exclusive with an MSRP set at $26.99. It’s a hot figure and is challenging to find in stock online.