Death Star Trooper - TBS [P3] - Six Inch Figures (60)

Death Star Troopers were the elite of the Imperial Navy who were stationed aboard the first and second Death Star. They were responsible for piloting the super-structure to its destinations and firing the superlaser on the orders of those in command of the station. They wore black uniforms and flared, reflective helmets.

Wow. If there is a case in point example to how realistic “photorealistic” paint operations are, you needn’t look further than The Black Series [Phase III] Death Star Trooper (60) figure. Originally released as 2017’s TBS [SW40] Death Squad Commander (in vintage Kenner inspired packaging), the figure suffered from the same old generically applied facial paint operations which held an otherwise great figure back. Hasbro has now completely redone the paint operation process and has created a figure that looks a whole lot more eerily human than he does an action figure. Hasbro also gave him a name change which is correct for the first time in this line. The Death Squad Commander is a the gray-outfitted character with a helmet that included headphones and a communications cord. But in actuality, the figure represented the Death Star Troopers that accompanied Darth Vader down the prisoner cell bank as he prepared to torture Princess Leia Organa into revealing the location of the secret Rebel base. This release is the same character but elevated to a whole new level thanks to stunningly realistic paint operations. Although the packaging is much more interesting and favored with The Black Series [Star Wars 40] release, The Black Series [Phase III] version will ultimately be the better version thanks to the improvement in deco. Let’s recap the other great things about the Death Star Trooper.

The Death Star Trooper is a great action figure in The Black Series [Star Wars 40] 6” line. While it's great to get him, and then get him updated so closely together, we still want to see Hasbro address the Death Star Commander in the gray uniform with a different helmet and added communications gear. Can’t Hasbro humor us once for this character? It’s a simple paint job variation that will cost them no additional dollars in tooling (unless they include a new head sculpt). We’re way past the acceptable time frame waiting for this character to be produced. Regardless, the Death Star Trooper very much like any other character in 6” scale line. But it also holds distinction. It’s the very first “generic” human trooper for the line. We, of course, have received many stormtroopers, sandtroopers and clone troopers, but we haven’t received an unnamed human army-building character like this until now. Between, the removable helmet, enhanced articulation and screen-accurate accessories, the Death Star Trooper stands out from so many other figures now thanks to incredible paint operations. We're willing to throw around the word “perfect” to describe this figure in fact. The figure comes with a ton of articulation and possesses an excellent sculpt (which has been brought out dramatically by the new “photorealistic” process. We struggle to find any complaints with this figure.

Even the articulation is wonderful on this figure. The articulation offers a wide array of movement as expected, and the lower skirt portion doesn’t interfere too much with a range of movement in any inhibiting way. He comes with ball-jointed elbows, but many TBS6 collectors wish to see the return of double hinge-jointed elbows instead. We beg to differ on that. This articulation type works well for the Death Star Trooper. He comes with a removable helmet and blaster. The removable helmet possesses a beautiful sculpt. It’s shiny, has the right textures and fits like a glove on the figure. He’s also able to hold the helmet without any issue in his hands (or even under the arms for that matter). The strap fits snuggly under his chin, and while it’s moveable, it isn’t loose at all. There is also a holster, and it houses his Imperial blaster while not in use. It isn’t too bulky, and it hangs closely to his body. Seemingly, everything is in place for the Death Star Trooper, and most collectors will find that he meets every expectation they have. As promised by Hasbro, The Black Series [Star Wars 40] “new” figures in the line have been brought into The Black Series [Phase III] red and black boxes. Admittedly, the Death Star Trooper doesn’t look terrible in the box, but we’d be lying if we weren’t curious for a new packaging style at this point. If you collect 6” figures, we feel this one is a must-have once again thanks to the improved deco.