Dewback With Imperial Sandtrooper - LC - Exclusives

Dewbacks are large, domesticated lizards that are used for transportation on Tatooine. Sandtroopers stationed on the desert planet ride dewbacks, and Tatooine natives use the reptiles to haul goods. Dewbacks easily withstand intense daytime temperatures that cause mechanical equipment to malfunction. Sandtroopers used dewbacks to search for R2-D2 and C-3PO after the droids escaped Imperial forces on the Tantive IV.

Sometimes patience pays off. And in the case of the Walmart exclusive Dewback With Imperial Sandtrooper, patience has paid off and then given us a surplus! The Dewback has gone through its fair share of metamorphosis through the years and with the advent of superior technology, likeness and authenticity are of unparalleled quality. So far, the Star Wars films have showed three distinct looking Dewbacks (and all three have very unique coloring). The original Dewback is a dark green, the Special Edition version is reddish green and the Prequel Trilogy version is yellowish green. The first was the large puppet in the original film, the second was a CGI Dewback from the Star Wars Episode IV: Special Edition with new features and the third was seen in Episode I (and we believe Episode II) in the streets of Mos Espa (and also a CGI representation). Lucasfilm must prefer the latter version the best because it seems to be the “official” likeness of this beast of burden. We have to admit that we tend to like the original puppet the best, but we could be blinded by our affection for the original film alone. We believe that it is very possible that if Lucas does indeed revisit Episode IV again to tweak it that we will see this Prequel Trilogy inspired Dewback inserted into the film. And admittedly, it is indeed a cool updated look for a creature that started off as merely a large rubber head in the original unedited Star Wars film. All of the toys based on these beasts have been excellent through the course of our collecting years as well. The same is especially true for this Walmart exclusive. Just glancing at it in the package should make you realize how special this toy is and how much effort went into its production. And every detail has been captured and to us it appears no expense was saved to bring us an ultimate toy (save for one tiny aspect - the lack of dirt on the Sandtrooper). The Dewback has a very upright posture in comparison to the first two toys. It looks “straight ahead” and has a very high back. The “figure” is loaded with articulation and can be posed in a multitude of configurations. Of particular note, we are thrilled with how many points of articulation (9 points to be exact) Hasbro has given this beast. The joints are hidden quite well and we are amazed that they are not simple swivel joints, but ball-hinged joints. And the ball-joints work fabulously in the feet. We never expected to ever get a Dewback with this jointing and flexibility and it is a gift to finally have it!

The Dewback has a breathtaking paint job. Colored in a very light yellowish green for the most part, Hasbro has also detailed it with darker brown (or tan) patches throughout its body and skin allowing a look that shows the natural imperfections all “living” things have. This beast has obviously gotten some sun damage over the years and this has been translated well. The skin has amazing detail and every scale is realistic and skillfully contrived. The folds and crevices in the skin are very natural looking, especially the head, and add an extra level of authenticity. The Dewback has red eyes and we admit it is the only aspect of this set that looks a little off to us. Not a deal breaker (by any means), we wish Hasbro would have utilized a more gold or yellow eye color here. On top of the brilliant skin detail and colors, we also got very excited over the attention given to the Dewback’s nails. While you may be surprised that we would rave over this, we think it is one of the best details of the whole piece. They are shiny, black, and sharp and just look plain amazing. And with the extra articulation given to the legs and feet, you will have plenty of fun making this Dewback look friendly or vicious. The Dewback also has a removable saddle and it too has been designed to exceed your expectations. Multi colored in various browns and accented with silver details, it is marvelous to us how Hasbro got down to the nitty-gritty to replicate this elaborate accessory. The Dewback also comes with a removable bit and removable reins. These two excellently sculpted pieces are an added bonus to have (in this removable fashion) and fit into the beast perfectly in place. There isn’t much to complain about with this exclusive, even the [almost] $30 price tag. This toy will put a smile on your face and truly allow you to appreciate just how much Hasbro has excelled with this sculpt (and most of the recent Star Wars toys for that matter) and we hope that it will see more widespread release eventually in the future one day than just as a Walmart exclusive. It deserves a longstanding place in the limelight. To get a beast and a super-articulated (and brand new) Imperial Sandtrooper is certainly worth the price and sometimes quality is truly priceless. It is here for sure.

The Imperial Sandtrooper is the other marvel to this set. And of course we have to comment on him being clean. Sorry Hasbro, but this is still unacceptable to us. The good news is that he is a brilliantly (no pun intended) sculpted action figure and obviously will be the template for all various future versions. He completely makes both the 2006 TSC Sandtrooper (SAGA 037) and 2005 ROTS Clone Trooper To Stormtrooper Evolutions sculpts obsolete. (We love when new figures make our previous definitive figures “old-looking”.) And that is saying a lot because those two were excellent, excellent action figures. Super-articulated and complete with ball-jointed hips, this Sandtrooper is the almost definitive Sandtrooper currently in our collections. It would be the definitive once we get some “sand” on him. But unfortunately, that will have to come at a later date, if ever. Brand new to this Sandtrooper is the MG-15 blaster rifle. This marks the first time we have ever seen this gun with any Sandtrooper figure to date. A great accessory itself, the Sandtrooper also comes with a lance and removable “sergeant” pauldron. His head looks to be “Sandtrooper-specific” for the most part, but because action figures are so small in comparison to their onscreen counterparts, it is hard to see the exact attention to detail that was done to make this Sandtrooper as authentic to the film as possible. Don’t get us wrong, he certainly passes, but there are so many fine details that simply cannot be translated from film to 3.75” toy scale. But if you do want to know all the things that make a Sandtrooper (Sergeant) unique to a standard Stormtrooper, then we recommend checking out our Research Droids Review on the 1:6 Scale Figure Sandtrooper (Sergeant: Tatooine) figure from Sideshow Collectibles. Then you will appreciate all the fine detailed differences! In conclusion, the Dewback With Imperial Sandtrooper exclusive may just be one of the finest to come out of Hasbro this year. It exceeds our expectations for a well thought out and ever better executed toy collectible and we hope the same attention is applied to all future exclusives. And remember, Hasbro gauges this by our dollars. (This is how we vote.) We hope you will give this set a second thought or glance, because it is wholly worthy of your attention!