Stormtrooper - OTC - Large Size Action Figures

Celebrate the legendary Star Wars trilogy that changed the universe forever, with The Original Trilogy Collection. This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. The finest recreations of the iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are back with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the original trilogy: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. And, as a tribute to the dedication of Star Wars fans everywhere, we are re-releasing elements of the original packaging that harken back to the creation of Star Wars action figures, which began over 25 years ago with the original trilogy.

Hasbro produced quite a few Stormtrooper, or Stormtrooper-related 12 Inch Figures in the Collector Series and Action Collection lines in the past, but none came close to accurately reflecting the true on-screen proportions of Imperial Stormtroopers. On top of a bulky frame, Hasbro sewed rubbery armor pieces to a black body glove, which created anything but a streamlined look for these athletically-framed members of the Galactic Empire. To make matters worse, these older Stormtrooper figures aged terribly over the years. By current standards, they don’t hold up at all. Although not perfect, Hasbro came closest to meeting collectors’ expectations with The “Vintage” Original Trilogy Collection Stormtrooper Large Size Action Figure. Using a thinner-framed body, Hasbro followed the same approach for this release as past ones, but with better results. The armor pieces are cast from a stronger plastic, and they hang closer to the body. The final result is much improved, but Hasbro still has a way to go before we’d consider this definitive. The armor is more close-fitting, the armor is sturdier, and the finish is shinier, but there is still something off about it in a couple of spots.

Although the Stormtrooper has an improved body, we’re not sure what to make of the helmet. It seems like it is better-shaped overall, but the lower portions of it bow out too widely, giving the helmet an odd aesthetic. It’s not terrible, but it still looks like it’s a way off from complete screen-accuracy. Again, it’s still a huge improvement from past versions. It’s important to note that the 2004 The Original Trilogy Collection line exceeded Hasbro’s expectations. But the part of the line that enthralled collectors was the “Vintage” components added. The highlights of The Original Trilogy Collection figures included all-new premium collector-focused figures (both in 3.75” scale and 12” scale) packaged in vintage-Kenner inspired packaging. These new releases were unexpected, highly appreciated, and purchased by anyone who was a collector at the time. Twelve action figures with premium features, four from each Original Trilogy film, were released as The “Vintage” Original Trilogy Collection and went over incredibly well with the collecting community. And then four Large Size Action Figures also received the premium “Vintage” treatment and added to The “Vintage” Original Trilogy Collection. The Stormtrooper was one of the four figures produced in this format.

The Stormtrooper mirrors the original vintage Kenner 1978 Large Size Action Figure Stormtrooper release. This means that the Stormtrooper only comes with an E-11 blaster. Thanks to new hands with articulated figures, the Stormtrooper can grasp the gun more realistically now. But the fingers don’t close on the gun tightly enough, and sadly, the Stormtrooper’s grip isn’t great, and the gun falls out often. The body glove and armor inhibit the Stormtrooper’s movement too. While the base figure comes with an improved articulation system, it’s still quite difficult to pose the arms and legs in ways that are realistic, lifelike, and aid the figure while posing it in your collection. Still, we must reiterate that this is the closest Hasbro has come to making a decent 12” Stormtrooper action figure. Besides, the packaging is worth more than the figure as far as we’re concerned. It's unknown if the four figures planned for the Large Size Action Figures line were somewhere already in development for the Hasbro Star Wars toy line. But Hasbro was timely in getting them ready for The Original Trilogy Collection’s soft launch of August 2004, a month before the DVD releases. We’re thankful for this line. It seems to light a spark in collectors to get them actively collecting again.