Stormtrooper (Carbonized) - TBS [P3] - Six Inch Figures (Exclusive)

Stormtroopers are elite shock troopers fanatically loyal to the Empire and impossible to sway from the Imperial cause.

There are some figures in the Hasbro Star Wars line that give us pause. And when we pause, we wonder what was going on in their minds as to why they do the things they do. Such a case in point example would be the Fan Channel exclusive The Black Series [Phase III] Stormtrooper (Carbonized) figure. While the Stormtrooper was an inevitable candidate for this “carbonized” treatment, we don’t understand why it’s part of the 40th Anniversary celebration of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Yes, these characters are in the film and play an essential role corralling the Rebel heroes together for Darth Vader. But wouldn’t a carbonized Snowtrooper make more sense or IG-88 for that matter? The Stormtrooper (Carbonized) figure comes embellished with a 40th Anniversary call-out on the front of the box. Inside is a silvery Stormtrooper that looks to utilize the same paint operations as Captain Phasma (06). What you might find especially painful is that the Stormtrooper (Carbonized) figure comes in packaging that appears more vac-metalized than the “below average” paint job they gave the figure (which is duller by comparison). And if all of the other carbonized figures released thus far in The Black Series [Phase III] 6” line come with a corresponding sequence number, then why doesn’t the Stormtrooper come with the number 48 on the side of the box?

Perhaps we’re overthinking and overreaching here. But we have to be honest with you. While we love many of the carbonized figures in the 6” line, we’re having trouble getting excited about the Stormtrooper (Carbonized) figure. It’s not a terrible looking figure, but it’s not overly exciting. And it utilizes the same old Stormtrooper tooling that many collectors find old and tired and are discontent with Hasbro’s consistent reuse. We’re fond of this action figure’s tooling. We have very few issues with it, and we know it started as a Sandtrooper. While an all-new Stormtrooper is in the works, it appears that Hasbro wants to make the most out of it before putting it to bed forever. With a faux silver finish, the Stormtrooper (Carbonized) figure looks beautiful in bright lights, but you’ll still wish the figure came vac-metalized. Perhaps the point of carbonization is NOT to reflect a vac-metallized finish. Maybe the Stormtrooper should have the same paint job as Captain Phasma if that’s the definition of a carbonized Stormtrooper. We don’t know. But if the box is so dang shiny and silvery, we think that perhaps the Stormtrooper is meant to follow in the same footsteps. We can see our reflections in the packaging. But we cannot see our reflections in the figure’s armor. Is the figure a poor representation of the what’s shown on the packaging, or is it vice versa?

With all that said, you should be familiar with the details of the Stormtrooper (Carbonized) action figure. The Stormtrooper (Carbonized) figure comes with 30 points of articulation. You can get a vast range of motion from many joints, and it can attain almost any pose you want without any difficulty. Lightly accessorized, the Stormtrooper (Carbonized) figure comes with an E-11 blaster, and more massive blaster rifle – the same one IG-88 used in The Empire Strikes Back. The figure can hold both guns excellently, and the E-11 blaster can be placed in his functioning holster when not in use. You will notice that some of the fingers appear stretched-out now. The tooling is old. We’re curious to see if the Stormtrooper (Carbonized) will become an army builder like its original version. In 2014, the Stormtrooper (#09) figure was one of the best-selling figures of the year. Any Stormtrooper is a best-seller, after all. Retailing for $24.99, the Stormtrooper (Carbonized) is a Fan Channel exclusive. Both Hasbro Pulse and Entertainment Earth shipped their units around the same time. The figure admittedly comes in beautiful packaging. The silver accents are gorgeous. But the figure leaves us wanting more. We also noticed upon careful inspection that the silver paint operations have splotchiness and imperfections. You’ll see them in the gallery. It seems like we’re going to have quite a collection of these carbonized figures before all is said and done!