Flametrooper - TBS [P4] - Six Inch Figures (GG03)

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order features Flametroopers, specialized commandos that support the war machine of the Galactic Empire, highly proficient in the use of incendiary weapons.

Cool! We finally have an Original Trilogy version of a Flametrooper now! We’ve seen what the Flametroopers looked like in the Prequel Trilogy era, especially during The Clone Wars, and the awful Sequel Trilogy showed us what they look like in The Force Awakens. Based on the character seen in the Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order video game, the modern version of the Flametrooper is reminiscent of a Snowtrooper and a Ralph McQuarrie Snowtrooper blended. The final figure turned out better than expected. But for those tired of Hasbro using previously existing tooling to design the 6” line now, well, you’re probably going to be a little disappointed. Hasbro took 2016’s TBS [P3] Snowtrooper (35) figure, gave it a new head, and repainted it to give collectors the excellent, new video game character. We only hope that Hasbro is planning one for The Vintage Collection. The Flametrooper is a fantastic action figure, and all collectors should reap the benefits of new action figures from the goods parts of the new Disney Star Wars Entertainment. Part of the Gaming Greats collection, Hasbro houses all video game characters under the same color to help keep things organized. So, we won’t have a differently colored box for every Star Wars video game created. It was wise for them to house everything under one banner.

When you look at the Flametrooper, you’ll feel like it belongs somewhere within The Empire Strikes Back. There’s no getting around it. The paint operations vary quite a bit compared to the original Snowtrooper figure release. Still, the most significant difference here is the new head sculpt, and all you can see is the Ralph McQuarrie design. It’s gorgeous. Aside from that, there are few differences between the two figures. At face value, the new paint operations may not bring enough newness here, so you’ll have to focus on the figure’s accessories. The Flametrooper comes with an all-new flamethrower. The figure holds it well, and it attaches to a wire hanging off of the backpack. The backpack is a new design as well. It has the same mustard-yellow striped that Hasbro placed on the helmet and gives the mostly off-white figure some color. The new parts here are refreshing for The Black Series line. Hasbro has the uncanny ability to make the old “new” again, and we commend them on their talents here. Generally speaking, the Flametrooper 6” figure looks fantastic. We would have preferred a few different approaches with the figure, but we’re hard-pressed to complain about what Hasbro did right here, especially the updated parts. Sure, the figure still lacks lower body movement, but you won’t care.

Not everyone agrees with us, but we would have given the Flametrooper figure a soft-goods kama. There are times when Hasbro does utilize quality materials, but if there were some way they could have used some faux cotton canvas material to recreate the kama, this figure would have been flawless. The molded kama doesn’t look terrible. It looks great. Unfortunately, it inhibits a significant part of the figure’s movement in the lower body, and we find that to be burdensome and ultimately frustrating. We agree that Hasbro doesn’t have an excellent track record for soft-good on action figures which is why most of us prefer molded clothing parts instead of soft goods, but the Flametrooper figure is probably one of the few exceptions in our opinion that needs this treatment. As with all of the Gaming Greats figures released thus far, the Flametrooper from Jedi Fallen Order is a GameStop exclusive. Overall, collectors are pleased with the characters introduced into this lineup, and most collectors agree they’ve made excellent choices. The Flametrooper helps to bulk up the cast of characters from the Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order video game. They’re more expensive than the general marketplace figures, but that’s the way things seem to work with Hasbro these days.