Clone Trooper Echo - TCW [R] - Basic (CW17)

After Echo's first battle with commando droids, Captain Rex marks the trooper's armor with the blood of a vicious creature that had attacked them; the bloody handprint is Rex's way of recognizing Echo's transition from a "shiny" to a seasoned warrior.

The Clone Wars TV series will continue to initiate a plethora of new clone trooper action figures by Hasbro. And while clone troopers are a sure sell for them, we fear that this is something that is becoming very repetitious and mundane. If Hasbro can find new ways to bring life into a clone that barely differs from a standard clone trooper, then we welcome new offerings. Echo is certainly a clone trooper that is "beyond" the simple white clones and he played a very endearing role in the television show. Despite his uniqueness, unfortunately, he is another example of the dropped "dirt" application that further guaranteed the uniqueness of clones. But since Hasbro will be moving forward with the dropping this figure-specific battle-damage and dirt finishing detail, the clones are becoming nearly identical (no pun intended) to each other. (But at least Echo has his handprint.) Their variety and individuality is becoming devastatingly blurred. Clone Trooper Echo attempts to stand out from the rest, but a revised helmet and handprint on his breast just isn't enough to make him completely standout from the rest. But we will take this over another white clone. As a clone trooper that is overloaded with accessories, we still feel that less weapons and a better final paint job betters suits a figure than lots of weapons and a clean armored body. You will hear us utter these words time and again. It is such a travesty that the deco budget has been terminated. It was one of the most marvelous things Hasbro has ever done for our figures and we sorely miss it.

We are growing tired of us complaining about this ourselves, but enough is enough. We plead with you Hasbro, please do anything you can to bring back the dirt and battle-damage. Clone Trooper Echo (also known as CT-26-1409) still is a cool figure however and he played a great part in the television series. He survived a very troubling battle with droid commandos that made him a medaled hero and honorary member of the 501st Legion. Despite being a clone trooper that won't significantly stand out from the rest of the generic ones, he is no doubt unique in his own way. We know that clones are clones for a reason but it seems that he is just missing that extra detail that would make him more unique. That's not to say this is a bad thing, but he really doesn't bring anything new to the table. The worn handprint pattern on his chest is painted excellently on his chest armor. And it is actually amazing how well Hasbro replicated the weathered characteristics the handprint has. See, if they can do this so well, why not include some black slashes to replicate carbon scoring or something else? At the same time, the handprint is the only thing that shows signs of wear. And when the rest of his body is pure and undamaged, it makes for a confusing and awkward detail that was included on a relatively generic figure. We don't mean to disparage the figure, but something is just missing on him. He could have been a stand out figure. We aren't knocking the sculpt and we're not knocking the articulation. We just wanted more from the deco.

Echo's helmet is unique when compared to a generic clone trooper due to the fact it has a moveable visor. This was a very nice touch and certainly adds to giving this clone his own identity. It is painted in a burgundy or merlot like color with a black line going across the front of it. While it doesn't appear to match his uniform, it is nonetheless a great accessory for him. And it adds a sense of personality to him that matches what we saw in the television episode. Since Echo utilizes the original Clone Trooper action figure body, he is super-articulated. This enables him to stand up quite well with an attractive stance and he obviously can be posed in a variety of ways. He is able to hold his weapons very well and overall he is a fine example of a basic clone trooper. If we can get him as a better repaint in the future, we will be most happy! Hopefully Hasbro can rerelease him at a later date when they have hopefully ironed out their deco costing issues out. Expect to see him in future waves of The Clone Wars line as he is guaranteed to be a very popular action figure. Over time, he should be very easy to find on the shelves. He is already shipping at a higher quantity than his case counterparts and we have not had issues locating him at all. In fact, he almost has peg-warmer status in many areas. You will just have to decide if this clone is different enough to warrant a purchase into your collection. We like him but we just wished he offered a little bit more than he does. But as a character with a significant role in The Clone Wars, you likely will forgive the figure's shortcomings.