Republic Gunship - TCW [B] - Vehicles (Exclusive)

Anakin and a clone trooper squadron storm the B'omarr monastery in which Jabba the Hutt's son is being held captive. A Republic gunship deploys clone troopers who begin a grueling fight against battle droids guarding the monastery. The Republic gunship blasts the droids with cannons and missile launchers from the air, as Anakin and clone troopers attack from the ground below.

Hasbro made two things very clear while The Clone Wars toy line was being produced. They confirmed with the collecting community that the action figures would be a hybrid of their animated look with some realistic details worked in to them (although they looked about 99% animated to us) and the vehicles would all be realistically styled (since there is little to no differences between the vehicles in the Star Wars live action films versus The Clone Wars animated film and television show or so they said). This either was an incredible coincidence (we jest) or maybe it was more that Hasbro wasn’t ready to open a new can of worms and develop a new style of vehicles (which is likely the reason). Tooling costs are exuberant and unless you’re sure you have a “hit-it-out-of-the-park” line, it may not be worth the energy to make all-new vehicles. It's better to test the waters first. Whatever their reasons, it ultimately worked to their advantage because they were able to pull quite a few old molds from the Prequel Trilogy and work them into The Clone Wars toy line seamlessly. While these vehicles’ sculpts are clearly intended to be based off what we saw in the films, a little bit of new paint (and a few other changes) can easily make them specific to The Clone Wars without too much deviation from their actual unique looks. And that’s exactly what the fine folks at Hasbro did for the Walmart exclusive Republic Gunship, also known specifically as the Lucky Lekku.

The Lucky Lekku Republic Gunship can be seen clearly in The Clone Wars film during the Battle of Teth as well as few other subsequent The Clone Wars first season episodes. The Republic Gunship itself is quite a striking vehicle. But a great vehicle with beautiful nose art will tend to stand out even more. On the front of the vehicle is a sexy blue female Twi’lek wearing what appears to be clone trooper armor in addition to high-heeled boots and is in a dancing pose with her hands behind her head. She looks like a war pin-up girl and we're pretty sure that was the intention. Twi’leks are the “sexy” characters in Star Wars, so it makes sense why she looks the way she does. The artwork is very retro looking and obviously its style is intended to pay homage to many of the World War I and II planes that also don battalion specific logos (and beautiful women). On the Republic Gunship these details have been applied to both sides of the face of the vehicle. Additionally, there are hash marks (which must mean how many enemies this vehicle has successfully defeated) and bold Aurebesh which translates to “Lucky Lekku” in English as well. The combination of these details is colorful and adds a new dimension to the vehicle that just didn't exist on the movie-specific ones. Think of it as a familiar unfamiliarity. The paint has intentionally been applied in a way to look worn as if this ship has been involved in multiple battles and has sustained some wear and tear. Hasbro did an excellent job on this detailing and aside from wishing that there was a dirty wash applied to this vehicle, we are very happy with the final results.

Walmart set this vehicle’s price at just under $50. This made collectors of all ages whine because if you’ve been collecting for any amount of time (or at least since 2002), you know that these vehicles used to cost under $30, including the 2005 models. Nothing new has been brought to the table here. The Republic Gunship still has the same features and accessories and no new tooling was applied here at all. So we are very empathetic towards the frustration collectors feel about the outrageous price hike. There are many different avenues of thought on how things get priced, but collectors definitely felt the pinch here. Many initially rebelled and the vehicle sat for weeks with little to no sales being made up until the 2008 holiday rush. Then without warning the vehicle literally disappeared into thin air (by our account) and became impossible to find. There were a few odd “after season” clearance finds as low as $20 for this Republic Gunship but that certainly wasn’t the norm or average. It quickly commanded high prices and still is sought after today. (Editor’s Note: This vehicle commands upwards of $200 on eBay. Click the links in our Collector Notes below for the proof.) The Walmart exclusive Republic Gunship is definitely a vehicle for fans of The Clone Wars. Hopefully you were able to secure yours for a fair price. If you didn’t, keep in mind that nothing new in the design was brought to the table for this release. Unless you must have the “Lucky Lekku” emblem on a Republic Gunship, you may be able to skate by without purchasing it. We love it however and recommend it for all, but don't expect this to ever see a rerelease.