Rebel Fleet Trooper - Mini Busts

Loyal soldiers of the Alliance Navy, Rebel Fleet Troopers serve on ships large and small throughout the galaxy. Even against the incredible odds they face against the Galactic Empire, their unwavering devotion to the Rebellion gives them the inner-strength and will to do what is needed to win the war, even if it means sacrificing their own lives.

If there is one fault that we’d like to resolved with Gentle Giant Ltd., it’s that we’d like to see their releases arrive at least close to the estimated date that they announce. Star Wars collecting is a completely different environment today than it was at the opening of the new decade. Licensees are scrambling to secure factory space to make their products available to collectors. Unfortunately, the global economy has figured out the formulas to corporate greed and now space has decreased and cost has increased bottlenecking the hobby into uncertainty. Despite this current culture, some great products still manage to sneak out of the factories. The Rebel Fleet Trooper Mini Bust from Gentle Giant Ltd. is a perfect example of this. We’re thrilled to report that this Mini Bust is another excellent piece, exceeding most of our expectations which is something that is difficult to do with these high-end collectibles since they’re pretty much “what you see is what you get”. Thankfully what collectors get here is a stunning work of art. This was well worth the wait!

Interestingly chosen as one of the the few Premier Guild Member gifts by Gentle Giant Ltd., the Rebel Fleet Trooper really should have been released as a mainstream piece. Limited to only 700 pieces, we doubt that too many casual collectors will even know this Mini Bust got produced. it’s a shame because it truly is a fine example of brilliant workmanship. A new standard has been set for the Rebel Fleet Trooper character across all collectible formats. Sideshow Collectibles’ Militaries Of Star Wars Rebel Fleet Trooper, and to a lesser extent, Hasbro’s 2011’s TVC Rebel Fleet Trooper (VC52) figure focused on Lieutenant Pello Scrambas but 2013’s (it should have been available in 2012 but that didn’t work out) PGM Mini Bust interpretation seems that the intention was to focus on making this particular character’s likeness a bit more generic. It honestly succeeds on every level. It isn’t too often that you can claim a Mini Bust pose is captured right from a scene in a Star Wars film, but that can be easily asserted with the Rebel Fleet Trooper.

The determination etched into his expression coupled with his DH-17 blaster at the ready and supported by both arms and hands drive home the point that he is trying to avoid certain doom of a Stormtrooper’s deadly blast. His costume has been replicated perfectly. His light blue undershirt shows signs of wear thanks to an incredible multi-tone paint job. The signature plastoid helmet has a shiny black front and a slightly duller (but still shiny) white shell and finished off with a delicate antenna. Gentle Giant’s painters even bothered taking the time to coat the underside of the helmet with a gray color to help capture the proper levels of shadowing as needed. The expertise doesn’t end there. The black outer vest hugs his athletic frame like a glove and the body is cut right at the belt showing a cartridge at the ready in addition to his belt buckle. Every last detail is captured here and it’s literally a favorite Mini Bust already. We hope that others will be able to enjoy this great piece. Perhaps Gentle Giant does need to release core characters in small numbers to drive more PGMs into the Collectors’ Club. This is the way to certainly do that!