Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - S.H. Figuarts

S.H. Figuarts is a new standard figure series that incorporates the Bandai action figure "Art" under the theme "Pursuing Character Expression through Humanoid Action."

Hasbro was able to beat S.H. Figuarts to the punch, but they ultimately produced a significantly better Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike set than Hasbro’s 2014’s TBS [P2] Speeder Bike With Biker Scout 6” two-pack. Sadly, Hasbro's set didn’t do too well until it hit clearance. The S.H. Figuarts model is lightyears ahead of its time and will remain one of their finest efforts in the entire line. Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike is a gorgeously beautiful and definitive release of both items from the Star Wars universe. And it is our hope and prayer that both Luke Skywalker and General Leia Organa are both made in their Endor gear so that they can be paired with a Speeder Bike sometime in the future as well. The Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike is an extraordinary set. Exclusive to Tamashii Nations online, the set comes packaged in a beautiful deluxe-size box and has all of the necessary pieces to complete the important scenes we saw on Endor. Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike brings to the table everything you could want for a Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike. With precision tooling matched with stunning paint operations, the Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike is about as perfect as a high-end collectible we could ever expect for our 6” collection. It’s so good in fact, that we wish we could afford multiples to army-build them.

The Scout Trooper, often called a Biker Scout, is an all-new figure. He is very, very clean. The armor plating is pristinely white, and you can’t find any instances of battle-damage and yellowing of the armor. But the figure is superbly articulated, and its articulation system is something of amazement and wonderment. With over 30 points of articulation, the Scout Trooper can achieve an infinite amount of poses thanks to flexible joints and a wide range of movement. The Scout Trooper isn’t heavily accessorized, but when your one accessory is a vehicle, it’s hard to fault. He does come with three sets of interchangeable hands and a blaster pistol. As you might expect, the blaster pistol fits into a holster on the figure’s right boot. There are slots at the bottom of the holster to keep it in place and prevent it from jangling around. It would have been cool if S.H. Figuarts added a Star Wars: Battlefront blaster rifle as an extra exclusive here, but it certainly isn’t the end of the world. Great consideration went into the movement of this figure to flawlessly interact with the included Speeder Bike. The Scout Trooper can sit on the Speeder Bike, can point his weapon while flying it and can do a whole bunch of other great things thanks to excellent engineering. This is not an S.H. Figuarts release to take lightly. It’s an incredible release.

The Speeder Bike is also another work of art. It has some interchangeability but is very basic in approach. While it’s loaded with details like tiny buttons and multi-articulated handlebars and foot pedals, S.H. Figuarts added a few swap-out parts to make it as functional as possible. The bound blanket is removable, and in its place, they included a plug which covers up the hole. You can display the Speeder Bike off of its base (but not too well), but they’ve included a two-part display base in shiny black plastic that allows you to pose the Speeder Bike in flight. When you remove a plug at the bottom of the vehicle, it leaves a hole which attaches to the post of the display stand. You can pose the Speeder Bike straight across, upwards, downwards, side to side and all around. It’s a simple but clever way to display the Speeder Bike. When you add the Scout Trooper to the Speeder Bike, it looks even better (as it should). The Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike two-pack sold very quickly and is now only available through aftermarket channels. It goes for at least double its original MSRP. We believe if you can find one at a reasonable price you should take the plunge. It’s better than the Hasbro version and has an authenticity not too often captured with other licenses. If you can afford one, it will be worth your while.