Imperial Jumptrooper - TBS [P3] - Six Inch Figures (Exclusive)

An elite squadron within the Imperial ranks, jumptroopers (also known as rocket troopers) were outfitted with jetpacks and utilized in tight spaces. They were trained to act in unison, often swarming and overwhelming their targets.

One of the more negative things about coming in late to enjoy Star Wars is you miss the rich history of characters already established in the line. The very much enjoyed Star Wars: Rebels television show brought forth a tremendous amount of previously established characters and species (and Ralph McQuarrie’s artwork) to new life, and they also tweaked other characters in a new light to be relevant to the series. The Imperial Jumptrooper is a character that is all-new from one point of view, but in actuality, it’s inspired by a legacy of previously established characters seen years ago in Star Wars: Battlefront (the Jet Trooper), Star Wars: Battlefront II, The Force Unleashed Imperial Jumptrooper and also Disney’s Star Tours multipacks, just to name a few. Sure, all iterations up to this point look different from one another, and the Star Wars: Rebels Imperial Jumptrooper is another extrapolation of this adored character type. Admittedly, the Star Wars: Rebels Imperial Jumptrooper may be the most interesting of them all, and Hasbro did a fantastic job of converting him from animated style to realistic style in The Black Series [Phase III] 6” collectors line. It’s a GameStop exclusive and is the first character to come with a display stand (more on that in a moment or two).

After accumulating a large catalog of parts throughout the years since the line’s inception, Hasbro has much to work with here. And work with these parts they did. Imperial Jumptrooper doesn’t break much new ground for new parts, but you won’t tell right away because the seamless blending of old and new work together to bring collectors a fresh take on a new character while saving on tooling parts at the same time. Imperial Jumptrooper takes 2014’s TBS [P1] Stormtrooper (#09) figure, adds a new torso, a new head sculpt (with adjoining tubing and jetpack), and new shoulder armor and the Imperial Jumptrooper is born. Freshly cast in bright white plastic, the figure doesn't have much color other than the orange on the new left shoulder armor and a hint of orange color in the helmet. The Imperial Jumptrooper is another fine retailer exclusive added to The Black Series [Phase III] line and a wonderful complement to the cast of characters featured in the Star Wars: Rebels television show. You know this figure’s articulation system well. The Imperial Jumptrooper attains most any pose you desire, and with the double hinge-jointed elbows and knees, it can do so much more for your collection than most of the figures that only have ball-jointed elbow and knee joints.

The Imperial Jumptrooper only comes with an E-11 blaster, housed in a functioning holster hanging from his back when not in use. But for the first time, Hasbro included a clear triangular-shaped display stand that is a bit bittersweet in practicality. We love the “invisible” approach of the included display stand, but we wished Hasbro made it more functional too. Perhaps Hasbro designed it with other figures in mind first, but the Imperial Jumptrooper’s foot doesn’t fit tightly enough in the catch you slip the foot in, and you need to precariously balance the figure on the display stand to make it work properly. The irony here is that the Stormtrooper is one of the finest sculpts Hasbro designed and can attain well-balanced poses WITHOUT a display stand, so its inclusion here is a tad perplexing (especially since it doesn’t interact that well with the Imperial Jumptrooper’s foot shape. We can’t claim the display stand doesn’t work. It does, but you have to worry about gravity and balance to make the most of it. Regardless, Hasbro decorated the Imperial Jumptrooper beautifully, and there is no reason collectors of this line won’t appreciate the efforts Hasbro put forth making this quality exclusive. So far, it’s a highlight of 2019.