Clone Trooper (501st Legion) - TVC - Basic (VC240)

We’re at a crossroads with the “sort of re-released” Clone Trooper (501st Legion) figure in The Vintage Collection. Thankfully, it’s not too often that Hasbro re-releases the exact figure in the same basic figure line, but as of late, there have been some bittersweet exceptions. They re-released 2011’s TVC Rebel Fleet Trooper (VC52) figure under a different entertainment logo and sequence number. The only differences made to the action figure are some revised paint operations, including Photo Real technology. Collectors complained and hoped that Hasbro wouldn’t repeat what they considered a mistake again. But they have unfortunately repeated recent history with the release of the 2022 TVC Clone Trooper (501st Legion) (VC240) action figure, albeit with a few additional changes, and it is starting to confuse the established rules of what The Vintage Collection is and should be for collectors. The updated 2022 release of the Clone Trooper (501st Legion) figure is as frustrating as it is appreciated. 2011 TVC Clone Trooper (501st Legion) (VC60) is the rarest figure from the original run of The Vintage Collection. It became one of the top finalists in Jedi Temples Archives’ “most requested wish list” poll, a poll of figures that collectors want to see added to the line again. Hasbro is paying attention to our list and releasing all of the highest-ranking characters. Now we’re up to the Clone Trooper (501st Legion) figure.

Hasbro based the character on its appearance in The Clone Wars series. The entertainment logo is The Clone Wars, and Hasbro kit-bashed the figure with a familiar-looking portrait for this release. Clone Trooper (501st Legion) is a kit-bashed figure that utilizes the body and accessories of 2012’s TVC Clone Trooper (501st Legion) (VC60) figure, along with the head of Clone Captain Rex (VC208) from 2022’s TVC Special 4 Action Figures [Clone Captain Rex/Clone Captain Ballast/Clone Captain Grey/Elite Squad Trooper] multipack. This time, Hasbro repainted the portrait’s hair color and skin color to hide their reuse of it a bit. It’s a bittersweet release for us because it has both good and bad going for it. The bucket is still too big, but it’s more rigid this time, and this is a detail we’ve been seeing for some time. Because Hasbro used Clone Captain Rex’s head sculpt, the bucket stays on tightly and doesn’t go flying off the figure’s head if you turn the figure upside down. Also, Hasbro found a beautiful sterling white plastic to cast the figure. And the figure is notably whiter than its predecessor. It’s almost as if the new version used Crest White Strips, and the original figure has years of staining. It’s that refreshed. The weapons are also more rigid this time, and Hasbro did something to the hands to make them more functional and hold the weapons much better than the original Clone Trooper (501st Legion) figure.

But then we’re stuck with the same old buck that now appears limiting more than it ever had. The articulation system is outdated. There aren’t any “rocker” ankles that collectors feel are desperately needed. The ball-jointed hips do nothing to help you pose the figure without interrupting another part of the figure you posed. Yes, the buck is frustratingly annoying and disappointing to see so many years later. With patience, you can pose the figure brilliantly. With all the complaints out there, the figure still has merit. The applications of the blue color flashes look good as ever, perhaps a bit crisper this time. However, something happened with the triangular shape painted on the helmet. It’s not perfectly applied to the new version, which is disappointing. We’re happy Hasbro still included the broken strokes of color representing the battle damage the armor sustained in various harsh environments or skirmishes. Had Hasbro updated the helmet, we believe that most of us could forgive the reuse of a decade-plus old mold at this point. We don’t understand the disconnect with that accessory. Do they bother to look at their figures before approving them? At this point, we don’t foresee them ever updating this out-of-scale accessory. The new Clone Trooper (501st Legion) is an upgrade. You can’t equivocate this assessment. It looks better than the past version, and the refreshed card looks gorgeous. Ahsoka’s trooper is next and will use this same tooling.