Snowtrooper - POTF2 [R/G] - Basic

HEIGHT: 1.83 meters
STATUS: Cold Assault Stormtrooper
CLASSIFICATION: Human
AFFILIATION: Galactic Empire
WEAPON OF CHOICE: Imperial Issue Blaster Rifle

In the vintage Kenner line, this character was called Imperial Stormtrooper (Hoth Battle Gear). But the modern Kenner/Hasbro line simplified things a bit, and now these fan-favorite Star Wars characters are referred to as Snowtroopers. 1997 was perhaps one of the most bustling years of collecting. If you didn’t take notes, you probably lost count of how many vintage Kenner figures received a modern update in this single product year. It was positively overwhelming. Still, with all of the figures released that year, perhaps the modern update to the Snowtrooper received the biggest fanfare from collectors. It was one of the most popular army builders of the year and sold insanely well. Almost identical in approach to the 1980 vintage Kenner Imperial Stormtrooper (Hoth Battle Gear) figure, the 1997 POTF2 [R/G] Snowtrooper figure comes without any head articulation. It’s a disappointment, but the figure looks good, and you’ll probably overlook this detail. The only difference between the vintage and modern Snowtrooper figures is a swivel waist (on the modern figure). That and different parts of each figure are removable while the other has parts that aren’t. The Snowtrooper has a thick and permanently sculpted kama but has a removable backpack. The backpack is not only perfectly sculpted but is also screen-accurate. What is most interesting to us is how differently the two action figures look from each other. While recognizable, the vintage Kenner figure could almost be a different character looking at them side by side.

Others may debate this point. Still, it is interesting to see the action figure interpretations of the same character separated by over a decade and a half apart from each other. There are many details different from each other, but these differences can be attributed to technology and reference materials, the latter of which we know were barely helpful for the accuracy of many vintage Kenner action figures. Snowtrooper comes with a mere five points of articulation. The figure seems a little too tall for the rest of the figures in the line, but casual collectors probably won’t even notice. As mentioned, there is no head articulation here, but for the first time we have a Snowtrooper with a removable backpack. The details on this accessory is beautiful. However, the plug is a little too short. Because the plug is a little too short, if you bump the backpack, it may come off when that wasn’t your intention. Whether it’s because of the extra weight from a backpack or because the figure wasn’t engineered perfectly, Snowtrooper doesn’t have a great center of gravity. The figure is frustrating in this aspect and always wants to fall backward. If you’re patient, you can position the legs in a way to balance the figure better, but we find this workaround a little frustrating. We did notice that the Snowtrooper’s ability to balance itself without wearing the backpack improves, so it appears that it is this removable accessory which is the major culprit to the Snowtrooper’s balancing issues.

The Snowtrooper has an excellent sculpt. And its paint job might be better. Kenner/Hasbro went to town, developing a deco that intensely captures the look and feel of the characters we saw in The Empire Strikes Back. Although the armor has a white base, it is filled with dirt and grime and everything else we saw on their armor when they infiltrated Echo Base. The only disappointing aspect is how we’re limited on how we pose them in our dioramas and displays. In addition to the removable backpack, Snowtrooper also comes with a huge E-11 blaster. It’s obnoxiously large to the point of being comical. The oversized weapon is worsened by the circular shape of the figure’s hands to hold this tremendous weapon. And as you probably imagine, you can’t make the Snowtrooper believably hold the gun thanks to the figure’s limited articulation. But despite the figure’s shortcomings, we have to say that overall, this figure ranks in the good category. Kenner/Hasbro produced quite a few Snowtrooper products in 1997. They’ve released a Deluxe version of the Snowtrooper with E-Web Cannon accessory. And then there is the New Millennium Minted Coin Snowtrooper which comes with a different paint job and a gold collectible coin. If you love The Empire Strikes Back, then this is the time to collect.