Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,945: Imperial Death Trooper (The Retro Collection)

IMPERIAL DEATH TROOPER Kenner Style
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F4200 No. F4457
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.99
Availability: May 2022
Appearances: The Mandalorian, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio: Elite soldiers, death troopers are encased in specialized stormtrooper armor with a dark, ominous gleam. They serve as bodyguards and enforcers for figureheads like Moff Gideon. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Trying to get in the heads of the current Hasbro designers and how they view "retro" is tough - heck, so is understanding what Kenner was aspiring to do in 1978-1985 - but you can see some of the thought process when you look at this Imperial Death Trooper. I'd love to see more Rogue One guys in this format, but this one is a nice start - clearly the designer was copying the body language of that original 1978 Kenner Stormtrooper action figure. The same stiff pose. The non-articulated neck. Even the blaster integrates the original Kenner Stormtrooper gun in its design - there are just some added greeblies bolted on to it. We know Kenner likes to do things like that for some of their old weapons, and it's a pretty good nod to the actual movie design too.

This trooper has a torso about the same size as the original regular Stormtrooper, but much longer legs. It's a little weird, but hey, whatever, fine. Many of the lines and details are definitely inspired by the old Kenner toy, with two functioning hands this time. There's even the silver guns, which I assume Kenner would've left unpainted but I'm not complaining they're decorated here. The green lenses are also an interesting choice, as the lenses of troopers are largely depicted as black in the older toys regardless of the accurate coloring. (I would've gone with black lenses, but that's me.) The figure's armor also lacks the holster or the unique buckles over the shoulders, but I would argue that the Kenner house style is to get some of the details wrong - as long as it evokes the figure, it's close enough to be acceptable. If you disagree, I assume you also don't like Kenner R2-D2. If you do, well, there's no hope for you.

 I find the details to be a little softer and rounder than I would like, but it's still a nice, glossy figure that looks like someone did their homework when making this figure. This figure is almost unpainted, and I assume Kenner would have done something similar. I like it, even if it seems to be a little too wink-wink to the fans of old Kenner figures. I might buy a few more if I see them. I doubt you need an army of Kenner-style Death Troopers, but I might. I admire their devotion to such a niche product and I can't wait for the supposedly not-too-far-off Kenobi wave. (Which, I admit, looks a lot less consistent with their design cues. Lots of vinyl capes and no telescoping lightsabers, what's up with that?)

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,945: July 26, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,768: Death Trooper (Credit Collection, The Black Series 6-Inch)

DEATH TROOPER Amazon Exclusive
The Black Series The Credit Collection
Item No.: No. F1186
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #04 - Star Wars: The Mandalorian
Includes: Blaster rifle, blaster pistol, bronze Imperial credit
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: November 2020
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: This distinctive collection features premium deco applications inspired by the end credit images from The Mandalorian, plus a collectible Imperial Credit accessory. After the fall of the Galactic Empire, usage of their form of money, Imperial Credits, became less common, with many planets refusing payments in the currency on principle. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: While not named as such on the packaging, in conversations with Hasbro this line has been referred to as "The Credit Collection" so that's what I'm going with. In 2020 five figures were repainted and put on vintage/anniversary-style cardbacks including this Death Trooper as an Amazon exclusive. It's pretty good. IG-11 and The Mandalorian are also pretty distinctive, while it seems Cara Dune and the Heavy Infantry Mandalorian aren't as striking - but your mileage may vary. For this collection, Hasbro decided you should pay $5 more for some different paint and a plastic (not metal) credit prop replica. Is it worth it? Kinda.

I bought two of this line so far, mostly because of the back half of 2020 being packed with figures that, while distinctive, were not necessarily new characters or sufficiently different. It's one thing to buy 1 or 2 figures for completism's sake every year, but with 5 Christmas figures and 5 Credit Collection figures that could be a fast $250+ out of your pocket - so I decided, for the first time in 25 years, to say "you know what, nevermind." But I made an exception for Mando because it was so saturated, and the Death Trooper because it looked battle-damaged. (And IG-11, I still might get.) All of these guys make me feel like Hasbro is taking lessons from the sofubi and indie toy world again - this time it feels like we're getting things that may not be too out of place in the Glyos system.

The Death Trooper takes the mold from way back in 2016 - which is still in some demand - and changes the coloring to match the end credits of The Mandalorian. Now cast in dark grey instead of black, the figure has striking green lenses, odd muddy smears, and some intense purple on the helmet. The blaster has some red highlights, making a few details pop. The pictures look fine, but up close it's striking and feels like more of a weird art piece than a collectible for aging man-children. The holster loop is still there - and weird - for the small blaster, while articulation is standard for 2016. 27 points of articulation await you, but I also can't help but think this paint could have looked just as god applied to a less-articulated figure or a statue. On a retro cardback, it's pretty nice - but the "vintage" look certainly has been about keeping the past alive, and this is more of a weird mutation.

For those of you contemplating buying one and leaving it in the packaging, I would say that's probably a good idea. The credit isn't much to gawk over, it's light and there's nothing of interest on the flip side. On the front you'll see an Imperial cog and what I believe is "ROWE." Presumably this is derived from Republic credits but I have no idea what the significance here is.

I don't regret picking this one up - it sort of fits in as a troop builder, but really, it's a unique art piece unto itself. I hope it inspires fans to pick up and paint figures in strange ways, sort of like that awesome The Vader Project and the similar Stormtrooper project. I like weird. (Christmas sweater-themed, not so much.)

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Amazon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,768: January 12, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,371: Imperial Death Trooper (Rogue One, Kohl's)

IMPERIAL DEATH TROOPER Sandy Armor
Rogue One Kohl's Exclusive Gift Set
Item No.:   No. 9605
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, 2 rockets, backpack, 3 more figures with accessories
Action Feature: Rockets launch
Retail: $30-$49.99
Availability: November 2016
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio: The elite soldiers of Imperial Intelligence, Death Troopers are encased in specialized stormtrooper armor with a dark, ominous gleam and serve as bodyguards and enforcers for Director Krennic.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  Hasbro has been surprisingly generous with the Imperial Death Trooper flavors.   If you're a 3 3/4-inch fan, this is one of four flavors - a redeco of the 2-pack Pao/Imperial Death Trooper [FOTD #2,311] mold.  What's new? Paint.

The 5-jointed figure adds a bunch of sand markings and the silver seems to pop a little more.   The cheek tubes are darker, rather than the bright green of the first release, but the figure stands just the same.  He holds his blaster just the same.  If you're an army-builder and want the full squad of six, you may as well get this one just to keep things varied.  

What really surprised me was that they redecorated his big rocket backpack accessory.  Not only were sandy patches added, but the silver arms and grips for his hands were painted too!  The first release in the 2-pack had black, unpainted grips.   Why go the extra mile?  I have no idea.  The "gift-giver" customer at Kohl's would never notice, and I doubt most collectors would notice either.   I can't imagine there was a board room pitch where someone said "So what's special about this?" and someone said "Distinctive silver hand grips!"  It's unique, and as such an essential buy for the trooper fan.

I can't say the set is a good value at its regular retail price, because $50 for $30 worth of plastic is not a good deal.  For the current going rate on the secondary market orbiting $25 it's a decent buy, particularly if you want and do not have the excellent Moroff and Pao figures in the set.  I wish they could have dropped Pao and just tossed in a Scarif trooper instead, but such is life - for the right price it's worth tracking down this Death Trooper!


Collector's Notes: I got mine from Kohl's, but it's cheaper on Amazon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,371: May 22, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,347: Imperial Death Trooper (Target, The Black Series)

IMPERIAL DEATH TROOPER Fancy Operations
The Force Awakens The Black Series 6-Inch Figure Target Exclusive Set
Item No.:   No. B9609
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Pistol, rifle, harness, 2 other figures with weapons
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: October 2016
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio: The elite soldiers of Imperial Intelligence, Death Troopers are encased in specialized stormtrooper armor with a dark, ominous gleam. These soldiers serve as bodyguards and enforcers for Director Krennic, a highly placed officer with the Advanced Weapons Research division of the Empire. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  Now this is interesting - the cheaper versions and shorter versions of the Imperial Death Trooper have paint applications that this guy lacks.   The 6-inch Target 3-pack version has the tactical gear, and you may notice that the grenade looking things over his belt are molded in black.  The 3 3/4-inch figures (both 5-jointed and Walmart exclusive) are painted silver.  Interesting.  Other than that, the figure is basically the same as the regular Black Series 6-Inch Death Trooper with that extra pauldron and harness. Oh, and that whole get-up is one single rubbery piece, so it fits a little strangely.

The black glossy plastic figure has silver buckles, and curiously matte black gloves and joints.   The body glove is painted, so it's not just black plastic throughout - you will likely not notice this.  The very very dark green elements of the helmet barely register as green, which is not terrible - at least it's consistent with the other 6-inch Death Trooper - although I loves me black and bright green.  I had an Apple ][+ in the 1980s, so green-and-black are the colors of technology and the future!   The helmet has nice silver bits and the ammo pouch on the shoulder has silver snaps.     The Vader-esque belt buckle also has some silver paint.

Articulation is, as the previous version, very good.  Mine is sturdy with double-jointed knees, swivel hips, bend-and-swivel wrists, and everything you could want short of double-jointed elbows.  It's a great Hasbro figure, and he has no problems holding his big rifle with both hands.  The little blaster fits nicely in the holster, so the figure seems to work exactly as designed.  There's a little room in the harness area, but given the figure's articulation you'd rather have some slack than not - these things can break under stress, after all.

As part of a 3-pack which infuriatingly includes the same friggin' Jyn Erso, you may  be waiting for a sale.  I can't blame you - I got it at full price (OK I had a coupon when it hit in October) but it's getting marked down at some Targets.  For $40 or less, this is a good set.  If Jyn Erso is something you don't already own, even $60 is decent.   I would advise making this set your very first purchase for The Black Series if you're getting in to it late in the game, just because you can skip single Jyn and probably the regular Death Trooper too - this one's just better enough to make it the superior buy.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,347: February 28, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,344: Imperial Death Trooper (Rogue One Line Look)

IMPERIAL DEATH TROOPER The First Single Non-Exclusive One
Rogue One   Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. B7072 No. C1369
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, claw weapon, removable harness, belt
Action Feature: Recoiling claw
Retail: $7.99
Availability: January 2017
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio: Encased in specialized stormtrooper armor with a dark, ominous gleam, Death Troopers are the elite soldiers of Imperial Intelligence and serve as bodyguards and enforcers for Director Krennic.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: There are at least four flavors of the 3 3/4-inch Imperial Death Trooper so far - I need to review more of them.   Three of them are five-jointed affairs, like this one.  Hasbro did a nice job here - it's not the exact same sculpt as the 2-pack version, but it's close.  It adds a new big weapon and unlike the rest of the line, Hasbro expertly tooled this one so he can stand while holding it and not fall over.  It's not precariously balanced either - he's been standing on my desk for several minutes as I type and seems to have no problems as I punch the desk and otherwise act like a brat.

The tall trooper is built very similar to the others, with long limbs and legs that swing forward without a fight.  It's great!  It's shiny and black, with deco that's good - but not necessarily perfect.  The bright green "tubes" on the helmet look great here and are brighter than The Black Series Walmart release.   The lenses and silver snaps are brighter, so in many respects this is a better looking - but not posing - figure.  He has no problems standing, sitting, holding his guns, and getting taken down by Baze Malbus.

The smaller rifle is similar to other rifles, but it lacks the paint (red dot) of its more expensive peers.   It's nice, though, it looks OK but in one hand it does come off as a bit silly.  Also silly, a giant claw weapon with retractable string that is clearly inspired by the small rifle - most of the design comes from enlarging and remixing pieces of the smaller weapon, so it's very Star Warsy.  Hasbro did a bang-up job making something that is a big and goofy toy, but dammit, it belongs.   The mechanism doesn't lock once you pull the string out, so it's a wonky toy.  Functionally it does what it's supposed to do, but as we've described here earlier the inability to "lock" it sort of negates a lot of the fun.  It auto-retracts and you can't use it for a trap or set up a cool camera shot or something.  At least it looks neat.

Between the 2-pack with Pao, the gift set from Kohl's, and the Walmart figure, you've probably got enough Death Troopers.  Then again, there were 6 in the movie and they're all a little different, so it's like building an army without having actual duplicates.  I rather like that.   If the whims hit you - and opportunity is there - get this one.  The only knock against it is that the buckles under his harness aren't painted - the 2-pack version has painted buckles, so they can't all be perfect.  It's close though!
Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,344: February 15, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,341: Death Trooper (The Black Series 3 3/4-Inch)

DEATH TROOPER Fancy Ops
The Force Awakens The Black Series 3 3/4-Inch Figure Walmart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. B4054 No. C0663
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Rifle, pistol, removable belt, removable pauldron/harness
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.83
Availability: November 2016
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio: The elite soldiers of Imperial Intelligence, Death Troopers are encased in specialized stormtrooper armor with a dark, ominous gleam and serve as bodyguards and enforcers for Director Krennic.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  Yes, another Death Trooper!  If you're collecting all of the unique versions, I believe this is one of four 3 3/4-inch expressions of the armored trooper with the scrambled secret twin language.   Kohl's has a sandy redeco, Pao is packaged with one, there's this one, and a basic one appears in the third wave of basic figures.  Are there more coming?  I sure hope so - it'd be neat to build out an entire squad of six without resorting to buying duplicates.

This is, in theory, the best Hasbro has to offer.  You get two blasters and no holster - the bigger one has a loop for the small pistol.  My opinion of this figure improved significantly when I popped off the head and removed the pauldron and various straps - it's pretty easy to do, and it opens up the figure's considerable range of articulation.  There are no rocker ankles, but it's pretty much everything else you could want.  Bend-and-swivel wrists are just some of the 28 joints.  I love how easy it is to pose him with both hands on the rifle, and the sculpting is on par with or better than the other, stiffer versions.  Having thigh swivel joints and enhanced deco - somewhat - help.

The rifle has a painted red mark on it, the removable bandolier pieces have some silver, and the bits on the helmet are a tad more reflective and shiny.   I can safely say it is quantifiably better than its peers, and you're charged accordingly.   This is the trooper articulation you want, with the only real hinderance being the belt - and you can remove the belt to fit him in a ship or something.  After futzing with it more, I'm kind of surprised it wasn't scooped up even faster as it's better than others would have me think.  Get this one and futz with it, you're in for a small treat even if the entire squad didn't get to be particularly cool in the movie.

...I better buy a couple more of these.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,341: February 7, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,320: Death Trooper (The Black Series 6-Inch)

DEATH TROOPER The Regular One
The Force Awakens The Black Series 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. B3834 No. B9397
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #25
Includes: Pistol, rifle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: September 2016
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio: The elite soldiers of Imperial Intelligence, Death Troopers are encased in specialized stormtrooper armor with a dark, ominous gleam. These soldiers serve as bodyguards and enforcers for Director Krennic, a highly placed officer with the Advanced Weapons Research division of the Empire. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  Good, bad, he's a guy with a gun. The unusually tall Death Trooper squad was played up to be the baddest of the bad.   What we saw on screen wasn't quite as amazing as what we got out of our Clone Troopers, even in Revenge of the Sith their quick presence was pretty awesome - seeing what they'd do in a few shots made them seem incredible.   The Death Troopers start out as these evil-looking faceless agents of death, but really all they do is gun down a terrified woman and act as bodyguards for a petty bureaucrat.  Sure, they have some secret twin language, and yeah, the armor's cool - but like so many nifty characters before them the sum total of their coolness could be felt prior to seeing the actual movie.   It's a neat design I have no doubt will become a comic convention staple in no time, but unless they make more appearances and do more cool stuff I don't think a lot of people will be pining for their return.

Thankfully, the figure is pretty good.  A Special Ops commander variant with more gear was sold at Target, but the basic one is pretty nice.  Like the smaller figure, you'll notice much of the armor is similar to that of a basic Stormtrooper.   It's not identical, though - new grooves and lines set it apart, with new knees and distinctive shoes.  The pouches on the belt add a little flair to the design, and the rangefinder on the helmet is a nice touch.  For some reason they even share Darth Vader's  belt buckle despite not being associated with the man on the big screen.   Articulation is good - he can hold the rifle in both hands which come complete with bend-and-swivel wrists.  The ankles rotate nicely, complimented by double knee joints.  For some reason Hasbro has decided the double elbows are no longer necessary, so the classic bend-and-swivel articulation remains to be as good or as bad as you see it.

The black plastic is glossy and shines nicely, with dark green - sadly not bright light green - lights around the chin.  The lenses of the helmet are also green, with some silver accents on the figure.   Hasbro did a good job translating the design to an action figure, complete with a li'l holster to carry the smaller blaster pistol.   This is a figure that delivers on the promise of a good trooper - it's close to great, but not perfect, and comes across as a good figure for the price.  I hope you got as many as you wanted, as they seem to be drying up quickly.   Get one - or five - if you can and are so inclined.  I'm not troop building this scale, but it's a pretty good figure.  It doesn't innovate much - Hasbro has a good template for its troopers and they should be commended for sticking with it - so buy one if your budget allows.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.  

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,320: December 22, 2016

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,311: Imperial Death Trooper (Rogue One)

IMPERIAL DEATH TROOPER vs. Rebel Commando Pao
Rogue One   Two Pack Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. B7073 No. B7259
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 figures, 2 rifles, 1 backpack, 1 backpack rocket launcher, 2 projectiles
Action Feature: Opening mouth
Retail: $14.99
Availability: September 2016
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio: The elite soldiers of Imperial Intelligence, Death Troopers are encased in specialized Stormtrooper armor with a dark, ominous gleam.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: It's sort of a dorky name - and one that was used for the "zombie Stormtroopers" in a novel (and mini-busts) a few years ago.  This Imperial Death Trooper is one of three we've seen so far - there's one with sand on it for Kohl's, and Walmart has a super-articulated version with extra weapons and armor/gear.   In other words, this is the boring one. He's unusually tall - almost Vaderish - and very skinny, with long legs.

The design, like most Imperials, looks like a remix of things you've seen.  The helmet looks like a Biker Scout and a Stormtrooper mated with Boba Fett's rangefinder.  The armor borrows heavily from the standard Stormtrooper, adopting a more symmetrical look with Darth Vader's belt buckle, some shoulder buckles, and lots of extra grooves in the Stormtrooper-ish arms.   It's almost fanfictioney in how it jumbles so many familiar elements into a new design with a very 1990s name, but it looks cool.    The lenses on my sample aren't as green as some of the other products, but maybe there's a variant coming later.  I hope so and hope not.  

He stands fine, and holds his new blaster rifle without a hitch.  The look of the figure and weapon feel like they could have been floating around in a higher budgeted version of the original trilogy, with a giant rocket-launching backpack that feels like it's 1990's finest Kenner design.  It plugs over the shoulders and makes the figure a little too top-heavy. Standing unassisted is a challenge.  The clear green rockets look great and the distance is good - but it's a ridiculous accessory that doesn't exactly do wonders for making it look like a real weapon.  Moroff, Poe, and Baze Malbus each have weapons that look heavy - and their gravity can be seen on the designs, with the heavy parts lower to the ground.  The Death Trooper must be ridiculously strong, too.

Given that there are supposedly six of these guys in the movie, I'm a little annoyed that they're sold in multi-packs and as exclusives when a single carded version would probably sell like hotcakes.  Right now you'll have to find Walmart's exclusive if you want singles, or shell out for a $15 2-pack or a set at Kohl's that, due to its crazy pricing, could be $24-$50.   Get yourself a few Death Troopers because they're neat, but if you're a member of the one-of-everybody club you're going to find yourself with at least three as it is.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,311: November 22, 2016