Figure of the Day: Day 509: Biker Scout (Scout Trooper)

SCOUT TROOPER Imperial Patrol, Dirty
Power of the Jedi Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 84445 No. 84586
Number: n/a
Includes: Pistol, Force File
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99-$6.99
Availability: 2001
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Although lightly armored, Imperial scout troopers are essentially highly mobile stormtroopers. They patrol perimeters, perform reconnaissance missions, and scout enemy locations. They are equipped for high maneuverability and long periods without support. (Taken from the figure's Force File.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Commentary: During Power of the Jedi, Hasbro made two versions of this Scout Trooper, this being the second, dirty one. You can see he has random blast marks and smudges on his front and sides, while the back is almost entirely clean. This is the first "new" modern sculpt of the figure, as the only previous Biker Scout was in 1996, muscular, and posed specifically for the Speeder Bike. The figure features a holster for his pistol, has six points of articulation, and well, he doesn't do a lot else. His pose isn't very action-oriented, but it does look neat in some diorama settings because you can pose him as if he's in the middle of something. The sculpt is very good, there's a fair amount of details, and the added layer of dirt makes the figure look a little bit better. This figure, and his clean counterpart, were staggeringly popular and several fans from around the USA believed it was never actually released for a while. Hasbro never really did make enough to meet demand, but the figure was kept in circulation for a while, and then brought back in 2003, and then eventually completely redone thus negating the need for this figure at all.

Collector's Notes: I cannot stress enough how popular this figure was-- it was astonishing because most Power of the Jedi figures were eventually easy to get. The figure was available in a clean variant, as well as a version with a backward crotch piece as a Target exclusive gift set. The mold was most recently released with a flip-up helmet in late 2006 as a pack-in with the AT-AT.

Day 509: September 27, 2007