Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,427: Bistan (Rogue One Line Look)

BISTAN vs. Shoretrooper Captain
Rogue One   Two Pack Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. B7073 No. C0928
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 figures, 2 rifles, 1 backpack rocket launcher, 2 projectiles
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $17.99
Availability: October 2017
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio:  Relishing the thrill of action, Bistan fights to ensure the freedom of fellow Iakaru, taking on enemies like Imperial stormtroopers. Specialist stormtroopers stationed at the top secret Imperial military headquarters on Scarif, Shoretroopers patrol the beaches and bunkers of the planetary facility. (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: Initially debuted at Toy Fair, the Bistan  figure was shown alongside then-unreleased Galen Erso, Admiral Raddus, a Shoretrooper Captain, Fenn Rau, and Lt. Sefla.  Fan communication with Hasbro is a lot less complete than it has been, so it wasn't really obvious that the Captain and Bistan weren't going to be made until it suddenly became obvious the line was ending and there was no final wave of 2-packs coming.  I was heartbroken - a new trooper, and an awesome alien never to see the light of day?   Enter Entertainment Earth, where this item eventually arrived.  You can tell by the date stamp on the box that it was manufactured long after the rest of the line was over, and while it's not a proper "exclusive" you won't find it anywhere else - currently I believe all units manufactured on the planet came through Entertainment Earth as it was not released overseas.  (For all I know it might, but for now, it's not an exclusive... but it's pretty exclusive.)  Surely some handsome devil was thinking you might want this.

I picked up one of the big Rogue One guide books and was irritated by how wonderful it was - dozens of Original Trilogy-ish aliens, rebels, Imperials, and other characters were all sitting there.   And because Hasbro figured Rogue One would be less popular, the line was over before we saw the movie and could say "I want that!"  Mercifully Bistan got pulled from the garbage chute and cranked out - so you should order one.   This is the last figure from that line - Fenn Rau made it out overseas (and a startlingly limited number were made of the US assortment which technically never hit - but that's another story) so for those of you who want to be all-in, get this.  It's cool.

Bistan is about 3 1/2-inches tall, a full head shorter than his trooper companion.   The figure itself has a ball-jointed neck that gives him a really good range of motion, with a head tilt that you don't normally see in these guys.  The bulky suit allowed for more movement, and I appreciate it.  He wears a drab costume that's in line with the whole recycled costume aesthetic we saw in the original trilogy, complete with a ring around his neck that implies a matching space helmet could have been out of view of the camera.  While he lacks patterned texture on his costume, he's loaded with wrinkles and stitched details. Pockets, patches, and what may well be a parachute pack add a lot to a costume that seems simple at first glance.  A few of the cables and straps on his suit were left unpainted, but most of them do get some level of decoration - like the connectors on his wrists, the silver buckles, even a codpiece.   The limbs all move freely, and he could sit if he didn't have a corner of cloth hanging off his backside.   The eyes match the movie and the head sculpt is good, but it's impossible to match the wispy eyebrows and mustache of the film design at this scale.  The Hasbro designers came close, though.

The level of contrast in the face is a little higher than it probably should be, but it does help it from looking too samey.  It's also t he only Bistan you're likely to get, and he has a rocket pack that shoots fairly well.  A Rebel blaster fits in his hand snuggly, making this a pretty decked-out figure.   As most things Rogue One are being shoved under the proverbial table right now, you should probably snag this and also bug Hasbro to make some of the other characters from the film like Blue Squadron, Caitken, Killi Gimm, or other designs that only appeal to men in their 20s-40s.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth where it is a de facto exclusive shared with its EE Distribution wholesale wing.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,427: November 20, 2017