Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,565: Imperial Patrol Trooper (The Black Series 6-Inch)

IMPERIAL PATROL TROOPER Debut
The Force Awakens The Black Series 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. B3834 No. E1216
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #72
Includes: Pistol, holstered baton
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: October 2018
Appearances: Solo: A Star Wars Story

Bio: As the Empire reinforces its hold on worlds across the galaxy, local defense forces are supplemented - and eventually completely replaced - with Imperial Stormtroopers.  To cover distances across sprawling settlements and cities, Patrol Stormtoopers police the streets and alleys aboard swift interceptor speeder bikes. (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: The nonlinear nature of Star Wars narratives can be fun and vexing.  The Imperial Patrol Trooper takes cues from the entire saga to date, or at least, its troopers.  The helmet is similar to a 1977 Stormtrooper, but with the combined visor of the 2005 Clone Trooper and the forehead visor of the 2016 Scarif Stormtrooper.  The body lokos like a mutation of the 1983 Bike Scout, with gloves painted like First Order 2015 troopers - note the white finger and palms - and legs like the aforementioned 2016 Scarif Stormtroopers.  It's a weird amalgamation of numerous kinds of cannon fodder, which is also interesting because the Empire's armored meat for the grinder tends to be pretty uniform.

29 points of articulation and smart decisions like a soft codpiece mean this figure could straddle a bike! There isn't one. But he could!  I had a lot of fun posing him on my desk with his nicely-painted scout trooper blaster, but even more fun with the dippy baton. At about 1-inch long (meaning "real life" would be about 12-inches) it's roughly the size of a ruler and about as frightening.  It's this dumb little stick, and now he's going to fling it at you or something.  It'll bonk you on the head. "Ow!" you'll say to the faceless enforcer of the Emperor's fascist regime.  "Oh, uh, sorry pal," he'll say.  "Look, I don't have a stun blaster and I threw my only stick at your head, could you just, like, come quietly?" 

We didn't see it in action on-screen, but I imagine it would be deployed in a scene much like that.  I appreciate Hasbro made it a removable, as opposed to just a chunk of the belt.  It does something - it gives the figure more personality.   The only thing I dislike about the figure is we didn't get his bike. Enfys Nest got hers, but this one might have provided a better seller to army builders.  Such is life.  It's a cool trooper, so go get it - and if it shows up at Celebration or a Comic-Con with a bike, go buy it again.   While it breaks absolutely no new ground, it's top-to-bottom exactly as good as it could and indeed probably should be.  Add your own weathering, and buy a bunch.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,565: March 5, 2019