Review: Star Wars Black Series Imperial Remnant AT-AT Driver from The Mandalorian and Grogu
- Mephitsu
- 4 hours ago
- 7 min read
“But we’re pilots.”
Ahead of the release of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22nd, a wave of Star Wars Black Series figures was unveiled and subsequently released. The five-figure general release wave arrived in March and April across the US, where the wave also included a white box ‘first edition’ variation sold via Walmart and Target. In the UK, the wave appeared to be held until the week of May the 4th.
The general release figures use the same black box packaging as the wider Black Series, with an assigned accent colour that is a blue-purple tone and used on the name plate, the numbering, the band under the window that confirms the source as ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ and on the artwork. In this review, we are taking a look at the Imperial Remnant AT-AT Driver, the number 02 release in the wave. The artwork shows the AT-AT Driver in a planted stance, looking down and to the right against a cloudy planetary sky, which has been a consistent and linked background on all the figures. This artwork connects directly in the wider montage for The Mandalorian and Grogu, preceded by the launch figure for the series, the 01 release of The Mandalorian and Grogu and leading into the subsequent figures of the AT-RT Driver at 03, Colonel Ward at 04, and the general Imperial Remnant Stormtrooper at number 05 followed by the exclusive variant at number 06.
The colour-hued artwork is repeated on the back of the box, along with a short synopsis of the movie rather than the character/trooper. This is to avoid spoilers ahead of the movie hitting cinemas. The box opens via the top or bottom flap, held closed by a piece of tape. Our Driver sits in an inner-shaped plastic tray with a solitary blaster to the top left. The figure tray sits in a blue/purple-hued backdrop by way of an inserted cardback that itself incorporates the same embedded image of a planetary sky scene used on the side art.
Our AT-AT Driver is, as we remember it from the Original Trilogy, made up of a grey combat suit over which armoured panels are laid. The main body is therefore cast in light grey and features the sculpted cloth features of the suit as well as seams and pockets. Over the main chest is a white armoured piece in a glossier plastic, but weathered to look worn and aged. On top of this sits the AT-AT Driver chest unit, in a similar white but with painted red, black and silver components. Two corrugated pipes come from each side of this unit and connect upward into the helmet. Around the back of the chest armour, which is a cleaner white, with the weathering saved only for the front visible section, are some more paint apps with a black painted central panel with light grey trim and components.
Boots and gloves are cast in a variant grey and plugged into the main body, removing the need for any overpainting of large areas. For the boots, this is a shame, as there is a level of detail included around the boot straps that would have been nice to pick out. For the gloves, these are less interesting, and on the left glove, we do get a silver-painted wrist comms panel.
The main suit concludes with twin shoulder Pauldrons in white with a surrounding trim and an embossed rectangular pattern at the top. These appear to be more or less the same as the ones on the AT-RT driver, but fitted and hinged the other way round. We then have a combat belt and holster, added in a softer plastic and wrapping the waist with a black and white finish, and with the same grey as the gloves used on the holster to the right hip.
The helmet replicates the original look from 1980 with a face plate of a Stormtrooper with painted black eye visors and the nose piece in both black and silver. The front vents are silver with a red centre, and sit on either side of a black mouthpiece. From this faceplate, the helmet is then similar to that of a pilot with enlarged on both the top and sides and incorporating a central ridge piece that has a black triangular pattern projecting backwards from two silver piped pieces that sit just above the eyes. Similar black and grey pipework sits to the side of the faceplate. The helmet is finished with decals on either side of the main ridge in red of the Imperial Crest. The two corrugated conduit pipes we saw earlier on the chest connect around the back of the helmet with a red painted ring at the top of each.
The AT-AT Driver (or Pilot, depending on which box you got) was first released in 2016, and the same figure was re-released in 2020 on the Anniversary Card backs for ESB. This Mando & Grogu release is the first overhaul of the Troop type, and there are variations in the two onscreen designs, with the new version moving away from the pilot style webbing to a combat belt with a holster. Otherwise, the two are visually similar with a similar level of decor and detail. The newer figure probably edges it on proportions, with the older figure always standing a little bow-legged, as was common for figures of that time due to the format of the leg joints. With some minor tweaks, this new body could easily be re-released as an Empire Strikes Back version in the future if there is a demand for it.
The original AT-AT Driver release saw the figure given a standard Stormtrooper E-11 blaster in the absence of them using any weapons in their scenes during the Battle of Hoth. For this release, and as seen in scenes from The Mandalorian and Grogu, the AT-AT Drivers are sent out to fight and are equipped with a small holdout blaster, the SE-14r. This is the same basic weapon as the AT-RT Driver from the wave, and originates with the 2016 Deathtroopers from Rogue One and also used on some of the Andor Imperial figures, as well as the Morak Tank Driver figures of Din Djarin and Migs Mayfeld from The Mandalorian.
The weapon includes an upper separated sights piece and a main barrel with a centralised grip and trigger. The detailing is visible, but basic in terms of visible rivets in the hilt and lines down the barrel and sights. It is cast in grey plastic and features no other decor. Our AT-AT driver comes with a right-hand trigger finger to hold the weapon as well as a holstered option on the belt where the main barrel slides into the holster while the sights sit outside.
Our AT-AT Driver is fully articulated and features 21 points in total, benefitting from additional rotation at the bootcup and glove cut, which is over and above the usual format and a result of the modular construction of the figure. Our Driver can kneel, and sit, should anyone want to explore aftermarket or custom scenes of an AT-AT cockpit. The Trooper is also solid when standing with robust ankles and evident internal ratchets.
The chest has some movement, but nothing extensive, while the twin-jointed neck allows the helmet a reasonable range as far as the connected pipework will allow. Arms are fully extensive in their range, with the shoulder pauldrons hinged and able to move as the arms are raised and extended or drawn inward by the butterfly joints. This gives enough scope for dynamic posing with the blaster or without.
Like the rest of the wave, the AT-AT Driver from The Mandalorian and Grogu is a solid release if not spectacular. It reworks this Imperial Troop to both match the look from the 2026 movie while remaining faithful to the original design, and there is certainly an option to change this figure into an ESB version by swapping the belt and holster for the pilot webbing.
These Imperial Remnant Troops are all perceived as battle-worn and not quite as clean as when they were at the peak of their power. For the AT-AT Driver, this is done through some yellowing of the chest unit and helmet while leaving the rest of the figure untouched, and I am fine with that, considering these are not ground troops or in the thick of battle like the Stormtroopers included in the same wave. I also struggle to ask for another accessory in terms of their role unless something becomes apparent in the movie.
A very good release, easy to display and stands well on its own, or as a pair. It would be nice to perhaps see the AT-AT commander to go with them at some stage.
Keep Track of all the Star Wars Black Series figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
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