We got two releases of the Star Wars Black Series Hoth Rebel Trooper in 2020, the first on a 40th Anniversary card as part of the first wave of The Empire Strikes Back anniversary figures and the second in wave 2 of the new Phase 4 Galaxy Collection.
The Galaxy Collection release arrives in the new angled packaging with a blue colour scheme used to denote the Empire Strikes Back releases. The Hoth Trooper is 03 in the Empire Strikes Back collection, with the artwork connecting to the previous release of Luke Skywalker in his Snowspeeder gear.
The rear of the box has a repeat of the artwork panel along with a short piece of text that reads.
"After the battle of Yavin, the Rebels fled from the Imperial Starfleet, seeking a new base of operations. They settled on the frozen Outer Rim world of Hoth"
As the Hoth Trooper is unpacked you will find the figure and backpack set into the inner tray along with two blasters and a scarf accessory. There is, however, more to the figure than first meets the eyes as we will see shortly.
While not advertised anywhere on the packaging, the Hoth Trooper is one of the most innovative figure releases to date in the Black Series and is made to use multiple face plats on the head rather than swapping out the head directly. If you remove the figure's backpack, then there is a compartment on the rear in which the alternative face is included.
You can then pop off the figures headgear and then the face to change from the bearded option to the clean shaved Rebel Soldier.
The two head options are generic rather than behind directly based on the on-screen actors. They do use face photo-real face deco which means they do look particularly realistic around the eyes and the shading of the face, eyes and mouth.
The Uniform is also generic and as seen on a large number of the Rebel Troopers at Echo Base. This includes a padded jacket and trousers, with wrapped boots and gloves. The headgear includes the scarf that is cast in rubbery plastic as opposed to the soft goods scarf we've seen on the Hoth Luke Skywalker figures.
The faceplates are not the only customiseable piece in the set as the figure's overall look can also be adjusted by way of the googles which can be positioned on the head, over the eyes or left off the figure altogether, The goggles include a translucent green lens which is impressive at the scale. There is unfortunately a weakness in the elastic which snaps too easily.
The scarf section also provides another option as it can be positioned under the chin, over the mouth or again left off completely. To fit this, you will need to remove the head, and it does take a bit of work to position it correctly over the head and neck area.
With the combination of face, goggles and scarf there are 15 possible looks for the Hoth Trooper as we detailed in our review of the 40th Anniversary version.
Our Trooper also has two weapon options in the shape of a DH-17 blaster that fits into the right hand and that can be secured in the holster on the Trooper's belt when not in use. You then get the larger the A280 Blaster Rifle which again slots into the right hand and can be cradled with the left hand in a two-handed grip.
Articulation on the Trooper is impressive at 19 points of articulation including the addition of the newer format butterfly shoulders as well as the two-part neck joint. This makes our Hoth Trooper pretty flexible in terms of posing options including firing either of his blasters and even being able to raise the larger rifle to his shoulder and looking down the barrel as in a firing pose.
There is sufficient movement in the legs for the Trooper to ride the Black Series Tauntaun too if you happen to have that figure and want to give Han Solo a rest.
The Hoth Rebel Trooper is almost the perfect army builder and cleverly uses a handful of parts to give collectors plenty of scope for building a larger squad of Rebels without the problem of them all looking too much alike. I would hope this format is continued for future releases and would work well on Endor Troopers or perhaps on some of the Rogue One Rebels.
Fans of The Empire Strikes Back will not be disappointed, regardless of which version you purchase.
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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...
action figures, reviews, review, articulation, star wars, black series, hoth, rebel trooper, the empire strike back, galaxy collection