Dave Filoni has become an integral part of the Star Wars Universe over the last decade or more, running the animated shows Clone Wars, Rebels and Resistance and more recently transitioning to work on the live action Mandalorian series with Jon Favreau. It is in the Mandalorian that Dave made his first Star Wars cameo as New Republic X-Wing Pilot Trapper Wolf. Following the short scene in Season 1, Trapper returned for a bigger role in the Season 2 story The Passenger.
This role in The Mandalorian has now led to the first Star Wars Black Series Dave Filoni action figure, with Trapper Wolf in his X-Wing pilots gear released as a special Hasbro Pulse Con 2021 exclusive. We were supplied this release free of charge by Hasbro for an advance look at the exclusive release.
The release utilises the new Galaxy Collection Exclusive box design established a couple of years ago now with Cad Bane and The Armorer. This includes a fully enclosed box with a black outer sleeve with artwork added to the box in a slightly darker and glossier black. For Trapper this is an image of his T-65B X-Wing. The Black Series logo is presented at the forefront of the box front and beneath this is the source of the figure listed as Star Wars The Mandalorian. This text, and the included Hasbro and Age/Safety logo's are presented in the burnt umber hue used to identify the Mandalorian releases within the wider Galaxy Collection.
This burnt umber colouration is also included on the slanted side art panel that features Trapper holding his X-Wing pilot helmet with a small scene above his head of the attack run on The Roost from Season 1's story, the Prisoner.
The rear of the box is relatively plain and like the previous exclusives in this format, the black is very prone to damage and oily finger prints.
The figure is exposed by sliding out the inner tray by way of the angled art panel. It slides out to the side of the black sleeve with a stark white contrasting colour and inset with burnt umber coloured sections containing the figure and the accessories. Turning the box round also see's the rear of the white insert following the standard release format with another copy of the artwork and a short piece of background text.
"A veteran of the Rebellion against the Empire, Trapper Wolf now serves as a pilot in the New Republic. He flies his X-wing as part of a squadron which patrols the outer reaches of the galaxy"
The inner tray is held into position by a tab within the outer sleeve and that does hold it in place and stops it being fully extracted from the sleeve. Removing the figure from the box is tricky as there are a lot of ties in place around the figure and accessories that are best disconnected from the back but the inner tray is not the easiest to access, and you will need to traverse the taped side artwork. Of course the purist approach is to keep this exclusive boxed, but for loose collectors there is no indication of Trapper getting a general release at any stage.
Trapper Wolf is a full re-use of the older Luke Skywalker X-Wing pilot body that dates as far back as the launch of the Black Series in 2013. The details on the uniform are good, but the overall body shape and proportions are a little out with a wide waist and upper thighs vs a comparably small shoulder width. The figure was sculpted as a young Mark Hammill, and Filoni is of a broader statue and therefore the overall look in a neutral stance without the helmet is not brilliant.
The flight suit features a cast orange main body and limbs, and over this we have the painted white vest and chest box. The boots are in gloss black, as are the gloves and we also have a few other cool detailing like the straps around the legs and the piping from the chest box. The paint does have some issues with the white of the vest not covering the orange underneath in places. We also have a murky look to the orange of the lower arms, this is down to the piece being cast in black and overpainted and the orange colour used doesn't give brilliant coverage and also flakes as the elbows are bent.
The head captures Filoni with a broad smile and a photo real deco application for what should be a more screen accurate realistic look, There has been some feedback around the head not looking like Filoni, and I think the issue with that is we don't often see him without his trademark hat or without his helmet when he appears on screen as Trapper Wolf.
The helmet is the same base shape and sculpt as the Luke and Wedge X-Wing helmets, but cast in a egg-shell green with black wolf icons on either side of the main ridge and further yellow icons and details including the Rebellion logo on either side. These all appear to be decals rather than painted detailing. The helmet is also fitted with a translucent yellow visor and flexible chin strap.
The fit over Wolf's head is tight and the chin strap has to be engaged to pull the helmet down so the visor is over the eyes. Once done I personally believe the likeness is much improved once Filoni's face is framed within the helmet. There is also a bit of me that would have loved for a further nod to Dave with the inclusion of a Cowboy Hat accessory.
Trapper also comes with a weapon, the A280 blaster rifle as previously included with the Hoth Rebel Trooper. The weapon is cast in dark plastic with no paint apps. It fits snugly into Trapper's hands including a two handed pose.
Articulation for Trapper Wolf is of course identical to the 2013 Luke Skywalker X-Wing figure with 18 points of articulation. This includes a couple of extra joints thanks tot he boot cut swivel, and means we do get double joint knees, but miss out on the slimmer elbows and any options of butterfly joints and a twin jointed neck.
Our review figure arrived with a few articulation issues too. The elbows were both stuck by the overlay of paint, and issue that wasn't evident on the original Luke or the subsequent re-use for Wedge Antilles. The left knee is overly loose and the ankle rockers also have a bit more play than I'd like so some poses are on the tentative side and Trapper has already had several topples since I unpacked him.
The Trapper Wolf exclusive release is a figure that looks brilliant in the packaging, but that does show a few flaws when unpacked including some paint problems, a couple of stuck joints and a few loose joints on the legs. It is available while stocks last via Hasbro Pulse following the Hasbro Pulse Con 2021 event.
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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...