Naboo Soldier - TAC - Basic (30 52)

Added: June 30th 2010
Category: 30 (77-07)
Reviewer: Paul Harrison
Score:

Name: Naboo Soldier
Collection: 30 (77-07)
Number: 30 52
Source: The Phantom Menace
Availability: December 2007
License: Hasbro

Review_NabooSoldierTAC01 Review_NabooSoldierTAC02 Review_NabooSoldierTAC03 Review_NabooSoldierTAC04
Review_NabooSoldierTAC05 Review_NabooSoldierTAC06 Review_NabooSoldierTAC07 Review_NabooSoldierTAC08

Character Profile

Species

Human

Status

Theed Royal Palace Guard

Weapons of Choice

Heavy blaster pistols

Characteristic

Elite bodyguard

These highly trained bodyguards are assigned to the Royal Palace, where they guard the Queen, the Advisory Council, and other members of the court. Their exceptional combat skills are acquired on direct battle experience on other worlds.

In 2006, the yellow version of the Naboo Solider was part of The Phantom Menace wave in The Saga Collection’s rich line. But most collectors noticed that these soldiers were outfitted in both yellow and red uniforms. And since The Saga Collection has a successful running change variant with the 2006 TSC Rebel Trooper (SAGA 046), many surmised that the same would be true for the Naboo Soldier. Well, it didn’t happen in the 2006 line, but thanks to a great brainstorming session at Hasbro, the red version of the Naboo Soldier got a place in the 30 (77-07) repacks and repaints wave. Anything is certainly fair game for Hasbro and we are glad a need for a repacks/repaints wave came about so a figure like this could get released into the line. Variety is awesome and it is great to have this figure to help balance out the Naboo army, but it is disappointing in the fact that Hasbro didn’t bother to do a quick and easy head swap from a different figure here. Essentially we have the same soldier in red and yellow. And if you decide to army build him you will have the first clone army ever in your collections. Perhaps Hasbro went with the same head to ensure that the helmet would fit on his head, but we think a little bit of thinking would have made this figure even better than it turned out.

If you look carefully at reference materials on these characters, you will find that many of them have long coats in the same color as their uniform. We also would have wished to get this long coat these soldiers wear to complete the look. These Star Wars characters look a little too bland without the coat and we think that the inclusion of it would have made this figure that much more impressive. (And especially since fans clamored for a coat after the yellow figure was released.) But we know this wave was rushed and Hasbro still managed to do a knockout job on them all. The Naboo Soldier is identical to the 2006 figure in every way except color and the writing on the helmet. The yellow Naboo Soldier’s writing in supposedly in Futhork while the red Naboo Soldier’s is written in Aurebesh. Futhork isn’t a style of writing found only in the Star Wars universe. It is actually an Anglosaxon runic alphabet. But other than that, these two action figures are essentially twins. Collectors and fans will be interested to know that the Naboo Soldier (both red and yellow) in this uniform is technically not a soldier. These are engineers. This information was documented in The Complete Visual Dictionary released in 2006 by DK Publishing. So the name on the card back is actually a misnomer. And this is probably more information than you ever wanted to know.

The Naboo Soldiers were hard to focus on in Episode I due to the action sequence in which they appear, but they are there and if you closely you can catch a pretty good look at them. And as action figures, they certainly do their part to make your set-ups that much more exciting. The Naboo Soldier (red version) was released in a repaint/repack wave to replace the postponed figures from The Force Unleashed. And thankfully there was a delay in the game because without it, we may still not have these seven repainted figures. Besides, it really was a great time to get another version of this soldier or army builder out to market. Perhaps if it wasn’t so rushed Hasbro may have been able to include a few things like a long coat and a new portrait to change things up a bit. But since they didn’t, we need to appreciate this figure for what it is. And what we now have is a clever reuse of a pretty good sculpt cast in a different color to add some diversity to your Naboo armies. The figure is great for what it is, so we should waste our breath complaining things that warrant complaining. Does this figure have the greatest articulation? No it doesn’t. We personally despise swivel elbows. They are the worst things ever. But he does have some great hip and knee articulation and we are happy to have him finally. Let’s hope that is Hasbro revisits this character that they give him the works, long coat and all!

Collector Notes

Naboo Soldier

Status: Naboo Soldier is a repaint of 2006's TSC Naboo Soldier (SAGA 050) figure.

Articulation Count: 12

Articulation Details: ball-socket head, 2 ball-jointed shoulders, 2 swivel elbows, 2 swivel wrists, swivel waist, 2 swivel hips, 2 ball-jointed knees

Accessory Count: 2

Accessory Details: removable helmet, heavy blaster pistol

Date Stamp: 2006

Assortment Number: 87649/87500

UPC: 653569287131

Retail: $6.99

Market Value: Click here to check the latest prices based on Click here to check the market value on eBay! listings.

30 (77-07) Wave 9 (Wave 7.5)
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