Speeder Bike/Poe Dameron - RO - 12-Inch Figures

This civilian speeder bike has been rebuilt to survive harsh desert conditions during long-range reconnaissance missions.

In a rather aggressive manner, Hasbro decided to extrapolate the 12-Inch Figure line in 2015 by including “Class I” type vehicles into the mix. They released two sets at The Force Awakens line look launch in September of 2015. The Assault Walker/Riot Control Stormtrooper Sergeant was one, and Speeder Bike/Poe Dameron was the other. In the Rebels line they attempted to make an X-wing Fighter for the line, but it didn’t go over all that well. So now they’re trying smaller-scaled vehicles. Whether or not you liked or enjoyed anything about The Force Awakens and the corresponding Hasbro toy line, one thing you cannot deny is that Hasbro went above and beyond to introduce new formats to it. Whether you look at the Armor Up sub-line or the complementary 12-Inch Figure Vehicles assortment, Hasbro wasn’t shy to see what types of new products might be able to leave their mark on the Star Wars collecting market. Sadly, not too many of their innovations survived after the product launch. The 12-Inch Figure scaled vehicle assortment wasn’t a hit, but we have to admit that they are well made and good for what they are. Their MSRP, however, is another story. But the thing that is awry here is that Hasbro decided to release this failed The Force Awakens release into the Rogue One line.

The Speeder Bike is a fairly unique release. If anything, Ezra Bridger’s Speeder is the closest match we could think of that inspired the 12-Inch Speeder Bike. It comes unassembled in multiple parts loosely secured by cardboard packaging. But it’s a breeze to put the Speeder Bike together once removed from the box. It doesn’t come with too many features, but there is a slot to house the Resistance blaster Poe Dameron comes with when not in use. So far both 12-Inch Figures vehicles come with slots to hold the pilot’s weapons so they can steer. But other than that, the Speeder Bike doesn’t come with too many other features that will impress you. It has been wonderfully scaled to fit the included Poe Dameron action figure. The loose-fitting seatbelt is adjustable, and you can secure Poe Dameron as tightly or loosely as possible. The Speeder Bike comes with just a few instances of blue color to make it stand out. It has a nice balance and can accommodate most displays beautifully. But, is this collectible needed a second time? Was it even needed a first time? Why is Hasbro branching out into such an aggressive format with everything so big and large nowadays? We think this re-release is a huge misstep.

The Poe Dameron 12-Inch Figure is an interesting take on the character. He is mildly screen accurate, but he comes with that dreaded “banana” visor that affects the aesthetics of the figure. So it’s hard to know if he looks like the character of Poe Dameron or not. Dressed in a Resistance outfit, Poe Dameron possesses one of our most favorite looks for this character. We like it much better than his X-wing pilot outfit. The figure has a mid-length jacket, but the bottom portions are tooled out of a soft and rubbery material which allows you to bend the figure at the hips and sit on the Speeder Bike as intended without any encumberment. The coloring and deco are very nice and aside from the head sculpt we think Poe Dameron looks rather nice. Even his helmet is nicely decorated. The fine details on the helmet are applied straightly and accurately. He comes with the Resistance blaster mentioned earlier which he can hold very well in both hands. Hey, if you’re into the 12-Inch Figures line, then the Speeder Bike/Poe Dameron might be for you. But we don’t expect to see too many new releases in this format, because, well, space is a major issue at this point. We imagine that there is a market that exists who buys these figures. Hasbro wouldn't continue releasing them if there wasn't. But a re-release like this is painful.