Clone Trooper (Republic Gunship Pilot) - SW [S - P1] - Basic (’02 #49)

Ten years after the fight to save Naboo from invasion, the galaxy is on the brink of civil war. Under the leadership of a renegade Jedi, thousands of solar systems threaten to secede from the Galactic Republic. A courageous Jedi Knight, his impulsive and headstrong apprentice, and a queen-turned-senator are drawn into the heart of the conflict... and the beginning of war.

Led by Jedi Master Yoda, Clone Troopers are strategically deployed during the Battle of Geonosis to rescue the overwhelmed Jedi and combat Separatist forces. Clone Trooper Pilots, distinguished by yellow markings and specialized helmets, helm the Republic Gunships in a full-scale assault on the devastating droid armies.

The 2002 Star Wars “Saga” Republic Gunship was released in April 2002, but it wasn’t until the middle of the Fall that year that Star Wars collectors received the Clone Trooper (Republic Gunship Pilot) figure in the basic figure line to “drive” it. The wait was long, but the figure turned out surprisingly well. Like most of the other figures in the Star Wars “Saga” line, Clone Trooper (Republic Gunship Pilot) has an excellent sculpt but suffers from a lack of decent articulation. The sculpt is indeed very impressive. The figure is height/weight proportionate and comes with a cool accessory which isn’t meant to be screen accurate, but it pretty interesting nonetheless. Instead of retooling a previously sculpted clone trooper action figure, Hasbro opted for an all-new sculpt which is refreshing and sets this figure apart from the rest. And they attempted this particular clone differently than any other before it.

Clone Trooper (Republic Gunship Pilot) has a dynamic sculpt. As mentioned earlier, he doesn’t come with a plethora of articulation. Aside from added swivel elbows, he comes with the standard six points of articulation of the POTF2 era. That being said, there isn’t any bulkiness to the figure. He is lean and can fit in the cockpit of the Republic Gunship. The turret accessories have cleverly been designed to interact with the vehicle as well, although it’s terribly out of scale and should be considered an extra added novelty and nothing more. For those that like play features, the turret shoots a bright green projectile and has some articulation, including moving handles so you can have the Clone Trooper (Republic Gunship Pilot) maneuver it as needed. Admittedly this whole set has been done up nicely. Both the figure and its accessories have met our expectations and aside from a wonky leaning pose, we would almost consider this an excellent release.

Clone Trooper (Republic Gunship Pilot) also comes with the standard DC-15 baster. It fits well in his hands, and it’s a nice change of pace to have him pose a smaller weapon when he isn’t manning the turret. Oh, and Hasbro added some “carbon scoring” markings on the white armor to make it look like he has sustained some battle-damage during the skirmishes. We can’t say that we’re thrilled with Clone Trooper (Republic Gunship Pilot), but we are however pleasantly surprised. The figure really does look decent when fully set up. And he looks amazing piloting the Republic Gunship. Hasbro will continue to develop how army-building action figures get produced, but this is a great jumping-off point. For $4.99 you truly get your money’s worth here. There is the equivalent of two action figures worth of plastic in this release. You’re getting a bargain, plus the figure looks great.