Captain Rex - TFA - Build A Weapon (Desert)

A veteran of the Clone Wars and still a formidable warrior despite age acceleration, Rex avoided Order 66 by removing the programming chip which would have turned him against the Jedi.

If you’re not a fan of Star Wars: Rebels like many of us in the collecting are, you’ll probably find that one of the few saving graces in the show is the entrance of classic Original Trilogy characters and newer The Clone Wars characters from the epic and groundbreaking television series. While many have conceded that it is the Ghost Crew holding back the true potential of Star Wars: Rebels, others have focused on the stories trying to be told that should help connect the dots between Episode III and Episode IV a bit more. When we found out that we’d be seeing our first clone (a captain no less!) in Star Wars: Rebels, we were interested to see how the years would wear on him – and what he had been doing for so many years after the Clone Wars had ended. One of the few clones saved from participating in the horrid events of Order 66, thanks to surgical removal of his programming chip, was Captain Rex. He not only was a central main character of the show, but he helped provided rich perspective on what the clones experienced during the troubling times of the Republic. Hasbro decided to make Captain Rex a priority in the Build A Weapon line. And frankly, we’re glad they did.

When early prototype images of this figures were released, we were honestly concerned. Thankfully, the final action figures looks a whole lot less Santa Claus-y and chubby than what his prototype led you to believe. Yes, Captain Rex has become a little bit fuller throughout the years (and especially thanks to his accelerated aging), but the production figure has quickly become one of the standout figures in the entire The Force Awakens Build A Weapon lineup. Maybe we’re partial to the character, or maybe we just have to admit that this is a fine action figure. Whatever the reason, we’re quite impressed with Captain Rex, and while it’s a great release, it makes us a bit melancholy how cherry-picked (and subsequently difficult) the approach becomes as far as picking out characters from the television show to make into action figures. Had it been a few short years ago, Hasbro would be producing characters (main and background) like there was no tomorrow. Now, it’s “rare” to get an all-new action figure from the Star Wars: Rebels TV show. And that’s a terrible shame. With the show still successful and on the air, you’d think that there would be a dedicated line to support the brand and media event. Instead, they just appear in the toy line here and there.

Let’s talk about the figure. Captain Rex looks great. He has male patterned baldness. He has kept his athletic shape well, albeit with a few additional pounds. The paint operations are clean and his boot even have some dirt accumulation to reassure you he has been outside. He comes with two functioning holsters which can house two DC-17 blaster pistols when not in use. He comes with two DC-17 blaster pistols as well as a staff with a fiery projectile (that’s the Build A Droid part by the way). And he can hold all of the included accessories very well. Yeah, his helmet is too big, but who cares. It's for the kids anyhow. He’s about as perfect as you can get for a simply articulated five points of articulation action figure. The portrait is amazing. The amount of detail will make you wish this was a super-articulated action figure. It’s that good. Now that we have a base “old clone” sculpt, it is our hope that Hasbro feels the urge to produce some of the other clones in the show. It will be cheap and practical, and make clone philes very, very happy. If you like Star Wars: Rebels, then in our opinion this is a must-have action figure. While all action figures today share similar digital files, we don’t see Hasbro being to adventurous with releasing this in The Black Series 6” line. But of course anything is possible. Give Captain Rex a glance. We bet you’ll find some interest in him.