Rebel Fleet Trooper - POTF2 [FF/TKC] - Basic

Aboard the Rebel Blockade Runner, Rebel freedom fighters begin their defense against an Imperial invasion.

Probably one of the top three most anticipated figures of 1997 included the Rebel Fleet Trooper. The figure was a first time offering in the Star Wars line and an egregious omission of the vintage Kenner line if you ask us. Originally entering The Power Of The Force “2” line in a super rare case assortment along with Weequay Skiff Guard, the Rebel Fleet Trooper came and went without notice. And most collectors had to wait about a month and a half later until a more prevalent case assortment including him finally arrived at retail. Ultimately, while the character was exciting to see in the basic figure line, the figure failed to impress for multiple reasons.The figure’s biggest issue was its height. The Rebel Fleet Trooper is taller than 1995’s POTF2 [R] Darth Vader figure. Rebel Fleet Trooper is also way too muscular and doesn’t match one of the actors we saw in the opening sequence of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Lastly, the Hasbro gave the figure tan pants. As you know all too well, the Rebel Fleet Troopers are wearing gray pants. With all of these mistakes, we find it odd that it got past Lucasfilm Ltd. in this fashion. Fans and collector are already expecting a redo.

Perhaps the figure would have gone over a little better than it did had Kenner/Hasbro given the figure a removable helmet. Sadly, the Rebel Fleet Trooper’s likeness is obscured by the helmet surrounding most of his face, and it’s hard to imagine what this character would look like without it. Maybe that doesn’t even matter, but with the history, Kenner has with giving action figure removable helmets, it seems a little unfair that they don’t keep this line at the forefront of the modern line, especially with characters that would benefit from this enhanced approach. Despite the wrong color of the pants, the rest of the figure is painted accurately and well. There are no signs of bleeding in the paint operations, and the deco overall is very, very nice. You’re not going to be able to pose the figure in the same manner that they kneel in the film with the standard articulation. But the pose is generic enough to line the figure up in the formation needed to take on the Galactic Empire. You should probably prepare yourself for your formation to look like gigantic humanoid warriors instead of the Rebel Alliance army.

Rebel Fleet Trooper comes with three accessories. These include a blaster pistol, blaster rifle, and removable vest. The removable vest is a nice touch because you can get an idea of what the uniform looks like underneath it. It is quite easy to remove, as well. The guns are laughably large. They are so ridiculously oversized that it’s almost impossible to take them seriously. They do, however, fit into the figure’s hand quite well and serve their purpose equally as well. The Rebel Fleet Trooper was chosen to be carried forward into the Freeze Frame phase of The Power Of The Force “2” line, and frankly, this is the version that collectors should get. There is just something special about getting a cool pack-in premium with a basic figure, especially when it is a film cell of a scene of our favorite film franchise. Both versions are easy to find, but the Freeze Frame version was produced in smaller numbers. Rebel Fleet Trooper is a nice figure to see in the modern line, but this isn’t even close to being an acceptable figure for collectors. We’re not so sure what went awry with him, but better is needed.