Rebel Soldier (Hoth) - TBS [TESB40] - Six Inch Figures

Before we begin, we need to alert you that Hasbro screwed up the name of another Star Wars figure. But we suppose we shouldn’t be surprised. They messed up the name (and card art) of The Vintage Collection Rebel Soldier (Hoth) (VC120) figure too. They’ve managed to mess up both for the 6” release also but to a lesser degree. We’ll explain. Its correct name is Rebel Soldier (Hoth Battle Gear). We had to get that out in the open right from the start. That aside, Rebel Soldier (Hoth) might be the best The Black Series 6” figure Hasbro produced to date. We’re not close to kidding about that. There are so many intricacies to the character. They developed extras with precision to give this figure many alternate looks and styles that it’s an army builder to itself from a certain point of view. Add to that; they managed to add interchangeability to this figure in an unprecedented fashion secretly. (Did you know Hoth Troopers pack an extra face in the middle of a battle in their survival backpacks? It’s true!) Rebel Soldier (Hoth) is a triumphant winner in The Black Series 6” line. Star Wars fans of any action figure persuasion won’t be able to discount what this figure beings to the line. Collectors will most likely want to army-build this figure like there is no tomorrow. And imagine if Hasbro produces some “troop builder” exclusive set where we can add a few new faces to these ranks? Although we get two distinct faceplates with the Rebel Soldier (Hoth) figure, there are multiple ways to configure the look of the figure. The various looks are partly thanks to interchangeable parts, including the goggles and the scarf. You can place the goggles on the brim of the cap, but Hasbro also engineered them perfectly to fit the figure’s face as well. If that’s not enough, the removable scarf doubles as a neck and face covering. You place it underneath the figure’s neck “as designed” for a neck covering. Or you can flip it “upside-down” for a mouth and nose covering to protect from the harsh tundra of Hoth, or quarantine. Your choice.

Hasbro outfitted the Rebel Soldier (Hoth) figure well too, although we have a few points to make about the included weaponry. There is NO DOUBT that some of the Rebel troopers on Echo Base used the DH-17 blaster, but the numbers are small. You can see this weapon in a few production stills and reference images. But from what we understand, most utilized the DL-21 blaster pistol (a modified Armalite AR-7 blaster pistol) for their sidearm. It’s a bit difficult to make out what gun is in the holsters of the troopers on Hoth in still and reference images online, but both weapons are correct depending upon the character at hand. We’d love to know for sure which one they more commonly used. Slightly more bothersome is the lack of a strap on the BlasTech A280 blaster rifle. If you search this weapon online for reference images, you’ll find it with an without a strap. However, in both, The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi, we cannot find a single trooper WITHOUT the strap on the gun. There are many soldiers in the Battle of Hoth and the Battle of Endor, so anything is possible. But it feels like Hasbro missed an essential detail by not including the strap on this weapon. We’ll continue to comb the scenes for an unstrapped version of this blaster rifle, however. Other accessories include the survival backpack with removable compartment and hidden alternate “bearded” faceplate. And we also get goggles with a real elastic band to stay firmly in place on the figure, and a scarf attachment that Hasbro engineered to work two different ways. It’s a brilliant use of the same accessory. Between the two different faceplates and the goggles and the scarf, you can achieve nearly over a dozen, perhaps a dozen and a half, unique looks for the Rebel Soldier (Hoth) figure. This yield is not something to brush aside. It’s unbelievable that Hasbro could get that many distinct appearances out of the same character.

Imagine if they start making the suggested “troop builder” sets by giving collectors additional faceplates? We’ll have an army of the Rebel Soldier (Hoth) characters at a quick pace. Our only suggestion is that Hasbro should periodically release this figure’s main body with varying dirt collections and ranking badges to prevent things from becoming too repetitive with this body type. The Rebel Soldier (Hoth) figure also has an incredible articulation system. It too benefits from the updated “butterfly” shoulder joints. They don’t work too well, reaching forward, but the arm reaches backward exceptionally well. To our disappointment, Hasbro didn’t update the knees with ball-jointed articulation. The Rebel Soldier (Hoth) still has double hinge-jointed knees. You get terrific flexibility from them (the figure can touch its heel to its butt), but aesthetically, it interrupts the figure’s streamlined look a bit. Our last comment about this figure focuses on its packaging. Why can’t Hasbro ever get this right? The Kenner-esque packaging never worked well for the 6” line. That’s a given. But Hasbro can try a little harder, in our opinion. For the Rebel Soldier (Hoth) figure, they’ve chosen the incorrect image of the character in the reference image. (A keen eye will notice details like the placement of the hand on the detonator or the direction the character is looking. Compare this to the 1980 ESB Rebel Soldier (Hoth Battle Gear) figure. We have a comparison in our Photo Gallery.) Hasbro deceptively realigned the level where the barrel of the laser cannon goes behind the character’s head to closer look like the original release. But it’s the wrong image. We also already mentioned the incorrect naming. Other than that, this figure is a marvel. Collectors of the line have been given a considerable treat from Hasbro. Count yourselves fortunate. It’s fantastic they’re only charging $19.99 for it.