JediDefender.com; Bringing Balance To The Force


Home
About Us
Forums
Image Database
Features
Reviews
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Checklists
Donate
Other Links
Banners
News Archive

Send Us Your News!





Never Forget - The ICMG Petition




JD Preview - SDCC Exclusive First Order Stormtrooper

The folks at Hasbro passed along SDCC Exclusive TBS 6" First Order Stormtrooper figures for us to look at before the big show! Fans are anticipating figures for the new film, and what better way to launch the line than with an exclusive Stormtrooper? Read on and get excited for The Force Awakens toys


Hasbro's first figure from The Force Awakens just makes sense. Kicking things off with the fairly familiar trooper type we've been used to since 1977 streamlines things as Star Wars, and its fans, head into a new era. Likewise Hasbro chooing to do the First Order Stormtrooper for their collector-based Black Series line of 6" figures also seems like a solid decision for a SDCC exclusive, plus a way to kick this line off officially.

The packaging and presentation, as pictured above, are a notch above what the regular line will ultimately see when the full The Force Awakens line launches this Sept. 4th. A white sleeved box displays the trooper perfectly, along with his two blasters of choice, in a contrasting black tray with white print. The simple, but striking black-and-white colors and lettering, make an almost artistic statement about these "soulless soldiers", as though they're shipped out by the Empire themselves off an assembly line, nameless and faceless. The overall presenation is simple but still fits how Star Wars shaped these troopers in our minds.

Included with the figure is also a small pamphlet that gives a brief history of the Stormtrooper, from their early days in The Clone Wars to these new incarnations of efficient militarism we will see in the future trilogy. I've included one picture of the booklet showing how its layered design highlights some details about the armor and weapons of troopers throughout Star Wars' history.

The text on the side of the box reads:
    Shock troopers clad in white armor first appeared on the galactic stage during the opening battles of the Clone Wars. Clone Trooper armor became iconic almost immediately; its stark white design stood for hope that peace and stability might be restored to a galaxy at war. But this dream of peace died with the Republic, and the Empire that rose to take its place imposed order by any means necessary. Soldiers with the Grand Army of the Republic were given a new name: Stormtroopers. As these former protectors of galactic peace mercilessly crushed resistance across the galaxy, their white armor came to symbolize oppression and the indomintable power of the Emperor's will.

    Yet the tyranny of Imperial rule sparked rebellion, and the Stormtrooper legions were scattered in the aftermath of the Empire's fall. Now, the rise of The First Order ushers in the next chapter in the Stormtrooper's legacy as a new era of ruthless brutality begins.


Out of the box, this is an impressive figure you'll want standing with your other armored 6" troopers like some kind of evolutionary chart! The sculpting is solid all over, and features lots of little details that highlight how this soldier's armor has evolved from the classic trilogy look, to now, and Hasbro seems to have caught every detail of the new Stormtroopers pretty well.

Decoration is minimal, as one would generally expect. There is very little paint application to nitpick, and for the most part my sample has a pretty quality decoration with little starying or splatter. Of late the paint apps have been suspect across the line, but this SDCC Exclusive appears to not suffer from some of those recent flaws that have crept into the line. That's appreciated on a special figure like this.

Likewise, accessories aren't heavy, but they're important and well made. The Stormtrooper sports two blasters... A classic, though redecoed E-11 Stormtrooper rifle (with maybe a tweaked scope?), and a tiny pistol side-arm for the soldier's of The First Order. Both blasters plug into the trooper's armor on his right thigh, showing yet another evolutionary step in the armor itself as it does away with a separate holster. Ruthless efficiency, and ruthless accessorizing! Love the details Hasbro carries forward in functioning holsters, no matter what style they come in.


Articulation is pretty outstanding, and some of it is so well hidden you'll have to mess with the figure before you even realize it's there. Hidden ball joints in the wrists surprised me, as I have not jumped into 6" collecting completely yet, and the armor hides the black "glove" joint underneath. Figures like this could easily sway anyone to take the plunge into 6" completely.

The First Order Stormtrooper sports 14 points of articulation, however most everything is ball/socket joints, so the range of motion is quite impressive. If there's one complaint to be made, from this reviewer at least, it's the lack of ball/socket joints on the knees. I feel that inhibits knee movement and posing, slightly. While double-hinged knees work for various types poses, they don't work so well for others, and I apprecated the ball-joints of the classic 4" line figures over the double-hinge knee joints on these 6" figures. Just a personal preference.

You'll have no trouble getting the Stormtrooper into a variety of action poses, as you can see in the various photos. While some will chastise the articulation count as being too much (somehow?), I still stand by articulation as putting the "action" in action figures, and making them what they are, and much more fun to play with! Toys like this from Hasbro just reinforce that opinion when I get to enjoy posing them for a review like this.


An outstanding figure is a nice way to kick off a whole new line, from a whole new trilogy of Star Wars films, and Hasbro has really done a great job on their first figure for The Force Awakens. If this is a sign of things to come, fans have a lot to look forward to. While questions remain in exactly what directions the modern Star Wars line is going, Hasbro has definitely doubled down on the 6" The Black Series line and said it's here to stay.

Fans will have a chance to get this First Order Stormtrooper either at SDCC, or in limited numbers after the show. After that, it's bound to be in the basic The Black Series 6" line, but in different packaging and with only minor differences I'm sure. So definitely bide your time, and avoid the Ebay prices should you not manage to get one of the exclusively packaged ones from the show!

We at Jedi Defender would like to thank the great folks at Hasbro and HunterPR for sending us this sample to highlight for our readers, and cannot wait to see what the Pawtucket crew has up its sleeve for San Diego Comic-Con!

© Copyright 2002-2019 JediDefender.com. All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy


Reviews by Jesse James

HASLAB Jabba Sail Barge

Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019 Press Images

Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019 Press Images