2013 Star Wars 12" AOTC Clone Trooper Review

Feeling Lucky, Punk?

When I first heard the news that Hasbro was getting back on the 1/6 scale wagon, I was cautiously optimistic, being a fan of the Kenner/Hasbro 12" figures from the '90s.  I had envisioned the line similar to the 12" Rise of Cobra figures from a few years ago: basic 12" figures featuring more sculpted than cloth outfits with a weapon at a decent price.

Hasbro, though, went with new sculpts but no cloth items and little articulation.  They seem confident that the trend will bring in big bucks for them as similar 12" figures were present for the new Spider-Man and Iron Man toy lines.

I found this figure at my local Target store. They had both the AOTC Clone Trooper and ROTS Anakin Skywalker. I wouldn't normally pass on a ROTS Anakin, but the sculpt was very weak, and the figures I saw were literally cross-eyed. So that left me with the Clone Trooper...


I was overall impressed with the sculpt of the figure.  There are actually a fair amount of details in the armor of the figure. Compared with the Anakin figure, the Clone Trooper has much better proportions. My main complaint is that the main chest piece is a little bulky, making the arms and legs connections a little awkward looking. When compared to the original 12" Stormtrooper, the Clone Trooper is a little shorter, but is closer in stature to the 12" Stormtrooper from 2004.

Being economical, Hasbro only used black paint to bring out some detailing on the helmet and the trooper's body suit.  For whatever the reason, they stopped at the hips and left the back of trooper's knees white. It seems that the figure is lucky to get that much as it looks like Hasbro is applying little if any paint apps to the backs of the figures of their economical 12" line.

Bare Knees.

Another surprise was that the Clone Trooper had a little more than the "Big 5" in the articulation department.  Yes, the head, shoulders, and hips move, but also the wrists as well. I should also mention that his blaster is molded into his right hand. I have mixed feelings about this, but otherwise, it does not distract from the figure.

A little help, guys?

There are two reasons that this figure would appeal to collectors:

1. Those interested in a vintage-styled figure of prequel characters as this is very reminiscence of the bygone era of when a toy was just a toy.

2. Customizers who enjoy applying their own paint jobs.  Since this is a very bare Clone Trooper, collectors can feel free to paint their own color design, add dirt or scoring to the armor, or just finish the job Hasbro started.

For $9.99, I have no really issue with the figure, considering that people pay $15-$20 for a figure half its size. It's a shame that nothing really makes it stand out as well.