Hasbro’s Star Wars lines have been struggling recently, along with the brand itself, since being purchased by Disney. The Black Series, in particular, has seen stagnant sales at retail, with an over-reliance on characters from the divisive and seemingly directionless Disney trilogy, and a lack of figures from the films that have been popular for 40 years.
From the 2015 video game Star Wars: Battlefront comes the new Imperial Jumptrooper action figure. Based on the classic and instantly recognizable Stormtrooper armor from the original trilogy, this Gamestop exclusive figure is scheduled to hit stores later this year. Fortunately, Toy-Wizards has an early sneak-peek thanks to our good friends at ToyArena.com, a fantastic source for your “gotta have it right away” toy needs, and who have this figure in stock right now!
The packaging is exactly what we’ve come to expect from this line; black and red with a muted image of the character on the front, repeated on the back, with a brief blurb about their place in the Star Wars universe. The character description reads as follows:
“An elite squadron within the Imperial ranks, jumptroopers (also known as rocket troopers) were outfitted with jetpacks and utilized in tight spaces. They were trained to act in unison, often swarming and overwhelming their targets.”
The black packaging has always been uninspired to me, and it’s been around so long now, it’s really time for a refresh. The 40th Anniversary figures that were offered recently, on Kenner-inspired, vintage-style cards, were extremely popular, and I think it’s time to return to vibrant artwork and colors to give this line a shot in the arm.
The first thing I noticed upon opening this figure was that it comes with a clear, triangular stand emblazoned with the Star Wars: The Black Series logo. It’s a nice addition, and an added value to a line that typically only gives us one or two accessories per figure. When you take into account that The Black Series is the same price point as Marvel Legends, which often include an assortment of weapons, additional hands, and a Build-a-Figure piece, this makes them seem like less of a value. The stand is a step in the right direction, but I’d still like to see more accessories as the line continues to move forward.
The Jumptrooper itself is a beautiful figure. The armor is glossy and clean, and looks like it’s been spit-shined for the soldier to report for formation. I actually prefer “clean” troopers to battle-worn troopers, because as a customizer, I can always add battle-damage myself, but your mileage may vary.
The figure uses the standard Stormtrooper body mold, so new new surprises there… it retains the same head-swivel, ball-jointed shoulders, bicep swivel, double-jointed elbows, wrist swivel, torso swivel, ball-jointed hips, thigh-swivel, double-jointed knees, and ankle articulation of the Stormtrooper figures. However, the Jumptrooper features character specific shoulder armor which actually hinders his shoulder articulation; He can barely spread his arms away from his body, which is going to limit play and posing substantially.
The Jumptrooper helmet is a unique sculpt that perfectly captures the design of the character, and looks fantastic. Breathing tubes connect the helmet to a detailed jetpack on his back that is removable; however, while you can remove the tubes from his jetpack, they seem to be permanently attached to the helmet. I’ve no doubt you could pop them out fairly easily with a bit of a soak in hot water, but it seems that the helmet tubes are intended to stay in, and that the Jumptrooper isn’t keen to loan out his jetpack to any other figures in your collection.
The Jumptrooper includes the standard E-11 Stormtrooper blaster rifle, which has some nice silver weathering on it. He holds it well, although the shoulder armor does make some more dramatic poses and firing positions difficult. When not in use, the Jumptrooper has a nice molded holster on his belt where the blaster can be stored.
Despite my single misgiving about this figure (his limited shoulder articulation) he looks great and I think he’s well worth adding to your collection. Personally, I wouldn’t mind owning a few of these guys to bolster my Imperial Army ranks. Time will tell if we’re going to get the Arctic, Forest and Desert variations, but if they’re as aesthetically pleasing as this guy, I’m already in!
You can order your in-stock and ready to ship Jumptrooper by clicking here!
