Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Sith Trooper Action Figure Review and Pics

The very first 6-inch action figure from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (nobody seems to be saying “Episode IX” any more) debuted at San Diego Comic Con this year. A more stripped down version became available at D23 and can be found at online at select outlets for advance preorder. This month, a limited few will be available for purchase online at Hasbro Pulse — early member sales today, Sept 9th, general public Sept. 10th. But thanks to our friends at Hasbro, we’ve gotten our hands on the Comic-Con edition, and are here to show you more.

The Sith Trooper looks at a glance like a First Order Stormtrooper in red, but it’s more different than that. The helmet also includes a “face” reminiscent of Episode III Clonetroopers and Rogue One Death Troopers, and the overall body has more geometric shapes and linework. The forearms are a bit of a geometric mess, even.

In terms of articulation, this figure adds the “butterfly” — or as Hasbro prefers, “Mynock” joints to the chest, allowing the soldier’s arms to cross inward, or splay outward more. Elbows are swivel-arm and hinge rather than double hinge. Comic-Con packaging for the bonus weapons allows you to pull out two side panels for display. To get them out, though, you may have to rip the box apart. The guns are held in there pretty tightly and need to be “popped” out from the back. In at least one case, this led to mine flying across the room and ricocheting back against another box. Comedy. As long as you find it after.

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As best I can tell, the accessories are new, though the heavy gun is a slight modification of one that came with a deluxe Amazon exclusive figure. It’s missing a stand, but looks like it might be compatible. Both blasters plug into a slot in the Trooper’s right thigh. Only the smaller blaster, however, is really meant for the right hand, with its trigger finger in perfect place. The heavy cannon works easier on the right too.

The remaining two weapons are melee weapons: a blade and an opening pincers with tiny pistons. For the most part, collectors will probably plug one blaster into the thigh, another into the right hand, and a melee weapon in the left.

Hasbro’s Star Wars team still doesn’t articulate the waist, but a double ball-joint mid-torso helps make up for that. Poseability is otherwise what you’ve come to expect, and the figure is a standard size, albeit smaller than Captain Phasma.

One thing the nu-Troopers really do that the old ones didn’t is color-coordinate their weapons with the armor. The Sith Troopers follow that pattern proudly.

$29.99 (the price Pulse quotes, versus $32 at SDCC) seems steep for a six-inch figure with just three extra accessories. The appeal is to be first, and if packaging matters, it’s nice and fancy here. It also displays the figure nicely, and lets the owner touch it. If you open your figures, however, it’s probably worth waiting for the $19.99 version with just a blaster or two.

But collectors should decide for themselves. Check out the gallery below for more close looks at the First Order’s newest military.