STAR WARS Death Star Trooper (Imperial Naval Guard) by Hot Toys (updated)

Additional photos in Post 15 and Post 16 below. Spin-off photo story: STAR WARS A Happy Endings Story.

One of the most recognizable imperial trooper type throughout the Original Trilogy and related Star Wars films was the Imperial Naval Guard or Trooper. Mislabeled "Death Squad Troopers" and "Death Star Troopers" by Kenner and Hasbro, these were clad in all black (tunic or jumpsuit, with gloves and boots) and sported large samurai-type "cheese grater" helmets. Although they were among the first dozen "classic"-scale (3.75-inch) Star Wars figures produced by Kenner, to the best of my knowledge they have never been given the higher-end sixth-scale treatment (Kenner, or was it Hasbro, produced a 12-inch version in 1998, but that does not qualify as high end; while it was not bad for its time, its somewhat odd proportions and oversized head and helmet detract from the realism potential).

Some years ago Hot Toys advertised an impending "Death Star Trooper" figure, for example at the San Diego Comic Con and other such venues (see HERE and HERE). Many people, including yours truly, were very excited... and contacted Hot Toys to correct the glaring mistake of placing the imperial "cog" emblem on the tunic (it only goes on jumpsuits). At that time, the project was still a go. Since then, any mention of it seems to have disappeared...

The ironic thing is that Hot Toys has now essentially created the "Death Star Trooper," but failed to actually put it together and release it. The most signature piece, the helmet, was provided as a makeshift drum for the evil Ewok in the recent Endor Leia and Wicket combo set. The helmet is sharply sculpted, weathered, and better-sized than the Kenner/Hasbro version from 1998, although its flared rim does not appear to flare out or as far as it did in A New Hope; but it seems to be more accurate to its appearance in the later films. Parted out, the helmet sold like crazy -- it was certainly the one thing I really wanted from that set, and apparently I wasn't alone. Luckily, in a moment of weakness, I had gotten some helmets from a seller in China on eBay, for prices that I am ashamed to mention -- but were lower than the ones you would find on eBay today. With that, I was well on my way to reconstituting what would (or could) have been Hot Toys' "Death Star Trooper." And in fact one could build him using all Hot Toys parts. While the helmet was not instantly wearable, a modicum of rigging made it so. The chin strap was borrowed and slightly repurposed from the even more recent Mudtrooper set (detailed review HERE). The two-part gloves, the boots, and the belt with holster and laser pistol were borrowed from the Death Star Gunner set (detailed review HERE). The tunic and pants came from the Count Dooku set. The body is a True Type TTM14 (the one that came with the Taylor Kitsch/Gambit head). The head is from the Hot Toys Justice League Superman set. That makes a fully armed and operational Hot Toys "Death Star Trooper" action figure.





Pleased as I was with "my" achievement, I actually preferred some parts from other companies -- like the DID jackboots, the Sideshow gloves (less articulation but more matte, like worn leather), and the TBLeague body (the unsightly M30 works great in clothing). That is what you see in the photos below.



























Overall, I am pretty pleased with the way he turned out. Yes, the tunic could have had slits on the front near the shoulders for code cylinders (not used by this trooper type in A New Hope or Empire Strikes Back, but one is seen in Return of the Jedi). Yes, the detail on the "ear caps" could have been more accurate (seven indentations rather than the four bumps -- here the Kenner or Hasbro version was actually better -- although it is conceivable there was some variation among the helmets used while shooting the films), but on the whole he makes for a realistic, well-proportioned, and sharp figure.

What do you think?



Additional photos in Post 15 and Post 16 below. Spin-off photo story: STAR WARS A Happy Endings Story.

#starwars #deathstartroopers #navalguards #male #scifi #hottoys #sideshow #did #phicen #tbleague #kitbash #custom

He looks great! And man, your Death Star photos are always incredible, and look perfect. It's awesome seeing these characters interacting on this set. And I love Vader thinking out side the box on solving this rebel problem.

ReverendSpooky wrote:He looks great!  And man, your Death Star photos are always incredible, and look perfect.  It's awesome seeing these characters interacting on this set.  And I love Vader thinking out side the box on solving this rebel problem.

Thank you very much, Adam, I'm glad you liked him. And that you like my old Death Star backgrounds. They still do the job, for the most part. I toyed with the idea of either making new ones based on the detention area or shooting them against those displayed on the screen -- or digitally inserting them -- but in the end I just went for using the "real" set. And it was a lot more natural to do so, taking a break from the digital backgrounds in the Mudtrooper review (HERE) and the Silver Linings photo story (HERE). So it's doubly appreciated that you liked them. As for Leia's shenanigans, check out the last link.

Ahh, wow, excellent job... he turned out really well! And this is a very amusing use of a Henry Cavill sculpt, I must say.

skywalkersaga wrote:Ahh, wow, excellent job... he turned out really well!  And this is a very amusing use of a Henry Cavill sculpt, I must say.

Thank you very much! I'm glad you like him. And that you're amused by yet another cameo by the talented Mr Cavill.

He looks great, hasbro's/kenner's stuff is acceptable if you are like me and don't want to spend too much. Otherwise the much higher quality items are the best choice.

Theboo-bomb wrote:He looks great, hasbro's/kenner's stuff is acceptable if you are like me and don't want to spend too much. Otherwise the much higher quality items are the best choice.

Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked him. I agree, the Kenner/Hasbro 12-inch stuff can look very good with a little bit of upgrading, or even just putting it on a higher-end body and head (which do not have to be HT). In this instance, if you want to match the screen appearance you are in a bit of a jam, because the Kenner/Hasbro set got confused between the jumpsuit and the tunic, and ended up making a tunic with jumpsuit shoulder pockets and imperial cog badges. In the past I relied on these Kenner/Hasbro pieces for my makeshift troopers of this type, and I removed the pockets, cut out the cog badges (to use elsewhere), and replaced them with cloth from the removed pockets. It looked ok, especially if you didn't know to look for the evidence, but I did. So I couldn't wait to upgrade. As I mentioned in the text, the Kenner/Hasbro helmet might actually be more accurate in some of the "ear cap" detail, but then again it was a little too big (which makes sense, as those figures came with larger heads). Perhaps I will upload some comparisons. And I really didn't want to spend too much, but just couldn't help myself when it came to these troopers. If you were lucky enough to catch these helmets on one of the domestic part-out sites, they would have been a lot more reasonable (about $30 USD) in price.

He turned out great. I received my Leia/Wicket a couple weeks ago, but only recently put them together. Had I known you were searching for this helmet I would have sent you mine. As it is, I just have it sitting on the display stand with Wicket — have no intention of recreating the “drumming” sequence with either of the helmets. Henry looks badass as this guy — very determined.

Stryker2011 wrote:He turned out great. I received my Leia/Wicket a couple weeks ago, but only recently put them together. Had I known you were searching for this helmet I would have sent you mine. As it is, I just have it sitting on the display stand with Wicket — have no intention of recreating the “drumming” sequence with either of the helmets. Henry looks badass as this guy — very determined.

Thank you very much, I'm glad you like him. I thought Henry looked similar enough to some of the troopers we see, although of course he wasn't in those movies. That is so nice of you to offer. If you really have no use for it, I will think about it. Although at this point I'm probably all set, and perhaps you can sell it to someone who needs/wants it more. The two I see on eBay right now are $80-89, not that you would be a scalper -- but you got to offset your purchasing costs somehow, I suppose. Or maybe I can help you make yourself a "Death Star Trooper" of your own.

This one looks great, the story about the helmet actually being an item from an expensive Ewok set is just hilarious, it's our hobby in a nutshell! 

It's fun to focus on background characters in these photos featuring main characters. Although he looks to pretty to be a background character, I wonder how he would look like with other heads. I'd like to imagine how he would look with the head of Wagner Moura, who played that Special Force Guy in Tropa de Elite.

Ovy wrote:This one looks great, the story about the helmet actually being an item from an expensive Ewok set is just hilarious, it's our hobby in a nutshell! 

It's fun to focus on background characters in these photos featuring main characters. Although he looks to pretty to be a background character, I wonder how he would look like with other heads. I'd like to imagine how he would look with the head of Wagner Moura, who played that Special Force Guy in Tropa de Elite.

Thank you very much. Yes it is ironic. Even worse, it is not from the Ewok set, it is from the Leia and Ewok set. That, by the way, can still be obtained, for example (just noticed) at Cotswold Collectibles: https://www.gijoeelite.com/Star-Wars-Return-of-the-Jedi-Princess-Leia-and-Wicket

I don't feel that they are really background characters, because they are a very present trooper type. Though we have to wait until Return of the Jedi to hear any of them say anything. What do you have against pretty people!? Just for that I'll review the newest version of the Sexiest Man Alive (from whatever year) LOL I don't know Wagner Moura or Tropa de Elite, but you always make me look up new stuff and I appreciate that. Actually, I just obtained what is possibly my first high-end sixth-scale Hispanic head sculpt (not counting an old one by Triad Toys or Antonio Banderas), so I could try that... but he has a mustache.

I saw this online, and couldn't help myself:



I suppose given the subject of this thread, the question is all the more poignant now.

Well with background character I mean the silent guys who are not a Darth, a Princess or a General etc.
Your figures can be as pretty as you like of course. Just meant, the extras shouldn't overshine the main characters. He looks like the good guy in undercover.
I had to think of Tropa de Elite because of the black uniforms and the 'death' in their names, makes me think of those semi legal brutal police forces.

It's a great movie, an action packed brutal Brazilian social study. The guy on the pic leads that really brutal hardcore police troop fighting gangs and desperate poor Favela inhabitants. And he has to find a successor, so he can be there for his little son and his wife who fears he might end up dead every day. It's not a happy light feel good watch, though.

The second part features the same character in another position, focusing more on corruption an the frustrating Brazilian politics.
The actor also played Pablo Escobar on Netflix Narcos and Matt Damon's friend in Elysium. So I hope he might get a head sculpt one day, probably mustached though.
I have seen the Antonio Banderas sculpt on machine gun once, is it good/up to date?

Ovy wrote:Well with background character I mean the silent guys who are not a Darth, a Princess or a General etc.
Your figures can be as pretty as you like of course. Just meant, the extras shouldn't overshine the main characters. He looks like the good guy in undercover.
I had to think of Tropa de Elite because of the black uniforms and the 'death' in their names, makes me think of those semi legal brutal police forces.

It's a great movie, an action packed brutal Brazilian social study. The guy on the pic leads that really brutal hardcore police troop fighting gangs and desperate poor Favela inhabitants. And he has to find a successor, so he can be there for his little son and his wife who fears he might end up dead every day. It's not a happy light feel good watch, though.

The second part features the same character in another position, focusing more on corruption an the frustrating Brazilian politics.
The actor also played Pablo Escobar on Netflix Narcos and Matt Damon's friend in Elysium. So I hope he might get a head sculpt one day, probably mustached though.
I have seen the Antonio Banderas sculpt on machine gun once, is it good/up to date?

Ah, true, although I feel for the poor people just doing their job and being sacrificed to the nefarious agendas of their superiors and their superior's enemies or dysfunctional family dynamics. Besides, for the purpose of showcasing him, the "Death Star Trooper" is his own hero. But you do make a good point.

I did read up on Tropa de Elite, and you appear to sum it up nicely. Yes, having more sidekick heads would be good in any scenario. I don't have a problem with companies making actor heads (as opposed to made up or anonymous ones), but I do wish there would be more variety. There are (or were) smaller businesses that made a wider variety of head sculpts, but unfortunately (if even still available) these are resin and usually with integral necks... and I don't feel like modifying resin -- too much of a mess.

The Antonio Banderas head you reference is from a Mercenaries set that has been around for a while. I picked up that head. But I was really thinking of the more recent Blitzway Zorro version. Same guy anyway. Loved him in the 13th Warrior, but actually he's pretty good in everything he is in from Mariachi to Femme Fatale and beyond.

For Ovy...







What do you think?

It seems like I can't stop taking more photos. While making some for the STAR WARS A Happy Endings Story spin-off, I came across a few shots that seem worth including here.

First Vader with a couple of Naval Guards (this time without Leia) --


I love the reflection of the Death Star wall light panels in Vader's goggles --




-- and of course in the troopers' helmets --


-- and here is a variation on a classic -- for more, check out the STAR WARS A Happy Endings Story thread...

I like it that you can't stop posting new pics...
it's like an encore before I even catch my breath

GregT wrote:I like it that you can't stop posting new pics...
it's like an encore before you even catch your breath

Interesting way of putting it! I hope that means you approve.

absolutely!
(previous post edited for clarity)

GregT wrote:absolutely!

Thank you, I'm glad you like it.

Nice shots. The reflection is indeed a nice touch. Cool tribute to LIFE magazine.

You must have bought up all the Dooku pants to be able to keep making these NTs.

Stryker2011 wrote:Nice shots. The reflection is indeed a nice touch. Cool tribute to LIFE magazine.

You must have bought up all the Dooku pants to be able to keep making these NTs.

Thank you, I thought so too. And I know I have done the tribute to the LIFE magazine photo before (I forget in what context, other than Cap and Peggy), but it occurred to me an appropriate conclusion to the Star Wars A Happy Endings Story (in a crowd scene) that I added later.

In case you don't realize it, those are just two Naval Guards, with different heads in different photos. I think I have three pairs of the parted-out pants that I picked up for these customs a long time ago. Never owned the Dooku set.

Thanks for the head experiment! I think he looks very striking, although maybe not fitting the clean shaved aesthetic of the empire. Reminds me a bit of Pena from Fury.

And those reflections on the helmet are outstanding, great shot.

Ovy wrote:Thanks for the head experiment! I think he looks very striking, although maybe not fitting the clean shaved aesthetic of the empire. Reminds me a bit of Pena from Fury.

And those reflections on the helmet are outstanding, great shot.

You noticed! You are very welcome. I had fun doing it, and actually like the result (and the head sculpt itself). But you're right, it does clash with the apparent clean-shaven look policy, so I've been using other heads for the other photo sets. Speaking of which, have you checked out the newest goof story that spun off of this custom?
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t3240-star-wars-a-happy-endings-story-nsfw-updated

Very well done. I liked these guys from the movies too and its surprising they haven't really been done yet. But you seem to have fixed this gap.