Rebel Honor Guard
The end of Star Wars with it’s elaborate medal ceremony gave us a look at a bunch of the different folks involved in the Rebellion. This guy was apparently there to keep the peace when things got rowdy.These guys are obviously the rebel counterparts to the the red robed Imperial Guards. I would imagine their function is more ceremonial than anything else. I’ve always wondered what those “force pike” thingees do. I know there is EU (Expanded Universe, for the nerd impaired) material out there talking about them. But I really would have like to have seen one used in a movie somewhere, just once.
Appearance:This guy has to be one of the more generic looking figures of the modern era. Except for his helmet, I wouldn’t even recognize him as a Star Wars figure. There were two things I thought of when I got him out of his helmet. Indiana Jones in a German Uniform and Vintage GI Joe. He actually reminds me quite a bit of a 12″ Joe from my formative years. The guard here is pretty much just that. A generic guy standing at attention in the background. That can be seen in his stance. He’s at attention holding his weapon. Sure, he’s got more articulation than a vintage figure, but how much are you going to use? As a side note, he can’t sit due to his jacket. So any rebel command center post for this guy doesn’t need a chair. The one thing that bugs me about this dude is his right hand. It’s sculpted to hold a gun, and does a great job of it. However, when his pistol is neatly tucked into his nifty working holster. His hand has this oddly pointing finger. (See top photo.) He could be getting ready to do some Travolta disco move, or he’s there to point where the bathroom is. Other than that, he’s just a plain guy in green fatigues. There some pockets and such, but it’s mainly plain. The head reminds me a little of Sam Neil for some reason. Without the helmet, his head looks a little large and round for my taste. Kind of like the GI JOE RAH original Grunt figure. This head reminds me quite a bit of that original Joe style. Fun:The helmet is the coolest thing with this figure. Hasbro went the extra step to make it smoky translucent instead of painting a black visor on a white molded helmet. That’s what I was expecting so this was a surprise. Compared to the art on the front of the card the visor is a little short and hot as round. I believe the movie ones where more like the figure, however. He comes with the standard coin, a rebel blaster, and his force pike. I was trying to come up with a clever ten foot pole joke, but I’ll just let you insert your own. This stick is a far cry from the vintage Royal Guard, with just enough detailing to make it believable. Overall:This is a figure that I’m sure will be a peg warmer. Even after I got him out of the pack, I was asking myself why I got him. It’s not that he’s a bad figure, just very plain. There is only three reasons that I see for getting him. One, you’re a completist. Not many of those Star Wars collectors out there any more from what I’m hearing. Two, you are a Rebel Army builder. If so there should be bunches of these available for you. Three, you are a diorama builder. If you have a diorama or want to build one of the end ceremony, you need some of these folks. Maybe NiubNiub will treat us to some hi-res photos of his diorama with the Honor Guard and new Luke one of these days. As for the the kid on street, go with Han Solo. He gets a medal and this guy gets stuck holding the stick. Engineernerd Score: 75/100
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Category: Star Wars, Toy Reviews
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