CLONE TROOPER White
Clone Wars Wal-Mart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 85205 No. 84752
Number: 0342
Includes: Blaster, Anakin Skywalker figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99
Availability: September 2003
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Hailing from Kamino, these troopers fight to ensure Hasbro has plenty of figures to sell fans in decorator colors in order to keep costs down and fan interest high. (Taken from the figure's cardback. We can't make this up. Why would we?)

Image: Adam's toy shelves.

Commentary: The plain white Clone Trooper was, in theory, the most buy-able flavor of trooper. For whatever reason, Hasbro cranked out a white trooper with muddy boots as a "sneak preview" in early 2002, discontinued it almost immediately, and didn't put another sub-$10 white Clone on the market until this guy nearly 18 months later. Packaged with the oddly compelling Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker (as devised by Hasbro), this trooper was yet another great deal with decent articulation. He's pretty no-frills by today's standards, but if you consider that $5 got you this clone plus Anakin, wow. It really makes you cringe at paying $7 for one figure, doesn't it?

So yeah, clone. If you're looking to fill out your ranks with decent variety in poses, this is a must-get figure. The pose is nearly identical to the sneak preview figure, but its added articulation and totally clean armor should make it stand out. Even though better, super-articulated white Clones would follow this one still looks good as part of a display or a diorama. If you're a clone fiend, you need one of these. If you're happy with the clones you have, this is a totally skippable release. It's neat, but there's nothing too compelling about this figure after you get past its exclusive-ness and its larger rifle.

Collector's Notes: Like many figures with white plastic from 2002 and 2003, packaged samples sometimes exhibit levels of discoloration as a greasy substance has been somehow rising to the surface. If you open the figure, this can be rubbed off with cold water and a clean towel or cotton square. It may look like yellowing or other sun-based discoloration, although the coloring isn't always yellow-- you'll have to squint and use your best judgment when picking this one up.

Day 601: December 28, 2007