Hasbro
Released February 2004
Reviewed by Adam Pawlus
Photography by Michael Sullenger
Reviewed on April 7, 2004
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How many Rebels can the market take in a year? It seems Hasbro's trying to find out, and with figures like Dutch Vander (Gold Leader), fans seem to be happy with the experiment.

Dutch seems to be made from completely new parts. He includes a helmet, pistol, and stand.

Sculpt/Articulation/Gimmicks/Paint

After getting a look at this pilot sculpt, fans are probably wishing that Jorg Sacul was made based on this design. There's a lot more in the way of articulation which is, to say the least, pretty great.

With all the recycled bodies these days, it was a real treat to see Hasbro finally construct a new Rebel Pilot from the ground up. The last individually carded new pilots were Luke and Porkins, neither of which would lend itself to a character like Gold Leader. Of course, this head doesn't seem too close to Gold Leader, either.



For an action figure head sculpt, this one looks good. There's nothing really wrong with it, but there's a certain something that seems to have been lost from the actor to the toy. It might be the hair, or the unusual expression of the photo I'm looking at, but it just doesn't seem quite right. So the question then becomes "Is this an acceptable generic pilot?" Yes, yes it is.

The paint job on the head is acceptable, but nothing too fancy. The sculpt is decent, and there is something about it I found strange. Upon inspecting the back of his neck, I saw a crack, which at first bothered me as I assumed it meant this was a broken toy. Upon closer observation, it appears to be either a restricted joint or just some sort of oddball two-piece assembly which, for the life of me, I can't figure out why they decided to do this. Most fans will never notice it, but man, it's odd.

There's a fair amount of articulation here, including the knees, shoulders, hips, neck, left wrist, and right elbow. Due to all those hoses and straps, it is not possible to get him to sit down without removing a few tabs from the slots which, to me, is a bad design choice. It's a Y-Wing pilot, and as such he should be able to sit in the Y-Wing without minor disassembly. The important thing, though, is once seated it's pretty easy to squeeze him in the cockpit, and he looks right at home there.

He has the ability to carry his helmet, which is great from the perspective of the collector who has him standing on a shelf. Due to the lack of paint on the figure, there really isn't much reason to keep him out, though, if a vehicle is available for him to pilot. Still, as far as pilots go, he's one of the best and as such worth tracking down.

Accessories

This set includes a helmet, base, and a gun.

The base is nothing new, so you know what to expect from the gunmetal grey rectangle with the Star Wars logo stamped on it. You probably have one or several. They're nice.

The gun looks and feels nice, with the added silver paint making it look better than previous versions of the weapon. It isn't nearly as rubbery, either, but is still quite flexible. Just not to the point where it'll annoy you. The helmet appears to be all new, with the closed chin strap and an amazing paint job. It's a little snug getting it on his head, but it fits like a glove. His visor isn't as orange as previous helmets, but that's not necessarily a bad thing as it adds some variety to an otherwise bland lineup of pilots.

Packaging

For 2004, the late-2003 revision is still being employed. More of the same, folks.

Availability

Figure distribution in 2004 is random and spotty, but I've seen Dutch around a few times. Keep your eyes peeled and you should be able to get one in no time.

Fin

I'd be lying if I said Dutch was a figure I've been wanting for a long time, or even a figure I was excited to find in the mail when he showed up. After messing around with him, I think this may be the best ever Rebel Pilot body, and will be a fantastic base for numerous custom figures. There's a lot to like here, even though it's another guy in a bright orange flight suit. With the rumored Y-Wing re-release later in 2004, you might want to snag one now just in case you want a spare pilot for the vehicle, or even to put in your older starfighters. Easily five bucks well spent.

Our regular sample was obtained from Entertainment Earth in March 2004.