2021 Hasbro Pulse Fan Choice - TVC Republic Trooper

[Nicklab]

I think that Ahsoka is just one of those characters that is an exception.  And again, I think a big part of it comes back to that online exclusive case.  A number of these figures have been released via other means - repacked in the Discover the Force line, in the 3.75" Black Series (Walmart exclusive phase), or as some TVC reissues.

"Vintage" Collection Wave 17 (2012 Wave 7)
  2012 VC71 Ep1 Mawhonic  Discover the Force repack
  2012 VC72 Ep1 Naboo Pilot  Discover the Force repack
  2012 VC73 Ep1 Aurra Sing  Discover the Force repack
  2012 VC74 Ep1 Gungan Warrior  Discover the Force repack
  2012 VC102 Ahsoka Tano Realistic TCW  3.75" Black Series repack
  2012 VC103 Obi-Wan Realistic TCW  2020 TVC REPACK
  2012 VC104 Lumat
  2012 VC105 Emperor's Royal Guard  3.75" Black Series repack & 2021 TVC REPACK
  2012 VC106 Nien Nunb
  2012 VC107 Weequay
  2012 VC113 Republic Trooper The Old Republic
  2012 VC114 Prune Face


Every single one of these characters that was only released on a TVC card is fetching serious secondary market money.  And then you get the TVC fanatics that MUST have these figures on a TVC card.  But Ahsoka?  She's one of those standout characters.  I'm just looking through sold listings for 3.75" Clone Wars versions of Ahsoka and the floor seems to be around $40.  An unpunched TVC Ahsoka recently sold for over $800.  Whether or not that tips things in favor of Ahsoka being reissued?  Who knows.  But even if she doesn't win the poll I think that she is one of the characters that Hasbro should consider reissuing.

[Mister Skeezler]

I feel like the Republic Trooper is a complete stinker, honestly. It looks like a knock-off of the Utupau clones. I felt that way when I saw it initially, and I still feel that way.

[Nicklab]

I like the Republic Trooper as a figure.  But from a design standpoint?  It's not just a ripoff of the Utapau Troopers, but it seems like it's derivative of Commander Cody.

[Jedi Idej]

8-9 years later and I still haven't warmed up to the color design on the Republic Trooper. It's odd and not Star Warsy.

[Mister Skeezler]

Yeah, I don't know what it is, but it looks out of place. Maybe because KOTOR hasn't really gotten any world-building, so the Republic Trooper is kind of a fish-out-of-water with no one to interact with. He feels like he'd be more at home in the HALO line than Star Wars. Or like when I was a kid and a random GI-Joe figure would make an appearance in my Star Wars scene. Or like a speed metal song in a classic rock playlist...yeah, there are guitars and drums in both, but they don't really fit together.

I've never bought him, but also I never wanted him. Overally he feels like a foreign knock-off of Commander Cody (you nailed it, Nicklab), but one that looks far more derpy than Cody. Like he hastily spraypainted his older bother's motocross gear to cosplay as Commander Cody. And his minigun looks so underdetailed that it could have come from a McDonald's toy.

Eh, if he wins I guess that's cool for those that wanted him, but I still don't think I'd buy him. He just doesn't really fit with my collection.

[Nicklab]

The Old Republic got the short end of the stick as action figures go.  All told there were only 3 characters that were made into figures.  And the Republic Trooper was the only hero of the bunch.  But the way he looks in both the cinematic trailer as well as the figure is as if Lucasfilm cast the Rock as some type of bad batch Clone Trooper.

[Jesse James]

I could see buying more, and was ok with their look since armor was more bulky and stuff...  their attempt to imply evolutionary changes and stuff.  I prefer the tanker tho.  I have tanks and would buy more tankers.  Even some for customs.

[Matt_Fury]

If they were re-releasing a figure from TOR, I would have preferred Shae Visla.

[Jeff]

Vintage Collection Fan vote upcoming -- to bring back from the vault:

Ahsoka Tano
Republic Trooper (Video Game)
Tank Driver
Starkiller
Weequay

Hasbro Reveals the Winner is...  SWTOR Republic Trooper

Great for those who wanted him... and kinda great for me because I can keep the $50+ I was going to spend on more Tank Drivers if he had won.

[Rob]

Hasbro Reveals the Winner is...  SWTOR Republic Trooper

Great for those who wanted him... and kinda great for me because I can keep the $50+ I was going to spend on more Tank Drivers if he had won.

Same here...  although right now $50 gets you one Tank Driver, so it would have been nice to get that one back into stores.

[Matt_Fury]

I said it in another thread, but I'll repeat it here:

There's no way the vote wasn't rigged.

[Mister Skeezler]

I said it in another thread, but I'll repeat it here:

There's no way the vote wasn't rigged.

You'd think that, but I shared the Tonnika sisters petition in an group Instagram DM—which by all accounts should be a holy grail of Star Wars collecting—and I got a bunch of replies about how those "nobody" characters shouldn't come before Bad Batch figures or more Clone Wars stuff. So I think it's more a case of us being dinosaurs, and there's a new demographic that we're simply not part of.

[Diddly]

Yeah there has been a HUGE influx of new collectors with the new movies, as well as the kids who grew up with the PT and Clone Wars cartoon coming of age and tracking down old stuff. TOR looks like a clone supercommando and Clones are so hot right now.Us old farts' voices are almost non-existent these days.

[Nicklab]

I said it in another thread, but I'll repeat it here:

There's no way the vote wasn't rigged.

When the first few fan's choice polls happened, I would be right there with you.  But truthfully?  We're kind of dinosaurs, and we are aging out with time.  The younger fans who are more into Gaming probably had a hand in pushing the trooper over the top.  And maybe what they really want is a trooper who KIND OF looks like a Clone, but is more like Dwayne The Rock Johnson.  That's who the character looks like - the Rock as Commander Cody.

As a figure I know it's scarce.  That had to factor into it.  But I would bet good money that each of these figures will get reissued in some way, shape or form in the next 3 years.  Ahsoka is pretty much money in the bank.  And the TVC Skiff Guard 3-pack did pretty well at retail - I could see Hasbro releasing another 3-pack, and the Weequay would fit right in there.

[Jeff]

We're kind of dinosaurs, and we are aging out with time. 

Also telling that the poll was via Instagram, which probably skews to a completely different type of collector audience than a site like this that caters to old guys who dislike social media platforms owned by Facebook.