Bespin Security Guard

[Scott]

Data

Vintage




Modern

[Paul]

Loved this vintage figure.  The modern version is disappointing.

[EpicGon]

The vintage version demands an update with a similar head, or more movie accurate (mustache, beard)
As Hasbro releases more versions the shade of the uniform varies. This alien bespin guard spots a clearer uniform, but some updates as the golden borders of the handcuffs are welcome.

I think Hasbro should mind this for a further vintage update of the white Bespin wing guard:

Leave a collar area white, bellow neck to match the way the jackey is closed, showing the neck of the longsleeved T-shirt.

[Matt_Fury]

Although I do like the modern ones...they do need to fix the hat.  A few more variants would be nice too.

[Jesse James]

I hated the Bespin Guards as a kid...  They were boring, and I still think they're just sorta "meh" to me.  The vintage figures don't even cost much, so that's a nice thing I guess.

Ironically though, the vintage figure is one of the finer sculpts in the original line, capturing the piping detail fairly nicely, and all the little details of the costume in general.  Plus, how obscure is it that Kenner did two distinct Bespin Guards, out of allt he army builder characters in the original trilogy?  That's just crazy.

Flash forward...

Hasbro's Bespin Guards have gone from pretty ******, to pretty detailed but not accurate (what the hell is that POTJ guard actually based on?  Is there any photo of a guard with his jacket open like that?), to accurate but absurdly tall.

I like the modern figure, except the height.  The hat fits certain figures better than others.  The guy it came with though, it doesn't fit.  I hate that too, and wound up giving him a POTJ figure's hat just so his cap wouldn't fly off.

I love the sculpt, the articulation, etc.  The details are nice.  However, I dislike the way they did the holsters, and his height is really gooney tall.  Hasbro really went overboard on this guy and he looks like a giant.  He's not easy to "shorten" either, like a couple other overly tall figures have been.  I'd like to see them re-use most of this figure's sculpt, but shorten his legs a bit at least. 

And obviously 2 clearly dupicated headsculpts of the vintage characters wouldn't hurt either.  I want the guy with the big stache the most, but it'd be nice to also get a generic white guy version as well.

I dig the alien figure that came in the EU wave the most though.  I had no idea he was actually in the movie somewhere but cut.  He's so Star Trek, but I love it.

[Darth_Anton]

Still don't know if I'd put these two together, but it seems like it's the best we're going to get for a while. I still think the POTJ one is a pretty sharp figure, considering the lack of articulation.

[501ST]

As a kid I liked that there were two different versions of the Bespin Guard. Never did find a black one. The POTJ one was not terrible IMO but certainly could be improved as evidenced with the overall sculpting of the newest reincarnation.

The alien character is all very well and good for EU fans but seeing the alien had no screen time at all he's really not the first version I think they should've gone with.

[Scott]

I believe the POTJ version is more or less based on the dude behind Lobot



If you look closely in the background, the Fu Manchu guard is visible as well.  The vintage cardback picture shows a full bearded guard which the vintage figure isn't based on...

Getting right head sculpt should be fairly easy and should be able to be part of a battle pack or something...

I am with Jesse in that the Bespin Guards are lame as hell and it is really odd they chose to make two of them at all

Here is a better pic of the Vintage figure...

[Jayson]

I like the ‘80s versions of the Bespin Guards as I always wanted Lando & Lobot to have guys to pal around with and to carry the Han in carbonite from Slave I. 

I’m pretty lukewarm to the 2010 Bespin Guards mainly due to the god awful "Gene Wilder in Silver Streak" head sculpt they gave the first one. The alien version does nothing for me as well because of the ill-fitting hat (which the first one also suffers though to a slightly lesser degree. The height really isn’t and issue for me but I do see the point, what sticks out to me more is the overall color of the uniforms. Its far too bright and should have been a more subdued blue like the POTJ version.

[Paul]

I hated the Bespin Guards as a kid...  They were boring, and I still think they're just sorta "meh" to me.  The vintage figures don't even cost much, so that's a nice thing I guess.

I would have figured this figure for one of your favorites.  It is a very "Military" looking uniform (albeit French).  I knew this from a previous conversation we had, but it still seems odd.

I loved these guys and really want the new one in Vintage and Card correct versions.

[Nooker21]

I think a big problem (beyond the poorly fitting hat) is the ruffled folds that are molded onto the new version.  Usually this looks pretty good with other characters, but if you look at the reference photos, you will see that those uniforms don't have that many wrinkles.  These new ones are pretty sloppy looking, especially the trousers.  The vintage figure has a much more realistic look to it, and I passed on both of these recent versions because they just look awful to me.  I'd rather they start from scratch if they put one on a vintage card, with a more pressed uniform, molded-on hat, and an actual African-American headsculpt instead of one in blackface...

[Scockery]

I still like the vintage ones are the best. Though they have cross compatibility issues themselves, the big difference in their head sizes.

Never owned the Freezing chamber playset one. Looks totally awful.

I'm not a fan of the newest ones for all the reasons listed for the new ones, ill-fitting hat, too tall, too many uniform wrinkles, weird "black-face". The dark-skinned one's right ear looks off, too low compared to his left (at least on the figure I have).

I like the Kenner guards, except the gold paint that rubbed off easily. I remember using the Kenner Bespin Guards as Cobra troops when all I had was 2 Cobra figures.

Between my brother and I, we had 2 white guards and 8 black ones. The black ones were peg warmers before anyone used the term "peg warmer"  and I recall occassionally find rows of him years after he stopped being made, especially in more obscure department stores. Certain figures were like that back then. Not many collectors, lots of figures made...if the general public didn't want them they stuck around even on clearance. Draco from Buck Rogers was like that, too, and some of the Indiana Jones ROTLA bad guys, as well. Crystal Ball from G.I.JOE was another one.

[SnTrooper]

The alien version does nothing for me as well because of the ill-fitting hat

If the hat bothers you do what I'm going to do. Remove it. He doesn't wear a hat.

[Jesse James]

Yeah, don't get me wrong Paul, as an adult I like the military look...  As a kid, the figures were dull because they really weren't important in the films to me.  They weren't warring it up, just basically were police.

I think Hasbro can do better...  But really I stick with the height being the biggest issue, though I'd agree that the first one's oddness is an issue too.  It looks like a white guy they painted black, and it just doesn't look right to me.  I've been meaning to do some headswaps with him to just make a more normal looking black guy.

The Alien's head transfers nicely with Needa though, if anyone's curious.  It gives a fairly generic white dude then at least.

I may ditch the hat on the alien thanks to SnTrooper's picture too...  If he doesn't wear it, then I do believe it's going to go in the pieces pile.

[Scott]

Gregg