SWTOTW, Week 36, 2019, Part 2/2 Rebel Soldier (Hoth Battle Gear)
- Thread starter Pomse2001
- Start date
The Rebel Soldier (Hoth Battle Gear), or just plain 'Hoth Rebel Soldier' as I've always called it.
When the first 10 figures for 'The Empire Strikes Back' were released back in 1980, Kenner released a Han Hoth figure, but no Luke Hoth. They also released a Luke Bespin figure, but no Han Bespin in that same wave, which led to a requirement for some imagination to be used when playing with my figures and recreating scenes from the new film
. The black and white clothed original 12-back Han had to suffice for Bespin scenes, but for Hoth ones, in the absence of a properly attired Luke, the good old Hoth Rebel Soldier had to be wheeled into action! Once stuffed inside my tauntaun (solid belly), he doubled as Luke as I manoeuvred him across the icy wastes of my bedroom carpet!
Fast forward 40 years and I no longer have to pretend that he's Luke, but he certainly does have some interesting variants, if you're into that sort of thing! The figure comes in some very different iterations, with different sculpts, paint jobs and plastic colours being used. Quite famously these days of course, he can be found in a much darker PBP brown vest than the regular Kenner versions, and the fact that this is the most obvious and sought-after variant I find a little ironic, given the fact that Kenner chose to illustrate the figure's cardback with the 'wrong' Hoth Rebel Soldier who isn't even wearing a brown vest! :lol: You could argue they made the wrong figure, but the fact remains that the brown vested version is the one we got, so here are mine.
From left to right:
Hong Kong COO, cream moulded legs with brown paint, orange face, less detailed scarf knot, unpainted rank bar, jacket zip not joined at the bottom, square pelvis, mid brown paint on his cap, light brown plastic torso.
Hong Kong COO, cream moulded legs with brown paint, orange face, less detailed scarf knot, unpainted rank bar, jacket zip not joined at the bottom, square pelvis, darker brown paint on his cap, light brown plastic torso.
Hong Kong COO, cream moulded legs with lighter brown paint, pink face, more detailed scarf knot, unpainted rank bar, jacket zip joined at the bottom, rounded pelvis, light brown paint on his cap, light brown plastic torso.
Raised bar China COO, brown moulded legs with cream paint, pink face, less detailed scarf knot, painted rank bar, jacket zip not joined at the bottom, square pelvis, light brown paint on his cap, light brown plastic torso.
PBP Hong Kong COO, brown moulded legs with white paint, pink face, less detailed scarf knot, painted rank bar, jacket zip not joined at the bottom, square pelvis, light brown paint on his cap, light brown plastic torso.
PBP Erased COO, cream moulded legs with dark brown paint, white face, more detailed scarf knot, unpainted rank bar, jacket zip joined at the bottom, rounded pelvis, dark brown paint on his cap, dark brown plastic torso, metallic blue blaster.
PBP Erased COO, cream moulded legs with dark brown paint, very pink face, more detailed scarf knot, unpainted rank bar, jacket zip joined at the bottom, rounded pelvis, dark brown paint on his cap, dark brown plastic torso.
When the first 10 figures for 'The Empire Strikes Back' were released back in 1980, Kenner released a Han Hoth figure, but no Luke Hoth. They also released a Luke Bespin figure, but no Han Bespin in that same wave, which led to a requirement for some imagination to be used when playing with my figures and recreating scenes from the new film
. The black and white clothed original 12-back Han had to suffice for Bespin scenes, but for Hoth ones, in the absence of a properly attired Luke, the good old Hoth Rebel Soldier had to be wheeled into action! Once stuffed inside my tauntaun (solid belly), he doubled as Luke as I manoeuvred him across the icy wastes of my bedroom carpet!Fast forward 40 years and I no longer have to pretend that he's Luke, but he certainly does have some interesting variants, if you're into that sort of thing! The figure comes in some very different iterations, with different sculpts, paint jobs and plastic colours being used. Quite famously these days of course, he can be found in a much darker PBP brown vest than the regular Kenner versions, and the fact that this is the most obvious and sought-after variant I find a little ironic, given the fact that Kenner chose to illustrate the figure's cardback with the 'wrong' Hoth Rebel Soldier who isn't even wearing a brown vest! :lol: You could argue they made the wrong figure, but the fact remains that the brown vested version is the one we got, so here are mine.
From left to right:
Hong Kong COO, cream moulded legs with brown paint, orange face, less detailed scarf knot, unpainted rank bar, jacket zip not joined at the bottom, square pelvis, mid brown paint on his cap, light brown plastic torso.
Hong Kong COO, cream moulded legs with brown paint, orange face, less detailed scarf knot, unpainted rank bar, jacket zip not joined at the bottom, square pelvis, darker brown paint on his cap, light brown plastic torso.
Hong Kong COO, cream moulded legs with lighter brown paint, pink face, more detailed scarf knot, unpainted rank bar, jacket zip joined at the bottom, rounded pelvis, light brown paint on his cap, light brown plastic torso.
Raised bar China COO, brown moulded legs with cream paint, pink face, less detailed scarf knot, painted rank bar, jacket zip not joined at the bottom, square pelvis, light brown paint on his cap, light brown plastic torso.
PBP Hong Kong COO, brown moulded legs with white paint, pink face, less detailed scarf knot, painted rank bar, jacket zip not joined at the bottom, square pelvis, light brown paint on his cap, light brown plastic torso.
PBP Erased COO, cream moulded legs with dark brown paint, white face, more detailed scarf knot, unpainted rank bar, jacket zip joined at the bottom, rounded pelvis, dark brown paint on his cap, dark brown plastic torso, metallic blue blaster.
PBP Erased COO, cream moulded legs with dark brown paint, very pink face, more detailed scarf knot, unpainted rank bar, jacket zip joined at the bottom, rounded pelvis, dark brown paint on his cap, dark brown plastic torso.
spoons
Grand Master
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2006
- Messages
- 8,318
A lot of Rebels there Jeremy - love those Spanish ones
Here are a couple of mine, a baggie in an ESB Hoth 4 pack and one of only two of my childhood figures, which was found in a flower bed 16 years after getting lost. Interesting how only some limbs discoloured in the earth
Here are a couple of mine, a baggie in an ESB Hoth 4 pack and one of only two of my childhood figures, which was found in a flower bed 16 years after getting lost. Interesting how only some limbs discoloured in the earth
Thanks, Andy.spoons said:
That's a lovely 4-pack you have there, and very well done for having any of your childhood figures! I have none of mine, although I did keep all my annuals, books and posters
TheJabbaWookie
Sith Lord
Lovely Jeremy. I'm always on the look out for an early poch painted white legs Rebel Soldier under the radar. The DBRS is one of my favourite variants. Effortlessly cool, but so expensive. Great 4 pack Andy.
Thanks, Jay.TheJabbaWookie said:
Yes, the white-painted legs variant doesn't get the same love as the DBRS, but it's still a nice figure and just different enough to stand out next to a regular Kenner one.
PBP with metallic blaster.
A lovely example. Thanks for sharingDr_Ball_MD said:
But another terrific MOC! That's a lovely example.Mini99 said:
Thanks for sharing
Great stuff, Ian! You know how much I love a reseal, so thanks for sharing thesePalifan said:
TheJabbaWookie
Sith Lord
Some superb examples. Here's my three.
L-R: moulded legs with HK coo; painted legs with MADE IN no coo (sometimes accidentally or deliberately mis-sold as Meccanno variant); PBP smooth no coo (unfortunately with glued left leg but at half the price)
L-R: moulded legs with HK coo; painted legs with MADE IN no coo (sometimes accidentally or deliberately mis-sold as Meccanno variant); PBP smooth no coo (unfortunately with glued left leg but at half the price)
Attachments
Three terrific figures. You'd never know there was anything wrong with the PBP's leg, and it looks like it displays fabulously!TheJabbaWookie said:
Thanks for sharing
I do like a Hoth Rebel Soldier - great looking figure and card back that I've only come to appreciate in later years if I'm honest; as a kid I wasn't that fussed I seem to recall - same with the Rebel Commando. Anyhoo... Aside from a couple of loose ones from my childhood I have an ESB-A baggie in a multipack and a carded figure which I bought as a reseal but I'm still not convinced; it's either a moc or the best reseal I've ever seen.
Some wonderful pieces there! Thanks for sharingLom said:
Snaketibe said:The Rebel Soldier (Hoth Battle Gear), or just plain 'Hoth Rebel Soldier' as I've always called it.
When the first 10 figures for 'The Empire Strikes Back' were released back in 1980, Kenner released a Han Hoth figure, but no Luke Hoth. They also released a Luke Bespin figure, but no Han Bespin in that same wave, which led to a requirement for some imagination to be used when playing with my figures and recreating scenes from the new film
Fast forward 40 years and I no longer have to pretend that he's Luke, but he certainly does have some interesting variants, if you're into that sort of thing! The figure comes in some very different iterations, with different sculpts, paint jobs and plastic colours being used. Quite famously these days of course, he can be found in a much darker PBP brown vest than the regular Kenner versions, and the fact that this is the most obvious and sought-after variant I find a little ironic, given the fact that Kenner chose to illustrate the figure's cardback with the 'wrong' Hoth Rebel Soldier who isn't even wearing a brown vest! :lol: You could argue they made the wrong figure, but the fact remains that the brown vested version is the one we got, so here are mine.
From left to right:
Hong Kong COO, cream moulded legs with brown paint, orange face, less detailed scarf knot, unpainted rank bar, jacket zip not joined at the bottom, square pelvis, mid brown paint on his cap, light brown plastic torso.
Hong Kong COO, cream moulded legs with brown paint, orange face, less detailed scarf knot, unpainted rank bar, jacket zip not joined at the bottom, square pelvis, darker brown paint on his cap, light brown plastic torso.
Hong Kong COO, cream moulded legs with lighter brown paint, pink face, more detailed scarf knot, unpainted rank bar, jacket zip joined at the bottom, rounded pelvis, light brown paint on his cap, light brown plastic torso.
Raised bar China COO, brown moulded legs with cream paint, pink face, less detailed scarf knot, painted rank bar, jacket zip not joined at the bottom, square pelvis, light brown paint on his cap, light brown plastic torso.
PBP Hong Kong COO, brown moulded legs with white paint, pink face, less detailed scarf knot, painted rank bar, jacket zip not joined at the bottom, square pelvis, light brown paint on his cap, light brown plastic torso.
PBP Erased COO, cream moulded legs with dark brown paint, white face, more detailed scarf knot, unpainted rank bar, jacket zip joined at the bottom, rounded pelvis, dark brown paint on his cap, dark brown plastic torso, metallic blue blaster.
PBP Erased COO, cream moulded legs with dark brown paint, very pink face, more detailed scarf knot, unpainted rank bar, jacket zip joined at the bottom, rounded pelvis, dark brown paint on his cap, dark brown plastic torso.
Wrong Pic, Kenner - 01 & 02.jpg
Wrong Pic, Kenner - 03.jpg
Wrong Pic, Kenner - 04.jpg
Wrong Pic, Kenner - 05.jpg
Wrong Pic, Kenner - 06.jpg
Wrong Pic, Kenner - 07.jpg
Wrong Pic, Kenner - 08.jpg
Wrong Pic, Kenner - 09.jpg
Wrong Pic, Kenner - 10.jpg
Wrong Pic, Kenner - 11.jpg
Very strange they released the figures like that, I do not remember how they released them because I was first old enough to get my first figure in 1983 :lol: But I would have thought it as a kid to get a solo goth figure but no luke before later
the same with the bespin figures.I love that much darker PBP brown vest, but again stupid the wrong soldier is on the cardback :roll: or was it the wrong figure on the cardback. It has been a few years since I last saw esb, but I do not remember any brown vest rebel soldiers in the movie :?
Lovely collection that you have and I love that metallic blaster 8)
thanks for all the info about the variants
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2014
- Messages
- 9,058
Wow some amazing examples posted. I loved this figure as a kid and still do now. Not really sure why, perhaps it's the simplicity of the sculpt?
Here's my mini focus which I hope to expand. The Rebel Soldier with the blaster in the army is my childhood one and the graded one is also from my childhood. Managed to get a pink face dark brown one a couple weeks ago.
Then the MOCs are left to right; 31B, 77A and Trilogo. Really hope to add to the MOCs soon.
Here's my mini focus which I hope to expand. The Rebel Soldier with the blaster in the army is my childhood one and the graded one is also from my childhood. Managed to get a pink face dark brown one a couple weeks ago.
Then the MOCs are left to right; 31B, 77A and Trilogo. Really hope to add to the MOCs soon.
TheJabbaWookie
Sith Lord
Great pieces. That 6 packLom said:
