As I’m not a huge Sideshow or 1:6 collector, I have a particular lack of skills when it comes to doing this review, so I will let the pictures do most of the talking.  But I do have several versions of the 501st with more on the way, and this one is fantastic.  I will name him George and I will love him and pet him and squeeze him. 

First off, please note that Sideshow is releasing 4 differently decorated clones using this newly sculpted deluxe format.  The all white “shiny” version, the all white battle damaged “veteran”, this 501st, and the soon to be released 212th.  Improving upon its predecessor from the “Militaries of Star Wars” sub line, this clone trooper boasts a ton of display options.  The most obvious of which is the option to display with either a phase I or phase II helmet.  He comes with a Z-6 Rotary Cannon (which is freakin’ sweet), a DC-15S blaster, a DC-15A rifle, and 4 droid popper grenades.  The rifle comes with a removable ascension attachment, and a thing that tells time. 

There is a pair of standard feet and a pair of action feet.  The clone also comes with 6 pairs of hands and an extra left, so he can go shooting, throwing, grabbing, punching, er…fisting, and, uh, hitchhiking.  He comes with a stand that has the Star Wars logo on it, which differs from the pre-production shots from Sideshow that show the base to have a yellow Clone Wars logo.  I’m fine with this change.  Finally, he comes with a backpack, in which he can keep his stuff and whatnot.  The detail on this is pretty interesting.  A cloth cover with 3 snaps, and the shoulder straps actually come with a tiny version of clips you’d find on a full size backpack.  The only thing that I could think of that might be missing would be an alternate Jango head, but since I personally wouldn’t bother displaying these guys without a helmet, I don’t miss that.

The helmet sculpts are great.  I feel the Phase 2 helmet is a marked improvement over the previous “Vader’s Fist” version.  The weathering and battle damage details are great, and also an improvement over the first version.  It has a grimier feel to it, with more natural looking scuff marks and damage.  The overall effect is tremendous.  I’ve seen some online grumblings about the weathering effects on the all white “veteran” version, and the pictures I’ve seen lead me to believe the artists at Sideshow outdid themselves with this particular 501st version.

The joints are tight, but still have an incredible range of motions to allow for an almost limitless array of pose possibilities.  If you’ve got the means to army build a Sideshow character, this would be an awesome candidate.

It’s a great figure.  I’m not really sure that Sideshow (nor any other company) can do any better than this, and as such, I shall call it the definitive 1:6 scale 501st.  As a 501st collector, I had to have this figure.  In fact, the display options forced me to get two.  I want more, so somebody please get them for me.

10/10 Bantha Skulls