Editor’s Note:  This review has been updated with a second look…

Original Review:  Chris 8/14/2013 06:59 AM

Based on the paint job on my sample, I think Norville Barnes developed this toy as a special model for the lazy eyed.  Fortunately, removable helmets on clones are one of the least used action figure features by adult collectors.  You will display this piece with the helmet on and you will be happy you did.

As the base of this figure is the Phase I Clone Trooper (VC45) from the gone-too-soon Vintage Collection, I don’t feel an in depth review is necessary.  You know, or at least you should know, what that figure can do.  I unfairly critiqued that figure for the thinness of the legs.  I have been sufficiently corrected by better nerds who pointed out that the thin legs is completely accurate to the digital model in the movie.  I would go back and correct my original review, but that’s a bell you can’t unring.  Well I could, but I’m not going to. If it’s any consolation, I ultimately fell in love with that figure and army built it.  As this Clone Pilot figure is largely the same figure, I naturally love it as well.

What distinguishes the Clone Pilot from the standard Phase I clone is obviously the helmet.  And nothing on the previous version’s helmet is better than this new helmet.  There are added details particularly on the side of the helmet.  The chest box is crisper and more detailed than the previous incarnation.  The hoses that attach the helmet to the chest box are thicker giving a much more substantial feel to the overall helmet complex.  Between the definitive clone body and the upgraded helmet, there is no reason to not upgrade your existing Clone Pilots.  I know I will be picking up a few extras of these. 

However, I personally have to stop short of calling this figure the best of the wave for one reason.  The figure is a pilot and is ultimately judged by how well it interacts with a vehicle that needs the piloting.  The problem with this aspect is the figure’s left hand.  Both the sculpt and plane of articulation are designed so that the figure can hold the barrel of a rifle and not for grasping the controls of a spaceship.  As you can see from the pic above, I never managed to get the figure to satisfactorily hold the controls of the Y-Wing.  For that reason I have to knock this down slightly to a 9 out of 10.

Updated Review:  Bret - 10/30/2018 07:05 AM

Hey look!  It’s another clone trooper based on VC45!  What a treat!  (That line would have a little more weight if this review was for tomorrow, but due to some behind the scenes hijinks on my part, here it is.). It’s now the 7th Clone remade using the sculpt that we’ve revisited. Thankfully, there surely can’t be any more of these for us to do.  I sure don’t have any interested in doing more reviews of it.  So hopefully this is the last, right? 

The body is VC45, but not only that, it’s painted plain white, just like VC45.  So while previous repaints were actually “repaints”, this technically isn’t.  It’s technically just a retool.  The only thing different here is the new Clone Pilot helmet/chest box combo.  At first glance it’s the same as previous versions, but it is a bit different.  Enough that you’ll consider it superior, due to the improved fit over the head.  It’s nicely painted on my sample, and the figure does look pretty good overall, although as you know by now, I am simply not a huge fan of the skinny clone sculpt.  But we’ve covered that ad nauseam, so in the end, there’s nothing much to review here.  This one is hit or miss for collectors, depending on your appetite for resculpted clones. 

Personally, for the inaugural wave of the Black Series, which was billed as some premium version of the collector line when it debuted, it falls very flat.  Not only is it a boring re-do, but it skimps a bit compared to the VC45 release because the blaster lacks the silver paint details, and it does not include the rifle.  This probably isn’t that big of a deal for a figure that is meant to pilot ships 99% of the time.  But as Chris pointed out, if Hasbro was more detail-oriented, they’d have give us hands that better grip the steering mechanisms in some ships.  While the image Chris referred to in his review is no longer visible, rest assured, it’s not easy to get the pilot to grip the controls.  Not a huge deal in general, but it does detract a bit from the fact that this is pilot, after all.

In the end, this figure was a ho-hum release, and probably wasn’t helped much by collector malaise that was quickly setting in after the onset of The Dark Times brought about by the unceremonious end to TVC in 2012.  The figure is solid, especially if you like the skinny sculpt.  Otherwise, meh.

Verdict: No Action 

The figure can be had for a song on eBay.  A bad song.  Like, probably even Mmmbop bad.  If you don’t have any Phase 1 Clone Pilots, you should certainly consider it to pilot your ships.  But if you have already collected loads of them over the years, this figure isn’t really much to excited about, and is probably an easy pass for most.  Hasbro clearly was looking to check this clone iteration of the list of those needing their VC45 “upgrade.”  Now that it’s done, we can all move on with our lives.

Verdict Guide:
Re-sculpt = The figure is not definitive, and a new version should be developed.
Re-issue = This version is definitive (or close enough), and shows sufficient secondary market demand to warrant a straight repack.
No Action = This release does not require new attention.