The Swoop Speeder Is The Perfect Reentry Into Vehicles

Speeder bikes are iconic within Star Wars. They first appeared in Return of the Jedi, and have since become omnipresent in comics, animation, and live action. There are two flavors of the "Star Wars motorcycle." The classic Imperial speeder is the equivalent of a sports motorcycle. They are high speed vehicles with the rider leaning forward over the body. They are the Suzuki Hayabusas of the Star Wars universe. Then there are the Swoop bikes. They are bigger, presumably slower, and the rider leans back in the seat. They are the Harley Davidsons of the Star Wars universe.

Both types of speeders have a heavy presence in The Mandalorian. In The Book of Boba Fett, the Swoop style plays a prominent role as the Nikto biker gang, the Kintan Striders, are one of Boba's principal adversaries (for a little while). A lot of fans want a release of the classic Imperial Speeder, and that is certainly justified, but it's a vehicle that has already been done. It was released in the vintage Kenner days, re-released during POTF2, and we got an excellent modern sculpt in 2012 with the TPM 3D - Speeder Bike with Scout Trooper. Granted, that 2012 release desperately needs a re-release, but it's not exciting as something new. A Mandalorian-era swoop bike would be new and exciting.

I know what you're thinking. We have had Swoop bikes in the 3.75" scale before. The concept of the Swoop was first introduced in Shadows of the Empire, and was released in the corresponding POTF2-era SOTE packaging. But that is not the same style as we are seeing in the current live action. It's boxier, and I personally can't stand the bent fork:



We got a second bite at the apple with the Solo line Enfys Nest's Swoop Bike:



That one is certainly closer to what we are seeing in current media, but still isn't an exact match. It's bigger, and it has distinctive front and tail fins. We need the more generic Swoop style that we've seen in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. That's not to say that the Kintan Strider Swoop is identical to the one Din Djarin rides across the sands of Tatooine. There are definite and obvious differences (Mando's fork is raked, and the Kintan fork is straight, as just one example). I'd probably prefer the Kintan version due to recency bias, and I like the style better. If Hasbro could pack in a kitbashed Nikto gang member, that would be the icing on the cake.

$80 Assault Tanks and $70 Troop Transports have been a tough sell to the fanbase. A $30 Swoop with a rider would be more palatable.

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