Blocks explores the history of the LEGO Star Wars Stormtrooper minifigure, with a look at how the LEGO character has changed over the past decade.
The LEGO Star Wars Stormtrooper underwent a gradual evolution over the course of its first eleven years, from 2001 to 2012, with each new version maintaining some form of consistency with the one previous, whether it be through keeping the torso or helmet print the same. 2014 saw the first break to this formula — not one, but two new Stormtrooper minifigures released this year, and both completely changed the design. One of these new styles would see limited use, while the other would go on to set the standard for all modern Stormtrooper minifigures since. Join Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine, to inspect the LEGO Stormtrooper ranks, focusing on the figures from 2014 to present day.
2014 — Rebellious trooper
Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm brought with it the cancellation of Star Wars: The Clone Wars to make way for the launch of a new cartoon show — Star Wars Rebels. The show debuted in 2014, with 75053 The Ghost launching alongside and offering an interesting new Stormtrooper variant. The LEGO Group moved away from stylising prints for minifigures based on animated characters starting with the first Rebels sets — but the Stormtroopers were still designed to more closely resemble the cartoony proportions seen in the show. This is most obvious in the helmet print — the mouthpiece is at a much sharper angle than other Stormtrooper minifigures. Debates about stylisation aside, the figure’s printing is sleek, modern and even adds leg printing. Despite fan’s disdain for the ‘Angry Clone’ face print today, having a Stormtrooper with a proper face was most welcome in 2014. This figure appeared in a total of six sets from 2014 to 2016 and remains the most distinct Stormtrooper variant to date.
2014 — Modern classic
2014’s other Stormtrooper design focused on creating a movie-accurate figure in line with other modern minifigure styles. While it shares similarities with the 2012 and Rebels versions, this minifigure is a redesign from the ground up. The helmet has more realistic printing, with extra lines around the eyes and more pronounced grills on the mouthpiece. The torso print is clean and modern, as is the printing on the legs. This figure first released in 75055 Imperial Star Destroyer and would go on to appear in a total of nine sets up through 2018. While ans eventually soured on the use of the ‘Angry Clone’ head, the 2014 Stormtrooper design is still widely considered by fans to be one of the best, taking the classic LEGO Stormtrooper style and giving it a modern makeover. This version is also the only LEGO Stormtrooper to receive a battle-damaged variant, in 2016’s 75134 Galactic Empire Battle Pack.
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2019 — Bucket heads
Dual moulding was a foreign concept to LEGO minifigures for decades, until it was introduced in 2014. Slowly but surely, it became more commonplace, making its way into LEGO Star Wars for not just arms and legs, but helmets as well. After a trial run with a few specialist Stormtroopers receiving dual moulded helmets in 2018, it was introduced for the regular trooper in four total sets in 2019, first appearing in 75229 Death Star Escape. The rest of the figure is identical to the previous version, which was still in production at the time. The helmet was the only change — the first time the classic mould had ever been swapped out.
The dual moulding creates depth around the eyes that simply isn’t possible with traditional printing, as well as assisting with a few additional details around the helmet. The mouthpiece was given a redesign to fit the new mould as well, with its angle sitting between the usual design and sharp peak of the Rebels trooper. Where this helmet found controversy was in how far down the chin extends — it covers the top of the torso and prevents the helmet from turning at all. Whether this is a terrible tragedy or no problem at all is up for debate, but in the context of the LEGO Stormtrooper’s evolution, the change enhances the detailing and shaping of the helmet but hinders playability and breaks an 18-year streak of using the same helmet mould.
2023 — Slight changes once again
The 2019 update lasted four years and seven sets before changes were once again made, first appearing in 75370 Stormtrooper Mech. But unlike the drastic changes made with the previous three versions, the 2023 update made smaller adjustments, much like the changes made between earlier Stormtrooper versions. The helmet stayed the same — the first time this happened with a Stormtrooper update since 2012 — while the torso and legs saw printing changes that fall somewhere in between minor and significant. The basic layout is the same, but the style of printing is much different. This is especially noticeable on the chest plate, where lines were made thicker, and shadows were added back after being taken away in 2012. Printing around the utility belt and legs is also changed slightly, with alterations made to the shaping of most elements. The 2023 update has only appeared in a handful of sets at the time of writing but will likely be the standard Stormtrooper design for years to come.
An Imperial legacy
The LEGO Star Wars Stormtrooper, being almost as old as the theme itself, is a fascinating example of how LEGO Star Wars has evolved over the past 25 years. The Stormtrooper is one of the most frequently updated minifigures — there’s a new version every couple of years, and these versions coincide with changes to the theme as a whole. The simple designs from 2001 slowly but surely grew more detailed, until 2014 when there was a full redesign — right around the same time LEGO Star Wars sets themselves made a huge jump forward. The introduction of dual moulding goes along with the modern style of sets, which make use of the most expansive catalogue of parts and techniques yet. The LEGO Stormtrooper is truly one of the most special minifigures in the LEGO Star Wars lineup.
But that’s far from everything about the LEGO Stormtrooper. With 25 years of specialists filling out the ranks, there’s plenty of unique versions and variants yet to uncover as Blocks continues its look back at the history of the LEGO Star Wars Stormtrooper.
Images courtesy of Brickset.com