Blocks examines the history of one of the most beloved LEGO Star Wars Clone Trooper styles — the Phase II Clone Trooper.
The LEGO Phase I Clone Trooper may have been the Clone Trooper’s first appearance as a minifigure, but the Phase II style is where the popularity of LEGO Clone Troopers really took off. The Phase II armour made its debut in the Star Wars: Clone Wars microseries and later arrived in the main film saga in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith in 2005. The armour would then go on to be featured in a wide variety of other projects, from Star Wars: The Clone Wars to Ahsoka.
What primarily sets Phase II armour apart from its Phase I predecessor is the helmet design — the fin is smoothed down and fully attached to the helmet, and the face has much different shaping. Phase II armour also features a plethora of decorated variants, many of which are represented in the brick. However, there are far too many of these variants to fit in this brief history, so this list will focus on the standard white version of the armour. Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine, continues its tour of Kamino and inspects the many variants of the LEGO Phase II Clone Trooper…
2005 — Phase II Arrives
The release of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith was accompanied by a huge wave of sets based on the film. And with these sets came the introduction of the Phase II Clone Trooper in minifigure form. The torso printing uses the same design as 2002’s Phase I Clone, but the helmet is distinctly different to match the change in the in-universe armour. The helmet has no printed visor, meaning this trooper has a black head piece to create the look of a black visor. The helmet mould is certainly outdated by today’s standards, but wonderfully captures the look of the Phase II Clone Trooper in the classic LEGO style. This Clone Trooper minifigure design was the first to receive decorated variants, which appeared from 2005 to 2008. The standard white variant appeared in two sets — 2005’s 7261 Clone Turbo Tank and 2007’s 7655 Clone Troopers Battle Pack.
2010 — Slight Alterations
While the Phase I Clone Trooper saw a drastic update in 2008, the Phase II Clone Trooper’s first update was a very minor one. 2010 saw the release of 8091 Republic Swamp Speeder, and with it came a new version of the Phase II armour. Despite the fact that LEGO Clone Troopers received printed visors in 2008, this minifigure still uses the cut-out visor style. But it oddly does not use the same mould as the 2005 version. The 2010 mould leaves out a small circle detail on the back of the helmet that is present on every other version of the of the Phase II Clone Trooper minifigure — a very peculiar choice. The 2010 figure’s printing is much bolder than that of the 2005 figure, but the actual design is very similar, especially on the front of the torso. This Clone Trooper never saw a rerelease, making him exclusive to 8091 and one of the more obscure LEGO Clone Trooper minifigures.
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2014 — Modern Evolution
The LEGO Phase II Clone Trooper got another upgrade in 2013, with the introduction of a new helmet mould with a printed visor. The new helmet then featured heavily in 2014’s wave of Episode III sets, where it was first used for live-action style Clone Troopers, including a standard white trooper. The plain white Clone Trooper came in 75028 Clone Turbo Tank, part of the first wave of Microfighters, making it very accessible to fans. Much like the 2005 figure, the 2014 Clone Trooper shares a torso design with its Phase I cousin from 2013, although it does add leg printing. Beyond the standard white armour, the live-action printing style featured on Clone Troopers from the 212th Attack Battalion, 41st Elite Corps and 91st Recon Corps in the initial wave of sets. The Clone Wars style was used for 2013’s 501st Clone Troopers as well as 2014’s Wolfpack and Shock Trooper minifigures.
2024 — A Long-Awaited Return
The new version of the standard white Phase II Clone Trooper in 2024’s 75372 Clone Trooper & Battle Droid Battle Pack is unique amongst the figures on this list in that it was not part of the initial wave of sets to use this style. The new design for Phase II armour, which uses white hips, boot printing and grey-coloured cheeks, first appeared on 501st Clone Troopers in 2020’s 75280 501st Legion Clone Troopers. The standard white Phase II Clone makes its triumphant return with 75372 — ten years since its last appearance. The figure makes use of the new helmet holes, first introduced for Phase II armour in 2023, adding extra customisation options for fans. The new style is a little controversial among collectors, but finally getting a plain white variant of the 2020 Clone Trooper style is nothing to complain about.
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