Blocks examines the history of the Clone Trooper specialists in the LEGO Star Wars Grand Army of the Republic.
The Grand Army of the Republic is comprised of more than just standard Clone Trooper units. There are specialists trained to handle all sorts of different tasks in battle, from scouting ahead to commanding the troops. While none of these specialists appeared with the first LEGO Clone Troopers in 2002, they’ve been a consistent part of the LEGO Clone Army since their arrival in 2005.
There have been plenty of decorated LEGO Clone Trooper minifigures over the years, with troopers representing their respective legion — far too many to include in this brief history. This list will focus on the handful of Clone Trooper variants that use a different helmet than the standard Phase I and Phase II designs. Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine, continues its inspection of Kamino with a look at the LEGO Clone Trooper specialist minifigures.
2005 — A Famous First
2005’s beloved wave of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith sets included the first ever Clone Trooper specialist minifigure — the Kashyyyk Scout Trooper. Using the Imperial Scout Trooper’s helmet and a mix of sand green and grey, this minifigure stands out in the army. The printing on the legs and torso is impressive by 2005’s standards, and this colour of helmet is unique to this figure. The Kashyyyk Scout Trooper appeared exclusively in 7261 Clone Turbo Tank, making it highly desirable for collectors.
2011 — ARF Arrives
The Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated television show introduced a new Clone variant — the ARF Trooper. The ARF Trooper made its minifigure debut in 2011’s 7913 Clone Trooper Battle Pack. The figure uses the same basic pieces and printing as the animated style of Phase I Clone but swaps out the helmet for an incredible mould representing the ARF Trooper’s unique helmet. The LEGO ARF Trooper earned itself two other variants — an all-black Shadow ARF Trooper in 2011 and an Elite ARF Trooper with dark red detailing in 2012.
2012 — ARC Takes Command
Despite the importance of ARC Troopers in later seasons of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, there’s only ever been one ARC Trooper minifigure to date. The lone LEGO ARC Trooper joined forces with the Elite ARF Trooper in 2012’s 9488 Elite Clone Trooper & Commando Droid Battle Pack. The figure is excellent considering it’s over a decade old and came in an inexpensive set. It features fantastic leg printing alongside a simple but effective torso design. The helmet is an exclusive mould that perfectly captures the ARC Trooper helmet in the brick. The ARC Trooper minifigure also comes with plenty of accessories — a brick-built backpack and a range finder, as well as cloth pauldron and kama pieces.
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2014 — Airborne Attacks
Ever since their introduction in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, fans wanted an Airborne Clone Trooper minifigure. Their wishes were granted in 2014’s 75036 Utapau Troopers, which featured the 212th Airborne Trooper. The Airborne Trooper minifigure in 75036 is as perfect a debut as any minifigure could ask for. The helmet mould is accurate and has wonderful printing, the torso and legs are excellent and a cloth kama rounds out the design. Quite a few variants of the Airborne Trooper have been released to date, including one with Geonosis camouflage in 2015, an upgrade to the 212th design in 2020 and a 187th Legion Commander in 2022.
2014 — Scouting Upgrade
2014 came with not one, but two new Clone Trooper specialist minifigures. 75035 Kashyyyk Troopers introduced a brand-new version of the Kashyyyk Scout Trooper. While representing the same in-universe trooper as the version from 2005, the 2014 update is a complete redesign. The printing is vastly improved, with more elaborate leg printing being the standout. But where the 2014 figure shines is in the new helmet mould. The Kashyyyk Scout finally got itself a printed visor, allowing the minifigure to have a printed head piece underneath the helmet. This version of the Kashyyyk Scout Trooper was much more common than its 2005 counterpart, featuring in a few sets from 2014 to 2019, with a few minor tweaks to its printing along the way.
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