Blocks examines the history of the many LEGO Stormtrooper specialist minifigures that populate the galaxy far, far away and enforce the Empire’s will.
The Galactic Empire in the original trilogy didn’t often employ specialist troopers on the battlefield. There were a few different variants — Scout Troopers and Snowtroopers being the most famous — but even those unique types still conformed to the plain white colour scheme of the standard trooper. But outside of the films, the Stormtrooper has received numerous different specialist variants, both in the old Expanded Universe and modern Disney canon.
Stormtroopers have now been decked out in all sorts of colours and extra gear, adding some welcome visual diversity in their ranks. So many of these specialists have been made into minifigures that not all of them can fit into this brief history. So this will highlight some of the most popular Stormtrooper specialists released to date, focusing specifically on those that still use the standard helmet mould. Join Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine, for an inspection of the LEGO Imperial ranks with a look at Stormtrooper specialist LEGO minifigures.
2007 — Taking to the shadows
The Imperial Shadow Trooper has never appeared in any canon media, so it’s fitting that its first two appearances were in non-canon sets, 7664 TIE Crawler and 7667 Imperial Dropship. This original Shadow Trooper minifigure is simply a colour-swapped version of the standard Stormtrooper at the time, using black as the base colour and a silvery-grey for details. The Shadow Trooper has since received two updated versions — one in gunmetal grey and another in solid black.
2012 — Look sir, droids
Sandtroopers were the first Stormtrooper variant introduced in-universe, early on in A New Hope. They aren’t as visually distinct as later specialists, but the pauldron and backpack still add a nice bit of detail to the characters. The 2012 version of the LEGO Sandtrooper, released only in 9490 Droid Escape, is notable for being the first version to include printed sand details, showing the minifigure to have plenty of experience walking the deserts of Tattooine.
2016 — Shocking surprise
2015’s Star Wars: Battlefront video game is a bit questionable when it comes to canon, as it’s supposedly canon to the rest of the Star Wars universe, but it features Stormtrooper variants not seen anywhere else. The Shadow Trooper is one of these and the Imperial Shock Trooper is another. Canon or not, the minifigure version of the trooper, released in 75134 Galactic Empire Battle Pack, is an incredible figure. The added red detailing is accurate to the in-game appearance and looks great in minifigure form. While there have been plenty of Clone Shock Trooper minifigures, this remains the only Imperial variant made to date.
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2018 — A Special Case
The Mimban Stormtrooper is a strange case when it comes to Stormtrooper variants. It released in 2018’s LEGO Star Wars 75211 Imperial TIE Fighter, firmly in the era of the 2014 Stormtrooper style. Yet it doesn’t use the standard Stormtrooper helmet mould — nor does it use a dual moulded helmet like the 2019 variant. Instead, it uses a totally unique mould that hasn’t been seen since. This gives the minifigure a distinct appearance, outside of its already unique colour scheme and detailing. The cloth cape is a great inclusion, too. It’s a shame this Stormtrooper hasn’t been seen more in official media, as its design is so visually interesting and different from other Stormtroopers.
2021 — An explosive variant
The only Stormtrooper specialist to use the new helmet mould so far, the Imperial Artillery Stormtrooper released in 2021’s LEGO Star Wars 75311 Imperial Armoured Marauder. Debates about the new helmet aside, this is an excellent minifigure. The yellow printing makes the figure pop when stood alongside other troopers, and the Sandtrooper-esk pauldron and backpack are perfectly done. The in-universe character hasn’t appeared often — much like all the characters on this list — but it still makes for a great addition to the LEGO Stormtrooper army.
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