Biker Scout (ROTJ 1983-4)

What is a Speeder Bike without a Biker Scout? Of course, you could get Luke with poncho or Leia with poncho or some Ewok, but what fun would that be? You want the guy with “Bike” in his name. You want the guys all black and white and cool and an easy target in a forest of green foliage. Idiots.

The Biker Scout came on both ROTJ and POTF cards, and, as always, the POTF card is rarer. He came with an actually unique blaster pistol, which, other than being gray instead of black in the movie, is very accurate to the movie prop. The figure itself is very detailed in comparison to the movie character. The figure had some minor variations n the body and head (more noticeable on the head) because of different manufacturing facilities, so there are two main variations.

Why should you own this figure? Five reasons:

1. If you already got the Bike, you had to get the figure.

2. Who else is going to get pelted by Ewoks?

3. Relive the knockdown, drag out fight between Trench Coat Han and Biker Scout!

4. Befriend Ewoks…then kill them.

4. Have two of them talking to each other about how good their scouting is, wearing bright white in a sea of green.

Backstory:

Their official designation is “Scout Trooper,” but they were often called Biker Scouts because they used Speeder Bikes a lot for reconnaissance and scouting. Their armor was a modified version of standard stormtrooper armor, with more flexibility, built-in macrobinoculars, and a better groin area for sitting on Bikes. They carried standard rations and a specially-modified scout trooper blaster pistol with a targeting scope and phase amplifier. Remnants of the Empire rethought the standard stormtrooper white for the Scouts after their crushing defeat on Endor. They tended to stick out.

Full story? Wookieepedia article

24th in alphabetical order

Bib Fortuna (ROTJ 1983-4)

You have to give props to Kenner on this figure. Despite something as awkward as twin head tails, they still managed to make them into the figure and not just a detail – they actually stick out his head. Like General Madine, he comes with a “battle staff,” even though this is not the same staff as Madine has. Both staff seem largely ceremonial, and this one does not appear in the film either. He also came with a tan felt cloak, and legs that “scissored” much like the Emperor’s and Obi-Wan’s. Bib only came out on an ROTJ card. Mexico’s Lili Ledy distributor came out with a red-caped Bib Fortuna, but these are quite rare and often faked.

Why should you get this figure? Five reasons:

1. Those wrapping head tails. C’mon, who has those?

2. That velvety cloak, it just feels, oh, so good.

3. Having this figure held out hope that your parents would get Jabba. Well, a little hope.

4. Use it to practice your broken English (or Basic as they call it in the SW universe): “Jabba no barga.”

5. Cut off the head tails and the figure can double as any pasty-faced vampire you want.

Backstory:

Bib Fortuna was cast out of his society (home planet Ryloth) after being caught smuggling a spice from the planet. After an unsuccessful job at Kuat Drive Yards, eh fell in working for Jabba the Hutt, smuggling, then advising him. After his present of a rancor monster to Jabba, he was elevated to majordomo to Jabba. Throughout the years in service to Jabba he tried many times to kill his master, but each attempt failed.

Bib managed to escape on a skiff right before Luke and the gang blew up Jabba’s Sand Barge, and made his way back to the palace. He fought over what was left of Jabba’s estate, apparently winning, but then taken by B’Omarr Monks who took out his brain and placed it in one of their spider-like cyborgs.

Six months after the Battle of Endor, Bib lured an associate of his to Tatooine to recover some weapons caches. After his associate’s betrayal, Bib convinced the Monks to put his brain into his friend’s body, and he began rebuilding his own little empire.

Want the full story? His Wookieepedia article

23rd in alphabetical order

Bespin Security Guard [white] (ESB 1980-82)

The Bespin security guard is an interesting case. Not onlydo we have one that is white, but another who is black. Today we concentrate on the white one. He comes with a standard Cloud City pistol, gets a good union wage, and hopes that his boss isn't some kind of swindler.

Why should you have this figure? Five reasons:

1. Again, two words: army builder. Get a ton of this one and the other guy and defend Bespin against the Empire!

2. The oddity of two of the same kind of character is too weird not to get one of each.

3. You need to act out the scene where Lando finally gets some cajones and surrounds the stormtroopers with his own guards.

4. You need to act out the scene with the other guard in the lunch room where you talk about your benefits and dental.

5. Two more words: handlebar mustache.

Backstory:

Not much of a backstory. The guard is just some generic Joe Schmo who goes home to his 3-bedroom in the lower column of Cloud City. You know, near the tibanna gas clouds. He thanks his lucky stars he and his family don't live near one of the mining facilities - those things run day and night! Now your boss is threatening your union contract because the mob, I mean, the Empire is trying horn in on your business. Oh well, at least they have daycare.

22nd in alphabetical order

Bespin Security Guard [black] (ESB 1980-2)

Finally, a brother can get some respect . Sure, there was another Bespin Security Guard, but this is, for lack of any other clarifier, is the black guy. He comes with the same pistol that most of the characters on Bespin came with, and he came on an ESB and ROTJ card. The big difference between this figure’s packaging and the other Guard’s (other than the cast picture) is that this guy has a blue background for his name and figure. The white guy has an orange background. Odd, but there it is.

His left hand is molded in an odd position – apparently from the picture it is for putting his hand on the floating Han in Carbonite. That, or petting a large Bespin Cloud Poodle.

Why should you own this figure? Five reasons:

1. Equality – how many black people are there in Star Wars?

2. An army builder – you’ve got to get more than one, and in this case you can get black and white ones (unlike those racist all-white Stormtroopers).

3. The man who put the hand on Han.

4. The stylish navy blue with gold trim. A classic.

5. You need another Bespin dude for your poker club diorama.

Backstory:

Not much of a backstory, since there really wasn’t much of one created. I’ll refer you to my post on the previous guard.

21st in alphabetical order