Leia Organa (Bespin Gown) (ESB 1980-82)

Ah, Leia. What must be in your closet? And where in the heck is it? Does she just keep picking stuff up along the way or does Han have a special cargo container in the Falcon for her outfits?

This is the outfit she wore on Bespin (duh), sometime after she landed and before she was captured by Vader. She comes with the same pistol she did in her white gown. The figure comes in two variations – one with a neck painted to match the gown and one with it flesh-colored. The flesh-colored is more accurate to the film. The vinyl cape on the figure is pink with designs, whereas the one in the film was a grey/off-white. She also comes on 3 cards – two different ESBs (they have different background photos) and an ROTJ. Most self-respecting boys did not get this figure because it was as close to Barbie as you could get.

Why should you get this figure? Five reasons:

1. Most self-respecting girls would get this figure.

2. It ain’t a dinner party without some Force-blocked blaster bolts and Leia in a dress.

3. poster girl for Braids ‘R Us.

4. The only time you will get an SW figure with a print on their vinyl cape.

5. Re-create the smooth moves Lando puts down for Leia. Oooooh, yeah.

Background

The same as the other Leia, fool.

Imperial Stormtrooper (Hoth Battle Gear) (ESB 1980-82)

Finally, somewhere where the natural Stormtrooper color actually works! I hope the Empire learns something from this. Oh, wait – they still sent out stark white Stormtroopers to a forest environment (Endor). Morons.

The more common name for this guy is “Snowtrooper,” but the title of this posting reflect the official name on the card. The trooper came on both ESB and ROTJ cards, and came with a rifle (Dengar has one too). He also has a plastic skirt attached to his hips to reflect the smock worn in the film.

Why should you own this figure? Five reasons:

1. If you’re Scottish, this comes closest to a SW figure with a kilt.

2. More mysterious than the first gen Stormtroopers – now you can’t even see their mouths!

3. If you’re storming a base, you’ve got to have one.

4. No Tri-Pod Laser is complete without one.

5. Who the heck else is going to be in your Imperial Attack Base?

Backstory:

Snowtroopers/Hoth Battle Gear/Cold Assault Stormtroopers – all the same thing. Personally, I like the last one – it sound like they were shrunk to microscopic size to fight an infection in the Emperor. These were Stormtroopers that went training geared to place them in colder climates. Their uniform reflected this as well, with better heaters, a breathing hood, and traction boots. For more, check out the other Stormtrooper post.

Tauntaun (ESB)

The tauntaun – that workhorse, that beast of burden of Hoth. What can I say about the tauntaun? They smell like plastic, or really bad, depending on if you’re smelling the toy or a real one (this site does not advocate that tauntauns are real or unicorns for that matter). The tauntaun was another beast (as opposed to sentient alien beings) from the Star Wars universe, one that you could let your figures ride. The only other animal to feature this in the original Kenner toys was the dewback, which didn’t get nearly the screen time or lines.

The figures were able to mount the tauntaun by inserting their rigid legs into a trap door on its back. With the saddle in place, it looked (vaguely) like the figure’s legs were saddling the tauntaun. The tauntaun only came out in an ESB box, but in two versions. The first was a normal, uneviscerated tauntaun. The second version (with a slightly different box photo showing its use) was the tauntaun with open belly feature. Yes! Our cries of putting Luke somewhere warm until we could get a shelter together were answered! Yes, the new tauntaun came with a pliable belly with a slit to put a deliriously injured Luke into.

Why should you get this beast? Five reasons:

1. Practice your “grackle-grackle” mating call!

2. Get the open belly tauntaun, stuff in some cooked spaghetti, and let the scene begin.

3. Seriously – it’s got an open belly. You’ve got to see this!

4. Hoth Tours is just not the same unless it’s on one of these babies.

5. You wanted Kenner to make a bantha? Too bad! You’ve got a tauntaun.

Backstory:

Tauntauns are native to Hoth, and have several subspecies (scaly, giant, glacier, climbing), giants being the most common. When the Rebels made their Echo Base, they trained tauntauns as riding mounts since many vehicles did not work well in the cold climate. The alpha female of a pack was subjugated first, making the rest easier to train. They are also the primary food source for wampas, but their horns, camouflage, and speed (up to 90 km/hr) are their defense.

Snowspeeder (Rebel Armored Snowspeeder) (ESB)

Kenner came a long way from the Landspeeder during the first movie – now we get the Snowspeeder! Not only does it make shooting sounds, but it has a harpoon with tow cable (does not shoot on its own), light-up lasers, and retractable landing gear. Not to mention a two-seater opening cockpit! If you had this and and AT-AT, you died and went to Heaven.

The Snowspeeder came in an ESB and ROTJ box, the ESB background being pink versus the ROTJ background being blue, and slightly different photos (probably to incorporate a few later ESB figures). They also tacked on the word “Vehicle” when it came out in an ROTJ box.

Why should you own this vehicle? Five reasons:

1. Cool flying vehicle.

2. Lights up! Sounds! OMG!

3. Harpoon and tow cable!? Sure, it’s string, but tow cable!

4. You could always simulate damage by removing one or both guns.

5. Fits two figures so a good excuse to ask your parents for another Luke in X-Wing outfit.

Backstory:

The Snowspeeder’s official name is the T-47 Airspeeder, an atmosphere-only craft. It was modified by Rebel forces to work in the cold weather on Hoth, and it was originally built by Incom Corporation. It features dual laser cannons, and modified to have a rear gunner with a light blaster and a harpoon with tow cable. While it’s lasers were ineffective against AT-AT armor (except the neck joint-watch the film) the harpoon and tow cable could tangle and trip the AT-ATs.