Mini Steps: The Evolution Of The Scout Trooper Minifigure

Everyone has their favorite Imperial Trooper design, but the iconic look of the Scout Trooper is undeniable. Also known as Biker Scouts or Imperial Sharpshooters, these soldiers have been seen in a variety of landscapes since their first appearance on Endor. Let’s take a look at how this trooper has evolved in minifigure form.

The first Scout Trooper minifigure was included in the Original Trilogy wave of 1999 in set 7128 Speeder Bikes. He required a uniquely molded helmet and came with a yellow head with a printed black visor. This version would also be included in 3342 Star Wars Pack and 7139 Ewok Attack prior to being replaced.

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A decade would pass before the next version was released. Breaking the usual standard of minifigures improving over time, this version went the opposite direction by substituting the printed head for a plain black one. The only benefit to this was that the helmet no longer had to be perfectly aligned to prevent yellow from showing through. The torso print was identical except for the shade of gray being updated. This version appeared in 7956 Ewok Attack, 8038 The Battle of Endor, and the 852845 magnet set with Han Solo and Paploo. Three years later the head was again swapped this time going for a Balaclava print on a black head. The body was otherwise unchanged. This version was only found in 9489 Endor Rebel Trooper & Imperial Trooper Battle Pack.

Things got drastically better in 2013 when the next version was released in 10236 Ewok Village. For the first time the Scout Trooper had black printed legs with hip printing and black arms. The torso was also updated with a much more detailed print. This version would keep the same Balaclava head as the previous one. Later that same year it was also included in 75023 Star Wars Advent Calendar.

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With the 20th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars in 2019 also came twenty years since the first Biker Scout was introduced, and for the first time the helmet mold was changed. Taking advantage of dual-molding, the new helmet had both black and white plastic portions with printing on top. The torso print was again updated, but the legs were changed back to white. This version was found in 75238 Action Battle Endor Assault. The following year another version was released that was identical with the exception of a change in the head underneath the helmet. So far it has only appeared in 75292 The Razor Crest.

Will there be room for future variants now that the Scout Trooper has been included in The Mandalorian? What else could be done to perfect this minifigure?