Mini Steps: The Evolution Of The Dak Ralter Minifigure

With the reveal of the rumored UCS AT-AT only weeks away, now is a good time to take a look at a lesser known character who was also found on the ice planet. Dak Ralter was a member of Rogue Squadron and served as Luke’s gunner during the Battle of Hoth. He died in battle before being crushed under the foot of an AT-AT.

The first Dak Ralter minifigure was released in 1999 as part of the original wave of LEGO Star Wars sets. Wearing the same flight suit as Luke Skywalker and a Rebel Pilot helmet with his blue markings, this yellow-faced Dak was exclusive to 7130 Snowspeeder. Five years later an almost identical version would be released with the redesigned 4500 Rebel Snowspeeder. This version would come with the updated dark bluish gray hips and a slightly different shade of gray printing on his torso.

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Since Dak only appeared in one memorable scene, there wasn’t much opportunity for LEGO to be creative with his inclusion. However, they managed to put him in 7666 Hoth Rebel Base by using the scene of him and Luke sitting in the Snowspeeder before taking off into battle. Just like limited creativity with what sets he could feature in, LEGO also had limited creativity in his design. Although three years had passed, the only update was swapping his yellow head with a flesh-toned one.

Finally fifteen years after his initial release Dak received a true update to his minifigure. Unfortunately it was still a bit lazy. The prior year two other Rebel Pilots were released with updated torso and leg printing. This body, as well as his same helmet design, was re-used for the updated Dak. The only unique part at the time was a brand new dual-sided head print, but even that would go on to be used for numerous other minifigures. This version of Dak was exclusive to 75049 Snowspeeder.

To celebrate two decades of the theme, 75259 Snowspeeder – 20th Anniversary Edition was released. Although the 20th anniversary minifigure that was included was Lando Calrissian, Luke and Dak still made their appearance. This version would re-use the same head as the last Dak, and re-use the torso and legs from other Rebel Pilots. After twenty years though, the helmet finally got an updated print!

While they might not be the most exciting of minifigures, five variants of a character who had fairly limited screen time is still quite the accomplishment. Do you think there is a possibility of Dak being included in the rumored AT-AT? Since the Snowspeeder is a staple in the LEGO Star Wars lineup, do you think we will see more variants in the future?