The changing faces of the LEGO Star Wars Clone Trooper over the years
Clones might mostly look identical but the same can’t be said for LEGO Star Wars Clone Trooper minifigures. Here’s a look back at their evolution.
Clone Troopers have a special place in the hearts of many LEGO Star Wars fans and, for those who remember all the way back to 2002, have undergone various changes over the years. While Jedis might be front and centre of LEGO Star Wars sets, Clone Troopers are often the backbone of battle packs and ship builds alike.
Whether you’re an army builder or just want the helmet holes to go away, take a trip down memory lane and see all the changes that Clone Troopers have gone through over the years.
The plain old days
The first LEGO Star Wars Clone Trooper appeared back in 2002, based on the Phase 1 appearance and featuring an accurate but fairly basic design. Before the Clone Wars animated series, Star Wars clones didn’t have quite the same impact on the community as they do now and that’s reflected in the simplicity of the minifigure.
The Clone Trooper has a very simply printed torso featuring some armour detailing, similar to what you might expect from your average Stormtrooper. The helmet has the signature fin of course but otherwise stays plain and simple.
Just a few years later in 2005, Revenge of the Sith came out and gave more inspiration fodder for clone minifigures. This is instantly visible in the LEGO Star Wars theme, with Phase 2 pilots debuting in 7259 ARC-170 Fighter with differently-shaped helmets and improved printing, complete with the Republic insignia on both sides of the helmets. At the same time, troopers also got upgrades, with different colours printed on torsos and helmets to reflect different battalions like the 327th, 442nd, and 91st.
The rainbow era of LEGO clones
In October 2008, the Clone Wars animated series came out and changed not just Clone Trooper minifigures but also LEGO Star Wars minifigures generally. The expressive face prints and larger eyes echoed the style of the show but a more far-reaching change came via the personalities and identities the show brought to the clones.
Now, fans were looking for individual clones like Rex and Cody and wanted more distinction even for anonymous troopers – and the LEGO Group delivered. 2008’s Captain Rex and Commander Cody minifigures came with kama and visors for the helmets, while updated Phase 1 minifigures now had rangefinders in 7676 Republic Attack Gunship.
As the years went on, more accessories were added to Phase 1 minifigures, like a jet pack in 2009’s 7748 Corporate Alliance Tank Droid and specially printed helmets to represent roles like gunner in 8039 Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser.
By 2012, the leaps in design complexity culminated in the Arc Troopers found exclusively in 9488 Elite Clone Trooper & Commando Droid Battle Pack, where unique fabric elements and printed legs brought some of the most distinct troopers yet.
The end of a TV show, the start of an era
Despite the Clone Wars TV show getting cancelled in 2014, the popularity of Clone Troopers in both the Star Wars and LEGO communities was now firmly entrenched. By 2014, leg printing was standard and virtually every year saw a new variation of Clone Trooper, whether that’s 2014’s camouflaged gear in 75035 Kashyyyk Troopers or 2015’s Geonosis camouflage in 75089 Geonosis Troopers.
There may have been fewer Clone Trooper minifigures between 2015 and 2020 but the minifigures we did get were impressively detailed, with leg printing, unique helmets, and representation of both Phase 1 and 2 armour.
The eternal sticking point
While we’ve covered more generally the changes that affected LEGO Star Wars Clone Troopers over the years, the most common place to level both praise and criticism tends to be the helmets. In recent years, the addition of more accessories like rangefinders and visors has seen more and more helmets have a hole on the side to attach such elements. When they’re in place, they’re virtually no different, but when absent, they do stick out and many fans don’t see the extra accessories as worth the eyesore.
That aside, the LEGO Star Wars designers have worked on increasingly complex prints for clone helmets, reflecting the unique personalities of different battalions. This makes army building that much more interesting, offering more variety even to displays with dozens or perhaps hundreds of clones in appearance. Comparing the modern helmets of today to the plain black and white of 2002 shows just how far Clone Trooper minifigures have come, something that’s well worth remembering as Star Wars celebrates 25 years as a theme.
With that in mind, catch up on everything Brick Fanatics has written to do with the 25th anniversary here.
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