Twelve years ago this month, Ahsoka Tano made her debut in the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which was then followed by the animated series of the same name. Back then, many fans were dismissive of the character, viewing her as a pointless retcon, given that there had been no previous reference to Anakin Skywalker having an apprentice. And some were very cynical about the idea of Star Wars entering the realm of 3D animation, which was (and still is by some) seen as inferior to both live-action and 2D animation.
Over time, however, The Clone Wars won over a lot of fans, and Ahsoka Tano herself has become many people’s favorite Star Wars character. When the series came back with season 7 on Disney+, Ahsoka was central to the marketing and was very instrumental in much of the season. The clone troopers became favorites as well, as they were depicted with much more personality than Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith allowed. In a show titled The Clone Wars, the clones needed to have some focus, and they were handled pretty well. Some, including fan-favorite Captain Rex, have popped up again in Star Wars Rebels. Additionally, the Bad Batch, who appeared in the final season of The Clone Wars, are getting their own spin-off series.
Given the success of The Clone Wars, it makes perfect sense that Hot Toys would honor the legacy of that series. They have revealed their new sixth scale collectible figures, which include Ahsoka Tano and a 501st battalion clone trooper. Star Wars and toys have gone hand in hand since the 1970s, and as obvious as it is that this would continue to be an ongoing thing for the franchise, it is still nice to see that time and effort is being put into some of the toys that we see getting put out on the market. When you see these figures from Hot Toys, you may be tempted to acquire them.
The Ahsoka figure looks true to the character, and also photorealistic. The headtails contain bendable wires. Plus, Ahsoka comes with not one, but two pairs of lightsabers, which anyone remotely like General Grievous would surely want to add to their collection. All of the blades are blue, but one pair features the blades as they would appear if they were in motion. The accessories for Ahsoka include a holoprojector, a thermal detonator, and hologram figures depicting Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Yoda. These are rather nice touches that make sense for the character.
Now onto the 501st battalion clone trooper, it looks realistic to the point where it looks straight out of Revenge of the Sith. So this is quite a feat by those who gave attention to the details. While it was featured in that film, this type of trooper also got some screentime in The Clone Wars series. The trooper comes with such accessories as a blaster pistol, a blaster rifle, a rocket launcher, and a jetpack. Clearly, this clone trooper is well-equipped.
These new figures are sure to please toy collectors who are huge fans of The Clone Wars. Hot Toys has really knocked it out of the park with these figures, honoring the legacy of this beloved animated series very well. Even though The Clone Wars is over, its influence has lived on in other shows such as Rebels and The Mandalorian, and its influence will surely continue in The Bad Batch, as well as (possibly) the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, if rumors of flashbacks to the Clone Wars end up coming to fruition.
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