Hasbro Pulse take a look at the different versions of the Snowspeeder, and associated figures, from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back released between 1980 and 2020.
It’s hard to forget your first time seeing the Rebel Snowspeeders race across Hoth — scouring endless miles of snow in search of Luke and Han. The incredible sound they make as they glide effortlessly over ice-clad mountains stays with you. When taking the battle to the massive AT-ATs trying to destroy the power generators, we see the Snowspeeder’s compact design, quick maneuverability, and (very convenient) harpoon tow cable prove to be perfect foils for the Empire’s lumbering, four-legged war machines. That awesome scene firmly cemented the Rebel Snowspeeder in the hearts of Star Wars fans everywhere. Today we’re going to revisit the snow-covered history of that beloved vehicle – a history that started way back in 1980 and continues today with the new 6-inch scale The Black Series Snowspeeder.
1980: The Empire Strikes Back – Rebel Snowspeeder
Released as the Rebel Snowspeeder and painted in the grey Rogue Leader markings of the vehicle piloted by Luke Skywalker and Dak Ralter, the original Snowspeeder included some incredible features. With electronic light and sound effects, a detachable tow cable, working canopy, and spring activated landing gear, the first entry in the Snowspeeder’s lineage was so well done, it would be reproduced with little change for years to come. It came in multiple pieces and required assembly and decal application, which was a fun bit of extra entertainment before the toy was ready to play with. Originally released as part of The Empire Strikes Back line in 1980, the Snowspeeder saw a package refresh in 1982 with a different color background and, again a few years later, with a The Return of the Jedi logo following that film’s release.1996: The Power of the Force – Electronic Rebel Snowspeeder
The 1980 Snowspeeder was reproduced in 1996 with the release of the all-new Power of the Force line. Mostly original tools were used, but the vehicle did receive updates in the form of new deco, movie-inspired sound effects, and a larger harpoon gun. The new deco on the 1996 version featured battle damage, and the more common red paint scheme seen, for example, on the Rogue Two version of the vehicle that found Luke and Han after a chilly night out on Hoth. This is the last time a Snowspeeder would include electronic light and sound features.2002: The Power of the Jedi – Luke Skywalker’s Snowspeeder
The original was again released, this time under the Power of the Jedi line in 2002, as a retailer exclusive featuring the first Dak (misspelled Dack on the package) Ralter action figure. It was packed out in diorama packaging that featured the Snowspeeder crashed on Hoth. This time around, the electronic light and sound features were removed, and the battle damage deco was applied even more heavily. The larger harpoon gun from the 1996 release was replaced with the smaller, more movie-like version that was included with the original 1980 Snowspeeder but did not include the detachable tow cable that came with previous releases.2006: The Saga Collection – Rogue Two Snowspeeder
Battle damage was greatly toned down for this official release of the Rogue Two Snowspeeder from the Hoth rescue scene. It was presented in a diorama style box and included the first Zev Senesca action figure ever available. The Zev figure had a great amount of detail and featured a removable helmet. A few updates were added to this version of the Snowspeeder in the form of flip-up air brake flaps at the rear of the vehicle, and additional engine details.
Read the article in full here. Also, check out this article from Jedi Temples Archives who have some issues with the list, although I think Hasbro were referring to specific Luke Skywalker single carded figures in their article. Let us know what you think!
