Action Figure Overview: Star Wars - Imperial Stormtrooper (Hoth Battle Gear) (Kenner, 1980)

Imperial Stormtrooper (Hoth Battle Gear) (Kenner, 1980)

Just like most kids in the USA and Canada at the time, I loved Kenner's Star Wars figures!  From the first time I saw them, I thought they were the coolest toys ever!  When The Empire Strikes Back action figures were arriving in stores in early 1980, I was probably at the height of my love of Star Wars and I was very excited about having new figures for the first time in over a year!

10 NEW Kenner Star Wars figures for 1980!

Seeing The Empire Strikes Back in the theater was an awesome experience for me!  I thought it was an amazing movie with all kinds of cool characters and great, new adventures for the heroes that I loved from the first movie.  My favorite scenes were the ones that took place on the ice planet Hoth.  Obviously, being a huge fan of the movie and loving the action figures, I wanted every single Star Wars figure that Kenner released, but the figures from Hoth (plus the  Bespin Luke Skywalker) were the priority for me when the first 10 Empire Strikes Back figures came out in 1980.

1980 Rebel Soldier and Han Solo in their Hoth Gear!

I loved the Han Solo in his Hoth outfit and the Hoth Rebel Soldier.  Those two figures saw a lot of action in the early 80s!  But if you have an army of good guys (or even just two good guys), you need bad guys for them to fight!  The Hoth Stormtroopers were the ultimate enemy force and I wanted an army of them for Han and the Rebel Soldier to go up against!

My childhood army of Imperial Stormtroopers in Hoth Battle Gear (Kenner, 1980)

I believe it was the Christmas of 1980 when I received the Imperial Attack Base and an army of Imperial Stormtroopers in Hoth Battle Gear!  It was an absolutely huge Christmas for me!  I had hit the jackpot!  I always wanted an army of Stormtroopers from the first movie and was happy to have even a couple of them, but coming in on Christmas morning and seeing the Imperial Attack Base with all of those Snow Stormtroopers just blew my mind!

Imperial Stormtrooper in Hoth Battle Gear (Kenner, 1980)

Even when I was a kid, I tried to keep my Star Wars figures in good shape.  I rarely played with them outside and when I was finished playing with them, I tried to put all of the figures in their box and their accessories in their little, plastic Tupperware container.  However, as you can see from some of the photos, most of these guys are still a little worn from being played with so much and one of the guns was left on the floor unattended resulting in it being used as a chew toy by my dog, but that never stopped me from using the gun in future adventures!

"Battle Damaged" rifle courtesy of my childhood dog!

My figures from Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back were easily some of my favorite toys from my childhood.  However, by the time the Return of the Jedi figures came out, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero had taken over.  I still loved Star Wars and probably had about half of the Return of the Jedi figures and a Speeder Bike.  I remember building my own Ewok Village Playset out of wood since I didn't have the one from Kenner, but my Return of the Jedi figures never saw as much action as the figures from Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back!  I'm glad to have had my Empire Strikes Back figures when I did because I had so much fun playing with them during those awesome years of my childhood.


Did you have Star Wars figures as a kid?  If so, who was your favorite figure?  Tell me in the comments below!

Also, If you collect toys, you should know about Toylanta, the best toy show in the Southeastern United States held annually in Georgia.  Visit Toylanta.com for more information.


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