ARC Trooper Captain (Clone Wars Tartakovsky) — Star Wars The Black Series 50th Anniversary

Overview

ARC Trooper Captain (Clone Wars Tartakovsky) is a Walmart exclusive in the Black Series 50th Anniversary sub-line, released in April 2022 at $26.49. This is a repaint of the Black Series Arc Trooper Echo figure with a different helmet, loosely based on the ARC Trooper Captain’s appearance in Genndy Tartakovsky’s 2003 Clone Wars 2D animated micro-series.

One specific accuracy issue to flag upfront: because Hasbro used the Echo body as the base rather than tooling a new figure, the ammunition pouch on the shoulder pauldron ends up on the wrong side compared to the cartoon character. This is a loose interpretation of the source design — not screen accurate. That’s worth knowing before purchase, because for collectors who prioritise accuracy to the 2003 series, it’s a visible compromise.

That said, the red captain markings, the different helmet, the four-accessory loadout, and the butterfly shoulder articulation make this the best available Black Series representation of the Tartakovsky ARC Trooper. It’s the only one. One of three figures in the Black Series covering the 2003 micro-series, alongside General Grievous and Mace Windu.

Articulation

19 joints. Ball-jointed top neck, ball-jointed lower neck, butterfly joints in the shoulders, ball-jointed shoulders, ball-jointed elbows, ball-jointed wrists, ball-jointed upper body, ball-jointed hips, swivel thighs, ball-jointed knees, ball-jointed ankles.

The butterfly and ball-jointed shoulder combination would theoretically give excellent arm range — forward sweep plus full rotation — but the shoulder pauldron limits the arms to approximately 90° maximum. The butterfly joints are engineered correctly; the armour design blocks their potential. If you want to display the figure with arms raised higher than shoulder height, that’s not achievable here.

The rest of the articulation works well. The double ball-jointed neck gives good head positioning for combat stances. The ball-jointed knees and ankles allow stable dynamic poses. The figure stands well on display without requiring a stand.

Accessories

4 accessories. Two small blasters, one regular blaster, one blaster rifle.

The two small blasters fit well into the holsters on the figure’s hips — secure, not loose. Only the right hand has an index finger positioned for trigger engagement; the left hand provides a support grip. The range-finder on the helmet moves up and down, a small but appreciated detail that adds posing variation without requiring accessory swaps.

The shoulder pauldron, backpack, helmet, and waist kama are all non-removable — they’re part of the sculpt rather than separate pieces. The accessory picture should be taken as the full inventory.

The Tartakovsky ARC Trooper

The 2003 Clone Wars micro-series gave the ARC Troopers some of the most intense action sequences in Star Wars animation. The red-marked ARC Trooper Captains in particular appeared in operations that established the clone trooper elite as genuinely fearsome operators rather than the disposable infantry the standard troopers sometimes seemed. The Tartakovsky series committed fully to showing what highly trained Force-adjacent soldiers at the peak of their capability could do — which the later CGI series treated differently.

The red markings on this figure are the visual shorthand for that captain designation. In the 2003 series, the red ARC Troopers function as small-unit leaders in the field rather than standard infantry, which is a meaningfully different operational role that the figure’s loadout reflects — four weapons for a frontline specialist, not the single blaster of standard clone infantry.

The ammo pouch issue is real but context-dependent in its impact. If you’re displaying this figure against detailed knowledge of the 2003 series and notice the pouch side immediately, it bothers. If you’re displaying it as part of the Tartakovsky trio with Grievous and Mace Windu as a 2003 animated series shelf, the overall effect reads correctly — red captain markings, heavy weapon loadout, Tartakovsky-appropriate build.

The Tartakovsky Trio

The three Walmart exclusives covering the 2003 micro-series represent the only Black Series figures based on this animation style. General Grievous is the standout of the three — the Tartakovsky Grievous design is so much more imposing than the film version that the figure justifies immediate attention. Mace Windu covers the Dantooine sequence that defined the character’s peak capability. The ARC Trooper Captain is the infantry complement: the clone elite who operated under those Jedi commanders.

As a display set, all three work together as a 2003 Clone Wars shelf that the numbered mainline cannot replicate. The Walmart exclusive distribution means buying at launch, not waiting.

Walmart Exclusive Acquisition

Walmart exclusive at $26.49, April 2022. Walmart exclusives in this period sold through quickly at launch. No variations recorded. For collectors who missed the initial run, secondary market is the path.

Secondary Market

Walmart exclusive 2022. Secondary prices typically $35–60, with General Grievous commanding the highest of the trio given its design appeal.

Verdict

ARC Trooper Captain (Clone Wars Tartakovsky) is a solid figure with a specific accuracy compromise — the ammo pouch placement is wrong because of the Echo body reuse, and the shoulder pauldron limits what the butterfly joints can do. Four accessories, correct red captain markings, and good overall build quality make it a worthwhile purchase for the Tartakovsky trio. If you want the 2003 micro-series represented at Black Series scale, this is the only path. Walmart exclusive, $26.49.

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Part of Star Wars The Black Series | 50th Anniversary. Related: General Grievous (Clone Wars Tartakovsky) P4-50A-GGT | Mace Windu (Clone Wars Tartakovsky) P4-50A-MCT.