I have always longed to be a member of the local 501st but never had the means. To purchase a full set of screen accurate Stormtrooper armor costs nearly as much as a suit of real armor. When I heard that Hasbro was going to release a screen accurate Stormtrooper Helmet as part of their Black Series, they could not take my money fast enough.
“Black Series,” I believe, is Hasbro code for “collectible, not for real play” and this helmet fits that standard. It comes boxed up in pieces and needs to be assembled, but that is not a big deal.
Once put together, the Star Wars Black Series Stormtrooper Helmet looks great. I cannot recommend it enough for a shelf accessory and for $79.99, that is about what you get. When tried on, the rubber headband inside never fits quite right. It is attached to the front plate of the visor and seems to work by pressing the wearer’s face into the nose piece. Nevertheless, it does not look right when worn out of the box. What I did with mine, and my recommendation is to place foam in the top part of the helmet—so that it rests on the top of the head.
The other “play” feature is that it has a voice changer. This is to make the wearer’s voice sound static-like, much like the on-screen troopers. After placing new batteries in mine, I found it hard to hear the static voice over the wearer’s normal tone. On the positive side, it does make the static sound when pressing the button on the helmet, which is very similar to the movies and the button is in the correct place for “comms.”
Final thought
For the price, I think you are dealing with a fantastic addition to your Star Wars collection and it looks great in any room. If you are looking for a helmet for cosplay, with a little work, you will have a great screen accurate helmet. However, as a toy to play with, it is certainly lacking features and does not function at the same level as the price point. Pick one up at Amazon.com at this link.
