General Rieekan (75014) Lego Star Wars Minifigure Review

“You’re a good fighter Solo, I hate to lose you”

Carlist Rieekan was an Alderaanian General and veteran of the Clone Wars, but is best known to Star Wars fans for leading the Republic Forces during the Battle Of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back.

  

Whilst Hoth was a crushing defeat to the Rebels, Rieekan’s careful security and evacuation measures led to many survivors of the overwhelming Imperial invasion.  Rieekan survives Hoth and his story continues far into the future in the Expanded Universe series of novels and is even called out of retirement in the Yuuzhan Vong War 27 years after the Battle Of Yavin. 

General Rieekan first appears in Lego Minfigure form in 2013 and at the time of writing remains unique to set 75014 Battle of Hoth.

In the film Rieekan is mostly seen directing operations from the command centre in Echo Base and so would naturally seem to be more at home in the 7879 Hoth Echo Base set from 2011, rather than in a set which is suggestive of him leading troops in the trenches on the front line.   Not a moan, just an observation.

The minifigure is composed of 4 pieces, with blaster pistol and a two piece cold-weather helmet and goggles.

The figure has the same head as the 2010 version of Professor Snape (4842 Hogwarts Castle) with a   single print to the front with a serious determined expression:  “Princess, we have a visitor”.  The print has heavy black eyebrows above black rounded eyes with white pupils and light brown facial lines to the sides of the mouth and crease between the eyebrows.

The dark bluish grey hair piece has short smooth combed hair from a parting on the left side.  This piece is the same shaped piece that we have seen on a number of Obi-Wan Kenobi variants in a dark orange colour.  The hair piece can be replaced by a cold-weather helmet and snow goggles combination in a similar style to the Hoth Rebel Troopers in the set.  The snow goggles can clip into a choice of two sets of holes, so that they can be worn over the eyes or over the helmet.

The torso is dark tan in colour representing the snow jacket we frequently see him wearing in the film.  The snow jacket has two pockets highlighted by black and crimson red lines as well as an insignia on his right chest.   On the lower part of the torso a simple belt (dark brown) and buckle (silver) print can be seen.   The arms are dark tan in colour with white gloves.  The torso has printing on the rear which continues the themes we see on the front: criss-crossed upper part of the snow jacket; brown belt and brown crease lines to the lower part of the snow jacket.

The Legs and hips are both dark tan colour with no printing.

Overall this is a good minifigure.  I find it difficult to pick fault: the lack of leg printing (despite being commonplace in 2013) does not really bother me.  If I was being extremely picky, then perhaps a new head piece instead of the re-use of Professor Snape’s head would be a consideration:   Rieekan has grey hair – grey eyebrows perhaps?  They certainly weren’t black in the film.  As an additional point: the hood is the same as that worn by the Hoth Rebel Troopers.  Being tan in colour it is not exactly consistent with the dark tan colour of General Rieekan’s torso or legs.  A dark tan coloured hood would have been a nice option.

We have seen a couple of variants of General Veers over the years (and maybe another one very soon?) so it’s good to see Rieekan in Lego Minifigure form.  I can’t imagine we will see too much more of him in future minifigure variants.

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