Cobra's iconic army building duo of the Trooper and Officer were exported all over the world. Versions of them were released in Argentina, Mexico and Brazil. Each of these releases features its own hue of blue to differentiate it from the those of the other nations. It is the Brazilian version of the Cobra Trooper, though, that is the most famous of these releases. While the other blues all tend to be dark takes on the color meant to evoke the look of the Hasbro originals, the Brazilian Soldado used a much lighter blue color. This makes it visually distinctive and one of the more sought after versions of the Cobra Trooper that was released outside of Hasbro.
A figure that is either the same or is very similar to the Soldado was also sold as a pack in with the Brazilian Viper Glider. This Cobra Piloto is also in the Brazilian blue. It's tough to tell, but it might have some slight coloring differences. Since so many Soldados were found loose, it's tough to really differentiate the figures. But, be aware of the Piloto's existence, too.
The Soldado can be found with some different weapons. The most common is the Rock and Roll M-60 with bi-pod. This is how the figure is advertised in the Estrela retailer catalogs. You can also find them with Grunt M-16's. There are reports of him also being available with the standard Cobra Trooper Dragunov. But, I've never seen a carded version that confirms this, though.
Sadly, the Soldado only exists in straight arm versions. The swivel arm versions of the Trooper and Officer didn't make it to South or Central America. That limits the usefulness of the Soldado. Straight arm figures aren't really worth getting. So, only have colorways in that construction can be frustrating. Fortunately, factory custom makers have taken on the Soldado coloring and produced several versions of the swivel arm Cobra Trooper in Brazilian colored homages.
The Soldado isn't as bright as the factory custom takes on the figure are. So, if you're only familiarity with the Soldado is through the factory custom realm, you might be surprised at the actual hue of the figure. You'll note the Estrela stamp on the figure's back, too.
Soldados are surprisingly common. Despite the high prices that many sellers try to get, the figures are always available and have been since the earliest days on Brazilian sellers. There are collectors out there with decent Soldado armies just due to their availability. The figure is neat and desirable. But, it's not rare.
I've never picked up on this before, but the card art has been modified from the source material. The right leg is cut off at the knee and touched up. The effect is that the pocket on his right thigh now kind of reads as an obscured boot (as if he was kneeling on his right knee).
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