Star Wars
Hasbro’s Star Wars Black Series line continues with a wave of figures from The Last Jedi, including another Rey figure, Rose, and a First Order Driver and Gunner. Admiral Holdo will make her debut in this wave, but most exciting to me was a 2-pack of Black Series porgs, which come in a tiny little box. They are adorable, hilarious, and I have to have them.
Black Series Centerpiece is a new concept that debuted last year, featuring a figure on a display base with room to add more figures. This year’s release is Kylo Ren on Jakku from The Force Awakens. The base lights up and makes a very striking impression.
From Star Wars Rebels comes a Captain Rex and Commander Wolf 2-pack, which will be exclusive to several retailers including Disney Store, Barnes & Noble, and Game Stop.
From the pre-Disney era, the Black Series is also expanding to include Hoth Leia in her iconic snow gear. Amazon will have an exclusive 3-pack of Red Squadron astromech droids, featuring R2-X2, R5-D8, and R2-D2 with a weathered exterior. Lando with the Gamorrean Guard will be a Target exclusive, and the guard has an articulated jaw. There is also a Zuckuss figure, which will be exclusive to Toys “R” Us.
Looking ahead to Solo: A Star Wars Story, Hasbro has a Black Series figure wave featuring Han Solo, Qi’Ra, Lando, Beckett, a Range Trooper, plus a Wal Mart exclusive Mimban Storm Trooper.
The Black Series isn’t limited to just action figures and vehicles, with props and costume pieces. New in 2018 is a Z6 Riot Baton from The Last Jedi, which has spinning elements in addition to lights and sound effects from the film. A new Darth Vader electronic helmet was also on display, with under helmet details.
Following the success of the 40th Anniversary Black Series packaging from 2018, Hasbro has launched The Vintage Collection, which packages modern Black Series figures in nostalgic packaging that mirrors the original Kenner toys. The first wave was on display, which features Supreme Leader Snoke, First Order Stormtrooper, Hoth Rebel Soldier, Jyn Erso, Kylo Ren, and Rey in her Jakku outfit. Wave 2 will feature a Death Trooper, Dr. Aphra, Rey in her Island Journey costume (Wal Mart exclusive), a Range Trooper, Mimban Storm Trooper (Wal Mart exclusive) and Han Solo from Solo: A Star Wars Story. They also teased a few figures from wave 3, which will include Cassian Andor and Luke Skywalker in his The Last Jedi costume. Lastly, they teased for 2019 a Vintage Collection figure of Saelt-Marae (Yakface).
The Vintage Collection isn’t limited to just figures and one of the Rogue One vehicles, Imperial Combat Assault Tank, will be part of the line.
A dream come true for longtime collectors, Hasbro is launching a crowd funding program called HasLab. Their first project is Jabba’s Sail Barge from Return of the Jedi. 5,000 fans are needed to make this dream a reality and the price is high at $499.99, but there’s no cooler way to display your figures and Hasbro has partnered with the Lucasfilm Archives to ensure that the ship is as detailed as possible, including new rooms created just for the toy like a cockpit and kitchen. It comes with a detailed Jabba the Hut figure and is designed by Mark Boudreaux. It comes with a detailed 64-page book about the making of the piece, free shipping, and a Vintage Collection themed collectible box. It measures 4 feet long, so be sure to clear a place of honor in your home and hearts for this collectible treasure. Shipping is free and it is expected to ship by February 2019. If you’re interested in owning this priceless treasure, be sure to register at HasLab before April 3rd. If the 5,000 goal is not reached, you won’t be charged and Jabba’s Sail Barge will sadly not be produced.
Moving away from the adult collectible market, a series of 3.75 inch figures are coming soon from Solo: A Star Wars Story. These use Force Link 2.0 technology, which has Bluetooth interactivity that allows kids to download updates as well as recognize nearby friends with Force Link, allowing figures to interact.
Star Wars: Forces of Destiny expands with new dolls, including Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren. The line also expands to include boys like Luke Skywalker, Kylo Ren, and Chewbacca.
Nerf has a few Star Wars items as well, including the Rival Blaster, which will launch at Game Stop and expand to Best Buy stores in the future. The Glowstrike Blaster will also be readily available.
Getting into more adorable territory, Ultimate Co-Pilot Chewie is a collaboration with Hasbro’s FurReal brand of animated pets. He has over 100 sounds and expressions and is guaranteed to be one of the hottest toys of 2018.
The Mighty Mugs line is about to explode with more Star Wars characters than you can count, including Maz Kanata. I already had Princess Leia in my personal collection, whose emotions include happy, angry, and sassy. Darth Vader was in my Hasbro swag bag and it’s hilarious how they’ve modified the shape of his eyes and mouth piece to slightly to convey sinister joy, force choke anger, and his general indifference.
The classic game of Operation gets a Last Jedi spin with Chewbacca. Don’t worry, you’re not removing things from his body, but you are helping to get those adorable porgs out of his hair.
A new card game called “I’ve Got a Bad Feeling About This” offers game play similar to “Exploding Cats.” It’s great for the whole family and puts each player in funny situations, recommended for ages 12 and up.
The classic game of Monopoly receives another Star Wars overlay, this one themed to Solo.
Star Wars is also applied to Hasbro’s Mr. Potato Head line, with a four pack of mini figures themed to Yoda, Chewbacca, Kylo Ren, and R2-D2. Han Solo and Chewbacca are also available in the traditional sign just in time for the release of Solo. There’s also a BB-8 in a special storage container.
Bonus: Power Rangers
In the past, Saban’s Power Rangers has intersected with both Disney and Fox. Originally broadcast on Fox Kids and with its first two theatrical films released by 20th Century Fox, Ranger mania was at its zenith during the Fox era. Disney acquired the franchise in 2001 with the purchase of Fox Family and continued the series until 2009, when they sold it back to Saban. Power Rangers is currently celebrating its 25th Anniversary and Hasbro recently announced that they will begin producing toys in 2019, winning the franchise from Bandai, who has produced toys since the series began in 1993. Brian Casentini, Producer of the series, was at Hasbro’s Toy Fair presentation to share news that the next series is called Beast Morphers, which will air on Nickelodeon (Nick has broadcast rights to the franchise through 2021). I have an incredible amount of nostalgia for this franchise and associate with both Fox and Disney, which is why I’m including it here and sharing that in addition to toys from the new series, Hasbro is promising throwback toys aimed at collectors like the Black Series and Legends lines.
Walking away from Hasbro’s exhibit at Toy Fair 2018, I couldn’t stop thinking about all of the cool toys I saw. Investing in Jabba’s Sail Barge is tempting, and I plan to seek out the Marvel Studios 10th Anniversary Legends collection. But if I had to pick one item that’s at the top of my list, it’s definitely Ultimate Co-Pilot Chewbacca. Which Hasbro product are you most excited for in 2018? Leave a comment below.
Click here to see more Disney, Star Wars, and Marvel toys from Toy Fair 2018.