The new year is finally upon us! Star Wars Celebration Anaheim, season two of Star Wars Rebels, and the highly anticipated sequel, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, are on the horizon. Before those events come to pass, there have been several updates and news reports from the Star Wars toy collecting community. To bring you up to speed with the latest information, this roundup highlights the most relevant and popular items to keep your eyes on.
No Toys Based on The Force Awakens at Toy Fair 2015
Hasbro announced on January 5 that no toys based on Star War: The Force Awakens will be shown at Toy Fair 2015 in New York City, a trade-only event for toy and youth entertainment professionals scheduled for February 14-17.
“Obviously, we know that there’s a huge amount of anticipation for Star Wars toys this year, and we wanted to be forthcoming about this as we know it might make a difference for some of you in regards to travel plans.”
Read the entire press release here.
The Force Awakens Hasbro Product List
Rebelscum posted a Hasbro product list for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which includes 3.75 figures, The Black Series, toy lightsabers, masks, and other items.
Visit Rebelscum to read the entire list of products.
Hasbro Digital Release Box Sets
It appears Hasbro plans to release products in conjunction with the digital releases of the Star Wars films sometime around May the Fourth, though the release date could also be sooner than that, according to Jedi News.
The figures appear to be from the Saga Legends line. Also, I find the lack of female action figures disturbing. Both trilogies have prominent female characters, and once again, they’ve been neglected. The Saga Legends action figure of Princess Leia as Boushh would have fit in quite nicely.
For more information, visit Jedi News.
New 2015 Topps Trading Card Series
Topps will be releasing five Star Wars trading card series in 2015: Star Wars Masterwork (February 11), Star Wars Rebels (February 25), Star Wars Illustrated (April 29), 3D Widevision (web exclusive, June 10), and Star Wars Chrome Perspectives (August 5).
According to the details over at ICv2, the Star Wars Rebels series includes 100 character, vehicle and scene cards, Rainbow Foil parallel cards, 20 stickers (one per pack), 10 tattoos (1:8), and approximately 500 sketch cards that will be randomly inserted.
LEGO Admiral Yularen, Hoth Han Solo, and Other LEGO Products
According to Groove Bricks, an Admiral Yularen polybag may be released as part of promotion for May the Fourth. Some fans have gone on to speculate that Admiral Yularen may appear in Star Wars Rebels, but that is just conjecture.
In February, the LEGO Store will be offering an exclusive Hoth Han Solo minifig with any LEGO Star Wars purchase.
Lastly, Jedi News recently received a list of 13 sets that will go on sale starting September 2015. Of those 13 sets, seven appear to be related to The Force Awakens (which may include a new Millennium Falcon and X-wing), while the remaining six sets are either Star Wars Rebels or Classic sets. For more information, visit Groove Bricks.
New Sideshow Collectibles Statues and Announcements
Various new items are coming to Sideshow Collectibles, a leading manufacturer of collectible figures, statues, and high-end pieces. Starting from the left, new Star Wars Ralph McQuarrie collectibles are coming soon, including the Stormtrooper statue. Premium format figures for Jango Fett and Darth Vader will also be available for pre-order in the near future. Ending on the far right is the TIE Fighter Sixth Scale figure, which will be available for pre-order on Thursday, January 15, 2015. In the meantime, the Darth Vader Sixth Scale figure by Hot Toys is currently available for pre-order at $299.99 and expected to ship in September 2015. Sign up for the Sideshow Collectibles newsletter and get $10 off your first order.
For those who pre-ordered certain items, including the Captain Rex Sixth Scale figure, shipments have been pushed to February and March 2015 due to a stoppage at Port of Long Beach and contract negotiations with union workers. As a result, Hasbro and Sideshow have been affected. To read more about the shipping delays, visit Yakface.com.
Square Enix: Variant Play Arts Kai, Darth Vader Statue
Square-Enix’s Variant Play Arts Kai toy line will be releasing a stylized Darth Vader action figure with the coolest lightsaber ever, creating the look of a whoosh effect when the lightsaber moves across the air! The figure comes with nine hands in total (one of them with a Force effect emanating from the palm), two lightsabers, and a stand.
Although there is no current release date for this Darth Vader figure, the suggested retail price is around $100. (via Nerd Approved)
2015 The Black Series 3.75-inch and 6-inch Figures
Jedi Temple Archives has the latest information about the upcoming 2015 waves of Hasbro’s The Black Series line. Confirmed 3.75-inch figures include CW Captain Rex, EpVI Princess Leia (Boushh Disguise), and CW Clone Commander Thorn, among others. Confirmed 6-inch figures include EpII Clone Captain, EpVI Princess Leia (Boushh Disguise), EpIII Clone Commander Cody, and many more.
Visit Jedi Temple Archives’ original report and the additional report that followed for more information.
Pre-Order Star Wars Revo Action Figures at DorksideToys
Visit DorksideToys to pre-order the Star Wars Revo 4-inch Japanese R2-D2 action figure and 6-inch Imperial Stormtrooper action figure. Manufactured by Revoltech, these figures have a wide range of motion and stability, allowing toy owners to create various dynamic poses.
The R2-D2 action figure is estimated to arrive in March, while the Stormtrooper action figure is scheduled to arrive this month. Make sure to place your pre-orders today!
Author: Johnamarie Macias
Johnamarie Macias is a proud Star Wars fangirl. She enjoys contributing to the fan community, working on her original story, and regularly updating her Star Wars-inspired blog, The Wookiee Gunner. She is also a contributor for Fangirl Next Door, and a co-host on “Rebels Chat”.