The best Star Wars merch announced at Celebration 2023, and where to get it
As always, a boatload of Star Wars merch was announced at this year's Star Wars Celebration. Ranging from hyper-detailed action figures to a dark new narrative in the High Republic books, there was plenty to geek out about. However, that also means it was easy to miss some cool announcements which got caught up in the rush.
That's why I've listed all of the best Star Wars merch unveiled during the event below. 2023 had a very good showing - whether it was an unexpected but awesome replica, some of Hasbro's best action figures, and even new Star Wars board games, fans ate well. Mark my words, many of these products will find their way onto Star Wars gifts wishlists before long.
Must-have Black Series and Vintage Collection figures, including the best Darth Vader
The Hasbro panel showed off a lot of awesome Star Wars merch that fans went wild for, ranging from Return of the Jedi throwbacks to Mando-era favorites. As I mentioned in my panel roundup, that included what might be the best Darth Vader action figure. Although it seems like any other Vader model at first glance, it features a removable helmet that comes away in three parts - just like the movie. A hand can also be removed to show broken wires underneath, as if it's just been slashed off by Luke in his rage. That makes it the most versatile of the Vaders we've had before now, so if you wanted the ultimate figure of the Sith Lord at the Black Series six-inch scale, this could be it. You can preorder it ahead of launch in August from Hasbro Pulse for $24.99 / £24.99.
There's no denying how incredible the Force ghost trio is, either. These figures ($77.99 from Pulse or £79.99 in the UK) are clad in strange, translucent robes that give them an otherworldly look exactly like the films. The new head sculpts are eerily accurate, too.
In terms of pricing and release date, most of the above are available to pre-order from Hasbro Pulse. There's a lot to list here individually so you can check them all in the 'new' Star Wars section on the Pulse site, but generally speaking, The Vintage Collection costs $16.99 / £16.99 each, The Black Series is $24.99 / £24.99 per item, and big hitters like the N1 are around $131.99 / £139.99. Most launch in summer, but the N1 lands by Christmas. Well, in theory - it's currently sold out, so watch out for other retailers like Zavvi in the coming days.
The same is true of the new Luke from the end of Return of the Jedi, not to mention a fresh multi-pack featuring beloved background characters such as Squid Head from Jabba's barge. (Speaking of Jabba, he got his first new figure since 2014… and it's suitably epic.)
It wasn't just about Return of the Jedi toys, though; the Mandalorian era got plenty of love too. While I was excited about Cad Bane's Black Series upgrade (the bounty hunter is one of my favorite Star Wars characters, so that's a given) and the addition of Dok-Ondar from the Galaxy's Edge Disney parks got me hyped, the biggest fuss was made over Mando's N1 starfighter from The Vintage Collection. This is a surprisingly intricate model with oodles of detail beneath the missing panels, and it comes with a three-inch Din Djarin packing most of the accessories he's used throughout the show's run. It's $131.99 / £139.99 from Hasbro Pulse.
Animatronic Chopper is all kinds of sassy
With the Ahsoka series becoming an impromptu Star Wars: Rebels reunion, grumpy droid Chopper is along for the ride. And that means merch like this animatronic toy from Hasbro is also on the way.
Although it's not full-size (which is fair enough, because otherwise, it'd be as tall as your average trash can), it's got more than 40 sound and movement combinations. As per Hasbro's animatronic LOLA, Chatter Back Chopper also responds to background noises and can be posed in various positions.
Chatter Back Chopper can be preordered for $79.99 from Hasbro Pulse or £82.99 in the UK, which is in line with the animatronic LOLA from last year. It'll hit shelves by November 2023, and should be available at other retailers before long.
I got a chance to see Chatter Back Chopper in action, and it really captures the personality of the galaxy's sassiest droid. Its arms wave around manically, it frantically wobbles from side to side whilst nattering at you, and offers spot-on sound effects. It even listens to what you're saying and gives a snarky comeback in droid-speak. Suffice to say, I was really quite taken with it.
A replica helmet that brings back all the feels
The Hasbro panel showed off a lot of awesome Star Wars merch that fans went wild for, ranging from Return of the Jedi throwbacks to an all-new replica. Indeed, we had the pleasure of exclusively revealing Star Wars The Black Series Ahsoka's Clone Trooper helmet ahead of the Star Wars Celebration event.
I managed to see it on the show floor later that day, and it was as impressive in person as it looks in promo shots. That weathering is next-level, vastly improving on the good but plain Clone Trooper helmet that was unveiled last year. In fact, I'd say it's on par with the excellent Black Series Bo-Katan helmet thanks to the convincing paintwork.
Lego offers eye-catching dioramas and a Ultimate Collector Series update
Just ahead of Star Wars Celebration, Lego dropped a raft of new kits based on Return of the Jedi - the UCS X-Wing and Return of the Jedi dioramas. These adult-focused packs recreate some of the movie's most iconic moments, and one of the saga's most iconic ships.
The two dioramas launch on May 1, but they're available to pre-order now. The Endor Speeder Chase costs $79.99 / £69.99 at Lego, and the Emperor's Throne Room will set you back $99.99 / £89.99. Meanwhile, the UCS X-Wing hits shelves on May 4 and will cost $239.99 / £209.99. If you're a Lego VIP member (which is free to sign up for, by the way), you can pre-order it early on May 1.
Both the Endor Speeder Chase and Emperor's Throne Room kits follow the tradition laid down by some of the best Lego Star Wars sets by turning a memorable scene into a bricky diorama complete with a display stand and quote. That - and the fact that they don't have too many pieces - makes them perfect for anyone getting back into Lego as a grown-up. They don't take up too much space on your shelf but are incredibly eye-catching in-person (particularly the Speeder Bike Chase), so these should be fine additions to your collection.
The new X-Wing is where it's really at, though. Despite being a lot more expensive (as is the way for these super-detailed Ultimate Collector Series kits), it's much bigger than the previous version and feels more screen-accurate. This is the biggest X-Wing Lego's ever made too, but not so massive you'll struggle to store it, so it's a suitable tribute if you're a fan of the Rebellion's workhorse starfighter.
Bad Batch season 2 gets the Black Series treatment
The show's second season may have wrapped up, but Star Wars Celebration kept that train rolling thanks to the reveal of Black Series action figures based on those episodes. In other words, Clone Force 99 has had a revamp that brings them in line with their mercenary appearance, including Omega and her bow.
Besides Omega, most of these are Walmart exclusives and will be available for pre-order on May 4. They cost $24.99 / £24.99 each.
As with previous Bad Batch drops, they all have a more realistic look befitting The Black Series. It remains a novelty to see what these animated characters would be like in 'real' life, and when combined with a very crisp paint job and really nice head sculpts, they're some of the nicer figures I saw while going around the Hasbro show floor.
Unfortunately, Crosshair isn't included within this set. Perhaps we'll see him a little down the line along with characters like Hemlock, Phee, Cid, Rex, or the proto-Stormtroopers that have started to make an appearance recently.
What we did get was a troop builder Clone Commando figure. These soldiers have been lurking in the background for quite some time on The Bad Batch, so it's cool to get one here with all the accessories you'd expect from this range.
Things get dark for the High Republic
If you've not kept up with the High Republic book series, you need to remedy that asap - it's a genuinely fascinating new story set over a century before Episode 1, back when the Jedi were at their peak. A new Phase was just announced that takes us back to the characters who started it all, continuing a story that was left in a dark place.
None of the new High Republic books are available for pre-order yet, but they should appear within the next few months from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the rest. For now, you can check out the full range via the official Star Wars site.
This wave is called 'Trials of the Jedi' and will begin at the end of 2023, picking up the conflict with the Nihil pirates around a year after they destroyed Starlight Beacon. Things look pretty grim for the guardians of peace and justice as a result - the Nihil have essentially won. As such, it seems like this will be a story of the Jedi trying to come back from the brink. Maybe this is the beginning of the descent that leads them into the more dogmatic, restrictive approach of the prequel era? It'd certainly make sense, what with a book character turning up in a new show set a few decades later (as revealed at Celebration, The Acolyte will feature Vernestra Rwoh in live action).
Honey, I shrunk the Funko
The company most famous for its bobbleheads had a quieter Star Wars Celebration, but there were still some cool announcements on tap. Along with a brand-new card game called Star Wars Rivals (which we were able to exclusively reveal, luckily enough), Funko offered 'Bitty Pops' that shrink those figures down to teeny display versions.
At the moment, you can pre-order the Bitty Pops from Amazon for $14.99 per multi-pack. Meanwhile, Star Wars Rivals arrives on May 4 for £18.99 at Funko's official site (it's $19.99 in the US, but we've yet to see it stores).
For starters, Star Wars Rivals is a battle between iconic characters as you struggle to take territory using your hero or villains' unique abilities. To an extent, it's reminiscent of the Funkoverse Strategy Game series in that it can be added to with character booster packs from every era.
As for the Bitty Pops, these come in packs of four that get you three named and one random figure. These are all based on A New Hope, so expect characters like farmboy Luke, Han, Greedo, Obi-Wan, and Darth Vader.
Jazwares recreates the Battle of Endor
Remember those old starship action figures we used to get back in the '90s and early 2000s? Jazwares sure does, and the company is killing it with these Micro Galaxy Squadrons - they may as well be spiritual successors. During its panel at Star Wars Celebration, the company pulled back the curtain on Series V with a whole load of new Star Wars merch covering every era.
I've not been able to find these items on offer yet, but they should be available via the likes of Amazon before long. To see more about them, you can check out the official Star Wars post.
In spite of there being some very cool ships from the prequel and sequel eras, the best offerings were dedicated to Return of the Jedi. This ran the gamut of a Battle of Endor Millennium Falcon (complete with a missing radar dish after it's knocked off in the second Death Star) to an Amazon-exclusive Endor AT-AT that's spattered with mud from the forest world.
I managed to take a look at these while wandering the show floor, and they're just like those old Action Fleet toys. For fellow '90s kids, that's a real draw.
Young Jedi Adventures has adorable toys for young Padawans
The upcoming preschool Star Wars show looks unbelievably cute, and it is of course getting a wealth of new toys.
These action figures aren't available for pre-order right now, but the characters go for $6.99 each, speeders are $16.99, their ship (the Crimson Firehawk) hovers in the $44.99 area, and the Tenoo Jedi Temple playset is $89.99. I haven't been able to find UK pricing just yet, but can imagine the GBP being in a similar ballpark (£4.99 or £5.99 per character, for example).
Besides chunky little action figures that go with speeders for your kids to zoom around with, the range includes a sizable temple playhouse that reminds me of those castle or Ghostbuster firehouse sets many of us had as youngsters - there are multiple 'rooms' and a bisected design for easy access.
These all land 'summer 2023', so a short while after the series starts streaming on May 4. Far enough away for your kids to have chosen a favorite character, in other words.
And now... Indiana Jones?
OK, so it's not Star Wars… but it is Lucasfilm, and that means we got a good look at upcoming Indiana Jones action figures during Star Wars Celebration. Aside from an Indy-based on his first appearance in Raiders of the Lost Ark (including the golden idol and a plinth to put it on), most of these were based on its prequel, Temple of Doom.
These figures aren't up for pre-order yet, but it won't be long. They'll retail for around $24.99 / £24.99.
Along with multiple versions of Indiana Jones (such as his rugged look on the rope bridge and his shirtless, hypnotized costume deep underground), we're also getting a spot-on rendition of Short Round. This comes complete with a soft-goods coat and multiple hats. All of these have spot-on renditions of the actors who played those roles, and it's surprising to see how good they are up close.
We got a better look at Dial of Destiny figures, too. An older Indy built from the ground up was shown off with a ton of accessories, and he's being joined by his god-daughter - played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge - with a head sculpt that looks scarily like the actor. We didn't manage to see an action figure version of Mads Mikkleson's villain, but that is apparently on the way too in the not-so-distant future.
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