By George & Josh Bate
Star Wars Celebration Japan is now in full swing as fans from all over the galaxy have gathered for a convention that has everything – from movies and TV shows to books, games, and collectibles. On the show floor, fans can find Hasbro’s booth, with the iconic toy company once again returning to Star Wars Celebration. Like previous events, Hasbro came prepared with plenty of news and reveals in their Friday panel, highlighting new additions to their Black Series and Vintage Collection lines. A variety of new figures were revealed to excited fans, including some new Star Wars Jedi: Survivor items (equipped with a fan favorite: the legendary Turgle).
Check out a full breakdown (including HD picture gallery, pre-order info, and more) of the newly announced Hasbro figures here.
Following the panel, Star Wars Holocron and The HoloFiles had an opportunity to sit down with producer design Chris Reif and Jing Houle, Global Manager, Brand Development & Marketing at Hasbro, to discuss all of the upcoming products, how the design team approached the new figures, and what fans can expect moving forward.
Gaming Figures: A Rising Force in the Star Wars Toy Galaxy
The Star Wars title with arguably the most attention during Hasbro’s panel was Jedi Survivor, the follow-up to the beloved 2019 game Jedi: Fallen Order. New figures include Cal Kestis with a horseshoe mustache (a nod to the game’s wildly creative customization), Nightsister Merrin, and more – and the Hasbro team explained how the popularity of the EA/Respawn game played a part in the release of the new figures. “Gaming greats like Survivor are a huge part of Star Wars right now,” Reif said. “It’s just part of the mélange of properties we have to choose from and continue building on.”
Clearly, Hasbro looks at the growing popularity of Star Wars video games as a crucial component of a galaxy far, far away, hence its prevalence in their line of toys alongside films and television series. “We’ve shown a lot of great ongoing gaming figures,” they explained. “And I don’t see any signs that’s gonna stop. The response has been good.” With another Cal Kestis adventure in active development, and plenty of other iconic games in the franchise, the Hasbro team confirms that the Gaming Greats line is in full swing with no signs of slowing down.
Technology & Toys: Realism Meets Playability
The Hasbro team also addressed the ever-evolving technology used to create their figures, which seem to get more detailed and accurate with every passing year. When questioned on just how these technological advancements have influenced the current wave of Star Wars toys Hasbro is producing, the duo emphasized the importance of both realism and playability in development. “Over time, technology and innovations have been placed in ways that allow us to explore and enhance the realism,” Reif said. “But also, the playability of our figures.”
To illustrate this, the Hasbro team addressed the newly announced Bantha action figure (more on that later), highlighting how this iteration is more detailed, realistic, and screen-accurate than any previous toys of the iconic Tatooine-based species. Finding the right balance between playability and realism is a clear priority to the Hasbro team, who point out that fans expect more than just display pieces; rather, they want figures that can pose dynamically, hold up steadily during handling, all while retaining that screen-accurate appearance. Whether it’s seamless articulation, lifelike facial detailing (such as the tattoos on Merrin’s face of her new Black Series and Vintage Collection figures), Reif and Houle reiterated that Hasbro is “constantly refining their approach” to ensure they meet the high standards and expectations have for their products.
Diving even deeper into the cutting-edge technology the Hasbro crew is clearly excited about utilizing moving forward, the duo specifically highlighted developments in face printing and decorative detailing. “We’ve done a lot of work with our manufacturing partners on new ways to decorate things,” they noted. “Inkjet faces and ink touch technology in general—it’s A-to-B ink setting. The machines are great, and it allows us to do some [never before done] incredible stuff.”
The proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes, as Hasbro’s products are reflective of the incredible designers and technology contributing to their creation. “We want subtle but impactful upgrades in every figure. You get a lot of very subtle detail,” they said. “We started that with Black Series and we’re doing it on The Vintage Collection now. Like the interior walls of the cantina—we’re adding subtle weathering and effects that weren’t there before.”
The topic of hidden articulation was also addressed; the term refers to smart, seamless joints that don’t interrupt the sculpt. “Things like articulation at the top of the glove or the booth—it’s stuff you don’t even think about at first, but it’s awesome,” they said. “There’s this layer of hidden engineering that really elevates the whole experience.”
Behind the Scenes: Experimentation and Prototyping
The Hasbro team went on to give fans a little peek into their private and secretive internal process for figure development. “We experiment a lot, even internally,” the team revealed. “Technology-wise, like with 3D printing, we’re always testing things.” Reif even revealed that Hasbro has a full lineup of 3D printers solely dedicated to sculpting and articulation tests. “If the team wants to try a new hip articulation, we’ll print it, play with it, see how it works,” he stated. This allows the designers to iterate quickly and refine specific details well in advance of the product’s release.
The team also makes use of “proto tools” to do small part runs in actual plastic, thus testing to see how a given item is able to hold up in real-world conditions before they are scaled up. “All that sort of stuff is ongoing,” they added. “It’s part of our day-to-day development.”
Star Wars Toys and the Legacy of Behind-the-Scenes Craftsmanship
For Hasbro, a major component that makes working on toys from a galaxy far, far away so rewarding is the legacy of craftsmanship that’s always been at the core of Star Wars figures. “Star Wars has a reputation—not just for being amazing on screen, but also behind the scenes,” they said. “We want to reflect that in our figures.”
Having that philosophy has helped to drive their attention to even the smallest of details: surface textures, tiny tattoos, or even environmental weathering. “Sometimes we do things like add tiny facial tattoos on a character’s head,” they explained. “It might seem small, but it’s stuff like that that makes it feel real.” Moreover, not all of it is easy to discern. immediately obvious. “Some of it is right in your face, sure. But a lot of it is hidden—subtle detailing, engineering choices, even regulatory steps we take to make sure it all works.”
The Future of Star Wars Toys: What’s Got the Hasbro Team Excited
Before wrapping up, the Hasbro team expanded upon some of the teases they made during their panel. While careful not to spoil anything, the two acknowledged some imagery revealed during the key panels of this year’s Star Wars Celebration is a hint at what’s to come in years to come. “There are some really exciting things on the horizon,” they said. “Things we’re thrilled to dig into.” The Mandalorian and Grogu, the next Star Wars film to hit theaters, is confirmed to be a major part of Hasbro’s future lineup, with Houle adding that the release of the film “will be huge [for Hasbro],” with plenty of new figures from the movie in active development.
Reif, meawhile, showed some special enthusiasm for the newly announced Star Wars: Starfighter film starring Ryan Gosling. “That’s right up my alley,” he said. “I’m really passionate about that one, so being part of the figure work around it—that’s awesome.”
From gaming-based figures to innovative engineering and passionate storytelling, Hasbro has once again delivered on its promise for the Star Wars line, with new products that are both “forward-thinking and fan-focused.” With subtle sculpting choices and new tools at their disposal (such as 3D printing), the team are clearly committed to continuing their tradition of releasing figures that truly look and feel like the characters while still practical and engaging for buyers. So, as the Star Wars franchise heads toward a new era, Hasbro’s approach demonstrates a deep understanding of what makes this epic franchise so long lasting.