Gary Collinson gets hands on with Sideshow and Hot Toys’ The Mandalorian & The Child sixth scale figure…
For many a Star Wars fan, particularly those of the Kenner generation, the adventures that played out in our homes with those little plastic versions of our heroes and villains were as integral – if not even more so – to forming our passion for the galaxy far, far away as those that George Lucas unleashed from his own toybox onto the big screen.
Whereas once we were limited to those iconic Kenner figures from the Original Trilogy, fans now find themselves spoiled for choice, both in terms of the sheer amount of in-canon content to keep up with, and the variety of action figures (3.75″ and 6″ scale, retro figures, vinyl figures, minifigures…) available to both kids and collectors alike.
However, for those whose passion for Star Wars action figures has continued well into adulthood, a new gold standard has emerged in recent times with Sideshow and Hot Toys, who’ve rightfully earned the spot by delivering incredibly realistic, screen-accurate sixth-scale replicas for the best part of the past decade and giving serious collectors the all-but-definitive versions we’d imagined those little 3.75″ figs to be back in the day.
As Star Wars has branched out beyond the Skywalker Saga in recent years, so too has Hot Toys’ Star Wars offerings, with a range of Television Masterpiece Series figures expanding the line and bringing 12″ life to characters across Lucasfilm’s various Disney+ live-action shows and animated series. And when Sideshow and Hot Toys were kind enough to offer Flickering Myth the opportunity to get hands on with one of these, there was only one choice. Well, two…
Yes, I am of course talking about the father-son combo of Din Djarin and Din Grogu, or as the pair are referred to on this specific Hot Toys release from the first season of the acclaimed Disney+ series from Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, The Mandalorian & The Child.
The deluxe set is actually a “three-in-one” and includes a 12″ Din Djarin in his Beskar armor, along with not one but two different versions of young Grogu, both standing and prone. The latter of which is designed for display in his floating Space Pram, which is also included in the package along with a host of weapons, accessories and interchangeable pieces, giving Mando everything he needs for bringing in bounties warm, or cold.
The first thing that’s apparent when unboxing is the number of parts and accessories included alongside Mando and Grogu, but let’s be honest, we need to get right to the little green elephant in the room…
‘Baby Yoda’ has captured the hearts of many a Star Wars fan (and many a non-fan) since his surprise debut in the series opener of The Mandalorian, and Hot Toys has done a fantastic job with the former Jedi youngling here. There’s little in the way of articulation beyond the feet of the standing figure and the interchangeable head pieces, but the sculpting and paintwork across both of these are a delight and really bring the character to life in all of his adorable cuteness, right down to his tiny little teeth. If adding a sixth scale Grogu to your collection is your primary aim from this set, then you’re certainly not going to be disappointed in the slightest.
While Grogu steals the show (as he did in the TV series), the Mandalorian figure itself is not going to disappoint either; built around a base figure with over 30 points of articulation, there’s a spectacular level of intricate detail in the outfit, from the stitching in the fabric to the removeable ammunition, and the figure comes with a number of customisable options including an alternate shoulder pauldrons and gauntlets. The designers have done real justice to the iconic Mandalorian armor whilst retaining a good amount of posability, and so you can rest assured that the figure is going to look great, whether for photography purposes, or just displaying on your shelf.
Mando also comes with a seven interchangeable hands allowing Din to show off his arsenal of weaponry and bounty hunting tools. As with any Mandalorian, this includes the customary flamethrower and grappling hook and whistling birds, along with thermal detonators, dagger, blaster and Amban phase-pulse blaster (a welcome accessory for hardcore fans for sure, along with the ‘camtono’ – a.k.a. the Ice Cream Maker of The Empire Strikes Back fame). Throw in some Beskar, Grogu’s necklace, fire/flameflower effects, display stand and more, and there’s plenty packed into the box
If there’s anything to “disappoint” here, it would be the lack of an alternative headpiece based on Pedro Pascal; however, that won’t be an issue if your Din Djarin chooses to walk the Way of the Mandalore (unless you want to keep dipping your figure in the living waters beneath the mines of Mandalore after every head-swap). However, if you do want that option then Sideshow has you covered with an alternate The Mandalorian & Grogu (Deluxe Set) based on season two of The Mandalorian, although that comes with a different Grogu and accessories (no Space Pram, but you do get the Darksaber).
Along with Mando and Grogu, Sideshow has a fantastic range of Hot Toys sixth scale figures from The Mandalorian, with many of them available at the time of writing under a Buy One Get One 50% Off deal. That’s a great opportunity to get a discount on what is admittedly not a cheap purchase, although one that certainly delivers if you have the cash to spare, or you’re looking to get a special gift to delight that Star Wars fan in your life this Christmas.
The Mandalorian & The Child was provided by Sideshow for review purposes.
