Touring the toys of Hasbro’s May the 4th Be With You event, Nerdist saw plenty of cool goodies for Star Wars fans–those young and not so young alike. The most exciting might be the groundbreaking line of Star Wars: Forces of Destiny toys, which you can check out in the gallery below. But don’t you dare call them “dolls.” Hasbro’s Senior Principal Designer Mark Boudreaux and Senior Manager Global Brand Marketing Partner Andy Ochiltree prefer these toy versions of Princess Leia Organa, Rey, Jyn Erso, and Sabine Wren be referred to as “adventure figures.”
Sure, they might look closer to Barbie or Monster High fashion dolls than the traditional 6-inch action-figure designs Star Wars has offered for decades. But both Hasbro heads were hesitant to use a word that might gender toys that are testing well among girls and boys alike. Olichtree explained that kids are “responding to the characters, not the format” of the figures from The Empire Strikes Back, The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and Star Wars Rebels.
Bourdreaux, who has been designing Star Wars toys since the very first Kenner run in 1977, agreed. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a guy or gal,” he said. “It’s the heroes. It’s the villains. It’s the droids. It’s the ships. It’s the worlds! It’s such a rich environment.” That’s what draws Star Wars fans to theaters and the toy aisle. And he believes the adventure figure not only captures the character of these idolized heroines, but also “bridges the gap between the traditional action figure and [the fashion doll].”
Ochiltree pointed out that these toys represent a new hybrid, boasting the rooted hair and fine facial details of fashion dolls–Leia looks strikingly like Carrie Fisher, and Rey has Daisy Ridley’s freckles!–as well robo-buddy accessories (namely R2-D2 and BB-8) and action moves. If you squeeze the deluxe Rey’s legs together, her body will spin do deliver a staff swing! Ochiltree explained, “[The designers have] infused a lot of the action, and a lot of the universe of Star Wars into this format, and really created something cool.” He added, “I’ve got two daughters, I cannot wait to get them the Leia. My daughters have been asking for these for months.”
Sadly, we’ll all have a few more months to wait. Star Wars: Forces of Destiny adventure figures won’t hit stores until August 1st. Check out our gallery below to see the full lineup of toys. Which character would you like to see get the “adventure figure” treatment next?
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