It’s safe to assume that the moment the rebuilt IG-12 stepped onscreen in The Mandalorian with Grogu at the controls, every toy company in the world saw the potential. Even though it got wrecked in the next episode, it’s still a crowd-pleaser and super-toyetic, so don’t expect any of those toy plans to get canceled. Hot Toys is even sweetening the deal, by including a deluxe version with add-on accessories for several other Mandalorian characters to level up with.
To Upgrade – Yes or No?
Even the basic version includes a sound chip that can say “Yes” or “No,” as well as a Grogu and an Anzellan (Babu Frik’s species), and some food accessories. The Anzellan features interchangeable arms, and the droid body can grip things with its claws.
The deluxe version, on the other hand includes two additional pre-posed Anzellans, Grogu’s hover pram, an energy shield and shoulder pad for Bo-Katan, a “heated-up” deco version of Paz Vizsla’s heavy blaster, Imperial Commando shield/baton/jetpack for Din Djarin to purloin (with magnetic function), and a Mouse Droid. The difference in price is close to $100 — $264 versus $360 — but the upcharge is mostly worth it to collectors who regularly drop a lot of coin on Hot Toys figures anyway.
Grogu’s brief adventures in the mech suit might lead him to something else similar, yet different, in the future. In the meantime, this might be the best episode-specific hero variant. Take a look through the gallery below and see if you agree with that assessment.
