A new chapter of “Star Wars” isn’t complete without the merchandise. The toys and products help fans get closer to their favorite characters and films.
For its Triple Force Friday event, Disney announced a series of products tied to three entries to the popular franchise. The event was sprinkled with Hasbro action figures and Funko collectibles for “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” film, the Disney+ series “The Mandolarian” and “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order” video game. It also featured an array of T-shirts, lunchboxes and drinkware.
The more impressive products were on the expensive side but they packed some cool features. After checking them out briefly, here are my top 5 “Star Wars” products that fans should check out this holiday season:
1. “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order”: Respawn Entertainment, the developers behind the popular “Apex Legends” franchise, is behind this entry in “a galaxy far far away.” Taking place after Order 66, players find themselves in the role of Cal Kestis, a Padawan who escaped the mass slaughter of the republic guardians. He tries to keep his identity secret but ends up embroiled in a saga that could help resurrect the Jedi Order. At the same time, he has to fend off the Second Sister, an Imperial inquisitor trained by Darth Vader.
The game looks promising and features what writer Aaron Contreras calls a Metroidvania-like structure. That likely means that players will be unlocking new abilities and using them to revisit planets. If Respawn can pull off a third-person action-adventure game, this could breathe new life into the “Star Wars” video game franchise. The game is retailing for $59.99 but there will be a special edition Xbox One X and Xbox One S that includes the Deluxe Edition of the game and 1 month of EA access. A special “Star Wars” controller appears to be sold separately. “Fallen Order” is scheduled for release Nov. 15.
2. Ultimate D-0: The past few droids tied to the movie releases were focused on a BB-8 and BB-9E. The high-tech toys brought a piece of the films to life courtesy of impressive engineering. For the “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” Hasbro is introducing D-0, which moves away from the spherical design and puts the droid on a wheel. It looks like a prequel droid on top of a unicycle, but the new design is nothing to sneeze at.
Similar to the BB-8, D-0 connects to a mobile device or tablet, and users can control it in the same way. A new addition is the ball that comes with the droid. It features an IR technology that attracts D-0 toward it. Like a dog, it looks for the ball. The gadget has an ambient mode that lets it roam around the house, doing droid-like things. From trailers of “The Rise of Skywalker” and other products, it seems like D-0 is a sidekick to BB-8. The D-0 droid will sell for $149 as a Target exclusive.
3. Kylo Ren Force FX Elite: If you’re looking for the top-of-the-line lightsaber, look no further than this one. The Force FX Elite sword has some heft with its all-metal hilt. The design has been updated to reflect the upcoming film, but the technology in the saber is the most impressive element. The lightsaber has individual pulsing LEDs that allow the light to pulse as a user holds it. When a user swings it around, the lights individually flicker in and out to give a realistic effect of blocking blaster shots. If it’s used on a door, the lightsaber will change color to make it look like it’s cutting through the surface. It’s a nifty trick — but one that retails at $299.
4. Lego Millenium Falcon: The company updated this version of the legendary ship. It looks like a solid piece of Lego upfront, but the “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” Millennium Falcon set lifts up to reveal the insides of the ship. Users can see Lando, C-3PO and newcomer Boolio aboard the ship. With all the added material on the inside, the set is hefty — but fans will appreciate the detail inside. The Falcon is just one of five “Star Wars” sets coming out for the movie. The others include Kylo Ren’s shuttle set, the Pasaana Speeder Chase set, Resistance A-Wing Starfighter set and the Resistance Y-wing Starfighter set. This version of the Millennium Falcon runs $159.
5. Light Side/Dark Side Vivofit Jr. 2 Unlike the $475 “Star Wars” watches from Citizen, this fitness tracker from Garmin tells the time and is a little more affordable. The device is made for children and it encourages them to exercise by gamifying activities. The play that they do in the real world unlocks adventure on the associated app. It’s a good way for children to get daily activity and some gaming in. The device is priced at $69.
Unless stated differently, all the products mentioned above will be available Oct. 4.