I don’t think any of us need to go back and revisit the whole #WheresRey movement to remember what it was all about. Depending on who you ask, there either wasn’t enough Rey-centric merchandise manufactured to meet the overwhelming demand, or there just weren’t many products made in the first place. Regardless of the cause, there was a noticeable absence in the toy stores, clothing departments, and anyplace else you cared to look… and that absence happened to be the lead character of the most anticipated movie of the decade. Oops.
But Hasbro, for its part, has picked up some of the slack. Some of their Rey toys are still hard to come by since they tend to get bought almost as soon as they hit Target or Toys R Us, but keep your eyes peeled. With every new wave of toys announced, there seems to be more and more Rey.
At this point, though, I still wouldn’t recommend shopping on Amazon, even though I link to it in this article. Almost all of these items are still grossly overpriced from third-party sellers hoping to prey on your – and your kids’ – desperation. My advice is to keep checking the stores. Your chances of bringing Rey home go up every day.
I’m going to focus here on toys that you might actually bring home for the kids and toys that they’ll actually be able to play with. Therefore, I’m leaving out the pricey Black Series figures and small diecast toys that don’t really do much. Still, open up your wallets, folks.
Rey’s Speeder, which is part of the Class I Deluxe Vehicle assortment, has been around (and available) the longest, but it’s still a pretty sweet ride. The Rey action figure that comes in this set is just as we first see her in The Force Awakens – with full “mask” and goggles. This is the only place where this version is available. But be warned, that’s not a removable helmet. You can’t take it off and see her face underneath, so if you’ve got a little one at home who’s desperate for an obviously Rey figure, this might not be your best bet. But it’s my daughter’s favorite version because of the outfit. She loves that look.
There are a couple 3.75-inch Rey action figures out there, but they both basically look the same (the only difference is that one comes with a vest). But, come on, she really only had one outfit for the entire movie (final 5 minutes notwithstanding, but even that wasn’t remarkably different). Of the two versions, I have to strongly recommend Rey (Resistance Outfit) over Snow Mission Rey (Starkiller Base). Why? The former comes with both a blaster and a lightsaber. The latter comes with some bizarre jetpack contraption that’s not from the movie. I mean, come on, if you’re going to buy Rey, you want her lightsaber, right?
Recalling the 12-inch figures of Kenner Star Wars history, the Rey 12-inch figure is pretty much what you think it is. If I’m being totally honest here, my daughter was decidedly not a fan of this one. Granted, she’s not a fan of dolls in general, but her major complaint was with the sculpt of Rey’s face. She thinks Rey’s hair looks like sideburns or a strange beard, and I gotta say…. she’s not wrong. And there’s no lightsaber. My two cents is that this figure could’ve been saved with a sweet 12-inch scale lightsaber.
Speaking of weapons, Anakin’s/Luke’s lightsaber is now rebranded as Rey’s lightsaber…and we’re definitely fans. The Bladebuilders version has some nice sound and light effects, but if we’re going to find a gripe, my kids don’t like that the blade doesn’t telescope all the way into the handle. As an aside, they have a couple lightsabers that do just that (from Walt Disney World), and even though they don’t light up or make any sounds, they’re still their preferred weapons of choice when the urge to duel comes on them. But for my part, I think this blade is awesome! Dueling with actual sounds of clashing lightsabers? Yes, please!
“Just pull the trigger.” After months of fighting off my son and resisting the call for a Nerf gun, we finally relented and brought Rey’s Blaster home. Nerf guns have certainly come a long way since I was a kid, and despite their tendency to jam and misfire, I have to admit that they’re a lot of fun. Rey’s Blaster only holds 4 foam darts, but they shoot up to 65 feet, which took me by surprise. This thing might be compact and “cute,” but it packs some serious muscle. Now I just need to resist the call for more and to arm ourselves to the teeth in Nerf darts.
Finally, let’s circle back to action figures and perhaps the most anticipated release on Hasbro’s schedule in some time: Takodana Encounter. This set comes with Rey, Finn, BB-8…and Maz! Everyone is champing at the bit to get their hands on this Maz figure, which, I admit, is all kinds of awesome. I mean, really, just look at her. We adore her. #WheresMaz
(Disclosure: Hasbro provided GeekDad with some review samples. All opinions remain our own.)
