At this month’s Star Wars Celebration Convention in London, Disney set out the franchise’s next slate of teasers and releases — just in time for the 40th anniversary of Return of the Jedi. This endless spate of new shows, movies, and characters to fall in love with means even more toys, collectibles, and merchandise for fans to add to their collection. But all of this choice can make shopping for a Star Wars fan overwhelming — especially if you’re not into the franchise yourself. With Star Wars Day coming on May 4, we spoke to Star Wars fans about the gifts they’d like, and ones they’ve successfully given before. Read on for both classic picks, from lightsabers and LEGO sets, to more unique finds, including a genuine piece of Star Wars (and movie) history.
The Best Star Wars Lego
Half of the fans that we spoke to told us that, each year, the “It” item for a Star Wars fan is the new release from LEGO. Since its release late last year, the LEGO Razor Crest ship (featured in The Mandalorian) has been tough to track down — but we’ve seen a restock by LEGO, coinciding nicely with the show’s season-three finale. “It’s the thing to have,” Bossk’s Bounty founder Tim told us, “without a doubt.” It’s both complex and expensive, so Tim and LEGO only recommend it for builders aged 18 and up. A quick tip: if you’re not sure how much your gift receiver likes the recent Disney releases, gifts from the much-loved Mandalorian series should be a pretty safe bet.
Writer and Lego enthusiast Michael East says that the Star Wars range are “the best” Lego offerings of all time, topped by the franchise’s Millenium Falcon replica ship. “While easy to make, the Falcon took several building sessions to complete, and will be one of the centerpieces to any Star Wars Lego collection,” East says. This build is also suited to younger kids, ages 9 and upward.
The Best Star Wars Toys
Anyone patiently waiting for the 2024 return of Andor will appreciate these hyperrealistic action figures of the titular character (played by Diego Luna) and the show’s scrappy droid. “They use a really nice photorealistic process now, so the faces really do look like the actors,” says Gilleran, who thinks the gift is great for both those that love to collect these figures and those who prefer to get them out to play with. You can display the figures in the more sustainably made box, she adds, or easily pull them out.
“As Star Wars fans, we’ve always dreamt of being one of the characters we see on film,” says Jimmy Mac from RebelForce Radio. “Hasbro now has a service that offers us the next best thing: Star Wars action figures with your own face.” After uploading a selfie and making some customizations, including picking in-universe accessories, you can be immortalized in a special-edition collectible box — again, great for both those who love to collect and love to play.
Disney released TV miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi last year, featuring a young Princess Leia and her trusty flying droid LO-LA among other familiar faces. “This version is fully animatronic; it flaps its wings and talks and lights up,” says Gilleran. “It also has an option of play where it can respond to you depending on how you’re flying it, just like it does with Leia in the show.” (Lacey also likes this inexpensive version of the LO-LA droid. “It still makes noises and sounds from the show, but it doesn’t have the animatronic wing panels,” she says.)
The Best Star Wars Games
“Sabacc is the in-universe card game that’s analogous to poker, and there are two popular versions of it to learn: Corellian Spike or Coruscant Shift,” says podcaster Holly Frey. She plays with her husband, and they appreciate the detail and weight of this acrylic Sabacc set from Etsy, which lets you play both versions of the game — official cards and decks are only available when you visit Galaxy’s Edge at Disney World.
Gilleran likes this classic Funko Pop, which offers a little something extra. “It comes with the little figure — again, Grogu — but has a card game that you can play with friends,” she says. Gilleran thinks it could make for a great office secret Santa, thanks to the added social element.
This game comes recommended by Mac. In it, you work through all nine episodes of Lego’s Skywalker saga. And you can explore more than 300 characters, 100 vehicles, and 23 planets. “It’s fun for all ages and enjoyable even for folks who don’t often play console video games,” adds Mac.
Mac also likes the look of this digital pinball machine as a great addition to a game room, basement, or shed. It offers ten games, is “well built and durable”, and as far as classic arcade machines go, is fairly affordable, he says.
The Best Star Wars Collectibles
“LPs have made a huge comeback, and there’s nothing more fun than spinning some vinyl to hear some great John Williams compositions,” says Mac. “Nothing beats the original.” The records come with additional holographic images from the Star Wars universe, ideal for collectors as well as music fans.
These unique plaques feature authentic film cells from the original Star Wars movies. “You feel like you’re holding a piece of history,” says Gilleran, who owns a set herself. “This is perfect for anyone who’s a collector,” and first saw the films in a theater. Act fast, though, since stock is running low.
Last year, Hasbro added to its much-coveted lightsaber series with Obi-Wan Kenobi’s own lightsaber, following his jaunt across the galaxy in 2022’s Obi-Wan Kenobi. The highly in-demand gift is limited to one per customer and is currently on preorder for Christmas delivery. And while you can play with the gift, due to its hefty price tag, we think it’s more suited as a collector’s item.
The Best Star Wars Home Gifts
Both Frey and Mac told us about the high-end collectibles from Regal Robot. “These guys provide the gifts for the Star Wars fan who already has everything,” says Mac. You can shop for accurate re-creations of in-universe furniture, or at the less-expensive end, pick up some director’s chairs — great for entertaining guests, says Frey.
Frey says you need to get the hang of using this Falcon cocktail strainer, but that it’d still make a decorative addition to any fan’s home bar. She recently visited the Hyperspace Lounge on the Disney Wish cruise ship, and spotted the bar staff using them. Frey found the exact tumblers used in the Hyperspace Lounge, too, if you want a gift that will recreate the experience.
The Best Star Wars Fashion and Jewelry
“There is more really stylish jewelry than ever for Star Wars fans,” says Frey. “A lot of Star Wars jewelry is at the sort of cardboard-box, costume-jewelry level. But these are more elevated, nice pieces to gift.” Her favorite is the crystal ring inspired by Princess Leia’s white gown from the original trilogy, but Frey says all of RockLove’s pieces are of high quality.
Jedi News’ James Burns buys a Star Wars charm for his daughter’s bracelet each year. “This is a lovely way of saying you’re into Star Wars without necessarily wearing it on a jumper or having it big and bold,” says Burns. “It’s fairly nice and a subtle talking point.” As well as having fan-favorite characters, the Pandora collection includes charms depicting classic scenes from the Star Wars movies (such as Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber duel in 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back).
[Editor’s note: This item is on final sale.]
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