At basically the very last minute, Funko has confirmed that it’s participating in Force Friday II with a massive line of The Last Jedi items.
For Star Wars toy fans (and those looking for every scrap of information they can possibly glean about The Last Jedi), Force Friday II is going to be a day of celebration. You can celebrate in several ways: spending a lot of money on toys, talking about the toys, and speculating wildly on what all of it means. The goal here is to build hype for The Last Jedi, not that we really need more hype, but hey, we can’t blame Disney for wanting to make sure its purchase of Lucasfilm continues to be justified.
Is there a better way to inspire people to open their wallets than by allowing Funko to basically go nuts with its Pop!-styled merchandise? (Well, okay, aside from LEGO.) We submit that it’s at least very high on the list, and Funko’s betting that having a lot of stuff will drive sales.
I don’t think I’ve been clear enough.
There is a lot of stuff. The unboxing video for just the figures is ten minutes long. I wish I was joking, but I’m not.
In the interests of space (and time), we’ll do some quick hits on some of the Pop!s.
BB-9E Funko Pop! figure. Image provided by Funko.
Here’s BB-9E. In case its coloring didn’t tip you off, IGN has already dubbed this droid an “evil ball droid.” Will its beeps and boops be more sinister-sounding in the movie? How exactly do you have a sinister whistle?
Best Buy has this little guy in a two-pack with BB-8, and BoxLunch has the shiny variation. Finally, if you go to Costco, you can pick it up in a four-pack with Supreme Leader Snoke, one of the stormtroopers, and Kylo Ren.
DJ Funko Pop! Image provided by Funko.
DJ, Benicio del Toro’s character, will only be found at Gamestop. Unfortunately, we can’t get a great look at the Aurebesh characters on his hat. That warrants further inspection on Force Friday.
Princess Leia Funko Pop! Image provided by Funko.
Unlike her brother, you’ll be able to find Princess Leia at one store and one store only: Walmart. However, check out the textures on her costume. She also has rings and bracelets on, as if she’s in a more formal situation than simply being the general of the Resistance. That’s also picked up in her being referred to as Princess Leia rather than General Leia as she was for one of her Pop!s in The Force Awakens. (Her more elaborate Force Awakens costume Pop! was called Princess Leia as well.)
Finn Funko Pop! Image provided by Funko.
This is Finn in disguise as a First Order officer. Check out that insignia on his cap if the colors of his outfit alone don’t clue you in as to what we’re seeing here.
Poe Dameron Funko Pop! Image provided by Funko.
I don’t have a lot to say about Poe here, other than he has a leather jacket and five o’clock shadow even as a Pop! figure, and that’s commitment to the aesthetic. Nice job, Funko.
Kylo Ren Funko Pop! figure. Image via Funko.
And here’s Kylo Ren. Interestingly, Toys’R’Us will have a version that does have the helmet on, although we’ve speculated thanks to some leaks earlier this summer that we’ll be seeing a lot more of Adam Driver’s face in The Last Jedi.
Captain Phasma Funko Pop! figure. Image provided by Funko.
Other than the box being different, are there actually any changes from the Force Awakens Pop! version of Captain Phasma? Asking for a friend.
Okay, that friend is me. The cape is even on the same side! I take back the nice things I said about the work with Poe, Funko.
Porg Pop! figure. Image provided by Funko.
There are many different figures representing the porg in this lineup, and Chewbacca’s even holding one in his two Pop! variants, but if you want the fuzzy ones, Hot Topic is the place to go. Meanwhile, Target has a not-fuzzy one that also has its wings spread.
(And if you want fuzzy Chewbacca holding a presumably also-fuzzy porg, then you’ll need to go to FYE.)
Rose Funko Pop! Image provided by Funko.
Rose looks completely ready for action, and I can respect that.
Rey Funko Pop! Image provided by Funko.
Naturally, we saved the best for last. We’re sure someone has already come up with an elaborate theory based on the lightsaber she’s holding (though it looks functionally the same as the one in her Force Awakens lightsaber variant, which means it’s most likely the Skywalker saber). All we’re going to say is she looks amazing.
Next: Force Friday II ad Targets all Rey fans
If you don’t want any of the Pop!s but still want things from Funko, the company has you covered with everything from water bottles to Mystery Minis to plush figures to Wobblers. Happy Force Friday II hunting, Star Wars fans!