Mandalorian & Grogu (Maldo Kreis), The - TBS [P4] - Six Inch Figures (TM17)

A battle-worn bounty hunter, making his way through a dangerous galaxy in an uncertain age and a msyterious alien pursued by bounty hunters on behalf of Imperial interests.

As of late, Hasbro has become fairer regarding products released in both The Vintage Collection and The Black Series lines. In the past, they’d make some products exclusive to TVC and others exclusive to TBS, and it caused an incredible level of chagrin within the collecting community. Fan sites like ours pleaded with Hasbro to release characters and products in a fairer 1:1 ratio, and by the grace of God, Hasbro listened. And now, getting characters in both formats within weeks or months of each other is steadily becoming the standard. And this new approach is elating collectors of all types. So here we are with The Mandalorian & Grogu (Maldo Kreis) Target-exclusive multipack. Its price is a sin, but just a few months before its release, Hasbro produced a 3.75-inch set for The Vintage Collection and gave it to Walmart as their exclusive. The 6-inch version is nothing out of the ordinary. You know what to expect here. Hasbro added a repainted version of Din Djarin, this time with “snow” and a few exclusive accessories that they’re hoping will be enough to get you to purchase it. They also added a revised Grogu, which comes with a display base for the first time. Let’s not forget the knobby white ice spider with multiple points of articulation.

Hasbro opted only to include one knobby white ice spider here, but all of its legs have ball-socket articulation. It’s large but not as overwhelming as we see in the series. However, we now have a “giant” version to pair with The Vintage Collection version, so that’s always a plus. You have to be prepared to plop down $38 before tax, however, if you want to increase the ranks of your knobby white ice spiders in your displays of The Vintage Collection action figures. The detail etched into the spider’s parts is impressive. The larger size allows you to appreciate more because you can see things you cannot see on the 3.75-inch version. You probably had your fill of Grogu action figures at this point, but Hasbro added a slightly new version of the character in this set. Like previous releases, Grogu interacts well with Din Djarin and is an integral part of this exclusive set. But this time, Hasbro tooled a tiny display snow base for the figure, so you have a little environment to pair with the figure. It’s a lovely addition, but we would have also liked to see a base for The Mandalorian, too, and the small base feels a bit out of place without any other complementary display pieces. That said, the inclusion is appreciated, but it wasn’t necessary. Grogu also has a decent paint job.

The Mandalorian is a retool and repaint of 2020’s TBS [P4] Din Djarin (TM01) figure. They updated the figure’s upper right leg. Then they added a “snow” deco to the armor to help recreate the tundra-like environment of Maldo Kreis. The figure also comes with a removable cape, and we still love the ray gun as it’s a fitting weapon for this character. Inspired by The Star Wars Holiday Special, the ray gun has a personality and is our preferred weapon for the figure. Din Djarin holds it with one or two hands, a staff, or a blaster. The options are yours, and the figure offers the freedom to display it as you wish. All three characters display beautifully together, and it feels like a complete multipack of action figures. However, the set feels overpriced. You might think there is more value here, but we’re tired of the overcharging. You do get more value included here, given by the new accessories. But $38 is far-reaching beyond what collectors’ expectations are for an MSRP, especially what is deemed a “deluxe” figure set. The Mandalorian is popular, and collectors still seem interested in The Black Series 6-inch line. But we don’t know how long they will put up with repacks and repaints, especially for slight changes and different accessories.