S.H. Figuarts Star Wars

[bowlofsouls]

The Star Wars license is very complex.

It's broken down to a few sections from my past experience.

• Characters with no faces, ie Robots
• Characters with Human Faces
• Vehicles

Hmm. That explains lack of face characters for 2020. Unless Grogu counts as a human face. Palps -I think- was the last reveal, in November 2019. Then Hasbro renewed their deal in 2020 and Figuarts has only had a droid, Mando's, and a baby Yoda. And their Samurai Mando.

Scout Troopers I guess would count as no faces, as well. I'll be waiting anxiously for the next face release, until then I'm worried they might only have retained the first section.

 

[Matt S]

That would make a lot of sense.....

 

[dukefett]

I'm sure you are right. Thought maybe Hasbro held the license, and all had to sublicense from them. If I paid potentially billions for a license, i'd want ZERO competitors. There is no way that Mafex and Bandai pay that kinda money and then release a couple figures a year.

Generally speaking, Mafex usually gives you more bang for the buck, so the only reason I went with their Mando in beskar over SH FIguarts, even without the backpack: Mafex usually has better proportions and the SH figuarts v1 was not a well done figure. Over-engineered, loose everything and small helmet.

Hasbro's full license is only for the US, and no one else is even allowed to release them here. Hasbro has the Marvel license but still other companies can release 1/12 Marvel figures for $80+ (SH Figuarts and Mezco for instance). So Bandai and Medicom aren't paying Hasbro to release them in Japan.

Do you guys think the Star Wars license is just one and done, you pay a price and get everything? Or is it broken up into different media and movies? I'm not sure myself, but the thought has me wondering if Bandai even owns the rights to the old films still, or if they only have Mandalorian.

It also gets broken down by size, Hasbro is the the US licensor for 1/12 scale figures; Bandai has released a few 1/12 model kit figures in the US, but I'm guessing them being models is what allows them to release them. Otherwise, Mafex and Bandai/SH Figuarts have a Japanese, and only Japanese license. Their Star Wars figures are not distributed anywhere else, anyone else that has them is re-selling them like BBTS.

 

[Matt S]

thanks for the info, all!!!

 

[Auel]

Hasbro's full license is only for the US, and no one else is even allowed to release them here. Hasbro has the Marvel license but still other companies can release 1/12 Marvel figures for $80+ (SH Figuarts and Mezco for instance). So Bandai and Medicom aren't paying Hasbro to release them in Japan.



It also gets broken down by size, Hasbro is the the US licensor for 1/12 scale figures; Bandai has released a few 1/12 model kit figures in the US, but I'm guessing them being models is what allows them to release them. Otherwise, Mafex and Bandai/SH Figuarts have a Japanese, and only Japanese license. Their Star Wars figures are not distributed anywhere else, anyone else that has them is re-selling them like BBTS.

Bandai Japan got the rights to create Star Wars products, but if there's a local distributor that is interested in selling the products. It'll have to depend on the region's Bandai team to negotiate with Disney on the rights to sell said SHF/Model Kits of Star Wars.

In the end, it's all about money. Rights and licenses are just mere words.

 

[dukefett]

Bandai Japan got the rights to create Star Wars products, but if there's a local distributor that is interested in selling the products. It'll have to depend on the region's Bandai team to negotiate with Disney on the rights to sell said SHF/Model Kits of Star Wars.

In the end, it's all about money. Rights and licenses are just mere words.

Sure they might be able to haggle, but they have to haggle with Hasbro in the US who apparently isn't interested at all. We can only assume it's totally exclusive to Hasbro as Lucasfilm is not granting additional licenses in the US for 1/12 figures. They did grant them in Japan for whatever reason, but I'm sure Mezco would JUMP at the chance to make 1/12 Star Wars figures if they were given the opportunity.

 

[Auel]

Sure they might be able to haggle, but they have to haggle with Hasbro in the US who apparently isn't interested at all. We can only assume it's totally exclusive to Hasbro as Lucasfilm is not granting additional licenses in the US for 1/12 figures. They did grant them in Japan for whatever reason, but I'm sure Mezco would JUMP at the chance to make 1/12 Star Wars figures if they were given the opportunity.

They don't have to haggle tho, just need to satisfy Disney with your long term plan and pay a hefty sum for the license and the rights to produce.

 

[Matt S]

They don't have to haggle tho, just need to satisfy Disney with your long term plan and pay a hefty sum for the license and the rights to produce.

Only thing is: Bandai and Mafex are the very definition of 'wtf is that long-term plan?' these are companies than show off many, many prototypes that go....nowhere

 

[dukefett]

They don't have to haggle tho, just need to satisfy Disney with your long term plan and pay a hefty sum for the license and the rights to produce.

Hasbro is the sole 1/12 licensor in the US, they negotiate to have that with Disney. Bandai can do whatever they want but it won't help them, Hasbro's license was for years long before it was up in 2020, who knows when it'll end. The for Bandai to do that was earlier this year or late last year.

 

[bowlofsouls]

Yikes. Well, for the first time I'm actually worried the line is dead, outside of buckets, troopers, and droids. I still think they by far have the best face game, in spite of a few misses. Still hoping we see some more ST and OT faces before the book closes forever, but my hope has faded. If only I liked DBZ as much as Star Wars!

 

[dukefett]

Yikes. Well, for the first time I'm actually worried the line is dead, outside of buckets, troopers, and droids. I still think they by far have the best face game, in spite of a few misses. Still hoping we see some more ST and OT faces before the book closes forever, but my hope has faded. If only I liked DBZ as much as Star Wars!

I really truly hope they're working on A LOT of Mando Season 2 stuff. That season was rife with characters I think they'd do well at. But in all honestly, NO ONE has done pretty much anything S2 besides Bo Katan from The Black Series and the HT Tusken Raider. Moff Gideon didn't have anything S2 specific, but I suppose he counts too. Disney must have kept everything pretty close to the vest.

 

[bowlofsouls]

I really truly hope they're working on A LOT of Mando Season 2 stuff. That season was rife with characters I think they'd do well at. But in all honestly, NO ONE has done pretty much anything S2 besides Bo Katan from The Black Series and the HT Tusken Raider. Moff Gideon didn't have anything S2 specific, but I suppose he counts too. Disney must have kept everything pretty close to the vest.

If the thing about the faces vs helmets thing is true, I'd speculate we're going to get a helmeted Old Man Boba, Bo Katan, Dark Trooper, as well as the Scout Trooper up for at least preorder in 2021. Maybe one of Bo's sidekicks as well. If they are still into making face characters we might get a Cara Dune or Moff Giddy.

 

[SOU7567]

I?d just like General Grievous, is that too much to ask? I refuse to buy the Black Series one. I just want one, definitive General Grievous figure that I don?t have to build or customize.

View attachment 502651


Also, the lack of Super Battledroids in 6? from any of these companies is disturbing.

Man..I've been waiting for that thing for years. Not even a hint of it since they previewed it.

 

[ShootingtheGalaxy]

Fighting Back

 

[Kinja]

Still waiting..................

 

[Vortex]

I NEED that Luke and R2^. Haven't purchased a Figuarts in a long time. (ROTS Anakin)

 

[Smudger9]

This line had so much potential. Such a shame.

 

[dukefett]

I saw someone post that the SHF Heavy Mando is getting released Feb 13th. Then the Armorer is only on preorder after that right?

 

[SwedishHeat]

Do you guys think the Star Wars license is just one and done, you pay a price and get everything? Or is it broken up into different media and movies? I'm not sure myself, but the thought has me wondering if Bandai even owns the rights to the old films still, or if they only have Mandalorian.

The Star Wars license is very complex.

It's broken down to a few sections from my past experience.

• Characters with no faces, ie Robots
• Characters with Human Faces
• Vehicles

That's not how licenses are given. It's absolutely not broken down by characters with human faces and characters without human faces.

Licenses are based on product category, then by region.

They give out action figures, or statues, then break it down by scale, then by region (domestic/US, Europe, Asia and divide it even further from there)

If you want to know why Figuarts isn't doing figures with human faces, it's simply because they don't want to, not because they don't have the license to.

 

[Auel]

That's not how licenses are given. It's absolutely not broken down by characters with human faces and characters without human faces.

Licenses are based on product category, then by region.

They give out action figures, or statues, then break it down by scale, then by region (domestic/US, Europe, Asia and divide it even further from there)

If you want to know why Figuarts isn't doing figures with human faces, it's simply because they don't want to, not because they don't have the license to.

There are NDA that I don't want to break, that's all I can share for now.

It's up to you to believe.