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Baby Yoda Funko, animatronic toy and more Star Wars merch debuts

Fans' patience for The Child toys are rewarded with an animatronic figure, a Build A Bear, a Funko figure and more.

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Mike Sorrentino is a Senior Editor for Mobile, covering phones, texting apps and smartwatches -- obsessing about how we can make the most of them. Mike also keeps an eye out on the movie and toy industry, and outside of work enjoys biking and pizza making.
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2 min read

The Child, affectionately known as Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian, is getting an epic set of toys and merchandise. During a Disney event Thursday in New York ahead of Toy Fair 2020, toys and more debuted for the newest  Star Wars  icon.

Themed items shown off Thursday include an animatronic Baby Yoda that naps in his sleeping pod, a Build A Bear edition of The Child and a Funko figure (which is not due to ship until April 20) -- along with clothing, costumes and jewelry. 

Meanwhile, Hasbro's animatronic edition, all but certain to be the most in-demand holiday gift item of 2020, will arrive in the fall for $60 but is available for preorder now from major retailers. (Amazon currently shows a Dec. 15 release date.)

In addition to the little creature himself, sets based on the Disney Plus show revealed Thursday include a Lego construction set of the Razor Crest ship and Lego BrickHeadz of both The Mandalorian and The Child. Themed versions of the board games Operation and Trouble were also shown off.

The Baby Yoda toy wave comes after a holiday season that didn't have much ready for the character, due to the creative choice to keep him secret until the show aired in mid-November. Show creator Jon Favreau said in a release that while it led to a limited amount of possible merchandise in November and December, it allowed for something different in an age of internet spoilers.

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Funko's The Child statue brings Baby Yoda to your shelf.

Sarah Tew/CNET

"Holding back on product development gave everyone the chance to discover the character affectionately known to fans as 'Baby Yoda' together," Favreau said.

Representatives at Thursday's event said that several members of the team only learned about The Child at the same time as everyone else, when Disney Plus launched. After the magic of the surprise came a whirlwind in order to bring product preorders to market three weeks later, they said.

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The Build A Bear edition of The Child.

Sarah Tew/CNET

That initial run of Baby Yoda merchandise was mostly print on demand, allowing for shirts, tote bags and phone cases.

Figures and merchandise based on the upcoming final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars were also on display, including figures that feature Ahsoka Tano and Darth Maul. 

And a new item for many Star Wars fans -- the Darksaber Lightsaber from The Mandalorian -- also debuted as a Hasbro item. The black-bladed weapon made its live-action premiere on the Disney Plus show, but has also been seen in Star Wars animated series such as Star Wars Rebels.

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A version of Operation that features The Child. Try not to zing him!

Sarah Tew/CNET

The Star Wars event is among several early announcements leading into Toy Fair 2020, which officially kicks off Saturday at the Jacob Javits Center here in New York.

Originally published Feb. 20, 8 a.m. PT.

Funko's Baby Yoda unboxed ahead of Toy Fair 2020

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