“Wherever I go, he goes.”
Since his arrival into the Star Wars Universe in 2019, Grogu has seen a number of Black Series releases despite his diminutive stature but usually packed with another figure such as Mando, Ahsoka or Luke Skywalker. The first full release of Grogu as a standalone figure within the main Black Series line is the 2023 release of Grogu and Hover Pram from Wave 9 of the Galaxy Collection. The wave was a mixed set of releases including figures from Kenobi, Clone Wars, and Attack of the Clones but with a majority of figures from The Mandalorian. Grogu is number 26 in The Mandalorian collection and the orange accent colour artwork connects between Axe Woves and Migs Mayfeld - both from the same wave.
The release is a bit of a greatest hits release for Grogu, with the contents not themed around a particular season or episode but covering his journey in The Mandalorian. We start with the Grogu figure itself which doesn't use the existing body, but a new sculpt with a more seated posture. The same colouring of plastic is used to replicate the robes, with cloth folds and creases worked into the sculpt. Into the body plugs the head in green plastic with painted black eyes and flesh tones around the cheeks and inside the ears. The arms are similarly connected as a ball joint into the shoulder and feature a set of tiny hands plugged into the end of each of the sleeves. That gives Groug 5 points of articulation on paper, although movement is limited to rotation of the head and hands and a bit of upward movement at the shoulders.
Grogu is wearing the Mandalorian pendant gifted to him by Mando, an individual sculpted piece with a silver pendant and a softer black plastic strap. In the promo images for the figure, this was shown sitting down over the robes which didn’t look natural. Thankfully the accessory does sit around Grogu's neck and sits flat with a bit of play - just make sure you don’t trap the rear of the strap in the neck joint.
Grogu comes with the Season 2 hover pram, the most detailed version to date with a cream base colour, orange trim and weathering and battle damage added to the exterior with grey scratches and scuffs. It sits onto a clear flight base raising it to a fixed height at the waist level of most standard figures including Mando. Hasbro has still not engineered an opening canopy that retracts back into the main pram, so like the two previous versions you lift off the cover to expose the interior. This is also detailed with red-orange seating and trim and silver components. This is hand-painted and on closer inspection has a few rough edges particularly up and under the canopy. My pram also features an orange splash on the trim of the pram visible from the inside and outside. Grogu’s seated position gives him a bit more stability in the pram and allows him to sit further back in the main carriage or upfront as we often see him.
Grogu also comes with some scene-specific accessories aside from the pendant which is removable if you don’t want to display it with the figure. These include the same three pieces as the smaller 2019 release, complete with a case to keep them in which is essential considering their size. These include the ball from the control stick on The Razor Crest, Grogu’s bowl, and the frog. These are all OK considering the scale but lack genuine useability other than acting as diorama pieces with Grogu. His arms don't articulate enough to hold the bowl, and the ball needs careful balance into the hand and sits without security so is easily lost if dislodged.
Grogu also features the cookies he gets hold of during Season 3. These are quite simple in design with a silver tube and blue end to replicate the cookies - again these will sit on display with Grogu but he can't hold them or interact with them.
Putting Grogu and his pram into a mainline release and charging full price is a bold move for Hasbro considering Grogu as a figure stands less than an inch high and has 5 rudimentary points of articulation. As a figure, he has always been an accessory himself. The pram adds a little value, while the accessories try and fill in the rest of the set but lack any real use or the ability to interact with the figure. If you do choose to make the purchase, then what you get is all well done - it is probably just something that should have been part of a wider deluxe set alongside another Mando or a single release of the robed Ahsoka from that hard-to-obtain Amazon exclusive.
Keep Track of all the Star Wars Black Series figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
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