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Another year has passed, which means it’s been another year of having our wallets drained by the oodles of fantastic toys and collectibles that came out in 2024. Here’s just a few selections, from action figures to model kits to very, very large spaceships, that took pride of place in our collections this year.
Hot Toys The Dark Knight Joker (Batsuit Disguise)
The combination of Hot Toys and Heath Ledger’s Joker seems perfect. An instantly recognizable, legendary character, paired with the detail and care of a top-end collectibles company. But in 2024, that went a step further with the Batsuit Disguise release, which was a limited edition reimagining of the character that wasn’t from a movie. It was just inspired by fandom. Almost a DC Studios What If…?, Joker stuns in a purple and green Batsuit with all the devious weapons to match. It’s thrilling to look at and allows us to imagine what could’ve been had Ledger not tragically passed.
Lego Lord of the Rings Barad-Dur
It might not shine as brightly as Lego’s grand return to Middle-earth with the Rivendell set, but Lego’s trip into Mordor is still a worthy follow-up. Sure, the scope of a spiky, 32-inch tall dark tower is grand, but the Lego Barad-Dur excels in ways a little closer to hobbit-size. Packed with a ton of great minifigures and some wonderful little details to break up all that villainous black structure, it’s a worthy addition to any Lord of the Rings collection… with the space for it, at least.
S.H. Figuarts Across the Spider-Verse Spider-Punk
© Bandai Bandai’s put out a lot of Spider-Men over the years, and the Spider-Verse movies have given it the chance to make even more ever-spindlier Spiders. So it says a lot that the cream of the crop (so far at least) isn’t Peter or Miles, but Hobie Brown. Based on his design in Across, the Figuarts Spider-Punk blends great articulation and killer accessories with some genuinely astonishing paint work. It captures Hobie’s gangly frame from the film perfectly, and it’s clear Bandai had a lot of fun going to town on Hobie’s messy, but intricately detailed jacket and suit.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Kyber Crystal Set
When Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened at Disneyland, one of the coolest draws for collectors were the kyber crystals. These tiny collectibles offered both beauty and mystery in equal parts. And when a second series dropped recently, Disney decided to commemorate the original magic with a limited edition set of every single kyber crystal from the start—including the ultra rare black crystal, the only time it’s ever been sold on its own. The case also came with Jedi and Sith holocrons, which allow you to unlock the crystals, and a nifty display case. Sure, it’s super bulky, but it makes you feel like a Jedi (or Sith) relic hunter, proudly displaying your wares for everyone to see.
Lego Legend of Zelda Great Deku Tree 2-in-1
It’s been a long time coming—people have been begging Lego to work with Nintendo on a Legend of Zelda collab—but was it worth the wait? Absolutely. Lego juked where everyone expected it to jive with this wonderful tribute to both Breath of the Wild and Ocarina of Time, using their shared connections on the twisty-turny timeline of the franchise to anchor a set that celebrates two of the most beloved entries in the series through one location. It’s a little too much of a pain to easily swap between either version of the Great Deku Tree, but there’s still a ton of great detail and building techniques regardless—and, of course, some amazing minifigures.
Hasbro Marvel Legends X-Men ’97
© Hasbro The Marvel Legends series has gone from strength to strength this year, but it did mutantkind right with the excellent X-Men ’97 subline. All these figures turned out so well, translating the animated aesthetic into action figure form, that it’s almost impossible to pick just a single one as the best of the bunch—truly, they have us dying to see more X-Men rendered in this style. But if we had to pick just one, the first ever Hasbro Madelyne Pryor figure is a definite highlight.
Alien: Romulus Facehugger Mask
Alien: Romulus was the first Alien movie that came preloaded with merch, so we got all kinds of cool action figures and books and whatnot. But our favorite was a piece Disney was so high on, it gave one to every single person at the Alien panel in Hall H at Comic-Con this year: a facehugger mask. Which is perfect, right? Facehuggers literally jump on someone’s face and hug it, like a mask, so making one into a mask is both a screen-accurate representation of the film, and a fun costume item. Whoever came up with the idea deserves a raise.
Hasbro Haslab Star Wars The Vintage Collection Ghost
A very recent entry on this list, but Hasbro’s grandest Star Wars Haslab vehicle yet is an utterly wonderful tribute to one of the very best parts of the franchise in Rebels. It’s by no means perfect, from either the compromises it’s forced to make due to scale (while still turning out bigger and wider than your whole torso) or to the baffling decision to include everyone but Sabine and Chopper in the set’s massive $500 crowdfund investment asking price. But it’s an absolute joy to play with, and packed with tons of detail in and out to be worth hours of fiddling with.
Bandai 30 Minutes Fantasy Liber Knight/Holy Knight
© Bandai Bandai kicked off the fantastical spinoff to its popular 30 Minutes Mission mecha line this year with a blend of clean, sci-fi-influenced robot design and classic fantasy archetypes in the Knight. Released for both of the two factions in 30 Minutes Fantasy‘s stories, the Knight and its optional upgrade set to a Holy Knight are wonderfully designed model kits, bringing 30 Minutes‘ usual clear, modular design ideology to a great trad-fan-meets-sci-fi hybrid aesthetic. We can’t wait to keep bolstering our plastic party with even more classes!
Hasbro Transformers One Ultimate Energon Optimus Prime
The release of an animated Transformers film this year, of course, came with lots of cool toys and merchandise. Transformers of all shapes, sizes, and even eras. And while we admit we didn’t play with them all, the one we keep coming back to is the Ultimate Energon Optimus Prime. At roughly 10 inches, it’s a perfect size that you can either play with it or display it—a nice balance for both adult collectors and their children. It’s got great details. It transforms (of course). It makes you feel like you’re once again watching the amazing movie.
Hasbro Star Wars Black Series Mae
It’s been a great year for the Black Series line, but its secret best strength came from an unlikely source: one of the figures released for The Acolyte, and not even one of the myriad Jedi. Instead, Mae slunk out of the shadows and into our hearts with a genuinely great little toy. It goes above and beyond the Black Series’ usual punching weight for accessories, and it feels like Hasbro finally nailed cloth elements with her hooded cloak fitting better than most Jedi robes. There’s just a ton of miniscule detailing that comes together to create a fantastic action figure
Mezco One:12 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
© Mezco There are so many TMNT figure sets out there, and it feels like we’ve had enough this year to clog up the boys’ sewer home and then some thanks to the franchise’s 40th anniversary. But in a sea of half-shells, one set stood easily triumphant in Mezco’s One:12 take on the turtle brothers. A fantastically detailed art style inspired by the classic comics and beloved retro toys in equal measure, great articulation, and a ton of cool accessories for each member of the team, this set was the best celebration of the TMNT in a year filled with similar attempts at revelry.
Lego Star Wars Luke’s Lightsaber
There were lots of cool Lego Star Wars this year—and every year, frankly—but we can’t stop thinking about the free gift. Fans who ordered Jabba’s Sail Barge got a Lego lightsaber set that just made us wonder why the heck doesn’t Lego do these ALL THE TIME? 1:1 props from Star Wars? In Lego? They’re so freaking cool. It’s an idea so good and simple we can’t believe it hasn’t happened before. Also, the set was crafted to perfection, even coming with its own kyber crystal.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
