Star Wars toys 2015: These ARE the toys you are looking for

Image 1 of 10

The Force Awakens, the first episode of the eagerly anticipated trilogy of Star Wars films, is preparing for its UK release on December 18, and Star Wars fans, young and old, are getting ready to welcome a new group of characters into their lives. But this isn't just about ticket sales and movie theatres, it's about toys.

Star Wars toys have sold well every year since the first film hit movie theatres back in 1977. George Lucas spotted the commercial potential of the franchise when he agreed to a lesser salary in return for the rights to the film's merchandise. This was one of the many lucrative decisions Lucas made. According to celebritynetworth.com, Star Wars-themed toys have now generated more than $12 billion.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Latest Videos FromThe Week

Watch full video here:

This year's must-have toy for all Star Wars obsessed children (and some adults) will undoubtedly be the Millennium Falcon. Described as Hasbro's "most innovative and action-packed Star Wars vehicle" yet – the new Battle Action Millennium Falcon boasts a pop-up blaster, a turbolaser turret and light-up LED cannons. The play set comes with Chewbacca, Finn and BB-8 figurines but your other favourite Star Wars characters will, of course, have to be bought separately. The toy requires two AA batteries, but the hardest thing might be acquiring one in the first place. Toy Insider claims it will be the "hard-to-find toy of the season".

The perfect accompaniment to every prospective Jedi in training, the Star Wars Bladebuilders Jedi Master Lightsaber not only lets young Skywalkers act out the film's fight scenes, but also gives them the opportunity to create new combinations through the Bladebuilders kit. Team this up with the Kylo Ren Bladebuilders Lightsaber (a re-creation, sold separately, of the villain from the new film's weapon of choice) and the possibility for 'hero vs villain' duels becomes quickly apparent. With 100+ combinations available, the definitive Lightsaber comes with two independently-lit 'lightdaggers' and four separate connectors. Most important of all, three AAA batteries are also included.

The Star Wars Starter Pack includes the game disc, a USB Disney Infinity base peripheral to read figurines into the game, the Twilight of the Republic play set, as well as two toy characters, Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker, to get you started. This offers users the chance to play an adventure set between Episodes II and III. Those who wish to play out scenes from the new film, Episode VII, will have to wait for The Force Awakens play set that's due out in December. Available on: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Players cross planets from the Star Wars universe, such as Endor, Hoth, Tatooine and Sullust, the new planet from The Force Awakens film. To navigate the world, players use a variety of vehicles, both air and land-based. The battles remain planet-based, restricting players from exploring space completely. The video game's weapons, characters, gear and abilities are customisable and the game lets players choose to control either a Rebel Alliance soldier or an Imperial Stormtrooper. Star Wars Battlefront also features playable characters from the films, such as Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and Boba Fett, as well as non-playable characters, such as R2-D2 and C-3PO.

Continuing the Wookie theme, the Star Wars Loopin' Chewie Game is another excellent example of this year's Star Wars-ification. A replica of the popular 90s board game 'Loopin Louie' (see what they did there?), 'Loopin Chewie' finds a wayward pilot replaced by the famed Wookie as a motorised Chewbacca. This must be flipped out of the way of the player's Stormtroopers and into the path of any opponents. Definite family thrills for Star Wars fans of all ages.

For those who find some toys are just too sedentary, this year's Star Wars themed Nerf Blasters are perfect to bring the fight to restore order to the galaxy into your home and garden. Would-be Stormtroopers can get their own Clip-fed blasting with 12-dart clip, while those on the Alliance side can get a Chewbacca blaster with real crossbow action. The Nerf Blasters can fire darts up to 65 feet, meaning no unsuspecting parent is safe.

It wouldn't be a list of toys without a Furby featuring in it somewhere. First created in 1999, the Furby is an electronic robotic toy that reacts to motion and touch. Back then it was so successful that it was banned from National Security Agency buildings for fear it could spy on its users. This year Hasbro is releasing a Furby with a twist. Furbacca is a fully integrated toy and app that makes wookie sounds like Chewbacca, hums Star Wars theme songs and plays virtual activities. Unfortunately the 4 AA batteries required are not included and there's also no word yet on how many Edward Snowden may have pre-ordered.

For fans who always wondered what Luke Skywalker's head would look like on Jabba The Hut's body, the Star Wars Hero Mashers Deluxe figures are the perfect gift. The six-inch figures all come with extra accessories and detachable body parts which means you can reconnect them wherever to whoever you'd like. The Hero Mashers collection also features Marvel characters, meaning a Spiderman/Han Solo mash-up figure is perfectly possible.

Explore More