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The lifelike animatronic features three different modes, allowing fans to choose how they want to interact with it
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An adorable, life-size animatronic Grogu is headed to store shelves next year, but the colloquial Baby Yoda’s price tag isn’t as cute.
Hasbro unveiled its Ultimate Grogu Tuesday at San Diego Comic-Con, where the premium collectible quickly became one of the convention's biggest attractions. The lifelike companion carries a hefty $599.99 price tag and debuted alongside a slate of new Marvel, Lego and Star Wars merchandise aimed at fans and collectors.
Built at a 1:1 scale, Ultimate Grogu is designed to look and behave just like the beloved character from the Disney+ series* The Mandalorian. *The animatronic features more than 250 unique animations, powered by four motors and 14 sensors that respond when fans touch its head, hands, cheeks or back. Grogu blinks, wiggles his ears, raises his arms to mimic using the Force and performs a variety of other lifelike movements.
"Bring home the galaxy's most beloved Foundling! This hyper-realistic animatronic brings Grogu to life so you can express your Star Wars fandom like never before," Hasbro says in the product description on its website.
However, fans eager to adopt their own Grogu may have to wait. Although the collectible is not expected to ship until April 1, 2027, it has already sold out on Hasbro's website.
"Grogu has stolen so many hearts, and the reactions that we've gotten here have just been absolutely incredible," Claire Goolsby, an electrical engineer at Hasbro, told ABC 6 at Comic-Con.
Those lucky enough to score an Ultimate Grogu will have plenty to explore. The animatronic features three interactive modes, letting fans choose how they want to experience the beloved character. In Explore Mode, Grogu is at his most lifelike, using built-in sensors to react to movement, sound and touch. Pick him up, carry him around or give him a gentle pat, and he'll respond with expressive movements that make it feel like fans are interacting with the beloved character, Hasbro says.
If fans are planning to take Grogu on the go, Grab & Go Mode keeps his reactions a little more subdued. The setting is designed for cosplay, conventions or pairing him with a Mandalorian costume, letting fans show him off without constant sounds and animations. Collectors who prefer to keep Grogu on display can switch to Display Mode. A tap on the sensors in his hand and head cycles through a series of expressive poses, including his iconic Force Pose.
Fans looking to wear their Star Wars fandom instead of putting it on a shelf can check out Ray-Ban's eyewear collection inspired by the May film The Mandalorian and Grogu. Ray-Ban made its first-ever convention appearance at San Diego Comic-Con this week, showing off two adult styles, one inspired by The Mandalorian and another by Grogu, along with two children's frames, giving fans a stylish way to channel the galaxy far, far away.
Prices for the Ray-Ban partnership are more affordable than Ultimate Grogu, but the Star Wars-inspired frames still come at a premium, ranging from $118 to $287 for adult and kids' styles.
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