Sonic the Hedgehog - DIGITAL AMY ROSE!

Sonic the Hedgehog 2.5" Series 25 - Digital Amy Rose - Jakks Pacific 2026

Jakks Pacific never ceases to amaze me with all their surprise releases. This Classic Amy Rose in an 8-Bit deco was just unveiled in an SDCC slide show about five weeks ago. And now I have her in hand thanks to a well-stocked Macy's/Toys'r'us. The existence of this figure itself is also a surprise. While the 8-Bit digital figures from Jakks have been fairly plentiful (I count nearly 30 so far between Sonic, Mario, Donkey Kong, and Megaman), Amy is only the second female (after the 2017 Princess Toadstool). This figure is great. Pixelated 8-Bit toys conjure an unmistakable nostalgia that's really fun and playful. I've tried to make my own (unarticulated) ones as a pandemic craft project with knockoff brick toys but it's very difficult to make look good. The process was so frustrating that I have a massive appreciation for figure like this. The sculpts capture the looks of the characters from every angle. I hope they make a 4" one to match the recent Sonic/Tails/Knuckles 3-pack. Let's check out Digital Amy below!

DC Blokees - JUSTICE LEAGUE WONDER WOMAN!

Blokees DC Defender Version 02: Justice League - Wonder Woman - Blokees 2026

It's pretty amazing that the first DCEU Wonder Woman we saw was so spot-on. Gal Gadot had a perfect blend of beauty, grit, and presence that set a high bar for all future live-action Dianas. Her four films, the Zack Snyder Cut, and two film Cameos (The Flash and Shazam) is a lot to live up to. I figure the new James Gunn casting will be leaked before too long and the comparisons will begin. But in the meantime, we are still getting slow trickle of Gal Gadot Wonder Woman product. This second wave of DC Defender Version (2.5" scale) Blokees features a DCEU Justice League assortment that thrilled me with the inclusion of both Mera and Wonder Woman. And if the DC lines are anything like the Transformers assortments, we are likely to see dozens of new characters over the next few years. I expect there to be themes like Batman '66, Teen Titans Go, or maybe Batman: Hush, but my fingers are crossed for some seriously obscure deep cuts. Let's check out Wonder Woman below!

Sonic the Hedgehog - TRIP THE SUNGAZER!

Sonic the Hedgehog 2.5" Sonic & Friends Mega-Set - Trip - Jakks Pacific 2026

I'm patient in almost every aspect of my life, except when it comes to toys. I have been wishing for a Trip the Sungazer (unmasked) in the Jakks Pacific Sonic line for years. We knew one was coming since several pictures of prototypes have been circulating the internet since last Fall. But I admit I was a little surprised to see her finally released in a giant Amazon-exclusive 16-Pack. If you collect either the Mario or Sonic lines from Jakks, you know almost every figure gets re-released in new packaging every few years. So I could gamble and wait for an eventual single-pack Trip. But FOMO won and I splurged. She is a very fun little figure and is bringing me so much joy, whether that feeling is worth 80 bucks or not is a question I'll ponder when my credit card bill comes. Coincidentally, I just discovered pics of Trip in her giant Golden Dragon from found on toy shelves in Mexico. There truly is a Trip renaissance happening right now. I hope a 4" Unarmored version is next. Let's check out Trip below!

Sonic the Hedgehog - TRIP THE SUNGAZER!

Sonic the Hedgehog 2.5" Series 21 - Trip (Armored Version) -  Jakks Pacific 2026

I'm a big fan of Sonic the Hedgehog toys. Despite not knowing a ton about the property, I think the characters are fun and cute. And the Jakks Pacific line has been making some awesome deep cuts in recent years. Roughly two Summers ago I made a wishlist for SDCC reveals and included Trip the Sungazer in my most-wanted from Jakks. I thought this was such a longshot, but roughly 18 months later we suddenly have her in two scales. Of course, this isn't quite the version I wanted. I prefer her unarmored look in all her reptilian beauty. But the fact that she was made at all is a major gift.  I can admit, I was ready to skip this figure. But in person, the 2.5" version is adorable. She looks like a weird steampunk frog astronaut. The 4" version isn't nearly as appealing to me, so that one is unlikely to enter my collection. But beyond being cute, I also decided to pick up this figure because there have been several 2.5" unarmored Trip prototypes that have shown up on eBay and reddit, so I will definitely need both.

How to Train Your Dragon - RUFFNUT THORSTON!

How to Train Your Dragon (Movie) - Ruffnut & Tuffnut - Spin Master 2025

Of all the main characters in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon (2025) movie, I think Ruffnut is the most changed. When I watched the movie a few weeks ago, I can admit she and her brother didn't really stand out the way they did in the numerous animated incarnations preceding  this film. The characters were always portrayed physically odd... super tall and hunched over with long dopey faces and limbs that seemed weighed down by fatigue or boredom. Then was their personalities... they were mischievous and conniving. They just looked like they were up to no good. I didn't get that vibe from this movie, but hopefully in the the sequel (currently filming) they'll get fleshed out more. (Full confession, I was full-out sick for all of mid-January when I watched this, so take my interpretation/memories with a huge grain of salt). The actress Bronwyn James is having a moment right now having starred in both Wicked movies and now the Dragons franchise. I'm looking forward to seeing her again. 

How to Train Your Dragon - ASTRID HOFFERSON!

How to Train Your Dragon (Movie) - Astrid & Deadly Nadder - Spin Master 2025

I recently watched the live-action How to Train Your Dragon (2025) and kind of loved it. When the movie was announced, I had one of those reactions like "Why remake a CGI animated movie into live-action? Won't the dragons just be CGI again? And the original still holds up as a great movie." But when I started watching it a few weeks ago, I was instantly drawn in. A huge part of the success goes to the casting. Mason Thames as Hiccup was especially great (I've seen him in Incoming and other movies and quite like him). A lot of the other characters are great too, but they all seem pretty altered from the original. I was a big fan of America Ferrera's animated portrayal of Astrid, so I was planning to be critical of this lanky brunette imposter in the role, but I was impressed. Nico Parker played the part well and put her own stamp on the character. During the movie I kept thinking I had seen her before (I hadn't) and just now I discovered that she is Thandie Newton's daughter (and is the spitting image of her).

DC Monsterverse - WONDER WOMAN!

DC Monsterverse - Wonder Woman vs Godzilla (Mini Figure) - McFarlane 2025

I have a real obsession with tiny action figures. In my youth, they were everywhere: M.A.S.K., Dino-Riders, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, Starcom, Air Raiders, etc. They were super popular and enabled an entirely different type of play. Predictably, female characters in this scale are pretty scarce. So whenever one pops up modern times, I snap it up pretty quickly. I've been very happy with the Wonder Woman MonsterVerse set overall, but the true selling point for me was the mini pack-in figure that I'm sure most collectors overlook. She's essentially a scaled-down version of the Multiverse figure in the set with hardly any articulation, but adding another tiny figure to my collection was the incentive I needed to splurge on this ($79.99 MSRP!). I just realized in creating this post that these mini figures likely share the same construction as the Page Punchers 2-Packs. I have the two ladies form that line unopened and now I'm curious to compare. Let's check out Wonder Woman below!

The Simpsons - SELMA & PATTY BOUVIER!

The Simpsons 2.5" Series - Selma (Wave 4) & Patty (Wave 5) - Jakks Pacific 2025

The Simpsons is one of those franchises that been a constant source of entertainment for most of my life. It's hard to think of a single episode that doesn't make me laugh out loud at some point. But when it comes to my toy hobbies, the overabundance of toys always seemed too overwhelming to even consider collecting. Plus the civilian nature of the the characters doesn't really fit in with my collection. But there are a few iconic B-characters that I always knew I would make an exception for. I'm obsessed with villainous twins, and surprisingly The Simpsons has graced us with two pairs; the troublemaking classmates of Bart's, Sherri and Terri; and Marge's grunting disapproving sisters, Selma and Patty. I stumbled across Selma at FiveBelow back in August and have been anxiously awaiting her sister Patty ever since. And only three months later I have the set. They make a fun grumpy pair (even if they don't come with their signature cigarettes). Let's check out the Bouvier twins below!

DC x Sonic - AMY ROSE as WONDER WOMAN!

DC x Sonic - Mystery Heroes 1 - Amy as Wonder Woman (Chase) - Jakks 2025

I was very excited to see that that secret Chase figure in the first wave of the DC x Sonic the Hedgehog Mystery Heroes blind bags was a classic-color redeco of Amy Rose as Wonder Woman. The main figure is a modern costume with a cape and metallic details, but this chase contrasts nicely with bright flat colors reminiscent of her bronze age comic design. The leaked photos of future waves show that Batman and the Flash will be getting the classic-color Chase treatment as well, but I'm happy that Amy as Wonder Woman was first. Those same leaked graphics show several more female figures potentially coming in 2026 so I am very excited for the future of this line. Not to mention the non-DC figures of unmasked Trip, Whisper the Wolf, Tikal, and Tangle the Lemur (who is already out in Canada). It's a very satisfying time to be a Sonic collector and I'm anxiously awaiting the next press release from Jakks Pacific letting us know what's next. Let's check out the 2.5" Amy as Wonder Woman chase below!

DC x Sonic - AMY ROSE as WONDER WOMAN!

DC x Sonic - Mystery Heroes 1 - Amy as Wonder Woman - Jakks Pacific 2025

Roughly 14 months ago there was a press release announcing a crossover event between DC's Justice League and Sonic the Hedgehog. One Batman Day 2024, an image of Shadow in a Batman suit broke the news. The announcement promised comics, clothing, toys, collectibles, and more. After the merchandizing avalanche of Sonic Prime which was just winding down after a year of steady releases, I had high hopes we would see the same treatment for this new crossover. And so far, it seems to be coming true. The property kicked off with a 5-issue comic series DC x Sonic the Hedgehog (ditching "Justice League" for a more all-inclusive "DC") that ran between April and July 2025 (ending with a "to be continued..." teaser). Then the toys hit in October. I knew a larger 5" series had been available via Target preorder for several months. But the 2.5" Mystery Heroes blindbags were a welcome surprise when I saw them on the shelf. Let's check out the 2.5" Amy as Wonder Woman below!

Nintendo - BABY DAISY!

World of Nintendo - 2.5" Series Wave 55 - Baby Daisy - Jakks Pacific 2025

I never expected to love last year's Baby Peach figure as much as I did. Overly "cute" toys often turn me off. Especially when it's actually an SD baby-fied character with a pacifier and diaper-looking pants. But when I picked up that Peach, something about her bright colors, surprising articulation (just because it looks like there would be none), and recognizable character traits drew me in. I was surprised that she had been around for 20 years and 13 games. I can only assume Baby Daisy has the same provenance. As the first 2025 female in the World of Nintendo line, I was especially excited to find this new Baby Daisy figure at Gamestop a couple weeks ago. She's adorable and fun. Now I'm on the hunt for the new 4" Birdo (she's showing up on eBay and oos store listings all over the internet). And also hoping for an announcement of a Baby Rosalina to round out the Princess trio. Rosalina's role in the next Mario movie should increase the likelihood of seeing her on the shelves. Let's check out Baby Daisy below!

Nintendo - BABY PEACH!

World of Nintendo - 2.5" Series Wave 47 - Baby Peach - Jakks Pacific 2024

One nice thing about my lack of video game knowledge is that I can be surprised by a new version of a legacy character when they make an appearance in the toy aisles. Such is the case with this Baby Peach figure. I had never heard of this version of Peach before the toy. But she has been around since 2005's Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and has appeared in a whopping thirteen games since. In preparation for this post, I watched a lot of gameplay videos (she's big in the Mario Kart series) and honestly the constant cooing and baby gurgles would have driven me crazy if I had been familiar with her. Super cutesy stuff doesn't really appeal to me. And honestly I assumed I would skip this figure for those same reasons. But when I saw her in person I thought she looked very well made and fun. Plus I have been a completist with Jakks Nintendo (and Sonic) females, so I couldn't bring myself to walk away. So now this grumpy collector has a baby on his Nintendo shelf (and I'm pretty happy about it).

Nintendo - CAT PEACH!

World of Nintendo - 2.5" 3D World Diorama - Cat Peach - Jakks Pacific 2024

When I first saw Cat Peach, I honestly wasn't a fan. This was back when the 4" figure was released in 2021.. and I thought she looked goofy. But I hesitantly bought her, not knowing why. My initial reaction held up for a while, I still think that that first figure was bulky and imposing and reminded me more of an ill-fitting mascot costume than a cute Mario Bros power-up. But, of course, in the years since, she has grown on me. This smaller 2.5" version is much more appealing to me and I'm a genuine fan of this Peach design now. I first saw a glimpse of this figure in a blurry pic from an SDCC slideshow last month. But then I walked into Target and saw the set newly stocked on the shelf. I love (nearly) instant gratification like that. With the limited number of female characters in the Mario Universe, I know I'm destined to be hunting down the same releases in different scales for the foreseeable future, but I'm here for it. Can't wait to see who surprises me next. Let's check out the 2.5" Cat Peach below!

Sonic Prime - ROUGE TROOPER (THE GRIM)!

Sonic Prime - The Grim (2.5" 3-Pack) - Rouge Trooper - Jakks Pacific 2024

Sonic Prime is the most recent animated incarnation of the Sonic Universe. It airs on Netflix and has the unique gimmick of having a multiverse (the Shatterverse) that contains alternate thematic variations of all the characters we know and love. It's basically made for toy merchandising. The darkest and creepiest alternate universe (imo) is The Grim. The Grim is devoid of life and features dark robot inhabitants. This 3-Pack features the generic clones of Rouge, Knuckles, and Sonic. This is essentially a troop builder set. Each character also has a single unique (Alpha) Grim version as well featuring a slightly different design than these troopers. Alpha Grim Rouge is this singular version of Rouge (easily distinguishable by her red eyes). As far as I know, we will only be getting toys of the troopers (I saw the 5" Sonic Trooper in Target today). I would love to display an Alpha Grim Rouge flanked by two Rouge Troopers, but alas, it's just not meant to be. Let's check out Rouge Trooper below!

Spidey and His Amazing Friends - GHOST-SPIDER!

Spidey and His Amazing Friends - 2.5" Ghost-Spider and Bike - Hasbro 2022

Back in 2022 I was going crazy checking all my discount store chains for a few important toys. The Transformers Authentics Arcee and the G.I.Joe Basic Series Baroness were being found at stores like Family Dollar and Dollar General and I was on the hunt. I remember spending one rainy day on vacation driving up the coast and hitting close to a dozen of these stores obsessively looking for these elusive toys. (Spoiler: I eventually found them months later at FiveBelow). But in the process of hunting I discovered this discount line from Spidey and his Amazing Friends (the popular new preschool show on Disney+) featuring mini figures of the two main male heroes paired with a motorcycle. I eventually googled them and saw a Gwen figure in the mix, but only on Australian websites. Finding her became an obsession. She's rather unimpressive. She's unarticulated and sloppily painted, but I stayed vigilant and finally found her two years later in one of those same Dollar Generals. Let's check out Gwen below!

Sonic Holiday Series - AMY ROSE!

Sonic the Hedgehog 2.5" Series (Christmas Wave) - Amy -  Jakks Pacific 2023

Merry Christmas Eve! I'm staying at a friend's house and today I got a cold so I've been isolating and napping all day (covid negative luckily). Now everyone is in bed and I'm bored and sleepless so I'll be posting a few Christmas-themed items I prepared earlier this month. The Jakks Sonic line has been super prolific this year. Prior to 2023, I had thirteen (female) Sonic figures in my collection. But 2023 added NINE more (and I'm still hunting one additional figure). One of my favorite surprises was this series of Holiday releases I found on an endcap in the Target Seasonal section. They are all repaints of the figures released in last year's Sonic Advent Calendar. But in Amy's case, her advent figure was just the standard Classic Amy with no "holiday" alteration at all. So this simple repaint is very cute and stands as a nice apology. Plus, in researching this figure I learned that there will also be an Easter assortment including Amy. (I'll bet it's a repaint in an Easter egg motif). Let's check out Holiday Amy Rose below!

Sonic Prime - RUSTY ROSE!

Sonic Prime - New Yoke City (2.5" 3-Pack) - Rusty Rose - Jakks Pacific 2023

I've always avoided technology-based characters in my collecting. I just naturally lean towards superhero, fantasy, and natural characters as opposed to military and cyborg designs. This Rusty Rose figure presents a conundrum though because she is a variation of a character I already love in a new aesthetic that I typically avoid. Overall I think she's very fun though. The new Sonic: Prime show on Netflix features a fractured series of multiverses with various themes (pirate, feral, and robotics seem to be the main three universes). New Yoke City is one of these Shatterverses that features futuristic post-apocalyptic cyborg versions of all the main Sonic characters. (Although Rebel Rouge in this universe is mysteriously dressed like a guerilla freedom fighter). But Rusty Rose is decked out with an intimidating robotic eye and rusty hinged limbs. I especially like this design because it reminds me of a female counterpart to Metal Sonic. I like equal opportunity variants. Let's check out the 2.5" Rusty Rose below!

Mission Fleet - BO-KATAN!

Star Wars Mission Fleet: Gauntlet Starfighter - Bo-Katan - Hasbro 2021

Star Wars Mission Fleet is a fun line of miniature articulated action figures with stylized vehicles. They seem more like a maturation of the Playskool Galactic Heroes line (which I loved) as opposed to the more "serious" Micro Galaxy Squadron miniature line. The Mission Fleet line started out strong back in 2020 with a lot of initial releases, but there has been a steady slowdown ever since. I've had this Bo-Katan set in my stash for quite a while but delayed opening her since I assumed she would be the last lady in the line. But to my surprise we got a Reva Third Sister figure late last year and there is an upcoming Fennec Shand this Summer. So the line is definitely alive, just really slow. This figure also marked a turning point in collecting for me as she was the first Hasbro figure I saw (and purchased) in plastic-free windowless packaging. It may be commonplace now, but back in October of 2021 we were still waiting to see if it was real. Luckily mine looked good. Let's check out Bo-Katan Kryze below!

Nascar Racers - MEGAN "SPITFIRE" FASSLER!

Nascar Racers - "Spitfire" Megan Fassler - Figure & Rescue Racer - Hasbro 1999

From 1999-2001, Fox Kids Network and Saban Entertainment cashed in on the exploding popularity of NASCAR and created the animated series NASCAR Racers featuring two rival racing teams in a futuristic setting. The show was popular and lasted two seasons but fell victim to the sale of Saban to Disney before season 3 went into production. But before that cancellation, the show spawned books, a video game, and of course toys. Most of the toys are simple cars in various scales. And eBay is inundated with Kellogg's promotional toys and Wendy's Kids Meal cars. But hidden in the mix is this great line of "Figure & Rescue Racer" toys featuring nine of the most popular characters in action figure form along with their signature vehicles. Megan Fassler is the token female from Team Fastex (who later assembled a separate team of female drivers). She is the only female who got an action figure. Which is sad, but also a blessing because these are super hard to track down. Let's check out Megan below!

Nintendo - ROSALINA!

World of Nintendo 2.5" Figures Wave 36 - Rosalina - Jakks Pacific 2022

Rosalina was a non-playable "Princess" character in 2007's Super Mario Galaxy. She was living in the Comet Observatory with her adopted lumas (creatures that look like plump Power Stars). Bowser attacked the observatory stealing all her Power Stars and she pleads with Mario to help retrieve them. I loved her design from that early introduction. She had a unique look but fit right in with Peach and Daisy. Her impact on fans must have been great as well because she has since appeared in more than 20 other games. Her appearances range from a fully playable character to a mere cameo, but her presence has been constant and I knew she would eventually have to be included in the World of Nintendo toyline. What I wasn't expecting was the surprise rapidity of both the long-awaited Daisy and Rosalina released within a couple months of each other. Of course, all these ladies makes the absence of a Pauline figure pretty glaring. I'll bet we see her in the line soon. Let's check out Rosalina below!