A 'Child' Is Born, and Immediately Ascends Amazon

Baby Yoda from 'The Mandalorian' tops plush toy list, but it won't be available for a few more months
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 20, 2019 11:05 AM CST
Baby Yoda Tops Amazon List— but Don't Get Too Excited Yet
You won't see this guy till May.   (Amazon)

The hot item of the holiday season is none other Baby Yoda, the character also known as "The Child" in Disney Plus' The Mandalorian—but no one's going to be unwrapping him (and it is a him) for several more months. Variety reports an 11-inch Mattel "soft figure" from the Star Wars series is the No. 1 bestseller in the "plush toy" category, as well as the No. 2 pick in the site's "most wished for" toys and games section. However, the "adorable figure with green skin, big ears, and large eyes," which retails on Amazon for $24.99, is only available for preorder, with a release expected on the site on May 25. A Hasbro talking version of Baby Yoda, which Variety says also sells for $24.99, comes in at No. 4 among Amazon's plush toys, but there's not even a date listed for when that item will be available, and there's no option to preorder.

While Popular Mechanicswhich lists other Baby Yoda items and accessories, some already available and some coming down the pike—wonders if Disney was "blindsided" by Baby Yoda's popularity, implying the entertainment giant was left unprepared for a rush on Baby Yoda-branded merch during the holiday season, Variety offers a different explanation: Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau wanted to hold off on spoilers about the character for as long as possible before the series debuted. "The company will still make a mint from the character if Amazon's rankings are any indication," the magazine notes. If you can't wait till May, Disney's online store looks to be offering the 11-inch Mattel toy as early as April, with other toys and bobbleheads by Hasbro and Funko available in May. (Baby Yoda has been generating more buzz than Michael Bloomberg.)

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