Phil Roberts 
A bounty of Rogue One merchandise awaits us to celebrate Force Friday. Here’s my top picks from a Rogue One mega-haul!
It’s time to celebrate Force Friday with Midnight Madness, an event where Star Wars fans from near and far come together to purchase the latest Hasbro action figures from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Standing at the entrance of the Toys R Us megastore at Brent Cross, with midnight just around the corner, my friends and I from Future of the Force could almost smell the fresh plastic coming from the new action figures from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It was an exciting moment, sharing Midnight Madness with my closest friends, but the buzz in the air was real as we all waited for the clock to hit midnight and the launch of the new figures.
The fun vibe among us hid the crowd’s excitement about what was waiting inside. Personally, I couldn’t wait to grab the new Imperial Stormtroopers, and that was my main focus, way more than the other characters coming out. But when the doors opened and I saw what was inside, all those single-minded thoughts went right out the window!
NEW DISPLAY
As my friends and I approached the impressive Rogue One store display, my eyes were drawn to the stunning Black Series packaging of an unexpected character that had been exiled to the lowest level of collecting priority. Sat on the shelf before me, almost outshining all other figures, was the stunning figure of the new entry into the Star Wars droid fraternity, K-2SO.
With the figures’ overpowering allure taking hold, I found myself drawn to the stunningly detailed Imperial Security Droid and felt a level of euphoric satisfaction as he entered the safety of my shopping cart. Once my plethora of purchases had been concluded and painstakingly paid for, my massing colleagues and I inspected the contents of our brimming shopping bags and evaluated our haul of goodies culminating in each of us selecting which new additions enthralled us the most.
K-2SO ARRIVES!
Once again, I found K-2SO within my grasp. Upon closer inspection, I fell in love with the figure, just as I did with my Disney Store Exclusive Elite Series C-3PO and R2-D2. My inner joy was evident as I held him aloft for my colleagues to see. In that moment, I could sense that this was indeed another of those special moments where a new character enters the realm of personal significance.
Little did I know that once the excitement and joy of Midnight Madness had come to an end, my love for the character would be intensified upon entering the threshold of the Disney Store the very next day. The new wave of Rogue One Elite Series figures had been released and were sitting on the shelves, their pristine new boxes gleaming under the fluorescent lights. Sat amongst the stunning new characters was the incredible K-2SO.
ENTER THE ELITE
I seldom use the phrase breath-taking but seeing the Elite version of this amazing new character was indeed just that. In the aftermath of the previous evening’s euphoria, I wouldn’t have believed that the Black Series version of the figure could be surpassed. But the Elite incarnation accomplished it. The figure is truly stunning, arguably the finest figure produced by the team behind the Elite Series. As inconceivable as it was at the time, it overtook the Black Series version as my favourite figure from Rogue Friday with relative ease.
So when my Future of the Force colleagues suggested we share our favorite two items from our Rogue Friday haul with our beloved readers, my decision was amazingly easy.
In the first place, to the shock of… no one sits the Disney Store Elite Series die-cast K-2SO in all its breathtaking glory. It now sits upon my shelf, taking pride of place amongst its peers. In second place, equally as stunning is the Black Series K-2SO.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Despite my initial skepticism, this new droid has captivated my imagination, even challenging my long-standing affection for the vintage and beloved Imperial Stormtroopers. It has been a long time since I felt this excited about a character; the last time was with the arrival of General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith. This newfound enthusiasm has become the perfect motivation as I eagerly await December 16th and the highly anticipated release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
What will you be buying on Force Friday? Drop a comment in the chat and join the conversation.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
