Review of Disney Star Wars Legendary Yoda Collector Box Edition

Collector Edition Box

PRODUCT DETAILS

Batteries:  Requires 6 C Batteries, which are not included!

Recommended Age:  6+ (Some reviews claim children tend to get bored with it)

English Speaking Only

Produced by:  Spin Master Ltd.

UPC:  778988207291

Complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules, which means it cannot cause harmful interference but it must accept any interference--even if it causes undesired operation.

Complies with Canadian ICES-003 (and is considered a Class B digital apparatus).

Features:  115 phrases, dynamic 360 degree movement, full voice recognition, light up lightsaber, real fabric robe, several interactive modes

Made in China

Contents:  1 Legendary Yoda, 1 Walking Stick, 1 Lightsaber, 1 Instruction Sheet, 1 Jedi Training Manual

Size:  16" Tall

Price:  $69.35 and up

Still in Production:  No

Where can you get it:  ebay and Amazon

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The other box Legendary Yoda comes in that isn't the Collector Edition

My mom has always loved toys that could do things, which resulted in many childhood traumas for me.  I'll never forget the horror of the crawling baby doll.  Was not upset at all when she bled to death in my toy box, even though it ruined some other toys beneath her (the batteries corroded and leaked).

Though my mom is not a Star Wars fan, her love of toys that do things made her desire The Legendary Yoda.  At first, I despaired as I looked at pages of different Yodas.  The problem is that there is a cheaper Yoda that is around $40 that looks similar to the Legendary Yoda.  It was also confusing that Legendary Yoda can come in two different kinds of boxes.  The black one is a special collector's edition box.   I was about to tell her to buy her own Yoda when Amazon showed me the correct one.  Normally, I would have put it in my wish list and waited until October when I did my Xmas shopping.  However, there was only one left.  As I don't believe this toy is in production any longer, I worried about missing out.  Therefore, I bought it--even though it was August and Xmas was four months away.  I learned I could archive the order, which I hoped would keep her gift a secret on an account we both use.  As soon as I bought the toy, 16 more were put in stock--though I got free prime shipping, which wasn't offered when it was restocked.  It was fortunate I relooked at my order later, because I hadn't noticed right away that it didn't come with batteries.  Most battery-operated toys come with their batteries, though I always buy extras just in case they have worn down.

I hadn't been much impressed by the video reviews of Legendary Yoda, but when he came, I have to admit he was pretty cool.  I'm glad I still had him.  I woke up to find him on my porch, so I was lucky he hadn't been stolen.  He had already been delivered, and fortunately it was on a day it hadn't rained.  My mom was still asleep, so I snuck into my room to test him.  Though I closed the door, I worried he would be too loud.  He was happily easy to unbox, which is particularly odd for a Disney product.  When I did the question mode, I asked him, "Did you like Anakin Skywalker?"  Before I even finished the question, he said, "No! Nooo!"  I thought that was funny.  He worked very well, and so I was getting ready to rebox him for the long wait until Xmas.  That is when I noticed the stain in the box where his foot had been (I show this in the video down below).  It hadn't been there when I took him out.  I looked under the box, thinking I had put him in water accidentally, but no.  The only explanation for the stain was that he had leaked some oil.  He worked very well, but I debated whether this was a problem.  I decided I would show my mom and let her decide.  My mom thought he was super cool and wanted to keep him, even if he was a little incontinent.

Homeboy Gangsta Yoda

He is a very well made toy, and one of the best animatronic toys I've seen.  I never thought I'd ever see something like a real C-3P0 in my lifetime, but who the heck knows?  Toys are getting more and more sophisticated--and best of all, they manage to do cool stuff without making the creepy noises they did in the 1980s...like that horrible crawling doll.

Battery compartment and on/off switch on back

The first thing that struck me about Yoda was how nice his robes are.  The outer robe actually has a hood that you can drape over his head.  Yoda is attached to this black rolling thing which reminds me a bit of South Park's Miss Claridge.  Fortunately for Yoda, he can speak 115 phrases and isn't limited to beeping Yes/No replies.  On the back, you find the on/off switch and the battery compartment.  My only complaint is with the battery compartment.  When you put the batteries in, you have to apply pressure to the door to close it.  It is hard to do this when he is upright, but I worry about having him over my knee and damaging his feet or hands.  The screws to the battery compartment also look like they will strip easily.

Press Yoda's left foot for a random phrase

When Yoda does not have his lightsaber or cane, he is in Force Mode.  In Force Mode, he is extremely fond of asking you to practice force push--where you extend your hand and "use the force" to push him.  You should be 8 inches away from Yoda to do this.  There is apparently a motion sensor on the seat Yoda sits on.  You don't see a sensor light normally, but on my tablet I could see it light up (you can see this in the video).  Frankly, I began to think Yoda was a bit of a perv.  He just seems to fond of asking you to do force push, which starts coming across as a Jedi pick-up line.  I was particularly suspicious when force push involves putting your hand near his crotch.  When he is preoccupied with having you do force push, you cannot get him to think about something else--even if you ask another question.

Both the cane and lightsaber have notches that plug into Yoda's right hand

There are six phrases you can ask Master Yoda, but some work better in certain modes.  If you press a cleverly concealed button on his left foot, he will say random phrases.  Since he has voice recognition, he can even respond to cue words when you are talking...though sometimes he gets confused.  "Cane" sounds like "train" to him.  Sometimes he seems to fall asleep too, and you have to repeat yourself.  If he comments that he needs to meditate, that usually means he is about to fall asleep (but hey, who hasn't had that problem?).

Another ability you may see, particularly if you ask him if he senses the dark side, is his left hand lighting up as he releases a force attack.  I had a problem capturing this in a photo, but you can see it in my video review.  I don't know if it is my imagination, but he always seems to point at me as the direction the dark side is in.

The notches in Yoda's hand that the lightsaber and cane plug into.

I'm an only child, but I have to admit that Legendary Yoda would be a great "evil sibling" toy.  You can totally inflict maximum childhood trauma with this thing.  Get Yoda in question mode, and ask, "Yoda, is Johnny adopted?"  Or maybe, "Yoda, do you like Johnny?"

Yoda answers yes or no questions in wisdom mode, which is when you put the cane in his hand.  Yoda can only use the cane or lightsaber in his right hand.  That hand has a plug.  The lightsaber and cane have notches that plug into the hand--which can be tricky.  Sometimes they can also come loose while he has them.  I do worry about the cane breaking, since he slams it down quite hard to make his point.

Yoda absolutely refuses to answer definitely any question that deals with Rey's parentage.  Usually he says something about the future being hard to see.

I am so tempted to be vulgar or profane around Yoda.  Supposedly standing before the Jedi council was considered an honor, and yet I often picture myself being lewd.  Maybe it is an anxiety reaction.

However, Yoda is very obliging to answer some of my more naughty questions--more obliging than he is to answer the ones about Rey.  "Master Yoda, do you have a big penis?"  "Yes, my Padawan, yes."

The lightsaber actually lights up

Give Yoda his lightsaber to put him in warrior mode.  The lightsaber lights up.  On the box it shows him with a green lightsaber, but it is actually blue.  It is important in this mode to have Yoda on the floor instead of high up (actually, I would recommend him on the floor in any mode to be on the safe side).  Yoda really twirls and moves around, particularly when you ask him to help you fight the Dark Side.  There is a YouTube video that shows a Legendary Yoda fighting a cat, but I would discourage allowing your Yoda to hit anything--particularly something living.  It can cause injury, and you could also break the lightsaber.

It seems no matter where Yoda started out, he always wound up between my legs batting his lightsaber around.  Then he would nod at me and say, "May the Force be with you."  Really, doesn't this all sound like lines a guy says to a woman he has picked up?

He is definitely worth the money.  The only concern we have for him is whether the skin will hold up.  Otherwise, he seems very well made.