Star Wars Figures From Japan for the Fan Who's Seen Them All: My Picks, From Obi-Wan to Grogu

Give a figure he can put on a shelf, and choose it by the trilogy he started with. Prequels: Obi-Wan Kenobi. Original trilogy: Han Solo, or R2-D2 and C-3PO together. The Disney+ years: the Mandalorian and Grogu, or Boba Fett. The ones in this guide are S.H.Figuarts, finished, posable figures made in Japan by Bandai.

That’s the short version. The rest is which figure, and why.

Who’s choosing

I’m a designer in Japan, and I’ve seen all of Star Wars.

I came in from the other end. My first Star Wars was Episode I, in a cinema, when I was in junior high school. What I remember most is that Anakin was a cute kid. I went back to Episodes IV, V and VI after that, and knowing what Vader had been through made them better. I watched Luke’s story already knowing his father’s. It made me hate the Sith.

My favorite character is Obi-Wan Kenobi: Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan, his relationship with Anakin as master and apprentice, and how good he is in the animated Clone Wars too.

If someone gave me something Star Wars, I’d want a figure I could display. So that’s what this guide is.

What S.H.Figuarts are

S.H.Figuarts is a line of figures from Tamashii Nations, part of Bandai Spirits, the Japanese company that also makes Gunpla. They come finished and painted, posable at the joints, with swappable hands and accessories. The Star Wars ones in this guide are around 15cm for a person, smaller for R2-D2. No building, no paint: open the box, pose it, put it on the shelf.

My favorite: Obi-Wan Kenobi, twice

If I could only give one Star Wars figure, it would be Obi-Wan. I’d recommend both of these, for two different fans.

The master: S.H.Figuarts Obi-Wan Kenobi -Classic Ver.- (Revenge of the Sith). Obi-Wan as Anakin’s teacher, at the height of the prequels. The shop’s listing describes a new head sculpt and a cloth cloak based on the one in Revenge of the Sith. This is the Obi-Wan of the master-and-apprentice story, the one I love most. For the fan who grew up on the prequels.

The hermit: S.H.Figuarts Obi-Wan Kenobi (Obi-Wan Kenobi series). From the Disney+ series, set ten years after Revenge of the Sith, when he’s in hiding on Tatooine and older. About 150mm, with a cloth cloak and a small droid, per the shop’s listing. For the fan who watched the series, and wanted to see Obi-Wan and Vader face each other again.

The other half: Darth Vader

A master needs his apprentice. Put Vader next to Obi-Wan and the shelf tells the whole story.

S.H.Figuarts Darth Vader (Return of the Jedi). The Vader of the last film of the original trilogy. About 170mm, with a lightsaber, replacement hands and a replacement head, per the shop’s listing, which gives 15 and up. Knowing how Anakin got there is what makes this one heavy. It’s the figure I’d give alongside Obi-Wan.

If he grew up on the original trilogy

My favorites from IV, V and VI are Han Solo, and the droids.

S.H.Figuarts Han Solo -Classic Ver.- (A New Hope). The smuggler and captain of the Millennium Falcon, as he was in A New Hope. About 150mm, with a new head sculpt, per the shop’s listing. For the dad who always wanted to be Han.

R2-D2 and C-3PO, as a pair. They belong together, so give them together. R2-D2 is about 90mm in a new color scheme; C-3PO is about 155mm with a plated finish, per the shop’s listings. Side by side, they’re the most recognizable pair in the saga.

If they had a Tamagotchi as a kid, there’s also an R2-D2 you look after rather than display: the R2-D2 Tamagotchi, in the Tamagotchi guide.

If he came in through the Disney+ series

I’ve watched all of these too. The Mandalorian is cool; Boba Fett is someone you can’t quite hate; Grogu is adorable.

1/12 The Mandalorian & Grogu (plastic model kit). This one is different: it’s a kit, not a finished figure, so it needs building. The shop’s listing says it’s from the film The Mandalorian and Grogu, pre-colored, snap-fit, with new armor parts for the Mandalorian and Grogu in three forms, including riding on his back. The cool one and the cute one, in one box.

S.H.Figuarts Boba Fett (The Mandalorian). Boba Fett in the restored armor from season 2 of The Mandalorian, about 155mm, with an unmasked head and effect parts for missiles and the jetpack, per the shop’s listing.

How to give it

Ask which trilogy he started with. Original, prequels or Disney+: the answer picks the figure. Everyone remembers where they came in.

Give two that belong together. Obi-Wan and Vader. R2-D2 and C-3PO. The Mandalorian and Grogu. A pair on a shelf is a scene, not just a figure.

Before you buy

• Finished or kit. Every S.H.Figuarts here is finished. The Mandalorian & Grogu is a kit that needs building.
• Size. Most are around 150–170mm; R2-D2 is about 90mm, so he looks right beside C-3PO.
• Age. Collector figures with small parts. The Vader listing gives 15 and up.
• Availability. This guide doesn’t claim these are Japan-only; it points to what the Japanese shop has in stock.

How to buy from Japan

Okurimono Japan doesn’t sell anything. “Check Price” takes you to the product page on Discovery Japan Mall, an independent Japanese retailer (not Bandai’s own shop) that ships internationally and shows prices in your currency. You pay them directly by card or PayPal. The shop states orders usually ship within 5 business days with tracking and insurance; customs duties, where charged, are collected on delivery. Returns are for damaged, defective or incorrect items only, reported within 7 days with photos. Prices on this page are the shop’s yen prices on 27 September 2026, converted approximately, before shipping and duty. Full details on How to Buy, duties in ordering from Japan to the US, and for the Gundam fan, Gunpla for the dad who grew up on Gundam.

One more thing

I met Anakin as a cute kid first, and it changed how I saw Vader forever. Whoever you’re giving to has a story like that too. Ask where it started, and give him that.