As Star Wars Celebration is set to kick off in Chiba, Japan, in mid-April, various toy companies have been releasing Star Wars-themed toys and merchandise. This article brings you an exciting new release from T-ARTS, a toy brand under Japan's TAKARA TOMY Company, scheduled for May 2025: the awesome "Star Wars Dejarik Holochess" (tentative translation, スター・ウォーズ デジャリック ホロチェス) Gashapon! The suggested retail price is 400 JPY per capsule, with a grand total of 16 different types to collect!
Looking across the Star Wars film and series catalog, it's easy to spot a highly popular strategic game, beloved by all races, known as "Dejarik" holochess. It first appeared in the 1977 film A New Hope, where Chewbacca played against the droid duo R2-D2 & C-3PO. However, due to Chewbacca's poor sportsmanship, Han Solo kindly reminded the droids that "Wookiees are known to pull people's arms out of their sockets when they lose," leading to C-3PO's classic line to R2: "Let the Wookie Win." Dejarik has since continued to appear in various works, making it an excellent game for passing time on starships.
T-ARTS' "Star Wars Dejarik Holochess" can be described as an ambitious gashapon product. It not only features a strong lineup of 8 different species but also includes finely painted solid-color versions and translucent blue holographic color schemes, totaling 16 collectible types. These include the green insectoid Ghhhk, the fierce Kintan strider, the Ng'ok creature with toothy mouths on its hands, and the massive Mantellian Savrip, among others. In my personal opinion, this Dejarik gashapon set is not only rich in variety but also relatively affordable. Given its somewhat niche nature, it is absolutely worth buying a complete set to preserve, and seeing all the characters lined up truly brings the film's world to life—it's incredibly cool!
▼ From the movie A New Hope: "Let the Wookie Win."
Star Wars Dejarik Holochess
Suggested Retail Price: ¥400 / capsule, Product Specifications: Approximately 2.5–5.5 cm tall, 16 types in total, Estimated Release Date: May 2025
Source: Takara Tomy Arts