As anyone who loves pop culture knows, the love for Star Wars continues to thrive from generation to generation. With such a wealth of worldbuilding, that doesn’t only look to the future, the original trilogy also continues to find garner new devotion. Looking back among the classic characters, there’s no-one quite like this Jedi Master, that little green troublemaker who has that humorous laugh and, yet, is also mighty and powerful with the Force. Yoda is forever fascinating, he is.

This isn’t my first venture into the Puppetronic by RealFX world, last year I tested out the wonderful Toothless puppet, from How to Train Your Dragon, and that product was a huge step up in the accessible, affordable everyday puppet game. It was equally one for all the family and distinctly high quality, and now this new Yoda Puppetronic by RealFX fits that similar field, with a lifelike release for the Star Wars legend!

Stylistically, this release from Wow! Stuff looks great from the moment you open up the usual brown delivery box. The display box holds a similar design vibe to the Kenner action figures, yet it’s super-scaled with the Yoda puppet inside. Taking him out, he hits an impressive 44cm, that’s 17.5 inches (ish), and it’s easy to lift out the little green guy, to immediately notice his authentic nature. After you slip him out of the box, the only thing you’ll need to do is lock in his feet and slot his cane into this hand, with both securely tied inside. You’ll need 3 AAA batteries to get his famous sayings working, and there are multiple phrases, depending on what mode you put him in. Now, let’s also remember this is a puppet, so Yoda has controls inside his back. You’ll need to stand him up, or you can ‘carry’ him, and inside is a controller for his movements and sound.

I’m sure many of us have seen all types of Yoda figures released, but this looks great with a rubbery-like ‘skin’ to show off those ancient wrinkles. Once you get used to the controls, you’ll be able to implement an occasion blink from his eyes, get those long ears moving (this is particularly great) and a mouth that moves just enough. The latter could use a bit a touch more movement, but once you know the sayings, you can technically match up your puppetry with what he’s saying, and I think a younger generation would enjoy that element. You’ve a huge combination of sounds and actions, they say over 120 but I haven’t had the chance to break that down yet, but it’s worth noting they’ve also included 4 different personality ‘modes’ (on four buttons on the control inside) which offer the likes of:

• Conversational mode allows fans to interact directly
• Jedi Master mode delivering guidance and training
• Master of Mischief mode showcasing his personality
• Defender of the Night mode for vigilant Jedi instincts

In terms of usability as a puppet, this is a solid piece of kit. As well as that rubbery skin, his traditional Jedi robes are of a premium quality, and his cane (if plastic) sets in place a great recreation. He’s possibly designed for a smaller person to comfortably use but I’m of a ‘normal’ adult age and also loved it, and didn’t have any issues getting him into action – see the video below! The control handle inside Yoda’s back is like a joystick with a combination of push-down levers and buttons to push for sound and movement. His ‘Force’ arm is a little more difficult to use than it could be, and a touch clunky, but other movement is generally representative of the Yoda we meet and forever admire.

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This Wow! Stuff Star Wars Yoda Puppetronic by RealFX absolutely leans on the edges of premium over other similar things, and a much of that comes from the high-quality materials implemented. It’s clear that time, effort and official insight have gone into making sure this is as good as it can be for the very fair price bracket. And, yes, whatever your age, you’ll find a lot of fun to be had whatever Star Wars era is your favourite and, most importantly, you’ll love having this guy in your collection.

Wow! Stuff’s Star Wars Yoda Puppetronic by RealFX is out now, order here*: https://link.amazon/B072xn0kn

*This is an affiliate link but the review is very much from my own tests and honest experience, please do comment if you have any queries!