That Baby Yoda toy you scored from the bargain bin at your local toy store isn’t going to be a flawless replica of Grogu as he appears in the Star Wars series. If it’s accuracy you’re after, you’ll either have to spend hundreds of dollars on a high-end replica from companies like Hot Toys or Sideshow Collectibles, or become a master painter like Stephen Richter and upgrade a toy Grogu yourself.
Richter is both a talented painter and sculptor, and on their YouTube channel they share mesmerising timelapse videos of shapeless lumps of clay becoming incredibly lifelike sculptures of pop culture icons like the Hulk. If you’re struggling through a Thursday that feels like a Friday that you’d prefer was a Saturday, you can easily waste the rest of the day watching Richter’s creations come to life.
Where Richter’s talents really shine is when they’re using their sculpting and painting skills to turn toys into Hollywood-calibre replica props. Back in November, a $US45 ($62) Jumanji board game was turned into a $US200 ($278) drool-worthy replica that looked like it came straight from the props department of that movie franchise, and this time around Richter uses those same skills to breathe life into a Grogu toy from Mattel.
Be forewarned, the start of this video features a graphic decapitation of the Grogu toy followed by an amputation of both of his hands, but it allows Richter to work their magic on those plastic parts, toning down the neon green paint job applied at the toy factory with a subtler and more nuanced finish. The results not only make the toy look more like the incredible Grogu animatronic featured in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, but it makes the toy look far more lifelike and straight out of the grungy Star Wars universe, thanks to Richter’s upgrades on Grogu’s coat as well.
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