This website is dedicated to the Shogun Warriors - a toy line distributed by Mattel during the late 70's and early 80s and including precursor toys distributed in Japan by Bandai and subsidiaries (and copied by others). Unfortunately, I was too old to have played with Shogun Warriors at their inception, but I remember vividly thinking that the fist-firing Godzilla in the toy commercials was way cool and secretly coveted one. When I got older and wiser, I decided to start picking them up (this was all started by my girlfriend finding a Shogun Godzilla, missing its fist, at a yard-sale for $3!). Fortunately they are still reasonable to collect (well, I guess these days that's a relative claim).
Until 2016 a sub-set of these pages was offered on my Wildtoys.com website - in 2016 I moved the pages with new updates and images to its own domain - shogunwarriors.org. For the most recent additions please refer to My Blog Posts.
In 1977 Mattel licensed from the Japanese toy company Popy (a Bandai subsidiary) several popular toys to be collectively released as Shogun Warriors in the US. These were actually super-hero (aka Sentai or Tokusatsu) or giant robot (aka mecha) toys from manga and anime previously marketed in Japan in the 70's. Each of these toys came from different, mostly unrelated TV shows.
Mattel's Shogun Warriors were billed as "Invincible Guardians of World Freedom!" - there was little context provided until a tie-in Marvel Comics series was released along with a Godzilla comic (of course the Shogun Warriors comic had an all-new story unrelated to the previous Japanese stories). For more info on Shogun Warrior origins and the creator of
human-driven giant robos (and probably the spiritual creator of what we
think of as Shogun Warriors), read about Go Nagai or references to the original Japanese TV show origins.
Mattel released several different sizes of the smaller metal Shogun Warriors known as Chogokin in Japan. These smaller Shoguns are collected by both robot toy collectors and people who collect Japanese die-cast toys so there's some competition in acquiring them. These metal toys came in various sizes/price points and are loosely grouped as follows: 5 1/2 to 6" Two-in-Ones which transformed or had 2 different functions; Five-inch Die-Cast Action figures which came with various weapons and accessories; Collector's Shogun Warriors which were three to four inches in height and packaged in window boxes; and lastly a group of vehicles often referred to as Popynica (aka Shogun Vehicles), many of which came with firing parts/missiles or small figures. Being cast in metal with plastic bits, these toys have quite a bit of heft that enhances the perception of value.
There were four different die cast 5" Shogun Warrior action figures: Dragun, Mazinga (later Great Mazinga), Poseidon and Raider. Due to cost-cutting measures implemented by Mattel during the 70's, there exists two or three versions of most figures with accessory variations, each new version further simplifying the figure that came out before it (i.e. fewer weapons, features, fists and weapons becoming non-firing, missiles becoming "safer" and less general "play-ability").
There were at least two Shogun Vehicle releases during the toys' run, reflected by the Assortment numbers and individual model numbering. These Vehicles were borrowed from many different TV programs that aired previously in Japan (the molds apparently already existed so it was a matter of repackaging under the "Shogun" brand for the US market) so some are obviously not related to the recognizable Shogun Warrior figure toys no story lines from the comics.
Probably the most recognized of the Shogun Warrior and certainly the
most representative of the US releases are the giant HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) figures known
as Jumbo Machinders - basically a marketing term for "giant robot". The Mattel releases included: Daimos, Dragun,
Gaiking, Godzilla, Mazinga (Great Mazinga), Raydeen, and Rodan. Grendizer was added in
Europe as Goldorak in France and Goldrake in Italy, and further variations to packaging and figures
followed.
Chogokin and Popynica
Mattel released several different sizes of the smaller metal Shogun Warriors known as Chogokin in Japan. These smaller Shoguns are collected by both robot toy collectors and people who collect Japanese die-cast toys so there's some competition in acquiring them. These metal toys came in various sizes/price points and are loosely grouped as follows: 5 1/2 to 6" Two-in-Ones which transformed or had 2 different functions; Five-inch Die-Cast Action figures which came with various weapons and accessories; Collector's Shogun Warriors which were three to four inches in height and packaged in window boxes; and lastly a group of vehicles often referred to as Popynica (aka Shogun Vehicles), many of which came with firing parts/missiles or small figures. Being cast in metal with plastic bits, these toys have quite a bit of heft that enhances the perception of value.
There were six different 5 1/2" Two-in-One figures which were much like
(and the predecessors of) the Transformers line that came out years
later. These were Dangard, Daimos, Gaiking, Goldorak/Goldrake, Raydeen and
Voltes V. The Goldorak/Goldrake releases were for the European market. Both because of their sophistication (making them more
desirable) and because they came out toward the end of the toy line,
these figures are extremely hard to find in original packaging and
command much higher prices than the 5" Action Figures..
There were four different die cast 5" Shogun Warrior action figures: Dragun, Mazinga (later Great Mazinga), Poseidon and Raider. Due to cost-cutting measures implemented by Mattel during the 70's, there exists two or three versions of most figures with accessory variations, each new version further simplifying the figure that came out before it (i.e. fewer weapons, features, fists and weapons becoming non-firing, missiles becoming "safer" and less general "play-ability").
There were 10 different Collectors Shogun Warriors: Combatra (Combattler V), Dragun,
Gaiking, Grandizer, Great Mazinga, Poseidon, Dangard, Leopaldon, Voltes V
and 17 (Daitetsujin 17 in Japan). These colorful die-cast Shoguns
featured metal bodies with plastic heads and limbs. Their only moving
parts were their heads, arms and hip joints. This line was also released as part of Bandai's GoDaiKin line a few years later so you'll find them as variations with extra stickers.
There were at least two Shogun Vehicle releases during the toys' run, reflected by the Assortment numbers and individual model numbering. These Vehicles were borrowed from many different TV programs that aired previously in Japan (the molds apparently already existed so it was a matter of repackaging under the "Shogun" brand for the US market) so some are obviously not related to the recognizable Shogun Warrior figure toys no story lines from the comics.
I've placed the many Mattel licensed items and catalog ads in this
portion of the Shogun Warrior segment. You'll find some odd-ball stuff
here, much that you've probably never seen. I've also placed images of
Japanese-only and European-only figures and accessories here.
All Mattel images and captions are copyright
Mattel and used without permission. All other content, including images
and editorial, is Copyright © 1997-2023 John Eaton and/or contributors
unless otherwise stated. If there are any comments or objections,
please contact John Eaton, by clicking here.
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