Top 30 1980s Toys

Top 30 1980s Toys

Oh boy, how did I come up with the top 30 1980s toys? This list isn’t based on popularity. If it were, Star Wars would win out just based on that. Don’t get me wrong, popularity factors in a little bit; however, the fact that a toy was unsuccessful means very little to me. Steel Monsters is a perfect example that many haven’t even heard of. My admittedly biased basis took three things into account: how cool the toy was, how innovative it was, and if it was high quality.

I do need to stipulate that a few toys are included from the late 1970s. I might have gotten them on clearance in the 1980s! If I hadn’t included them, it probably would have just been the best 25 1980s toys. So join me on viewing the top 30 1980s toys.

Cartoons and Toys

Cartoons and toy lines went hand-in-hand since about 1981 when the FTC seriously relaxed the law. The laws in question were those that govern advertising to kids, more specifically, “deceptive ads & unfair practices directed at kids.” In the relaxation of the law, it allowed toy companies to make 22-minute infomercials every weekend! 

If you didn’t know, back in the 1980s when a new cartoon was produced, it was almost always a toy company peddling a new toy, not a new cartoon that a toy company decided to make later. Many shows on this list didn’t even last a year. Putting aside those shenanigans, let’s take a look at which toys I remember the most and which I value highly. Keep in mind there are other great toys like LEGO and Hot Wheels, but this list is about the action figures!

30.  Super Naturals Tonka 1986

Super Naturals figures were produced by Tonka. This was a group of both good and evil warriors who were sealed in the Tomb of Doom for hundreds of years, and when they were finally released as ghosts, they set to do battle again. Their gimmick was the hologram sticker on their chests, a great and innovative idea. Super Naturals arrived a year before Visionaries, which had a similar gimmick. Super Naturals have glow in the dark weapons for night battling, of course, it’s what ghosts do. Unfortunately, they were only marketed for one wave as they did not sell very well and were costly to make. The absence of a show for marketing didn’t help either.

29.  The Black Hole Mego 1979

First of all, Star Wars has a great name and so does Star Trek. So how come The Black Hole can’t get a reboot? The name alone is fantastic; Disney get after it! For me, the Black Hole action figures are easily the best figures Mego made. Star Wars prompted a lot of companies to try and replicate that Sci-Fi success; Disney and Mego were no different. Unfortunately for Disney and Mego, the film was a huge flop. Mego even moved from their standard size figures to the 3 ¾” figures, which were becoming standard just for this effort. Despite the high-quality figures, they almost immediately hit the clearance aisle with the line lasting for only 2 series. 

28.  Lord of the Rings Knickerbocker 1979

Another team trying to ride the coattails of Star Wars was Ralph Bakshi and Knickerbocker. Bakshi released “The Lord of the Rings” in 1977. Lord of the Rings already has a very strong story and character development, the film only needed some good animation. Unfortunately, the animation was quite the opposite. Knickerbocker developed the toy line, a quality one at that; however, without the movie support the toys fell flat on their faces. Again, the toys were of good quality but quickly moved to the discount bin. Shortly thereafter Knickerbocker went out of business. Overall, a tough set to put together even though it’s only a total of 8 toys, the success of the latter 2001 LOTF series didn’t help. 

27.  Clash of the Titans Mattel 1980

Mattel launched the Clash of Titans action figures in 1980 before the movie release. Another set in the 3 ¾” scale, which at this point was almost set as the default size moving forward. This set sold well but never expanded past the first 6 toys. I would have loved to see Medusa, it’s a shame she wasn’t made. Even worse Zeus and Andromeda were not in the first wave.

26.  Dune LJN 1984

A toy line set for a revival in 2020, with a new two-part movie due to come out based on Frank Herbert’s novel. The original film did not do well and neither did the toys. A film largely about a conflict over the most important substance in the known universe “the spice.” The only source for the drug, Melange, or “the spice” is Dune. Melange allows for space travel and psychic ability. Integral to life, like oil is to us. The toys were for sale for years and couldn’t be given away, which is unfortunate given they were well made. LJN did a nice job. My only big complaint is the worm. Universal should have known better, the film was a little dark for kids and the toys weren’t going to sell. 

25.  Battlestar Galactica Mattel 1978

In 1978, Universal Studios and ABC brought us Battlestar Galactica to try and recreate what Star Wars did on film on weekly TV. The series was a hit, unfortunately, it was a very costly show to produce and was canceled after one year. Mattel obtained the rights and the toys did very well. The toys were designed a lot like Mattel’s Shogun Warriors line. Due to the death of a young boy, the toys were redesigned not to fire missiles; therefore, there are two versions of all the vehicles. One version fire missiles and the other does not fire. The ones that fire are worth significantly more, so be careful which version you’re purchasing. 

24.  Crystar Remco 1982

Marvel was actually behind this toy line. They created the franchise with the purpose of finding a licensee to make the toys. Oddly though the toys still came out before the comic which debuted in 1983. Two brothers, Crystar and Moltar, decided to ally their people with the forces of order and the forces of chaos. Crystar and the forces of order were made of crystal and are translucent. For me, the forces of order had a lot of eye appeal. Moltar and the forces of chaos were made of lava. The battle for Crstalium was set.

23.  Ghostbusters Kenner 1986

Another toy line about to get a boost with Sony, set to release a new film in the summer of 2020. The Real Ghostbusters toy line was released by Kenner. It was largely based on the animated series but also included items from both Ghostbusters films as well. The line was released in late 1986 and quickly sold out. The line lasted for another 5 years and only ended when Kenner merged with Hasbro in 1991. IGN ranked the carton 22^nd greatest of all time!

22.  Indiana Jones Kenner 1982

Indiana Jones 5 is set to release in the summer of 2021. Raiders of the Lost Ark hit theaters in the summer of 1981. Indiana Jones figures didn’t hit the shelf until more than a year later, as no licensee signed on. For me, this is a real head-scratcher since Star Wars made toys largely what they are today, no one wanted to take a chance on this film? A film by the same guy everyone underestimated just 6 years prior? Of course, the film did great, the toys’ success was hampered given the long delay between the release of the film and the release of the toys. The line managed 4 waves of toys, with the 4th falling flat. Kenner held on to the license for the release of The Temple of Doom and released 2 waves. Then opted out of their contract due to poor sales.

21.  Tron Tomy 1982

Tron was the 1982 Disney Sci-Fi action-adventure, which was the first film to largely use computer animation. The action figures were produced by Tomy. Disney believed they had a hit. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t do as well as expected so only one series was released. Only 6 figures made official release and were distributed only in the USA. Tomy bucked the 3 ¾” model laid out by Kenner and went with 4”. The figures were, at least in my opinion, quite fantastic for the time. Made of transparent plastic with glow in the dark accents which correlate to the CGI from the movie. Paired with glow in the dark accessories.

20.  Go-Bots Tonka 1983

Go-Bots is the toy line of transforming robot toys produced by Tonka from 1983 to 1987. They are based on the figures produced by Bandai. Divided into two factions the good Guardians and evil Renegades. The toys did very well, but Hasbro’s Transformers quickly surpassed them. Most lines on this list didn’t last 1 year, so Go-Bots lasting 5 years is almost an eternity! While Tonka licensed most of the figures from Bandai, they did make a few of their own. An example is Renegade Zod (shown is a prototype I recently received that hasn’t made it to photography yet). Later in 1996 they would spin-off the Rock Lords from the line as well. 

19.  Starriors Tomy 1984

Starriors was a robotic toy line created by Tomy, which was based on a 1984 Marvel comic series by the same name. The line lasted two years 1984 and 1985. A different theme than your usual good versus evil. Future Earth is threatened by solar flares. Scientists created three series of Starriors robots to protect the human race and the planet. The Protectors were made for restoring Earth, the Destructors to defend Earth from Aliens, and Guardians to protect the human race while in suspended animation underground. Over time the destructors become self-aware and take over. After some time passed, some Starriors remember their original mission and start to wake the humans. For me, I always liked interchangeable toys and I also loved wind-up toys.

18.  Starcom Coleco 1986

Starcom details an American astronaut brigade as they fought off invasions by the Shadow Force. The toys are well made and look great, and I love the magnetic gimmick. Didn’t love the size though, a little small for my taste at 2”. Oddly the show was backed (helped) by the Young Astronauts’ Council, with the goal of sparking young viewers’ interest in the NASA Space Program. Unfortunately, the show only lasted one season. For a one year show, it was a massive release of 38 figures, 24 vehicles, and 6 playsets.

The magnetic Magna Lock technology allowed the figures to stand on the vehicles without falling off and activated the featured (gimmicks) on the toys. For example, placing a figure on Star Base Station playset, its Magna Lock magnets would make the elevator rise to the top automatically. All the vehicles and playsets had one or multiple Magna Lock gimmicks… if that wasn’t enough, the ships had automatic wind-up mechanisms that allow them to perform multiple actions without the need for batteries. Oh, and I forgot to mention the toys were very high quality.

17.  Visionaries Hasbro 1987

On the heels of the Super Natural toys came Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light. The story is set on the planet Prysmos. One day the futuristic society’s technology suddenly stops working. Its citizens return to the use of ancient magic to survive. There were two factions: the heroic Spectral Knights and the evil Darkling Lords with each having a creature talisman that matches the bearers’ abilities, the talisman also allows them to transform into that creature.

Some knights had magical staffs with special abilities, which in the cartoon, needed recharging after each use. Some characters even had the power to infuse vehicles with magical powers. This line had the good sense to add some female characters who were given shields that had the same powers as the staffs. Like Super Naturals, they were expensive to produce and the line lasted only one year.

16.  Silverhawks Telepix 1986

Silverhawks was set in the 26th century in the Limbo galaxy. The criminal MonStar, finally free after a century of imprisonment, sets out to dominate. Volunteers from Earth undergo a conversion and become metal with wings of silver to battle MonStar. All the good guys had a gimmick where when their legs were pressed together their wings snapped. The figures are fairly hard to find in nice condition given the generous amount of chrome. But when they have nice chrome they look very sharp. The show had over 60 episodes but the toys only lasted for 2 years. 

15.  Inhumanoids Hasbro 1986

Finally, a toy series named after the bad guys! I think Hasbro got it right with that decision. Inhumanoids are subterranean monsters, which are kept in check by the Earth Corps. The Inhumanoids are aided by the elemental Mutores.

Unlike most of the Saturday based toy lines with roots from full-length cartoons, Inhumanoids had its origins from a Sunday morning mini-series. Later it did make it to Saturdays. Figures ranged in size from 6” to 14”. Where the series went wrong is the reuse of the same sculpts which they merely repainted.

14.  Steel Monsters Tonka 1986

I wonder how many of you reading this even knew these existed. Frankly, a toy line that was really, truly cool but few knew about. At home right out of a Mad Max movie. Tonka made these 3 ¾” scale action figures with large, VERY high-quality vehicles that had very little support. No cartoon and no comic. While the series lasted 2 years, only 8 vehicles were made each coming with a diver. I recently got quite a few of these in, prototypes and all, very cool! 

13.  Centurions Kenner 1986

Centurions Power Xtreme toys are both man and machine. The figures designed by Kenner, have holes throughout their exo-frame suits where assault weapon systems attach to the figures. This gimmick was the focus of the toys’ promotion. The exo-frame suits give them special powers thus allowing for many combinations of unique toys.

Set in the near future of the 21st Century, Earth is threatened by the evil cyborg, Doc Terror who is in command of an army of Doom Drones. The Centurions are a highly skilled group trained to defend against Dr. Terror. The Centurions cartoon lasted for over 60 episodes, which was very long-lived at the time, with most shows not making it to 20 episodes.

12.  Sectaurs Coleco 1984

 “The World’s First ‘Hands-In’ Action Figures” were Coleco’s initial foray into action figures. What that means for those of you who never had them is they were in some cases literally hand puppets. Sounds cheesy in print, but not in hand. Very cool toys, especially the insects and bugs, unfortunately, the wings are very fragile and most are now broken. Sectaurs were 6” figures, which for me is a little big. A fun fact both Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime) and Frank Welker (Megatron), voiced characters in the series.

11.  Wheeled Warriors Mattel 1984

Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors were released by Mattel in 1984. After a planet went supernova, the radiation mutated plants and created the Monster Minds. This new species became focused on conquering the universe. Monster Minds began entangling whole planets in vegetation, the horror! Enter Jayce and the Lightning League journeying across the galaxy to protect the universe against the evil Monster Minds. 

Mattel produced the Wheeled Warriors toy line. The gimmick of the toy line was “stack & attack” which allowed the wheels and weapons of all the vehicles to be interchanged. Talk about customization! Even better, they sold extra weapons packs for further modifications. While the show lasted for over 60 episodes, the toy action figures line was canceled after just a year.

10.  ThunderCats LJN 1985

The cartoon was easily one of the bigger hits of the 1980s, with over 130 episodes. “ThunderCats,” who flee their dying planet, are attacked by Mutants of Plun-Darr. With their starships damaged while escaping, they are forced to stop and arrive on Earth. The Mutants then locate the ThunderCats on Earth. And the battling ensues! The toys each have a “Battle-Mattic” action, or simply a gimmick. The toys were released over 3 years. They are big but not too big at 5”, with excellent sculpts that matched the cartoon. IGN ranked the ThunderCats cartoon the 49^th greatest cartoon of all time. 

9.  M.A.S.K. Kenner 1985

Created by Kenner, M.A.S.K. is a battle between the underground task force Mobile Armored Strike Kommand (M.A.S.K.) and the criminal organization Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem (V.E.N.O.M.). Each mask worn by the drivers has a special ability. After the M.A.S.K. launch in 1985, it ended after four series of action figures were released. Over 70 episodes of the cartoon aired. A live-action theatrical film has been in development by Hasbro Studios and Paramount for about the last 10 years. 

The toys outlived the cartoon and lasted 4 years. Oddly the toys shifted focus late in the series. In 1987 they moved from the original theme of crime-fighting and terrorism, to instead focus on racing. The original toys have some clever gimmicks built-in. IGN ranked the cartoon series 99^th greatest of all time.

8.  Masters of the Universe (MOTU) Mattel 1982

Masters of the Universe was created by Mattel in 1982. The story details the conflict between He-Man and Skeletor on the planet Eternia. It’s a mashup of the medieval and sci-fi tech. The 5.5” action figures seem right at home at that size. I have tried to imagine them at 3.5” and the image isn’t a pleasant one. The cartoon debuted in the fall of 1983, which saw a whopping 130 episodes made. In the series, He-Man battles with Skeletor to prevent him from conquering Eternia. Who hasn’t heard “By the power of Grayskull?” IGN ranked the series 58^th greatest of all-time. It also spawned a spin-off called She-Ra.

7.  Dino Riders Tyco 1987

Dino-Riders first aired in 1988. Another show made to sell Tyco’s toys, what great toys they were. Unfortunately, the cartoon didn’t last a year. Dino-Riders focuses on a battle between the heroic Valorians and the evil Rulon Alliance on a prehistoric Earth. The Valorians and Rulons are both 65 million years from the future. The Valorians were a superhuman race, while the Rulons comprised several breeds of humanoid animals. While the Valorians befriended dinosaurs using their Amplified Mental Projector (AMP), the Rulons brainwashed them using devices called brain-boxes.

A battle quickly ensued when the Rulons launched an attack on the Valorians, who used their dinosaur friends to beat them back. After words, the Valorians renamed themselves Dino-Riders. I’m sure the series bothers anthropologists since the dinosaurs span a timeframe somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 million years apart and were never found on earth in the same period of time. Toys don’t get much better than high tech, loads of guns and dinosaurs. 

6.  Star Wars Kenner 1977

Kenner was the toy company lucky enough to land the Star Wars action figures line. More specifically from what I have heard, they were the only company even interested. Making over 110 unique action figures produced and sold from 1977 to 1985. On the order of 300 million figures made. Making it the first commercially successful attempt to sell action figure toys from a movie. A recipe that many toy companies tried to duplicate to their peril.

Additionally, the Lucas Kenner pairing led to 3 ¾” figures becoming the almost default size moving forward still to this day. Lucas did Kenner no favors in helping to get production going, with only the early bird offer available in 1977. This was largely due to Lucas’s paranoia that his designs would be stolen. Demand was such that there were still shortages at Christmas in 1978. Demand remained strong until mid-1985 when Kenner discontinued production. What shop doesn’t have some Star Wars collectibles?

5.  G.I. Joe Hasbro 1982

With roots older than any other action figure, G.I. Joe spans back to 1963. G.I. Joe was a “mobile strike force” assembled with the mission of protecting America from threats. The number one enemy quickly became the Cobra Commander and his Cobra army.

Basically, Hasbro copied Kenner’s Star Wars packaging style and figure size. However, they vastly improved the figure’s articulation and instead of giving one or no accessories, they often gave a handful! This is why Joes for me are ranked higher, simply put they have better play value. A new movie, “Snake Eyes” is due to come out in 2021. IGN ranked the cartoon the 19^th greatest of all time with the toys being gobbled up by toy buyers ever since.

4.  Voltron Matchbox 1984

The top 4 are dominated by very high-quality toys. Matchbox probably saw their rival Mattel making money hand over fist with He-man so they likely figured they needed to figure this out. So they did like everyone else, what show can I make or acquire to peddle some wares?  

Right out of the box, Matchbox truly had a better plan. They wanted the show in syndication immediately. To do that, they needed a large number of episodes upfront. They accomplished that by acquiring the rights to two cartoon series from Toei Animation. With that deal, Matchbox acquired Popy, a division of Bandai as a partner as well. The only problem was that Matchbox had to tweak all the toys to make them safety compliant for the US market. IGN ranked the cartoon 76^th greatest of all time.

3.  Shogun Warriors Mattel 1978

In 1978, Mattel’s Shogun Warriors arrived in stores. They were well-made, durable robots with spring-loaded weapons. In some cases, giant robots standing 24” tall. Another toy from Japanese anime programs and franchises. 

The shogun Warriors encompassed the robot franchises of Brave Raideen, Divine Demon-Dragon Daiking, Getter Robo and Mazinger Z. Shogun Warriors were then fully immersed into the Marvel Universe, with appearances from other Marvel characters. Not only did the line include figures, but it also included land and air vehicles and monsters such as Godzilla. While as a child I only had 4 of the basic figures, I was sold on these toys. A well-made, very durable, high-quality metal toy! What’s not to love?

2.  Godaikin Bandai 1982

Mattel had canceled the Shogun Warrior line due to safety concerns. So where Mattel left off in 1982 Bandai’s Popy division decided to make their own attempt. Godaikin was born. Godaikin name originates from “gokin” and “dai, which means big alloy. 

Popy, a division of Bandai, selected some of their Chogokin figures for release. Standing 10-12” tall the figures were impressive. By targeting a slightly older demographic this allowed them legally to keep their spring-loaded weapons. The toys were expensive, over $70 in some cases, which was a lot in 1982! So the following year Bandai decided to try a new assortment with many smaller 6” figures. While getting the price more in line with parental expectations, they missed their window. Go-Bots would arrive in 1983 and then Transformers in 1984 taking over. Bandai still sporadically released Godaikin figures until 1986. 

1.  Transformers Hasbro 1984

Transformers action figures were originally released in 1984 by Hasbro. The Transformers brand has been for sale ever since. Robots in disguise was a great concept. Hasbro loved the Diaclone and Micro Change lines and made a deal with Takara to sell them in the US market. Hasbro followed their game plan with G.I. Joe and turned once again to Marvel to develop the Transformers Universe. Marvel delivered in a big way. Including the factions, names, backstories, bio’s and even personalities. Marvel gave Transformers their depth. They started as very high-quality toys but seemed to decline every year after. I think the technical term is a cash cow. IGN ranked Transformers as the 23^rd all-time greatest cartoon!

We’re a vintage toy shop and we love old vintage action figures toys. So, I hope you enjoyed this article! Please feel free to comment, on who we missed, whether it be Super Powers, Rock Lords, Battle Beasts, or any others. We welcome your feedback. Thank you.

Author: Chris Ingledue 

Affiliation: Autobot

Function: Theoretician

Bio: I’m the founder and owner of Wheeljack’s Lab. My vision has always been to reunite customers with their favorite childhood toys, triggering fond memories and reigniting their imaginations. Every day I work in the “lab” where it’s Christmas 365 days a year; scouring the internet – like we did the Sears Catalog of yesteryear – for the next great treasure, awaiting the arrival of the postman as if he was Santa Claus himself and helping collectors worldwide with their own versions of Christmas. Every day is an absolute joy!

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