Mattel introduced the Shogun Warriors to America in 1977. Unlike most of Mattel’s catalog, the American toy maker did not develop this toy line. Instead, they saw a popular trend from Japan, the love for giant robots in Tokusatsu, and felt that America would also embrace the robots. So, they licensed several popular toy brands from Popy so that they could prepare them for America.
Popy had made a name for itself by introducing several series of die-cast toys, which all together were known as Chogokin. Each of these toy lines featured robots from various Japanese anime series. They created colorful toys to bring to life the characters from Brave Raideen, Combattler V, Getter Robo G, and many more. The popularity of these characters eventually caught the eye of Mattel’s representatives.
Mattel wound up picking several toy lines from Popy to bring over to America. While they licensed several toys from Popy’s catalog originating from their various toy lines, Mattel decided to merge all of them into one cohesive toy line. As they began developing this new line, they also realized that they would need to help introduce Americans to these characters. So, they collaborated with Marvel to introduce the Shogun Warriors and their pilots in comic form.
When the Shogun Warriors hit toy shelves in 1977, they easily gained a fan base. However, the toys were troubled by concerns about the spring-loaded weapons. With parents fearing that the toys were unsafe, the toy line eventually faded away.
Before it left the market, it brought two more characters into the line. Both Godzilla and Rodan from Toho’s popular monster series became part of the Shogun Warriors toy line. Each of these toys is as treasured as the robots from the rest of the line.
The Ten Most Expensive Shogun Warriors Toys from the Last Five Years
Since the late 1970s, fans have decided to go back and collect their favorite characters from their childhood. Thus, Shogun Warriors have become some of the most sought-after toys from the era. Some of the original toys, like Rodan, have also become rare to find in pristine form due to frequent failures. For instance, the wings on Rodan tend to crack simply because the plastic has become brittle over the years. So, finding these toys in mint condition has become rarer and more valuable.
So, join us as we explore the top ten Shogun Warriors toys that have sold for the highest prices from online auctions in the last five years. We will be only examining the individual American toys from Mattel and not the Japanese toys that predated them. We will also not be considering any of the recent rereleases or Godaikin toys to be included in this list.
10. Mattel’s Shogun Warriors Raydeen
Originating from the Japanese series Brave Raideen, Mattel made Raydeen one of the main three robots of their Shogun Warriors toy line. In Japan, Raydeen came from the lost continent of Mu, where he was its protector. He awoke to fight off the evil forces of the Demon Emperor. With the assistance of a Japanese boy, Akira Hibiki, the world was saved from the Demon Emperor and his master, Barao.
Along with the new set of toys, Raydeen made a prominent appearance in Marvel’s Shogun Warriors comics. Rather than being the sole savior of the planet, Raydeen was one of three robots that were created by the Followers of Light. An American, Richard Carson, piloted the robot as the warriors fought off the forces of evil.
On August 07, 2021, a mint condition Raydeen sold for $1,003.00 on eBay.
9. Mattel’s Shogun Warriors Goldorak (France)
When Mattel brought the Shogun Warriors to France, they decided to add a new character to the mix. So, they localized the main robot from UFO Robot Grendizer. This robot was originally a robot that housed the Fleedian God of War. After the land became irradiated, the Crown Prince, Duke Fleed, stole away the robot. With the power of the robot on his side, he waged war against the invading forces of King Vega.
As a European exclusive, this character never appeared in Marvel Comics. However, the character made an appearance in the Force Five cartoon series, which was not connected to Shogun Warriors. This show localized several Japanese robot anime series, including 26 episodes for Force Five: Grandizer.
It also was not directly available in the United States. Thus, this toy has become rare in the modern day. Thus, collectors enjoy hunting it down.
On July 27, 2022, a mint version of Mattel’s Shogun Warriors Goldorak was sold on an online auction site for a recorded $1,362.90.
8. Mattel’s Shogun Warriors Daimos
Originating from Tosho Daimos, which meant Fighting General Diamos, Mattel included the main robot as a part of the Shogun Warriors. In the original anime, Earth is destroyed, and the survivors seek refuge on a new planet, Baam. Unfortunately, the planet proved hostile, so the surviving earthlings had to fight for their lives. Thus, Kazuya Ryuzaki took control of the transforming robot, Diamos, to protect the fellow survivors of Earth. Eventually, he found a love interest in the form of the daughter of the former leader of the Baam-sejin.
Despite being part of the Shogun Warriors toy line, Daimos never made an appearance in the Marvel Comics series. Likewise, his series was never localized for American audiences. So, he was simply a supporting member of the Shogun Warriors cast that fans fell in love with.
A mint version of this toy sold for $1,450.00 on November 16, 2022, on eBay.
7. Mattel’s Shogun Warriors Goldrake (Italy)
Europe received two versions of Grendizer depending on what country they lived in. While the French had a box that called the robot “Goldorak,” the Italians became familiar with the name “Goldrake.” Similar to his prior version, he never made an appearance in any of the surrounding Shogun Warriors media. Aside from the name, there are no distinctive differences between these two European exclusives. Still, as a regional variant, Goldrake became just as rare, if not rarer than Goldorak.
Thus, it was no surprise to discover that a mint version of this toy sold for $1,490.00 on April 16, 2018, on eBay.
6. Mattel’s Shogun Warriors Gaiking
Like the rest of the Shogun Warriors line-up, Gaiking’s origins can be traced back to Japanese robot anime. This was the main hero robot for the Dino-Mecha Gaiking, otherwise known as Sky Devilsaur Gaiking. To protect the world from the Dark Horror Army, Dr. Daimonji created the titular robot, Gaiking. A former baseball player, Sanshiro Tsuwabuki became the pilot of this robot thanks to his psychic capabilities. When this robot transformed, it displayed parts of the carrier ship, the dinosaur-like Daiku Maryu.
While Gaiking never made an appearance in the Marvel Shogun Warriors comic books, he did make an appearance on Western television. Like Grandizer, Gaiking was one of the series adapted in the Force Five series. However, the 44 episodes of the original run were edited down to 26 episodes.
As Gaiking was a beloved part of the Shogun Warriors cast, he easily became a collector’s item. Thus, a mint version of this toy sold for $1,725.00 on August 07, 2021, on eBay.
5. Mattel’s Shogun Warriors Combatra Deluxe Set
Before Mattel introduced the West to the Shogun Warriors, Japan knew Combatra as Combattler V from the mecha anime named after it. As the name suggested, this massive robot was created when five smaller vehicles combined. These five vehicles were the Battle Jet, which became the head. The Battle Crusher became the arms. The Battle Tank, which became the torso. The Battle Marine, which became the legs, and the Battle Craft, which formed the feet.
As there were five vehicles, this machine also had five pilots. Hyoma Aoi piloted the Battle Jet while Juzo Naniwa was in the Battle Crusher. Then, Daisaku Nishikawa was in the Battle Tank. Chizuru Nanbara was also in the Battle Marine while Kosuke Kita piloted the Battle Craft. Together, this group fought against the conquering forces of the Campbelians.
When Mattel localized Combatra, they turned it into one of the main three robots for their toy line. Thus, it prominently appeared in Marvel’s comic book series. In the comics, Genji Odashu from Japan was the sole pilot of Combatra. Still, the toy remained a set of different vehicles that combined into a super robot, just like the Japanese toy.
One of the Combatra Deluxe Sets sold on eBay on June 12, 2018, for $1,849.00.
4. Mattel’s Shogun Warriors Dragun
Originating from Getter Robo G, Dragun was one of the main three robots from the Japanese series. In the series, there were three jets that all could join up in various combinations to form three different robots. These jets were the Dragon, Liger, and Poseidon. When these jets joined up with the Dragon as the head, they formed Getter Dragon, whose pilot was Ryoma Nagare. As this series was a follow-up to the prior Getter Robo series, it improved on the robots from the past. However, this time, they fought against the Hundred Demon Empire.
While Dragun was a part of the Shogun Warriors toy line, the robot did not make an appearance in the comic series. Instead, the adventures of Getter Robo G were brought over to the West as part of the Force Five series. There, the 39 episodes from the original series were cut down to 26 episodes and retitled Starvengers.
On July 24, 2022, a mint version of the Mattel toy sold for $1,877.00 on eBay.
3. Mattel’s Shogun Warriors Great Mazinga
In Japan, Great Mazinger was the star of his namesake animated series, which followed up the tremendous success of the first series: Mazinger Z. This robot has been a staple part of mecha anime, for there is a multitude of manga, anime, and films surrounding this franchise.
As expected from a sequel, Great Mazinger was a brand new and improved version of the Mazinger robot from the original. Kenzo Kabuto, the father of the original Mazinger pilot, created this upgraded robot with the use of “Chogokin Z.” However, he did not have any plans to pilot Great Mazinger. Instead, his adopted son, Tetsuya Tsurugi, became the pilot to fight against the evil forces of the Mycenae Empire.
Unlike most of the other robots in the Shogun Warriors toy line, Great Mazinger did not show up in either the Marvel Comics series or any other series. Still, this robot became one of the most popular toys in the series. Its iconic design helped it to stand out amongst the toys. Moreover, the immense popularity of the original Japanese version has spread to make it popular in the West.
Thus, a 2nd edition version of this toy from Mattel was sold on July 27, 2022, on an online auction site for $2,065.00.
2. Mattel’s Shogun Warriors Godzilla
Not every toy that was part of the Shogun Warriors toy line was originally a giant super robot from Japan. Instead, they also included giant kaiju monsters from Japan, partially to create creatures for the robots to fight.
Godzilla is a monster that barely needs any introduction. When Toho introduced him in 1954, Godzilla became the pure embodiment of the horrors of Nuclear warfare and devastation. His rampage through Tokyo reflected the horror that Japan felt when the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, by the 1970s, Godzilla’s movies had evolved to make him a hero who defended Japan. Thus, he became a fun monster that children wanted to play with.
When Mattel received the rights to create a toy based on Godzilla, they decided to add it to the Shogun Warriors line-up. Instead of directly importing the Popy Godzilla toy, Mattel decided to remold the toy and change it for America. Overall, they softened the appearance of the monster, hoping to make it more appealing to children.
One of the original versions of the Shogun Warriors Godzilla toys sold on an online auction site for $3,864.15 on June 30, 2021.
1. Mattel’s Shogun Warriors World’s Greatest Monsters Rodan
Accompanying Godzilla, another monster from Toho’s roster made its way over to the West to become a part of the Shogun Warriors Toy Line. Like Godzilla, Rodan was introduced as a monster that the robots could fight against.
When Rodan first appeared in 1956, he terrorized Japan in his stand-alone film. In his titular film, there were actually two Rodans, a mated pair, that threatened the world with their gale-force winds. As the years passed, Rodan became a staple part of the Godzilla universe. He made several appearances in Godzilla’s films, often allying with him against alien threats. For instance, Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan fought against the invading force of Ghidorah in Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster. He once again teamed up with Godzilla in Invasion of the Astro Monster.
When Mattel added Rodan to the Shogun Warriors line-up, he gained a unique tagline: World’s Greatest Monsters. This toy was also only ever released to the US market. Thus, he has become one of the rarest toys from the toy line. Beyond his initial rarity, Rodan is highly sought after due to his overlap with fandoms. Sadly, the wings of this toy tend to crack with age. So, finding one in pristine condition has become an even rarer occurrence. This all adds up to Rodan being one of the most valuable toys from the Shogun Warriors toy line.
Due to all of these elements, it is no surprise that one of these toys sold for $5,950.00 on March 17, 2021.
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About the Author
Author: Chris Ingledue
Contact: email
Bio: I am the founder and owner of Wheeljack’s Lab pop Culture and Toy Shop. My vision has always been to reunite customers with their favorite childhood toys and pop culture, triggering fond memories, and reigniting their imaginations. Every day, I work in the “lab” where it’s Christmas 365 days a year. I scour the internet, like when we had the Sears Catalog of yesteryear, for the next great treasure. Then, I await the arrival of the postman as if he were Santa Claus himself and helping collectors worldwide with their versions of Christmas. Every day as a vintage toy buyer is an absolute joy!
there is a black version of the shogun godzilla which i have only seen once How does that rate in your list
There is no black version of the Shogun Warriors Godzilla from Mattel’s toy linie. However, the remake series by Toynami did have a black variant as an SDCC variant. While none of the Toynami and remakes were included in this list, it does not rank at all.
Still, the most expensive one I found on a search was at $1200, which would have been near the bottom of the list.
I have a 1977 Mazinga Warrior sadly to say without the missiles . What would it be worth? I also have the 1977 Godzilla….both are in great condition not with the box though.
trying to get in touch with collectors of 24′ shogun warriors. I have 5 plus Rodan and Godzilla. How do I find collectors?