Funko Casts a Spell with New Willow POP! Figures – Exclusive

Funko POP! collectors, prepare to be enchanted.

Lucasfilm.com is thrilled to reveal the new Willow Funko POP! line of figures in celebration of Funko Fair this week. Based on the classic 1988 film and sculpted in the classic adorable POP! style, the lineup includes fan favorites Willow Ufgood (with baby Elora Danan!), Sorsha, Madmartigan, and of course, General Kael. A chase version of Sorsha, with helmet, will also be available. Lucasfilm.com caught up with Funko associate designer Kaysi Smith to discuss how she conjured the first-ever Willow POP!s.

Lucasfilm.com: Willow fans have been starved for collectibles for so long. How does it feel to bring the characters of the original movie to life as Funko POP! figures? 

Kaysi Smith: As a fan of Willow, I was excited to be able to take part in turning these characters into Funko POP!s. Willow was something I grew up with, and being able to tap into that nostalgia and look at the film with a critical lens was very cool. You get to find a lot of details in the film that you don’t normally look for. I love trying to apply those details as much as possible to each figure to help really personalize them. 

Lucasfilm.com: I really like the subtleties of how everyone is holding their weapons and, in Willow’s case, Elora Danan. It speaks to their respective personalities. Can you talk about coming up with that design motif? 

Kaysi Smith: I designed Willow and Elora first in the set. I thought it was paramount that we include Elora, and this was the clearest way to make sure that happens. From there I wanted to ensure that the cast complemented the pair. I strive to push POP! personalities with dynamic poses as often as I can. Willow is so action-packed and surrounded by strong characters it was natural to want to show that off.  

Lucasfilm.com: The bases are also a nice touch, as not every POP! line has a unifying platform for the figures. How did that come about? 

Kaysi Smith: Designing the base was an incredibly fun part of the process. This was a chance to pull in the environment, which we don’t always get to do with POP!s. I finally ended up choosing to pull elements from the final castle scene. Something that resonated with me the most was those thick bricks with unusual moss grown into it. 

Lucasfilm.com: Which single element from across the line are you most proud of? 

Kaysi Smith: I don’t know if I can narrow it down to a single element on a figure. I’m proud to be involved with something I grew up loving to watch and I’m proud of how well the POP!s represent their personalities to the film. 

Lucasfilm.com: Finally, you even made General Kael cute! How challenging was that? 

Kaysi Smith: General Kael is a good example of taking something so unique and elaborate and simplifying it just enough to create a cute factor, without losing the character in the process. It was incredibly difficult to take the skull that General Kael wears and make it fit POP! form factor.