Collectible figures by Gentle Giant

From studio sculpting to collectible editions

Gentle Giant Ltd. has its roots in the sculpting and digital-scanning work of Gentle Giant Studios in Burbank, California. Its early collectibles combined scans of performers, costumes and props with traditional sculpting and painting. In 2002, Gentle Giant announced a licensed Star Wars mini-bust series, with Dark Horse handling sales and marketing.

3D Systems announced its acquisition of Gentle Giant Studios in January 2014. In 2019, Diamond Select Toys acquired select Gentle Giant Ltd. assets and took over key collectible lines. That transaction concerned the collectibles brand rather than Gentle Giant Studios, which remained separate. Diamond Select Toys' assets were subsequently acquired by Ad Populum in 2025.

Mini-busts and larger display busts

Mini-busts form a central part of Gentle Giant's collecting heritage. Its Star Wars releases have included 1:6-scale character busts and 1:7-scale animated busts. The larger Legends in 3D format expanded the catalogue to half-scale portraits.

Limited-edition releases have also featured numbered presentation and hand-painted finishes. The 2017 Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader mini-busts, for example, were made in hand-painted polyresin, individually numbered and accompanied by matching certificates of authenticity.

Milestones and Premier Collection statues

The statue catalogue has included Milestones pieces at 1:6 scale and Premier Collection designs at 1:7 scale. These formats extend the focus beyond portrait busts to full-character displays with character-specific poses and bases.

Examples include the resin Emperor Palpatine Milestones statue on a throne-room base and the Bo-Katan Premier Collection statue inspired by The Clone Wars. Bo-Katan's design incorporated interchangeable parts for helmeted and unhelmeted display, with a base representing the smoke and dust stirred up by her jetpack.

Other licences and vintage-inspired figures

Beyond Star Wars, Gentle Giant's historical licensed collectibles have encompassed Marvel, Harry Potter and The Walking Dead.

Its Jumbo figure line revisited vintage toys at a larger size. These 12-inch figures were digitally scanned from Kenner's original toy and reproduced its articulation. A Return of the Jedi-inspired cardback and resealable outer packaging continued the vintage presentation.