Your new favorite 'Star Wars' character is a droid (again)
Step aside R2-D2 and BB-8, there's a new droid in town — and he's coming for your toy sales.
K-2SO (Kay-Tuesso), a reprogrammed Imperial droid now fighting for the rebels in Disney's new "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," is flying off the shelves.
"K-2SO seems to be head and shoulders, literally, above everyone else in terms of popularity," Steve Evans, design director for Hasbro's Star Wars line, said during a panel at New York Comic Con in early October.
Versions of the droid appear in several of Hasbro's "Star Wars" lines, including a Black Series collector toy that sells for about $26.99 at retail.
"Following in the footsteps of R2-D2 and BB-8, we expect K-2SO to be a new favorite among fans," Hasbro told CNBC. "Droids play an important role in the Star Wars universe and it is our goal to create toys that allow fans to feel like they are immersed in the story themselves."
K-2SO first appeared, albeit briefly, in the official teaser trailer, but became more popular after footage of the character was released at the Star Wars Celebration in Europe in July.
The droid, voiced by veteran voice actor Alan Tudyk, has a curmudgeon-like bluntness that often lends itself to comedy, making K-2SO different from the three other main droids in the "Star Wars" series, R2-D2, C-3PO and BB-8.
K-2SO isn't the only character that will be quick to move off shelves for Hasbro. Jyn Erso, the female lead of the new "Star Wars" film, is also expected to sell well for the toy company.
Not only is Jyn prominently featured in the toy line, unlike her predecessor Rey, she has multiple figures. Hasbro revealed during New York Comic Con that one of the Imperial ground crew figures has a removable helmet that reveals a disguised Jyn.
Last year's release of "The Force Awakens" pushed "Star Wars" toy sales for Hasbro to almost $500 million. The company said in July that it expects merchandise sales for the franchise to reach a similar level for "Rogue One."
Hasbro, which reports third-quarter earnings on Monday, declined to comment further about trends prior to the earnings conference call.