LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars Figures – The Best Wrestling Toys Ever?

Ryan Cracknell

December 24, 2021

Great toys demand to be played with. Look at almost every LJN WWF Superstars figure released between 1984 and 1989 and you'll notice something common among nearly all that survived—they've got lots of playtime evidence. One of the most popular products during the WWF's massive growth, these wrestling figures bucked a lot of the action figure trends at the time.

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LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars Figures History

While Star Wars and G.I. Joe led the charge for small action figures, LJN's wrestling figures went big. Standing about eight-inches high, they're about twice the size of the average G.I. Joe figure from the time. Also, most action figures could bend and came with a growing number of accessories. LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars are as stiff as a King Kong Bundy punch. Most figures came without accessories save for maybe a hat or cane.

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Basically, these are inaction figures.

Yet the LJN WWF figures were wildly popular at the time. Now they can be very collectible as grown adults get nostalgic for a time when Hulkamania meant something.

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Despite their shortcomings in the articulation department, these wrestling figures were actually a lot of fun to play with. LJN did an excellent job of capturing the likenesses of the wrestlers and WWF personalities. They might not have the same level of detail as today's McFarlane figures or those put out today by Mattel, but it's still easy to tell who the wrestlers are.

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Figures came packaged with small posters. These were rolled up and stored in the base of the packaging. Also, the packages had a file card on the back, similar to those found on G.I. Joe figures from the same period. Many people collect these today as well.

Today, LJN WWF figures can command big money on the secondary market, particularly for unopened mint figures. Some of the most valuable figures came at the end of the line's run, which is often the case for figures and toys as the decreased popularity means smaller print runs.

Shop for popular LJN WWF Wrestling figure auctions on eBay.

The final series came out in 1989. They were actually made by Grand Toy in Canada and not LJN. The figures switched to a new black card and were a mix of a few new figures and several repackaged wrestlers from earlier lines. These black cards are much tougher to find than figures from previous releases. As a result, they are generally much more expensive than those WWF figures found in other series.

By their very nature, LJN WWF figures were played with hard. Understandably, paint wear is a very common trait among the toys. This limits the value a lot of these figures might otherwise have.

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Besides the figures, LJN also released the Sling 'Em-Fling 'Em Wrestling Ring and a Cage Match Accessory add-on.

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Below is a checklist of all the LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars figures released between 1984 and 1989.

1984-1989 LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars Figures Checklist

LJN WWF Figures Set Checklist

1984 Series 1
Andre the Giant
Big John Studd
Hillbilly Jim
Hulk Hogan
Iron Sheik
Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
Junkyard Dog
Nikolai Volkoff
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper
1985 Series 2
Andre the Giant
Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake
George "The Animal" Steele
Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
King Kong Bundy
"Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff
1986 Series 3
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Bruno Sammartino
Captain Lou Albano
"Classy" Freddie Blassie
Corporal Kirchner
Davey Boy Smith
Dynamite Kid
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Jimmy Hart
"Macho Man" Randy Savage
Magnificent Muraco
Mean Gene Okerlund
Mr. Fuji - with cane
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Special Delivery Jones
Terry Funk
Tito Santana
1987 Series 4
"Adorable" Adrian Adonis
Billy Jack Haynes
B. Brian Blair
Bret "Hitman" Hart
"Cowboy" Bob Orton
Elizabeth
Hercules Hernandez
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
"Jumping" Jim Brunzell
Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
Ken Patera
Kamala
King Harley Race
Koko B. Ware
Outback Jack
Ted Arcidi
Vince McMahon

1988 Series 5
"Adorable" Adrian Adonis
Bam Bam Bigelow
Demolition Ax
Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Honky Tonk Man
Hulk Hogan
"Lucious" Johnny Valiant
One Man Gang
Referee
Rick Martel
Slick
Ted DiBiase
Tito Santana
1989 Series 6 (Black Card)
Andre the Giant
Big Boss Man
Demolition Ax
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
Honky Tonk Man
Hulk Hogan
Randy "Macho Man" Savage
"Ravishing" Rick Rude
Ultimate Warrior
Warlord
Tag Teams
British Bulldogs
Dream Team
Hart Foundation
Killer Bees
Strike Force
Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff
Hillbilly Jim & Hulk Hogan