Bakugan: Battle Brawlers is where the series began, and the one that carries with it the most nostalgia. The original waves released in Japan under Sega Toys with a few peculiarities- the toys were 28mm in diameter, Ventus did not initially exist as an Attribute, and Subterra Bakugan were a dark chocolate color. Spin Master began a test run in Canada before releasing several waves in the USA and Canada shortly thereafter, while the anime we know and love was produced and broadcasted.
Due to potential choking hazards and durability concerns, midway into Season 1's production the size of Bakugan toys were increased to 32mm in diameter and each mold began having several holes in its design. These have been classified as B2s. Retroactively, the 28mm size are considered as "B1" toys despite never offically receiving this designation. By the time Spin Master had expanded its market to Europe and beyond, B1 sized toys had already been phased out. Certain parts of the world would only ever know the B2 releases.
Due to Bakugan being poorly received in Japan, only the initial waves of B1s were sold. B2 sized variants were not obtainable until the New Vestroia and Gundalian Invaders era, released as part of the BakuTech series. Many peculiar releases (or even convincing bootlegs) have also made it into circulation as production differed based on location. Battle Brawlers toys are filled with odd paint and plastic variants as well as rare treatments that otherwise should not exist.
Note: The following table does not account for minor paint or hole variations, unless it is an oddity or a very notable difference. The table does not account for varying G-Powers, as it would be near impossible to track this information down.
- B1: Bakugan that are 28mm in diameter
- B2: Bakugan that are 32mm in diameter
- Open Core: All B1 Sega Toys, Sonokong, and Spin Master Series 1 Bakugan have an exposed magnet
- Closed Core: All Series 2 B1s, and Series 1 B1s that were re-released have a sealed magnet
- Treatment: A variation from the normal 6 attributed releases. They include translucent plastic, unique color combinations, among other gimmicks
Bakugan releases differ by regions of the world. Below are the identified major regions, though specific countries would obtain specific releases on occasion. The identified regions are as follows:
- Japan (Sega Toys releases)
- South Korea (Sonokong B1s, otherwise part of Asia Region)
- Anglo-America (Canada has slightly different releases)
- Western Europe/Latin America (Nations south of the USA received European waves)
- Eastern Europe/Middle East (Primarily Russia and Post-Soviet nations)
- Asia + Australia (Appears to have received a mix of everything else. Documentation is poor)
Note:
Rarity scores are based on how easy the Bakugan is to find for a primarily American buyer, however Sega Toys and Takara Tomy releases have scores based on their own region. This means that if you live outside of the designated region, increase the rarity score by one or two points.
For example, Hydranoid is 6/10 (Moderate) in the US, and did not release in Japan. If you live in Japan, it is likely 8/10 rarity instead.
If a European Bakugan is considered Common (say 3/10), then to an American, consider it Moderate (say 5/10).
This is is because you would have to go out of your way to find sellers or utilize websites or middlemen, and are also likely to have to pay an increased cost in order to obtain it along with international shipping. This effectively raises your barrier to entry, even if the toy in a vacuum is not difficult to find.
- 1/10 - 2/10 (Very Common): Easy to find and relatively cheap, you will likely find a minimum of 10 results upon searching for one online
- 3/10 - 4/10 (Common): Relatively easy to obtain, slightly less numerous and more expensive. Will find a few results in a search
- 5/10 - 6/10 (Moderate): Potentially annoying/expensive to track down, but realistic enough to obtain without too much issue
- 7/10 - 8/10 (Semi-Rare or Rare): One will pop up every few weeks or months. You may have some competition in trying to obtain this
- 9/10 or 10/10 (Very Rare): Realistically, you will not obtain this Bakugan. Get a custom paint job or a recast. Good luck otherwise
- One-Offs: An anomaly that probably shouldn't exist, but has been documented for the sake of completion