Barbie has never really gone away since the first dolls were made more than 60 years ago, but the iconic character has experienced a serious bump in popularity thanks to the launch of the Barbie movie. Raking in more than $1 billion at the box office, Mattel has launched a wave of Barbie dolls and merch to celebrate its success as people leave cinemas and want to extend their experiences. However, as is made abundantly clear by Ryan Gosling throughout the film, it's not all about Barbie.
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Ken is a key part of the Barbie universe too, his very first doll hitting the market just two years after Barbie was introduced. The movie has resulted in an influx of dolls based on the iconic character, but there are also countless other Ken dolls out there that are worth your time and attention. We've assembled a few of the best, movie-based and otherwise, for you to peruse and potentially add to your collection because come on, even if you have a lot of them already, do you really have Kenough?
- via Mattel
Black And White Western Outfit Ken
$51 at Target - via Mattel
Blonde Beach-Themed Ken
$15 at Target - via Mattel
Barbie Fashionistas Ken Fashion Doll
$11 at Amazon - via Mattel
Barbie The Movie Ken Doll In White And Gold Tracksuit
See at Mattel - via Mattel
Ken Fashionistas Doll With Wheelchair And Ramp
$23 at Amazon - See More
- via Mattel
Barbie Movie Ken Doll Wearing Faux Fur Coat
$75 at Amazon - via Mattel
Ken Dog Trainer Playset
$24 at Amazon
Best Ken Dolls
Black And White Western Outfit Ken
Yee-haw!
A Ken doll based on one of the character's many looks from the Barbie movies. Wearing a Western-inspired outfit, the doll comes with a black jacket with white fringe and a matching white cowboy hat.
Pros & Cons- One of many official looks from the movie
- Does more than just beach
- Limited number available, keep checking back for more pre-orders
We're here to celebrate Barbie's renewed popularity from the movie, so it only makes sense that we kick things off with one of Ken's many looks from the film. Wearing a western-themed outfit, this official Barbie movie Ken is kitted out in a black jacket with white fringe and has a matching white cowboy hat on his head to complete the look. He really can do more than just beach, huh? A Target exclusive, keep checking back for pre-orders as even when sold out, more dolls may become available.
Blonde Beach-Themed Ken
His Job Is Just Beach
Kens can do a lot of things, but thanks to the Barbie movie, the job the doll will forever be most associated with from now on is beach. This Ken comes complete with swimming trunks and a whole bunch of accessories the doll will need at the beach.
Pros & Cons- Very cheap doll compared to some others available
- Lots of various beach accessories included
- His job really is just beach, can and should not be used as a lifeguard
Yes, I know I've already said it about ten times in the box above, but it's worth saying again because it's such an integral part of Beach Ken's personality. This particular Ken's job is just beach. Without beach, I'm not even sure what this Ken would be. Although this doll hasn't specifically been spun from the Beach Ken in the movie, since Gosling's Ken is a Beach Ken, this doll now has a lot of added worth and meaning. Despite that, it's still available for a very reasonable price from Target and comes with a whole bunch of beach accessories Ken might find useful while on the job.
Barbie Fashionistas Ken Fashion Doll
Celebrate Diversity Through The Fashionistas Collection
Mattel's Fasionistas range was created to celebrate diversity. This particular doll from that range features a Ken with twisted black hair and just the one outfit pictured. No accessories included but you can reuse the resealable vinyl packaging the Ken comes in.
Pros & Cons- Barbie and Ken dolls are all about as many people seeing themselves in the collections as possible
- May well be the cheapest brand new Ken doll you'll find on the market
- Not one of the many Kens featured in the Barbie movie
Everyone, especially children, having something or someone they can see themselves in via the toys they play with and the shows they love is incredibly important. That's why the Fashionista collection is one of Barbie's best. Created to showcase diversity and demonstrate more than ever before that Barbie and Ken are about a lot more than the original stereotypical designs they're best known for. This particular doll is a black Ken with black twisted hair and his own unique outfit. One of the very best, and most affordable, dolls from the Fashionista collection.
Barbie The Movie Ken Doll In White And Gold Tracksuit
He's Also Just Ken
Ryan Gosling might have been the leading Ken in the Barbie movie, but Simu Liu's Ken played a starring role too. Such a starring role that Liu now has his very own Ken doll too, sporting the same white and gold tracksuit that his character did in the film.
Pros & Cons- Simu Liu was really the movie's best Ken
- Impossible to look at this doll and not start singing I'm Just Ken
- Currently a little hard to find, only available through official site
Right there after Ryan Gosling in the pecking order of Kens in the Barbie movie was Simu Liu's portrayal of the character. Effectively Gosling's nemesis for most of the film, there to swoop in and be the coolest Ken whenever Gosling fell short, Liu's portrayal of Ken was fantastic, hence the actor getting his very own official Ken doll. Like Gosling, Liu had a lot of different looks in the movie. Mattel has unequivocally made the right call with his Ken doll's outfit, though. A very chic white and gold tracksuit, complete with a big gold K for Ken on the chest.
Ken Fashionistas Doll With Wheelchair And Ramp
The Diverse And Inclusive Fashionistas Collection
Another Ken doll from Mattel's Fashionistas collection, a collection of dolls all about celebrating and representing diversity, this Ken comes with a wheelchair and ramp, allowing him to get around with the rest of your Barbie and Ken dolls.
Pros & Cons- Comes complete with wheelchair and wheelchair ramp accessories
- Even more diversity demonstrated through Mattel's Fashionistas collection
- Selling the wheelchair and ramp separately would be a pretty great idea
- The doll included is the only one compatible with the wheelchair
Another entry from Mattel's fantastic Fashionistas collection, this Ken doll comes complete with a wheelchair and a ramp that's compatible with Barbie's Dreamhouse. The wheelchair has a working brake and the Ken doll that it comes with has a variety of posable joints, allowing him to properly use the chair. That's the only real pitfall of this particular pick as it means other dolls aren't able to use the accessories included. Still, another incredibly cool way to make Mattel's collection of Ken dolls more diverse and, most importantly of all, more inclusive.
Barbie Movie Ken Doll Wearing Faux Fur Coat
The Most Stylish Ken Of All
A lot of Ken's outfits are intentionally over the top, so the one that might well be the most OTT of all absolutely needed to be turned into a doll. Faux fur Ken is the elaborate look the character sported in the movie turned into a toy for your collection.
Pros & Cons- If you're going to have one Ken, may as well make it this incredibly elaborate one
- Ken at his most, well, Ken
- Easily the most expensive of this particular selection of dolls
Ken likes to look his best at all times, so a doll showcasing what might well be his most lavish look to date is easily the best of this particular bunch. Another look Gosling showed off in the movie, this doll has Ken in a long fur coat and a black fringe vest. Don't worry, both the fur on the doll and the fur used in the movie is faux. The only two downsides to this particular Ken doll are its price and its availability. At $75, there aren't many other Kens that will set you back more when buying them brand new. Mattel also appears to only be selling the doll for a limited time, so if you do like the look of it, you'd be advised not to hang around.
Ken Dog Trainer Playset
Quit The Beach For The Dog Training Life
Not every Ken's job is beach. This Ken is a dog trainer, hence why the doll is part of a set that comes with a variety of items used to help train dogs and not one, but two pup pals.
Pros & Cons- A Ken doll with what I assume is everyone's dream job
- Comes with an array of accessories and two dogs
- You'll need to quit your beach job, unfortunately
Kens have had an array of different jobs over the years, but none have landed on their feet quite like this Ken has managed to do. Hanging out at the beach doing nothing is great, but it doesn't compare to being a dog trainer. The doll is part of a playset that not only includes two dog friends for your Ken, but also a bunch of accessories like a hoop and balance beam you can use to train them. I'm also going to need Mattel to make a human-size version of that pawprint shirt.
FAQ
Which Ken Doll Is The Most Valuable?
There have been so many Ken dolls in the more than 60 years since the very first one was released, and so many of them are incredibly rare. However, Dress Box Kens are considered to be among the absolute rarest. Released between 1963 and 1965, there are 14 different versions and if you happen to have any, suffice to say they're probably worth quite a bit of money.
Why Is He Called Ken?
Ken might not seem like the hippest name in the world, even when the character was first immortalized as a doll in the 1960s. The reason Barbie's male counterpart is called Ken is because the dolls' creator Ruth Handler named him after her son, Kenneth. Barbie is also named after one of Ruth's children, Barbara.
NEXT: Barbie Movie's I Am Kenough Hoodie Is Up For Pre-Order At Mattel
