Here is my attempt to document the rarest Dino-Rider toys. In fairness, not all of these are truly “rare” (although some definitely are). These might appear very common to the average fan, but to a more discerning eye, these pieces are actually quite unique.

Adult Llahd

On some of the early Pterodactyl sets, Tyco used an adult Llahd instead of the more common small figure. This version of Llahd uses the same basic mold as the Yungstar figure. The color scheme on the adult Llahd is virtually identical to the more common small figure. Although not the rarest of all Dino-Riders toys, this is still an interesting piece to collect.

Japanese Llahd

The Japanese version of Llahd (packaged with the Pterodactyl) is virtually identical to its U.S. counterpart. The only difference is that the Japanese version has painted black eyes instead of the more common light blue.

Japanese Questar (Version 1)

The Japanese version of Questar (packaged with the Diplodocus) is virtually identical to its U.S. counterpart. The only difference is that the Japanese version has painted black eyes instead of the more common light blue.

Japanese Gunnur

The Japanese version of Gunnur (packaged with the Torosaurus) is virtually identical to its U.S. counterpart. The only difference is that the Japanese version has painted black eyes instead of the more common light blue.

Japanese Questar (Version 2)

Another variation of the Japanese version of Questar (packaged with the Diplodocus) is virtually identical to its U.S. counterpart, except it has black hair instead of the more common blond hair and it has painted black eyes instead of the more common light blue. This variation is much harder to find than the blond hair, black eyes version.

Japanese Magnus

The Japanese version of Magnus (packaged with the Torosaurus) is virtually identical to its U.S. counterpart. The only difference is that the Japanese version has painted black eyes instead of the more common light blue.

Japanese Aries

The Japanese version of Aries (packaged with the Diplodocus) is virtually identical to its U.S. counterpart. The only difference is that the Japanese version has painted black eyes instead of the more common light blue. There are actually two versions of the Aries figure - one with a light blue vest that matches the pants and another with dark blue pants that stands out from the color of the pants. Interestingly, both versions were also released in Japan with the black eyes, bringing the total number of unique Aries figures to four.

Mail-Away Pterodactyl

Those who collected Dino-Riders proof of purchase points and joined the Dino-Riders fan club received one of two fan club packages. One of those packages contained a repainted Pterodactyl toy. Instead of the usual gray and light brown, this Pterodactyl sported a bright orange and dark brown color scheme. This is definitely a cool toy that is highly sought after.

Japanese Sky

The Japanese version of Sky (packaged with the Dino-Riders Deinonychus) is identical to its U.S. counterpart. The only difference is that the Japanese version has painted black eyes instead of the more common light blue.

Japanese Turret

The Japanese version of Turret (packaged with the Styracosaurus) is identical to its U.S. counterpart except it has black hair instead of the more common brown hair and it has painted black eyes instead of the more common light blue. The difference between the Japanese and U.S. Turret figures is more pronounced than the difference between the other Japanese figures.

Japanese Yungstar

The Japanese version of Yungstar (packaged with the Quetzalcoatlus) is identical to its U.S. counterpart except it has black hair instead of the more common blond hair and it has painted black eyes instead of the more common light blue. The difference between the Japanese and U.S. Yungstar figures is more pronounced than the difference between the other Japanese figures.

Smithsonian Institution Quetzalcoatlus

When the Quetzalcoatlus was re-released as part of the Smithsonian Institution line, its name was changed to Pterodactylus and its head crest was removed in order to make it more scientifically accurate for that species. This piece is a nice variation to the much more common Dino-Riders version of the Quetzalcoatlus.

Smithsonian Institution Giant Ground Sloth

When the Giant Ground Sloth was re-released as part of the Smithsonian Institution line, its color scheme was changed such that there were no black stripes running across its belly and there were less black highlights on its face.

Smithsonian Institution Stegosaurus (All Red Plates Version)

There are two different versions of the Smithsonian Institution Stegosaurus. The first version has a paint scheme that is identical to the regular Dino-Riders Stegosaurus. The second version is much more rare and although it looks very similar to the Dino-Riders version, its plates are painted all red instead of the two-toned red and gray in the Dino-Riders version.