About
Launched in 1997, the Renegade was marketed as the world’s first shape-changing ball-bearing yo-yo. Building on the concept of the Triple Play fixed-axle model, it added a bearing axle and retained the three switchable profiles — Imperial, Butterfly, and Pagoda — via a twist-apart take-apart design. With starburst response that wore smooth with play, the Renegade became capable of sleeping long enough for advanced string tricks, making it one of the most versatile and popular yo-yos of the late-1990s boom.
The first production run featured hex-shaped bolt heads and came only in basic black. A version 2 redesign circa 2000 replaced the hex bolt heads with star-shaped bolt heads and a larger, stronger axle assembly. Version 2 was produced in a wide range of colorways including solids, clears, marbles, glows, and glow marbles through the 2000s.
