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The Kenner Star Wars action figures were produced by the toy company
Kenner Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy brand owned by Hasbro. Kenner Products began as a toy company founded in 1946, going on to produce several highly recognizable toys and merchandise lines including action figures for t ...
, which released 96
action figure An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game, television program, or sport; fictional or historical. These figures are usually ...
s, multiple vehicles and playsets based on the ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' franchise between 1978 and 1985. From a line of over 100 unique toys, a total of more than 300 million units were sold during their original run. Kenner began producing new ''Star Wars'' action figures in 1995. The initial line, known as The Original Collection, is highly sought after. Many variations of the figures have been sold at auction for tens of thousands of pounds or dollars during the 2020s. Even standard figures (particularly if sold with original packaging) can demand extremely high prices. In 2024, a prototype
Boba Fett Boba Fett ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. First appearing in the '' Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), where he was voiced by Don Francks, he is an armored bounty hunter featured in both the original and prequel ...
sold for $1.342 million at auction, becoming the most expensive toy ever sold at auction. Collectors have been critical of companies or organisations that only buy the products to resell at a profit (i.e. " scalpers").


History

The license for ''Star Wars'' action figures was offered in 1976 to the
Mego Corporation Mego Corporation () is an American toy company that in its original iteration was first founded in 1954. Originally known as a purveyor of dime store toys, in 1971 the company shifted direction and became famous for producing licensed action figu ...
, which was the leading company in action figures in the 1970s. Mego refused the offer and the license was subsequently picked up by
Kenner Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy brand owned by Hasbro. Kenner Products began as a toy company founded in 1946, going on to produce several highly recognizable toys and merchandise lines including action figures for t ...
, a division of General Mills Fun Group. ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' (1977) was the first film to successfully license toys to consumers on a large scale. Kenner's action figure sales, along with dozens of similar licensing deals given to companies that sold everything from clothing to dog food, ultimately allowed
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
to finance the next two movie chapters of his saga: ''
The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic film, epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based o ...
'' (1980) and ''
Return of the Jedi ''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas. The sequel to '' The Empire ...
'' (1983). Although the original ''Star Wars'' film had been released in May 1977, Kenner was not ready to satisfy demand for their film-based toys. The company had only begun to seriously consider the property after a meeting in New York during February 1977. Their licensing deal with Lucas and Fox wasn't signed until around mid year, leaving insufficient time to produce stock for the Christmas market. Instead, they sold an "Early Bird Certificate Package" which included a certificate which could be mailed to Kenner and redeemed for four ''Star Wars'' action figures. The first four figures to be distributed were
Luke Skywalker Luke Skywalker is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the original film trilogy as the main protagonist and also appears in the sequel trilogy. Raised as a poor moisture farmer on the desert planet Tat ...
,
Princess Leia Princess Leia Organa ( or ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the Star Wars (film), original ''Star Wars'' film in 1977, Leia is a princess of the planet Alderaan, a member of the Galactic Empire (Star Wars ...
,
Chewbacca Chewbacca ( ), nicknamed "Chewie", is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a Wookiee—a tall, hairy, highly intelligent species originating from the planet Kashyyyk. He is tall, and typically wears only a bandolier an ...
and
R2-D2 R2-D2 () or Artoo-Detoo is a fictional robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. He has appeared in ten of the eleven theatrical ''Star Wars'' films to date, including every film in the " Skywalker Saga", which inclu ...
. The box also contained a diorama display stand, some stickers, and a ''Star Wars'' fan club membership card. By the time the action figures were offered for direct sale in shops, the range had been augmented with a further eight figures—
C-3PO C-3PO () or See-Threepio is a humanoid robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a protocol droid (Star Wars), droid designed to assist in etiquette and translation, and is fluent in over six million forms of communication. The chara ...
,
Darth Vader Darth Vader () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was first introduced in the original film trilogy as the primary antagonist and one of the leaders of the Galactic Empire. He has become one of the most iconic villain ...
, Stormtrooper,
Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi () is a character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. In the original film trilogy, he is a Jedi Master who trains Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force. In the prequel trilogy, he mentors Luke's father, Anakin Skywalke ...
,
Han Solo Han Solo () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the 1977 film ''Star Wars (film), Star Wars'', and later appeared in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983), ''Star Wars: The F ...
, Jawa,
Sand People Tusken Raiders are a fictional alien race in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. They first appeared in ''Star Wars'' (1977). Also known as Sandpeople Depiction The Tusken Raiders are depicted as xenophobic and are known to be aggressive in their in ...
, and Death Squad Commander—bringing the total number of figures in the initial release to twelve. These were supplemented later in 1978 with a number of vehicle and playset accessories, as well as the J.C. Penney exclusive Sonic controlled landspeeder and the
Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosen ...
exclusive Cantina adventure playset which introduced four new figures. Three of the four figures that were first brought out in the Sears Cantina set were released for individual sale, as well as a variant of the fourth, and with a further four figures later in 1978, bringing the total number of figures to 20. Demand for the action figures and accessories was such that Kenner continued to have difficulty fulfilling demand. Shortages of the toys in the lead up to Christmas 1978 led some to claim that Kenner was deliberately manipulating the market. Sales of Kenner's ''Star Wars'' range in 1978 reached 40 million units, accounting for a revenue of $100 million.
In the anticipation of the release of the sequel movie ''The Empire Strikes Back'', Kenner offered its first mail-in promotion, in which four proofs of purchase could be redeemed for a new action figure
Boba Fett Boba Fett ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. First appearing in the '' Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), where he was voiced by Don Francks, he is an armored bounty hunter featured in both the original and prequel ...
. This figure was originally intended to feature a backpack with a firing missile, but this was abandoned due to safety concerns. Similar mail-in promotions were periodically offered through to 1984. Sales in 1979 again topped $100 million. Kenner continued to introduce waves of action figures from the sequels and in 1984, the year following the release of the movie ''Return of the Jedi'', the range totaled 79 unique character designs (not including the retired versions of R2-D2 and C-3PO). In 1985, the figure range was renamed ''Power of the Force'' in which a further 15 figures were released. Two further ranges of ''Star Wars'' action figures were also released, based on the animated series, '' Star Wars: Droids'' and '' Star Wars: Ewoks''. The ''Droids'' range comprised 12 figures (two of which were identical to figures from the main ''Star Wars'' line) and the ''Ewoks'' line comprised six figures. By mid-1985, the demand for ''Star Wars'' merchandise had slowed and Kenner discontinued production of its action figures. However, Kenner would produce the new line of ''Star Wars'' toys which began in 1995.


Description

The ''Star Wars'' action figures are plastic, usually smaller than four inches (10 cm), and are typically poseable at five points on their bodies, but there are many differences and unique qualities in the individual figures that depart from these norms. Kenner's ''Star Wars'' action figures were produced along with vehicles and playsets based on the ''Star Wars'' movies. The majority of figures were packaged individually attached to "cardbacks" in a plastic
blister A blister is a small pocket of body fluid (lymph, serum, plasma, blood, or pus) within the upper layers of the skin, usually caused by forceful rubbing (friction), burning, freezing, chemical exposure or infection. Most blisters are filled ...
.


List of Kenner ''Star Wars'' action figures


Figure variations

Variations exist for most of the different figures. These can range from major resculpts and differences in accessories supplied with the figures, to differences in paint detailing, for instance in hair color, or differences in sculpting materials. Some variations command higher prices in the collector market due to relative scarcity. During the ''Empire Strikes Back'' run, the R2-D2 figure was altered to include an extendable "sensorscope." Similarly, C-3PO was resculpted with removable limbs. In 1985, R2-D2 was again altered to feature a pop-up lightsaber. Both the removable limb C-3PO and pop-up lightsaber R2-D2 were offered with alternate paint detailing in the ''Droids'' range. The lightsaber-wielding characters originally featured a double-telescoping saber mechanism. This was changed to a single-telescoping mechanism early in 1978. As the Luke Skywalker figure was part of the Early Bird promotion, proportionately more of these were released with the double-telescoping mechanism, while double telescoping Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi and Darth Vader figures are comparatively more rare and sought-after. The Sears exclusive Cantina adventure playset contains four action figures. The Snaggletooth figure initially included wears a blue outfit with silver disco style boots, and is about the same size as the Luke and Han figures. Upon George Lucas's request, this "Blue Snaggletooth" was subsequently corrected to represent the character as actually featured in the movie; and a resculpted shorter, barefoot, red-outfitted figure was released. Only the corrected "Red Snaggletooth" was released on blistered cardbacks, which made the "Blue Snaggletooth" more scarce and sought after by collectors. Early Han Solo figures have a somewhat diminutive head sculpt. This was later replaced by a larger sculpt. Early Jawa figures were released with a vinyl cape similar to that of Obi-Wan Kenobi. This was later changed to a fabric cloak.


Cardback variations

From the period through 1977 to mid-1984, figures sold individually in stores were issued on cardbacks that corresponded to the most current movie, with figures being sold on cardbacks with ''Star Wars'' designs through to 1980, then on ''Empire Strikes Back'' cards through to 1983, followed by ''Return of the Jedi'' cards and ''Power of the Force'' cards in 1984. As the number of figures in the range increased, the cardback design would be altered accordingly. Thus the earliest figures released for direct sale in shops were issued on a cardback, the rear of which illustrated the then full range of 12 figures, known as a 12-back. The 12-back was supplanted by the 20-back, and subsequently by the 21-back, the 31-back, the 32-back, the 41-back, the 45-back, the 47-back, the 48-back, the 65-back, the 77-back, the 79-back and the 92-back. Variations exist for each of the cardback fronts. These range from differences in promotional offer stickers applied to the card to differences in the photograph illustrating the character. Similarly variations exist for all of the cardback rear designs with the exceptions of the 47-back and 92-back designs that were only available in a single version. , there are 57 different cardback front-rear combinations recognized. This does not include figures released through overseas companies or the ''Droids'' or ''Ewoks'' ranges.


Non-US licenses

''Star Wars'' figures were offered for sale in a number of countries outside of the US. These were usually sold through other companies, many of which were also subsidiaries of General Mills. In the UK, the ''Star Wars'' license was held by
Palitoy Palitoy was a British toy company. It manufactured some of the most popular toys in Britain, some original items and others under licence. Its products included Action Man, Action Girl, Action Force, Tiny Tears, Pippa (doll), Pippa, Tressy, Mainli ...
, which imported the figures and packaged them in the UK on Palitoy branded cardbacks. Analogous arrangements were in place in
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
with the company PBP/Poch, in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
with Meccano, in the
Benelux The Benelux Union (; ; ; ) or Benelux is a politico-economic union, alliance and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighbouring states in Western Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The name is a portma ...
countries with Clipper, in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
with Parker, in
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
with Harbert and in
Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
with Brio/Playmix. In
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, the line was first controlled by the company
Takara was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955. In March 2006, the company merged with Tomy, Tomy Company, Ltd. to form Tomy, Takara Tomy. The Takara motto was("playing is culture"). The company focused on traditional toys and board games. They cr ...
, then by Popy and finally by Tsukuda. The licence was acquired in Australia by Toltoys, while in
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
it was held by Lili Ledy and in
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
by Glasslite. In certain cases, figures produced by the non-US licensed companies are substantially different from those sold by Kenner. Takara, for example, sold resculpted versions of Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, and C-3PO. Lili Ledy used different paint detailing and different fabric accessories. Glasslite figures were molded using slightly different, glossier plastic and used different paint detailing. The Glasslite ''Droids'' range was also notable in that it included a character "Vlix" that had not been issued in other countries. The Vlix figure was prototyped for the Kenner line but never made it past the stage of being mocked up on a card. Towards the end of the ''Star Wars'' figure run, figures for the European market were issued on ' cardbacks, so-called as the cardback front had three logos in English, French, and Spanish. The cardback rear was a unique design showing 70 characters. are in somewhat greater demand amongst collectors due to overstock having been bought by the US company Kay Bee. The character "Yak Face" that had only previously been issued in Canada and Australia was also available on the card.


Reproductions

As the figures were intended as and generally used as toys, accessories such as weapons and cloaks were often lost or stickers were damaged. Once a collectors' market had been established, some collectors started replacing accessories with reproduction items. Such items are considered undesirable amongst some collectors, particularly where figure variations centering on differences in accessories has led to a price premium, such as with the double telescoping lightsabers or the vinyl-caped Jawa. Some hard to obtain figures have also been reproduced, at times with the aim of passing them off as original, authentic figures. Notable examples include the rocket firing Boba Fett prototype and unpainted prototypes of regular figures.


Bootlegs

While officially licensed figures were produced in many countries, others had no official means of distribution. Taking advantage of consumer demand for the toys, manufacturers in some countries released unlicensed, bootleg figures. These vary in materials, casting method and in quality. For example, some of the figures produced by the manufacturer Uzay in Turkey, are of a high standard and were often cast in unconventional colors with little regard to authenticity. The quirkiness of these figures with their often bizarre psychedelic cardbacks have led to demand from collectors and they frequently demand a high price premium.


Legacy

A renewed interest in ''Star Wars'' was apparent by the mid-1990s, due to a rerelease of the trilogy on laserdisc and VHS and in anticipation of the upcoming '' Star Wars Special Edition''. Kenner, which had been bought by
Tonka Tonka is an American brand and former manufacturer of toy trucks. The company was founded in 1946 and operated as an independent manufacturer of popular steel toy construction type trucks and machinery, until its sale to Hasbro in 1991. Histor ...
in 1987 and subsequently by
Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment holding company founded on December 6, 1923 by Henry, Hillel and Herma ...
in 1991, took advantage of this and, in 1995, released a new line of ''Star Wars'' action figures, again under the logo ''Power of the Force''. These figures were easily distinguishable from the vintage range due to the new figures being sculpted in more "heroic" style, with larger muscles, and are known to collectors as ''Power of the Force 2''. The ''Power of the Force 2'' figures continued to be branded as Kenner until 1999, when they were rebranded as Hasbro. Hasbro continues to market ''Star Wars'' action figures to the present day. Kenner's success with the ''Star Wars'' line motivated creators of other action-adventure movies to market their own action figure lines.


In popular culture

Two of
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
's 1982 films, ''
Poltergeist In German folklore and ghostlore, a poltergeist ( or ; ; or ) is a type of ghost or spirit that is responsible for physical disturbances, such as loud noises and objects being moved or destroyed. Most claims or fictional descriptions of polter ...
'' and ''
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (or simply ''E.T.'') is a 1982 American science fiction film, science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott Taylor, Elliott, a boy w ...
'', feature scenes showing ''Star Wars'' action figures. ''Star Wars'' action figures are the subject of a 2014 direct-to-video documentary film, '' Plastic Galaxy: The Story of Star Wars Toys''. ''Star Wars'' action figures and toys were the subject of episode one of the 2017
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
documentary '' The Toys That Made Us''. A 2020 episode of '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' features a group of three aliens wearing outfits matching original Kenner toys. An episode of the
History Channel History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television television broadcaster, network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney General Entertainme ...
documentary series '' The Toys That Built America'' has
Kenner Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy brand owned by Hasbro. Kenner Products began as a toy company founded in 1946, going on to produce several highly recognizable toys and merchandise lines including action figures for t ...
and its line of ''Star Wars'' action figures and playsets as one of the subjects.


See also

* ''Star Wars'': The Vintage Collection


References


External links


Star Wars action figures at the ''Star Wars Wiki''
{{Star Wars 1970s toys 1980s toys Action figures Hasbro products Star Wars merchandise Products introduced in 1978 1978 establishments in the United States