About this transcript: This is a full AI-generated transcript of COLLECT THEM ALL — A Kenner Star Wars Action Figure Documentary from Analog Toys, published August 13, 2026. The transcript contains 15,763 words with timestamps and was generated using Whisper AI.
"In the years following the release of the first Star Wars film, the Kenner Toy Company produced 21 different action figures, before switching their focus to the characters that appeared in the sequel, The Empire Strikes Back. In this video, we're going to take a look at Kenner's first 21, in the..."
[00:00:00] Speaker 1: In the years following the release of the first Star Wars film, the Kenner Toy Company produced 21 different action figures, before switching their focus to the characters that appeared in the sequel, The Empire Strikes Back. In this video, we're going to take a look at Kenner's first 21, in the order of their release, and detail the history behind their development. We'll also be going over all the major variations. I'm not talking about hollow-cheeked Tusken Raider levels of variation, but we will be discussing the more significant differences between the action figures and their accessories. When these toys hit our childhood in the late 70s, they were a well-needed burst of excitement, as fresh in concept and design as the movie that inspired them. These early waves of minifigures have a certain simplistic charm to them, that is somewhat lost on later releases, as Kenner improved their sculpting techniques, and became more proficient at manufacturing figures in the 3 3⁄4 inch scale. Yet they remain hugely popular with collectors today, and are some of the most influential action figures ever made. So join me as we journey back to the birth of a toy line that would go on to sell over 250 million action figures. Stay tuned.
[00:01:14] Speaker 2: Yet I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I've seen a lot of strange stuff.
[00:01:18] Speaker 1: In 1977, Hollywood movies weren't typically considered successful candidates for toy merchandising, so when the Cincinnati-based Kenner products acquired the Star Wars license, it was quite the gamble. Yet when the movie became a global smash hit, Kenner wasn't prepared, and they struggled to get anything more than a few puzzles and a board game into toy stores in time for Christmas. This could have been a disaster since the film was released a full seven months earlier, yet the popularity of Star Wars continued, so Kenner pressed on regardless. And against the advice of the marketing department, the company decided to sell a printed cardboard backdrop, which included a certificate that customers could use to send away for the first four mini action figures that would ship out in early 1978. The early bird mail-in offer included three and three-quarter-inch scaled action figures of the film's hero Luke Skywalker, the feisty Princess Leia, the Millennium Falcon's co-pilot Chewbacca, and the resourceful astromech droid R2-D2. The original Luke Skywalker figure is representative of Kenner's early attempts at Star Wars action figures, featuring a gentle face sculpt, a slim body, and limited paint applications. This figure is also available in a number of different hair colours.
[00:02:27] Speaker 3: An elegant weapon for the more civilised age.
[00:02:34] Speaker 1: Strangely, Kenner decided to give Luke a yellow lightsaber, despite the fact that it appears bluish-white in the film, and the earliest examples of this accessory have become known to collectors today as double-telescoping lightsabers. The more common lightsaber accessory that came with all the later-release figures fitted into a slot in Luke's arm, and a child could extend the blade through a hollow hilt in the figure's hand to simulate the saber's ignition effect. These later-issued lightsabers were manufactured from a single piece of plastic, and featured a thin tip that protruded out beyond the thicker section that telescopes from the arm of the figure. What makes the double-telescoping lightsaber so unique is that these were manufactured from two pieces of plastic, and after the thicker section telescopes from the figure's hand, the extremely thin tip could then extend through the thicker part of the blade, and become almost double the size of the standard saber. As you can imagine, these double-telescoping lightsabers are extremely fragile and insanely rare, and they command extortionate prices on the secondary market. Princess Leia was the only major female character in the original trilogy, and the only female human to appear in the toy line. She is also very challenging to acquire today, due to her mostly white figure often turning yellow, her white cape that easily tears, and her tiny blaster that is always missing.
[00:03:50] Speaker 3: Will somebody get this big walking carpet out of my way?
[00:03:53] Speaker 1: Where the majority of Kenner's Star Wars action figures came with five points of articulation at the hips, shoulders, and neck, Chewbacca was one of the few to buck this trend, as he had no neck articulation. The sculpting of the fur on Chewie is also representative of the simplicity of some of these early figures, yet he does have one of the more interesting weapon accessories in the line, even if his bowcaster is missing the limbs that gave this weapon such a distinctive look in the movie. Chewbacca is also one of the tallest figures in the original Kenner line, and a personal favourite, as this was the first Star Wars action figure that I owned in childhood. Completing the quartet of early bird mail-in-offer figures, we have R2-D2, and given the fact that this character is a droid, he obviously comes with a completely different construction design to the others. A vac-medalised finish adorns R2's dome, which makes a clicking sound when rotated, and a paper sticker is wrapped around the figure's body, and used to provide some extra detail. Two variations of this figure were released later in the line, and these are the Sensorscope R2, and the Pop-Up Sabre version. So if you want to ensure you have the first release, you'll need the vintage R2-D2 with the solid dome. Following this early bird set, Kenner was able to release a full wave of 12 Star Wars action figures by mid-1978, and the line included the four already released characters, as well as all the other major heroes, and a number of villains. When Kenner began designing these figures in 1977, they took several Fisher-Price Adventure People figures, and modified them with paint and sculpting clay, to start developing the look of each Star Wars character in action figure form. With the Adventure People Outdoorsman from the Northwoods Trailblazer set, becoming the basis for the smuggler scoundrel, Han Solo.
[00:05:32] Speaker 2: You know, sometimes I amaze even myself.
[00:05:34] Speaker 1: One of the few major Kenner tooling changes occurred with this figure. First released with a small head, this figure was available on the Star Wars 12A and 12B card backs, before being reissued with a larger head sculpt for the 12C card back release. This second release large head Han Solo was then used until the end of the line. A very limited number of small head Hans do appear on the 31A Empire Strikes Back card, likely due to retailers sending unsold figures back to Kenner to be repackaged. The first two characters to appear in the Star Wars movie were the two droids, and since Kenner had already provided R2-D2, they then completed the duo by releasing the protocol droid, C-3PO. This figure was produced with a subtle gold vac-metalized finish, and was assembled differently to the other figures, with his torso being held together with a metal rivet. Much like his counterpart R2-D2, a variant of C-3PO was issued for the Empire Strikes Back, with the later version having removable limbs. So again, if you want to ensure you have the first release edition of this figure, you need a 3PO with permanently attached arms and legs. That isn't very reassuring. Rounding out the main cast of heroes, we have Ben, Obi-Wan, Kenobi. The sculpting of this figure's robes is very basic, and he was available with either grey hair or white hair. He also comes with a vinyl cape, and a lightsaber that slots into his arm in the same way that Luke's does. Some very early releases of this figure also came packaged with a double-telescoping lightsaber, as did Darth Vader. Yet the double-telescoping versions of Ben and Vader are both rarer than double-telescoping Luke's, and far, far rarer than vinyl cape Jawa's. Speaking of which, we now get to one of Kenner's more famous Star Wars rarities. An item so scarce that it transcends the hobby, and is a well-known collectible even outside of the vintage Kenner Star Wars community. Collectors have always loved the Jawa action figure, and a holy grail for many of us is the elusive first-issue Jawa with the vinyl cape. During the early days of this production run, Kenner quickly changed the vinyl cape to the more common soft-goods cape, making the vinyl cape versions exceedingly rare, and all these figures came with a unique blaster that was never issued with any other figure in the line.
[00:07:41] Speaker ?: Oh, teeny!
[00:07:42] Speaker 1: Joining these tiny Tatooine natives in Kenner's first wave of Star Wars figures was the Sand People, also known as Tusken Raiders. The Sand People action figure was another to be issued with a vinyl cape, and this character came armed with a gaffy stick accessory. Some early promotional material for the toyline shows a weird-looking prototype of the Tusken Raider, and you can see that this was also mocked up from the Fisher-Price Adventure People figure by the shape of the hands. This leads me to believe that the Tusken Raider was one of the last figures Kenner designed for the first wave, because in this image he is photographed alongside production samples of 10 of the 11 other figures. The only other prototype shown in this image is the Death Squad Commander. This prototype looks more like a stormtrooper wearing black armour, and nothing at all like the figure that was actually released. Kenner's Death Squad Commander is an Imperial officer who has been designed with a large black helmet and a grey uniform, even though most of these officers wore black uniforms in the film. While Kenner never altered this figure for any later releases, the name on the card back was changed from Death Squad Commander to Star Destroyer Commander during the Empire Strikes Back run. The Death Squad Commander was also one of three villains to be released on a Kenner Star Wars 12-back card, with the other two being the Stormtrooper and the movie's big bad, Darth Vader. Echoing the articulation of Chewbacca, the ubiquitous Stormtrooper was also produced without a neck joint, and they all came armed with the Imperial Laser Rifle. Although these figures are far from rare, they will still cost you a pretty penny on the secondary market, due to so many collectors wanting to army build this character. Completing the first wave of 12 action figures we have Darth Vader, and aside from the aforementioned double telescoping lightsaber variant, this figure remained unchanged in the Kenner line right up until it ended in 1985. Vader is the fifth character in the line to be issued with a vinyl cape, and while the figure's height is accurate to the movie, I always felt as though he was too slim compared to the muscular build of the actor David Prowse, who played Darth Vader on screen.
[00:09:40] Speaker 4: The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.
[00:09:45] Speaker 1: Despite these action figures not reaching retail shelves until a full year after the movie's premiere, Star Wars was still as popular as ever in 1978, and the toys were a smash hit. Sekenna quickly started developing additional characters to further flesh out the toy range. The next four action figures to be released came with the Sears-exclusive Cantina Adventure Set, which gave us our first opportunity to play with some of the weird and wonderful aliens that inhabited the Mos Eisley Cantina.
[00:10:10] Speaker 3: You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
[00:10:15] Speaker 1: The Cantina Adventure Set featured another cardboard backdrop display, similar to the early bird certificate package, and came included with Greedo, Hammerhead, Walrus Man, and the infamous Blue Snaggletooth. The head on the Walrus Man action figure is even uglier than the one that appeared in the film, but Kenner did do a decent job when sculpting the heads of Greedo and Hammerhead. The same can't be said though of the costumes on these figures, which look nothing at all like their on-screen counterparts, and Kenner even made Greedo left-handed, when he was clearly right-handed in the film. While I certainly appreciate the softer, simplistic style of Kenner's early Star Wars action figures, the design of these four Cantina aliens definitely appears rushed to me, and I would suggest it's very possible that Kenner sped up the development of these figures, so that Sears department stores could have this exclusive item in stock for Christmas 1978. Giving this theory of mine a little more credence is the fact that eight figures were included in the second wave, and this promotional image shows prototypes of the other four figures. Yet aside from some colour differences on Walrus Man, the four Cantina aliens are all production samples of the figures we actually received. We don't serve their kind here. It's important to remember that in the late 1970s, movie studios weren't collaborating with toy companies like they do today. Nowadays, toy corporations get access to everything from movie props, detailed design information, and even 3D scans. So I can forgive Kenner's errors with these early figures, especially since Star Wars is the movie solely responsible for establishing the framework that the modern toy industry uses. With the integration between movie studio and toy manufacturer, allowing for toys to reach store shelves, often before a movie even premieres in theatres. The reason for Blue Snaggletooth's infamy is because Kenner used a fairly vague black and white reference photo when designing this character, and they ended up producing a tall figure in a blue outfit with silver disco boots, when the on-screen version was actually a short alien in a red outfit with furry clawed feet. After realising their mistake, Kenner redesigned the action figure for his carded release in 1979, with the Sears-exclusive Cantina Adventure set remaining the only way that Blue Snaggletooth was ever offered to customers. Kenner not only got the height corrected for this revised version of Snaggletooth, but they also rectified the costume colour and the skin tone of the face. When this second wave of Kenner's Star Wars figures was released, a new card back was introduced that encouraged children to collect all 20 action figures. And in addition to the four new Cantina aliens, we also received Luke Skywalker X-Wing pilot, the Death Star droid, R5-D4, and the Power droid. The Luke Skywalker X-Wing pilot is notable for being the first time that an existing character in the toyline was reissued in a different costume, and this wouldn't happen again with any other Star Wars character until the release of The Empire Strikes Back. This figure is supposed to represent Luke Skywalker in the Rebel pilot uniform that he wore during the attack on the Death Star, yet the sculpting is so generic, we ended up using him as a stand-in for all the other Rebel pilots that Kenner never made.
[00:13:15] Speaker 5: Look at the size of that thing. That's what she said.
[00:13:19] Speaker 1: The final three figures introduced in this wave are all droids, and let's start with the incorrectly named Death Star droid. This figure is constructed in the same way as C-3PO, and features a silver vac-metalized finish. While there was a similar droid scene on the Death Star in the movie, that droid had a black metallic finish, yet this figure looks much more like the droid scene in the Jawa Sandcrawler, technically making it more of a sandcrawler droid. Nevertheless, the naming error inspired a bit more playability than it would have had if he'd simply been a robot slave of the Jawa's. The R5-D4 is an astromech droid that uses the same body and legs as R2-D2, yet he has different colours, a different body sticker and head, and a vac-metalized neck piece section that was not present on the R2 figure. He was also incorrectly named, at least by Luke in the movie.
[00:14:06] Speaker 2: This R2 unit has a bad motivator, look!
[00:14:09] Speaker 1: Finally, we have the power droid, which is sometimes called the gonk droid because of the sound it made in the film. This figure has a box-shaped body and two legs that make a clicking sound when ratcheted into position. The power droid is a fun little action figure, and a great background character to make your displays a little more Star Wars-y. The bounty hunter Boba Fett was the final action figure to be released by Kenner before they moved on to the characters of The Empire Strikes Back, and he was also the line's first of many mail-away offerings. At the time, we kids were really excited about this mysterious new figure, because most of us had never seen him before. While Boba Fett had appeared in an animated segment of the Star Wars Holiday Special, I never knew anyone in childhood who had actually watched that abomination.
[00:14:55] Speaker 5: What?
[00:14:56] Speaker 1: And this was also 20 years before George Lucas retconned the character into the original film. That's right, I remember a time long before Lucasfilm's incessant meddling with Star Wars re-releases, when Boba Fett was a character that didn't appear in the movies until The Empire Strikes Back. What if he doesn't survive? He's worth a lot to me. Originally touted as coming with an exciting rocket-firing feature, this spring-loaded function was removed for safety reasons before Kenner shipped these figures out to waiting customers, and the now-elusive rocket-firing Boba Fett prototypes have become the ultimate holy grail of vintage Kenner's Star Wars figure collecting. Despite the lack of this rocket-firing backpack, the Boba Fett action figure remains one of the coolest and most collectible in the entire line, and represents the perfect segue between the figures inspired by the first movie, and the exciting new offerings that would follow, hot on the heels of the release of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. While the first 21 figures may be littered with inaccuracies, and crafted with softer, simpler designs than later releases, they have a wholesomeness that perfectly reflects the purity and sincerity of the first Star Wars movie, and that's something we've all mourned in the years since Disney took control of the franchise. Kenner's first 21 may not be from a galaxy far, far away, but they are from a long time ago. A time when Star Wars was fun. If you enjoy the content that we create here at Analog Toys, why not take a moment to subscribe to the channel by clicking the little button down there. It's free, it's easy, and it really does go a long way in helping this channel grow, which also enables us to create more high-quality videos like the one you're watching right now. So do yourself a favour and subscribe, and while you're there, click the notification bell to make sure that you get notified whenever a new video drops. Following the hugely successful first few years of the Star Wars toy line, Kenner eagerly anticipated the release of the next film in the series, The Empire Strikes Back. Unlike their first crack at the franchise, where the company struggled to get action figures into toy stores until a full year after the movie's premiere, Kenner had a brand new line-up of action figures all ready to go when the sequel debuted in 1980. The action figures of The Empire Strikes Back are some of my favourites in the toy line, not only because they're based on the best movie in the original trilogy, but because this is when Kenner really began to hit their stride in terms of quality. They learnt a lot from their experience developing the first 21 Star Wars action figures, with the Empire line benefiting from their ever-improving sculpting and design skills. The new movie would also feature several new environments, which in turn gave Kenner the opportunity to produce the hero action figures in all new costumes, whilst also introducing many new characters. So join me as we take a look back at the action figures of The Empire Strikes Back.
[00:17:44] Speaker 6: There isn't enough life on this ice cube to fill a space cruiser. Sensors are placed, I'm going back.
[00:17:49] Speaker 1: In 1979, Kenner began designing the next round of Star Wars action figures, based off of the new sequel movie. Yet before they did so, they first needed to choose which characters to include in the 1980 wave, and there were only 10 spots available.
[00:18:04] Speaker 7: General, prepare your troops for a surface attack. Yes, my lord.
[00:18:09] Speaker 1: Naturally, children would want new versions of the three main heroes, so Kenner gave slots to Luke, Han, and Leia, even though the characters are each outfitted for adventures on different planets. The next two entries were filled by new army builders, with one for the rebels and one for the Empire, and Kenner gave another two positions to a couple of bounty hunters. Rounding out the first wave of 10 action figures, we also got two new characters from Cloud City, and finally, a new droid. This was a solid, if somewhat frustrating, assortment of action figures for the first wave of Empire Strikes Back toys. The baffling part was that due to the scene-specific costumes for the three heroes, they didn't fit in well together, and the fact that other, more important characters were missing from the wave entirely. But more on that later. Luke Skywalker in Bespin Fatigues is one of the first figures in the line to be issued with two weapon accessories. And thankfully, by 1980, Kenner had done away with the concept of moulding the lightsaber hilt into Luke's hand, and having the blade extend out through a slot in his arm. They instead produced a brand new lightsaber accessory for him to hold. Yet once again, they manufactured the weapon in yellow plastic.
[00:19:18] Speaker 5: Oh no. That's not true. That's impossible!
[00:19:26] Speaker 1: Ever since childhood, this has been my favourite figure in the entire line, because it represents the way our hero looked in the most pivotal scenes of the original trilogy. The figure is also available in a multitude of different hair colours. I don't have them all yet, but I'm working on it. Right. The new version of Han Solo gave us our first chance to play with one of the heroes wearing an outfit from the Ice Planet Hoth. Although Kenner chose to give Hoth-Han a blue jacket, instead of the dark brown one that he wore in the film. Seriously, between yellow lightsabers and blue parkers? I'm starting to think that there might have been a designer at Kenner that was colourblind. One of the neatest aspects of this figure is the sculpted holster on Han's right leg, that has a loop at the top. I don't know if Kenner intentionally included this so that we could holster his blaster pistol, but that's what every kid on my street did.
[00:20:16] Speaker 5: Alright, don't lose your temper. I'll come right back and give you a hand.
[00:20:19] Speaker 1: For the first Empire version of Princess Leia, Kenner opted to go with her Bespin evening wear look. This figure comes with a vinyl cape that features a tampo-printed pattern, and she came with that pesky Leia blaster that is always missing these days. A gold hand-painted trim adorns her gown, and this beautiful example was kindly gifted to me by my dear friend Michael French, host of the excellent YouTube channel Retro Blasting. As you can see, this figure has that gold trim painted around her collar, right next to her flesh-coloured neck. But there is a variation of this character with an unpainted neck section that collectors today refer to as Turtleneck Leia. Oh, what a mess. The two new Army Builder figures were both very welcome additions to our collections. The Snow Troopers in Hoth Battle Gear were an incredible evolution of the already beloved Imperial Stormtrooper characters, and the sculpting of this figure is terrific. The Snow Trooper comes with a vinyl cape accessory, yet unlike the other vinyl capes in the line, this one isn't worn over the shoulders. It is instead worn like a skirt, and it attaches to the figure via small hooks situated on either side of the waist. The Snow Trooper also comes with a newly tooled laser rifle, and while I welcomed the addition of a new blaster in the line, I never understood why Kenner gave this bulky weapon to the figure, because he couldn't hold both handles, and because the troopers seen in the movie all carry the same blasters as the ones used by the Stormtroopers in the first film. So why not just give this action figure the same accessory, since they already had the tooling for it? Well perhaps Kenner were trying to keep things fresh by offering new accessories with these action figures. Yet there is evidence to suggest that the Stormtrooper in Hoth Battle Gear was, at one point, going to come with the original Imperial Blaster, as this promotional image shows, and I think the figure looks much better with this weapon. The Hoth Rebel Soldier is a very significant action figure, because it represents the first Rebel army builder in the entire range. The first Star Wars film failed to offer us any troop builder characters. There were no Rebel fleet soldiers, and no Rebel pilots outside of X-Wing Luke, making the Hoth Rebel Soldier a long overdue addition to the line. The figure is armed with what collectors call today the Bespin Blaster, and this accessory was used extensively throughout the Empire Strikes Back production run. In 1981, Kenner introduced a mail-away offer for an action figure survival kit, that came with numerous weapons and accessories, including the Hoth Rebel Backpack. I loved this item in childhood, as it allowed me to change up the look of my soldiers, and add some visual variety to my squad of rebels. Sticking with the Hoth theme, we have the medical droid, FX7. This droid appeared briefly in the scene where Luke is recovering from his wompa wounds, in the Bacta tank at Echo Base, and Kenner poured a tremendous amount of effort into this character, despite FX7's limited screen time. The droid has a tall body with a rotating head, and extending neck, along with a mechanical arm that FX7 uses in the film, to deliver medicine to Luke Skywalker. The lower half of the droid's body is surrounded by another eight limbs, and Kenner produced these in a flexible PVC material. The limbs can all clip into the lower torso, and a child could extend each one individually, to simulate the droid performing a medical procedure.
[00:23:55] Speaker 4: Master Luke, sir, it's so good to see you fully functional again.
[00:23:58] Speaker 1: After the rebels flee the ice planet Hoth, they are hotly pursued by the Empire, and Darth Vader enlists the services of a number of bounty hunters. In this brief scene, we get our first live-action glimpse of the legendary Boba Fett, with that figure being the final character to appear on the original Star Wars cardback design. Yet there were five other unique-looking bounty hunters that also appeared in that scene, and Kenner delivered two of them in 1980. The reptilian alien Bosk is a fan-favourite action figure, who wears a yellow space suit, and he comes armed with a unique blaster rifle accessory, that was never issued to any other figure. The space suit worn by Bosk was actually repurposed from a costume worn by a background character, in the Mos Eisley Cantina in the first Star Wars film. Yet this wasn't the first time the costume was reused, with it also appearing in a low-budget science fiction film from 1964, titled First Men on the Moon, as well as in a classic 1966 episode of Doctor Who. Snoop you elf! IG-88 is an assassin droid who remains one of the taller action figures in the Kenner range, and he is also the first figure to come armed with two blasters. These include the standard Imperial blaster, as well as a new laser rifle, with both of these weapons being moulded in blue plastic. At the time when Kenner was creating this action figure, they had no reference photography showing them what the back of the character looked like, so the resulting sculpt can best be described as an artist's interpretation, and I think they did a very fine job. Rounding out the first wave of Empire Strikes Back action figures, we have two characters from Cloud City. The Bespin security guard from 1980 would go on to be joined by another guard, that was released two years later, so collectors now refer to the original figure as Bespin guard A. This character wears a navy blue uniform, and he comes armed with the Bespin blaster. This entry also has a notable variation, as the figure comes with two different styles of moustache, both of which always reminded me of Charles Bronson.
[00:26:05] Speaker 4: Hello, what have we here?
[00:26:07] Speaker 1: The action figure interpretation of the smooth-talking Lando Calrissian character comes with a grey vinyl cape and a Bespin blaster, and there are two different versions of the figure that collectors seek out today. The first release figure doesn't have white paint on his eyes or teeth, while the second version does, and I like to call the later release figure the Colt 45 version.
[00:26:28] Speaker 8: Well, at least I can still say to her, how about a nice, cool, smooth Colt 45?
[00:26:33] Speaker 7: Hi, how about a nice, cool, smooth Colt 45?
[00:26:39] Speaker 1: Colt 45, every time. Interestingly, while the first version has no white paint at all, and the second version has white paint on the eyes and teeth, this early pre-production image suggests that the white additions were in Kenner's plans for this figure from the get-go. We've now covered the first 10 Empire Strikes Back action figures released in 1980, yet there was one other character released that year that never appeared in any of the advertising.
[00:27:06] Speaker 9: Now all I gotta do is find this Yoda,
[00:27:08] Speaker 2: if he even exists.
[00:27:11] Speaker 1: Kenner kept the Yoda character out of their original Empire Strikes Back marketing material at the behest of Lucasfilm, because George Lucas wanted to keep the character's appearance as a surprise, and this was a wise choice.
[00:27:23] Speaker 5: Away put you weapon, I mean you're no harm.
[00:27:26] Speaker 1: Yoda is a wonderfully designed little action figure, and Kenner gave him more accessories than we had ever received before with any other figure. Perhaps they were trying to pack in more value, since the figure is so small. Yoda came with a soft goods robe, a belt, a walking cane, and a snake. And by the time the Kenner Star Wars line ended in 1985, only one other figure would come with this many accessories, and that was Endor Leia. Yoda is beautifully sculpted, and it's easy to see just how much care, attention, and effort the designers poured into this action figure, making it one of the best in the entire line. The earliest issue figures came with light green skin, a light brown walking cane, and an orange snake. Yet as the line continued, Yoda's skin became darker, the snake went from orange to brown, and his walking cane ended up almost cherry in colour. This darker skinned brown snake version is considerably rarer than the early release, and collectors should expect to pay a premium, if they want to add this version to their collection. If you include Yoda in the 1981 action figure line-up, which many collectors do, we have another 10 entries released that year, with four of them coming from the planet Hoth, and they are 2-1-B, the AT-AT driver, Hoth Leia, and the rebel commander. The droid 2-1-B finally joins his medical colleague FX-7, and this action figure has a very interesting design, that features a translucent torso, and a respirator hose that plugs into the figure, and runs from his hip to his mouth. He also comes with a unique medical accessory, and the design of his lower legs was invented by Kenner, because at the time of his development, they only had access to images of the droid from the waist up. The AT-AT driver has an excellent sculpt, and he was a very welcome army builder addition to our imperial ranks. The figure comes with a laser rifle that features a sling, and just like the stormtrooper and snowtrooper that came before him, he has no neck articulation, due to his helmet and torso being sculpted into one piece. Hoth Leia comes with the same blaster as her previous two action figures, with this weapon now becoming one of the most expensive vintage Star Wars accessories to purchase on the second-hand market.
[00:29:38] Speaker 3: I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain.
[00:29:42] Speaker 1: The introduction of this action figure meant that we now had two of the three main heroes in their Hoth costumes, yet Luke Skywalker was still conspicuously absent from the trio, so most kids, myself included, just use the Rebel soldier as our stand-in Hoth Luke. Completing the quartet of Hoth action figures from 1981, we have Cliff from Cheers.
[00:30:04] Speaker 8: If you take your average whale's intestines and stretch them out, you're looking at three miles and change.
[00:30:12] Speaker 1: The Rebel commander has a very detailed face, and this figure is a great example of just how much Kenner's sculpting had improved over the previous few years. The action figure comes with a sling rifle, which is quite challenging to get into his hand, and his backpack is moulded into the torso, so there's little opportunity here to customise the figure like we did with our Rebel soldiers and survival kit backpacks. I must admit that I have a bit of a soft spot for the Rebel soldier and the Rebel commander, because they represent the army guys who are fighting on the front lines of this galactic war. 1981 would see the introduction of a fourth bounty hunter, Dengar, and this short, stocky character comes with a gigantic blaster, and he wears a dirty nappy on his head. Dengar also has his backpack sculpted straight into the torso. However, his pack is much larger than the Rebel commander's, which makes it much more difficult to have him sitting in a vehicle. Bounty hunters, we don't need that scum. Yes, sir. The Imperial commander was sold on a card back that featured a photograph of General Veers, despite the figure's uniform being completely the wrong colour. In fact, the black Imperial officer costume was actually seen more frequently in the original Star Wars film, yet I always felt the generic nature of this design meant he could stand in for any Imperial officer you wanted him to be. Returning to Cloud City, we get three more Bespin-themed characters. When I was a child, it seemed that no one ever wanted the Lobot action figure, with his bald head and questionable fashion choices. But later in life, I realised that I'd... kinda turned into Lobot. This action figure comes with the now-ubiquitous Bespin blaster, and the permanently attached computer interfaces sculpted into his head. Lobot's Cloud City co-worker, the Ugnaught, was also released in 1981, and this figure comes with a softgoods apron, which was produced in several different colours, and the most exciting accessory ever issued to a Star Wars action figure. Bespin Han Solo has one of the more notable cock-ups in the line, as Kenner chose to give him a Bespin blaster accessory, instead of his trademark DL-44 sidearm. But all is not lost. When I swap out Bespin Luke's yellow lightsaber for a blue one, it just looks wrong. I guess I've become so accustomed to seeing Luke with a yellow lightsaber, that my brain can't handle seeing him wield any other colour. Yet I don't have the same reaction when I swap out Bespin Han's blaster, and I think the figure looks much better when he's carrying his trusty DL-44. For the third and final year of Kenner's Empire Strikes Back run, the company offered up nine more action figures. Sensorscope R2-D2 was almost the same as the first release figure. However, this time the droid has a pop-up scope play feature, that was inspired by the scene on Hoth, where R2 scans for signs of a missing Luke Skywalker. Perhaps this is why Kenner didn't release Hoth Luke until 1982, because we didn't have the damn Sensorscope that we needed to find him.
[00:33:15] Speaker 8: Hey, Benny girl! Hey, what's the matter? Can you smell something?
[00:33:18] Speaker 1: When I finally got the Hoth Luke Skywalker figure in childhood, he was one of the most disappointing Kenner Star Wars figures I had received up to that point. The figure had a bizarre sideways lean, a gormless looking face, and he came with a laser rifle that he couldn't hold, and that he never used in the film. To make matters worse, Kenner failed to issue him with a lightsaber accessory, even though he has the most ideally sculpted saber grip in the range. This meant that the action figure of Hoth Han couldn't save Luke's life by slitting open the belly of the Tauntaun, but it wouldn't matter anyway. Because without a lightsaber, Luke never would have survived his encounter with the Wampa. The Imperial Commander figure didn't look anything like the General Viz that appeared on the cardback. The Attack Commander is directly copied from the uniform that this character was wearing when he took command of the lead Imperial Walker at the Battle of Hoth. Yet there isn't a photo of the actor on the cardback. We instead have an image of two Attats trundling across the snow. But this definitely is General Viz, and the figure was even called that on some very rare Canadian packaging. The Attack Commander was quite nicely sculpted. However, Kenner have again issued a figure with a Bespin Blaster, instead of what would have been a more accurate Imperial Blaster. Man, Kenner really had a hard-on for the Bespin Blaster during their Empire run. In 1982, we would finally be able to complete the set of the six Bounty Hunters, as Kenner released the last two characters, Forlom and Zuckus. The toy company infamously got the names of these characters mixed up, but none of us knew this until 1989, when the names were corrected in the West End Games' Galaxy Guide 3 book. This has now become a really annoying little bit of trivia, that Star Wars Know-It-All's love to flex and throw out every chance they get. Like those obnoxious fans that try to tell people there's both a correct and an incorrect way to pronounce Attat. I don't care if you say 80-80 or Attat or Imperial Walker. It just grinds my gears when these losers act like you're committing a cardinal sin, when you mention the incorrect name of an action figure that was released over 40 years ago.
[00:35:42] Speaker 5: His mama named him Klee. I'mma call him Klee. Mm-hmm. That's right.
[00:35:46] Speaker 1: Everyone called this figure Forlom for the first seven years of his existence, until it was changed by a book that most of these tryhards never actually f***ing read. So I have one thing to say to those idiots. They can all Zuck ass. Now that we've got that out of the way, we can at last turn our attention to these two excellent action figures. When you compare Forlom and Zuckus to some of the earlier Cantina aliens from 1979, you can see just how much better Kenner's figure designs were getting. The differences in sculpting, paintwork and accessories are so stark in contrast, it's almost hard to believe that these improvements were developed in just three short years.
[00:36:25] Speaker 4: There will be a substantial reward for the one who finds the Millennium Falcon.
[00:36:32] Speaker 1: Forlom has a newly tooled blaster rifle that was never issued to any other figure. And he comes with a scaled down and nicely tailored coat, as well as strap-on chest armor. Zuckus on the other hand has a really intricately detailed sculpt, and he comes with a unique weapon accessory that Kenner never again used in the line. Bolstering the ranks of your Imperial Army Builders, Kenner finally introduced the TIE Fighter pilot in 1982, and their addition to the range was long overdue, since these pilots first appeared in the 1977 Star Wars film. In fact, the TIE Fighter pilots make multiple appearances during the Death Star battle in the original movie. Yet despite several TIE Fighter ships being shown on screen in The Empire Strikes Back, the only pilot to make a cameo in the film appears in this blink and you'll miss it moment, when his body is flung from a downed TIE Fighter after it collides with an asteroid.
[00:37:24] Speaker 4: I'm going in closer to one of the big ones.
[00:37:26] Speaker 5: Closer? Closer!
[00:37:28] Speaker ?: No!
[00:37:29] Speaker 1: Kenner's Imperial TIE Fighter pilot has been sculpted with a stocky build and an overly wide stance, and he comes with a new weapon accessory that looks more like a cordless drill than a Star Wars blaster. The figure also struggles to hold this accessory, due to his hand being far too small to wrap around the pistol grip. This action figure has four tampo-printed Imperial symbols, with one positioned on each shoulder and two more on the helmet. And if you want to add a minty example of this character to your collection, you'll want to ensure these logos are intact. The final three figures to be added to Kenner's Empire Strikes Back range are all characters from Cloud City. Bespin's security guard B has a bit of a funky stance, but I am pleased with his inclusion here, as he adds some welcome diversity to the roster of background characters. Just like the original security guard released in 1980, this action figure has a gold trim painted onto his tunic, and this can easily rub off, so it's something to be cautious of when collecting loose examples. The Cloud Car pilot is way cooler than he has any right to be, given the fact that we never get a close-up look at these characters in the film. Rather touchy, aren't they? This action figure has a superb overall design, and he comes with two accessories, including a blaster and a comm link, and he can comfortably grip both of them. Kenner even sculpted his left arm with a deliberate bend at the elbow, so the figure can hold the comm link close to his mouth when he wants to send a message to Bespin. If you own the Cloud Car vehicle, you'll want to add two of these action figures to your collection, so you can fill both cockpit seats. And I recommend saving yourself some money by acquiring a second loose figure with no accessories, as that blasted comm link really drives up the price of these vintage figures, and you can't see the accessories when they're piloting the Cloud Car anyway. The concept of a C-3PO droid with removable limbs was a genius idea, that added a tremendous amount of play value to the figure.
[00:39:27] Speaker 5: Well, at least you're still in one piece. But what happened to me?
[00:39:32] Speaker 1: This is the version of 3PO that I owned in childhood, and when assembled, the figure looks identical to the original version. Yet each of his four limbs can be unplugged from the torso, and Chewie can carry him to safety with the included backpack accessory. The Empire Strikes Back range is my favourite subset of vintage Kenner Star Wars action figures. Not just because they're based on the best film in the original trilogy, but because the line went really deep, offering us multiple versions of the main heroes, as well as a fantastic cast of background characters and army builders. They're also vastly superior to the figures from the original movie, both in terms of design and playability.
[00:40:13] Speaker 7: Adventure. Excitement. Jedi craves not these things.
[00:40:19] Speaker 1: But children and toy collectors do, and Kenner's Empire Strikes Back line delivered that in spades.
[00:40:25] Speaker ?: Do.
[00:40:26] Speaker 7: Or do not. There is no try.
[00:40:30] Speaker 1: Following the double whammy of Star Wars and the Empire Strikes Back, Kenner wasn't just a toy company anymore. They were basically printing their own galactic currency. And with the third film in the trilogy set for release in 1983, the brand was virtually guaranteed at least a few more years of success in toy stores. Return of the Jedi promised us updated looks for the heroes we knew and loved, as well as more than two dozen brand new characters, ranging from legitimate cinematic icons, to background aliens with heads that look like sun-dried potatoes. When Kenner got to work on the Return of the Jedi line, they upped their game once again. We're talking next-level sculpting, enough soft goods to fill Lando's cape closet, and the revolutionary new feature of removable helmets. Kenner went deep into the cast list too. From Jabba's various sweaty goons to the ultimate army builders, they left almost no stone unturned. And if there was a weird alien under that stone, they gave the figure a stick and a name that was never uttered in the film. So join me as we take a look back at the action figures of Return of the Jedi.
[00:41:32] Speaker 3: Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.
[00:41:38] Speaker 1: When Kenner was preparing to launch the Return of the Jedi line, the company developed the largest wave of characters they had ever produced in a single year. A total of 17 exciting new action figures were released in 1983, although many of us were able to get early access to one of these characters, because Admiral Ackbar had been offered as a mail-away exclusive at the tail end of the Empire line. It's a trap! When this action figure was first offered on 48-back Empire Strikes Back cards in 1982, the third film in the Star Wars trilogy was called Revenge of the Jedi. This title was famously changed just a few months prior to the movie's release, because George Lucas insisted that a Jedi would never seek revenge, and I've always enjoyed tracking down Star Wars items that are printed with the original title of the film. Admiral Ackbar leads the Rebel fleet during the attack on the second Death Star, and his action figure is beautifully sculpted. I particularly like his wide commanding stance, as this posture expertly reflects his position at the top of the Rebellion's ranks. The one questionable aspect of this toy is his accessory, because it looks less like a command stick, and more like a sex toy. The initial waves of action figures for both previous movies made sure to include all three of the main heroes, but this wasn't the case with Return of the Jedi. Back in 1978, we received the classic examples of Luke, Han and Leia, and then for the Empire Strikes Back in 1980, we were offered Bespin Luke, Hoth Han and Bespin Leia. Yet for the first wave of Return of the Jedi figures, Kenner included versions of Luke and Leia, but Han Solo was nowhere to be seen. This was due to the cliffhanger ending of Empire, where Han Solo was frozen in carbonite and separated from his friends. His fate was uncertain, and it made for one of the bravest endings in blockbuster cinema history. So I doubt Lucasfilm wanted Kenner to spoil the final film in the trilogy, by having a new Han Solo action figure hanging from toy store pegs.
[00:43:31] Speaker 7: You will bring Captain Solo and the Wookiee to me.
[00:43:34] Speaker 1: It's the same reason why Yoda wasn't included in the first wave of Empire figures, nor was he featured in any of the trailers, because George Lucas wanted to maintain the surprise for audiences. But for the kids who saw Return of the Jedi in 1983, it was incredibly frustrating not being able to get your hands on a new Han Solo action figure until the following year. Yet the same thought process wasn't applied to the new action figure of Leia Organa, with her Buche bounty hunter disguise being spoiled by the unmasked figure displayed in the clear plastic bubble, and by having the princess's name printed directly onto the card back. This is one of the best costumes designed for Return of the Jedi, and if the Buche had remained a mysterious bounty hunter, instead of being Leia in disguise, I believe this character might have gone on to become just as popular as Boba Fett.
[00:44:18] Speaker 5: Hey, you're done. Because he's holding a thermal detonator.
[00:44:24] Speaker 1: I absolutely loved this action figure in childhood. Not just because of its awesome design, but because I was utterly fascinated by the removable helmet. And it's not like I hadn't played with this feature before. Some of the three and three quarter inch Action Force figures I owned also came with separate helmet accessories. Yet they were nowhere near as captivating as Princess Leia in Buche disguise. This was partly because the helmet and the face underneath were so well sculpted, but mainly because this feature seemed like such a radical step forward for Star Wars action figures. My six-year-old brain was literally blown by this play feature, and I can vividly recall sitting on the living room floor for hours and hours, just taking the helmet on and off the figure. When I started playing with Return of the Jedi action figures in 1983, I hadn't actually watched the movie. In fact, the only film I'd seen up to that point was Star Wars, because The Empire Strikes Back wasn't released on home video in the UK until the following year. Yet I still knew that these toys came from a galaxy far, far away. And I was well aware that this black-clad action figure with the fabric cloak was the newest version of Luke Skywalker. But I had no idea why he wore only one black glove. Was he trying to make a fashion statement? Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker has some of the most interesting variations of any character in the original Kenner toyline, because these differences affect the figure, the accessories, and the soft goods. The first action figure's release came packaged with a blue lightsaber, because the blade was originally going to be blue in the movie. However, the colour was switched to green during the film's post-production, after Lucas realised that the blue saber was completely washed out against the bright blue desert sky of Tatooine. And Kenner soon followed suit by reissuing the action figure, with a green accessory. To this day, I'm still amazed that the company even bothered to change the colour, since the Luke minifigure had gone through two whole movies with a yellow saber. The Jedi Luke action figure is armed with the blaster pistol that he commandeers in Jabba's palace by using the Force. And he also comes included with a soft goods cape. This accessory was produced in a number of different colours and fabrics, but the most notable variation is between the capes that came stitched together at the neck, and the rarer cloaks that were offered with metal snap enclosures.
[00:46:33] Speaker 4: It's your choice, but I warn you not to underestimate my power.
[00:46:37] Speaker 1: The vast majority of these Jedi Luke figures had a head that was made from brown plastic, with the skin tone of the face being painted on. Unfortunately, this led to countless action figures ending up with a dreaded nose rub. Yet the rarest variation of this figure was issued with the plastic of the head moulded in the skin colour, and the hair was painted on instead. And these moulded face Jedi Luke's have now become the most desirable variants of this hugely popular action figure. Dressed in a skiff guard disguise, this version of Lando Calrissian is armed with a vibro axe, and he is another Kenner figure to be offered with the new feature of a removable helmet. The cool thing about the design of this accessory is that it doesn't completely cover Lando's head, with the eyes still being visible and the character is wearing the helmet. Joining the Tatooine-based cast in 1983, Kenner offered up no less than six new villains. With so many of Jabba's goons being included in the first wave of Return of the Jedi action figures, it's quite clear that the toy designers were having a lot of fun creating these characters in the three and three-quarter inch scale. The figure with the most screen time in the movie was Jabba the Hutt's chief aide, Bib Fortuna, and he came with a Battlestaff accessory and an intricately designed soft goods robe.
[00:47:48] Speaker 5: Nay Jabba, no bother.
[00:47:51] Speaker 1: The first new characters we see in the Crime Lord's Palace are the Gamorrean Guards. These large pig-faced aliens are like the Star Wars version of Barbarian Warriors, and the carded figures were issued with a miniature axe accessory. What's notable here is that the axe was moulded in silver plastic to match the colour of the blade, yet the handle was painted brown to make it appear wooden, and it was quite uncommon for Kenner to add painted details to the accessories in this line. Weequay and Klaatu represent background Tatooine henchmen, and both of them are equipped with the same accessory that came with Skiffguard Lando. These generic figures are extremely common, making complete examples quite easy to find today, even with Klaatu's fabric loincloth being a separate accessory. The name of the Ri-Yi's character is a partial anagram of three eyes, for obvious reasons, and his weapon accessory could very well be an original Kenner design, since I've never been able to find a reference photo from the film. Whilst researching this video, I realised that I made a mistake when I wrote the script for the Empire Strikes Back episode of this series, because in that feature I stated that the only two vintage Star Wars figures to come with four accessories were Yoda and Endor Leia. Yet I'd failed to identify that Squidhead was also issued with four separate items, including his blaster pistol, a cloak, a fabric skirt, and a belt. This character has a wonderfully sculpted head and face, and in my opinion, he remains the best Tatooine alien action figure released in 1983. While most of the characters we've discussed so far were inspired by the film's opening scenes in Jabba's Palace, Kenner did ensure that the Rebels and the Empire were both represented in the first wave of Return of the Jedi action figures. General Maydean takes the prize as the most common and easily found character from this line, and while he may have been a big deal for the Alliance, he sure makes for a really boring action figure. Yet if you've ever wondered why this character sports a horrendous fake beard in the film, well it's because actor Dermot Crowley turned up on set clean shaven. But Kenner had already finalised their designs and started mass production on the General Maydean action figure, sculpting the character with grey facial hair. So legendary make-up artist Stuart Freeborn hastily constructed a fake beard that was stuck onto Crowley's face for the remainder of filming. General Solo, is your strike team assembled? The Rebel Commando represents one of the many ground troops that fought during the Battle of Endor, and while everyone loves a good army builder, this particular action figure is a letdown on several levels. Firstly, the character comes with a really nicely sculpted blaster rifle, but Kenner made the handle of this weapon so damn large, that the figure can only hold it at a goofy angle. And I thought it was supposed to be the Stormtroopers that couldn't shoot straight. Also, the Rebel Commando scene in the film wear camouflage uniforms, while the action figure is dressed in plain green. And some fans have suggested that this was because Kenner's ability to paint figures in 1983 was quite limited. But I'm calling BS on that theory, considering that Palatoy's Action Force Z-Force troops were being released at the same time, and they all came with a fantastic tampo-printed camouflage pattern. While only two Imperial characters were released in 1983, I'm pleased to say that they were both army builders. The Biker Scout was a fantastic addition to the white-armoured ranks of the Imperial forces, and the action figure looks truly excellent. Until you want to have them riding their speeder bikes. Due to the inherent limitations of Kenner's 5 POA design, the Biker Scouts cannot bend their knees, so rather than straddling the bikes like they do in the movies, these figures are forced to sit on their butts atop the saddles. The Emperor's Royal Guard is one of the most simple yet striking costumes of any character in the original trilogy, and the designers did an amazing job when creating this action figure. Kenner gave the guards two layers of fabric clothing, with the inner robe being mostly hidden by the outer cloak. And I'm really pleased that the company was introducing more and more soft goods by this point, because the thought of this character being issued with a vinyl cape is just too ugly to bear. Now we get to everyone's favourite new race of Star Wars characters. The Ewoks. Kenner deliberately blacked out the images of the first two action figures on their marketing material in 1983. We were told that this was done to maintain the element of surprise, and to avoid having the third film spoiled. But it also could have been a very clever ploy by Kenner, because these furry little teddy bears became the most contentious aspect of the final movie in the original trilogy. This wave included both Chief Chirper and the medicine man Logre. Yet it's surprising that Kenner didn't come out of the gate with Wicket, since he was the most prominent Ewok character in the film. Chief Chirper comes with a battle staff and a PVC rubber hood, while Logre was issued with a shaman staff, a satchel of sorts, and removable headdress. Even though I'm not a fan of the Ewoks, I must commend Kenner's sculpting, because the texture of their fur is infinitely superior to the company's earlier efforts, which really makes me wish they'd upgraded the 1978 version of Chewbacca at some point. The 17th and final character to be produced for the first wave was omitted from a lot of Kenner's initial marketing material, and while he was released on a card back in 1983, Nine Numb actually started his action figure life as another mail-away offering. This alien was the co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon during the attack on the second Death Star, and it's a real shame that he wouldn't be joined by the General Calrissian action figure for another two years. For the second wave of toys to be released in 1984, Kenner offered up 14 more carded figures, and three other characters that came packaged together. The new version of Han Solo has the best Harrison Ford face sculpt to date, and he comes with the camouflage trench coat that the character was wearing when the Rebel Strike team first arrived on the forest moon of Endor. Even though the plastic action figure has no major variations, there are two distinctly different trench coats available in the line, with one sporting a plain collar, while the other collar has the same camouflage material as the rest of the coat.
[00:53:45] Speaker 9: Hey, it's me.
[00:53:47] Speaker 1: The Endor version of Princess Leia was also released in 1984, and she came with a combat poncho, a belt, a tiny blaster pistol, and another removable helmet. Pruneface is also dressed for an excursion on the forest moon, even though the character never appears on the surface of Endor during the film. In fact, Pruneface appears so briefly in Return of the Jedi, that most of the kids I knew in childhood just assumed that he was another one of Jabba's goons, and who can blame them? This character came with a softgoods robe, a rifle accessory, and a face so wrinkled that I always thought he was Wee Kwe's cousin. Let us now return to Tatooine, because Kenna wasn't yet done creating characters from the desert planet. Nikto is another example of the many henchmen produced for this line, and in the movie Sarlacc Pit scene, he travels aboard the second skiff. On the other hand, the skiff guard version of Klaatu is stationed on Jabba's sail barge, and this figure's costume is significantly different to the one released in 1983. It's worth noting that Kenna decided to give this character an alternate version, because while we had received the three main heroes in multiple costumes, this is the first time that a background character was afforded such treatment. Back at the Crime Lord's Palace, 8D8 can be seen torturing another droid, and this action figure is wonderfully sculpted. I particularly enjoy the multi-piston design of his legs, and after receiving so many alien characters from Tatooine, it was really nice to finally be able to add a new droid to our collections. Long before George Lucas ruined the original Star Wars movies with his special edition re-releases, the band playing in Jabba's Palace only had three members. These action figures are notable for being the only characters in the Kenna toyline to never be sold individually, as they were only made available in this three-pack set. The lead singer, Cy Snootles, comes with a microphone stand, as does the flute player, Droopy McCool, but collectors should note the distinct differences between these two accessories. Rounding out the trio of band members, we have Max Rebo, who sits inside his scaled-down organ, and it can be extremely difficult to find nice blue examples of this action figure, because they are more prone to plastic fading than any other character in the entire range. The final cast member from Jabba's Palace to appear in the Return of the Jedi toyline is the Rancor Keeper, a fat bald dude with a rubber hood and another damn stick accessory. While you can certainly collect multiples of characters like the Gamorrean Guard, the best army builders always came from the Rebellion and the Empire. On the Alliance side, we have the B-Wing pilot, and it didn't really matter whether you owned the actual B-Wing toy or not, because this figure made for an excellent generic pilot, who could be used with any of your vintage starships. Then, to bolster your Imperial ranks, Ken also created the AT-ST driver, and he was a very welcome addition to the range, since the Scout Walker had been available in toy stores since 1982. Despite his quite understated uniform, I loved the design of this action figure. The sculptors poured so much detail into this character, that you can see all the folds and creases in his clothing, and this level of quality is light years ahead of what was available during the early days of this toyline. To help you take down these Imperial walkers, Kenner offered up four more Ewoks in 1984. Tebow was one of the bravest warriors in his tribe, and his appearance is actually quite frightening, with him wielding a stone axe and wearing a half-skull helmet. On the other hand, Wicket is the smallest of all the Ewoks, but despite his size, Kenner was still able to make a very screen-accurate action figure. Released at the tail end of 1984, we also have Paplu and Lumat, and these figures were first made available on Return of the Jedi cardbacks. This now brings us to the final action figure to ever be released on a Return of the Jedi cardback, and it's the biggest bad guy in the galaxy. The Emperor was another character to first be offered as a mail-away exclusive, and he came included with a walking cane accessory. An excellent little detail is the application of yellow paint around his eyes. Yet given Kenner's proclivity for using soft goods, I've always hated that this figure didn't come with a fabric robe.
[00:58:02] Speaker 3: Your hate has made you powerful.
[00:58:04] Speaker 1: By the time the Emperor was released in 1984, the long-lasting popularity of the Star Wars toyline was starting to wane. And even though the action figures of Return of the Jedi were the most technically advanced to date, the line was let down by the movie being the weakest entry in the original trilogy saga. There were just far too many Ewoks and Tatooine aliens for my liking. Yet while the third film marked the end of the Star Wars cinematic era for the foreseeable future, Kenner's golden run wasn't quite finished yet. If you enjoy the content that we create here at Analog Toys, why not consider supporting us further by becoming a YouTube channel member? You can become an Analog Toys member by clicking the join button on any desktop or mobile device whenever you're watching YouTube. And depending on the tier you choose, you can get access to a number of different perks, including membership badges, early access to all of our feature videos, exclusive members-only content and video messages, sneak peeks at some of our upcoming features, and top-tier members will even receive a producer's credit at the end of all of our fully-produced Analog Toys videos. We have big plans for the future of this channel with lots of exciting videos in the works. So join the Analog Toys army today. From the sheer awesomeness of the Imperial Gunner to the frustrating fragility of EV-99, the insane rarity of Yak Face, and the mind-blowing sculpting of a Man-O-Man, Kenner's final wave of Star Wars action figures remain the crown jewels of many a vintage toy collection. While there were technically only 15 new figures released on Power of the Force-branded card backs in 1985, the collecting community has infamously named this range of characters as the last 17, because two of the Ewoks were produced so limitedly on Return of the Jedi packaging that few people realised they were actually first issued at the tail end of 1984. According to many vintage enthusiasts, these last 17 action figures represent the pinnacle of the Kenner Star Wars toyline, and due to late-run distribution and a waning retail interest, these characters are far more difficult to find on the second-hand market than the other 17-iron action figures that came before them. The Power of the Force wave marked the bittersweet end of the vintage Star Wars era, as most kids in 1985 were moving on to newer toy franchises, and over the past four decades, the last 17 have gone from clearance-wrapped dust collectors to the absolute holy grails of the line. Yet despite their staggering current market prices, it's a series of questionable character choices that ultimately defines this legendary final run. Some of these decisions can leave fans with an underwhelming sense of satisfaction when they finally collect them all, while others remain steadfast in their opinion that the Power of the Force wave represents the greatest range of figures ever produced by Kenner. So whether you're a seasoned vintage toy collector or simply a Padawan, grab your wallet and a box of tissues as we take a deep dive into the history of the notorious Last 17.
[01:01:01] Speaker 5: Jabba, I'll pay you a trip. You're throwing away a fortune here. Don't be a fool!
[01:01:07] Speaker 1: When Lucasfilm produced the original trilogy of Star Wars films, there was exactly three years between each cinematic release. And until Return of the Jedi, Kenner never had a problem keeping kids interested in the toys during these long intermissions. The action figures, play sets, and vehicles continued flying off the shelves from 1978 right through to 1984. Yet with George Lucas announcing that he didn't plan on making any more Star Wars movies for the foreseeable future, interest in the globally successful toy line began declining. However, Kenner wasn't quite ready to give up on their biggest cash cow, so they revamped the action figure packaging design for 1985. Where the previously released cardbacks all sported the film's title depending on the year of release. So Star Wars branded cards from 78 to 79, Empire cards from 80 to 82, and Jedi cardbacks from 83 to 84. Kenner gathered all the figures under a new unifying Power of the Force brand in 1985. But that wasn't the only new addition to the final wave of carded figures.
[01:02:08] Speaker 7: Coming from the farthest reaches of space are the most awe-inspiring, the most desired gifts of the galaxies. They are the Star Wars collector's coins. Every Star Wars action figure comes with one.
[01:02:22] Speaker 1: These collector coins were designed to make the figures feel more premium, and they featured an embossed image of the character on one side with a brief write-up on the other. But while some older children may have enjoyed the inclusion of these coins, they certainly weren't anything that I was interested in. And the coin thing,
[01:02:37] Speaker 9: I was really pedantic about the cardbacks. Like once they switched to that Power of the Force, it just kind of like in a different way, but kind of like when you saw Action Force International Heroes and you thought it was a totally new line, it felt like a different line. So I really wasn't interested in it by then.
[01:02:57] Speaker 1: I mean, what are they really good for outside of a Han Solo roleplay accessory?
[01:03:02] Speaker 4: Sorry about the mess.
[01:03:04] Speaker 1: The two figures to appear briefly on Return of the Jedi-branded cardbacks were Paplu and Lumat, and their introduction brought the number of Ewoks in the line to an unnecessary total of six. Yet the four Ewoks we had already been offered were a more than adequate grouping of feral teddy bears, and the addition of other army builder characters, such as the Rebel Fleet Trooper and the R4 M9 droid, would have been a much better choice for inclusion in this final wave of Star Wars action figures. I will give props to Lumat though, since he was the first Ewok to come included with an archery weapon, instead of another damn stick accessory. Now, Paplu and Lumat weren't the only Power of the Force action figures to first be made available in 1984, as the Ghost of Anakin Skywalker was offered as a mail-away exclusive on several Return of the Jedi cardbacks.
[01:03:48] Speaker 6: I sent away for Anakin mail-away before he was ever a Last 17, but Kenner never sent him to us. So, yeah.
[01:03:56] Speaker 1: Thanks, Kenner. I thought you really cared. Yeah, right. While I have no issue with this figure as a mail-order freebie, I'm astonished that Kenner decided to push this character out on a Power of the Force card back in 1985, and in the process, they completely wasted a sculptor's talent on another worthless coin. At this point in the timeline, we had only received a single Darth Vader action figure, and that version of Anakin was created long before the character was finally unmasked in Return of the Jedi. This remains one of the most dramatic jaw-dropping scenes in the whole film, making every Star Wars fan throughout the globe desperate to get their hands on a Darth Vader figure with a removable helmet in 1983. That tied with a removable helmet Vader.
[01:04:38] Speaker 6: Mmm.
[01:04:38] Speaker 9: I don't... Maybe... Maybe that one, if I was really pressed, let's go with the Vader, the removable helmet Vader.
[01:04:46] Speaker 1: But Kenner didn't make one. Instead, they gave us an old man in a flippin' dressing gown. And it's not like they weren't capable of making an upgraded Darth Vader figure. They proved as much when they introduced Luke Skywalker in Stormtrooper disguise. So if I had the choice between a character that helped me recreate this scene in my play's scenarios, or an action figure of a ghost who has since been deleted from Lucasfilm's memory, I'm going to pick a removable helmet Darth Vader every damn time.
[01:05:11] Speaker ?: You were right about me.
[01:05:13] Speaker 1: Aside from the aforementioned Luke in Stormtrooper disguise, all the other figures from the last 17 were inspired by Return of the Jedi, with no less than six of them being characters that first appeared during the opening scenes on Tatooine. Jabba's torture droid EV-99 has feminine programming, technically making her the only other female character to appear in the toy line alongside Princess Leia. This tall, spindly action figure is so fragile that very few of them have survived intact, making Minty Loose examples extremely pricey when they turn up on the secondary market. The EV-99 action figure also comes with a very unique but ultimately pointless feature, where you can manipulate the lower jaw by operating a spring-loaded lever positioned at the back of the head.
[01:06:00] Speaker 5: This protocol droid might be useful.
[01:06:02] Speaker 1: This level of detail is one of the reasons that many fans claim that the last 17 is the absolute pinnacle of the Kenner Star Wars toy line. But with the company also producing such cop-outs as Anakin Skywalker, who doesn't even have usable hands, their claims are suspect at best. A Man-A-Man is a large alien creature that only appears briefly in the background of Jabba's Palace, and the production crew working on Return of the Jedi nicknamed the puppet the Banana Slug. Yet despite his blink-and-you'll-miss-it screen time, Kenner clearly poured a wealth of time and effort into the design of this toy.
[01:06:35] Speaker 9: Weird enough that he can cross over like with other toy lines too. You know, he could be an alien from anything, kind of.
[01:06:43] Speaker 1: The giant Banana Slug towers over most of the other action figures in the line, and with his elongated arms, impeccable sculpting and detailed accessory, A Man-A-Man is one of the truly unique highlights of the last 17. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the next goon. Barada is another in a long line of stick-wielding skiff guards. And again, while many people claim that the Power of the Force range features the best sculpting in the entire Kenner line, you can easily see that this figure is a step backwards in that department when he's displayed next to Klaatu and Nikto. Just look at the lack of texture on his pants. It's nowhere near as detailed as the sculpting of the AT-ST driver from the previous year.
[01:07:21] Speaker 9: Oh, and one last gripe. Michael ruined. Not that Barada was a great figure, but now it's all I hear is, it's Barada. Every time I hear that name, that's, it's, it's Barada. He's Barada.
[01:07:36] Speaker 1: At least his introduction did finally allow us to complete this trio of characters, whose names were inspired by an iconic phrase from the 1951 sci-fi film, The Day the Earth Stood Still. The words Klaatu, Barada, Nikto were used to command the robot Gort to stop destroying humanity. And today, the phrase has become an often cited pop culture reference.
[01:07:55] Speaker 5: Klaatu, Barada, let's have a run.
[01:08:01] Speaker 1: Intended to be the 93rd figure in a line that stopped at 92, the next character never ended up being sold in American toy stores. Yak Face is now one of the rarest action figures in the vintage Kenner range, because he was only available in Canada, Australia, and parts of Europe, and he therefore had a much lower production run. Brian Stevenson here says Yak Face is crazy. Yeah, Yak Face is a crazy price. What the what? In Canada, the Yak Face figure was sold on a bilingual Power of the Force card back, and the action figure came packaged with a collector's coin and a battle staff accessory. However, when this figure was released on a tri-logo card in the United Kingdom and Europe, no accessory was included in the bubble. It remains a mystery as to why Yak Face was never sold in the United States, especially since he did appear in Kenner's 1985 pre-Toy Fair catalogue. And this begs the question, since Paplu and Lumat were first released on Return of the Jedi cards, technically making the infamous last 17 actually only 15, does Yak Face's lack of an American release now make it the last 14?
[01:09:05] Speaker 6: Real pedantic people will be like, ah, technically, they're not, it's not the last 17, it's the last 15. And it's like, well, most of us didn't see those Ewoks until they were on Power of the Force cards. So that's why they're roped in.
[01:09:18] Speaker 1: Further compounding the confusion is the fact that Palletoy's 1985 British trade catalogue also only featured 14 new figures. Yet it wasn't Yak Face that was missing. This time it was EV99 who'd gone AWOL. So whether it's the last 17 or 15 or 14, it really doesn't matter to me. But that doesn't stop the Star Wars psychos from raging at me in the comments section every few months, demanding that I be the bigger man and start the trend of calling it the last 15.
[01:09:45] Speaker 5: What are we on the playground here, huh?
[01:09:47] Speaker 1: Hey num nuts, I wasn't the one that coined the phrase the last 17. It's a commonly used term in vintage toy collecting circles and it was Paplu and Lumat who came out on Jedi cards, not Warrock and Lumat. So how about you direct your fire at the anti-repro diehards who are so dedicated to action figure authenticity that they can't even get the details correct when they come up with the names for groupings of certain figures. These are the same wing nuts that try to tell people that there's both a correct and an incorrect way to pronounce at-at. It's a pointless argument and I'm not going to waste any more oxygen on it. So let's take a look at Han Solo in Carbonite Chamber.
[01:10:21] Speaker 6: And then she put her hands around my neck and started to choke me and everybody, you know, that it's like, is that even possible with this guy?
[01:10:29] Speaker 1: This figure has a neck so thick he looks like a circus strong man from the shoulders up. But it was at least nice to finally get a carbonite block that was accurately scaled. The version that came included with Boba Fett's Slave 1 toy was shorter than the character that was supposedly frozen inside. So the fact that you could place your Han Solo action figure within the confines of this new carbonite chamber was a very welcome upgrade.
[01:10:52] Speaker 6: Carbonite Han Solo without the carbonite is like Ken without Barbie. He's just not Ken up.
[01:10:58] Speaker 5: See you on the Malibu beach!
[01:11:02] Speaker 1: The final power of the Force figure to first appear on Tatooine was the toyline's third version of R2-D2. This new edition of R2 has a feature that was inspired by the exciting Sarlacc Pit scene in Return of the Jedi where the droid fires Luke's lightsaber into the air and ultimately turns the tables on the evil crime lord Jabba the Hutt. However, due to Kenna's safety concerns regarding small firing projectiles a lesson that they learned back in 1979 when developing the rocket firing Boba Fett figure the pop-up lightsaber rises slowly out of R2's dome rather than shooting out with the use of a spring-loaded feature. Due to this droid's easily damaged sticker and vac-metal chroming mint examples are very hard to come by making this one of the most expensive action figures in the entire range.
[01:11:46] Speaker 6: Oh my god!
[01:11:48] Speaker ?: Oh my god!
[01:11:52] Speaker 1: As with most previous waves of Star Wars action figures Kenna made sure to include some representation from both the Alliance and the Empire. There isn't much to say about the A-Wing pilot other than the fact that he or possibly she made for another awesome Rebel army builder. The action figure comes with that tiny Endor Leia blaster but this time around the accessory is moulded in black plastic instead of the blue-grey versions that were issued to the Jedi-branded figures. Sadly, this pilot was left with nothing to fly in the Power of the Force range because the A-Wing vehicle was relegated to the droid's toyline. The third version of Lando Calrissian sees the figure wearing his Rebel General's uniform complete with a fabric cape and he is armed with a Jabba's Palace blaster that he never uses in the film. I mean, if that's supposed to be the same weapon that Luke wields on Tatooine then I'd love to know where he shoved the rest of that barrel. General Lando is another standout figure from the Power of the Force range even if the colour of his uniform does differ dramatically from the costume worn in the movie. Yet if you do want a Lando Calrissian with a more screen-accurate look then I highly recommend tracking down the custom version from Stan Solo Creations.
[01:12:59] Speaker 8: Would you get going you pirate?
[01:13:01] Speaker 1: The two Imperial figures in this wave land at completely opposite ends of the Cornus Rainbow. We have the Imperial Dignitary and the Imperial Gunner and I'll let you decide which position each of them occupies on that spectrum. The Gunner is my absolute favourite figure from the last 17 and he looks positively killer with his visored helmet and the Imperial emblems printed on either shoulder. He also represents another army builder that you can use to fill out the ranks of your toy empire and we can never get enough of those. On the other hand the Imperial Dignitary takes the grand prize as the lamest Star Wars action figure ever created.
[01:13:36] Speaker 3: From a certain point of view.
[01:13:38] Speaker 1: While this line was certainly not without its background characters that had little more than a few seconds of screen time as an action figure the Imperial Dignitary is nowhere near as fun as other entries such as a Man-A-Man or Yak Face. Yet the greatest crime that this figure commits is its occupation within a line of 92 other characters that ended with some mind-blowing omissions.
[01:13:59] Speaker 6: He's all original sculpting too so like they wasted a whole figure on him. He can't even hold anything. He doesn't come with anything. Like see like that right there that's a slot where you go no Tarkin no Uncle Owen no Wedge Antilles. I mean like anything anything would improve your lineup's position than that guy. Squidhead's cousin? Like anybody.
[01:14:27] Speaker 1: No Slave Leia no Tarkin no Rebel Fleet Trooper. Hell Mon Mothma would have been a vastly superior figure choice over the pompous Purple Pensioner. Anyone who claims that they absolutely love playing with the Imperial Dignitary in childhood is either lying to themselves or they've got rocks in their head. This cancer patient from a galaxy far far away is about as toyetic as a toothache. He has a pair of useless hands that can't hold any accessories a skirt moulded permanently into his legs when several other figures in the range have been issued soft goods by this point and a grey wrinkled face that makes modern day Tommy Lee Jones look positively handsome. The Imperial Dignitary is the single gaudy skid mark that taints the rich legacy of the original Kenner Star Wars toy line and no one can convince me otherwise.
[01:15:12] Speaker 9: I'm Luke Skywalker I'm here to rescue you.
[01:15:15] Speaker 5: You're who?
[01:15:16] Speaker 1: Luke Skywalker in Stormtrooper disguise is the only Last 17 action figure that did not appear in Return of the Jedi and his inclusion here is a really inspired choice. This is one of the few Power of the Force characters that I played with in childhood and I still remember being fascinated by him even if it was the figure's concept that actually trumped Kenner's execution.
[01:15:35] Speaker 3: You're too short for a Stormtrooper. Huh? Oh, the uniform.
[01:15:40] Speaker 1: While the removable helmet feature was really cool Kenner was forced to shrink down Luke's head to allow it to fit inside the accessory. Yet he did at least afford us the opportunity to have him serve as an extra Stormtrooper and one who came with the added bonus of actually being able to turn his head. However, the introduction of this action figure in 1985 made another gaping hole in the Kenner line even bigger because they never produced a Han Solo in Stormtrooper uniform. Perhaps they were going to bring the white armored smuggler into the range in 1986 but the cancellation of the line would have halted any such plans. Fortunately, this immense wrong was finally righted some 32 years later when Chris Smith introduced the world to his first ever factory-made custom Star Wars figure. His version of Han Solo in Stormtrooper disguise was a perfect replication of Kenner's design aesthetic and production quality. And while it's not a legitimate vintage action figure, my personal collection would never again feel complete if I ever parted with him.
[01:16:36] Speaker 2: Everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here. Now, thank you. How are you?
[01:16:42] Speaker 1: More commonly referred to as Endor Luke, Kenner named this figure Luke Skywalker in Battle Poncho and here Luke is dressed in the outfit that he wore when he first landed on the forest moon. The only weapon that Luke employs on Endor is his green lightsaber. Yet Kenner didn't issue the signature accessory with this action figure and this decision still has me scratching my head some four decades later.
[01:17:03] Speaker 9: I'm endangering the mission. I shouldn't have come.
[01:17:05] Speaker 1: The Softgoods Poncho is a nice accessory and Luke comes with a removable belt similar to the one that came with Endor Leia in 1984. The difference is that Leia's blaster can actually fit in a holster but Kenner opted to give Luke the massive Jabba's Palace blaster that's far too large to be holstered and it's a weapon that he never uses on Endor. So now we have two new action figures in the Power of the Force line that were both issued with the incorrect blaster. But you know who does use the Jabba's Palace blaster in the movie? Han Free in Solo and this figure has a hand that is perfectly suited to wielding that weapon. While Luke Force grabs one of these blasters in Jabba's Palace he never actually fires it but you know what Han Solo does?
[01:17:46] Speaker 5: It's alright I can see a lot better. Come on! A little higher! Just a little higher! Chewie! Pulsar!
[01:17:54] Speaker 1: So if you give Lando's blaster to Han take the A-Wing pilot's weapon and issue it to General Calrissian and then swap out Luke's accessory with the green Jedi saber you end up with a trio of action figures that are far more screen accurate than their original versions. It's unforgivable that Kenner had a green lightsaber in their inventory but they failed to issue it to Luke Skywalker in Battle Poncho. Yet that isn't the worst crime committed by this figure. When Endor Leia was released in 1984 she came with a removable helmet. But you know what's missing from this Luke? I'm sure some of you will be furiously typing away in the comments section now saying that Luke's non-removable helmet never bothered you. And I might be able to let it slide as well if Kenner had produced a Death Star jewel Luke Skywalker. But they didn't. And before you suggest simply removing the cloak from the Jedi Knight figure and using that for the final duel scenes the outfit that Luke wore underneath the cape is correct to the way he appeared at the Sarlacc pit but it's not accurate to what he wore on the Death Star. Endor Luke is the only figure in the line that has the trilogy's main hero wearing the correct costume from the final battle of the series. And he stands there all goofy looking with that big dumb helmet permanently stuck on his head. This frustration has inspired some collectors to take matters into their own hands. And I'd like to thank my friend Michael Schaefer for educating me on how to take the body of an Endor Luke figure and use the boil and pop technique to swap out the figure's head with the Jedi Knight version. And the end result looks absolutely incredible. I'm a Jedi
[01:19:28] Speaker 5: like my father before me.
[01:19:31] Speaker 1: This leaves us with the final two Kenistar Wars action figures to ever be released in the vintage line. Warrock and Rhomba. And before any of you step on a rake in the comments section and start mentioning the droids or Ewoks cartoon lines my collection has always been focused on the action figures that actually appeared in the movies. And let's be honest who gives a toss about Uncle Gundy? Now to anyone who thinks that this video series is cheating them by not also featuring the action figures from the droids and Ewoks cartoons I have neither the time the inclination nor the bank balance to collect all those characters and make videos about them. So instead of complaining how about you get to work? And I'll look forward to watching your videos covering this subject.
[01:20:10] Speaker 7: Dynamic graphic front. Action story back. Over 60 different coins in the collection. But the best is each and every Star Wars action figure comes with one. Every figure? Look for the Star Wars collector's coins in your neighbourhood.
[01:20:25] Speaker 1: Warrock and Romba were the last two characters that I needed to finish off my original vintage action figure collection. Yet the price he's being commanded for these little fur nuggets is absolutely insane. This is where we start. What?
[01:20:40] Speaker ?: Unbelievable.
[01:20:42] Speaker 1: This also brings the total number of Ewoks in the vintage Ken of Star Wars line to eight. Now while the Empire also had eight army builder characters it's important to remember that these figures were spread out across all three films. Yet the Ewoks all appeared in the same damn movie and they are my least favourite characters from the original trilogy. Romba is issued with a spear and a separate PVC hood while Warrock also comes with a hood accessory as well as a bow and a quiver full of arrows. And while they are both well detailed and nicely sculpted they're still flippant Ewoks.
[01:21:13] Speaker 9: Even when I got Warrock Warrock it was he was the hardest or she I don't even know the gender don't want to misgender the murder bear was the hardest was the hardest one for me to find as well. So that's that's insane pricing though.
[01:21:29] Speaker 1: When you consider that I paid $80 for Warrock's quiver alone the financial punishment that I've put myself through to complete this line left me with an immense feeling of disappointment when I finally collected them all. Pursuing the vintage Star Wars action figure run has been an almost 40 year long journey for me. I absolutely love this toy range and it easily sits within the top 5 of my favourite lines to collect today. So I should have felt truly excited when the final figure eventually arrived in the mail. But because that last figure was also my 8th damned Ewok and not something vastly superior such as a final jewel look Skywalker I closed this chapter of my collecting history with a colossal sense of irritation. So take my advice if you're trying to complete the last 17 then either don't leave the Ewoks till last or just skip them entirely. I know that can often be a hard thing for us collectors to do because the main driving force behind our hobby is that incredible desire to complete collections. Yet when I had to pay over $200 for the action figure of a dwarf dressed in a teddy bear costume I realised it was about time I started rethinking some of my life choices. But murder bears aside do the rest of these action figures truly represent a quality capstone to the original Kenner toyline? Well if you ask me a true leap forward in terms of playability would have been improved articulation in lieu of useless collector coins. I mean do you
[01:22:49] Speaker 9: think it was a way to get people to want to rebuy figures they already had? I can't even understand the logic. That's the only thing I can think of oh they'll rebuy something they had because they want the coin.
[01:23:02] Speaker 1: When I say improved articulation I'm not for one minute suggesting that Kenner should have broken the traditional aesthetic of the line by producing the figures in the G.I. Joe O-ring construction style. That would have been positively jarring. Yet introducing pinned bendable knees like the company had done when they developed the Adventures of Indiana Jones range three years earlier. This would have added a massive amount of play value to the figures without disrupting the classic styling that Kenner had firmly established back in 1978. Just imagine how cool it would have been to own action figures that could properly straddle a speeder bike. But instead of that type of toyetic innovation we got crappy coins, purple pensioners, perma-helmet Luke and more gorilla gummy bears than anyone asked for. Instead of going out with a knee-bending bang, the Power of the Force range drove Kenner's legendary toyline into extinction. Their fire had gone out of existence. And you, my friends, are all that's left of their religion. So an almost lifelong collecting goal has finally been ticked off the bucket list. I have now conquered a quest that Kenner had set me on over four decades ago when I first read the words collect them all. And just as every saga has an end, the collection is now complete.
[01:24:19] Speaker 5: It's Darth Vader, watch out! And he's got a lightsaber!
[01:24:24] Speaker 4: It's Kenner's Star Wars action figures, each sold separately.
[01:24:27] Speaker 5: I got you now, Ben Kenobi!
[01:24:30] Speaker 4: With R2-D2 and C-3PO, there's even Chewbacca and Han Solo.
[01:24:35] Speaker 5: Someone's coming, Chewie. Who's there? It's Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker! Now I know the Force is with us.
[01:24:42] Speaker 4: Darth Vader, R2-D2, C-3PO, and other Kenner's Star Wars action figures, each sold separately.