Kenner’s Original Star Wars Toy Line

A Look Back at the 1970s/1980s Toyline from a Galaxy Far, Far Away

George Lucas’s Star Wars changed the landscape of cinema and pop culture, the movie licensing industry, and the toy industry as a whole, leading to arguably the most successful toy franchise in history when you factor in such elements as longevity, sales revenue, cultural impact, and lasting collector interest in the secondary market. 

And it all started with the original 3 ¾-inch Star Wars action figures that allowed children to continue the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Chewbacca, the droids, and their fight against Darth Vader and the evil galactic Empire. 

Which Toy Company Won the Rights to Make Star Wars Toys?

In 1947, three brothers — Cincinnati, Ohio natives Albert, Phillip, and Joseph L. Steiner — founded Kenner Products. Initially, this family-owned business carved its niche by creating soap and soda fountain products, but it wasn't long before their focus pivoted towards the more lucrative business of toys. The company gained significant attention and success in the 1950s with the release of popular toys like the Bubbl-Matic Gun and the Easy-Bake Oven, marking the beginning of its journey as the toy industry innovator most known as Kenner. While the company would later be rebranded, reconstituted, and bought and traded among bigger companies like General Mills, Tonka, and eventually its current parent company Hasbro (in 1991), Kenner would go on  — beyond its iconic Star Wars line —to also produce popular action figure lines like DC Comics’s Super Powers Collection, The Real Ghostbusters toy line, M.A.S.K., and many intellectual property tie-in toy lines.

Star Wars Toys Change the Toy Universe

Before the cinematic and cultural phenomenon Star Wars debuted, merchandising rights to films — the science fiction genre in particular — weren’t viewed as a desirable financial undertaking. Licensing was known as high risk with little reward. George Lucas — creator and director of Star Wars — thought otherwise. During his contract discussions with 20th Century Fox Studios to produce and distribute his space opera, Lucas decided to use merchandising and sequel rights as leverage points in his negotiations. Fox didn’t give those contractual requests a second thought because merchandising and sequel rights weren’t thought to be lucrative considerations. It ended up costing the studio billions of dollars.  

But Fox wouldn’t be the only major company to miss out on George Lucas’s foresight. At the time, toy company Mego was the only major frontrunner when it came to licensing intellectual property from movies and television. They made a name for themselves with their 8-inch figures for TV franchises like Star Trek and comic franchises like Marvel and DC. Because of this, Fox lawyers came to the Mego offices to offer them the licensing assignment for the Star Wars toy line. Sadly, there was nobody in the office to sign the deal. Everyone with the power to sign the contract was in Japan pushing Mego’s successful Micronauts toy line. That same day, Fox reps instead went to Kenner, whose offices were in the same building. Kenner would go on to become the official toy company of the Star Wars toy line. The rest is history. 

The film debuted in May 1977. It was an instant hit, breaking box office records. However, Kenner wasn’t ready to satisfy any demand for toys for the upcoming Christmas season, having signed their deal with the studio only a couple of months before the release of the film. With demand for Star Wars toys skyrocketing after the successful debut of the film, they decided to sell an "Early Bird Certificate Package" which consisted of a certificate that could be mailed to Kenner and redeemed for four Star Wars action figures. 

These figures were like nothing children had ever seen at the time. They weren’t 12-inch figures like the 1960s and 1970s G.I. Joe line. Nor were they the 8-inch figures like Mego’s action figures either. Kenner — looking for something more cost-effective (less plastic) with enhanced playability —  transitioned to a 3 ¾-inch figure design. The smaller size of the figures would allow Kenner to be able to design vehicles that could be sold separately, increasing sales with higher price point options children could add to their collections.   

It wasn’t until 1978 that Kenner’s Star Wars toys began to show up, leading to $100 million in sales. More figures, vehicles, and playsets came in 1979, leading up to the release of the George Lucas-produced sequel, The Empire Strikes Back. 

It was this second wave of Star Wars toys that really launched the phenomenon we know today. By the end of the Original Star Wars Trilogy cinematic run in 1983, the toy line went only through 1985, ending with nearly 100 action figures and dozens upon dozens of vehicles and playsets. Because Lucas had let it be known that there would be no more Star Wars movies anytime soon, consumers lost interest in the toy line by its last run of figures in 1985. Kenner would not make more toys based on the Star Wars movies until the 1995 redesigned toy line leading up to the release of the Original Star Wars Trilogy Special Editions. 

Regardless, the toy line remains the grandfather of the action figure toy industry, influencing the way toys are made and marketed to this day.

Standout Holy Grail Star Wars Action Figures Collectables 

The original eight-year run of Star Wars toys had plenty of standout pieces, from badass and mysterious characters like Boba Fett and other highly collectible “holy grail” figures to vehicles and playsets like the Millennium Falcon, Death Star Space Station, and the Ewok Village.

Of the original run of Star Wars figures, a few remain as the most highly sought-after holy grails of the line.

Vinyl Cape Jawa

The original Jawa figure came with a vinyl cape, which was quickly replaced by a cloth cape to enhance its longevity. The vinyl cape version became exceedingly rare and is highly sought after by collectors.

Rocket-Firing Boba Fett

This figure is legendary among collectors. Originally advertised with a rocket-firing feature, it was never released to the public due to safety concerns. It’s estimated that around one hundred prototypes were made. However, only a fraction of that number have made their way into the collectors’ market, making it extremely rare and valuable.

Yak Face

The figure of Saelt-Marae, known as Yak Face, was released in limited quantities towards the end of the toy line and was not available in the United States. Its scarcity and the timing of its release make it highly collectible.

Double Telescoping Lightsaber Figures

Early versions of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Obi-Wan Kenobi came with a "double telescoping" lightsaber that extended from their arms in two stages. These were quickly replaced by a single telescoping version, making the originals very rare and collectible.

Blue Snaggletooth

This figure was part of both a Sears-exclusive playset, as well as a Sears-exclusive mail-in two-pack with Greedo. He was taller and dressed differently than his later, more accurate red counterpart. The blue version was only available in these sets, making it rare and collectible. It was eventually replaced with the shorter version dressed in red. Since the quantities of Blue Snaggletooth were limited to the initial run before it was swapped out with the Short Red Snaggletooth, the lack of stock released makes it even more rare and collectible. 

Collectibility of Star Wars Toys

With the original Star Wars toy line approaching the half-century-old mark, collectors are still clamoring for these nostalgic pieces. Mint condition and complete action figures, vehicles, and playsets can go for major money in the secondary market. If collectors happen to have them in their sealed original boxes, the auction and Buy Now prices skyrocket even more. 

The Star Wars brand is ever-growing. It is the ultimate merchandising juggernaut that hasn’t lost any steam as the years have gone by. New generations were introduced to Star Wars through releases of the Original Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy, and even the Sequel Trilogy. Add that to the highly successful videogames, comics, animated series, and live-action series and you have a brand like no other in the toy industry. One that keeps on introducing more and more fans to the Star Wars brand with each generation — all of whom want a piece of Star Wars history. 

Let The Toys of Our Lives help you on your nostalgic toy-collecting journey. Check out our online store as we continue to add more and more pieces to our vast library of toys and collectibles, or come visit our brick-and-mortar store in Verona, WI!