- "The galaxy explodes! The Rebels return! You can relive it all with with Kenner's Star Wars: Return of the Jedi collection!"
- ―Kenner toy commercial
Kenner's Star Wars: Return of the Jedi vintage toy line ran from 1983 to 1984 and featured various characters and vehicles from the 1983 film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. The line also included plush Ewok "stuffed figures", featuring large Ewoks and smaller Woklings. It was succeeded by Kenner's The Power of the Force line in 1985.
The Return of the Jedi toys were sold at the same time as the short-lived 1984 Kenner Preschool Wicket the Ewok toy line toy line.
Development
The Return of the Jedi line re-released many toys previously available through Kenner's Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back toy lines but with the new film's logo on the packaging.
Continuity
As with Kenner's initial Star Wars toy line, many action figures based on background characters from Return of the Jedi did not have proper names, leading Kenner to use nicknames used during the film's production. Many of them would later receive proper names in the works of the Expanded Universe. These characters included Pruneface, Squid Head, and Rancor Keeper. Two similar looking characters were both identified as Klaatu wearing different outfits, but later sources confirmed one of the two was a separate character named Wooof. It was also later revealed that the names of action figures "Nikto" and "Weequay" were actually the species names of the characters Lathe and Pagetti Rook.[5]
Though most of the line featured toys based on the film, a few original items were produced. To avoid the high cost of creating large vehicles for the line, small Mini-Rigs vehicles that did not originate in the films were created (starting with the toys from The Empire Strikes Back). Many of these went on to appear in the fiction of both the Legends and later canon continuities.[6]
The plush Ewok toys introduced characters who also appeared in later Ewok books and animated series: Gwig, Kneesaa, Latara, Leeni, Malani, Mookiee, Nippet and Zephee.[7]
The baton that then-Captain Ackbar holds in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes "Water War" and "Prisoners" is an homage to the 1983 action figure that came with such an accessory. Though it was not originally intended to be a weapon, the episode director Danny Keller vividly remembered pretending it was a blaster, so it was worked into the show.[8]
Products
Table of action figures
The table below takes information as given on the cards with which each action figure debuted. After the debut of an action figure, details in the packaging, the shape of the action figure, and the name of the action figure were subject to change. No one characteristic (name, shape, or product number) completely defines the list, rather all the characteristics taken together form a clear list.
| "Wave" | Debut package card | Action figure | Product no. | Debut year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Admiral Ackbar | No. 70310 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight Outfit) | No. 70650 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Princess Leia Organa (Boushh Disguise) | No. 70660 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Gamorrean Guard | No. 70670 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Emperor's Royal Guard | No. 70680 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Chief Chirpa | No. 70690 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Logray (Ewok Medicine Man) | No. 70710 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Klaatu | No. 70730 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Rebel Commando | No. 70740 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Weequay | No. 70760 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Squid Head | No. 70770 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | General Madine | No. 70780 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Bib Fortuna | No. 70790 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Ree-Yees | No. 70800 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Biker Scout | No. 70820 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Lando Calrissian (Skiff Guard Disguise) | No. 70830 | 1983 |
| J | 65-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Nien Nunb | No. 70840 | 1983 |
| K | 77-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Nikto | No. 71190 | 1984 |
| K | 77-Back "Return of the Jedi" | 8D8 | No. 71210 | 1984 |
| K | 77-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Princess Leia Organa (in Combat Poncho) | No. 71220 | 1984 |
| K | 77-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Wicket W. Warrick | No. 71230 | 1984 |
| K | 77-Back "Return of the Jedi" | The Emperor | No. 71240 | 1984 |
| K | 77-Back "Return of the Jedi" | B-Wing Pilot | No. 71280 | 1984 |
| K | 77-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Klaatu (in Skiff Guard Outfit) | No. 71290 | 1984 |
| K | 77-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Han Solo (in Trench Coat) | No. 71300 | 1984 |
| K | 77-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Teebo | No. 71310 | 1984 |
| K | 77-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Prune Face | No. 71320 | 1984 |
| K | 77-Back "Return of the Jedi" | AT-ST Driver | No. 71330 | 1984 |
| K | 77-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Rancor Keeper | No. 71350 | 1984 |
| L | 79-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Lumat | No. 93670 | 1984 |
| L | 79-Back "Return of the Jedi" | Paploo | No. 93680 | 1984 |
Appearances
| Characters | Organisms | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
|
Organisms
Droid models
Locations
|
Organizations and titles
Sentient species
Vehicles and vessels
 Speeder Bike toy
|
Weapons and technology
Miscellanea
Sources
"Collections: Foreign Star Wars Collectibles" — The Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine 5- "Scouting the Galaxy" — Star Wars Insider 25
- "Scouting the Galaxy" — Star Wars Insider 31
- "Galactic Bazaar: Size Matters Not" — Star Wars Galaxy Magazine 11
- "Galactic Bazaar" — Star Wars Galaxy Magazine 12
- Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive
- "Star Wars Stuff: Rescued from the Trash Heap of History" — Star Wars Galaxy Collector 2
- "Around the Galaxy" — Star Wars Galaxy Collector 3
- "An Elegant Toy" — Star Wars Galaxy Collector 3
- Star Wars: Behind the Magic
- "Collectors' Comlink" — Star Wars Galaxy Collector 4
- "Friend or Faux?" — Star Wars Galaxy Collector 5
- "Collectors' Comlink" — Star Wars Galaxy Collector 6
- "Mexican Stand Off" — Star Wars Galaxy Collector 8
- "Market Wars: What's Hot and What's Not in the World of Star Wars Collecting" — Star Wars Galaxy Collector 8
- Star Wars: The Ultimate Action Figure Collection
- "My Star Wars: Darren Hayes" — Star Wars Insider 156
- "Classic Moment: The Fastest Hunk of Junk in the Toybox!" — Star Wars Insider 157 (reprinted in Icons of the Galaxy)
- Collectibles from the Outer Rim: Kenner's Chewbacca Bandolier Strap! on StarWars.com (original link is obsolete)
- Star Wars Year By Year: A Visual History, New Edition
Notes and references
- ↑ Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive
- ↑
Kenner Vintage Star Wars Photo Archive on Rebelscum.com (backup link)
- ↑
Jedi Temple Archives Vintage Visual Guide on www.jeditemplearchives.com (backup link archived on June 6, 2004)
- ↑
Star Wars Vintage KENNER Commercial - Imperial Shuttle [Remastered] on the 12BACK YouTube channel (backup link)
- ↑ Tessek, Sim Aloo, Pagetti Rook… Kenner Action Names Sold Separately! on StarWars.com (backup link) (original link is obsolete)
- ↑ Offscreen, but Not Forgotten: Mini-Rigs, Body-Rigs, and Other Kenner Vehicles on StarWars.com (backup link) (original link is obsolete)
- ↑ Kenner Star Wars Collection Vintage Catalogues on The Vintage Studio Store (backup link archived on May 8, 2021)
- ↑ "Prisoners" Trivia Gallery on StarWars.com (backup link) (Slide 1)
External links
- Vintage U.S. Return of the Jedi in the StarWars.com Cargo Bay (original site is defunct)
- The Original Collection 1977-1985 Photo Archive on Rebelscum.com (backup link)
- Vintage Visual Guide on Jedi Temple Archives (backup link archived on June 24, 2021)
- Kenner Star Wars Collection Vintage Catalogues on The Vintage Studio Store (backup link archived on May 8, 2021)
