Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (toy line)

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Publication information
Publisher	Kenner Products
Release date	1983–1984
Toy type	Action figures, accessories, vehicles
General information
Timeline	4 ABY

"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 toy line was succeeded by Kenner's The Power of the Force line in 1985.

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.

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-Rig 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.

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.

Appearances

By type

Characters	Creatures	Droid models	Events	Locations
Organizations and titles	Sentient species	Vehicles and vessels	Weapons and technology	Miscellanea

Characters

8D8 Gial Ackbar (as "Admiral Ackbar") Beedo (Picture only) Boushh (Impersonated) Lando Calrissian Chirpa Salacious B. Crumb Bib Fortuna Jabba Desilijic Tiure (as "Jabba the Hutt") Klaatu (as "Klaatu (Skiff Guard Outfit)") Lathe (as "Nikto") Logray Lumat Crix Madine Malakili (as "Rancor Keeper") Droopy McCool Nien Nunb Leia Organa Orrimaarko (as "Pruneface") Palpatine (as "The Emperor") Paploo Max Rebo Ree-Yees Pagetti Rook (as "Weequay") Luke Skywalker Han Solo Sy Snootles Teebo Tessek (as "Squid Head") Wicket W. Warrick Wooof (as "Klaatu")

Creatures

Rancor

Droid models

8D smelter droid

Locations

Endor Bright Tree Village Endor shield generator bunker (Picture only) Tatooine Jabba's Palace

Organizations and titles

Admiral Alliance to Restore the Republic Alliance Army Alliance Special Forces (as "Rebel Commando") Alliance Fleet Alliance Starfighter Corps Rebel pilot (B-wing Pilot) Chief Galactic Emperor Galactic Empire Emperor's Royal Guard Imperial Army Imperial Army pilot Stormtrooper Scout trooper General Jabba Desilijic Tiure's criminal empire Jedi Jedi Knight Max Rebo Band

Sentient species

Dressellian Ewok Gamorrean Gran Human Hutt Kowakian monkey-lizard Kitonak Mon Calamari Nikto Ortolan Pa'lowick Quarren Sullustan Twi'lek Weequay

Vehicles and vessels

Speeder Bike toy 74-Z speeder bike AST-5 Armored Sentinel Transport Bantha-II cargo skiff (Picture only) BTL Y-wing starfighter B-wing starfighter Death Star II (Picture only) Emperor's Throne Room (Picture only) Desert Sail-20 Skiff Endor Forest Ranger Home One (Picture only) ISP-6 Imperial Shuttle Pod Khetanna (Picture only) Lambda-class T-4a shuttle Hang glider TIE/IN interceptor

Weapons and technology

Armor Stormtrooper armor Ubese raider armor Blaster Blaster pistol DH-17 blaster pistol DL-18 Blaster Pistol Scout trooper blaster pistol X-30 "Lancer" target blast pistol Blaster rifle A280 blaster rifle Bow Catapult Dressellian projectile rifle Force pike Controller FP Gaderffii Lightsaber Luke Skywalker's lightsaber Mon Calamari battle baton Spear Vibro-ax BD-1 Cutter vibro-ax Clan Groogrun vibro-ax

Miscellanea

Carbonite Chidinkalu Drum Emperor's cane Hookah pipe Nalargon Staff of Logray

Sources

•  "Collections: Foreign Star Wars Collectibles" – The Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine 5
• "Scouting the Galaxy: Fanning the Flames of Fandom (Or: Have You Bagged Your Star Wars Insider Yet?)" – Star Wars Insider 25
• "Galactic Bazaar: Vader Rules Collectibles" – Star Wars Galaxy Magazine 11
• "Galactic Bazaar: Leia Rules" – Star Wars Galaxy Magazine 12
• "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
• "Collectors' Comlink" – Star Wars Galaxy Collector 4
• Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive
• "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
• "Scouting the Galaxy: Of Freebies, Wimps and Fake Fetts" – Star Wars Insider 31
• Star Wars: The Ultimate Action Figure Collection
• "My Star Wars" – Star Wars Insider 156
• "Classic Moment: The Fastest Hunk of Junk in the Toybox!" – Star Wars Insider 157
• Collectibles from the Outer Rim: Kenner's Chewbacca Bandolier Strap! on StarWars.com (backup link)

External links

• Kenner Star Wars Collection Vintage Catalogues. The Vintage Studio Store. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021.
• The Original Collection 1977-1985 Photo Archive. Rebelscum.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021.
• Vintage Visual Guide. Jedi Temple Archives. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021.