Although fans still love it like it came out yesterday, Return of the Jedi actually celebrates forty years since its release this year, and naturally there’s a lot of new merchandise coming out to celebrate the occasion. Always on top of the game, Funko have announced a series of new figures at this year’s Funko Fair which celebrate some of the movie’s best-loved characters and scenes.
Among the releases are new Funko Pops of Luke Skywalker in black Jedi robes with blaster, as well as two of Leia, one in Endor camouflage and one in disguise as the bounty hunter Boushh. There’s also a figure of Darth Vader with his mask and helmet removed from the end of the movie.
From a galaxy far, far away...comes these all-new @OriginalFunko Star Wars Pop!s - including our Star Wars: Return of the Jedi 40th Hologram Luke Glow-in-the-Dark Pop! Vinyl Figure! https://t.co/ueijmTLz0v pic.twitter.com/a6U9T6okoO
— Entertainment Earth (@EntEarth) February 1, 2023
A particularly cute entry is the Wicket the Ewok Pop, which is a fitting release given it’s also forty years since we first saw the furry aliens on screen. Keeping with the Endor theme, there’s a new C-3PO figure, with the droid sitting in the chair the Ewoks gave him.
Stealing the show, however, were the two original Funko Pop! Moments that were released, showing classic scenes from Episode VI, the first of which features Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader during their lightsaber duel in the Emperor’s throne room with the Death Star’s window as a backdrop. Forming the center of the second release is Jabba the Hutt, with the crime lord reclining in his palace with jester Salacious B. Crumb sitting next to him.
While these are all available from Amazon, there are other exclusive releases, including figures of Luke and Chewbacca on Jabba’s skiff from Target, the Emperor on his throne from Hot Topic, Max Rebo and Brethupp the Ewok from Walmart and Gamestop respectively, and a version of Luke as a hologram only available at Entertainment Earth.
With Return of the Jedi marking the final entry in the original trilogy, it remains an important part of the Star Wars story, and there’s likely to be plenty more merchandise coming out this year to help celebrate forty years since the movie released.