Given how popular Star Wars is to generations of fans, it will come as no surprise that the toys hold more than sentimental value: particularly the legendary line of action figures from Kenner that began in 1978. Over 40 years of plastic creates quite a supply, but not all of it is created equal. Some of the most expensive toys ever are based on beloved Star Wars characters, like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, but others are lesser-known.

Certain action figures from the 1970s and 80s have aged gracefully, granted they remain inside their original packaging. Special Action and Double Telescoping figures are some of the rarest, most costly Star Wars figures available, but finding them at reasonable prices can be difficult. Tastes come and go, and sometimes unique circumstances can boost a given price far higher than it merits. Yet collectors and aficionados often embrace all of that as part of the fun.

Updated on April 11, 2024 by Robert Vaux Hannah Grimes: Another year has passed, meaning the value of these rare collectibles has changed slightly. We've updated this list to reflect current prices, as well as adhere to new CBR formatting standards. In addition, the last has been expanded to include the five additional Star Wars action figures on the rarity list.

15 Vintage Blue Snaggletooth's Character Design Was Retconned

Blue Snaggletooth is an early and classic example of what makes Star Wars toys so rare and unique. Originally included exclusively with a Cantina Adventure Playset that kids could only get at Sears, he was rendered as a tall alien wearing a blue jumpsuit.

Kenner realized Snaggletooth was actually tiny and red, and when he showed up on a single card in 1979, the Blue Snaggletooth was revised out of existence. Consequently, he sports a retconned character design that is highly sought after in his mint plastic baggie.

14 Less-Produced Double Telescoping Luke Skywalker Are Incredibly Rare

Many of the most expensive Star Wars toys are products of production oddities or extreme scarcity. Luke Skywalker is one of the former. By far one of the most produced figures in the line, when he first shipped in the Early Bird kit meant to tide anxious fans over, he came with a lightsaber that extended out of his arm to recreate the light-up effect.

The initial saber telescoped twice, but the construction was complicated and Kenner feared the pieces being lost, so it was reduced to just once. Some versions of this figure shipped on single cards. While this figure can be found for less than a grand, sealed versions still in the box will cost closer to four-thousand.

13 Vinyl Cape Tatooine Jawa Had Its Cape Replaced Early Into Production

There are few figures that hold more mythical status among Star Wars collectors than the vinyl cape Jawa. But there are more expensive ones, which is lucky for folks who still harbor dreams of acquiring this little guy.

When the Jawa debuted in 1978, he came with a vinyl plastic cape like the other figures in the line. Kenner saw it and thought it made the figure look too cheap for the two-bucks-and-change asking price. They quickly swapped out the vinyl cape for a cloth one, early enough in the run that many never realized the vinyl version existed. After the fact, that seemingly cheap vinyl cape actually turned out to be worth far more than Kenner ever might have realized.

12 Droids Boba Fett Came and Went Faster than the Show

The short-lived Droids animated TV series is something of a curiosity in Star Wars lore: airing for just 13 episodes, plus an hour-long special in 1986. But it's also a charming throwback to a much earlier period in the franchise's history. The animation studio -- Canada's Nelvana -- had already made a big impression with its Boba Fett animated short: perhaps the only saving grave of the infamous Star Wars: Holiday Special. Naturally, the bounty hunter made a return visit for a notable episode of Droids.

That's led to a surprisingly pricey variation on Boba Fett, one of many to mark the toy line over the years. In this case, it's no different than the traditional Boba Fett figure, but the Droids-specific packaging is hard to find. It came and went with the series, making this particular action figure highly coveted among collectors.

11 Purple Lightsaber Darth Vader Predates Mace Windu by 20 Years

The initial run of Kenner's line was infamously glitchy, which led to some oddities that weren't repeated. Among them is a singular box design featuring Darth Vader wielding a purple lightsaber. The design was finalized before the character became synonymous with the Sith's red lightsaber, which means that at least one print run went out with Vader wielding a purple lightsaber.

The comparative rarity of the print run has boosted the resale value among collectors. It's particularly notable when combined with the double-telescoping lightsaber. Even those without that, however, are sufficiently hard to find to leave this for serious collectors only.

10 Death Squad Commander Got a More Kid-Friendly Name

Among the earliest figures in the Kenner line was someone referred to as "Death Squad Commander:" Imperial officers working on the Death Star who wore mushroom helmets with their faces visible. Normally, the figure would merit much mention, especially with both Darth Vader and the far more visible Stormtrooper available at the same time.

However, Kenner quickly realized that "Death Squad Commander" was a little too dark for a children's toy. They subsequently renamed it "Star Destroyer Commander," which is what most of the existing copies are labeled as. The original packaging is exceedingly hard to find, with the price going up accordingly.

9 Yakface (The Power of the Force) Is Highly Sought After With The Collector's Coin

Yakface was meant to be offered on a card in the United States but never was. In 1985, the line wound down with a lack of interest from kids way more into G.I. Joe and Transformers. Yakface never made it to shelves, except overseas. Yakface briefly appeared in Return of the Jedi and made minor appearances in future Star Wars novels and comics.

For that reason, this figure is highly sought after by fans around the world. If he's on the card, particularly with the collector's coin that was included with the Power of the Force line, then Yakface instantly shoots up in price, becoming one of the most expensive Star Wars toys.

8 Star Wars Droids: Vlix Wasn't Officially Made Available Outside Of Brazil

Many collectors only found about Vlix as they went back to finish their collections as adults. But they didn't miss him as kids because he was never available. At least not outside of Brazil. Vlix was intended to be part of the second wave of Star Wars figures dedicated to the Droids animated series, but the line was canceled before it appeared.

Despite this, Vlix was produced by Brazilian distributor Glassite, making him one of the rarest and most sought after Star Wars toys no one has ever heard of. While a cheaper figure pops up every now and then, Viix is one of the most expensive Star Wars toys, potentially setting fans back upwards of around $28,000.

7 Anakin Skywalker (The Power of the Force) Reveals The Original Force Ghost

Anakin Skywalker's original ghost form in Return of the Jedi has become a rarity for most versions of the film. The official cut was digitally updated to replace actor Sebastian Shaw -- who originally played Anakin -- with Hayden Christensen following the release of the prequels. The change caused an uproar among fans, particularly because of the way Christensen's Force ghost was so young, while Obi-Wan's and Yoda's were so much older.

A very early version of Shaw's Anakin was released in 1985 under the original "The Power of the Force" banner. It comes with a commemorative coin like the other figures in the line, and the Christensen replacement has juiced its already rare status into the stratospheric.

6 The Boba Fett Action Figure Prototype Is Hard To Come By

This Boba Fett figure is one of the most expensive Star Wars figures out there, having recently sold for just over ten-thousand dollars at an auction. Produced by Kenner, other sealed copies of this figure online can be found for at least three-thousand dollars, making it one of the more expensive Star Wars offerings.

Reproduced versions of this figure by Hasbro, previously Kenner, started circulating in 2010. Without the original packaging, this means it's harder to tell the difference between the vintage original and lookalikes, making the prototype version even more sought-after.

5 FX-7 Once Triggered a High-Priced Bidding War

Few entries in the line have generated less interest than FX-7, aka "the medical droid in The Empire Strikes Back who wasn't 2-1B." Besides showing just how diverse Star Wars' canonical action figures can be -- FX-7 is only on screen for a few seconds -- there didn't seem to be anything unusual about either the character or his tiny plastic duplicates.

In 2014, however, a bidding war resulted over the Palitoy variation of the figure, the British company that produced the licensed figures in the UK. Speculation holds that it was the last figure needed to complete the respective bidders' set, which would both track with FX-7's barely-there status in the series and the relatively (though not unusually) difficult prospect of finding a figure for sale. In any case, the two bidders pushed the final price up somewhere in the neighborhood of $12,000.

4 Double Telescoping Darth Vader's Initial Versions Never Made It To Market

Like Luke Skywalker, the initial versions of Darth Vader came with the double telescoping lightsaber feature. Unlike Luke, next to none of these actually made it to market. The change was made before production on the single carded figures really ramped up, making this Sith Lord figure beyond expensive.

Examples of this figure are beyond rare and require very high-level authentication as fakes have unfortunately become a factor in the collecting hobby. A carded version of a double telescoping Darth Vader is one of the most expensive Star Wars toys out there.

3 Only Two Bib Fortuna (Return Of The Jedi) Figures Have Been Professionally Graded

Only two 1983 Bib Fortuna Star Wars figures have ever been professionally graded, making this one of the rarest Star Wars figures in terms of quantity. This figure was produced by Kenner, as most others at the time, and its first appearance was the back of the Return of the Jedi 65 card.

These prototypes are, surprisingly, larger and more detailed than the final versions eventually sold on store shelves. While there are still a few expensive Star Wars toys that will set collectors back even further, the 1983 Bib Fortuna figure prototype is still a very impressive item to have.

2 Double Telescoping Obi-Wan Kenobi Is One Of The Rarest Star Wars Toys

Like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader before him, the double telescoping variant of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi is so rare he is the stuff of legends. It's difficult to ascertain who is actually rarer, Vader or Obi-Wan, but a helpful guide is that a carded example of Obi-Wan sold at auction in 2018 sold for over $76,000.

Only a few examples are thought to still exist. Should a person decide to invest in one, the rather short length of the thin portion of the saber – that needle-like bit sticking out – is a good hint that the figure is the legitimate double telescoping version.

1 Only Two Dozen Rocket-Firing Boba Fett Prototypes Were Ever Made

Almost everybody says they had one, but no one actually did. Kenner intended for Boba Fett to include a rocket-firing backpack when he mailed out to kids in a little white cardboard box, but after an unfortunate accident involving another toy company, they abandoned the idea.

Still, around two dozen or so prototypes in various stages of production – some painted, some just cast in blue plastic – survived. The rocket-firing Boba Fett is the most expensive Star Wars toy of them all, selling for more than $200K at auction. With Boba Fett having become one of Star Wars' most popular characters, it's only fitting he would value so highly among collectors.