This Christmas, ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ will wrap up the original series of films which began a “long, long time ago” in 1976, with the release of George Lucas’ ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’. In celebration of that event, Mattel is issuing a trio of Barbie dolls, based on the original concept art for ‘A New Hope’, inspired by three iconic characters– Darth Vader, R2-D2, and Princess Leia– and “a distinctive Barbie high-fashion filter.” Emphasis on “high-fashion.” This is not a playline, as they retail for $100 each.
Mattel announced this line, called “Star Wars X Barbie” via Twitter:
Introducing the all-new #StarWars x @Barbie Dolls, inspired by the film, Star Wars: A New Hope.✨Celebrating the original concept art, this collectible set pays homage to three iconic characters.
Pre-order now on @Amazon! pic.twitter.com/fS0CkMdxLa
— Mattel (@Mattel) August 13, 2019
Mattel didn’t just take a basic Barbie doll and dress her in the costumes of Leia or Rey; they actually took inspiration from the characters to craft fashionable dolls, with nods to the original characters. The Vader doll wears a shiny corset, with a handbag that resembles the chest-plate on the original Vader’s costume. The R2-D2 doll’s clutch looks like C-3PO’s chest-plate, while Leia’s (which looks like a cantine) bears the logo of the Rebel Alliance. Rather than replicate Leia’s “cinnamon bun” hairstyle, the designer(s) took it as inspiration for a fuller style.
Check out these larger images for a better look at the details:
The reveal of the ‘Star Wars X Barbie’ line comes a month after the announcement that Mattel would issue Barbies based on Dark Phoenix, Mystique, and Storm from the ‘X-Men’ to honor Marvel’s 80th anniversary.
RELATED: Mattel Crafts Barbie Dolls Of Dark Phoenix, Mystique, And Storm For Marvel Comics’ 80th Anniversary
‘Star Wars X Barbie’ certainly aren’t the first ‘Star Wars’ dolls, but they are the least literal. Back in 1978, Kenner issued 12″ versions of the main characters from ‘A New Hope’. Leia had real hair that could be re-styled and even a line of fashions (each sold separately) and was marketed as both a boys’ and girls’ toy.
Most recently, in 2017, Hasbro issued the ‘Star Wars: Forces of Destiny’ line, which were a mixture of molded plastic action figures, with “real” hair and fabric clothing pieces. The line initially featured Leia, Rey, Jyn Erso, and Sabine Wren (plus BB-8, R2-D2, and Wicket as accessories). Dolls of Padme Amidala, Ahsoka Tano, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker (with Yoda), and Kylo Ren (in a 2-pack with Rey) were added later, but the line was a flop and marked clearance in most stores. The latter toys received limited distribution. (But track down a Chewie if you can! He’s worth the effort!)
The ‘Star Wars X Barbie’ dolls are available to preorder from Mattel and are set to be released in November– just in time for Christmas Life Day!
