Radar Laser Cannon (ESB)

One of the few small accessories to actually have screen time was the Radar Laser Cannon. You would have seen it with the Rebesl during the Hoth battle. You’ll notice it was absolutely ineffective against the AT-ATs, yet Kenner tried to get you to buy it!

The Cannon looked pretty similar to the movie version, and a button on the back of it caused it to “explode” when pressed. This feature was always nice when you were staging a toy battle, or for frustrating a sibling who had it. It came in both an ESB and ROTJ box. It also came with the Hoth Ice Planet Adventure Playset, which featured a cardboard AT-AT background and a white-molded base reused from the Land of the Jawas set.

Why should you own this accessory? Five reasons:

1. It’s a big gun – get it already.

2. The Hoth Rebel Soldiers need something to sit around and look busy at.

3. You know, it does have treads on the bottom, so you can pretend it’s a mini tank.

4. It’s small. It’s cheap. It goes anywhere!

5. One of the few things that can fit on your cubicle at work.

Backstory:

The Radar Laser Cannon was based on the 1.4 FD P-Tower Laser Cannon. Manufactured by Atgar SpaceDefense Corporation, it was capable of taking out an AT-ST in one shot. An AT-AT, however, not so much. It did not have little tank treads like the toy does.

It could shoot about 2-10 kilometers, but wore down its batteries after 8 shots if not hooked up to a generator. It was also sometimes tricky, because if just one of its 16 routers went out, the whole thing was useless.

Want more? Its Wookieepedia article

126th in alphabetical order

R5-D4 (SW 1978-79)

If you’ve played with the basic R2 figure, you’ve played with R5. Clicking head, two legs (BUT SHOULD HAVE THREE) – yeah, the whole bit. While the figure and name refer to a specific droid - the one that breaks down in the film - you can just use it as a generic astromech droid and put it in your Y-Wing socket.

R5 came on cardbacks for all three movies – the SW and ESB said “R5-D4,” the ROTJ card said “Arfive-Defour (R5-D4).” Some, like the one pictured, featured the mail-away offer for that rocket-shooting figure, Boba Fett. Of course they never made one that fired because he'd shoot your eye out, kid.

Why, oh why, should you own R5? Five reasons:

1. Light him on fire. When your dad asks what’s going on just say it’s a bad motivator.

2. You can still use him in the Y-Wing, just don’t fly it upside down.

3. If you were like me in my youthful ignorance, you could pretend that the figures bottom opening was actually either A) a thruster, or B) a big cannon.

4. You just can’t beat that decal detail.

5. You need a lot of droid figures for your Coming-Out Droid Cotillion.

Backstory:

R5 was built by the Industrial Automaton company. The R5 line was notorious for being low cost and low quality, and R5-D4 was no exception. He went from owner to owner before being sold to the Jawas and turned down by Luke and Uncle Owen because of his bad motivator.

R5 was stolen from the Jawas and sold to a member of the Rebel Alliance. He was refurbished to much better working condition and set in place in Mos Eisley for gathering inteliigence. A humorous short–story posed a different theory: that he could use the Force and foresaw that only R2 going with Luke would save the galaxy. He thus blew his own motivator.

In the movie Luke says, “This R2 unit has a bad motivator.” Whether Mark Hamill the actor, the character Luke, or the scriptwriter was mistaken is under debate.

Want more? His Wookieepedia article

125th in alphabetical order

Prune Face (ROTJ 1983-84)

Prune Face prefers the French pronunciation of his name: Prune Fasee. But seriously, Pruney is another blink-and-you'll miss him characters, shown in the Rebel conference room in The Return of the Jedi. Also, like many of the aliens introduced in the movies, the crew just called it what it looked like to keep the aliens straight - thus "Prune Face." Never mind that this probably infringed on copyright a bit with the Dick Tracy character of the same name. Although, I don't think anyone will mix them up.

Ole Pruney came with a rifle (which doesn't look particularly Star Wars-ish) and a cloth cape. He only came on an ROTJ card. Presumably he went with the Endor landing party since he was dressed for camoflauge, but you never see him down on the planet. Maybe the Ewoks ate him.

Why should you own this figure? Five reasons:

1. Eye patch. A grow-hair-on-your chest manly eyepatch!

2. If you own G.I Joes, you have an extra rifle you can use. It looks awfully Joe-ish doesn't it?

3. Pruney's face is very accurate to the character - it's his clothes that weren't quite right. Don't blame Kenner, though. They didn't have very good technology to imprint camoflauge on plastic yet.

4. Re-enact the scene where Prune Face splits off from the Rebels, and eventually marries and settles down with an Ewok princess. Hey, you didn't see him - it could have happened!

5. Re-enact the exciting scene where he ACTIVELY LISTENS to the Rebel BRIEFING. That's excitement!

Backstory:

Prune Face's real name was Orrimaarko, and his race Dressellian from the planet Dressel. He was recruited into the Alliance by the Bothans (often mentioned but never seen on screen) to fight subjugation of his homeworld by the Empire. He was on the Endor strike team during the events of ROTJ, and was a bit miffed when Han Solo was picked to lead rather than himself, who he deemed more qualified. No word on how he got the eyepatch though.

Want more? His full Wookieepedia article

124th in alphabetical order

Princess Leia Organa (in Combat Poncho) (ROTJ 1983-84)

I don’t know what changed from when this figure came out to when Luke Poncho came out, but it was enough to go from “combat” to “battle.” Maybe it’s a distinction in the Rebel forces – Leia’s more greenish poncho is stored in the COMBAT bin and Luke’s more brown one is in the BATTLE bin. Obviously, they did not call each other before loading on to the stolen imperial Shuttle.

Leia comes with the same blaster as the A-Wing Pilot, B-Wing Pilot, and AT-ST Driver, but molded in grey. Her helmet, unlike Luke’s, is removable, as well as the green poncho cinched to her waist with a utility belt. Maybe Leia needed that all-important removable helmet for her scene with Wicket.

Why should you own this figure? Five reasons:

1. Your one chance to start a Leia strip-tease.

2. This Leia blends in with your favorite planters.

3. The only Star Wars figure for Earth Day!

4. Yet another excuse for another Speeder Bike.

5. Man, no one wears a poncho better.

Backstory:

Her poncho is more for camouflage than “combat,” but Leia's full Wookieepedia entry is here.

123rd in alphabetical order