Action figure:Star Wars Anniversary Collection: Darth Bane

When the first Star Wars movie (now called "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope") appeared in May 1977, its space-opera plot, engaging characters, fantastic set decoration, and its cutting-edge special effects made it a phenomenal success. Its sequels, the "Empire Strikes Back" (1980) and the "Return of the Jedi" (1983), followed. To the delight of old fans and new ones, filmmaker George Lucas produced three more movies in the series, "The Phantom Menace" (1999), "Attack of the Clones" (2002), and the "Revenge of the Sith" (2005). In addition to the stories of the movies, the Star Wars saga has continued in TV series, novels, comics, and electronic games. Star Wars enthusiasts refer to these ancillary stories as the Expanded Universe, and Kenner has developed additional lines of action figures to reflect the characters and plots from these new sources. The Star Wars movies and the Expanded Universe have fueled the sale of some $20 billion in related toys-especially action figures.