Star Wars Black Series Return of the Jedi

The Star Wars Black Series Return of the Jedi sub-line is the Galaxy Collection era’s dedicated coverage of the 1983 Original Trilogy conclusion — eleven figures released between 2020 and 2023 that build out the film’s three primary settings: Endor, Jabba’s Palace, and the Emperor’s throne room. Like the Empire Strikes Back sub-line, Return of the Jedi has extensive coverage across earlier eras of the Star Wars Black Series, particularly through the 40th Anniversary dedicated waves which covered both the Jabba’s Palace and throne room sequences in significant depth.

The ROTJ sub-line’s distinguishing feature is its Ewok coverage — Teebo, Wicket W. Warrick, and Paploo through the 40th Anniversary line give the Black Series more Ewok representation than any previous Hasbro 6-inch format, catering to a fanbase that has always wanted the Endor sequence reproduced at this scale. The sub-line also delivers Admiral Ackbar — one of the most popular secondary characters in the Original Trilogy — as its opening figure.

The ROTJ Galaxy Collection Sub-Line

Admiral Ackbar at ROTJ 01 launched the sub-line in 2020 with one of the most requested character deliveries the line had pending — the Mon Calamari commander had only appeared previously in a 40th Anniversary release, making the ROTJ 01 version his first dedicated Galaxy Collection release. Teebo at ROTJ 02 gave the sub-line its first Ewok in the same year — an alien character whose sculpt does not depend on Photo Real technology and holds up strongly.

The Endor battle team arrived in the 2020 launch wave — Princess Leia Organa (Endor) at ROTJ 03, Luke Skywalker (Endor) at ROTJ 04, and Han Solo (Endor) at ROTJ 05 — giving collectors the complete Endor strike team core in a single wave for the first time with Photo Real face printing.

2021 brought Boba Fett (ROTJ Deluxe) at ROTJ 06 — the Return of the Jedi skiff battle configuration with gaffi stick — and General Lando Calrissian at ROTJ 07 in his Rebel general uniform, the first ROTJ-era Lando in the Galaxy Collection format.

Bib Fortuna at ROTJ 08 extended the Jabba’s Palace coverage in 2022 — the Twi’lek majordomo with his distinctive lekku headdress, a character whose alien sculpt benefits from the 6-inch scale. 2023 completed the sub-line with Princess Leia (Ewok Village) at ROTJ 09 in the Endor celebration dress, Chewbacca (ROTJ) at ROTJ 10, and Wicket W. Warrick at ROTJ 11 — the iconic Ewok warrior in his most detailed 6-inch treatment to date.

The Jabba’s Palace Scene

The ROTJ sub-line’s Jabba’s Palace coverage pairs with the Book of Boba Fett sub-line and the 40th Anniversary figures to deliver the most comprehensive Jabba’s Palace display in the Black Series. Bib Fortuna and Boba Fett (ROTJ Deluxe) from the ROTJ sub-line, combined with Gamorrean Guard and Lando Calrissian (Skiff Guard) from the 40th Anniversary, and the Tusken Chieftain, Cad Bane, and Pyke Soldier from the Book of Boba Fett sub-line, give the palace scene substantial depth. Princess Leia in her Boushh disguise appeared in the Blue Wave and has not yet received a Galaxy Collection update.

The Throne Room Duel

Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader’s final confrontation is partially covered by the ROTJ sub-line’s Endor figures but the specific throne room configuration — Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight) and the Emperor — is primarily handled through the Blue Wave releases and the 40th Anniversary Wave 6 and Wave 7 figures. The 40th Anniversary produced dedicated throne room versions of Darth Vader (ROTJ), Emperor’s Royal Guard, Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight), The Emperor, and the Force Spirit three-pack. There is no Galaxy Collection sub-line equivalent of these figures yet, creating a similar multi-era display situation to the ESB Bespin duel.

The 40th Anniversary Connection

Return of the Jedi received the most extensive 40th Anniversary treatment of any Star Wars film — Waves 5, 6, and 7 plus ROTJ-specific exclusives covered the film in comprehensive detail from Jabba’s Palace through the Endor battle to the throne room. For ROTJ display purposes, the 40th Anniversary and Galaxy Collection ROTJ sub-line figures work in parallel rather than as alternatives. The Kenner cardback packaging of the 40th Anniversary is distinct but the figure quality is comparable to the Galaxy Collection standard.

What Is Still Missing

Jabba the Hutt himself has never appeared in the Black Series in a standard figure format — his scale presents challenges but given the scene coverage in multiple sub-lines, his absence is significant. Nien Nunb, the co-pilot who flies the Millennium Falcon during the Endor battle, has not received a Galaxy Collection update. The Mon Mothma character who appears at the Rebel briefing is absent. Several Jabba’s Palace denizens — Salacious B. Crumb, Sy Snootles, Max Rebo — remain unproduced in the Galaxy Collection era.

Return of the Jedi in the Black Series — Full History

Return of the Jedi was underrepresented in the Black Series through the Orange and Blue Wave eras — both packaging phases focused heavily on A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, with ROTJ characters like Jabba’s Palace denizens and Ewoks largely absent until the Red Line. The Galaxy Collection and 40th Anniversary eras corrected this significantly. The 40th Anniversary dedicated Waves 5, 6, and 7 to ROTJ exclusively — more dedicated waves than any other film received — covering the Jabba’s Palace, Endor, and Throne Room sequences in depth.

The formal Galaxy Collection ROTJ sub-line at eleven figures is the second-largest Original Trilogy dedicated film line after A New Hope, and its combination with the 40th Anniversary ROTJ figures gives the 1983 film the most complete Black Series cast representation of the three Original Trilogy films.

The Endor Battle Display

The Endor shield bunker assault is the primary action scene for the Galaxy Collection ROTJ sub-line. The full Endor team from this sub-line: Princess Leia (Endor), Luke Skywalker (Endor), Han Solo (Endor), Chewbacca (ROTJ). The Princess Leia (Ewok Village) variant in celebration dress extends the post-battle display. From the 40th Anniversary: Han Solo (Endor), Princess Leia (Endor), Rebel Commando Deluxe, and the Biker Scout for the speeder chase. The Ewok contingent — Teebo, Wicket W. Warrick, Paploo (40th Anniversary) — gives the scene more alien character depth than any other Black Series battle scene outside The Mandalorian.

Collecting Priority

For collectors starting a Return of the Jedi Black Series display, the galaxy Collection ROTJ sub-line provides the best modern-quality core cast. The Endor team (ROTJ 03-05 plus ROTJ 10), Admiral Ackbar (ROTJ 01), and Wicket (ROTJ 11) establish the primary display with current Photo Real face printing. Boba Fett (ROTJ Deluxe) and Bib Fortuna extend the Jabba’s Palace aspect. The 40th Anniversary figures supplement with Jabba’s Palace denizens and throne room characters that have not yet received Galaxy Collection sub-line treatment.

Secondary Market

ROTJ sub-line figures are generally available at or near retail. Boba Fett (ROTJ Deluxe) commands a premium given Boba Fett’s sustained collector demand. The 40th Anniversary ROTJ figures vary — standard wave figures are straightforward to find, while the Hasbro Pulse exclusive Force Ghosts three-pack and the Amazon Emperor’s Royal Guard and TIE Pilot Carbonized two-pack command premiums.

Building a Return of the Jedi Display

Return of the Jedi’s three primary scenes — Jabba’s Palace, the Endor battle, and the Emperor’s throne room — each have enough Black Series representation for a dedicated display. The Endor battle display is the best served by the Galaxy Collection ROTJ sub-line, with the complete Rebel strike team available in Photo Real quality. Jabba’s Palace requires mixing the ROTJ sub-line, the 40th Anniversary figures, and the Book of Boba Fett sub-line for the full denizen cast. The throne room is primarily a 40th Anniversary display given the absence of Galaxy Collection versions of Emperor’s Royal Guard, Luke (Jedi Knight), and the Emperor in ROTJ sub-line packaging. The Ewok Village celebration sequence — with Wicket, Teebo, Princess Leia (Ewok Village), and Paploo from the 40th Anniversary — is one of the most character-specific scene displays in the Black Series.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Black Series Return of the Jedi figure? Admiral Ackbar is consistently cited as one of the strongest alien sculpts in the ROTJ sub-line. Boba Fett (ROTJ Deluxe) and Wicket W. Warrick are also highlights.

Does Black Series have Jabba the Hutt? No — Jabba has never appeared in the Black Series 6-inch format. His scale presents significant challenges for the format, and he remains one of the most notable absences in the line’s history.

How many Ewok figures are in the Black Series? Three dedicated Ewok figures: Teebo and Wicket W. Warrick from the ROTJ sub-line, and Paploo from the 40th Anniversary ROTJ Wave 6.

Should I buy ROTJ Galaxy Collection or 40th Anniversary figures? Both — they cover different characters. The Galaxy Collection ROTJ sub-line provides modern Photo Real versions of the Endor heroes; the 40th Anniversary covers the throne room, Jabba’s Palace denizens, and Force Spirits that the Galaxy Collection sub-line has not yet produced.

---

Part of Star Wars The Black Series | Galaxy Collection. Related: The Empire Strikes Back | A New Hope | 40th Anniversary | The Book of Boba Fett.