Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire Micro Machines

The Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire Micro Machines toy series was brought to life by Galoob in 1996. It was released as a component of the wider Shadows of the Empire multimedia endeavor. This line featured five distinct releases of Micro Machines toys, each drawing inspiration from the Shadows of the Empire narrative.

Production

Galoob had intentions to create figures representing characters from the story (both from the original trilogy and new ones), along with a selection of six vehicles. In the spring of 1996, approximately 100,000 units were launched under the "Micro Machines" banner, based on projected figures.

The engineering team, situated in Hong Kong, received design drafts and supplementary materials from Lucasfilm. They then meticulously crafted figures, standing at just an inch tall, using casting resins. These "first models" showcased individualized color schemes, as the definitive color palettes were still in development at this initial phase. Following approval, tooling models, incorporating revisions and enhanced detailing, were produced at three times the original size. A pantograph reduction tool was employed to scale down these larger figures, resulting in the final, smaller products.

The initial three collections within the series incorporated a Shadows of the Empire minicomic as an added bonus.

Continuity

Sets

Collection I

  • ASP
  • Darth Vader
  • IG-2000
  • Guri
  • Stinger

Collection II

  • Prince Xizor
  • Virago
  • Emperor Palpatine
  • Swoop with rider

Collection III

  • Hound's Tooth
  • LE-BO2D9 (Leebo)
  • Dash Rendar
  • Luke Skywalker
  • Outrider

Action Fleet Virago

  • Virago
  • Prince Xizor
  • Guri

Action Fleet Battle Packs #5

  • Prince Xizor
  • Guri
  • Chewbacca
  • LE-BO2D9 (Leebo)
  • Dash Rendar
  • Jix
  • Swoops

Sources

External links

Appearances