Kenner Star Wars Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi Action Figure

The original Star Wars action figure of Obi-Wan 'Ben' Kenobi was first released in 1978 by the Kenner Products company. This vintage toy is part of the 'Early Bird Certificate Package' and the subsequent first wave of 12 figures that defined the modern action figure industry. The figure is notable for its 'telescoping' lightsaber feature and vinyl cape.

Kenner was an American toy company founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, which held the licensing rights to Star Wars during the peak of the original film trilogy's popularity. Most of the original production was carried out in factories in Hong Kong to keep up with the unprecedented global demand.

Over the decades, corporate acquisitions shifted the ownership of the brand. Kenner was acquired by General Mills in 1967, then spun off into Kenner Parker Toys, which was eventually bought by Tonka in 1987. In 1991, Hasbro acquired Tonka and the Kenner brand. Today, Hasbro remains the ultimate owner and global master toy licensee for the Star Wars franchise, which is now a property of The Walt Disney Company.