The LEGO Star Wars theme first appeared in stores in 1999.
The launch connected LEGO’s construction system with characters, vehicles and locations from the original Star Wars trilogy and The Phantom Menace. It was one of LEGO’s earliest major licensed themes and became an important long-term partnership for the company.
The first wave included sets based on both classic-trilogy material and the newly released prequel film. LEGO later expanded the range to cover nearly every major Star Wars era, including animated series, sequel films and original designs.
The theme is sometimes dated to 1998 because LEGO and Lucasfilm developed the partnership before retail release. However, 1999 is the standard launch year for LEGO Star Wars products. The line has since included play sets, display models, video games and special minifigures.