Kenner’s controversial rocket-firing Star Wars action-figure prototype was Boba Fett.
The planned figure was designed with a spring-loaded backpack rocket that could launch from the figure. Safety concerns led Kenner to replace the firing mechanism with a fixed rocket before the figure reached ordinary retail production.
The prototype became famous among collectors because only a small number of examples are known. It is often confused with the later mass-produced Boba Fett figure, whose rocket was permanently attached and could not fire.
Boba Fett first appeared in animated form in the 1978 television special The Star Wars Holiday Special before making his film debut in The Empire Strikes Back. His distinctive armor, jetpack and mysterious identity helped make the character one of Kenner’s most sought-after vintage figures.