Hasbro acquired Kenner Products’ parent company in 1991.
Kenner had become famous for its Star Wars toys after receiving the license in the 1970s. In 1987, Kenner was acquired by Tonka, and Hasbro later purchased Tonka in 1991. This brought Kenner into Hasbro’s corporate family.
The acquisition explains why Hasbro is associated with Star Wars merchandise today, even though Kenner produced the original action figures and many classic vehicles. Hasbro subsequently used the Kenner name and design traditions for selected collector-oriented products.
A frequent mistake is saying Hasbro directly bought an independent Kenner in 1991. More precisely, Hasbro bought Tonka, which owned Kenner at that time. That corporate sequence makes Hasbro the correct company while preserving Kenner’s historical identity.