Kenner received the original Star Wars toy license from 20th Century Fox in 1977.
At the time, Kenner Products was a Cincinnati-based toy company best known for products such as the Easy-Bake Oven and the Spirograph. The license transformed the company into a major force in action figures and science-fiction toys.
Kenner’s first Star Wars products reached stores in 1978, after the 1977 film became a surprise cultural phenomenon. The company developed the familiar small-scale action figures, vehicles, playsets and accessories that defined the original toy range.
A common mix-up is naming Hasbro, because Hasbro later acquired Kenner and continues to produce Star Wars toys. Hasbro’s ownership came decades after Kenner established the original line. Kenner’s license is therefore the key historical answer for the first major Star Wars toy range.