It goes without saying that Star Wars is one of the most popular movie franchises of all time, with the series of films being one of the most universally loved and lucrative movie franchises of all time.
The huge popularity of the science fiction franchise has led to almost fifty decades worth of strange, bizarre, and downright insane merchandising decisions, as merchandisers attempted to squeeze as much money as they possibly could out of the Star Wars brand. This article will list 10 of the most bizarre pieces of Star Wars merchandise.
Jar Jar Binks Lollipop
Any fan of Star Wars, or indeed most humans on Earth, would know that Jar Jar Binks is one of the most hated characters of all time. Fans absolutely despised the character in Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace, with many simply finding him irritating.
However, no one expected the character to be as unpopular as he was, with the merchandising around the character being immense - including this strange decision to make a lollipop out of his tongue.
C3PO Tape Dispenser
This one is, perhaps, the best example of ‘what were they thinking’ on this list. Why on Earth did the creators of this merchandise think it was a good idea to put C3PO in such a suggestive pose?
Additionally, why would anyone actually need a C3PO tape dispenser? It’s almost as if those with the merchandising rights simply threw a dart at a wall with everyday items on them, and whichever item the dart hit became Star Wars-branded.
Slave Leia Perfume
The scene in Return of the Jedi in which Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) wears a metal bikini is one of the most iconic movie scenes of all time, with the scene being seared into the memories of countless teenage boys across the years.
Fortunately for fans of this scene, if someone wants to smell like they've been taken captive by a horrific, disgusting, slug-like gang lord, they're now able to do so. A perfume based around Princess Leia's time as Jabba's prisoner was released.
Empty Star Wars Box
Originally, American toy giant Kenner had the rights to the Star Wars toys, but the company was completely taken aback by the runaway success of the science fiction franchise, with Kenner unable to meet demand.
Consequently, there were not enough toys to go around. Kenner, however, decided to allow for ‘pre-orders’ by offering an empty box that acted as an 'early bird certificate,' allowing those who bought the cardboard box to get action figures at a later date.
Yoda Magic Eight Ball
On the face of it, the Yoda magic eight ball isn’t such a bad idea. Yoda himself speaks in riddles and can see into the future to some extent, so a Yoda themed magic eight ball seems like a brilliant idea.
However, it is in the execution that this idea falls flat. To see the prediction, users had to turn Yoda upside down and peer up his robe.
Wookie Crocs
Famously, Crocs are some of the most hated shoes of all time. The brand is consistently ridiculed and memed for having such an unsophisticated and eye-catching design.
While many may have thought that the design of the Crocs cannot be made worse, they'd be wrong as this wasn't their final form. Star Wars launched a Wookie themed pair of Crocs that were the dictionary definition of an eye-sore.
AT-AT Dog Costume
Pet themed costumes are always great, it's fantastic to see cute dogs (or cats) cosplaying as pop culture characters. Naturally, being such a huge property, Star Wars has released countless dog costumes, but the most interesting of which is their At-AT costume.
Not only is it such a strange idea to base a costume on the AT-AT, but the image provided of the costume is also fairly hysterical.
Darth Vader Shower Head
This one is strange and unnerving. Undoubtedly, Darth Vader is one of the most iconic movie characters of all time. Even those who haven't seen the Star Wars movies know about Darth Vader and that he is the father of Luke Skywalker.
Despite this huge popularity, making a shower heard inspired by Darth Vader is a strange choice. A shower is hardly going to be improved by the watchful glare of the dark lord of the Sith.
R2D2 Aquarium
Much like Darth Vader, R2D2 is one of the most iconic Star Wars characters, with the droid appearing in every main series Star Wars film since the character's initial appearance in 1977, one of the few characters to have done so.
Due to the long history of the character, countless merchandise has captured the image of the droid, from action figures to cookie tins. Although, one of the strangest marketing decisions is the R2D2 aquarium.
Star Wars Toilet Paper
The prequel trilogy of Star Wars was, arguably, the most 'merchandise heavy' Star Wars franchise, with almost every single area of purchasable goods having their own Star Wars-branded version.
To tie into the release of 2005's Revenge of the Sith, a german toilet paper company struck a deal with Lucasfilm to have their own Star Wars-branded toilet paper on shelves.