LEGO
® acquired the Star Wars license in 1999, and in the years
2000 -
2003
they released 10 Technic Star Wars sets. These tended to be
figures of droids and/or robotic looking characters from the movies,
typically with minimal functionality. Many of these models
included unique parts (
Darth Vader's helmet or the
Hailfire Droid's wheels) or parts in colors not available anywhere else (gold on
C3PO, violet on
Jango Fett, pearl blue on the
Super Battle Droid).
These represent some of the very first fully studless models and many use rubber bands to power their functions.
It is my observation that these sets did not resonate very well with
either Star Wars fans or Technic fans. Star Wars fans seem to
prefer traditional studded building, and Technic fans seem to prefer
functional models. Even though Star Wars sets would remain a
profitable juggernaut for the company for decades, the Technic sets
quietly went out of production after just a couple of years.
