Empire Strikes Back

Join the Rebellion With This Extremely Rare Empire Strikes Back Pilot Helmet

The authentic Star Wars prop is going up for auction in September, so start saving your galactic credits now: it's estimated to sell for between $200,000-$400,000.

Toys & Collectibles Cheryl Eddy May 2

Jeremy Bulloch, the Man Behind Boba Fett, Has Died

The first man to embody the most notorious Bounty Hunter in Star Wars history, influencing the franchise’s direction even to this very day, has passed away at 75. Reports are coming in from friends and colleagues of Jeremy Bulloch from across Star Wars projects and fandom, that the actor, who retired from the convention circuit…

Movies James Whitbrook Dec 17

Our Favorite io9 Videos of 2020

Oh, goodness: What a year, right? Twenty-twenty is one of those (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime events that impacted so much of our lives. We saw countless movie delays, comic cons were canceled or moved online, theme parks shut down, and everything had to happen over video. In spite of the challenges, io9 still managed to write some…

io9 Beth Elderkin Dec 2

A Look Inside Empire Strikes Back‘s Anniversary Anthology Reveals the Unsung Hero of Echo Base

Sure, Luke Skywalker did some psychic magic and blew up a superweapon. Princess Leia is a charismatic commander on the front lines. Han Solo is ride or die for his friends and fellow rebels, especially if he can cut up a tauntaun in the process. But the Rebel Alliance is not three people. It’s built…

Books & Comics James Whitbrook Oct 27

I Love Han Solo (in Waffle Form), and He Knows

Star Wars fans are known for taking their obsessions to absolutely ridiculous levels. Sometimes, that means buying an unnecessary rug. Other times it’s much less practical, like buying a novelty waffle maker for no good reason whatsoever. A few weeks back, several friends brought to my attention that a Han Solo in Carbonite waffle maker…

Movies Germain Lussier Oct 13

The Best Star Wars Movie Posters of All Time

Star Wars has some of the most gorgeous posters in the history of cinema. Part of that is because of its beautiful iconography: lightsabers, spaceships, aliens, etc. Another reason is each film has been released and re-released so many times, there are way, way more poster versions to choose from. Each time a Star Wars…

io9 Germain Lussier Oct 8

A New Empire Strikes Back Book Answers Fascinating Questions You’ve Never Even Thought Of

Everything and everyone has a story. That’s just true in life. The problem is, not everyone has someone to tell those stories. When it comes to Star Wars, though, the franchise can recruit an army of incredibly talented authors to create stories about the smallest, most seemingly insignificant things. And it’s awesome. That’s basically the…

Books & Comics Germain Lussier Oct 7

Image: Raffaele Ienco and Neeraj Menon/Marvel Comics

Through the Ghosts of Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader Finds a Semblance of Peace

The third run of Darth Vader at Marvel Comics has done a grand job building on its predecessor’s examinations of the titular Dark Lord. It’s looked at him both as the fascinating figure of power we’ve admired across Star Wars’ long history, but also as the equally intriguing bridge between Star Wars’ original and prequel…

Books & Comics James Whitbrook Sep 18

Search Your Feelings, You Know Lego’s Empire Strikes Back Anniversary Set to Be Cool

Yes, it can be fun when Lego’s Star Wars sets are ginormous, hyper-detailed monstrosities that vaporize our bank accounts like Death Stars vaporize Alderaanians. But there’s something to be said about the company taking one small, iconic moment, and turning it into a cool little set. StarWars.com has revealed a first look at Lego’s newest…

Toys & Collectibles James Whitbrook Aug 20

Why Boba Fett’s Sound Was a Mystery for Almost 20 Years

If I say “Bad Guy in Helmet from Star Wars” first you think of Darth Vader and then you think of Boba Fett. However, while everyone knows what Darth Vader sounds like when he walks around, what about Boba Fett? Going into Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, the plan was for the new character…

io9 Germain Lussier Jul 6

Our 25 Favorite Summer Blockbusters of the 1980s

For the first time in most of our lifetimes, your local movie theater won’t have a summer blockbuster season. The covid-19 pandemic took care of that, pushing most of the big-budget popcorn films scheduled for this year’s summer months into fall, spring, or even next summer. Since we can’t enjoy summer blockbusters in theaters this…

Movies Germain Lussier Jun 22

The Force Is With This Stunning Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary Poster

By now, you’re surely well aware that 2020 is the 40th anniversary of one of the best films of all time: The Empire Strikes Back. We here on io9 have been celebrating, as has Lucasfilm, which released an official poster to commemorate the event. That poster, by artist Matt Ferguson, may have caught your eye over…

io9 Germain Lussier Jun 17

Ahsoka Tano Leads the Charge in the New Star Wars Lego Sets

There’s a lot to love in the new Lego Star Wars sets coming later this summer. But frankly, only one of them has a season seven Clone Wars Ahsoka in it, so we’ll start there, please and thank you. Revealed by StarWars.com this morning, this summer’s wave of building sets in the galaxy far, far away…

Toys & Collectibles James Whitbrook Jun 17

Hans Solo, Ranked

It’s all come down to this. After years of unhealthy obsession and the spark of a rediscovered hobby, it’s time to rank the Hans. Corellian smuggler Han Solo is one of the most popular characters in Star Wars. He was once the owner of the ship that made the Kessell Run in less than 12…

io9 Germain Lussier Jun 12

Star Wars Is Turning Its Anthological Eye to The Empire Strikes Back [Updated]

If you’ve been missing your short-form Star Wars storytelling, good news: From a Certain Point of View, the anniversary anthology format Del Rey used to weave new stories around the events of A New Hope for its 40th anniversary is back. And it’s, well, striking. Lucasfilm has confirmed that, to celebrate Star Wars: The Empire Strikes…

Books & Comics James Whitbrook Jun 12

Size Matters Not in This Exclusive Star Wars Animated Short

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is full of iconic moments just dying to be rendered in the animated aesthetic of Titmouse’s Galaxy of Adventures shorts. But Luke venturing to Dagobah to learn the ways of the Force definitely ranks up there near the top—and io9’s got an exclusive look at it in animated action!…

io9 James Whitbrook May 28

Maybe AT-ATs Aren’t as Dumb as They Look

AT-ATs, one of the most visually iconic markers of the Empire’s military reign, have one serious problem: their big dumb stupid fragile legs. You know, the ones that can be stopped with the application of a particularly taut rope. But maybe they’re not as big of a problem as they appear? EC Henry is a…

Movies Julie Muncy May 24

The Best Things The Empire Strikes Back Introduced to Star Wars

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back has been around for so long, it’s easy to forget how much it changed Star Wars. In the 40 years since its release, all of the sequel’s characters, planets, ships, and ideas, have become core pieces of the franchise. But upon release, no one knew what a Force Ghost…

Movies Germain Lussier May 21

The Empire Strikes Back and The Last Jedi Share a Kindred Love of Star Wars

Forty years ago this week, The Empire Strikes Back hit theaters, and in the process took everything we knew and loved about Star Wars and blew it the hell up. It is a legacy that has made it one of the most revered, if not the most revered, entries in the saga. It is a…

Movies James Whitbrook May 19

America’s Ass Leads the Way in the Most Patriotic Toys of the Week

Welcome back to Toy Aisle, io9’s round-up of the latest in plastic goodness hitting the internet lately. This week, Captain America faces his past in a return to the Figuarts line, you can now grow your own Baby Yoda, and Hot Toys gets into a dangerously retro game with a “brand new” Boba Fett. Check…

Toys & Collectibles Andrew Liszewski & James Whitbrook May 8

Empire Strikes Back

Join the Rebellion With This Extremely Rare Empire Strikes Back Pilot Helmet

Jeremy Bulloch, the Man Behind Boba Fett, Has Died

Our Favorite io9 Videos of 2020

A Look Inside Empire Strikes Back‘s Anniversary Anthology Reveals the Unsung Hero of Echo Base

I Love Han Solo (in Waffle Form), and He Knows

The Best Star Wars Movie Posters of All Time

A New Empire Strikes Back Book Answers Fascinating Questions You’ve Never Even Thought Of

Through the Ghosts of Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader Finds a Semblance of Peace

Search Your Feelings, You Know Lego’s Empire Strikes Back Anniversary Set to Be Cool

Why Boba Fett’s Sound Was a Mystery for Almost 20 Years

Our 25 Favorite Summer Blockbusters of the 1980s

The Force Is With This Stunning Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary Poster

Ahsoka Tano Leads the Charge in the New Star Wars Lego Sets

Hans Solo, Ranked

Star Wars Is Turning Its Anthological Eye to The Empire Strikes Back [Updated]

Size Matters Not in This Exclusive Star Wars Animated Short

Maybe AT-ATs Aren’t as Dumb as They Look

The Best Things The Empire Strikes Back Introduced to Star Wars

The Empire Strikes Back and The Last Jedi Share a Kindred Love of Star Wars

America’s Ass Leads the Way in the Most Patriotic Toys of the Week

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Touchscreen Laptop Is Now Cheaper Than an Entry-Level iPad at Best Buy

Polaroid’s New Hi-Print for Phone Photos Doubles as a Freestanding Frame

Researchers Turned Acid From Car Batteries Into Something Surprisingly Useful

‘Starfleet Academy’ Star Karim Diané Is Heading to IDW’s ‘Star Trek’ Pride Comic (Exclusive)

Artemis 2 Day 7: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

A Cure for Knee Arthritis? It May Be Closer Than You Think

Dyson Car+Boat Handheld Vacuum Is Now the Cheapest Entry into the Brand at an All-Time Low, Cordless and Lightweight Cleaner for Less

Meta Hopes a Hide-and-Seek App Will Convince You to Buy Its Smart Glasses

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

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