Royal Mail have published a set of 18 Special Stamps to celebrate the Star Wars series of films and mark the release of the forthcoming episode, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The fantastic stamps, sure to delight both Star Wars fans and stamp collectors alike, are on sale now, with further collector sets available for pre-order to be released on 17th December.
Illustrated by British artist Malcolm Tween, the stamps depict nine iconic characters from the first six films and three from the forthcoming film: Rey, Finn and Kylo Ren. Incorporated onto each stamp is a secondary scene or character including new droid BB-8, illustrated by Tween especially for the stamps. In addition, the font used in the ‘1ST’ value of the stamps will replicate that of the iconic typeface used for the films.
The stamps available are;
DARTH vADER (played by David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones)
Darth Vader was once a Jedi Knight but was seduced to the dark side of the Force and became a Sith Lord. Vader served the Emperor for many years until, just moments before his death, he realised the terrible tragedy of his life.
YoDA (voiced by Frank Oz)
Small in size but supremely powerful in the Force, Jedi Master Yoda trained many Jedi Knights, including Luke Skywalker. In addition, he served as a member of the Jedi Council, using his vast wisdom to fight the Empire.
oBi-WAN KENoBi (played by Alec Guinness)
A Jedi Master of great skill and bravery, Obi-Wan Kenobi trained Anakin Skywalker and was one of the few to escape Anakin’s purge of the Jedi Order. He initiated Luke Skywalker into the ways of the Force.
SToRMTRooPER
The white-armoured soldiers and shock troops of the Empire, stormtroopers were originally clones of the legendary warrior named Jango Fett. Non-clone recruits swelled their numbers during the days of the Empire.
HAN SoLo (played by Harrison Ford)
A smuggler by trade, Han Solo lived on his wits until he met Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa and was persuaded to join the Rebel Alliance, taking part in some of its finest battles against the Empire.
PRiNCESS LEiA (played by Carrie Fisher)
Adopted as a baby, Princess Leia became a senator for Alderaan and leader of the Rebel Alliance. She was fiercely devoted to the Rebel cause, and her resolve became even stronger when the Empire destroyed her home planet.
THE EMPERoR (played by Ian McDiarmid)
At first, Palpatine appeared to be a kindly politician, but his secret identity as a deadly Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, was finally revealed when he took control of the galaxy and began to rule it as the Emperor.
LuKE SKYWALKER (played by Mark Hamill)
The son of Anakin Skywalker, Luke was hidden from his father on Tatooine until he met Obi-Wan Kenobi and learned the ways of the Jedi, joining the Rebellion and playing a key part in the fight against the Empire.
BoBA FETT (played by Jeremy Bulloch)
A genetic clone of his father, Jango Fett, and one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy, the legendary Boba Fett worked for many paymasters, including the Empire and various clients in the criminal underworld.
The three new characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens are:
REY (played by Daisy Ridley)
Three decades after the Battle of Endor, Rey makes a living by scavenging on the desert planet Jakku. However, she soon finds herself catapulted into the heart of a new crisis in the galaxy.
FiNN (played by John Boyega)
Finn was a stormtrooper in the forces of the First Order until he got stranded on the planet Jakku. There, an unlikely alliance with local scavenger Rey starts a chain of events that will affect the fate of the entire galaxy.
KYLo REN (played by Adam Driver)
As the First Order emerges from the remnants of the defeated Empire, Kylo Ren becomes a new symbol of terror, with his dark hood and cloak and his mastery of a new kind of lightsaber with three red blades.
Also released alongside the character stamps is a Miniature Sheet of six stamps featuring intricately detailed illustrations of six iconic Star Wars vehicles, brought together against a backdrop of the dreaded Death Star.
The stamps are on sale now at www.royalmail.com/starwars Opens in new window and from 8,000 Post Office branches across the UK, and by calling Royal Mail Tallents House on 03457 641 641.
