The Power Of The Force A-Wing Fighter

5/13/2026

Hasbro released the Power of the Force A-Wing Fighter in 1997 under the Kenner branding in the green packaging style. Packaged with an exclusive A-Wing Pilot figure, this release brought one of the Rebel Alliance’s starfighters back to toy shelves during the beginning of the modern 3 3/4" Star Wars toy line.

Packaging

The packaging reflects the later green Power of the Force design style that replaced the earlier orange and red appearance from the beginning of the line from 1995.

Assembly

The A-Wing Fighter comes completely assembled right out of the box. The only real assembly required involves applying a few stickers. Several decals are placed inside the cockpit, while two additional stickers are applied to the top of the hull. The sticker application is very quick and straightforward, it shouldn't take more than five minutes.

The side cannons are already attached when the vehicle is removed from the packaging. However, they can be pulled outward and rotated once extended. The cannons can even be removed completely from the vehicle if desired. 

By 1997, collectors were already very familiar with the bulkier figure proportions that defined the era, and the included A-Wing Pilot follows that same overall style, although the sculpt feels slightly more restrained compared to some of the earlier Power of the Force releases. The included A-Wing Pilot fits comfortably inside the cockpit. Despite the bulkier proportions the cockpit interior still provides enough room for the figure to sit naturally inside the vehicle.

Compared to the original 1985 Kenner A-Wing Fighter from the vintage Droids line, this release features several noticeable differences in paint applications and detailing.The original vintage vehicle had several stickers across the hull, while the 1997 release replaces all of them but two small ones with painted details. There are also changes to the cannons which are gray instead of dark blue, and when rotated they don't make a clicking sound. The cockpit hatch has different coloring and the electronics were entirely removed for this A-Wing Fighter release.

Vehicle Features

Even though this release removed the electronics found in the original vintage A-Wing Fighter from 1985, the battery compartment is still visible on the underside of the ship. The activation button itself has been removed, and this version no longer includes the firing sounds. There are still several mechanical play features built into the vehicle. A lever located behind the cockpit opens and closes the canopy. Another lever underneath the rear section deploys the landing gear. The retractable landing gear works especially well and gives the vehicle a nice display presence on a shelf.

Final Thoughts

For many collectors during the late 1990s, this release was an affordable way to add both an A-Wing Fighter and an exclusive pilot to a growing modern Star Wars collection. Today, the Power of the Force A-Wing Fighter definitely shows its age in some areas, especially when compared to what Hasbro would likely produce now with modern tooling and detailing.

Despite its age, and feeling somewhat out-dated nowadays in 2026, this release continues to display well alongside modern 3 3/4-inch Star Wars figures. If you come across one at a toy show or on the secondary market, it remains one of the more affordable A-Wing vehicles available to collectors, maybe have a closer look at it and see if it fits into your collection.

Thanks for reading and happy collecting!