Collect Notable 1980 The Empire Strikes Back Cards
Star Wars broke into the collectible card scene when the first movie premiered in 1977, and Topps returned with 1980 Topps Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back for the release of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. The Topps Series 1 set for the second Star Wars film included 132 cards featuring familiar faces, new characters, and a variety of scenes from the movie. These are some of the top cards to collect from the original Topps set for The Empire Strikes Back, all of which are from the set’s collection of “Star File” character cards.
#5: 1980 Topps Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back #11 Boba Fett
With the release of The Empire Strikes Back, notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett became a Star Wars icon. His lines were few, and his scenes were brief, but his armor was cool, and that’s all it took to capture the imaginations of fans. Interestingly, Boba Fett’s card from the original The Empire Strikes Back set claims that he’s 43 years old – a number that would later be changed to 35 when the bounty hunter was revealed to be a clone in the prequel trilogy.
#4: 1980 Topps Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back #4 Han Solo
Han Solo’s 1977 rookie card labeled him a space pirate, but the description on his The Empire Strikes Back card notes that he’s left that life behind him to join the rebel cause. The card also lists his birthplace as an “unknown” planet. In later Star Wars stories, it was revealed to be the planet Corellia.
#3: 1980 Topps Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back #3 Princess Leia
Like many cards in the original 1980 Topps Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back set, Princess Leia’s Star File card includes information later altered as the Star Wars franchise grew. The card claims that she’s only 20 years old in the film, though later sources changed that to 22. The card also says she’s 5’0” tall – very close to Carrie Fisher’s actual 5’1” height.
#2: 1980 Topps Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back #8 Lando Calrissian
Billy Dee Williams entered the Star Wars universe as Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back, and he got a Topps Star File card to match. The picture shows him in his regal Cloud City garb, complete with his iconic blue cape.
#1: 1980 Topps Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back #9 Yoda
The Empire Strikes Back introduced many new characters to Star Wars, but Yoda was easily the biggest hit. Yoda’s rookie card shows him on Dagobah and lists his age as 973—nearly 80 years older than his current canonical age during the film. The name of Yoda’s species, listed as “unknown” on the card, remains a mystery.
