The 10 Weirdest Star Wars Posters From Around The World
For as long as the franchise has existed, movie posters have been an integral part of Star Wars. The oldest posters, especially those of the original trilogy, have become valuable collectibles and important pieces of entertainment history. For many, these posters defined their childhoods, and most are regarded as iconic symbols of American popular culture. But not all posters are created equal, and some are just plain weird. In the US and abroad, there are dozens of examples of posters that have left fans scratching their heads. Here are 10 such Star Wars posters that will leave audiences confused.
10 Four Millennium Falcons Are Better Than One - USA
If an artist is commissioned to create a poster for a movie, they ought to have seen it to get every piece right. This wasn't the case for this poster, whose artist skipped out on the movie before breaking out the paintbrush. Included in the LP for the Star Wars soundtrack, this poster contains not one, but four Millennium Falcons, and a Death Star that looks like a spherical version of the Borg's cube. Still, compared to others on this list, it is about a tamed as one can get.
9 The Xerox probably Broke - Romania
This poster utilizes the classic illustration by British artist Tom Chantrell, which has become one of the most recognizable in all of Star Wars fandom. It was used throughout the world for other international releases, and it's still used in some capacity today. But, for the movie's release in Romania, it seems the technology needed to properly edit the poster was not available. So they settled for the next best option. They simply took one of Chantrell's posters and snapped a picture of it with a black and white camera before placing a title card beneath. A closer look would show not only wrinkles that were there before the picture was taken but the flash of the cameraman's camera.
8 Do You Even Lift, Bro? - Italy
Early in the franchise's history, there was this weird trend among poster artists to make Luke Skywalker look like a chiseled hunk, while simultaneously trying to boost Lea's sex appeal. This is something that many American posters are guilty of doing, as seen in the official poster for Star Wars that hung in theaters in 1977. This poster from Italy, however, expands on this trend, with strange results. There's just so much weird going on with this poster. Luke looks like a bodybuilder while Lea's dress seems like it's about to fall off at any moment. But the weirdest part of all is that they gave Darth Vader eyelids. That is something no one can un-see.
7 Mind. Blown. - Poland
This poster for Return of the Jedi depicts the classic scene where Darth Vader's head explodes. Or at least, that's what the creator of this poster thought. Honestly, what's so weird about this poster isn't just Vader's head is exploding, but rather it spoils the ending for everyone. While it's true that people could've guessed that Vader was going to die at the end of Jedi, actually putting it on the poster is a whole new level cinematic trolling that we've never seen before.
6 It's About The Yellow Guy, Right? - Poland
Poland strikes back, this time with a poster from A New Hope that completely missed the point of the plot. Either the person who drew this was a big fan of C-3PO or just hadn't seen the movie because nothing else could explain why everyone's favorite protocol droid is the only character on the poster. He's also dancing in what looks like snow, which probably didn't happen until everyone got to Hoth. The worst thing about this poster is that it misleads people into thinking that C-3PO is the main character, rather than part of the supporting cast.
5 No, I Am Your Senpai - Japan
Prior to the release of The Phantom Menace in Japan, Lucasfilm commissioned a Manga tie-in comic to help promote the movie. This poster was intended to promote the comic, and it's hands down one of the most unique Star Wars posters imaginable. We've never seen a Star Wars anime, but if one were created, it would probably look a lot like this. The best part is that, unlike a lot of posters on this list, it doesn't take any creative liberties with the characters' looks and likenesses.
4 Meh Wars - Poland
What is it with Poland and weird posters? Another from Return of the Jedi, the characters on this poster look soooo board. Luke looks like he hasn't slept in days, and both Han and Lea seem completely disinterested with everything. The nonchalant way that they shoot their blasters looks like they have a blatant disregard for anyone in their surroundings. And what's with those single beams? It's like whoever drew this mistook the blasters for the phasers from Star Trek. And finally, C-3PO takes center stage, fooling audiences once again into thinking that he is the main protagonist.
3 A Long Time Ago Indeed - USA
This very early concept poster for A New Hope was drawn by legendary artist Ralph McQuarrie. His concept art for the original trilogy proved to be an invaluable asset for the production crew. While most of his concepts were heavily altered during production, his works provided the inspiration for the official designs that made their way into the films.
Likely created during preproduction, the poster utilizes many of the design aesthetics of Flash Gorden and the science fiction serials that inspired George Lucas to make Star Wars. While the visual elements changed during production, this poster represents an important touchstone in the franchise's history and a look of what could have been.
2 Wait, What? - Hungary
While some Star Wars posters try to give a visual summary of the movie's plot, others are a little more abstract. Such is the case with this poster for Return of the Jedi, created for the film's release in Hungary. Obviously, the goal here wasn't to give an accurate depiction of the movie itself, but rather to throw in a bunch of crazy stuff and hope everyone gets the point. The weirdest thing about this poster is the green monster the bottom with the unusually long teeth. This could be the artist's interpretation of the Rancor, but no amount of squinting could ever convince someone that that's what this thing is actually supposed to be. The second Death Star inside of Vader's eyeball is a nice touch, though.
1 In Soviet Russia, The Force Uses You - Russia
When Star Wars first came out, it wasn't released in Russia due to political tensions during the Cold War. However, as relations between the United States and Russia eased following the Soviet Union's collapse, western movies that were previously not made available behind the Iron Curtain were sent there in droves.
Released to promote the Russian release of A New Hope in the early 90s, the poster is easily the most misleading promotional piece in movie history. This cybernetic cat with lightsabers for hair looks like something straight out of a fever dream. Meanwhile, the strange hieroglyphs that make up the border seem like something an archaeologist would find on the inside of an Egyptian tomb. One must wonder if Russian audiences went to see Star Wars, on the pretext that it was about a cat monster, only to see the film and leave the theater confused.