Star Wars: Royal Mail is releasing special stamps for The Rise of Skywalker

The special stamps have been released ahead of the latest instalment in the popular series

Eight of the 10 character stamps issued by Royal Mail (Royal Mail)

A set of Royal Mail stamps launched to mark the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in December are now available for purchase.

The 16 stamps are comprised of 10 characters from the beloved saga, including Darth Maul, Count Dooku, Poe Dameron and Queen Amidala.

Characters making their debut in the new collection include Jannah, played by Naomi Ackie, and the red armoured Sith Troopers

The new release also includes a sheet of six stamps featuring the most popular vehicles in the Star Wars galaxy, including a Podracer, Jedi Starfighter, Poe’s X-wing fighter and speeder bikes.

Digital artist and Star Wars fan, Malcom Tween – who also designed the popular 2015 and 2017 Star Wars stamp issues – illustrated the characters exclusively for Royal Mail.

The 10 character stamps in full (Royal Mail ) (Royal Mail)

Tween blended the character portraits with background scenes in an attempt to create hyper-realistic images.

Similarly to the previous two Star Wars stamp issues, the style of the "1st" value on each stamp will imitate the font used for the hit films.

Philip Parker, Royal Mail, said: “Once again Malcolm Tween takes us on a journey across the Star Wars galaxy with extraordinary artwork of characters old and new.

The six-stamp collection of Star Wars vehicles (Royal Mail ) (Royal Mail)

“The stamps are miniature masterpieces and a fitting tribute to mark the end of the Skywalker saga,” he said.

The full set of 16 stamps is available for purchase in a presentation pack priced at £12.

Star Wars enthusiasts can procure their own collection by going to royalmail.com/starwars or by calling 03457 641 641.

The stamps will also be on general sale at 7,000 Post Office branches across the UK.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is released in UK cinemas on 19 December.

The much anticipated film stars John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver and Carrie Fisher, in a posthumous role.