Iconic Phantom Menace Pepsi Vending Machine Vanishes from Pittsburgh, Replaced by Decoy

GG Brief Editorial Desk · AI-assisted, source attributed

A nearly 28-year-old Pepsi vending machine on Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh, decorated with Star Wars: Episode I imagery and kept stocked since the film's release, was removed this week and swapped for a hand-drawn decoy. The replacement features crude artwork and an extra button (10 buttons versus the original's nine). Influencer Braeden Days — who previously threatened to take the machine — has been suggested as a suspect, and the machine's location outside a fire station has prompted locals to name the Pittsburgh Fire Department among possible actors. The disappearance has drawn attention because the machine is a longtime local pop-culture relic tied to Phantom Menace fandom.

• The Pepsi vending machine with Episode I pod-racing graphics stood on Mt. Washington and remained stocked for more than 27 years.
• This week the original unit was removed and replaced by a poorly drawn decoy that shows a giant Pepsi bottle, pod-racing imagery, and 10 selection buttons compared to the original nine.
• Influencer Braeden Days previously threatened to take the machine and has been suggested as responsible; the machine sits outside a Pittsburgh fire station, leading locals to name the Pittsburgh Fire Department as another possible actor.
• The replacement's botched artwork has been compared to the infamous 2012 Jesus-painting restoration and reignited community interest in whether the original machine will be returned.