We already knew there's an entire audience that dedicates heaps of admiration -- and probably some authentic drool -- to the famous bikini worn in George Lucas's 1983 space opera, "Return of the Jedi."

But when we stumbled upon Leia's Metal Bikini, a fan site created in 2002 by Jamin Fite (aka "Slave Master"), we knew we had found a new level of fandom.

The site is a mecca of all-things-metal-bikini, allowing browsers to buy the costume or learn how to build one themselves, and providing space for plenty of just-as-awesome-as-you'd-expect "fan pictures."

We spoke to the Slave Master himself for the 411 on just what makes the metal bikini hype so enduring.

"Leia was such a strong character to begin with, so to see her all dolled up as a concubine for that big, ugly creature was something many Star Wars fans didn't expect," he tells us.

Read on for more insights and a few of our favorite fan pics.

Fite and his fan club do not stand alone. It should also be noted that this outfit is considered so sexy that Princess Leia (played by Carrie Fisher) soared to the top of Maxim's "Hottest Nerd Crushes" list and was dubbed the "nerd-universe equivalent" to Phoebe Cates baring her chest in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

But according to Fite, the bikini's power works on both sexes.

"The costume itself is also as revealing as it is beautiful. It's made of gold, silk and suede, the highest quality materials, with a leash-like chain and slave collar. I don't think it's possible for any lady to wear the Slave Leia outfit and not feel gorgeous and intensely desired. It's not just a male fantasy, but a female one as well."

But still, it's gotta be kinda sweet as a man with raging hormones to be surrounded with women all Leia'd up, right? Slave Master Fite is a professional when it comes to that.

"I've probably been in the presence of more Slave Leia costumers than anyone," he says. "But even I fall prey to their charms. One group photo had me surrounded by over 30 ladies decked out in the bikini for about 15 minutes and I honestly had to quickly think of Rosie O'Donnell to clear my head."

That's quick thinking, Slave Master.

Wendy Rose Gould is an Asylum correspondent in search of a Han Solo look-a-like. She does not appear in any Slave Leia photos that we know of.