Let’s look at it this way: Stormtroopers always miss their shots and Jedi constantly use their Force push capabilities to render those poor troopers in weak plastic white armour lifeless. Letranger Absurde shows off this exact scenario taking place in (almost) real-time with an unarmed Stormtrooper. That red light saber, says a lot, doesn’t it? Hint: EVIL! The character build is stunningly simple yet gives off a maximum punch with the pose giving off a dynamic in-motion feel.
This holiday season, Star Wars fans are flocking to movie theaters to see the final installment in the Skywalker saga. Since Star Wars came out in 1977, we’ve grown older, some of us have had kids of our own, some have bought homes, held more than a few jobs, some of us may even be looking as old and grizzled as Luke Skywalker himself. No matter how we turned out in life, Star Wars fans who were children or young adults in 1977 recall the year that changed their lives immesuably. An entity named NS Brick Designs has sparked a sense of wonder and nostalgia for older Star Wars fans with a LEGO rendition of the original Tom Jung pulp poster that started it all.
Luke’s robe billows open revealing his massively muscled chest while a subservient, sultry Leia slinks at his feet holding a blaster. This wasn’t the reality of the movie; Luke wasn’t all that ripped and it turns out Princess Leia could hold her own and wasn’t going to play second fiddle to a farm boy from Tatooine. But pulp images, especially this one inspired by the fantasy art of Frank Frazetta, have a way of capturing the imagination and bending perceptions a bit. Now in modern times, we are calling the newest movie the last of the Skywalker saga, but we have new heroes to look up to such as Finn, Rey and Poe. Thanks to a dedicated fan base and thanks, in part, to images like this one, the magic and lore of Star Wars has persisted with us most of our lives and will likely remain with us for generations to come.
Do not self destruct! This diorama featuring the climactic battle from Chapter 1 of The Mandalorian deserves never to be taken apart. “Outpost on Arvala-7” is built by none other than KevFett2011 — one of the most accomplished LEGO builders in the world, who has returned with this stunning model of The Mandalorian and IG-11 closing in on their bounty.
In a way, this build is incredibly simple: There are only four colors used in the hut, well and landscape. Deciding what color palette to use in a highly-detailed scene can be frustrating, but here KevFett utilizes the saying “less is more”.
Another aspect of the build that I like is the roughness of everything. There are hardly any smooth surfaces, which makes sense on a harsh desert world like Arvala-7. Slopes, studs, and angular pieces help illustrate the idea that the pair of bounty hunters are not welcome here, and that they’ll have to fight their way to their goal.
Lately, between The Mandalorian and The Rise of Skywalker, the LEGO building community has seen a great wealth of fan creations based on all things Star Wars. This is not, in itself, a bad thing. I mean, Baby Yoda is indeed very cute. But it’s still nice when a builder will take things in a very unexpected direction. Let’s say you have a 75117 Kylo Ren set on hand. Sure, you could build it according to the directions and act out your favorite Dark Side moments. But Letranger Absurde decided to take those parts and present a very different Dark Side vision. The Blood Countess takes key parts from that set and turns them into a vision of malice that is, to me anyway, just a bit scarier.
The most obvious part is Kylo’s torso, inverted and used for the Countess’ abdomen. Less easy to identify are the shoulder guards now forming her bodice. Of the non-kit parts in use, I like the Ninjago influence in the hat for the belt buckle and spinner ring in the sash detailing. Beyond the Countess herself, check out the build on the heart (or other glob of flesh) in her hand. There’s a telephone receiver in there. Is the secret message of this build “reach out and touch someone?” Gosh, I hope not.
Why wait for Elon Musk to release the Cybertruck when you can own your very own right now? No deposit required! We know it’s not going to have the autopilot feature, but it’s not really going to be a big deal-breaker here thanks to Hachiroku24. If it comes apart in any unfortunate accidents, it’s going to be 100% rebuildable right back to the condition that it came in. How does that work?
Click to see full video instructions
Some really great large Game of Thrones LEGO creations have been built in the last few years (if I don’t say so myself). Ekjohnson1 has built a number of amazing smaller Game of Thrones models, including this masterful vignette of Tyrion Lannister and Jorah Mormont sailing through Valyria. The amount of detail jam-packed into this small scene is amazing.
Right off the bat, I have to recognize the parts chosen for the custom minifigs. There is no question which characters are represented. Beyond that, there is so much to be in awe of here, such as the wands and claws as reeds. Two techniques stand out as most impressive to me both being held together by gravity and balance. First, the upside-down green hats being used as a plant – amazing. Second, and fittingly described at the bottom of the paragraph, is the use of 1×1 round tiles at the bottom of the model to represent the water simply but effectively.
With so much new Star Wars content coming at us this holiday season, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s really important in life. Thankfully Caleb Watson is here to remind us life is good, because Baby Yoda is here.
Maybe you think I’m joking, but then you take a look at that cute little 50-year-old baby drinking his cuppa soup and you’ll see what I mean. Memes are one thing – and I’m not complaining, I am here for Baby Yoda memes – but LEGO models take this to the next level. And then Caleb took it to a whole other level by giving his model of the tiny Force user movement. Now let’s all sit back, and watch LEGO Baby Yoda drink all our troubles away.
For more of how Caleb’s mechanical mind thinks, check out his in-depth article on constructing a LEGO representation of a genetic disease.
LEGO builder Deborah Higdon brings us this cheery home vignette to wish us a merry Christmas. Like all the best things about the holidays, it’s simple yet crafted with great thoughtfulness and care. From the shingled tile roof to the clean siding, working porch lights, and the delicate railings wrapped in garland, each aspect of this house is a masterwork of details working together to create a realistic house.
But Deborah didn’t just stop at the outside; after all, what’s Christmas without a comfy interior? The tree has been removed in this photo so that we can see extra interior details, but don’t worry, it’s definitely there. Check out Deborah’s album for more details.
Ah, Christmas morning. Is there anything more magical as a kid? I argue that there is not. And architeclego captures the feel perfectly, as a child ventures into the living room to see the presents left by Santa Claus. The lighting is beautiful here, mingling the warm, gentle glow of the tree lights, the strand over the window, the lantern, and the fireplace with the cool moonlight streaming through the window. Perhaps the kid got up right after midnight, because Saint Nick is still on the premises, peeping through the panes to see the presents being received. The immersive scene is delightful, with a tiled ceiling with exposed rafters, bare brick walls, and well-varnished hardwood floors. Here’s to all Christmas mornings looking this good!
Now, I’m ordinarily a purist when it comes to everything LEGO. But the inclusion of some evergreen sprigs and an LED string here improve the presentation so much that I can hardly object. The Dobby socks over the fireplace look great, and that is probably the best use of a bow I have seen; I mean, it’s a bow on a present, but still, it looks much better than it does as a hair accessory. The best part, though, is that the kid is getting a vintage LEGO police car for Christmas. He must have been a very good boy this year.
If Hallmark decides to get into the LEGO holiday card market, Aukbricks has created a warm and inviting scene that would be welcome in any mailbox. The hardwood floors, white molding, and candles on the wall offer us a nostalgic vision of an old world home. Meanwhile, the holiday decorations are color-coordinated in classy white and gold – right down to the gift boxes under the tree. According to the builder, this digital render utilizes existing LEGO elements and consists of nearly 4,500 pieces. Try packing all of that in a holiday card!
For nearly fifteen years The Brothers Brick has been highlighting the best LEGO creations, and 2019 has seen builders across the world put together some incredible models. To celebrate a year of great building, The Brothers Brick team has looked back over everything we’ve featured, and pulled together a selection of the finest LEGO creations of 2019.
Take a look at the fantastic models we’ve shortlisted, and stay tuned for the announcement of our LEGO Creation of the Year 2019 on New Year’s Eve!
Be sure to check out the LEGO Creation of the Year 2018, LEGO Creation of the Year 2017 and LEGO Creation of the Year 2016 to see what honourable company this year’s nominations are keeping.
Click to see all of 2019’s nominees
When LEGO created their in-house Indiana Jones character, they gave him the same characteristics as the original: rugged good looks, iconic hat, and a predilection for grave robbing. Indy always insisted that relics belonged in his university’s museum, as opposed to remaining with the peoples from whom he stole them, or at very least in the territories of origin (the Sankara stones being an exception, since his mission was to restore the stones); not that he succeeded often, since the Ark and the Grail eluded him. But nothing eluded Johnny Thunder. He got all of his relics, and not just his own, as WerferOfFlammen shows us. While the build is not very technical, the display is jaw-dropping, and hugely satisfying. Every LEGO collectible is there, from the Infinity Stones to the Elves keys, from the Atlantis rings to the Ninjago Time Blades. That’s not all, of course, as everything is there. Everything. And Johnny Thunder doesn’t put anything in a museum, just his personal study.
