Tag Archives: Star Wars

LEGO Star Wars is one of the most popular LEGO themes of all time. Far beyond X-wings and TIE fighters, there’s a whole expanded universe of inspiration, and an army of LEGO fans ready to build whatever comes out of George Lucas’s head next.

Bringing Star Wars down to Earth

It’s a matter of record that George Lucas used World War II combat footage as a placeholder for the starship battles in early cuts of the original Star Wars. LEGO builder Jordan Fridal has built on this fact by creating an inspired series of digital mash-ups; Star Wars vehicles combined with the WWII-era planes that might have stood in for them before the special effects were done. Here we see an X-Wing/P-51 Mustang trying to outrun a Tie Intercepter/Messerschmitt ME BF-109. And just like groundbreaking special effects need a team to complete them, sometimes a LEGO creation takes more than one person to bring it to life. With that in mind, Jordan credits brick_squadron and Inthert for a bit of help on the X-51.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

TIE Viper – obscure new Star Wars ship or genius mashup?

November is here again, and you know what that means—besides my favorite Starbucks holiday drink and turkey hangovers of all kinds. November is also a long-celebrated LEGO building challenge known as NoVVember, where builders pay homage to the Vic Viper, an iconic spaceship from the video game Gradius, by building a starship with all the signature details… two forward-facing prongs, two wings, and a fin. This entry by WyndGekko checks all the boxes and more, with a perfect mashup of viper and Star Wars, interpreting the viper as what could easily be an early prototype for the TIE interceptor. My only issue with this great build is that I didn’t think of it first.

A boxy X-Wing precursor from a bygone age

If you’ve ever wondered what starfighters looked like in the days before “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” Alex Simion imagines one possibility with the non-canonical X1 Freedom Rebel Fighter. I love the rugged texture of this ship, trading in the typical sleekness of Star Wars fighters for something a bit more utilitarian. All the sharp corners and exposed mechanical panels definitely add to the implied age of the craft, and it feels reminiscent of the Millennium Falcon as a result. And check out those massive blasters on the front! I’d hate to be in front of this thing while over Alderaan.

And here’s a view of the back. I love all the mechanical texturing around the six engines. I can only imagine how fast this fella could go! This angle also highlights one of my favorite bits in the build: the pair of red friction cylinders on top of the craft. I love the pop of color amid so much gray and black, drawing the eye in to all the details surrounding them. And the technical connection to the two pairs of wings feels appropriate given all the other mechanisms on display. But where does the astromech droid go?

This is the Jedi starfighter you’re looking for

You don’t have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to see Koen Zwanenburg‘s LEGO build of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s starship from Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. One of the sure things about the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy is the beauty of the spaceships zipping around the galaxy. This take on the Delta-7 Jedi starfighter does the on-screen ship justice. Every angle is present, and the color scheme has just as much pop. I’ve always loved the green accents in the Republic color palette–it really gives the ships something special. Koen captures the different layers of the ship seamlessly. I really can’t stop looking at this build! Of course, this has always been one of my favorite ships from the Star Wars franchise… I can’t wait to see what ship Koen takes on next.

Space Pirate-ship Keuppia

Presumably named after an extinct genus of octopus, the Keuppia by Builder BetaNotus is also inspired by an ancient expansion from 1994 of the Star Wars role-playing game. The Discril-class attack cruisers from Cracken’s Rebel Operatives may not be canon now but their general shaping was similar to the model that BetaNotus crafted in their honor. Like the once Imperial vessels which fell into the hands of brigands and thieves, this ship is “crewed by pirates seeking fame, fortune, and unsuspecting merchants,” as the builder puts it. Originally built for BrickFair Virginia 2021, there are a slew of techniques used in the shaping of this craft. BetaNotus covered almost ever crack and angle while also creating a frightfully armed front end. The grill slopes used at the front could be large vents or textured armor, either reads well, but the triple gun arms are real heavy hitters. I could see why pirates would like such an craft as it would be great for running down ships and disabling their shields while taking plenty of hits of its own.

Continue reading →

For the love of money...and chicken legs

You can be forgiven for barely remembering the droid bounty hunter 4-LOM who boasted roughly one second of screen time in The Empire Strikes Back. But for LEGO builder Greg Dalink, 4-LOM (stands for; For the Love of Money) holds a special place in his heart. He’s working on a series of battle mechs that houses the Star Wars bounty hunter for which it resembles. You know, for when a bounty hunter wants to work more conspicuously. I love the greebly details and overall black and gun-metal color of this mech. The Bionicle shoulder pads make great compound eyes and the breathing device (do droids breathe?) is an amazing touch.

The best part is the head opens to reveal a 4-LOM minifig driver nestled inside as seen in this photo. It seems 4-LOM loves money and the feeling of being inside himself…or something. Ahem. Just click this Greg Dalink link to see some of the other bounty hunter mechs in action.

This alien shaman has a few tips for getting ahead...

Eyrezer digs deep into the lore of Star Wars with this Joddar shaman, who hails from the Valley of the Wizard Warriors on Endor. While the shaman himself looks to be just a Killer Croc big fig in a cloak, the alien terrain he stands on perfectly calls to mind the sci-fi trends of the early 1980s, with its Dr. Seussian plants growing out of the harsh rocks. The decapitated heads on chains are probably not something that would have flown in a kid-friendly Ewok adventure back then, but I bet there are several modern days fans who don’t mind seeing Rotta lanced.

Snowspeeding like it’s 1999

Does this picture look familiar to you? If you answered yes, you’re either student of LEGO box art, or you’re a LEGO Star Wars fan of a certain age. That, or you’re a fan of 2bricks‘s work. Not content with building an iconic Star Wars vehicle, they’ve gone ahead and replicated the box art for the original snowspeeder, released in the very late ’90s. The resemblance is uncanny, and very well executed – even the AT-AT leg in the background is made of bricks. Let’s take nothing away from the speeder though! The way all those angles come together at the front is just *chef’s kiss*. Nostalgia be damned – this is some upgrade compared to 1999!

Learning the A to Zeffo of the Jedi

The video game Jedi: Fallen Order was a real boon for those with an interest in the history of the Jedi. Ethan Tesone has created a neat diorama of the planet Bogano, one of the first locations in the game and the home of the ancient Zeffo species. The essence of Bogano is perfectly captured, alongside some of the game’s key features. Of course we have protagonist Cal Kestis, with a custom BD-1 on his shoulder. The green crate likely hides some of the game’s collectibles – a poncho, or a lightsaber hilt, perhaps. And Cal stands atop a meditation circle, which act as the save points in the game. This might be my favourite part of the build, as it’s so well integrated into the ground. But best of all – it even lights up!

Don’t get in this Sith lord’s way

According to LEGO builder Simion Alex, this menacing hulk of a ship hails from the Star Wars universe where it’s the personal escort of a Sith lord. The aesthetic isn’t quite what I typically expect from Star Wars, but I absolutely love it, as it screams aggressive and deadly—exactly what you’d expect a Sith lord’s ship to look like. The color blocking is outstanding with just the right amount of greebling to make this starship feel weighty and armored.

A trio of Star Wars TIE Fighters to tie you over

Man, I love good LEGO builds in an alternate scale! Here we see a trio of TIE Fighters built by Tim Goddard. They’re not quite microscale, but probably what we’d call closer to Midi-scale. Tim calls it Trophy Scale which would be great to receive such a trophy. The Darth Vader TIE Advanced X1 and its regular TIE escorts are handsome on their stands and showcase just about as much detail as their bigger UCS counterparts.

Tim tells us he has been thinking about building the entire Death Star trench run in this scale, which would still be massive and jaw-droppingly impressive if he pulls it off. In the meantime, just tie yourselves over with a couple of the good guy ships, an X-Wing and A-Wing. Now don’t get cocky! Actually, we prefer when you do get cocky. It usually makes for good LEGO creations and amusing subject matter to write about.

The long-forgotten temple of the Sith

I love a good scene of ruins, and this LEGO diorama by Chris Bricks hits all the right notes, from the massive scale to the otherworldly atmosphere. Of course, that latter bit might be because this isn’t a medieval fantasy structure but a long-forgotten Sith temple set in the Star Wars universe. Naturally, it’s home to a Holocron. Look closely and you’ll spy that the junk strewn around is actually spaceship parts. The large slope elements that make up the rockwork do an excellent job of giving this scene an uncanny feeling, as the mountain itself almost feels organic.