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.

Party on in this re-themed Slave I

When a piece that’s exclusive to one set gets released in a new colour, it can be appealing to base a tribute to the original set around the new piece. That’s exactly what BobDeQuatre has done with the transparent purple windscreen from the LEGO Movie 2 70828 Pop-Up Party Bus set, which had previously only existed in transparent clear in the Ultimate Collector’s Series 75060 Slave I.

While many parts of the original model could be substituted for parts in the right colour scheme, some had to be replaced if the correct parts didn’t exist. I especially like the way the curves over the wing mounts were sculpted. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the weapons have been removed, as this ship is built to have fun, not chase the Millennium Falcon. And what better way to emphasize its readiness to party, than with a fun pair of cat ears. Meow!

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How well do you know your LEGO Star Wars trivia and timeline? [Feature]

Over the past two decades, LEGO Star Wars has released more than 700 sets and 1,000 minifigures. It is no surprise that the theme has racked up a significant amount of interesting milestones along the way. From the first flesh-colored faces to the first new hair piece in 20 years, LEGO has explored a lot of new territory within the Star Wars product line.

Below we have two lists, one of interesting LEGO Star Wars trivia and the other an abbreviated history of the product line. To whet your whistle, which droid has appeared the most throughout the entire LEGO Star Wars history? How many LEGO versions of the Millennium Falcon have been created? How many bricks were in the world’s largest LEGO X-Wing that was built in Times Square? Read on to find out.

Keep reading to see how well you know your LEGO Star Wars trivia and history

The story behind the 1999 launch of LEGO Star Wars [Feature]

Where were you when the LEGO Star Wars theme launched twenty years ago? For me, it began with the January 1999 LEGO Shop-at-Home catalog. The front cover promised “LEGO Star Wars action” on pages 6 and 7, and it did not disappoint! My eyes widened at the sight of LEGO versions of the X-Wing and TIE-Fighter. As soon as the sets hit store shelves, I gathered my allowance money and purchased the Landspeeder as my very first LEGO Star Wars set. Now as an adult, I find the story behind the beginnings of LEGO’s first licensed theme just as exciting.

The foundations for LEGO Star Wars arguably existed long before the launch. Space exploration was a big topic of interest in the 1960s and 70s, giving rise to hit space-themed TV shows like Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica. In 1977, Star Wars was released and became a blockbuster hit. During this period, LEGO too began embracing the space age and released the first Classic Space sets in 1979. Instead of lightsaber battles and dogfights, the initial emphasis of LEGO was on exploration. Conflict would eventually make its way into LEGO space sets with the introduction of the thieving Blacktron I faction in 1987. The relationship between these defined “good guys” and bad guys” was relatively tame, keeping in line with founder Ole Kirk Christiansen’s commitment to not make “war toys.”

Keep reading about the historic launch of LEGO Star Wars

Happy 20th Anniversary LEGO Star Wars [News]

Twenty years ago, LEGO introduced the Star Wars product line–a theme that would not only help save the company but spark the imaginations of generations of LEGO fans. Star Wars was the first licensed franchise for LEGO and has since grown to be one of the most storied and successful product lines of all time with more than 700 sets, 1,000 minifigures, five video games, several animated TV series and a tidal wave of other merchandise.

LEGO Star Wars holds a special place in our hearts here at The Brothers Brick–it has helped some of us out of our dark ages, we’ve featured an incredible amount of amazing fan creations based on it, and two of us literally wrote the book on it. To celebrate the 20th anniversary, we’ve prepared an entire day’s worth of LEGO Star Wars content, so buckle up for a nostalgia trip to a galaxy far, far away.

To start off, below we have the official press release from LEGO about the 20th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars as well as an archival photo gallery of sets, advertisements, minifigures, timelines and the new anniversary sets launched this month.

Patrolling A-wings that would look at home in Blue Squadron

Often referred to as the fastest ship in the rebel fleet, the A-wing is definitely one of the sleekest one-man fighters to soar through that galaxy far, far away. While there have been several official sets from LEGO over the years, the attention to detail that LEGO fan creators put into models of this iconic ship never ceases to amaze me. Take this pair of A-wings by Maelven, for example. The narrow gap down the middle of the nose and inset tiles do wonders in capturing the look of its on-screen inspiration.

I also love the random patches of light gray and other colors that help make the fighters look a bit worn and patched. The smoothly angled sides are also well-executed. One more detail I almost missed is the blue tooth element just behind the canopy, which is spot on when compared to the A-wing model from the film.

AT-RT nimbly navigated across the floor of a sinkhole on Utapau

It’s a good thing that clone troopers are genetically enhanced because there is no way an average Stormtrooper could pilot an AT-RT so smoothly over slippery rocks. This fun scene by Inthert combines a well-designed AT-RT, perfectly scaled for a minifig, with some nicely sculpted rock-work.

LEGO 75259 Snowspeeder – 20th Anniversary Edition [Review]

In the world of Star Wars, there are a few fan-favorite vehicles that have stood the test of time, and the Snowspeeder is definitely one of them. They’re sometimes referenced as airspeeders since they were originally utility vehicles until they were modified by the Rebel Alliance for the snowy landscape and battle as seen in Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back, and LEGO’s newest version is 75259 Snowspeeder – 20th Anniversary Edition.

To date, there have only been 3 other snowspeeders at this scale sold in individual sets in the 20 years of the LEGO Star Wars lifespan (plus one cousin, the Sandspeeder). Of course, then there are the other snowspeeders that appeared as part of larger playsets, which include the 7666 Hoth Rebel Base, 8089 Hoth Wampa Cave, 75014 Battle for Hoth, and finally the 75098 Assault on Hoth. Lastly, most fans will remember the Ultimate Collector Series versions which range over a thousand pieces and are masterpieces on their own, plus several tiny microscale versions. Without further ado, let’s take a look at this special commemorative edition the snowspeeder, which LEGO has released as one of five sets in celebration of two decades of Star Wars LEGO. 75259 Snowspeeder – 20th Anniversary Edition has 309 pieces and is priced at USD 39.99 | GBP 34.99 | CAD 49.99. It is currently available in stores and online.

Click to read the full hands-on review

Exclusive LEGO Star Wars 75227 Darth Vader Bust [Instructions]

Last month, LEGO revealed the exclusive 75227 Darth Vader Bust set for Star Wars Celebration 2019. Convention exclusives are usually very hard to obtain and command a high price on the secondary market from scalpers. Thankfully, LEGO is somewhat addressing that since this set will also be available to Target REDCard members online starting April 11th until supplies run out (which we expect will be very quick).

(EDIT: Target did not make the bust available on the 11th and instead posted it early in the morning on the 12th. It appears to have sold out in less than 15 minutes. We have reached out to Target to see if any other batch will be made available but have not heard back.)

While we celebrate that the set won’t be entirely exclusive to the show in Chicago, it will still likely prove to be a hard-to-get collectors item elsewhere around the world. We know many of our international readers have bemoaned the fact they can’t get the set, so we are happy to report that LEGO has published the instructions and parts list for the Darth Vader Bust online. You can download the instructions from LEGO here (the file is 23 MB).

Our very own News Editor Dave Schefcik has already searched through his collection and built the Darth Vader Bust with only a few pieces needing to be substituted with alternative parts. Behold Lord Vader!

Dave also discovered that the Darth Vader Bust contains two new unique pieces: a pair of 4×6 right/left plates in black that help shape the back of the helmet. These wedge plates are relatively new and are only currently available in white on Bricklink (also available in red on LEGO Bricks and Pieces). Dave substituted them with the more common 3×6 right/left wedge plates and got close to the final look.

Luckily, the two new black pieces are currently available on LEGO Bricks and Pieces if you need your bust to be perfect. Dave actually priced out the entire set since 100% of the inventory is currently available from Bricks and Pieces, and it came to a total of $50.90 USD plus tax and shipping for all of the parts brand new from LEGO. (It may even be cheaper with used brick on Bricklink, though not nearly as convenient.)

That total cost is only $10.91 more than what the set will retail for ($39.99) so it is a pretty good deal if you want to just build the Darth Vader Bust with new sorted brick from LEGO using the digital instructions provided. Yes, you wont have the box or printed instructions–but for many fans who won’t be able to get their hands on the set mint-in-box anyway, we are happy there’s a way for everyone to enjoy building it.

Good luck and May The Force Be With You!

LEGO Star Wars Box available next week in the UK along with a cute Chicken Skater Pod [News]

Last year around the holidays, LEGO launched an incredibly popular Star Wars surprise box promotion available only in the US and Canada. Now a similar box is being offered to LEGO fans in the UK starting on April 11 with Star Wars purchases greater than £85 (an offer that coincides with the launch of the 20th Anniversary sets). This time around, the box promises five unnamed Star Wars items and a chance to win an unspecified limited edition Star Wars minifigure.

The UK LEGO Shop is also currently offering a gift-with-purchase of a cute Chicken Skater Pod just in time for Easter, available with orders greater than £35. (The chick should be available as a gift-with-purchase later this month in the US and Canada.)

Though we do not know what will be included in the UK boxes, the Star Wars boxes in the US and Canada contained five rare minifigures including Colonel Wullf Yularen from the conference room scene on the first Death Star, DJ from The Last Jedi, a stormtrooper sergeant, Han Solo in Hoth gear, and a Scarif shore trooper squad leader from Rogue One.

Your guide to the 17 new LEGO sets for April 2019 including Star Wars, Avengers Endgame and Steamboat Willie [News]

Spring has arrived and along with it a new wave of seventeen highly anticipated new LEGO sets. Star Wars gets the prime treatment with all the 20th Anniversary sets and new Action Battle series now available. Avengers Endgame sets (two with double VIP point offers) and LEGO Ideas Steamboat Willie are also now available.

This wave is certainly smaller than the 112 new sets from this January, but we have your guide right here to each and every new set.
See all of the April 2019 wave of LEGO sets available now

LEGO 75243 Slave I – 20th Anniversary Edition [Review]

Star Wars is one of the flagship themes that has kept LEGO fans on their toes every single year since its first appearance in 1999, and there seems to be no end to it. 2019 marks the 20th Anniversary of the Star Wars joining the LEGO lineup. In celebration, the latest wave of sets feature nostalgic packaging and some unique exclusives to commemorate the early years of LEGO’s best-selling license. Today we’re taking a hands-on look at the largest set, 75243 Slave I – 20th Anniversary Edition, which comes in at 1,007 pieces and is available starting April 1 for $119.99 US | 159.99 CAD | 109.99 UK.

Click to read the full review

An Imperial probe droid. It’s a good bet the Empire has seen this perfect reproduction

Sometimes you look at a creation and don’t even realize you’re looking at something built out of LEGO bricks. That’s exactly what Lino Martins has achieved with his Imperial Probe Droid. At first glance, you might mistake the Arakyd Industries Viper probe droid for an action figure, but upon closer inspection you realize that it is, in fact, made up of LEGO elements.
Of course, it helps that he’s used certain pieces that are perfect substitutes for what is seen in the Empire Strikes Back, for example the Technic pins look almost identical to the ends of the antenna. And that’s just starting at the top – scanning the rest of the model shows more and more components that look enough like the reel thing to make you think it’s searching for your hidden Rebel base.