Last year, we were introduced to LEGO® Star Wars Helmets – the first sets to be labelled 18+, introducing a new subtheme of LEGO Star Wars Sets. Today, we get our first official look the new LEGO Sculptures for 2021, aimed at the adult market: Two helmets – And a droid.
We have 75304 Darth Vader, 75305 Scout Trooper and 75306 Imperial Probe Droid. These sets will be available to pre-order in some markets from today, and are due for a general release on April 25, 2021.
Along with a number of other Recognised LEGO Fan Media, I took part in a roundtable discussion with some of the LEGO Star Wars Design team – , including Jens Kronvold Frederiksen – the Creative Driector of LEGO Star Wars. We covered a range of topics – which included discussion of the new helmets, and the Probe Droid.
There were a number of interesting things to learn about these models:
- The models released this year are fresh, recent designs. The first wave of helmets were designed to test the market. this year, they have been able to take on something a
- The team have access to the props and costumes from LUCASFILM, and are able to get key reference photos where required, from the archives in California. Sometimes models and props appear to be a different colour in archival photographs than they do in the movie. This can lead to many a moment of robust discussion between memebers of the team.
- The presence of exposed studs on vitrually every LEGO Star Wars build is a deliberate move on the part of the design team, to ensure the LEGO DNA is maintained within the models. this is a LEGO Star Wars set, not someone else figure or bust.
LEGO®Star Wars™ Darth Vader™ Helmet (75304)
Capture the sinister look of the Star Wars icon and ultimate villain, with the834-piece displayable model. Offering an immersive building experience, the finished helmet makes an impressive display piece.
To start with, we get the most iconic of helmets from Star Wars: Darth Vader 75304 – with 834 pieces. Designed by Cesar Soares, it is a faithfull reproduction of the helmet of the dark Lord of the Sith. As one of the first characters many of us saw in a Star Wars film, I feel this is the defining helmet for the original Trilogy. This helmet features a number of advanced building techniques, ensuring the angles are all correct – including the eyes clipped onto a vertical bar, to allow a slight outwards swing, and some upsidedown elements, to ensure that the shape of the cheeks meet LUCASFILM’s requirements for accuracy.
While a bust representing Darth Vader was released 2 years ago in the USA, as an exclusive to Target Stores, as well as those who attended Star Wars Celebration, this helmet is significantly more substantial, measuring around 150% larger in all dimensions.
· 834 pieces.
· Measures over 8 in. (20 cm) high, 5.5 in. (15 cm) wide and 5.5 in. (14cm) deep.
· Price: $69.99 USD/ €69.99 EUR/ £59.99 GBP/ 89.99 AUD / 99.99 CAD
LEGO®Star Wars™ Scout Trooper™ Helmet (75305)
The stunning 471-piece helmet has been created as an homage to the Scout Troopers’ ultimate reconnaissance and infiltration abilities. Dust off your speeder bike and enjoy recreating every contour and detail with LEGO brick
Next is the Scout Trooper 75306: First appearing in Episode VI, the Biker Scouts were our first glimpse of the Imperial Presence on the moon of Endor, and offered a fresh look for the imperial troops. Looking far more ‘business like’ than the skull like stormtrooper helmet, designer Hans Burkhard Schlömer was excited to be able to achieve the shape of the Scout Troopers Glasses/eye pieces readily within the LEGO system. The shape at the base of the nose was built up using slopes in front of the base of the lenses.
· 471 pieces.
· Measures over 7 in. (18 cm) high, 4.5 in. (11 cm) wide and 4.5 in. (12 cm) deep.
· Price: $49.99 USD/ €49.99 EUR/ £44.99 GBP/89.99 AUD / 69.99 CAD
LEGO®Star Wars™ Imperial Probe Droid™(75306)
Adult builders can recreate scenes from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on the ice planet Hoth™ when constructing this distinctive droid. The 638-piece model features a transparent pole to ‘suspend’ the droid over the buildable snowy scene.
This 638 piece model represents the first significant model of the Imperial Viper Droid, the probe which identified Hoth as the likely location of the Rebel Base. With a brick built landscape, Jan Neergaard Olesen has fastidiously studied the images in the movie, and has recreated the shape of this ominous droid. This droid has never really had a good representation in LEGO form, except for some small brick built models such as this one from 75138 Hoth Attack, from 2016.
The team were asked about the absence of a Droid ‘minifigure’ here, as we see with the other Character Sculpture sets in LEGO Star Wars (Such as BB8 1-D0 and Yoda). Given there the only ‘figure of the probe droid that exists is a minibuild, it was felt to be inappropriate to be included in this set. That said, looking at the model itself, it is incredibly detailed, with a number of senspor arrays on the ‘head’, as well as poseable legs (within the constraints of clip/bar connections and gravity.
· 683 pieces.
· Measures over 10.5 in. (27 cm) high, 9 in. (24 cm) wide and 4 in. (11 cm) deep.
Price: $59.99 USD/ €69.99 EUR/ £59.99 GBP / 119.99 AUD / 79.99 CAD
“Some of our favourite Star Wars characters have the most profound, intimidating on-screen presences, despite the fact that you can’t see their facial expressions,” says Jens Kronvold Frederiksen, Creative Director, LEGO Star Wars. “In recreating the sinister helmets of Darth Vader and the Scout Trooper, it was important to capture the details and essential features that people around the world will recognise, even those who aren’t too familiar with the Star Wars galaxy. I think all three display sets are extremely cool and I hope fans will enjoy the building process and be thrilled to display them once complete.”
Passionate builders can enjoy some time to relax as they take on these complex creative challenges, recreating every authentic detail in true LEGO style. When done with the build, the models can be displayed with a bespoke plaque to put the final touch that will make the perfect desk ornament or centrepiece in the home for Star Wars fans.
The sets will be priced between $49.99 – $69.99 USD/ €49.99 – €69.99 EUR/ £44.99 – £59.99 GBP and will be available for pre-order from March 25th, 2021 from LEGO.com and other retailers, and on general sale globally from April 26th.
The Rambling Brick has been fortunate to receive a copy of Vader, the Scout Trooper and Imperial Probe Droid for Review. Spoiler: they were quite satisfying builds.
What do you think of the new models? Did you build any of the helmets from last year? Are there any that you have been waiting for? Why don’t you leave your comments below, and follow the Rambling Brick to make sure you catch all pof our reviews over the next few days. Until then,
Play Well!