When the prequel trilogy was first released, I didn’t really get it. Whether this was just me, or intrinsic issues with the storytelling, I was not too sure. I didn’t really understand them the way I understood the original trilogy. And surely the fact that I watched individual films in the original trilogy approximately 200 times between 1977 and 1999 is probably irrelevant. Probably….
And then, during the pandemic lockdowns, my now adult son took me by the hand and said ‘Dad, I think you need to watch this. I have found a guide to take you through the essential episodes, but I think it will help everything make sense.’ And so we watched a sizable part of the clone wars: Campaign after campaign, Politics, Intrigue, Grumpy Padawans. And then I rewatched Revenge of the Sith. And on the whole, for the first time ever, it made sense to me. I became invested in Rex and Cody, as well as the rest of the 501st. enough to move on to Rebels. And now it looks like Asokha will make sense to me when it debuts. Woo Hoo.
And Not that I get it, I can understand why these helmets will spark a generational shift in the Star Wars Helmets: no longer limited to the Original Trilogy, fans of the Clone Wars can also feel specifically loved by this range, with the arrival of 75349 Captain Rex and 75350 Commander Cody.
Revealed ahead of Nuremberg Toy Fair, the LEGO Group has announced two new additions to its popular series of Star Wars helmet building sets, both linked to the 20th anniversary of the Clone Wars – those events in the Star Wars galaxy which kicked off in the 2002 film Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and continued in the animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
LEGO® Star Wars fans will soon be able to join the Grand Army of the Republic by building the instantly recognisable helmet models of Captain Rex and Clone Commander Cody, two iconic heroes from the Clone Wars as they arrive in two new sets for fans, available from March 1st.
The 854-piece set based on Captain Rex’s helmet captures the iconic blue trim and range-finder of the 501st battalion’s clone captain, one of the most famous characters in the animated series The Clone Wars and second-in-command to Jedi General Anakin Skywalker.
Clone Commander Cody’s helmet is recreated in a new 766-piece set, bringing to life the striking orange detailing of the helmet that appeared prominently in many episodes of The Clone Wars, with Clone Commander Cody standing alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi as another commanding officer of the 212th clone battalion.
Each set is highly detailed and features printed nameplates of each character, making them perfect collectables for any LEGO Star Wars fan and the perfect build-to-display models to mark this milestone anniversary for the Clone Wars.
“For two decades, the Clone Wars has shaped a hugely important story in the history of the Star Wars saga, and we feel immensely proud to be bringing two of its key players to life for fans around the world,” said Jens Kronvold Frederiksen, Design Lead for LEGO Star Wars.
“These rewarding, relaxing builds should be able to take pride of place for any LEGO Star Wars collector and offer a new way to create, display and enjoy these iconic characters who played such a pivotal role in many stories that we know and love from the galaxy far, far away…”
According to research from the LEGO Group’s global ‘Play Well 2022 Report’, 80% of adults are looking for new ways to unwind and relax (80%), with the majority of them (92%) wanting to unwind and find their flow through activities that are related to their hobbies and interests, including beloved product lines such as LEGO Star Wars.
Since 2020, the LEGO Star Wars Helmets portfolio has continued to grow with iconic helmets recreated from the Empire, dark side, and others. In March 2022, the company launched its latest two products: 75327 Luke’s Helmet and 75328 The Mandalorian Helmet.
The 854-piece LEGO Star Wars– Captain Rex and 766-piece LEGO Star Wars– Clone Commander Cody helmet building sets are available from March 1st from LEGO.com and LEGO retailers priced at €69.99 / $69.99 / £59.99/89.99 CAD /99.99 AUD. Each set has a recommended building age of 18+.
I reckon both of these sets, forming part of the 20th Anniversary of the Clone Wars Celebration, will be extremely popular with fans of the Clone Wars and Prequels, setting the path for more prequel characters to enter the helmet range over the next few years.
What do you think of these two new additions to the rang? why not leave you comments below, and until next time…
Play Well!
I don’t think enough credit is given to how much the Clone Wars animated series did to raise the quality of the prequel trilogy. It did the kind of in-depth storytelling and character development that is easier to achieve over 5 years of episodes that isn’t possible in 3 feature-length movies where the storytelling was often overwhelmed by special effects. I am an original trilogy person myself, and my children have been growing up with the Rebels animated series and all the Star Wars movies and shows that have come after that, so I don’t have a huge emotional investment either way in the prequels (I liked them OK, but I believe every criticism is valid). But I have to say that I really like the look of these two helmets much better than the other 3 Imperial trooper helmets (the ones I don’t own), probably because of the color.
I’m with you on not getting the prequel trilogy movies, maybe it’s generational (late 40’s here) as I grew up with the original series. I do remember the excitement of going to see the first prequel movie, I went 3 times in the first four days it was in the cinema. By the third showing the wow factor and excitement had warn off and the many problems with the story was showing. I have not seen it since and only watched the other two once when they where released. All I can remember from the movies is that Liam Nelson, Ewen McGregor, Natalie Portman and Rose Bryne was in them, that there was an annoying sounding animated character and that the guy that played Anakin seemed to be acting challenged lol!! Haven’t seen the Clones Wars animated series and find that watching that was the only way you got to understand the prequel movies to be both horrifying and disappointing.
All that said, I will still get these eventually as they look cool, even if I have no idea of the characters 🙂 Plus I have all the other Helmet series so want to keep the completest part of me happy!!
Thank-you for the article and for sharing your Star Wars Prequel Trilogy experience with us 🙂
Fortunately, my son presented me with an ‘essential episodes’ list which saved me from having to slog through it all.
There was so much going on in revenge of the Sith and, from my POV, most things got drawn together in clone wars