Now, it shouldn’t really come as a surprise that with May the 4th less than a month away, we are starting to see new LEGO Star Wars sets officially revealed. Overnight, we got our first complete views of the third UCS X-Wing. (The first (7191) being released in 2000, the second (10240) in 2013. Now the X-wing has always been the iconic Star Fighter for me, ever since my first glimpse back in 1977. It was also the first Star Wars ship that I attempted to build to accomodate my action figures, back in the day.
However, I totally missed the previous versions of this ship: I just wasn’t really ready to make that sort of an investment at the time. Life has moved on, and I am glad that I can reconsider adding one to my collection, without investing excessively on the secondary market.
And so, here is 75355 X-Wing Starfighter, due for release on 1st of May for VIP Customers…
With just a few pieces shy of 2000, the 55cm long model will retail for €239.99/$usd239.99/ £209.99/ 369.99 AUD/319.99 CAD. While we have seen several UCS versions in the past, building elements and techniques have evolved sufficiently in the last 10 years to make producing a new X-Wing at this scale worthwhile, in my mind.
The LEGO Group today announced the new Star WarsTM Ultimate Collector Series X-wing StarfighterTM building set. Based on the iconic T-65 X-wing Starfighter from the Star Wars saga, the new 1,949 piece LEGO Star Wars set is highly detailed and includes the Incom 4L4 fusial thrust engines and the Taim & Bak KX9 laser cannons.
The Incom Corporation designed the X-wing Starfighter for use by the Empire, who instead opted for the Sienar Fleet Systems Twin Ion Engine craft. And so it was adopted by the Rebel Alliance in long missions and dog fights. First seen in Star Wars: A New Hope (or asd we called it…Star Wars) the X-wings were manned by elite pilots in the Rebel Alliance – including Luke Skywalker. In the same film, the Rebel Alliance deployed the X-wings in the Battle of Yavin, where Luke joins the Red and Gold Squadrons as call-sign Red Five, alongside Biggs and Porkins, in an attempt to destroy the Empire’s Death Star.
In one of cinema’s most iconic scenes, the battle ends with a tense moment between Luke and Darth Vader in the Death Star trench – where Luke has one chance to fire his seemingly impossible shot into the exhaust port that is “not much bigger than 2 metres”, and destroy the Empire’s ultimate weapon.
At over 55cm / 21.5” long, the new LEGO Star Wars X-wing Starfighter set is the perfect addition to the Ultimate Collector Series, joining the AT-ATTM, Millennium FalconTM, RazorcrestTM and Luke Skywalker’s LandspeederTM building sets. Once complete, fans can display the X-wing model with either the wings open or closed. Plus, it comes complete with Luke Skywalker and R2-D2TM astromech droid minifigures and a display plaque with technical details about the X-wing.
“Whilst this is not the first time we have brought the X-wing Starfighter to brick life, this is the most detailed, and I am so excited with the final design. It is such an iconic ship; by designing at this new larger scale, we were able to include more specific details such as the thrusters, the cockpit and the wings. We are so excited to now share this with fans.” said Henrik Andersen, LEGO Design Master.
The new LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series X-wing Starfighter set will be available from 1st May for LEGO VIP members exclusively on LEGO.com/star-wars and in LEGO Stores priced at €/$239.99 £209.99 and for everyone from 4th May. But fans won’t have to wait that long to get up close to the new set – as it will be on display exclusively at the forthcoming Star Wars Celebration event in London from 7th – 10th April 2023, at the LEGO booth. In addition, Celebration attendees will be able to get their hands on the new LEGO Star Wars™Brickheadz Battle of Endor building set (40623), which features Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, Lando Calrissian, an Ewok and Princess Leia-inspired LEGO Star Wars Figures, before it is available anywhere else. Plus, stay tuned for more exciting LEGO Star Wars announcements at the event.
I know there are plenty of other vehicles yet to be visited in UCS form. However, given that it is the 40th anniversary of Return of the Jedi this year – the final time that we saw Luke Skywalker fly this iconic ship on screen- it feels appropriate that this is the UCS set that is released at the moment.
We have seen glimpses of some further sets celebrating the end of the original trilogy – and I expect they will be officially revealed at Star Wars Celebration this weekend. In the meantime, I find myself wondering what we might see in response to the 20th anniversary of the release of Attack of the Clones, which we also remember in 2023.
For myself, this is certainly a tempting purchase at some point during the year.
What do you think? Are you happy to be seeing a larger more detailed X-Wing than ever before? Or would you rather see another iconic vehicle produced? If so, what?
Leave your comments below, and until next time…
Play Well!
wait a minute… is that the first time we have seen a printed UCS plaque?
