Something massive has just exited from hyperspace, as Lego reveal a gigantic Death Star set that’s aiming it superlaser right at your wallet.
There are two things everyone knows about Lego: it’s really great and it’s really expensive. Sets aimed purely at children are usually good value for money but in recent years there’s been a move towards giant-sized builds that are aimed solely at adults, and which are priced accordingly.
It does depend on the set though, as something like the Eiffel Tower one stands almost five foot high but costs ‘only’ £554.99. The enormous new Death Star set is 32″ wide and 28″ tall, and made up of 9,023 pieces, but it costs a staggering £899.99.
That’s because Lego has to factor in the cost of using the Star Wars licence, which isn’t cheap, and because it comes with a whopping 38 minifigures, but even so it’s the most expensive Lego set ever released.
A lot of other Star Wars sets have been almost as expensive, including older attempts at recreating the Death Star in Lego form, but this one is completely different, as instead of a sphere it’s a cross section of the planet-killing battle station, filled with iconic scenes and action features.
The set incorporates elements from both the original Star Wars movie and Return of the Jedi, including the trash compactor, with trash chute and closing walls; Emperor Palpatine’s throne room; Princess Leia’s cell; the tractor beam control unit; and a hangar bay with a mini-sized Imperial shuttle.
There’s also the Death Star superlaser and its controls, the bit where Luke and Leia swing across the chasm, and the lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader. On top of that, there’s a working elevator that goes from the top of the model all the way to the bottom.
The 38 minifigures include all the obvious characters, such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Darth Vader – sometimes multiple times in different outfits.
There’s also six stormtroopers and a bunch of more obscure characters, such as an Imperial dignitary, a Death Star droid, and the various Imperial officers that were sat around the table when Darth Vader was showing off his Force choking skills.
Plus, you get two newer characters from Rogue One, in Director Krennic and Galen Erso – since they’re the ones most responsible for building the Death Star. And then finally there’s a special stormtrooper figure stripped down to longue around in a hidden hot tub, which is a reference to the Lego Star Wars video games.
The cross section design means that not only can you see all the rooms at once, unlike the older sphere designs, but it’s a lot easier to display on a shelf or desk, since despite how wide and tall it is, it’s only 11” deep.
The set will be available from October 4 via Lego stores and the Lego website, or from October 1 if you’re a Lego Insider. That only requires a free sign-up and also allows you to redeem Insider Points to get a limited edition poster of the Death Star set.
If you buy it between October 1 and 7 you also get an exclusive set that features a miniature scale TIE Fighter and a hangar rack to hold it, which can be fitted into the Death Star hanger bay. The set won’t be available any other way and also comes with two stormtroopers, a TIE pilot, and a utility vehicle.
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