Star Wars is taking a dark turn with the new Lego Millennium Falcon and starfighter mashup sets.
Based on the upcoming 'Rebuild the Galaxy' series that sees Star Wars history mixed up in what-if scenarios, the new Lego Millennium Falcon is an evil spin on Han Solo's ride that comes in Sith black and red. Speaking of which, it also features numerous dark side wielders… including the meme-worthy Darth Jar Jar, Darth Rey, and a bounty hunter version of C-3PO. Available to pre-order for $179.99 / £159.99 at Lego ahead of an August 1 release, the Lego Dark Falcon seems to be a makeover for the existing (and soon to be retired) Rise of Skywalker kit.
A TIE Fighter & X-Wing Mash-up is also available to pre-order, weighing in at $109.99 / £94.99 at Lego. This one does exactly what it says on the tin; it allows you to swap the bodies and wings of both starfighters.
Here's a more detailed breakdown of each set.
Lego The Dark Falcon
Based on the ship as it appears in Rebuild the Galaxy, the Dark Falcon repaints the ship with a black and red colorway that's much more menacing. (The cockpit is doused in scarlet from the red glass panels, for example.) It's also more kitted out than the 'real' version, which often features on lists of the best Lego sets; alongside the usual cannons, its radar dish fires a Death Star-esque laser beam.
Like the Rise of Skywalker kit before it, this playset comes with multiple minifigures. There are six, to be precise; Darth Jar Jar from the infamous online theory, Darth Rey as she appeared in Episode 9's trippy vision, Darth Dev (who I can only assume is the brother of the show's hero thanks to their shared surname, Greebling), a bounty-hunting C-3PO, Jedi Vader in his white suit, and Beach Luke complete with a box of blue milk. It's utterly bizarre and wonderful as a result.
This has around 200 more pieces than its predecessor – but it's roughly the same size. Some of those bonus bricks presumably go toward the interior featuring "Darth Jar Jar’s throne, the command center, hyperdrive, entertainment area, and jail cell" as per the official listing on the Lego store.
I'm quite keen on this design, and it's a really fun mix-up from the norm. Is it a novelty? Yeah, probably. I'm not sure I'd want something we may see once and never again in pride of place on my shelf, either. But I suspect this will go down very well with the target audience – kids. It's perfect for imaginative play because the concept alone raises so many questions, and I'd love to see more of these mashups going forward. It would be cool if it combined a couple of ships as per the X-Wing/TIE combo below, but as Batman fans already know, everything's cooler in black. Or very, very dark gray.
Lego TIE Fighter & X-Wing Mash-up
As the name would suggest, this Rebuild the Galaxy kit allows you to make a normal TIE Fighter and X-Wing… or smush them together into an unholy mix.
Let's be honest – everyone's going to do the latter.
While these newcomers aren't as detailed (or big, in the case of the TIE) as the old X-Wing Starfighter and Imperial TIE Fighter Lego Star Wars sets, they're actually your only way to get those ships in Lego form now that the latter two have been retired. That'll make it an attractive proposition for collectors and kids alike.
Even though this set skews a tiny bit younger than the Dark Falcon and is smaller on the whole, it still fetches a hefty price. However, it does something we've not seen from Lego Star Wars before, and that counts for a lot.
While the X-Wing seems the same as – or an improvement on – the old one, I'd argue that the TIE is a step backward. It's smaller and blockier, and the cockpit opts for a printed front rather than the more premium, see-through plastic panels we got before.
Still, we'll probably get another classic TIE (and mid-sized X-Wing) kit before long. Accordingly, anyone who just wants the ships for their shelf may want to hang on rather than grab this one.
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