With a new season of The Mandalorian airing throughout the fall, LEGO’s most recent Star Wars kit has launched at the perfect time. Giving Star Wars fans a chance to build their own version of The Child out of over 1,700 pieces, today we’re taking a look at the newest brick-built character from a galaxy far, far away. Head below for a closer look at the new LEGO Baby Yoda set and for all of the details in our latest review.
LEGO Baby Yoda review
Now that every Friday for the next several weeks will be highlighted by a new episode of The Mandalorian, we’re turning our attention to arguably the most iconic aspect of the show: The Child. Having made his LEGO debut back in August with a smaller BrickHeadz figure, this month saw the introduction of a more life-sized version of the lovable character just as season two premiered.
Today we’re taking a look at how the largest version of Baby Yoda stacks up and to see if LEGO has been able to nail the design that’s made him so popular with fans.
Piecing together The Child
So let’s get started with the build itself and how the latest LEGO version of Baby Yoda comes together. The build is comprised of 1,073 pieces, many of which are a dark tan color to make up The Child’s LEGO cloak. There’s also a sprinkling of green to complete the look for the character as well as some Technic bricks on the interior.
When it’s all said and done, the build itself is pretty straightforward and revolves around constructing an inner frame and then padding it with some details. It’s the same approach we’ve seen in the past for these brick-built characters and continues to be a successful way to assemble the likeness of Star Wars icons.
Assembly took around an hour and a half to piece together The Child. There’s nothing too tricky in the instructions, but there are some satisfying techniques that bring the character to life. Especially when it comes to the head, which is really the section of the build that makes or breaks the set. But more on that in a bit.
Some highlights from LEGO’s new Baby Yoda
Once pieced together, the latest LEGO Baby Yoda set stands seven and a half inches tall. That almost makes him life-sized, but not quite. Still, the creation is a great size that blends in perfectly with the other buildable Star Wars characters we’ve seen. There are some impressive building techniques in the creation of The Child’s cloak and give it the swaddled effect that you’d expect from the series.
When it comes to play features or the ability to pose Baby Yoda, LEGO put all of the emphasis on the head. The Child’s hands can move around with posable fingers, but the arms are locked into place. So there aren’t too many ways you can position the creation up on display. But where all the charm comes out is in with the face and ears.
You’ll be able to move Baby Yoda’s LEGO ears up and down to give him various emotions while also opening and closing his mouth. All things considered, the build does a pretty good job at letting The Child be expressive, at least more than I was originally expecting from a static creation meant to put on display.
What it really comes down to though is whether you find the final product to be as cute as the on-screen likeness. In my book, LEGO did a fantastic job capturing the cuteness you’d expect from Baby Yoda, but that’s a more subjective stance. But what I can say more objectively is that the build is pretty accurate to the real-life prop of The Child and does a great job blending in the usual blocky, LEGO design cues.
Alongside just getting The Child himself, LEGO also includes a display plaque with some information about Baby Yoda as well as a minifigure version of the character. The final touch here is a brick-built version of the Razor Crest’s control knob that the character plays without throughout the series.
A build well worth its price
Entering with 1,073 pieces at a $79.99 price point, this Baby Yoda set is about as solid of a value as they come in the LEGO Star Wars world. It’s not too often we see a licensed kit with a $0.07 part per dollar count. So from that perspective, this build certainly deserves some praise.
But as for the complete model itself, I think LEGO really nailed the execution here. Everything about the build feels complete, and aside from some extra articulation, there’s not much room for improvement. Not to mention, this is now the most affordable way to add a Baby Yoda minifigure into your collection if you’re not looking to shell out for the Razor Crest.
How does it compare to other Star Wars sets?
Of all the buildable Star Wars characters released to date, The Child is easily the best. It’s hard not to love Baby Yoda if you’re a Star Wars fan, and the brick-built version here is about as good as it gets. While the Porg we saw a few years back is a close runner up, I’d easily recommend this over the D-O droid that launched earlier in the year. And for the cash, I don’t think there’s a better set you could buy right now, at least not when it comes to LEGO Star Wars.
As for bringing home a LEGO Baby Yoda in any capacity, the $20 BrickHeadz set from The Mandalorian does give it a run for its money. But the authenticity here and near life-sized design is hard to overlook. So if $80 is in the budget, going with the full-sized Baby Yoda is easily worth the cash.
gadgetnewsonline’ Take:
Ultimately, the latest LEGO set from the Star Wars universe comes down to whether you find the build to be cute like the on-screen Baby Yoda. LEGO more than delivers on the value and offers what feels like one of the most complete models of the year.
With the holidays right around the corner, this is certainly going to be an easy gift recommendation for Star Wars fans on your list, or just for yourself. So if you’re a fan of The Child or just The Mandalorian overall, this one is certainly worth a closer look.
Buy the Baby Yoda set featured in this review over at LEGO and Amazon
More LEGO Star Wars reviews at gadgetnewsonline
- LEGO’s Bespin Duel set re-creates an iconic Empire Strikes Back scene
- LEGO 501st Battle Pack review: Such a must-have, it’s been impossible to get
- LEGO AT-AT review: An almost perfect recreation from The Empire Strikes Back
- LEGO Razor Crest: Come for Baby Yoda, stay for one of 2020’s best sets
- LEGO’s NES delivers a unique collectible packed with Nintendo charm
- Hands-on with LEGO’s must-have Baby Yoda and Mandalorian BrickHeadz figures
- LEGO’s new 1,670-piece A-Wing is the best UCS Star Wars set in years
FTC: gadgetnewsonline is reader supported, we may earn income on affiliate links
Subscribe to the gadgetnewsonline YouTube Channel for all of the latest videos, reviews, and more!
