In what many builders thought was an April Fools’ day prank, the most highly-anticipated LEGO leak of the year has arrived. Including a massive UCS Venator featuring a Phase II Captain Rex, the upcoming collection is believed to also feature two sets from the new Ahsoka series, a 332nd Clone Trooper swamp speeder, and even a playscale Republic Gunship.
News on LEGO Star Wars 2023 summer sets
Over the past few years, we’ve gotten pretty good at confirming which LEGO leaks are true and which are too good to be true. Today’s batch of news however can hardly be considered to fit into either category. So until there are leaked minifigures, or some of these sets show up in stores, we’re going to be very skeptical.
Other sites like the famous leakers over at PromoBricks were the ones to originally report the news back on April 1, and are doubling down that now that the holiday of trickery has come to an end. We at gadgetnewsonline have heard from likely the same source as that German site, with reports on what to expect from the LEGO Star Wars 2023 summer wave that’s in line with what others have been able to detail.
With all that being said, it’s best to retain some caution in fully believing that any of the sets will see the light of day. This year has already had some kits canceled, like the Jabba’s Throne Room diorama, and so it’s worth not getting lost in just how compelling these sets seem. Who knows what will happen as the year unfolds.
Builders have been asking for this kind of wave from LEGO Star Wars for ages. Each of the kits is delivering something that builders have been hoping for for as long as I have been writing about LEGO professionally. Which is to say the better part of a decade! That’s a much different story than the one we told earlier in the year, that had many fans considering the upcoming wave the worst we’ve seen from the theme.
Before we break down what to expect from each of the upcoming sets, here’s the full list of kits that gadgetnewsonline can confirm today.
Table of contents
75354 Republic Gunship: $139.99 | 1,083 pieces
The Republic Gunship is the vehicle that Star Wars fans think of when the Clone Wars comes to mind, and the LEGO Group is taking that popularity and running with it for the summer 2023 wave. Arriving as set number 75354, the latest LEGO version of the ship will be the first playscale model in a decade. It stacks up to 1,083 pieces and will be arriving as part of the August 1 lineup at $139.99.
Unlike previous versions of the LEGO Republic Gunship, this model will be getting a unique color scheme. Based around the Coruscant Guard, there will be design that adds even more red into the two-tone paint job. As such, it’ll fittingly include a pair of Shock Clone Troopers, as well as Clone Commander Fox. LEGO set number 75354 doesn’t stop there, with two extra figures in an updated of The Clone Wars Padme wearing her maroon and tan outfit from the early seasons of the show, as well as Palpatine in his expected chancellor garb.
As far as the chance we actually get this set, the Republic Gunship seems like a long time coming from the LEGO Group. With as iconic as it is for The Clone Wars, I really couldn’t think of a better representation of the Star Wars era. And with the 205h anniversary of the prequel series, it’s as fitting of a set as you’ll find.
75359 Swamp Speeder: $24.99 | 108 pieces
Continuing the Clone Wars action, the 2023 LEGO Star Wars lineup will also be seeing another build from the prequels. Focused loosely on season seven of the series, the next kit from the wave will be assembling a Republic Swamp Speeder. The unique vehicle has gotten the LEGO treatment a few times over the years, and the latest version will be arriving this summer as set number 75359.
As far as the build goes, the set will stack up to just 108 pieces. That is hardly a lot of bricks for a kit of the $24.99 price tag, with the vehicle really taking a back seat in the set. Expect to see a build that is very close to the Clone Command Station from last year’s Clone minifigure pack.
Minifigures really are the real star of the show here. There our four included figures in the set, with the 75359 Swamp Speeder being themed around the 332nd Legion. There’s three of the standard Clone Troopers decked out with the Ahsoka-themed paint job from the final season of The Clone Wars, with Clone Captain Vaughn rounding out the kit.
This is also one of the more likely kits to launch this summer. We’ve been reporting on the Swamp Speeder 75359 for months now, and it seems all but locked-in for arriving with the rest of the LEGO Star Wars builds this summer.
75362 Ahsoka’s Shuttle: $69.99 | 599 pieces
Moving past the Clone Wars and over into the expanded Disney+ side of the Star Wars universe, we’re getting a set from the upcoming Ahsoka show. The titular character’s personal spacecraft will be getting the brick-built treatment as set number 75361. It’ll stack up to 599 pieces at the $69.99 price point.
Alongside the unique build, the ship will also include three minifigures. Ahsoka is a given considering this is her shuttle, with an updated design that combines her Clone Wars season seven look with some updated flair from Rebels. She will have printed arms, but otherwise there’s not much more info to share right now. The other two figures include new versions of Sabine Wren and Huyang.
75357 The Ghost: $159.99 | 1,394 pieces
One of the most expensive retired LEGO sets in recent memory is also getting a refresh for the summer 2023 lineup. The Ghost is a fan favorite Star Wars vehicle, and if the rumors of the upcoming kits are to be believed, we’ll be getting a new version as set number 75357.
It’ll be launching on September 1 with a $159.99 price tag and includes five total minifigures. Hera will be headlining the kit, alongside inclusions of Jacen Syndulla, Quarrie, and Chopper. There’s still one minifig that is unaccounted for, and will likely be reserved by a character from the Ahsoka series that we don’t know about yet.
This is one of the kits from the lineup that is the most questionable. We do know that the Ghost team is likely to return to the Star Wars canon and make their live action debuts in Ahsoka, and so it’s not entirely out there that we’d get an updated version of the vehicle.
75367 UCS Venator Star Destroyer: $649.99 | 5,374 pieces
And last but not least, the LEGO Star Wars summer 2023 lineup will be wrapping up with arguably the most requested set from a galaxy far, far away. The Venator Star Destroyer goes hand in hand with the Republic Gunship as one of the most iconic vehicles from the Clone Wars era, making it a fitting pick for the latest kit of the year from the theme. Expected to land on October 1, the set will deliver the massive flagship of the Republic fleet as set number 75367. With a massive number of 5,374 pieces, it’ll not only be the biggest Star Wars kit of 2023, but also the priciest at $649.99.
The set will arrive in true UCS fashion, featuring a build that is entirely focused on display. There’s no interior to speak of, with a design that will remind builders of the UCS Star Destroyer. Except with nearly 600 more pieces, there’s going to be some more detail. Most of that is going to enter in the form of the red color scheme that the grey ship has, with some mosaic-style Republic insignias giving the Venator its iconic look.
Things get even more interesting with the included minifigures. Also in true UCS spirit, the set will include a pair of minifigures. And oh what minifigs they are! At long last, we’ll be seeing the return of a Phase II Captain Rex. This will only be the second time we’ve seen this version of the character. Though he is being updated from the previous design, with a look taken straight out of the final season of The Clone Wars. Rex will have a cloth pauldron on his shoulder, but a printed on kama on his legs. His head will feature a printed bandage from the scene where the trooper gets his inhibitor chip removed.
There’s also Admiral Yularen, who will also be exclusive to the set.
Now whether or not we see this set land come October is the real question. We’ve known for some time now that the fall UCS LEGO Star Wars set would be celebrating the anniversary of Return of the Jedi or the Clone Wars, so the possibility of a Venator still tracks. Especially with the May the 4th collectors X-Wing set being based around Episode IV, there’s some real potential for the LEGO Group to deliver here with the upcoming 75367 set.
gadgetnewsonline’ Take
All told, the LEGO summer 2023 is too good. It’s frankly unheard of for a list of sets to be this good. Just a month ago we were reporting on how underwhelming, and better yet disappointing, the wave was looking. But it really does seem like the LEGO Group has saved the best for last. I can’t wait to see how the lineup ends up playing out. If even one of these sets ends up being released as reported, then it’s going to make builders very happy.
The LEGO group has dropped the ball on anniversaries of Star Wars milestones in the past, but seeing so much love to the way of the Clone Wars makes this builder very happy. We’ll see if the LEGO Venator actually makes it onto store shelves, let alone with Captain Red in tow.
As far as the rest of the LEGO Star Wars lineup for 2023, we also have quite a bit on tap. A new 630-piece Executor Super Star Destroyer was just officially revealed, going up for pre-order ahead of its May 1 launch. And speaking of May the 4th, we’re also expecting to see a new 1,950-piece UCS X-Wing hit the scene, too. Then for everything coming in the summer lineup, we broke down a collection of kits due out on August 1.
Stay up to date on the latest news and give our LEGO account over on Twitter a follow, as well as our Instagram and TikTok. You can of course always bookmark our guide right here or sign up for our newsletter. You can also support gadgetnewsonline by purchasing LEGO from our affiliate links for the LEGO Shop, Amazon, and Zavvi.
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!
