Among the many weapons featured in the “Star Wars” series, the most impressive and arguably the most powerful weapon in the galaxy is the “Death Star.”
The Death Star is a planet-sized space station that first appears in the first movie of the series, “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.”
Death Star img: starwars.com
Let’s Learn About the Death Star
The most striking feature of the Death Star is its sheer size. While there are various theories about its diameter, the most credible estimates range from 75 miles (120 km) to 99 miles (160 km). In “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi,” a second Death Star appears, which is said to have a diameter of 99 miles (160 km) or even larger.
The distance from NYC to Philadelphia is about 81 miles (130 km), which is roughly the same as the diameter of the Death Star. According to Wikipedia, the Death Star had a crew of approximately 1.2 million people, which might even seem low considering its size.
Generally, a cylindrical space colony is envisioned to have a diameter of about 4 miles (6.5 km) and a length of approximately 18.6 miles (30 km). Comparing this to the Death Star’s dimensions, we can see that the Death Star is of an immense size. Reference: Space settlement on Wikipedia
A pair of O’Neill cylinders img:NASA/Rick Guidice/Wikipedia
Superlaser Cannon
Another impressive feature of the Death Star is its superlaser cannon, capable of destroying an entire planet in a single shot. The power source is the same kyber crystal used in lightsabers. In the movie, it famously destroyed Leia’s home planet Alderaan right before her eyes with just one blast.
Star Wars “Episode IV: A New Hope” and “Episode VI: Return of the Jedi” feature various storylines centered around the Death Star and its successor. In this article, we’ll explore the history of Death Star-related LEGO® products and consider future prospects.
Let’s begin by introducing the main Death Star-related LEGO® block products that have been released in the past.
*Product images of older sets are mainly sourced from Brickset. (Product numbers are in parentheses.)
Death Star II (10143)
Released in 2005 | Number of pieces: 3,449
This set features the partially constructed second Death Star that appeared in “Episode VI: Return of the Jedi”. It’s a massive display model that stands about 25.6 inches (65 cm) tall including the stand. No minifigures are included with this set.
Death Star (10188)
Released in 2008 | Number of pieces: 3,803
This Death Star set is highly playable, incorporating scenes from Episodes 4 and 6.
It features numerous action-packed elements, including the laser cannon, trash compactor, duel scene, and hangar, all recreated with various interactive mechanisms.
Death Star (75159)
Released in 2016 | Number of pieces: 4,016
This highly playable Death Star set was released after an 8-year gap since 2008.
This set also incorporates various scenes from the Death Star. It comes with a large number of minifigures including Luke, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan, Chewbacca, Emperor Palpatine, Han Solo, and many others.
Death Star Sets After 2016
Since the release of the “Death Star (75159)” in 2016, there has been no full-scale LEGO® Star Wars set recreating the entire Death Star as a regular product. However, in 2023, a mini-set of the second Death Star was produced as a purchase bonus. This remains the only Death Star-related LEGO® set released in recent years.
購入特典の2代目デス・スター(40591)
Since 2016, Death Star-related LEGO® Star Wars products have primarily focused on adult display models. These include scenes such as the duel between Luke and Darth Vader in Emperor Palpatine’s throne room, aerial battles between X-wings and TIE fighters on the Death Star’s surface, and the trash compactor scene.
As of the publication of this article, the only current Death Star-related set available for purchase is the recently released diorama-style set “Throne Room: Duel (75352)”.
LEGO® Star Wars Emperor’s Throne Room™ Diorama 75352
Iconic confrontation scene
Features intricate details including Death Star window elements, a rotating throne, and two consoles. Also includes a commemorative plaque for the 40th anniversary of “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi”.
What Does the Future Hold?
Full Death Star sets have been released in 2008 and 2016. If we’re being optimistic, there’s a possibility of an 8-year cycle for these releases, which could mean a potential release in 2024.
Furthermore, in recent years, it has become customary for a large LEGO® Star Wars “Ultimate Collector Series” set to be released every October, which increases the possibility.
However, current predictions suggest that the large LEGO® Star Wars set for October 2024 is likely to be a model other than the Death Star, so a release this year might be challenging.
Is Future Production Also Difficult?
In recent years, LEGO® has been actively introducing collectible products aimed at ages 18 and up, focusing on buildings, plants, and vehicles. However, LEGO® Star Wars has long been releasing sophisticated models for adults known as the “Ultimate Collector Series”.
TIE Interceptor (75382) released in May 2024
The Death Star is almost spherical, and if only the exterior is to be recreated, it would be challenging to incorporate moving mechanisms. If they were to include any, it might be laser firing or spacecraft landing/takeoff sequences. However, this might make the product feel somewhat lacking.
If they were to recreate the entire Death Star while incorporating action scenes as before, it would likely increase development costs and retail price beyond that of a typical Ultimate Collector Series set.
Master Builder Series
Two years after the release of the last Death Star set (75159) in 2016, the “Master Builder Series (MBS)” was newly introduced to LEGO® Star Wars in 2018.
The Master Builder Series can be simply described as an Ultimate Collector Series with enhanced play features.
While the Ultimate Collector Series focuses mainly on spaceships, the Master Builder Series is themed around scenes. The first set, Cloud City (75222), was released in 2018, and the second set, Mos Eisley Cantina (75290), was released in 2020. However, no new products have been introduced since then.
Both Cloud City and Mos Eisley Cantina were popular products, but the concept of high-priced sets with enhanced play features may not have struck the right balance between cost and demand.
LEGO® Star Wars Mos Eisley Cantina 75290
The Tatooine bar is bustling
Remove the cantina’s roof to reveal authentic details inside. Enjoy creating stories featuring heroes, scoundrel bounty hunters, and aliens.
Modular Death Star
In 2018, LEGO® Harry Potter released a large set recreating the entire Hogwarts Castle (71043), but it was built using microfigures, which are smaller than minifigures. This was likely due to the set becoming too large if built to minifigure scale.
Recent LEGO® Harry Potter sets have been releasing Hogwarts Castle in separate areas that can be connected for play. It might be interesting if LEGO® Star Wars adopted this approach for the Death Star.
To be honest, the areas within the Death Star where memorable scenes took place are limited. If a modular Death Star were to be developed, it would be a true test of skill for the LEGO® Group’s product development department to determine how to turn it into a product line.
LEGO® Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle 71043
Recreate Hogwarts Castle in detail with 6020 pieces
Build a replica of the iconic Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle. The set includes classrooms, towers, the Whomping Willow, Hagrid’s hut, and five buildable boats!
LEGO® Harry Potter Battle of Hogwarts™ 76415
The garden that becomes the battlefield
Rebuild part of the castle into the iconic bridge from the movie. Includes Nagini animal figure to enhance role-play
Conclusion
The likelihood of a new LEGO® Star Wars product fully recreating the Death Star in the near future is not high. However, we can expect to see products featuring individual areas of the Death Star continue to be released.
In 2027, which marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the first Star Wars film, “Episode 4: A New Hope,” we might see the introduction of unprecedented, luxurious LEGO® Star Wars products. If this happens, the Death Star would likely be a top candidate.
Let’s hope for the release of a new LEGO® Star Wars Death Star product – a favorite among fans!
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