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25 years ago, the world of toys changed forever. LEGO, a privately-owned Danish company commonly known for its in-house, original IPs branched out into the realm of licensed products in spectacular fashion. In late February 1999, LEGO Star Wars was born. Sets based on the Original Trilogy, including an X-wing, Landspeeder, and TIE Advanced were released first, soon followed by a wave of products that tied in directly to the release of the Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace later that spring. Needless to say, LEGO Star Wars was a smashing success, becoming the iconic brand’s biggest theme to date with nearly 1000 different sets produced.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of both these iconic LEGO sets and the movie itself, let’s have a look back at the 13 original LEGO Star Wars sets as well as their modern interpretations, all items you can purchase right now on eBay for yourself!
7110: Landspeeder
The smallest set in that original LEGO Star Wars line, 7110: Landspeeder pictures Luke Skywalker and ole Ben Kenobi hovering above the dunes of Tatooine in an X-34 landspeeder. Made with primarily tan and red bricks, this 49-piece model was a collection starter for many fans back in 1999. The Landspeeder has since become a staple of LEGO Star Wars, with the most recent incarnation (75341) getting the Ultimate Collector’s Series treatment, a significantly bigger and more detailed design with 1890 pieces.
7130: Snowspeeder
First land, now snow; the small and sturdy ship responsible for taking down the infamous AT-ATs in 1980’s classic The Empire Strikes Back is the next on our list. Set 7130: Snowspeeder, a stout, gray build included minifigures of Luke Skywalker in his pilot gear, his gunner Dak Ralter, and a Hoth rebel trooper. In fact, this exact set was remade in 2019 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars with 75259: Snowspeeder – 20th Anniversary Edition, which included a highly coveted special edition figure of Lando Calrissian.
7140: X-wing Fighter
One of the most iconic on-screen spacecrafts ever, the X-wing starfighter was an obvious choice for LEGO right out of the gate. While numerous recent remakes have added extra pieces for increased accuracy, the charm of the original 1999 design, set 7140, still shines through today. An added side build of a vehicle for a technician finishes off the scene, providing fans with the atmosphere of the hangar inside the Rebel base on Yavin IV. Similar to the aforementioned Landspeeder, the most recent rendition of this vehicle was an Ultimate Collector’s Series (75355) set released just last year.
7150: TIE Fighter & Y-wing
Two-pack Star Wars chase scenes have become mainstays for LEGO. 2023 saw multiple such sets released, with 75348: Mandalorian Fang Fighter vs TIE Interceptor, and 75364: New Republic E-wing vs. Shin Hati’s Starfighter. But the godfather of this concept originated all the way back at the beginning, with 7150: TIE Fighter & Y-wing. Oddly enough, the set’s official name isn’t entirely accurate, because Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced is the Imperial vehicle included here, not the traditional TIE Fighter. Canonical inaccuracies aside, this set gave fans the chance to make a display of the Death Star trench run first seen in 1977, pairing perfectly with 7140’s X-wing. In 2022, LEGO made a much more detailed version of this scene, but at a smaller scale as seen with set 75329: Death Star Trench Run Diorama.
7128: Speeder Bikes
Another beloved Star Wars chase, but at a much smaller scale, 7128: Speeder Bikes embodies the memorable Endor action sequence. The set includes two such speeder bikes, two scout troopers to ride them, and a Luke Skywalker minifigure to boot. LEGO even recreates a small piece of the Red Wood forest backdrop of Endor for this set. Luckily, a new version of this scene was made just last year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Return of the Jedi. Set 75353: Endor Speeder Chase Diorama features much taller trees and more detailed terrain, along with a Leia figure the 1999 set didn’t include.
7101: Lightsaber Duel
Fast forward a couple months to April 1999. The hype for the return of Star Wars to the big screen for the first time in 16 years was building. To celebrate the moment, Lucasfilm released a frenzy of product tie-ins for The Phantom Menace, including an impressive wave of 8 different LEGO sets. The smallest of the bunch with only 52 pieces, 7101: Lightsaber Duel, which featured the first encounter between Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn and the mysterious villain Darth Maul. The set has never been remade at such a small scale. However, LEGO included both characters and the speeder with the 2024 set 75383: Darth Maul’s Sith Infiltrator.
7111: Droid Fighter
The only 1999 LEGO Star Wars set with no minifigures, the 7111: Droid Fighter, also known as a Vulture Droid, features the build and only the build. The small, 62-piece set remains the most affordable 1999 product on the market, commanding a price of less than $50 for a new, sealed set. The Droid Fighter was only remade once in this color, featured as part of the two pack 7660: Naboo N-1 Starfighter with Vulture Droid from 2007.
7121: Naboo Swamp
As the anticipation for The Phantom Menace continued to grow, fans began speculating about the new CGI character Jar Jar Binks. Little was known about the tall, gangly, frog-like creature at the time. A few weeks later, Jar Jar Binks became one of the most talked about characters in the famed saga’s history. Jar Jar was featured prominently in their first wave of sets from Episode I. The first set, 7121: Naboo Swamp depicts the scene where Qui-Gon Jinn saves Jar Jar from certain doom at the hands of the Trade Federation, leading to the Gungan pledging his life to the Jedi master. 7121 is one of a kind, never to be remade by LEGO as of 2024.
7131: Anakin’s Podracer
One of the most memorable moments in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was the Boonta Eve Classic Podrace scene. The intergalactic sporting event pitted young Anakin Skywalker in his homemade racer against the devious Dug, Sebulba. While Sebulba’s menacing orange craft is only in a much larger product, Anakin’s Pod received its own standalone set with a pit droid and Padme Amidala. Like 7130: Snowspeeder before it, this set was remade as part of the 2019 20th anniversary collection. That set, 75258: Anakin’s Podracer – 20th Anniversary Edition, featured specialized clear technic pieces to give the illusion that the vehicle is hovering above Tatooine’s Dune Sea.
7141: Naboo Fighter
The most popular new vehicle introduced in The Phantom Menace is the shiny and chrome N-1 starfighters from Naboo. The sleek, yellow spacecraft has been a staple of Prequel Trilogy nostalgia ever since. The vehicle even returned in 2022 as The Mandalorian’s new flagship. The first LEGO version of the ship, 7141: Naboo Fighter, has a more blocky design, while the most recent version, 75325: The Mandalorian’s N-1 Starfighter, modifies the design to fit the version pictured in the Disney+ series.
7151: Sith Infiltrator
Darth Maul’s spaceship, the Sith Infiltrator, also known as the Scimitar, has very little screen time in Episode I. That being said, the vessel has left its mark on the Star Wars community, and LEGO has made it into a minifigure-scale set five times. The original, 7151, takes a few liberties with the color scheme of the ship, but the 2024 remake is much closer to the version of the ship we saw in the movies, even including a replica of set 7101.
7161: Gungan Sub
Star Wars took a deep dive into the unknown in The Phantom Menace, literally. The series, famous for its land campaigns and space battles, ventured into uncharted territory with Episode I: underwater. The Gungan Sub, which eluded the jowls of the goober fish, was immortalized in LEGO form with an impressive 379-piece model, complete with underwater wildlife. LEGO has only remade the submersible once since 1999, in 2012 with 9499: Gungan Sub. The latter has skyrocketed in value, thanks in large part to the exclusive Queen Amidala figure, who commands a price more than double the original sets retail.
7171: Mos Espa Podrace
While we’ve already discussed the concept of two pack sets on this list, the 7171: Mos Espa Podrace takes it up a notch; a three pack. A repeat build of Anakin’s Pod (the same design as 7131) is matched up against Gasgano’s Pod and the infamous Sebulba. A slew of spectators are included as well, including Qui-Gon, Padme, Jar Jar, and R2-D2. This 896-piece beaut was the crowning jewel of LEGO’s first foray into a galaxy far, far away. Of course, since this is one of the most popular scenes in the saga, LEGO made a new version of the Podrace in 2024. The set in question, 75380: Mos Espa Podrace Diorama, takes a much different approach to the scene, with miniature models of the vehicles displayed on a backdrop of Arch Canyon, a location from the course. The newer, smaller set only retails for $10 less than the original set did all the way back in 1999.
LEGO Star Wars has changed throughout the years. The brand has evolved with the times, modifying itself into a luxury toy targeted at adults just as much as kids. However, it’s always important to remember your ancestors, and while the original waves of LEGO Star Wars sets might feature different design philosophies than the modern-day stuff, their uniqueness and charm is undeniable.
All of these sets can be purchased on eBay right now.
The post 25 Years of LEGO Star Wars: Comparing the Classic 1999 Sets to Their Remakes appeared first on Den of Geek.
