Lego Star Wars

For other uses, see Lego Star Wars (disambiguation).
Star Wars
Sub‑themes The Old Republic
The Phantom Menace
Attack of the Clones
The Clone Wars
Revenge of the Sith
The Force Unleashed
Rebels
Classic Star Wars
The Force Awakens
Subject Star Wars
Licensed from Lucasfilm
Availability 1999–present
Total sets 188 (so far)
Official website

Lego Star Wars is a Lego theme that incorporates the Star Wars saga. Originally it was only licensed from 1999–2008, but the Lego Group extended the license with Lucasfilm Ltd. multiple times: First to 2011 and then again until 2016. In 2012 another 10-year agreement was signed between the two companies.[1]

The brand has spawned five video game releases, developed by Traveller's Tales — Lego Star Wars: The Video Game (2005), Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (2006), Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (2007), Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (2011), and Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2016). Many short films and miniseries have also been produced.

LEGO Sets

The first Lego Star Wars, released in 1999, included model 7140, the first Lego X-Wing. Star Wars was the first intellectual property to be licensed in Lego Group history.[2] The first few sets based on the original trilogy were released in 1999, coinciding with the release of The Phantom Menace. Sets based on the prequel trilogy (Episodes 1 to 3) of Star Wars would follow, starting with Episode I. As each new film in the prequel trilogy neared its release date, Lego issued new models of ships and scenes in those films, as well as additional sets from the original trilogy. Lego also produced models based on The Clone Wars, which was released early in 2008.[1] Sets based on The Force Awakens, Rogue One and Star Wars Rebels have also been produced.

Ultimate Collector Series

UCS version of Millennium Falcon.

In addition to the regular minifigure-scale sets, Lego has released several sets for the Ultimate Collector Series. These models are considerably larger, more detailed, are usually meant for display purposes, and cost more than regular Lego sets. Many of them include an information plaque and often a display stand. On October 10, 2007, the Lego Group released a UCS version of the Millennium Falcon, complete with six minifigures. At 5195 pieces, it is the largest Star Wars Lego set ever released; and the second largest set of any collection ever commercially released (only topped by the Lego Taj Mahal). The newest Ultimate Collector Series set is the 75095 TIE Fighter.

Video games

There have been five Lego Star Wars video games:

Collections:

As of February 13, 2009, Lego Star Wars: The Video Game has sold over 6.8 million copies worldwide, Lego Star Wars II has sold over 8.3 million, The Complete Saga has sold over 4.1 million, and the three combined have sold over 21 million.[3]

Films and videos

The package for Darth Vader's TIE fighter.

Several films and videos based on Lego Star Wars have been produced. In spring 2005, in conjunction with the theatrical release of Revenge of the Sith, the first computer animated Lego Star Wars short film Lego Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick premiered on Cartoon Network.[4]

In August 2009, .a short movie titled Lego Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2 was aired on Cartoon Network and uploaded to the Lego Star Wars website, in order to celebrate 10 years of Lego Star Wars,[5][6] Lego released the computer-animated comedy short film Lego Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2, directed by Peder Pedersen

In 2010, another CGI Lego film was made titled Lego Star Wars: Bombad Bounty where Vader hires Boba Fett to track down the Gungan Jar Jar Binks for an accident he caused to Vader. The film also takes place at the same time as the original movies showing that Jar Jar was responsible for the destruction of the first Death Star and was with Boba Fett on Jabba's Barge during the events of Return of the Jedi.

On July 7, 2011, a 30-minute, exclusive TV special was announced titled Lego Star Wars: The Padawan Menace by Michael Price about a Jedi Academy field trip.[7] guide Master Yoda leads a group of rambunctious Jedi younglings through Senate chambers when he senses a disturbance in the Force. Summoned to help save the Republic, he discovers that one of the younglings secretly boarded his ship...and has a taste for adventure. Meanwhile, C-3PO and R2-D2 are put in charge of the boisterous group and find themselves in over their heads. Yoda and the droids proceed to save the younglings from Sith lords. The special premiered in the United States on Cartoon Network on July 22, 2011 at 7 p.m. and in the United Kingdom on October 17 at 5:30. The DVD and Blu-ray include several special features such as The Quest for R2-D2 and Bombad Bounty as well as other short films. In America, the Blu-ray disc was a double play disc and came with the Han Solo figure as he appeared in the film.

Notable Star Wars: The Clone Wars voice actors Tom Kane, Phil LaMarr, Nika Futterman and Anthony Daniels reprise their voice roles as Yoda, Bail Organa, Asajj Ventress and C-3PO respectively. The special also includes an archived clip of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and C-3PO in the cantina from A New Hope. As a running joke, Darth Vader is inserted into the film three times, causing a Lego version of George Lucas to come up and drive him out from the scene (this occurs in the scenes at: Sidious's Lair, Hoth, and the End Celebration).

On September 26, 2012, a new special titled Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out aired on Cartoon Network in the United States.[8] In it, Luke Skywalker embarks on a mission to find and destroy an Imperial base on Naboo, but is relentlessly chased by a group of fanatic girls, who think of him as a celebrity for destroying the Death Star. Meanwhile, Darth Vader engages a "sithling" rivalry with Darth Maul, in order to prove he's the best Sith Lord to Emperor Palpatine, who is constructing the second Death Star.

Sam Witwer, Anthony Daniels and Tom Kane appear as the voices of Darth Maul, C-3PO and Yoda, and other actors from the films, including Kenneth Colley, Brian Blessed, Andrew Secombe and Julian Glover, reprise their roles (as Admiral Piett, Boss Nass, Watto and General Veers, respectively). The special was dedicated to the memory of Ralph McQuarrie, designer of the original trilogy, who died the same year the special was made.

On May 29, 2013, the first part of a trilogy called Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles, aired. In "The Phantom Clone", General Grievous steals the lightsabers of a group of Padawans at the Jedi Training Academy, and he and Count Dooku plan to use the lightsabers' crystals to create an army of super-powered Sith clones on Kamino. Yoda and Mace Windu embark on a quest to stop them. Meanwhile, the Padawans try to retrieve their lightsabers, much to C-3PO's concern.

Part 2 of The Yoda Chronicles, entitled "Menace of the Sith", aired on September 4, 2013. The only surviving Sith clone, Jek-14, decides not to fight for the dark side of the force and wants to be left alone to build in peace, but both the Jedi and the Sith want him on their side, with the latter planning to use him to clone an evil army. Meanwhile, C-3PO quits being the substitute teacher for the Padawans, and the Jedi Council hires Anakin Skywalker as his replacement.

"Attack of the Jedi", the final part of The Yoda Chronicles, aired on November 27, 2013. After the Sith's plan to create Sith clones has failed, they start teaching a group of evil padawans on the planet Mustafar. When the Jedi get a tip of this, they head there to stop them, but when they reach complications, they must persuade Jek-14 to help them, despite him not wanting to fight for either side of the Force. Meanwhile, Darth Sidious tries to meet up with the evil padawans, but has trouble getting away from C-3PO.

The series continued to a second season with four episodes airing in 2014 but now without "Lego" in the title to avoid legal disputes over ownership between Disney and Cartoon Network.

In 2015, a new 5-part animated mini-series titled Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales aired on Disney XD between July and November. The series serves as a comedic re-telling of the first six Star Wars films from C-3PO's point of view.[9]

On February 17, 2016, Disney announced that a new LEGO animated series called LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures would air on Disney XD.

Online comic strip

Comic book artist Greg Hyland, better known for his series Lethargic Lad and the comics on the back of Lego Batman set boxes, produced an online comic strip based on the Lego Star Wars toyline and video games.[10] The comics are largely satirical looks at flaws in certain sets, or spoofs of Lego characteristics as to how these would fit into the actual Star Wars universe. References and comparisons to other Lego themes are often made as well, for comedic effect.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lego Star Wars.

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