Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine, details the Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser, a ship that’s inspired a recent Ultimate Collector Series model. Here’s everything all Star Wars fans need to know about this massive ship.
With the reveal of LEGO 75367 Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser, you need to know more about this famous craft, which has appeared in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a brand-new Star Wars fan, there’s a lot to love in the Venator. Read on – or face the barrels of the Venator’s massive ship-to-ship cannons.
What is a Venator?
Created by Kuat Drive Yards, the Venator-class Attack Cruiser was a notable Galactic Republic and later Imperial ship that measured more than 1,000 feet long. With Republic insignia, and a distinctive wedge shape that would inspire the future Imperial Star Destroyers, it was the last thing many droids and insurgents would see before crashing and burning. Small fighters and flagships alike fell to this behemoth.
As it was covered in gun placements and anti-ship turrets, as well as massive turbolasers for ship-to-ship combat, combating a Venator was a hard sell. Of course, there were still even larger enemy cruisers that could put up a fight. The Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) briefly used the Subjugator-class heavy cruiser Malevolence, captained by General Grievous, to stop the Republic fleet in their tracks. It featured two mega ion cannons to drain power from these ships before bombarding them with its cannons.
Annihilation of the enemy may have been the name of the game, but your average Venator also housed and provided work and purpose for almost 10,000 Republic personnel. That included troops, pilots, officers, and enlisted crew. None of the Venator’s functions would be possible without the Galactic Army of the Republic, primarily made up of Clone Troopers. A notable non-Clone on-board was Admiral Yularen, who is included as a minifigure in 75367 Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser.
Venator-class Republic Attack Cruisers would later be adopted by the Galactic Empire, as seen in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, one of which was commanded by Admiral Rampart during the destruction of Kamino. The ship would soon be replaced by the Imperial Star Destroyer, a much larger vessel with ampler hangar space.
Upgrade your LEGO hobby! If you take out a subscription to Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine, you’ll get each issue first and at a discount, plus other perks including a free digital subscription and the chance to win LEGO prizes every month.
Botable Venator-class Republic Attack Cruisers
Resolute
The Resolute resolved battles across the Galaxy over a long and celebrated career. As the personal flagship of Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, its two bridges are painted a deep red. It fought through many battles in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, though it was finally destroyed at the Battle of Sullust. Asajj Ventress is credited with its demise, having blasted the bridge with a squadron of droid tri-fighters. It is likely 75367 Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser is based on this battleship.
Negotiator
Ah yes, the Negotiator. Under Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi’s command, this ship survived much of the Clone Wars, including the Malevolence, until it was ordered to self-destruct by none other than General Kenobi himself as a parting gift to the invading General Grievous. Grievous, of course, would survive the enormous fireball to come.
Triumphant
General Plo Koon’s flagship, Triumphant, was anything but triumphant. It was quickly destroyed by the Malevolence when it and three other Republic cruisers approached it, seeking to end its reign of terror. The Venators in that trio, including the Triumphant, were not able to get within firing range without being sapped of power by the Malevolence’s ion cannon.
Tribunal
The Tribunal served the Galactic Republic well until its destruction at the hands of Maul. Rather than destroying the cruiser in a fighter or battleship, he tore the reactor out and shredded its crew into pieces. The crewmates and soldiers who survived Maul would soon perish when the Tribunal crashed into an unidentified snowy moon.
What are some past LEGO sets depicting the Venator?
There have been five sets that depict the Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser.
- 8039 Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser, the only play-scale model, launched in 2009.
- 20007 Republic Attack Cruiser, a BrickMaster magazine model also released in 2009.
- 30053 Republic Attack Cruiser, a smaller model of the ship released in 2011.
- 75416 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar includes a tiny version of the big cruiser in 2016.
- 75367 Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser, the recently-revealed Ultimate Collector Series giant.