LEGO Star Wars has been around for an incredible 25 years and Blocks is exploring a galaxy far, far away in search of the five best LEGO Star Wars alien minifigures.
Some of the most iconic Star Wars characters are aliens — from Wookiees and Ewoks to Gungans and Rodians, there’s plenty of amazing creatures to be found across the galaxy. And many of these beloved aliens have made their way into LEGO Star Wars as some incredible minifigures. LEGO Star Wars aliens have been a part of the theme since the first sets in 1999 and have been a staple of the theme ever since.
Star Wars aliens, while often humanoid, don’t always translate into the standard minifigure design. Thus, many LEGO Star Wars aliens have special moulds to capture their unique designs in minifigure form. With 25 years of alien-filled LEGO Star Wars sets to sift through, picking out just a few is no easy task. But Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine, is up for the challenge, listing five of the best LEGO Star Wars alien minifigures.
Chief Tarfful
Wookiees were one of the first species to be introduced back in 1977 and have since become a mainstay of the franchise. Chewbacca may be the most famous Wookiee this side of Kashyyyk, but there’s plenty of other fantastic Wookiees with amazing minifigures, including Chief Tarfful from 2014’s 75043 AT-AP. Tarfful’s minifigure was one of the first Wookiee minifigures to have printing on the ‘sandwich board’ element that makes up the torso and head, and the figure makes use of its printing beautifully. Highlights are given to Tarfful’s face, and silver printing adds some extra detail on the front and back of his torso as well as on his shoulders. This minifigure proved to be a popular one, earning itself a rerelease in 2019’s 75233 Droid Gunship.
Max Rebo
Aliens in Star Wars often fall in one of two categories — terrifying or adorable — and Max Rebo can fall into either, depending on who you ask. There’s a bit of a debate in the Star Wars community on whether Max Rebo’s species, Ortolans, have arms or not — meaning there’s a chance Max Rebo plays his instruments with his feet. The minifigure version of the character opts for the alternative interpretation and gives Max Rebo both arms and legs in a beautiful azure colour. But the highlight of this minifigure is undoubtedly the exclusive head piece, which gives Max Rebo his distinctive floppy ears and nose. This figure remains exclusive to 2013’s 75020 Jabba’s Sail Barge, making him highly desirable on the aftermarket.
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Ithorian Jedi Master
Ithorians are one of the most common background aliens in Star Wars, making frequent appearances in movies and shows to fill out a scene. This makes them highly recognisable but limits the opportunities to get minifigure versions of them, so the Ithorian Jedi Master from 2014’s 75051 Jedi Scout Fighter is quite the special figure. The unnamed Jedi Master has an excellent head piece that accurately represents an Ithorian in the brick. He also holds the distinction of being one of only two Ithorian minifigures made to date.
Thi-Sen
Before their appearance in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the Talz were occasionally featured in Star Wars media, including the famous Mos Eisley Cantina scene and in the original Star Wars: Clone Wars cartoon. But The Clone Wars gave the Talz their own story for the first time and introduced their leader, Thi-Sen, who represents the species in minifigure form thanks to 2010’s 8085 Freeco Speeder. Thi-Sen’s minifigure features and impressive mould to recreate the Talz’s unique design, combining his torso, head and chieftain gear into one piece similar to those used on Wookiee minifigures. The standard torso and leg pieces have no printing, but considering the figure is from 2010, the elaborate ‘sandwich board’ element more than makes up for it.
Pong Krell
Despite his appearance in just four episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Pong Krell managed to become one of the most despised Star Wars characters. However, putting his despicable character aside, Pong Krell’s minifigure adaptation is nothing short of a masterpiece. Capturing a Besalisk — Krell’s species — in minifigure form is no easy task, given their extra pair of arms and imposing form. The figure achieves this by using a single piece for Krell’s upper body, head and extra arms. This unique piece is impressive, but far from the only notable part of the figure. The printing on Krell’s torso and legs is excellent, and his dual double-bladed lightsabers make Pong Krell a minifigure no Clone wants to stand against. Pong Krell only ever made an appearance in one set — 2013’s 75004 Z-95 Headhunter.
Agree with the list? Or is another Star Wars alien your favourite? Let Blocks know on any of our social media channels.