Adult fans have been enjoying building three new LEGO Star Wars Diorama Collection sets, a new type of model that recreate scenes from the saga – so here are some ideas about where this subtheme could go next.
While just three sets have been released in the LEGO Star Wars Diorama Collection – 75329 Death Star Trench Run, 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training and 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor – there’s great scope for where this could go if the design team were to continue the concept. You can read a list of suggestions for prequel trilogy moments that would be perfect for this series.
The design team should never forget the trilogy that started it all though, so Blocks, the LEGO magazine for fans, is thinking about five more diorama sets based on the Original Trilogy that would be a lot of fun…
‘I’m never going to get out of here’
It’s clear how atmospheric and textured backdrops can be in the recent 21333 Vincent van Gogh – The Starry Night, and the twin suns of Tatooine, orange and white orbs amidst a sky of purple as the sun(s) set on the desert planet would make for an artistic backdrop to a diorama that focuses on the Lars Homestead.
The quotation isn’t from this scene, but the scene being depicted is one without dialogue – Luke, frustrated at his uncle’s reticence to let him leave, looks off into the distance. It’s a feeling everyone has had – of wanting to strike out and explore the world. As John Williams’s music swells, the audience feels the hope and naivete of youth in full force. So let’s have Luke, then, standing next to the Homestead and looking to the distance – it’ll be unusual to have a set in which the minifigure has its back to the viewer.
Blocks reviews the Diorama Collection sets in Issue 92. To get Blocks, the LEGO magazine for fans, every month – at a discount and earlier than the shops – order a 12-month or 24-month subscription. Direct debit payment options are available too; to find out more get in touch via subs@silverbackpublishing.rocks.
‘Go for the legs. It might be our only chance of stopping them’
Diorama sets are not just for minifigure scale, and it’d be remiss not to turn the battle for Hoth into a set. The AT-AT make for threatening enemies as they charge towards the shield generator. It’s up to the diminutive Snowspeeders to take them down, but although they are small, they are fierce – the tow cables ensnare and use the hulking weight of the AT-ATs against them.
This diorama would capture this dynamic moment of entrapment, with a Snowspeeder tilted as it flies around the legs of an AT-AT. Trenches and turrets would give a sense of the battle that’s happening on the ground whilst the ion canon that provides cover fire to the Rebel transport ship should be included too. A fallen Snowspeeder sticking out of the snow would also add a sense of drama. It’d be a busy set, but the greys of the ships will mark a contrast to Hoth’s snow-white backdrop.
‘We would be honoured if you would join us’
It’s a pretty shocking moment in The Empire Strikes Back – Lando has just been explaining how Cloud City remains out of the Empire’s eye and finally our rebel heroes, who have so far spent the film on the run, have a chance to relax. That is, until a door opens and there’s Darth Vader sitting with the entrees in front of him.
2018’s 75222 Betrayal at Cloud City gave an indication of what this set might look like, but as a diorama set there’s a greater opportunity to have a much more detailed rendering of the setting in brick form. The opulence of Cloud City would give a designer an opportunity to create an elegant diorama, moving beyond the location’s white walls. It’s always good to get the classy scoundrel Lando Calrissian, plus Vader, Han and Leia (in the lovely Bespin outfit) together means this is a dinner party few would want to miss.
‘It appears you are to the be the main course at a banquet in my honour’
Amidst the action of Return of the Jedi, it’s easy to forget some of the scenes in the Ewok Village that provide much of the film’s comedy. There’s a beautifully quiet moment where C-3PO tells the Ewoks the stories of the previous two films, using sounds like Darth Vader’s breathing or an igniting lightsabre that are distinctly familiar.
Another moment sees Han, Luke and Chewbacca all about to be cooked by the Ewoks. As per the quote, the Ewoks thinks C-3PO is a God, and our heroes are the main course. Luke however uses the Force to lift C-3PO into the air, and it’s this moment of magic that the diorama would capture. A tree house platform, a small hut, plenty of foliage, the fire pit and a couple of teddy-bear-like Ewoks would make this hilarious scene extra cute and endearing.
‘The Emperor’s made a critical error, and the time for our attack has come’
As the elegant Mon Mothma utters the words above, the Rebels move into their endgame plan to defeat the Empire. In the briefing room of the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, the Rebel Alliance’s best and brightest are gathered to launch their final assault.
This space has been delivered before in 7754 Home One Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, but that set released in 2009, so it’s high time for a newer version. What would be exciting about this diorama is its piece usage – a large hologram of the Death Star would be just one part of the intricate design of inside such a large star cruiser. The set itself would involve the central space where the Rebel leaders (Mon Mothma and General Madine) outline their plan alongside the tiered seating for various Rebel pilots (Lando Calrissian, Nien Nunb and Wedge Antilles, to be specific) to listen in to the plan.
What diorama sets based on the Star Wars original trilogy would you like to see? Let us know on the Blocks social media channels.