One of LEGO Star Wars' first original characters is rumoured to be making a grand return, though you may not know everything about his story.
Much like the LEGO goat and its sudden appearance in
With a grain of salt to hand, here's the story of Jedi Bob from the beginning to its current stage ready for the possible return of another LEGO legend in 2024.
Who is Jedi Bob?
One of the most interesting facts about Jedi Bob is his name. The first set to include him, 7163 Republic Gunship from 2002, didn't name the Jedi. It wasn't until the 2009 LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary that he was given a name that the community adored.
The unofficial (but soon possibly official) name managed to stick and thus the legend of Jedi Bob truly began. The character's involvement in the brick-built battle on Geonosis has even inspired a Wookieepedia page. He may have been planned for a second classic LEGO Star Wars set too, but it seems it wasn't meant to be.
His quirky smile and name kept him in the minds of LEGO Star Wars enthusiasts for some time, but most recently he's been in the headlines more often.
The gunship
Most of the major discussions in the past few years surrounding Jedi Bob have been regarding
Some may have been expecting
LEGO designer Hans Burkhard Schlömer may have referenced the demand for a new Jedi Bob in the UCS set in a roundtable interview, saying, “We put in two minifigures for good measure, because people expect it – even though we keep saying with a model like this it’s really not about minifigures. We put in minifigures that are appropriate, but I personally feel they shouldn’t be super-rare collector’s items.
“It’s just not okay to put a super-rare minifigure into a super high price point because not everybody can afford it, and those minifigures will be super-sought-after. But in this case, I think we found a good middle ground: we picked a Jedi, Mace Windu, and a Clone Commander, which also doubles as a pilot for this vehicle.”
Jedi Bob would certainly be a high-profile exclusive minifigure and 75309 Republic Gunship is available now for £344.99 / $399.99 / €399.99, therefore asking a high price for him. Thankfully, it's not too hard to make your own updated Jedi Bob to go alongside it.
The campaign
Unfortunately, 7163 Republic Gunship has so far been the only appearance of Jedi Bob, but the community have tried to convince the LEGO Group to bring the Jedi back in other ways. Nathan Morris started a petition on Change.org hoping to convince the LEGO Group, TT Games and Lucasfilm to bring Jedi Bob to LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
Ultimately, it garnered 1,904 signatures. The fact that someone remembered Jedi Bob for the title and nearly 2,000 people wanted to see him digitally return shows that he has a dedicated fanbase, at least. Add to this the over 30,000 votes for a new Republic Gunship on LEGO Ideas – at least some of which may have been influenced by the hope for a new Jedi Bob – and suffice it to say that the non-canon Jedi is beloved.
The conspiracy theory
Recently, a conspiracy theory shared by YouTuber MandRproductions posited that the stars could be aligning for the return of Jedi Bob soon. The theorising started thanks to an Amazon AU listing stating that a minifigure in the new LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary includes ‘an exclusive LEGO Star Wars minifigure with special 25th anniversary printing’.
Follow that with the fact that DK Books was the first to name Jedi Bob – and in many ways started the story – and it could make sense as a way to bring Jedi Bob back. The supposed final piece of the puzzle is a claim the LEGO Star Wars team held a secret meeting with a group of community members following the stunted release of 75309 Republic Gunship. It arrived in 2021 to a mixed reception. This may have been to determine what could have gone wrong. Hint – it supposedly has to do with a lack of Jedi Bob.
Reportedly, a screenshot of a message from Brickset from shortly after the meeting took place asked the YouTuber what the community would want from a new Jedi Bob minifigure. Possible options include an updated design or something more familiar. Provided this is accurate, there may be evidence for an eventual new Jedi Bob minifigure sooner than expected. Still, take this information with a pinch of salt just in case.
The rumoured return
Rumour has it that the 25th anniversary could finally see a brand new Jedi Bob minifigure – not just as a special guest in a set but in his first dedicated model. A list of reported summer 2024 LEGO Star Wars sets includes 75388 Jedi Bob’s Starfighter. While all rumours should undoubtedly be taken with caution, it may be the clearest sign yet that Jedi Bob is coming back.
The rumoured set could include a new minifigure of Jedi Bob with yellow skin, matching his original appearance from 2002. 75388 Jedi Bob’s Starfighter is believed to feature 310 pieces for $39.99 but has no reported release window at the time of writing other than 2024. That price is undoubtedly lower than that of 75309 Republic Gunship, supporting the previous quote from designer Hans Burkhard Schlömer.
Take this rumour with caution but this story might be coming to an end 23 years later and on the 25th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars no less. He may not be canon, but Jedi Bob could be back later this year.
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