LEGO explains the new Star Wars Ghost’s biggest missing feature

The designer behind 75357 Ghost & Phantom II has explained the absence of the new LEGO Star Wars: Ahsoka set’s biggest missing feature.

Released earlier this month to tie into the latest Disney+ series from a galaxy far, far away, 75357 Ghost & Phantom II revisits a pair of ships originally released under the Star Wars Rebels banner in 2014 and 2017 respectively. The newer version was designed by former Brick Fanatics contributor Jme Wheeler, who’s also worked on 75329 Death Star Trench Run Diorama, 75338 Ambush on Ferrix and a handful of other LEGO Star Wars sets.

In the designer notes for the model on Brickset, Jme has explained that he campaigned for the coveted role of designing a new take on The Ghost, flown throughout Star Wars Rebels – and now in Star Wars: Ahsoka – by Hera Syndulla and mischievous droid Chopper.

“The Ghost is one of my favourite ships in all of Star Wars,” he wrote. “The original Ghost was one of the last LEGO Star Wars sets I got before getting the job and moving to Denmark. I love that set, and it is an incredible treat to now get to work with the designer of that set, Jan Olesen. It was great to be able to ask questions and get some insights about the 2014 model. I also looked into customer feedback to see what folks might want in a new version, which is why I made sure to have a usable interior.”

75053 The Ghost’s interior is a tiny, impractical space that’s probably better described as storage, but the new set completely blows away its predecessor – with space to fit all five of its included minifigures. In fact, almost everything about 75357 Ghost & Phantom II feels like an improvement over the 2014 set, save perhaps for one crucial, missing feature: the ability to rotate the dorsal turret in the centre of its hull.

“I'm sure a lot of people will miss having a movable dorsal turret,” Jme acknowledged. “Just know that it was part of the design process, and while I managed to make one that worked and looked great, it was not particularly stable, and too greatly negatively impacted the build and play experience. Despite the compromise of the fixed turret, I think the model has a lot of other nice features such as the aforementioned interior, the nose cannon function, and the inclusion of the Phantom II.”

The turret on the original Ghost does rotate, but feels just that little bit overengineered to achieve it: you need to take out an entire substructure beneath the cannon to insert a minifigure, and there are unsightly gaps around the top of the turret. By contrast, inserting a minifigure in the newer version only requires flipping up its canopy, while the entire assembly sits flush with the rest of the ship – so what it lacks in functionality it arguably makes up in accessibility and aesthetics.

Check out our review of 75357 Ghost & Phantom II for a closer look at the new turret, or head over to LEGO.com and order your copy to experience it for yourself. The 1,394-piece set is available now for £149.99 / $159.99 / €169.99.

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