LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 review

LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 offers a fun and buildable version of everyone’s favourite droid from a galaxy far, far away. Hang on, we’ve said this before…

In a 25th anniversary year for LEGO Star Wars that reportedly includes quite a creative left turn later on, if rumours are to be believed, it’s saying something that one of the most surprising and unexpected sets of recent years comes in the shape of LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2.

--- LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 set details ---

Theme: LEGO Star Wars Set name: 75379 R2-D2 Release: March 1, 2024

Price: £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99 Pieces: 1,050 Minifigures: 2

LEGO: Order now

--- Where to buy LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 ---

LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 comes out on March 1 at LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores and presumably will also be available at select third-party retailers.

--- LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 build ---

Releasing a LEGO Star Wars set based one the franchise’s cheekiest, most beloved and always-in-the-know droids from a galaxy far, far away and making it a larger, buildable version of that character is a no-brainer strategy. A licence to print money, so to speak. Except, erm, are you okay LEGO Star Wars? You literally just did this, remember?

LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 releases this March and follows hot on the heels of 75308 R2-D2 – so much so in fact that 75308 R2-D2 hasn’t yet left the market. Released in 2021, that larger buildable version of Artoo is only set to retire at the end of 2024, so for almost the whole year there will now be two versions of the astromech droid on shelves – the older, slightly bigger 75308 R2-D2 and the newer, slightly smaller 75379 R2-D2 – and we cannot think of another time when something like this has happened.

Yes, there have been occasions like two Millennium Falcons on shelves at once, and there will be three from March when 75375 Millennium Falcon releases to sit alongside 75192 Millennium Falcon and 75257 Millennium Falcon, but that is a more typical occurrence of how LEGO sets based on one thing follow completely different concepts and wholly different sizes to target separate markets and offer separate experiences. 75379 R2-D2 is releasing at a similar size as 75308 R2-D2 and is based around the same concept, just with fewer pieces. At a glimpse for seasoned LEGO Star Wars fans, R2-D2 and R2-D-two look very similar and for casual customers there will surely be only one difference to understand: that the newer 75379 R2-D2 is less than half the price of the older one.

And it’s 75379 R2-D2’s most immediate point of appeal, coming in at a much more accessible and affordable price. What is ostensibly the same experience has been scaled down, finer points and functionality stripped away and the core purpose of this particular LEGO concept re-explored. It is weird so recently after building a larger R2-D2 to build one again and for the very fact you are building something based on the same exact character there are unavoidable similarities. But the slightly smaller scale does bring with it a different approach here and there, and certainly different parts usage almost everywhere across the model so as to achieve particular details.

It's a simpler build and satisfyingly pacey too, for how quickly the most boring part of the build – the interior – is done away with before you move on to the various parts of Artoo’s bodywork, head and feet. Even as you run through the build relatively quickly, there are clever techniques in place at each stage to really appreciate and that serve the quality and authenticity of the final model. It’s interesting to put together and looks the part, which are both important considerations for the fact this is a smaller version of a pre-existing and currently available LEGO set.

There is no getting away from comparing 75379 R2-D2 with its recent and still available predecessor, but that’s no bad thing because, for its quality and own way of offering authenticity and enjoyment, it offers a far better-valued LEGO Star Wars set. 75379 R2-D2 will of course hold all the appeal and attention that it deserves once its bigger brother retires from production, but for how clever and fairly-priced this newer model is, it threatens to outshine it in the meantime.

And perhaps if a rumoured certain gold companion of a similar buildable scale comes out later on in 2024 then the release strategy around this scaled down Artoo will make even more sense. If that doesn’t come to fruition as hoped, then 75379 R2-D2 will be best remembered as a delightful but wholly unnecessary LEGO Star Wars set…

--- LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 characters ---

An unexpected LEGO set includes an unexpected LEGO Star Wars minifigure. As part of the theme’s strategy to mark its 25th anniversary, it's dreaming up a small selection of lesser-known characters in minifigure form and including them in unrelated sets. For LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 that is Darth Malak, from 2003 video game Knights of the Old Republic. Malak is a Sith lord who served under (then betrayed, then battled) Darth Revan – you know him, the Mandalorian-mask-wearing Jedi-turned-Sith; the one with the polybag minifigure that is very expensive on the aftermarket. Yes, that guy.

Darth Malak is a curious and not unwelcome addition to the LEGO Star Wars minifigure collection and certainly pairs well with anyone lucky enough to have Revan. His design is very nicely done, particularly for the unique mask mould that has been made – that could have been a print detail, but making it a separate piece does elevate the quality of this minifigure.

Likewise, the backward compatibility of the display stand it comes on with the 20th-anniversary minifigures and their display stands is a nice touch for those keen for consistency in collections. It’s a small detail but an important indicator of where LEGO Star Wars is hopefully working to find greater consistency and longevity in what it wants to offer within the theme as collectible.

--- LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 price ---

LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 wins out on price, for sure, thanks to its bigger brother’s heftier price tag and for how well it holds up by comparison. It doesn’t have the same interpretations of features nor the ability to be as functional, but the workarounds and ideas that have gone into this newer version of the droid still offer an all-round similar play experience and one that crucially comes in at a lot, lot cheaper. It’s a great size, a fun build and looks good on display – as good as the bigger one even if shorter. A lot of boxes for value are ticked here.

--- LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 pictures ---

--- LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 pros and cons ---

LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 ticks a lot of boxes for value and a lot of the same boxes that 2021’s 75308 R2-D2 did. For those two things alone 75379 R2-D2 wins out and stands as a credible addition to the LEGO Star Wars collection.

It’ll certainly hurt for those who already have the larger version of the astromech, and if that’s you and you still insist on picking this up then you may want to give this a bit of time before building, so as to entirely separate the experiences. Indeed, if that buildable C-3PO rumoured for later in the year comes in at the same scale as this little guy then that’ll be the time to build and find real, new enjoyment. Fingers crossed.

But in any case, there’s no denying that whether the timing is good or not, 75379 R2-D2 is a fun, smart and wholly enjoyable LEGO Star Wars set to build and play with. It’s the same, but different. And that’s still where Star Wars as a franchise is in 2024. The LEGO Star Wars team are smart in how they navigate such a creative challenge and 75379 R2-D2 (and its predecessor) are good examples of that.

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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--- Alternatives to LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 ---

Lol. The best alternative to LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 is… 75308 R2-D2. It’s a bigger, more detailed and thorough exploration of everyone’s favourite astromech droid, but comes in at a much higher budget to match. Around the £89.99 price, there are a few reasonable alternatives to 75379 R2-D2 found within LEGO Star Wars, such as 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama and 75348 Mandalorian Fang Fighter vs. TIE Interceptor.

--- LEGO Star Wars 75379 R2-D2 FAQs ---