Revisiting LEGO Star Wars 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder, six months on

Six months on from the release of LEGO Star Wars 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder, was this UCS set a misstep from the LEGO Group – or is there more to it than first meets the eye?

Originally debuting on May 4, 2022 – for Star Wars Day, no less – 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder was this year’s first Ultimate Collector Series set. It’s since been followed by 75331 The Razor Crest, a flagship LEGO Star Wars model at more than twice the price, and is now firmly cemented within the context of the wider subtheme. So, six months on, is 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder worth your time?

Our initial review of the UCS X-34 approached the model with a sense of general trepidation, echoing the mood felt by the community as a whole. It’s fair to say that LEGO Landspeeder fatigue had well and truly set in by the beginning of 2022, when rumours of a UCS version of the vehicle were in full swing, following two decades of countless examples at multiple different scales. 

At the time, an even bigger and more expensive set didn’t feel like the solution to the problem. It was an almost unique situation for a LEGO Star Wars direct-to-consumer set, perhaps best summarised by our review: “You could almost hear the collective sigh of indifference from the LEGO community when the first reveal pictures dropped.” We ultimately concluded that the model is accurate and authentic, but lacks that certain je ne sais quoi usually reserved for UCS sets.

Having now had 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder on the Brick Fanatics shelf for six months, however, its finer qualities have gradually started to shine through – and we’d now argue that there’s actually a lot going for this 1,890-piece set. Far more than at first glance, anyway.

Although, really, that first glance should give you at least one reason to give 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder a second chance: its colour scheme. Among a sea of grey LEGO Star Wars UCS sets, including 75192 Millennium Falcon, 75252 Imperial Star Destroyer and – subsequently – 75331 The Razor Crest, the Landspeeder’s bold nougat and dark red hues are a real breath of fresh air for this subtheme. The only current UCS set that comes close is 75309 Republic Gunship, and even that’s mostly white.

We also flagged up the build experience back in May, suggesting that it’s not quite as inventive as is normally expected for a UCS set. That hasn’t changed, but it’s worth considering what you want from a LEGO Star Wars model when approaching 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder. While most of the complexity is limited to its three individual engines, and particularly the one with exposed wiring, there is some joy to be found in putting together the bulk of the ship – at least if you’re a veteran LEGO Star Wars fan.

That’s because the simple stacking of bricks and plates will take you back to the days of building, well, the original 7110 Landspeeder, for one (which almost served as the direct inspiration for this UCS version’s colour scheme). It’s as nostalgic a build as you’ll find across the entire LEGO Star Wars range in 2022, and the fact you get to do so much of it in a supersized build is the cherry on top. Technic fiends need not apply, but for System purists, this is the way.

It hardly feels worth pointing out that C-3PO minifigure at this stage, but we’ve got to do it anyway, because the more we look at it the more we appreciate it. With all the printing and moulding tools the LEGO Group currently has in its belt, many LEGO Star Wars minifigures can often feel underserved or otherwise disappointing. Not so with Threepio, whose dual-moulding and print detail stands in the same leagues as the superheroes in 71031 Marvel Studios. And those are from a theme solely dedicated to minifigures, so that’s high praise indeed.

So, there are things to enjoy in 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder – we haven’t even mentioned the beautiful windscreen element, which is packaged separately to avoid scratches, and is just malleable enough to be really satisfying to snap into place – but what about that price tag? It’s gone up since we first reviewed the set, to the tune of £35 in the UK, $40 in the US and €40 in Europe. We felt the original RRP was fair in the context of other UCS sets. Does that mean it’s too expensive now?

Well, yes and no. The problem is that the LEGO Group has also raised the price of its other current UCS sets, shifting the bar for what’s acceptable. In November 2022, either every set is now overpriced, or they’re all still relatively fair for what’s now the new norm. The May the Fourth 2023 set is expected to retail for the same price as 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder, so it looks like £209.99 / $239.99 / €239.99 is basically the entry level for UCS sets from now on.

With that in mind, the Landspeeder still doesn’t feel too egregious. It’s a more affordable way to get the top-line LEGO Star Wars experience than its successor, 75331 The Razor Crest, or any of the other currently-available UCS vehicles. And its relatively modest price (compared to those sets) means it’s also pretty easy to display, while still commanding any space you’ll put it in. You do want to show it off a bit, after all.

Still, we’ll be hoping for a tasty LEGO Black Friday discount on 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder to make it an even more reasonable prospect for wider audiences – not least because it might help to convince the LEGO Group that this is a price tag worth sticking with for the UCS range, while the budgets of 18+ sets across other themes continues to skyrocket. (Hello, 76215 Black Panther and 76210 Hulkbuster.)

This isn’t to say 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder is a perfect set, by any means. If you’re after an intricate and involved build experience that stretches beyond three sub-assemblies, you’re better off aiming for something like 75308 R2-D2, which comes in at the same price point and offers an intensely challenging build (lots of Technic in that one, you see). 

Its stickers also remain a point of contention, particularly around the engines – where they’ll never line up properly – and those along the curved front edge of the Landspeeder, which we still have nightmares about trying to align correctly, six months on. And then there’s the subject matter itself: if you’re not interested in Landspeeders generally speaking, this set isn’t going to convince you otherwise.

But if you were on the fence with 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder, it’s absolutely worth giving it another look-in – especially in the run-up to Christmas, when we’ll hopefully see at least one tempting deal for LEGO VIP Weekend, Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Even double VIP points and a gift-with-purchase or two could make it worth taking the plunge…

If you don’t want to wait, buying 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder right now will get you a free fleece blanket and – if you’re a VIP member – 40512 Fun & Funky VIP Add-on Pack.

Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your LEGO using our affiliate links, and keep an eye out for deals on 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder through our LEGO Star Wars Black Friday hub.