A LEGO set of a droid based on a Star Wars video game?! I instantly knew that I had to buy it. But is the BD-1 LEGO Set worth its price and should you bother to get it? Let’s find out!
Star Wars Celebration delivered some of the most exciting news about upcoming series and movies. These huge announcements overshadowed some “lesser” reveals, such as the LEGO Star Wars BD-1 set.
The official release date for the BD-1 LEGO Set is August 1st, 2022. I don’t know if my local shop did a mistake or if it was supposed to sell it before that date but I was lucky enough to get mine a week before, so this is a good opportunity to read about it if you haven’t made up your mind.
The set is #75335, with 1062 pieces and is 31cm tall when completed. Recommended age is 14+. It retails for $99.99 USD, but keep in mind that the price may vary depending on where you live, I had to pay around $129.99 due to import and tax rates.
Who and What is BD-1
Even if you’re a Star Wars fan, not every Star Wars fan plays the video games so it could be a little confusing when learning about a new LEGO set that features a character that hasn’t appeared in the live-action series or movies (yet).
BD-1 is the trusty companion of Cal Kestis in the action-adventure game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Throughout the game, BD-1 helps you reach places that otherwise would be impossible. Just like many droids in the Star Wars franchise, BD-1 has its own personality and traits.
It’s almost impossible to not like this little friend, an extremely helpful droid that saves you on multiple occasions and stands by your side in the worst of scenarios. By the end of the game, you really end up caring about BD-1. This is why when it was announced, everyone that has played Jedi: Fallen Order was super stoked about this.
With that said, here’s my experience building the LEGO Star Wars BD-1 set.
Reviving childhood memories
Some of my favorite memories about building LEGO sets as a kid was sharing those moments with my friends and sister. We had so much fun and probably spent twice as much time as everybody else when building them.
To be honest, I didn’t want to build it alone. I wanted to do it with my sister but she’s moving out of the city two days before the official release date (August 1st) so I was pretty bummed about it. As I mentioned before, I was able to get the set a whole week before August 1st, so this changed the plans.
Moving out of a city is something that requires a ton of things to get done, especially if you have a short period of time to do so. But we managed to find the time and for an entire evening, we sat together in the living room and built this LEGO set without caring about anyone or anything else, just like when we were little kids.
The Building Process for LEGO BD-1
I opened the box and took all the bags out of it, the numbers in them to point out the order is something really useful that few people recognize these days because we are so used to them. The instruction manual is very detailed, I loved how they use the BD-1 Minifigure picture to show your progress.
I’m not the most patient person when it comes to building or assembling stuff but I’ve learned that being organized is the best way to save time and be efficient.
Right after pouring the pieces into the table, it’s useful to have them organized. It is a tedious process, but I really recommend it if you’re a beginner.
BD-1’s body and leg structures are the first parts to assemble and felt like the most tedious ones for me. The reason is mainly that it took me some minutes to get used to reading the instructions.
I like that they are very clear and intuitive, the 1:1 scale pictures of the bigger pieces are extremely helpful, after that small learning curve at the beginning everything sped up considerably as the build progressed.
Both of the legs look exactly the same but obviously, they’re from different sides. Being forced to build the entire right side before the left side definitely saved me some minutes and the possibility of messing up, placing a part incorrectly can affect the entire process if you’re not careful.
I had the feeling that the progression bar at the bottom of the instructions is a little misguiding. It felt like a considerable amount of time passed before reaching fifty percent of the build but the second half was significantly faster. I don’t know if it’s because I was having fun, because it was indeed faster to build or what but it’s something curious that I think is worth mentioning.
Building BD-1’s head was the most enjoyable part for me. Not only because it was super easy and straightforward, but because I could almost see the entire thing completed.
Adding the last details (the projector, antennas, and stim canisters) was super easy, everything fits perfectly. I was worried that the antennas would be a little loose but I don’t think I have to worry about it.
And of course, the character plaque with the matching BD-1 Minifigure is the cherry on top, it’s really cool that some non-UCS sets include it. After a considerable amount of hours, BD-1 was finally finished.
Is this a Toy or Collectible Figure
BD-1 legs and head are posable, but I wouldn’t say that its playability is good. Its legs are not hard to move but I don’t know if they can get a little loose after significant hours of use, even if that’s not the case, the movement doesn’t feel smooth at all.
The stim canisters aren’t easy to take out of their compartment so that’s even fewer points in the playability aspect.
On the other hand, one of the stronger points of this set is that it looks incredible regardless of how/where you place it. Many Star Wars LEGO sets need to be displayed with one or more sets to really shine, let’s take the example of the upcoming AT-TE.
It looks very cool but it doesn’t compare to having five or six copies of it in a huge recreation of the Battle of Geonosis, those are my favorite LEGO builds, but that requires a significant amount of money and space.
BD-1 is very sturdy if we consider its height, light movement or a little push won’t make it fall. This makes me feel safe about placing it in a place that isn’t close to the floor.
It doesn’t require much space and shines by itself. I own Star Wars books, figures, collectibles, a helmet, and lightsabers. Out of all of them, BD-1 is the easiest one to place on a shelf and think “It looks perfect over there”.
What is the Value of this set
I know that some sets increase their value over time, and even some Minifigures are sold for exorbitant amounts of money. This is the first time LEGO releases something related to Jedi Fallen Order, I’m not aware if there are other “LEGO Star Wars videogame sets” but if there are, I’m sure it’s just a few of them.
I believe that this set won’t get a new version every four years so I doubt it loses value over time, especially after the LEGO price increases announced in the first week of July.
This is the second time we get a BD Minifigure. The first one was released just a few weeks ago with the Mandalorian N-1 Starfighter, that one’s blue so it’s not the same.
If someone wants a BD Minifigure these are currently the only two sets that include one, that might not be that important for the casual LEGO builder but really hardcore fans definitely care about this.
If you care about resell value when making a purchase I would think that this is a safe bet. Take this point with a grain of salt, I could be very wrong about this. Honestly, I don’t think the reselling value should be the first thing to look at when buying Star Wars merchandise, but that’s just my opinion.
The cons
The most obvious one in my case was the price (129.99 USD), for those who might be wondering yes, it’s the official price in my LEGO store but there’s nothing I can do about that.
Not being a super playable set worried me for thirty seconds until I realized that I wasn’t planning to play with it anyways. Its mobility is very limited; the head can only move back and forth and you can tilt it to the right/left sides but it can’t turn.
I think LEGO uses too many plastic bags, I don’t see the point of having two small bags inside a bigger bag that already contains many pieces. Just put all of the pieces inside the bigger one.
I couldn’t use the LEGO app because the set isn’t officially out, that’s a bummer but I understand the reasons behind it.
Every once in a while, we confused the black pieces with dark gray ones but that was mainly because of the instruction manual and the pieces themselves. Adding a small word like “rotate” would be useful when you have to change the perspective, it took me more than I’d like to admit to figure that out.
The positives
The box is very easy to transport unless you’re very small you should be able to carry it with one and. Instructions are very clear and simple, the numbered bags make it even easier to keep everything organized. I can’t emphasize enough how useful “the magic tool” is, truly a lifesaver.
Watching how everything finally starts to look like BD-1 is a simple but very rewarding feeling. I’d like to describe it as like watching the Power Rangers assemble the Megazord in slow motion, but you’re the one doing all the work. I fully understand why there are so many people obsessed with these building bricks, the possibilities are endless.
BD-1 is a top-tier display set, I’ve already taken many pictures with different things next to it and it always looks super cool. Its sturdiness allows you to move it and place it wherever you want without having to worry if it’s going to fall at the slightest movement. That’s something I certainly can’t say about my old Tie Fighter.
It looks very accurate to the game in terms of color, shape, and size. I’d dare say that it’s possible to make a Cal Kestis/BD-1 cosplay with it. Though, going to a convention is a different story.
It wasn’t just the building experience that made it fun, but the fact that I was able to do it with my sister who is just a few days away from moving to another city, made this extremely special. It was like being nine-ten years old again. I know that this isn’t directly related to the set itself, but for me, LEGO and especially Star Wars are about the experiences you live and share with the people around you.
Verdict for the BD-1 LEGO Set
This set is an excellent way to spend some of your free time without investing dozens of hours. Being the first BD-1 set makes it extra special, particularly for Jedi: Fallen Order players. It is fun, relatively simple and a perfect activity to share with your family, friends, or significant other.
It could be a perfect set or not depending on your expectations and what you plan to do with it. My intention is to have it on my bookshelf standing next to some of my other Star Wars items.
I enjoyed this way more than expected, that’s a good thing because I’m also going to build and review the upcoming AT-TE. I have the feeling that these two sets are far from being the last that I get. I can really see myself getting a few sets every once in a while, it was just super fun.
I’m super happy that LEGO gave Star Wars videogames fans some love, hopefully, more will come. I’d love to eventually see a Knights of the Old Republic LEGO set.
Should you buy it?
Well, If you’re a Jedi Fallen Order fan, the price is fair for you and if you’d like to have a one-of-a-kind set then I’d say absolutely.
But if you’re waiting for the release of another set that you’ve been waiting for a long time then perhaps you should wait.
If you have any questions about this set I’ll be more than happy to answer them.
BD-1 LEGO Set Images Gallery
Here are a few more pictures of BD-1. I could not fit them in the review contents, but if you want even more angles and points of view into different smaller details of the build, take a look below.
