STAR WARS LEGO REVIEW: Death Star Final Duel (75093)

The LEGO Star Wars theme has evolved a ton over since it was introduced in 1999. The sets have gotten more complex and the minifigures have gotten more detailed. Over all this time, though, one thing hasn't changed: Darth Vader has worn the same helmet for 16 years.

That changes with Death Star Final Duel. The Star Wars summer wave set introduces a new version of the iconic Darth Vader helmet, adopting a look that's closer to the slightly cartoonish look of the LEGO Star Wars minifigs. The best part? The new helmet is actually two pieces, allowing LEGO Star Wars fans to reenact the end of Return of the Jedi. Yes, your Darth Vader minifig can now look at his son with his own eyes.

Death Star Final Duel is a huge upgrade over the last time we saw Vader and Luke face-off in LEGO form. In 2002, we got Final Duel I and Final Duel II, two sets that added up to less than 60 pieces. This set is a bit more detailed. Death Star Final Duel clocks in at 724 pieces. For $79.99, this set averages out at roughly 11 cents per piece — not bad for what we get here.

Like most of the box art from the LEGO Star Wars line, the box for Death Star Final Duel shows off both the minifigures that come with it along with the set's play features. While LEGO collectors will pick this one up for the new Darth Vader, kids should have a ton of fun setting up battles between Vader and Palpatine and Luke.

With Death Star Final Duel, you get one instruction booklet, one sheet of stickers and six numbered bags. No loose pieces.

The build   

   

Bags 1 and 2 focus on building the center of the set: The base, the sliding walkway, the steps and the scaffolding that will go under the Emperor's throne.

Bags 3 and 4 piece together the platforms that will eventually surround the the throne space. While the window builds on the two phases are the same, the lower sections are built differently. The left side of the throne has a leg that when kicked out drops a minifig.

The right side builds the shaft that Vader throws Palpatine down to redeem himself. There's a few small stickers later in the build, but the bulk of the stickers go inside this shaft. Four pieces, eight stickers — steady hands, folks.

Bag 5 builds Palpatine's throne space. The cool part of this section is a level in the back that kicks a red lightsaber up from behind the throne. Apparently George Lucas never told us that the Emperor was hiding a lightsaber back there the entire time.

Finally, Bag 6 builds the sliding doors that lead to the Death Star throne room. This section is very similar to the doors in the Palpatine's Arrest set. I guess the former chancellor had a look that he liked back on Coruscant and had it copied when it came to decorating the Death Star.

The minifigures

Death Star Final Duel comes with five minifigures: Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine and two Royal Guards.

Darth Vader is the biggest attraction of Death Star Duel. In addition to the new two-piece helmet, the minifig boasts torso and leg printing. This printing matches what we saw on the Darth Vader minifig that came with last year's Star Destroyer.

When you take Vader's helmet off, he's a surprisingly happy guy. LEGO went with a white-ish head for this minifig, passing over the gray and beige-ish heads that we've seen in Vaders past.

 The new Vader still has scarring on the back of his head.

Darth Vader has come quite far over the past few years. Above you can see the version of the minifigure that came with 2011's Millennium Falcon set, the version that came with 2014's Star Destroyer and the newest version that comes with Death Star Final Duel.

The color of the latest Vader is probably closest to what we see when Luke removes his helmet at the end of Return of the Jedi. I never felt like the Star Destroyer Vader was accurate. It wasn't what the character looked like when he first donned the armor and it wasn't what he looked like after Luke removed his helmet.

   

From the looks of it, this Luke Skywalker is almost exactly the same as the one you'll find in 2013's Ewok Village. The only difference I've been able to spot is the change in Luke's torso, switching from a shirt with an open flap to one that's buttoned up.

   

If you picked up the Star Wars: The Dark Side book last year, you already have this version of Emperor Palpatine.

Same Royal Guard we've been getting for years.

Play features

Vader and Luke can battle it out on the stairs leading up to Palpatine's throne. Watch out for a few of those steps, though, the Force could send them flying.

There's also the shaft that Vader tosses the Emperor down.

I was hoping that there'd be some kind of mechanism to pull a minifigure out of the shaft, but it turns out you have to pick the entire set up to retrieve them. 

On the left side of the set, there's platform with a support that can flip to the side to send a minifig falling.

Minifigures should be careful after they enter the throne room. There's a false floor that can flip them into the air. If it wasn't for the fact that the lever sends minifigs to the side, you could you this to flip Vader or Luke up the throne room sets.

And finally, here's the level underneath the throne that shoots Palpatine's lightsaber into the air. 

Overall

Death Star Final Duel is a fantastic set. The 11-cents-per-piece ratio is fair when you consider that there are five minifigs included, with the updated Darth Vader being the most desired of the bunch. Add this one to your collection now before LEGO turns its attention to the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens sets.