LEGO Star Wars 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama review

75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama demonstrates the firepower (read: design skills) of a fully armed and operational LEGO Star Wars design team.

This is a LEGO Star Wars set like many before it, from 2001’s 7200 Final Duel I and 7201 Final Duel II to 2015’s 75093 Death Star Final Duel and 2020’s 75291 Death Star Final Duel. But only insofar as its subject matter, because 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama feels like a completely fresh take on one of the most iconic scenes from the entire Star Wars saga, distinguishing itself from every single one of its predecessors.

The secret? Taking advantage of the diorama format to construct a LEGO Star Wars set that prioritises story over spectacle. 

— LEGO Star Wars 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama set details —

Theme: Star Wars Set name: 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama Release date: May 1, 2023

Price: £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99 Pieces: 807 Minifigures: 3

LEGO: Available May 1, 2023

— Where to buy LEGO Star Wars 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama —

75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama launches on May 1 at LEGO.com, in LEGO Stores and likely at several third-party retailers (although there’s always a chance it may be exclusive to just one other retailer). If you want to secure your copy, it’s available to pre-order at LEGO.com now in select regions.

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— LEGO Star Wars 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama build —

There are few better demonstrations of the different target audiences in the LEGO Star Wars theme than comparing 75291 Death Star Final Duel and 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama side by side. They depict the same sequence in Return of the Jedi, use a similar number of pieces and have the same RRP – but one is a play set designed first and foremost for kids, while the other is a display model geared specifically towards adults.

It’s also the best example of why 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama works so well: it uses its display potential to zoom in on a hyper-specific moment in Return of the Jedi, when Luke and Vader clash swords in front of Palpatine. There’s no walkway for Luke to escape to; no bridge for Vader to lose his hand on; no shaft to throw the Emperor down – the entire set is geared around that pivotal moment when Luke first ignites his lightsaber, and for one fleeting moment almost succumbs to the dark side.

In that sense, this is a diorama set built around character, much in the same way as 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training Diorama captured another crucial moment of Luke’s journey in the original trilogy. But that focus has here allowed the LEGO Group to also examine a location in a way we’ve never seen before, magnifying Palpatine’s throne and the viewing window behind it for a model built to unprecedented scale and detail – and which would never have been possible within a traditional LEGO Star Wars play set.

The result is a build that effectively serves as a staging ground for its minifigures; an imposing theatre for Luke and Vader to do battle, framed perfectly by the elegant and innovative backdrop. Clips, bars, windows, plates and tubes come together to recreate the Death Star’s architecture, with a printed dish doing the last of the heavy lifting to communicate its detail. The structure that sits in front of the window, framing the entire scene, is built with a series of plates and hinges, then attached to a wall of bricks and slopes by just a few studs. It’s simple, but effective – and makes smart use of the verticality at play in 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama.

That verticality is another string in the set’s bow for sure, keeping things interesting around the base – good news for anyone who’s already rocking a complete LEGO Star Wars Diorama Collection – while also providing one more option for display on the steps, as Palpatine’s Force lightning is tucked away underneath a floor panel. Pull it out, and you can switch from Vader and Luke’s duel to… the Emperor of the galaxy torturing a 21-year-old kid.

Those are essentially the only two options for display here, and it’s one limitation of the dioramas exposed by 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama: their size is restrictive to the point that you’re also a bit restricted in the creativity and freedom of how you display them. But keeping them to this footprint also keeps them (just about) affordable, and perhaps more importantly stops them taking over your entire shelf, so… fingers crossed you appreciate the very specific scenes the LEGO Group has chosen for them, like this one.

And chances are you will, because this is still arguably one of the best lightsaber duels in the entire Star Wars saga (and there have been a lot of them by now). It’s more about the characters than the action – and that’s reflected to a tee in 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama, which strips away everything extraneous to bring this climactic moment to life like never before.

— LEGO Star Wars 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama characters —

75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama includes just three minifigures – half the number in the equivalently-priced 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama – but they make total sense for the microcosm of Return of the Jedi depicted here. There’s nobody beyond Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and the Emperor you could really include; even Royal Guards would feel shoehorned in.

With that in mind, the mantra for this set really has to be quality over quantity. And to its credit, all three of 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama’s minifigures are at the top of their game: Darth Vader has printed arms and the same detailed head as January’s 75347 TIE Bomber; Emperor Palpatine has a fresh face print; and Luke Skywalker finally gets a new hairpiece, 24 years later. And it looks pretty good!

Could the LEGO Star Wars team have gone even further? Of course: Luke really needs a screaming-in-agony alternate expression for when he’s getting zapped by Palpatine, although that’s probably pushing the limits of acceptability even for an 18+ set, and Vader could have had an alternative dual-moulded helmet with a trans-blue face to recreate that bit where he goes full Skeletor.

But as a set of core minifigures for collectors who don’t necessarily own them already (and might not be so interested in such variants), there’s little to grumble about here.

— LEGO Star Wars 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama price —

At £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99, 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama is the joint-most-expensive set in the LEGO Star Wars Diorama Collection, alongside 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama. That 2022 model includes twice the number of minifigures and just five fewer parts, but also incorporates the only functionality across this entire subtheme.

It’s not faring well in comparison to that set, then, but how about in isolation? Does 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama feel like good value when all’s said and done? Erm… not really. It’s maybe a little bigger than the box suggests once in hand, but still doesn’t quite feel substantial enough for the price point – so unless you’re really into the black bases in these sets, best to wait for a sale.

— LEGO Star Wars 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama pictures —

— LEGO Star Wars 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama pros and cons —

75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama leverages its 18+ status in all the right ways, magnifying one of Return of the Jedi’s most iconic moments to deliver a recreation of the Emperor’s throne room like we’ve never seen before. It’s exactly what you’d want from a display-focused diorama, and is testament to the fact that the LEGO Star Wars design team’s overconfidence definitely isn’t their weakness.

Its price comes in a little too high – what LEGO Star Wars set haven’t we said that about lately? – and its minifigures are a missed opportunity to go to places really unique, but you won’t be disappointed by what’s in the box. (Especially if you find it at a discount.)

75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama pros	75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama cons
Zooms in on a character-driven scene with impressive results	Still very expensive for what it is
Detailed, accurate and looks great on display	Minifigures could have been a bit more unique
Decent minifigure selection

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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— Alternatives to LEGO Star Wars 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama —

If you’re looking for alternative LEGO Star Wars display pieces, there are four other dioramas to choose from in 75329 Death Star Trench Run Diorama, 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training Diorama, 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama and 75353 Endor Speeder Chase Diorama. For a more fleshed-out (and play-focused) take on this Return of the Jedi scene, there’s always the retired 75093 Death Star Final Duel or 75291 Death Star Final Duel (take your pick).

— LEGO Star Wars 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama FAQs —