The best LEGO Star Wars R2-D2 will be easier to get than ever this summer
The best LEGO Star Wars R2-D2 minifigure to date has only debuted in a handful of expensive sets so far, but it’s making an appearance in a much more affordable model this summer.
The LEGO Group hasn’t done much with R2-D2 since 1999. In fact, next to the B-1 Battle Droid, it’s one of the few character designs that has remained consistent for nearly a quarter of a century now (even if there is ample room to improve). But in 2022, the LEGO Star Wars team did make one small update to everyone’s favourite astromech droid: they printed his back.
That represented a first for Artoo, whose cylindrical body had until then remained a little too squeaky clean. The brand new R2-D2 appeared in 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama, one of three sets that launched the LEGO Star Wars Diorama Collection in April last year. The beepy boy also received muddy back printing in 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training Diorama, released at the same time.
If you want the regular Artoo minifigure with back printing, though, your only options until now have been to pick up the Trash Compactor, which retails for £79.99 / $89.99 / €89.99, or more recently, 75355 X-wing Starfighter – which costs £209.99 / $239.99 / €239.99.
Alternatively, you could turn to the aftermarket, where prices are actually relatively sensible – the cheapest example on BrickLink in the UK is currently just £7.19. Still, that’s a lot for only a back print, given the rest of the minifigure is same old, same old.
The good news is that while the best version of C-3PO is still (and will likely forever remain) locked to 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder, this back-printed version of R2-D2 will apparently be the norm from now on. Because no year of LEGO Star Wars sets can pass by without the astromech showing his shiny dome, the August wave includes R2-D2 in 75360 Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter: and it’s exactly the same version as included in the Trash Compactor and X-wing.
75360 Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter retails for £29.99 in the UK, or a third of the price of the A New Hope diorama, and also includes 253 pieces and a Yoda minifigure. That’s a 33% uplift on the near-identical 2017 set 75168 Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter, but maybe the LEGO Group thinks the back printing justifies the cost. Who knows.
Regardless, you’ll be able to acquire this version of R2-D2 from August 1 in 75360 Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter, which may or may not be enough of a selling point for what’s likely to be the most overlooked LEGO Star Wars set of 2023. The same R2-D2 minifigure will also be found in 75365 Yavin IV Rebel Base – further proving it’s the new standard – but that August set isn’t what you’d call cheap…
Check out the newly-revealed batch of LEGO Star Wars sets by clicking here.
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