LEGO Star Wars 75419 Death Star is the latest take on the iconic space station, but whether it innovates enough for the high price is up for debate.
At nearly £900 / $1,000, the new LEGO Star Wars 75419 Death needs to offer something new to have a chance at success, rather than remaking concepts seen in past years. While the lack of a sphere won't be for everyone, such innovation is understandable, but it might not be enough to explain the undoubtedly lofty price tag.
As someone fortunate enough to own 10188 Death Star, offering up a comparison with the upcoming set here, I have little to no interest in the new LEGO Death Star at £899.99, namely because I already have a LEGO Death Star dollhouse. That said, I don't specifically prefer 10188 Death Star's spherical form over the dish shape of 75419 Death Star, but I can appreciate the direction for display purposes.
While I understand the many criticisms throughout the community regarding the depth of 785419 Death Star, I can also appreciate the designers' reasoning for why 75419 Death Star isn't a sphere. You can read the full quote by clicking here, but in summary, LEGO Star Wars already has two spherical Death Stars, and it was a good time to try something new.
One of the biggest problems I have faced with 10188 Death Star is finding a suitable space to display it. Its height and width have never been a problem, but the depth has. The spherical shape and the depth that comes with it have led to it being placed either on the floor or on top of a deep shelf, far out of reach. When showing it off to guests, I have to point it out and hope that they don't want to take a closer look, afraid to bring it down in case it slips through my hands.
This consistent issue with the depth of 10188 Death Star is one of the reasons I enjoy the direction of 75419 Death Star, which is easier to display on thinner shelves and dressers, ready to show off to fellow Star Wars and LEGO fans. While the impression of a circular build won't be quite as much as that of a spherical one, the increased size of 75419 Death Star makes up for it, measuring nearly double the height and width of the 2008 model.
The level of detail on offer inside 75419 Death Star is also much more impressive than that of 10188 Death Star, showcasing just how far LEGO Star Wars sets for an older audience have come. However, the rooms feel less connected and more standalone than they were in 2008. Play features, tunnels and walkways connected every room of 10188 Death Star, rather than just a turbolift going down the middle.
While the rooms in 75419 Death Star are impressively detailed, the spaces are much less playable than 10188 Death Star's rooms. This demonstrates a changing attitude within LEGO Star Wars, as the theme shifts its focus from play to display more and more. For instance, the most recent May the 4th event saw only one play-centric set release alongside eight other display-forward builds. Your preference for either of these two eras of LEGO Star Wars will differ, and I tend to lean more into the display side of things, though with seamlessly integrated play features (of which 75419 Death Star has plenty).
So far, you might think I'm completely sold on 75419 Death Star, but there's no avoiding the price tag. 75419 Death Star is easily the most expensive LEGO set so far at £899.99 / $999.99 / €999.99, significantly beating both 75192 Millennium Falcon and 75313 AT-AT at £734.99 /$849.99 / €849.99, which have 7,541 and 6,785 pieces respectively.
75419 Death Star has 9,023 pieces, and compared to these last two LEGO Star Wars sets, the price isn't egregious for the license and piece count. Comparing it to non-licensed 9,000-piece LEGO sets with no license is another story. 10276 Colosseum has 9,036 pieces for £474.99 / $549.99 / €549.99, and 10294 Titanic has 9,090 for £589.99 / $679.99 / €679.99. 75419 Death Star has an important factor to consider, though – the 38 minifigures. With only a few exclusives and some lacking details for such a high price, they don't necessarily explain the £300 / $300 / €300 price jump. Consider that the licensed LEGO Marvel 76178 Daily Bugle has 24 minifigures and 3,789 pieces for £299.99 / $349.99 / €349.99.
Precisely why 75419 Death Star is £899.99 / $999.99 / €999.99, beyond being a LEGO Star Wars set, is unclear, and an explanation wouldn't help the biggest problem with the price either way. Affording 75419 Death Star is going to be a challenge, even for those with a full-time job. £899.99 is more than a third of the average monthly salary in the UK, excluding expenses such as bills, food, and any other non-LEGO items you might also want to purchase that month. Any money you have to spare could go towards the likes of a new games console, dozens of other, smaller LEGO sets, and much more.
I've personally been setting aside some money each month to buy just the £429.99 / $499.99 / €499.99 76269 Avengers Tower before the end of the year, only just reaching the point at which I can purchase it without worrying about money for monthly necessities. I can't imagine how long it would take me to save up 75419 Death Star with expenses needed for daily life. There's every chance I wouldn't get there before its current retirement date in 2028, assuming it doesn't receive a major discount following its October 1 launch.
75419 Death Star has some good and understandable innovations compared to the last few LEGO Death Stars, even though it's not quite what many were expecting. At £899.99 / $999.99 / €999.99, though, it can't avoid the incredible expectations or how difficult that price tag is to afford for all but the most dedicated (and wealthy) LEGO Star Wars fans. That money can, without a doubt, go much further with other LEGO and non-LEGO purchases, leaving 75419 Death Star with a niche target audience who may have been expecting more for the price tag.
The dish direction over a sphere isn't necessarily bad, but it doesn't have a place in what is going to be perceived as (what should have been) the ultimate LEGO Star Wars set for decades to come thanks to the price tag. For those who can afford and appreciate the direction of it, 75419 Death Star launches for LEGO Insiders on October 1 for £899.99 / $999.99 / €999.99. Everyone else will get their chance to pick it up from October 4.
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