LEGO says the new C-3PO minifigure is not a ‘rule’ for future sets

The LEGO Group says we won’t necessarily see the new and improved C-3PO minifigure in many LEGO Star Wars sets beyond the Diorama Collection.

75339 Death Star Trash Compactor is notable not only for being one of three new LEGO Star Wars 18+ sets arriving next month, but also for introducing brand new versions of two of the theme’s most iconic characters in C-3PO and R2-D2. The protocol droid has arm printing for the first time since The Force Awakens’ red-armed version, while the astromech has back printing for the first time full stop.

If you’re hesitant to pick up the relatively expensive 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama when it launches next month, however, and are hoping the droids will simply show up in another set down the line, you might be waiting a while. According to LEGO Star Wars Creative Lead Jens Kronvold Frederiksen, this version of Threepio isn’t a new standard for all future sets.

“It is something we are doing when we want to add something extra,” Jens explains. “It’s not something that we will necessarily do in any set [with] C-3PO. But here, [the set] is for display, and we also want to give something extra in that regard. So that’s why we’ve decided to do it in this set, but it’s not a rule that it’s going to be like that in any set from now on.”

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Pressed for further explanation on why C-3PO with arm printing is considered ‘extra’ – and can’t simply become the new norm – Jens elaborates that it essentially boils down to meeting the budget for any given set.

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“Arm printing is not something that comes for free,” the designer says. “Sometimes, if we have a play theme model, we want to put in a few more bricks, and [removing arm printing] is the way to actually be able to do that. It’s a decision where we say, ‘What is the focus here?’ And again, here we have something that’s for display, and something where we know that it’ll be adults and collectors who will buy and build this.”

That doesn’t mean we’ll never see this more detailed version of the Threepio minifigure again, of course. It just means that it’s more likely to be reserved for LEGO Star Wars display sets, rather than playsets. But if the Diorama Collection continues beyond this initial wave, there’s a good chance the protocol droid could pop up in one of those again – he’s fairly ubiquitous character, after all.

75339 Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama launches on April 26, alongside 75329 Death Star Trench Run Diorama and 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training Diorama. Head over to LEGO.com to pre-order your copies now.

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Author Profile

Chris Wharfe
I like to think of myself as a journalist first, LEGO fan second, but we all know that’s not really the case. Journalism does run through my veins, though, like some kind of weird literary blood – the sort that will no doubt one day lead to a stress-induced heart malfunction. It’s like smoking, only worse. Thankfully, I get to write about LEGO until then.

Chris Wharfe

I like to think of myself as a journalist first, LEGO fan second, but we all know that’s not really the case. Journalism does run through my veins, though, like some kind of weird literary blood – the sort that will no doubt one day lead to a stress-induced heart malfunction. It’s like smoking, only worse. Thankfully, I get to write about LEGO until then.

3 thoughts on “LEGO says the new C-3PO minifigure is not a ‘rule’ for future sets

  • 31/03/2022 at 17:46
    Permalink

    So much for “only the best is good enough”

    Reply
  • 31/03/2022 at 00:08
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    Wow so I guess lego wont consider making arm prints on a regular basis unless they are raking in TRILLION$ in profit because apparently the BILLION$ it currently takes to the bank isn’t a big enough profit margin!!! Lego, clearly the Apple of toys…

    Reply
  • 29/03/2022 at 01:20
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    theyre really desperate to get somebody to buy this for 90 bucks before they release the dual molded leg version in the landspeeder huh

    Reply

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