Adding the new LEGO Star Wars 501st minifigures to the wider clone army
The LEGO Star Wars clone army is set to expand in January 2023 with 75345 501st Clone Troopers Battle Pack, so here’s a look at how the new minifigures fit in with the current cohort.
Arriving alongside three other new LEGO Star Wars sets on New Year’s Day, 75345 501st Clone Troopers Battle Pack includes four minifigures in three different varieties: a 501st Officer, a 501st Clone Specialist and two 501st Heavy Troopers. You can take a closer look at those individual minifigures (and the wider set) in our review of 75345 501st Clone Troopers Battle Pack – but how do they hold up next to other LEGO Clone Troopers?
The obvious first place to slot them in is alongside the two varieties of 501st troops from 75280 501st Legion Clone Troopers, which include a standard soldier and a Jet Trooper. They align very closely with their predecessors, matching in style, colour and general approach. In fact, the only major difference – beyond specific printed details and physical accessories – are the new holes in the 2023 helmets, designed to accommodate attachments like rangefinders and visors.
The LEGO Star Wars team has already expanded its new Clone Trooper design – first introduced in 2020’s 75280 501st Legion Clone Troopers, blending together aspects of the armour from both films and TV shows – to legions beyond Vader’s Fist, including the 187th Legion in 75342 Republic Fighter Tank, 332nd Company in 75283 Armored Assault Tank (AAT) and the 212th Legion in 75337 AT-TE Walker.
Here’s how all those soldiers look lined up together, with the Clone Gunner from 75337 AT-TE Walker and the 212th Airborne Trooper (whose helmet matches the 187th Legion Airborne Trooper) from 75036 Utapau Troopers for good measure.
Finally, here’s a wider assortment of Phase II Clone Troopers, meshing together designs both pre- and post-2020. This isn’t an exhaustive selection of Clone Trooper designs released over the years, but it should give you an idea of how the new minifigures fit with the legions for which we’re still waiting for updated designs, such as the 41st Elite Corps and the Coruscant Guard.
It’s difficult to say the LEGO Group hasn’t given us an abundance of different Clone Trooper legions over the years, which probably explains why it’s now expanding its soldier types within a single legion in 75345 501st Clone Troopers Battle Pack. The 119-piece set will be available from January 1, 2023 for £17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99. Click here to check out our full review of the set.
Every LEGO Star Wars set confirmed for 2023 so far
| LEGO set | Price | Pieces | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40615 Tusken Raider | £9.99 / $9.99 / €9.99 | 152 | January 1, 2023 |
| 75344 Boba Fett’s Starship Microfighter | £8.99 / $9.99 / €9.99 | 85 | January 1, 2023 |
| 75345 501st Clone Troopers Battle Pack | £17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99 | 119 | January 1, 2023 |
| 75347 TIE Bomber | £59.99 / $64.99 / €64.99 | 625 | January 1, 2023 |
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