LEGO Star Wars 75361 Spider Tank review

The Mandalorian Season 3 spawns a striking LEGO Star Wars build in the shape of the chunky and menacing 75361 Spider Tank, but can it get past its dauntingly grey colour scheme and niche subject matter?

During Season 3 of The Mandalorian, Star Wars fans were finally given a look at a live-action version of the devastated world of Mandalore, a location that ultimately held a dark secret and the rebirth of the legendary warrior race. Chapter 18 of the Disney+ show is entitled The Mines of Mandalore and takes Din Djarin and Grogu deep beneath the planet’s surface to discover just what’s lurking there.

The duo is soon attacked and Djarin imprisoned by a brutish and hulking Spider Tank controlled by a sinister alien cyborg. The chunky mech has now been recreated as a LEGO Star Wars set, with 75361 Spider Tank capturing the look and some of the functionality of the armoured menace.

— LEGO Star Wars 75361 Spider Tank set details —

Theme: LEGO Star Wars Set name: 75361 Spider Tank Release: August 1, 2023

Price: £46.99 / $49.99 / €52.99 Pieces: 526 Minifigures: 2

LEGO: Order now

— Where to buy LEGO Star Wars 75361 Spider Tank —

Star Wars 75361 Spider Tank is available to buy from LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores, but has yet to appear at any major third-party retailers.

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— LEGO Star Wars 75361 Spider Tank build —

At first glance, 75361 Spider Tank looks to be a fairly obvious choice for a LEGO Star Wars model. With the mech having appeared in The Mandalorian Season 3 and being closely revealed following its small screen debut, the brick-built beast certainly lives up to its name. From its poseable grabbing claws, opening cockpit with room for a minifigure and back-mounted stud shooters, the six-legged creature should be a satisfying addition to most LEGO Star Wars fans’ collection.

However, the build itself and the completed 75361 Spider Tank model ultimately prove to be a bit of let-down, especially when considering the level of threat that its live-action counterpart offered The Mandalorian’s heroes. 

For starters, as is the norm with many LEGO Star Wars sets, what you’re looking at here is a build that primarily consists of grey and black elements. Sure, there are the odd colourful pieces dotted around 75361 Spider Tank (such as its signature red eyes), but it’s essentially monotone in appearance, ultimately making it less visually-appealing than other models in the theme that at least try to break up their drab styling with some brighter hues.

The body of 75361 Spider Tank is certainly a sturdy enough construct, with layers built up to represent the beast’s bulky shape and feeling a bit like a suit of armour being assembled. The LEGO Star Wars set aspires to mimic the level of detail seen on its small screen counterpart, but the exterior of its shell could probably have benefited from a handful of smaller decorative pieces to break up its basic form.

The real issue with the LEGO Star Wars model comes when assembling the mech’s six legs. These are fiddly, repetitive and time-consuming to put together, with the completed limbs offering no movement or display pose options whatsoever. The completed legs are then attached to 75361 Spider Tank’s body with brown Technic pins and are basically locked in place, which feels like a real misfire for the set.

When completed, the LEGO Star Wars model also lacks stability and feels prone to collapsing or breaking at any moment when handling the mech or if the slightest pressure is applied. That feels like a disservice to the original creature, with the chunky metallic appearance of the mech failing to translate into real-world functionality. For instance, if this was a Hasbro Star Wars playset we were talking about, you can pretty much guarantee that wouldn’t be an issue and the Spider Tank would survive repeated play sessions intact.

75361 Spider Tank also lacks the underbelly cage it used to contain and secure the captured Din Djarin in its on-screen debut or any version of its disturbing alien cyborg pilot lurking within. While the former might have added a much-needed additional play feature to the LEGO Star Wars set, the absence of the latter comes across as a real head-scratcher.

On the plus side, there are some minor highlights worth mentioning that do prevent 75361 Spider Tank from completely missing its target. The back-mounted stud shooters offer some small degree of functionality and can be moved up and down, doubling up as a hatch to conceal the mech’s cockpit. Flexible tube pieces connecting the beast’s head to its body add a suitable cyborg quality to the creature and ball and socket joints allow for its poseable grabbing claws to have some limited movement.

— LEGO Star Wars 75361 Spider Tank characters —

There’s only one real area where 75361 Spider Tank really shines and it’s the set’s essential minifigure selection. The LEGO Star Wars build includes both Din Djarin and an updated version of Bo-Katan Kryze that’s the most accurate iteration of the character created to date.

The former is essentially the same variant that’s included with 75363 The Mandalorian’s N-1 Starfighter Microfighter, which boasts 75331 The Razor Crest’s new helmet print applied to a silver piece. The character also comes with a blaster and the brand-new Darksaber blade element that’s recently been added to the Pick a Brick range of elements. The piece finally replaces the standard black 4L blade used in previous sets and should be just what fans have been looking for.

Bo-Katan Kryze is easily the standout of 75361 Spider Tank though, with the Mandalorian warrior’s helmet now boasting an intricate print that closely matches the on-screen original, reflecting the character’s allegiance to the Nite Owls clan. The upgraded minifigure also has new printing on her leg and torso pieces, as well as subtle details on the arms, jetpack and twin blasters. A double-sided head print offers a choice of expressions and the inclusion of a dedicated hairpiece element is the icing on the cake.

Rounding out the character selection is the existing version of Grogu that’s already appeared in a number of LEGO Star Wars sets, but is always a welcome addition. The tiny two-piece youngling still only has very limited poseability, but being able to attach him to just a single stud always offers up plenty of display and play opportunities.

— LEGO Star Wars 75361 Spider Tank price —

Coming in at £46.99 / $49.99 / €52.99 for 526 pieces, 75361 Spider Tank manages to claw back some credibility. The LEGO Star Wars set definitely isn’t going to break the bank and should therefore make for a fairly affordable purchase for fans of the Disney+ show. 

For that price you’re at least getting a distinctive-looking mech with some limited functionality, but the real cost of entry also rewards buyers with two must-have minifigures. Those collectors looking for the most accurate versions of Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze to date will have already been sold on the set, while more casual fans won’t be disappointed at all with the inclusion of the fan-favourite characters.

—LEGO Star Wars 75361 Spider Tank pictures —

— LEGO Star Wars 75361 Spider Tank pros and cons —

75361 Spider Tank certainly has some highlights to recommend, being the first such rendition of The Mandalorian’s hulking menace and one that has a distinctive appearance. Some basic functionality exists and the price feels fair, with two minifigures easily being the standouts of the LEGO Star Wars build.

Unfortunately, it’s the one-too-many disappointing aspects of 75361 Spider Tank that ultimately prevent the set from being a must-have purchase for most diehard LEGO Star Wars fans. Completists may overlook those flaws and feel the unique design of the mech more than makes up for any of its shortcomings, but as a worthy addition to most collections, the hulking cyborg menace falls short.

75361 Spider Tank pros	75361 Spider Tank cons
Some limited play features and functionality	Repetitive, monotone and fragile build
Must-have Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze minifigures	Legs are locked in place, offering no movement
Relatively fair price	Cyborg pilot is MIA

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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— Alternatives to LEGO Star Wars 75361 Spider Tank —

In terms of alternative LEGO Star Wars mechs, you’re in luck. Three such builds were released earlier this year in the shape of the affordably-priced 75368 Darth Vader Mech, 75369 Boba Fett Mech and 75370 Stormtrooper Mech.

However, when it comes to truly-impressive mech builds, the NINJAGO theme just can’t be beaten. Be sure to check out a currently-available line-up that includes 71765 Ninja Ultra Combo Mech, 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech and 71792 Sora’s Transforming Mech Bike Racer.

— LEGO Star Wars 75361 Spider Tank FAQs —