LEGO Star Wars 2025 ARC-170 is smaller than its predecessors – but can it still compete?
LEGO Star Wars 75402 ARC-170 Starfighter returns to well-trodden ground in 2025, so how does it shape up in comparison to those that came before?
Across the span of 20 years, there will have been three full-size ARC-170s (not including the mini-builds that have also surfaced: 2005’s 7259 ARC-170 Fighter, 2010’s 8088 ARC-170 Starfighter, and 2025’s 75402 ARC-170 Starfighter. The latter has caught some flak for being quite a bit smaller than its immediate predecessor – but does that matter in terms of quality?
Here’s a breakdown of the key differences between the three models, as well as comparison images thanks to LEGO YouTuber Solid Brix Studios. For a closer look at the upcoming LEGO Star Wars set in detail, check out our in-depth review here.
Does size matter
Despite having the largest piece count, 75402 ARC-170 Starfighter is the smallest of the three ships. The difference is only slight when compared to 2005’s 7259 ARC-170 Fighter but most pronounced with 2010’s 8088 ARC-170 Starfighter.
The difference between 2025 and 2005 is the matter of just a couple of studs but you can also see that more detail has gone into the engines, particularly in the top-down view pictures below. The tapered end of the engine makes for a more realistic and streamlined outline for the silhouette, as well as more realistic colours on the nose and front engines.
The difference is more extreme between 2010 and 2024, with 8088 ARC-170 Starfighter being several studs wider and longer. However, bigger doesn’t always mean better, as Solid Brix specifically noted when comparing all three builds at the same time, saying: “I like the smaller scale. It looks a little bit more proportional, whereas the 2010 one went a little too large especially when you go back and look at the 2005 version.”
Spread your wings – if you can
The smaller size of 75402 ARC-170 Starfighter does also mean that the ship’s main play feature – its adjustable wings – is a little more limited in the modern build. However, it still works well, with strong, sturdy wings that will survive the most intrepid of LEGO Star Wars pilots, while achieving a more delicate, finer width. It’s a testament to modern building techniques that the ship can have thinner but stronger wings, even if they’re less posable.
No more broken noses
Speaking of building quality, since the release of the earlier models, the LEGO Group has fixed the dark red to make it less brittle – an issue that Solid Brix has come up against. He points out that the nose of both 2005’s 7259 ARC-170 Fighter and 2010’s 8088 ARC-170 Starfighter fell off multiple times, highlighting the longevity issues that the colour used to have.
Minifigures galore
What 75402 ARC-170 Starfighter lacks in size, it makes up for in minifigures. The number of characters has stayed pretty level with each edition of the ship, starting with three pilots and an astromech droid in 2005, changing to Kit Fisto, two pilots and a droid in 2010, and now coming out with three clones and an astromech in 2025. Each 2025 minifigure has a unique helmet, rather than being straight copies of one another and two are based on named characters, Clone Pilot Odd Ball and Clone Pilot Jag.
That offers more story possibilities and collector interest than those that came before – even if there’s no Jedi included in the set, at least we can rely on the popularity of the clones to pull people into 75402 ARC-170 Starfighter.
Check out Solid Brix Studios’ full comparison of all three sets via the embedded video below. You can also pre-order 75402 ARC-170 Starfighter right now for £59.99 / $69.99 / €69.99, ahead of its release on January 1, 2025.
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