The return of Super Battle Droids is a huge deal for LEGO Star Wars

Super Battle Droids are finally back in LEGO Star Wars and it's a huge deal for the theme and collectors – especially as they've changed.

The new LEGO Star Wars 75372 Clone Trooper & Battle Droid Battle Pack includes three Super Battle Droids and will be launching on January 1, 2024, for £24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99. This is the first time in seven years that the formidable droids have been included in a LEGO Star Wars set, and it's tied for the most of them in any one model with 7654 Droids Battle Pack. Avid LEGO Star Wars enthusiasts may want to add a couple of copies to their wishlist ahead of launch.

It's an even bigger opportunity for those who have begun their LEGO Star Wars army-building journey in the past seven years though as they now have the chance to start collecting Super Battle Droids using official sets. Suffice it to say that it wouldn't be too surprising to see 75372 Clone Trooper & Battle Droid Battle Pack sell out shortly after launch. With their return and a major redesign of the classic figures, this is a monumental moment for LEGO Star Wars.

While the last LEGO Star Wars set to include a Super Battle Droid figure is from 2015, the droids' return in 2024 comes with at least one massive change that helps explain their absence.

Looking closely at the original design compared to the droid as it appears in 75372 Clone Trooper & Battle Droid Battle Pack, you'll spot at least one major difference between them as the classic figures have been redesigned. This is most easily identified by looking at the indent on the right of the body.

Bringing back Super Battle Droids has been a point of contention for the LEGO Star Wars team for a while, and the designers have previously shared that it would require tweaking the original mini figure.

“I think the thing we always run into with the Super Battle Droids is the elements," graphic designer Madison O’Neil told Solid Brix Studios in a 2022 interview. "We have the arms, the legs and the top – three separate element frames, essentially, to breathe some life back into that character."

“It’s probably something that would require a redesign to some degree,” added LEGO Star Wars Creative Lead Jens Kronvold Frederiksen. “And here [in 75337 AT-TE Walker] we prioritised other things.”

“I don’t know if it would have to be [redesigned], but we’d be interested in doing it,” LEGO Star Wars Design Manager Michael Lee Stockwell shared, before Frederiksen clarified: “The arms, because they snap, would obviously need some [reworking].”

The original LEGO Star Wars Super Battle Droid figures – while impressive – were prone to have their leg piece slip off and the clips that hold them and the arms to the body are notorious for snapping. While there doesn't appear to be any visible difference on the arms, the clip on the leg element is no longer rounded, which should increase its structural integrity under pressure. There may well be a change to the arms too that we can't quite see when writing this report.

The shaping of the figure has been improved as well with more detail overall than the original Super Battle Droid. The feet appear to have some kind of detailed shaping too, though it's hard to tell from official imagery. Either way, they're certainly more rounded than they were before.

LEGO Super Battle Droids don't fetch an outrageously high price on the secondary market. You can pick one up for an average of £4.49 on BrickLink at the time of writing. Given the improvements made to the new figure, this price isn't likely to majorly increase anytime soon too.

Those eager to pick one, two or several copies of 75372 Clone Trooper & Battle Droid Battle Pack to start or grow their clone or droid armies can do so starting from January 1, 2024, for £24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99 per set. It's one of two LEGO Star Wars models currently confirmed for January 2024.

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