With its release just weeks away, we wanted to shine a spotlight on LEGO's brand new LEGO Star Wars Diorama collection with the infamous LEGO Dagobah Jedi Training Diorama set.
We'll cover everything you need to know about the set, from the details, price, and build experience all the way to a deep dive into the minifigures, good points, and bad points of the entire set.
So, if you're thinking about picking up the LEGO Dagobah Jedi Training Diorama when it drops, then read our LEGO 75330 review below.
Also Read: Add Led Lights To LEGO Dagobah Jedi Training Diorama
Set Details
This LEGO set captures one of the most iconic scenes, not only in Star Wars history, but in movie history more generally. So you might say LEGO has a lot to live up to. Yes, that's right, they're trying to capture that infamous scene from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, where Yoda trains Luke to harness the power of the force and become a true Jedi. And LEGO does it well.
Over the 1000 piece set, they manage to capture the drama and intensity of the scene on the planet Dagobah, with a clearly lovingly recreated scene that features all the details you'd expect:
- The swamp of Dagobah
- A sinking X-Wing
- The lamp that Yoda memorably tries to steal
- Yoda's hut
- Dagobah foliage and plant life
- And much more besides
It also comes with 3 minifigures - Yoda, Luke, and R2-D2 - and the finished set measures over 11 inches, so it makes for a brilliant display piece for any Star Wars fan who wants to relive the nostalgia of the scene. LEGO Star Wars 75330 has A LOT going for it and we, for one, can't wait for it to drop on April 26th, 2022.
Price
Despite what you've been told, though, the best things in life most certainly aren't free, because this set will relieve your wallet of $79.99 when it's first released - and for a set that only contains 1000 pieces, we completely understand why some of you might question the steep price tag. And hey, we aren't going to argue with you on that front - we think it's too pricey too.
But, as with all things LEGO, we can't allow ourselves to get too caught up on the price, because really it's about worth. Is this set worth the money? To determine that, we need to look a little closer at what it offers.
Building Experience
Let's start with the building experience itself, shall we? Now don't get us wrong - this is one of the most fun sets you can build. Why? Because the different angles of the tree branches, rounded Yoda's hut, and intricate details of the foliage and Dagobah plant life feel great. Truly, it feels as though you are building the planet Dagobah before your very eyes and that's really exciting.
But there's one major drawback - the swamp. It is made up of 177 trans-green 1x1 bricks. And one of the steps in the build instructions is to literally open the bag containing the 177 bricks, and to place them on the baseboard. And let us tell you, it is tedious. It's the fiddliest brick to work with anyway, but when you're doing 177 of them in a row, it can get pretty frustrating.
However, there's something to be said about a job well done, and the finished result is truly satisfying. They have different colored bricks beneath the trans-green tiles, so it actually looks like the swamp has depth, which breathes life into the set as a whole.
Will you get frustrated and need to take a break or two whilst building? Yes. Is it worth all the hassle when you see the end result? Absolutely.
Minifigure Deep Dive
With this set you also get minifigures of Yoda, Luke Skywalker and R2-D2, and since they're so integral to the scene from the movie, we thought it'd be good to get a closer look at the minifigures to make sure they do them justice.
Yoda
Other than this being an accurate representation of Yoda from this scene, there isn't a lot to talk about. It's essentially the same minifigure that launched with LEGO's Yoda's Hut set (75208) and whilst it looks great, that might be a little disappointing to fans who already have this one. If you're new to Yoda's hut with this set, though, then you'll find a lot to love about this minifigure.
Luke
Luke, likewise, is very similar to the minifigure shipped with set number 75208, but LEGO Star Wars 75330 updates him a little to create a more disheveled look that fits the tone of the movie scene a lot more.
He has 2 face options - one where he's concentrating on using the force (great for trying to lift the X-Wing out of the swamp) and another more shocked expression which works great for displaying the figures after he first arrives on Dagobah.
Overall, this is an excellent minifigure and one that certainly has enough of an update to make it interesting even for those who already have his older model.
R2-D2
R2-D2 is where we see the most change though, and not only does R2 get a more authentic upgrade to make him fit in with the scene a lot more (he's covered in swamp and mud splatter that just adds to the realism of this set) but he also has back markings now, giving him a more complete look.
It turns out, this is the droid we've been looking for after all, and this exclusive rendition of R2 makes this set worth buying if you're a huge LEGO Star Wars minifigures fan.
The Goods
To help sum up the best bits of this set, we've put together a quick list. Some you'll notice as good points we've made above, and some will be entirely new. You'll notice the same pattern in the 'Bads' section below. For now, though, let's look at what we love:
- The swampy feel and look of the piece is EXCEPTIONAL - never has there been a more loving recreation of Dagoba, and we're not sure LEGO could have done it better.
- It really captures the movie scene, and any LEGO fan who loves Star Wars will be adding this to their 'To Buy' list instantly (we know we have).
- There's lots of movement and height in the piece, making it a display set that's really worth admiring - the different levels of the tree, and Yoda's hut carved out of it, add so much visual interest.
- There are lots of places to pose the minifigures with this set, which is great for display.
- The intricate angles and curves of the piece not only look great, but are a lot of fun to build too, since the pieces that make them up are so unique.
- Each of the 3 LEGO Star Wars Diorama sets that are being released have a unique quote brick at the front of the set - but Yoda's 'Do. Or do not. There is no try' quote has to be the most infamous and instantly recognizable quote of any Star Wars movie - and we're excited to see it here.
- It's also a significant size (over 11 inches wide) and has so many intricate details and nods to the Star Wars movie franchise (we'll let you explore some of them for yourselves when you get the set) that it's a must for all fans.
The Bads
And now for the bad points, and there are a couple:
- First, the elephant in the room: the price. It's too pricey, and whilst yes, it's fun to build and great to look at, we feel it could have been priced a little lower. Even knocking off 10 bucks would have felt a little more palatable to some fans.
- Second, those 177 trans-green bricks guys. Sure, it looks great, but we're never going to get the time wasted handling those bricks back again, and we're a little sad about that...
- This is perhaps our biggest gripe. As people that champion play and display sets from LEGO, we understand that this set falls more on the display side, and that's OK. Still, there should be some functional play elements for those of us who like that. And whilst, yes, the storytelling element is set up for you with this set, and there are plenty of places to pose the minifigures, the entrance to Yoda's hut is unusable. Well, you can use it, but you have to put the figures in horizontally. Now, we also know LEGO may have done that on purpose since Yoda and Luke both have to duck down to enter his hut in the movies, but we can't help but feel there's a better way to have recreated this than what's on offer here. Because in a play scenario, it can feel a little like you're grabbing Yoda and Luke by the scruffs of their necks and throwing them out of a bar. Which, you know, is fun in an alternate universe, but not really the story you'd be wanting to tell with this set...
The Verdict
With all that being said, we adore this set. If this LEGO 75330 review has taught us anything, it's that this is one of the most intricately detailed and loving recreation of a movie scene we've seen from LEGO in many years - and they've almost always nailed that in the past.
Sure, it's pricey, and the build experience might leave you frustrated, but those angry tears will soon turn to tears of joy when you see just how stunning this set is. It's a must-buy for all LEGO Star Wars fans!
Ways To Improve This Already Stunning Set
If, after reading our review today, you're excited about the latest Star Wars Diorama set, then we'd say you have good reason to be. Still, there has to be some way to improve it, right? Well, there is, and here at Lightailing we have just what you need.
Turning this set into a LEGO Dagobah Jedi Training Diorama MOC with your very own DIY lighting kit would be a great place to start. Imagine, making the X-Wing light up as it sinks into the swamp. Or creating a lighting effect inside Yoda's hut to make it stand out more from the curved branches it's carved into. The possibilities are endless, and your imagination is your only limitation.
Also take a look at our Accessories page before you go and preorder the set, so you can start thinking about how you're going to use one of our DIY lighting kits to make your LEGO 75330 set better than everybody else's when it drops on April 26th 2022!
