Star Wars

General Grievous's Starfighter

A gorgeous update to the Soulless One that makes you feel its price tag every time you check out.

Brick Rated Score

3.7/5

Set 75286 · 2020

Pieces487

Minifigs3

Year2020

Set number75286

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The verdict

The first time I lined this one up next to a photo of the actual Belbullab-22 from Revenge of the Sith, I was honestly surprised how much they nailed the silhouette.

That curved cockpit and the folded wing pods really do look like they belong to Grievous's ship and not some generic LEGO Star Wars fighter. But I have to be straight with you about the price. Eighty dollars for 487 pieces is a rough ratio, and once you notice how few of those pieces are anything special, it stings a bit more. If you love the prequels or you're chasing a clean version of this particular ship, it's worth it. If you're piece-count shopping, skip it and wait for a sale.

Best for: Prequel-trilogy fans who want a screen-accurate Grievous ship and don't mind paying for the shape rather than the parts count

The full review

I'll admit this ship pulled me in before I even opened the box. General Grievous's four-winged starfighter is one of the coolest silhouettes in the prequel trilogy, and this 2020 version updates the 2010 original with a much more confident build. The cockpit sits low and sleek, the wing pods fold and unfold the way they should, and from a few feet back it genuinely looks like it flew straight off the screen. There's real care in how the curves come together, and the sliding engine panels are a small touch that made me smile when I found them.

Here's where I have to be honest with you, though. Four hundred eighty seven pieces for eighty dollars is a tough number, and unlike some sets that justify a higher price with rare molds or a pile of printed parts, this one mostly gets by on shaping and a single new printed windscreen. The three minifigures, General Grievous, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a Phase 2 clone trooper, are nicely detailed on their own, but reviewers were quick to point out the trooper is missing gear you'd expect at this price, and there isn't a fourth figure to round things out. It's not a bad set, it's just a set where you're paying for the silhouette more than the parts bag.

If you're building out a prequel-era Star Wars shelf or you've always wanted a proper display version of Grievous's ship, I think this earns its spot, especially since it's been retired since the end of 2021 and prices have climbed well past retail on the secondary market. If you're comparing sets purely by piece count and dollar value, though, there are better buys elsewhere in the Star Wars line, and I'd wait for a discount before pulling the trigger on this one.

This set was released in August 2020 at 79.99 dollars (74.99 pounds, 84.99 euros) and retired around December 2021. Since retirement it has more than doubled in value on the secondary market, so if you want one, expect to pay well above the original sticker price now.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building this one is a fairly quick, satisfying session rather than a marathon. The wing assemblies come together first and they're where the design really earns its keep, with hinge and technic pieces working together so the pods fold flat against the fuselage the way they do in the movie. The cockpit build is compact but clever, with those sliding side panels over the engine housings giving you something to fidget with once it's finished. It's not a technically demanding build, more a rewarding one, and it moves quickly enough that you could finish it in an evening without feeling rushed.

The standout piece is the updated 6x6x2 canopy windscreen printed with the General Grievous Starfighter pattern. It's a refresh of the print used on the 2010 version, now with crisp, clean borders instead of dithered edges and a longer top window, and it's the one truly unique element in the whole set. The two small cockpit console pieces are also pad printed, which is a nice touch for such small parts. Beyond that, most of the build relies on standard wedge, hinge, and curved slope pieces doing clever shaping work rather than rare or new molds, which is exactly why reviewers flagged the price per piece as steep for what you actually get in the box.

Fun facts

01The 2020 version updates LEGO's original 2010 General Grievous's Starfighter, refining the printed windscreen with sharper borders and a longer top window.
02The set includes three minifigures: General Grievous, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a Phase 2 clone trooper, with the clone figure exclusive to this set.
03It retired around December 2021, and since then its secondary market value has climbed more than 130 percent above its original retail price.
04Brickset's reviewer called it their favorite version of the Belbullab-22 starfighter to date, despite knocking it for pricing and a fairly bland set of play functions.