Star Wars

Luke Skywalker's X-Wing Fighter

A slimmed down X-Wing that trades bulk for a genuinely clever wing mechanism and one very overdue minifig.

Brick Rated Score

3.9/5

Set 75301 · 2021

Pieces474

Minifigs4

Year2021

Set number75301

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The verdict

I went in braced for disappointment because LEGO has made this ship seven times since 1999 and I assumed there was nothing left to improve.

Then I opened the wings and felt the mechanism click into place with real resistance instead of the usual floppy hinge, and I was won over. It is not the biggest or most detailed X-Wing LEGO has built, but at under fifty pieces per minifig equivalent it is one of the best value entries into Star Wars building I have handled. Get it for the General Jan Dodonna minifig and the price. Skip it if you already own a bigger X-Wing and want this one to top it in scale.

Best for: Star Wars fans who want a solid entry level X-Wing and collectors chasing General Jan Dodonna's first ever minifig

The full review

What it is

This is LEGO's take on the X-Wing that Luke flies out of Yavin 4, built down to a friendlier 474 piece count and a friendlier price than the flagship versions that came before and after it. The first thing I noticed opening the wings is that the hinge actually holds. Past X-Wings in this line have had a reputation for droopy S-foils that sag the moment you look at them, and this one uses its lighter frame to keep tension where you want it. That is the kind of small engineering win that makes a rebuild of a very familiar ship feel worth doing again.

The catch

I will be honest about where it falls short too. Because LEGO has now made this exact silhouette seven separate times, some fans compared this version unfavorably to bulkier, more heavily detailed releases and a few flat out called it the worst X-Wing shape yet, pointing to a nose that reads slightly stubby up close. The stickers bothered people as well, since earlier versions of this ship managed without them, and the front landing gear has a habit of popping loose during play rather than staying clipped in.

Who it's for

If you want a starter X-Wing, a gift for a young builder, or you are simply chasing Dodonna because he had never been made into a minifig before this set, this is an easy yes. If you already own one of the bigger, pricier X-Wings and are hoping this smaller one improves on it in scale or screen accuracy, it will not, and you are better off putting the money elsewhere.

What works

General Jan Dodonna makes his first appearance ever as a minifig, and reviewers consistently called him the highlight of the box
The reworked folding wing mechanism uses the model's lighter weight to snap open and stay open better than several pricier predecessors
Four solid minifigs (Luke, Leia, R2-D2, Dodonna) with double sided face prints for around fifty dollars is genuinely strong value

Worth knowing

Some builders, including a vocal contingent on Brickset, called it the weakest X-Wing shape LEGO has produced, with a slightly stubby nose
Heavy sticker use annoyed people who compared it to older sticker free X-Wing releases
Small gripes stack up: the forward landing gear pops off easily and R2-D2 sits a little too high in his socket

Sold? Grab it.

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The parts story

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

The build itself is quick and uncomplicated, which fits its role as an accessible entry point rather than a weekend project. Most of the time goes into the fuselage taper, which LEGO shaped to avoid the bulging cockpit look that dogged some earlier versions, and then into the wing hinge assembly that is really the star of the set. It is a short, satisfying sit down build rather than a marathon.

The real value here is in the minifigs, not exotic new parts. General Jan Dodonna is the standout since this is his first ever LEGO minifig appearance despite being in Star Wars since 1977, and all three human figures get printed faces on both sides, which is a nice touch at this price point. There is no huge new mold to point to on the ship itself, but for the piece count and the dollar figure, four well printed minifigs plus a working play feature is hard to beat.

Fun facts

01General Jan Dodonna, who first appeared in the original 1977 Star Wars film, did not get a LEGO minifig until this 2021 set, more than four decades later.
02LEGO had produced seven distinct minifigure scale T-65 X-Wing Starfighters by the time this one launched in 2021, each attempting to refine the same silhouette.
03The set retired in December 2023 and its sealed value has climbed roughly 70 percent above its original $49.99 retail price on the secondary market.
04It launched alongside 75300 Imperial TIE Fighter as a matched pair, both designed around the same lighter, more affordable approach to classic Star Wars ships.