Essential Info:
Price: $79.99/£69.99
Model number: 75353
Number of pieces: 608
Dimensions: 8 x 11 x 7 inches / 20 x 28 x 18 cm
Recommended age: 18+
Released this April, the Lego Star Wars Endor Speeder Chase Diorama is one of three new diorama sets to come from Lego. Part of Return of the Jedi’s 40th anniversary celebrations, this set recreates the moment Luke and Leia are pursuing a Scout Trooper through the forests of Endor on the back of a speeder.
It’s an action-packed, fast-paced scene with motion hard to truly recreate in Lego bricks, but Lego has done a fantastic job of bringing this cinematic moment to life. Hand on heart, we can say that this is one of the best Lego Star Wars sets we’ve seen, especially for the price. Although if you’re after some savings, do keep an eye on our Lego Star Wars deals hub to see the latest offers on Lego Star Wars sets.
Lego Star Wars Endor Speeder Chase: The build
With only 608 pieces, Lego Star Wars Endor Speeder Chase Diorama is a fairly quick and easy build to tackle. We finished our leisurely build in around 90 minutes, although your own time may vary depending on your skill level.
The build is split into five numbered bags, and so the process feels very methodological. The second bag is much smaller than the others, focusing solely on the foliage around the base of the diorama. However, generally speaking, expect to spend 15-20 minutes on each bag.
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The first part of the build is concerned with making the base. It’s a chunky stand which gives the set some real substance. Silver ‘vent’ bricks around the edges provide a bit of detail which, although unnecessary, adds a premium finish. The highlight of the base are the printed bricks. There are three altogether: a Star Wars logo, a 40th anniversary Return of the Jedi brick, and a printed quote that comes from the scene that’s being recreated. We’re thrilled these are all printed rather than being stickers. In fact, there isn’t a sticker to be seen here, for which we are very grateful as they can be quite tricky to apply.
There’s a little bit of repetition in putting together the Lego Star Wars Speeder Chase Diorama, particularly when it comes to the trees. Two of the five bags are dedicated to building these trees and the process for each is rather similar. They look wonderful when finished, if not a little sparse around the top. But we feel like any more foliage would detract from the key part of the scene: the speeder bikes.
There’s a wealth of Lego greenery pieces scattered around the base of the set to bring the forest floor to life. Three different types of leaf and stem have been used and layered to great effect. There’s so much going on here that it can be hard to get the pieces exactly where the instructions say to put them, but ultimately, this is one of the rare occasions when it doesn’t really matter. Even if you have a leaf or two out of place, it’s still adding to the effect of a luscious forest floor.
The only part of the build to cause us a little frustration was in the construction and placement of the speeders. They’re attached to the base with just one piece: a small, transparent tube. This means they aren’t the most secure, particularly when you’re trying to handle them to get the minifigures in place (another tricky task). But once everything’s where it should be, there’s little reason to touch it again.
Lego Star Wars Endor Speeder Chase: Design
Being a wash of mostly brown and green, we initially weren’t sure if the Lego Star Wars Endor Speeder Chase Diorama would be an interesting set to look at. In actuality, it makes a wonderful display piece. There’s a great amount of texture here thanks to the cleverly-built tree trunks and the layered foliage on the ground.
The trees, despite being slightly repetitive to build, are perhaps some of the best Lego trees we’ve seen to date. They’re designed by layering pieces on a stack of ‘SNOT’ (studs-not-on-top) bricks, creating an attractive texture and shape.
The stand, too, is excellent, giving the set a premium feel. It elevates it from being a simple Lego set to something you’re proud to have on display. Again, we have to reiterate how nice it is to have printed graphic pieces rather than stickers – it really does help the set to feel more premium.
Should you buy Lego Star Wars Endor Speeder Chase Diorama?
If you’re a Star Wars fan, the Lego diorama sets are some of the best sets you can buy without spending an absolute fortune. These carefully-considered sets each recreate an iconic moment from the original trilogy, and in this case the speeder chase from Return of the Jedi has been fantastically captured in brick form.
It’s also one of the cheaper Lego Star Wars dioramas, and so it makes a great starting point if you aren’t sure these sets are going to be for you. Overall, with an engaging building process and a fantastic display piece when you’re finished, it’s really hard to be disappointed. Plus, they have a small footprint, so you won’t have any trouble finding space to display these dioramas.
Other Lego sets to consider
The Lego Star Wars Endor Speeder Chase Diorama is one of five Star Wars dioramas released so far, all of them making excellent sets. We highly recommend the Lego Star Wars Death Star Trench Run Diorama.
The brand new Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama is a sight to behold, too. Plus, there’s also the Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama complete with moving walls threatening to squash our heroes.
If you want something a little bigger, how about an iconic Star Wars ship? The UCS Republic Gunship is one of the best currently available. Or, if money isn’t an obstacle, then the USC Millennium Falcon is surely at the top of any Lego Star Wars fan’s list.