Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon review

What you've never heard of the Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon? It's the Lego kit that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs.

The Millennium Falcon screams classic Star Wars. Along with the X-Wings and the TIE Fighters, the Millennium Falcon is one of the coolest spaceships in sci-fi. Who hasn’t wondered what it would be like to sit in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon since it first appeared on our screens in 1977? There’s a reason that when Lego was deciding which of its iconic sets to jumbo-size to create the biggest set (at the time) in history, they chose this legendary hunk of junk.

Released in conjunction with the tragic Star Wars fan-fiction film, The Rise of Skywalker (see how it faired on our Star Wars movies ranked list), this version of the Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon provides us with a new crew for the ship. No longer does Luke, Leia, or even Han Solo stalk the halls of the ship, instead an older Lando Calrissian, Finn, and Boolio (a character that no one really remembers, but they get their head chopped off) join mainstays C-3PO, R2-D2, and Chewbacca. Despite the odd choice in crew, the Lego Star Wars Millennium looks simply great on a shelf and that for a larger set the build is straightforward and a lot of fun.

Fans looking for playsets or other Star Wars ships may want to look at our best Lego Star Wars sets for more classics like the X-Wing or the BIG Millennium Falcon, but for those that want to pay tribute to the old bird without spending $800/£700, this is a fantastic set. if you're looking to save even more, you can also check out our Lego Star Wars deals page.

Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon: Build

The Lego Millennium Falcon is built around the center frame of the ship, which is made up of a few smaller plates to give the minifigures plenty of room inside the playset areas of the build. In order to achieve the round look of the main body of the ship, curved panels are attached to the center which means each of the panels lifts up individually, allowing for access to most of the ship.

The key to this build is making sure that the panels are all aligned correctly, as one wrong stud will mean that the ship won’t be able to close properly. It’s not the strongest build in terms of sturdiness as the panels are only held on by one connector, but as a display piece, they all sit nicely.

While the inside of the ship is mostly built using small accessory pieces, it does the job of giving the impression of being lived-in, although it’s a bit empty in some spots. The large joints that hold the ship together in the center and towards the cockpit are slightly awkward, and in order to sit anyone in the captain’s chair you’ll have to remove the cockpit piece entirely.

Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon: Design and look

The Millennium Falcon is a design that is perfect for Lego. It’s jagged, angular, and it feels like each Lego piece is a part of the ship that’s been welded on, or even blown off during a headed dogfight. The design makes great use of smaller gray pieces in order to give this effect, with single bricks, vents, and even small telephone pieces adding a lot of texture to the outside of the ship. There are also plenty of red pieces to give the impression of rest, or repairs, giving the ship a slightly distinct look from the Millennium Falcon 2015 model, and a very different look to the blue and white Kessel Run Millennium Falcon model. 

We could have done with some more detail in the interior, especially considering how many iconic scenes take place there, but what’s there works, and there’s a good amount of space to pose minifigures. Plus, there’s even a secret compartment where you can smuggle whatever space contraband you fancy pirating that day, as well as classic details like the space chess board.

The cockpit is minimalist and is lacking detail, although there is a hidden extra minifigure, D-O, that can be stored alongside whoever you choose to captain the ship. When it’s all closed up and on display, it’s absolutely perfect. It looks exactly how you’d want a Millennium Falcon to look like, and while the inside does leave a bit to be desired, it’s an unmistakably great adaptation of a classic Star Wars design.

Should you buy Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon?

It’s the design that everyone knows and loves, it offers a fun, smooth build, and it won’t break the bank. This set is perfect for fans of Star Wars that want an iconic ship, but aren’t ready to commit to the extraordinary Ultimate Collector Series Millennium Falcon version. If you can still find it, the 2015 model that features Han Solo and a few other, better choices of minifigures would still be our go-to, but as that set has long since retired, this is a strong runner up.

There will be that moment when you’re in the Lego store where you see the big Millennium Falcon next to it and wonder what if… but be warned, that set will literally take you days, and you’ll likely need to lift it up the stairs using some kind of industrial equipment. If you want a set that’s good value for money, not enormous, but looks amazing on a shelf, especially as part of a collection of classic ships, the Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon is an excellent choice.

Other Lego Star Wars sets to consider

The Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon is a great entry point for classic fans, as it’s the gateway to picking up sets like Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing Fighter and other original trilogy favorites like the Imperial TIE Fighter. For those willing to commit the money, there’s the AT-AT which recently launched and took the crown for the largest Lego Star Wars set ever.

For fans of The Mandalorian, we recommend the Lego Star Wars AT-ST Raider as an entry into the ships and vehicles from the series. There are also smaller sets that come with The Mandalorian figure, such as the recently released The Armorer’s Mandalorian Forge, however the displayability of this set is lacking compared to the AT-ST. There’s also the Razor Crest, which is a very memorable ship from the show, but it’s a bit more expensive than something like The Child or the AT-ST Raider.