LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar 2019 – Daily Countdown
December 1, 2019
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Looking for the 2020 Star Wars Advent Calendar countdown?
Hello and welcome to the Jay’s Brick Blog Daily daily countdown of the 2019 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar! Check back on this post for a reveal of each Star Wars Advent Calendar window as we count down to Christmas.
This has been a long-standing tradition on the blog, so whether it’s your first or fifth year following, welcome and hope you stick around for advent season as we race towards Christmas.
Follow daily for a reveal of each advent calendar window. This has been an annual tradition since 2014 and I look forward to this every year.
Whether you’re new, or you’re a returning reader, I’d love for you to hang out and follow along as we count the days to Christmas!
If you’d like to check out previous Star Wars Advent calendars, here are the links to 2014, 2015. 2016, 2017, and 2018.
This year, I’m also doing the brand new Harry Potter Advent Calendar, which you can follow along as well.
How does this work?
If you’re new here, I do daily updates on each window of the 2019 Star Wars Advent Calendar. I usually post updates in the morning, but sometimes if I get too busy at work, updates will be posted in the evening. I’ll update this post each day, as I don’t really enjoy the practice of creating new posts for each day as it keeps it so much cleaner.
Unlike other sites, I’m actually opening each window as I go, and I’ve been able to be relatively spoiler-free to be as surprised as I can get. All reviews, thoughts and reactions are live as we go along, there are no pre-planned photos or thoughts, unless I happen to be travelling or away from home.
Do note that I’m based in Melbourne, Australia (GMT +8) so we’re ahead of most of the world (except New Zealand) so to avoid spoilers, try to come back to this post after you’ve opened your window and built the daily model especially if you’re located in other timezones like the US or UK.
PS: If you’re planning to buy any LEGO for Christmas and would like to support the blog, please use these links if you’re shopping on Amazon, Amazon Australia or LEGO.com! Thanks in advance!
What are we expecting with the 2019 Advent Calendar?
2019 is an important year for the Star Wars franchise, with the upcoming release of the Rise of Skywalker to close out the Sequel Trilogy.
From the box art, we can expect this year to be heavily represented by all things Sequel Trilogy, which you may or may not enjoy.
One of the things I absolutely hate about the Advent Calendar designs is that the illustrations on the box usually spoils most of the windows and builds, which… really defeats the surprise element that I like with Advent Calendars.
This happens year after year, and I guess the graphic and product designers at LEGO still fundamentally miss the point of it all.
To make it easier for you to check out each day’s section, as this post is going to grow longer with every new window, all you have to do is click on the Day you want, and you will instantly jump to the corresponding section.
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Day 1 – First Order Star Destroyer
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Day 2 – Kylo Ren’s Command Shuttle
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Day 3 – First Order Stormtrooper
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Day 4 – FWMB-10 Repeating Blaster
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Day 5 – Black One
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Day 6 – Resistance Troop Transporter
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Day 7 – Chewbacca
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Day 8 – Ahch-To
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Day 9 – Old Luke Skywalker
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Day 10 – Quadjumper
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Day 11 – Death Star Turret
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Day 12 – Imperial Gunner
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Day 13 – Mouse Droid
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Day 14 – Snail Tank
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Day 15 – Battle Droid
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Day 16 – MTT
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Day 17 – Escape Pod
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Day 18 – Rebel Fleet Trooper
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Day 19 – Mynock
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Day 20 – Echo Base
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Day 21 – Cloud Car
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Day 22 – Cloud Car Pilot
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Day 23 – Christmas Gonk Droid
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Day 24 – Christmas Porg
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Final Thoughts & Wrap-up
While you’re here, please also subscribe to the blog if you’d like to find out about other posts which cover LEGO news, reviews and random musings!
To follow along, it’s best to bookmark this post to check back each day. You can also find a link to this post from the home page via this link in the top navbar. If you’re on mobile, you have to expand the burger menu (the button with the 3 lines) to find it.
You can also follow the Jay’s Brick Blog Facebook page, where I’ll be updating it daily at the end of the day (in the US) to avoid accidentally spoiling people!
Here’s the front of the Advent Calendar box folded out, which creates a little playmat to display what will soon be a very fast-growing collection of tiny ships and minifigures.
This year’s illustration is less festive, with just a few snow-capped cliffs, against a starlit sky on a lush green planet. Could this be Ach-to?
A major change to this year’s Advent Calendar is the design of the doors. The cut-out doors, which open to reveal a bag of parts and instructions are much, much easier to open this year, which is an amazing feat as in previous years, you could tear them open if you weren’t careful enough.
Great job, whoever came up with this fix!
The instructions for the Star Wars Advent Calendar LEGO models are printed on each door. Some of them are easy to follow, but sometimes they can be pretty tricky and you’ll have to study the diagram quite hard to ensure that you’re building the models correctly.
Without further ado, let’s kick off the 2019 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar!
Day 1
Day 1 of the 2019 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar starts off really strongly, with a First Order Star Destroyer, one of the primary Battlecruisers in the First Order’s fleet.
Like most ships and themes in the Sequel Trilogy, the First Order Star Destroyer takes a beloved iconic spaceship from the Original Trilogy, and gives it a small design refresh.
In the case of the First Order Star Destroyer, it retains the imposing triangular shape of an Imperial Star Destroyer but flattens the bridge slightly.
This is quite a solid build, and I love how it looks from behind, with the twin Ion Engines at the back, which is slightly inaccurate as they’re meant to have 3 Ion Engines, but given the space limitations, it’s the best that they could probably do.
It’s the first time we’ve had a First Order Star Destroyer in an Advent Calendar, and the design is pretty good, as you can immediately recognise and identify what it is.
Off to a great star, and this tells me that we should expect more First Order builds in the coming days! Check back tomorrow to see what Day 2 brings!
Day 2
Day 2’s window gives us another debut ship – Kylo Ren’s Command Shuttle. The Upsilon-class command shuttle is a regular fixture in the Sequel Trilogy, and in my mind is one of the most interesting new ships introduced.
In the movies, I’ve always loved how imposing it looks, and the model does a few things well – the foldable wings, and I particularly love the trans-red cockpit in the front.
Here’s a look at the back. I broke into a small smirk (a sign when I appreciate nice part usage) when I saw the use of a pair of skates for the engine thrusters.
But taken as a whole, I don’t really like the design of Kylo Ren’s Command Shuttle. It looks a little blocky, I dislike the grey clips on the wings which makes them look bulky, and I feel like the wings need to be much longer.
It’s easy to recognise, but I just feel like the proportion are a little off – which is really hard to do when you build/design at scale.
So that’s Day 2 so far as we continue our foray into all things First Order. Check in tomorrow to see what Day 3 brings!
Day 3
The onslaught of all things First Order continues with Day 3’s First Order Stormtrooper! A staple of the First Order, these Stormtroopers form the bulk of the troops as all-purpose infantry.
While not as iconic as Imperial Stormtroopers, a statement which probably won’t ruffle too many feathers, they’re still a great design and he comes with a blaster rifle as well.
It sure looks like he’ll need some sort of rack to store his blaster rifle…
For those hoping that there would be some surprise underneath the helmet – nope, we get a standard issue Stormtrooper face.
Here’s a look at the back printing as well.
As the first minifigure to pop out of the Star Wars Advent Calendar, I guess it’s decent?
It doesn’t make a grand statement about the ambition and tone of this Star Wars Advent Calendar, but at the same time, you can never have enough Stormtroopers, so whether it’s Imperial or First Order, they’re still great additions regardless!
Love the consistent focus on the bad guys, and it’s setting up quite an unfair advantage for any forthcoming Resistance builds. Will we get more First Order builds, or will we finally get some Resistance competition? Check in tomorrow to find out!
Day 4
Day 4 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar might seem like a random Blaster Rifle Turret, but it turns out, this actually has a name – the FWMB-10 Repeating Blaster to be exact.
It’s a megablaster with a foldable stand and grips for added stability employed by Heavy Assault Troopers which makes yesterday’s First Order Stormtrooper not your average buckethead.
Looking at the design, it seems very accurate to the in-movie version, so hats off to the designers for adapting the design so well.
My favourite thing about the FWMB-10 Repeating Blaster is the white blaster rifle, which is a pretty rare element, only showing up in one other set which I’m guessing not a lot of people own.
Apart from that… it’s just a repeating blaster and not terribly exciting, so that’s Day 4 for now. Kinda boring so I hope tomorrow makes up for today’s meh build!
Day 5
After Day 4’s slightly disappointing build, the Star Wars Advent Calendar makes a remarkably strong recovery with Day 5’s Black One – otherwise known as Poe Dameron’s X-Wing Starfighter.
This is one helluva build, and I was really impressed by the sheer number of parts in the bag – the scale and detail of the set felt very much like a polybag-calibre build, instead of an advent model.
Poe Dameron’s (who goes by callsign Black Leader) black and orange X-Wing is undeniably iconic, and I love the treatment it’s been given. This is by far the most detailed X-Wing Starfighter I’ve ever come across in a Star Wars Advent Calendar, and it looks great from every angle.
I love the details, such as the white stud to represent his astromech droid BB-8, as well as the ability for the s-foils (wings) to be folded to attack and regular positions.
No matter what you think of Star Wars, you can’t deny that X-Wing Starfighters are incredibly cool, and till this day, they still excite me. This is my favourite build yet, and I’m willing to bet that many of you will appreciate just how great it looks.
Day 5 was such a great day and an absolute joy to build. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Day 6
Day 6 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar is a bit of an odd build – a Resistance Troop Transporter. You may have recognised this oddly shaped resistance ship from The Force Awakens, which ferried General Leia to the Battle of Takodana.
Update: I’ve fixed the photo above. Thanks to everyone who helped with correcting it!
It was also a LEGO set which you may remember. As a model, it’s okay – the designers had a pretty tough job as the Troop Transporter isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing, so it’s not the easiest to adapt, especially at this scale.
The model does a decent job capturing the odd telephone receive shape of the Transport, but objectively it looks quite ugly.
We’re now bolstering the Resistance Forces, and I feel like we’re overdue a minifigure! Hope we get another to join the First Order Stormtrooper tomorrow!
Day 7
Looks like I was right and we got a minifigure in Day 7 with Chewbacca! Chewbacca is an iconic Star Wars character, and one of my personal favourites, so I’m quite delighted to have him.
It’s the newest, most detailed version of Chewbacca with highly detailed printing on his head and body – I love how well the different shades of fur blend well with one another, and the level of detail on his bandolier as well.
For an accessory, he comes with a campfire and a chicken Porg drumstick. I choose to believe that this is a Porg drumstick as he was shown feasting on them in The Last Jedi.
Here’s a look at Chewbacca’s back.
It’s a little disappointing that Chewie doesn’t come with a bowcaster, but I do like the funny fried porg reference, plus, it’s hard to be mad with a great Chewbacca minifigure, especially for those of you who don’t have the latest one yet.
Check in tomorrow to see what Day 8 brings!
Day 8
Following from Day 7’s Chewbacca and Fried Porg, we have a delightful micro version of Ahch-To, or more specifically an island where Luke Skywalker made his home while in exile.
The build is simple, yet effective with the sand-green elements representing the lush green vegetation covering the rocky island.
I love the grey stud, which represents Luke’s hut on the island.
It’s a simple build but I have a soft spot for these micro location-based builds in the Advent Calendar, which are a nice break from ships or minifigures.
For those wishing for a Bowcaster weapons rack, or even a Porg, bad luck today, but who knows, you may get your wish tomorrow!
Or will we get Luke? Check in tomorrow to find out!
Day 9
Just as predicted, Day 9 gives us one of the most exciting exclusives of the Advent Calendar, an Old Luke Skywalker minifigure.
This version, based on his time on Ahch-To hunting and fishing comes with dark brown robes and a matching brown tunic. He has a wooden staff, and the day’s catch.
The minifigure is well designed and will go well if you own 75200 Ahch-To Training. The minifigure has a double-sided head, and back printing.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t come with a bottle of green alien milk, but I’m guessing that LEGO didn’t want people to relive that slightly disturbing memory from The Last Jedi.
Old Luke Skywalker is a great addition to the Advent Calendar, and should delight most Star Wars fans.
Will we close this chapter of Ahch-To, or do you think we’ll get a Porg tomorrow?
Day 10
Day 10 was a really cool surprise – a Quadjumper! This slightly obscure ship made a very minor appearance on Jakku in The Force Awakens as a ship that Finn and Rey were considering jumping into, before being unceremoniously blown up.
It was also turned into a LEGO set from 2017 in case you needed a quick refresher.
The design does a pretty good job of getting the Quadjumper’s unique look right, with the four large thrusters in the front, transparent cockpit in the centre of the ship, as well as its signature caramel-coloured hull.
I really like how the wings were designed, which gives you the ability to tilt them in different angles and positions, however I did find them a bit fiddly, and they kept popping out of place when I was handling them.
As a ship, the Quadjumper is a really refreshing take as its never been in an Advent Calendar before, and as one of the rare new ship designs introduced in the Sequel Trilogy, I’m glad it’s getting a bit more airtime.
It does look like we’ve left Ahch-To, and the Quadjumper now places us squarely in the dessert planet of Jakku. I wonder who or what tomorrow will bring.
Day 11
Sorry for the delay! Had a pretty busy day and a work Christmas party, so I’ve only just got back to my computer.
Update: Thanks so much everyone for writing in and correcting me. After opening Day 12’s window, I am now 100% convinced that this is a Death Star Turret. I really wasn’t expecting any Original Trilogy builds, so this is a nice surprise!
In my defence, is there much difference between the Death Star and Starkiller Base? ?
Day 11 is a perplexing build, as I’m not 100% sure what it is but I’m going to take a stab and guess that it’s some sort of Laser Turret from Starkiller Base, from The Force Awakens.
I really like the look of the structure, especially that you can swivel the cannons around and adjust the angle as well.
It’s a really unique build, unlike anything I’ve ever seen in past Advent Calendars, and I’m also a sucker for structure builds.
We’re definitely not in Jakku, so it looks like we’re going to be kept guessing as to what the next day is going to be!
Check in tomorrow to see what Day 12 brings!
Day 12
After yesterday’s Death Star Turret, it now places us deep in the Death Star, back in the Original Trilogy. Day 12 gives us an Imperial Gunner, who specialise in manning weapons on the Death Star.
It fits in very nicely with yesterday’s Death Star Turret (which I had mistaken for a Starkiller Base structure), and is yet another Imperial minifigure to add to your collection.
I really like his helmet, which boasts some impressive moulding and details such as the black visor, chin, and even buttons on the side, as well as the Imperial seal on the front.
Here’s a look at the Imperial Gunner unmasked, and back printing.
That’s it for Day 12 so far! We’re now even, with two good guys and two bad guy minifigures.
As we seem to be in a Death Star roll, I wonder what we’ll get tomorrow…
Day 13
Happy Friday the 13th! For the superstitious, it may be seen as an unlucky day but this is a fantastic day for the Star Wars Advent Calendar as we get an utterly adorable Mouse Droid!
Also known by its formal name of MSE-6-Series Repair Droid, these cute little buggers can be found scurrying about Star Destroyers and Death Stars, and have become much-loved by Star Wars fans.
Please turn your volume up, and enjoy the cute little beeps they make as they run about, performing simple tasks such as cleaning, repairs, deliveries and also guiding Stormtroopers.
Mouse Droids are amazing, and I love how well they captured the design of these little Death Star Toasters, especially the wheels and the clip above the body.
I am very pleased with this tiny little Mouse Droid as it has made a tremendous improvement to my day.
Day 14
We are on a roll with the Star Wars Advent Calendar (compared to the steaming dumpster fire that is the Harry Potter one) with another surprising model – Day 14’s Snail Tank aka the NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcer.
Like its nickname suggests, this tank droid is modelled after a snail, and is best known for making an appearance in Revenge of the Sith, rampaging through the Wookie world of Kashyyyk, tearing up Chewie’s neighbourhood. It also made a notable appearance in the Star Wars Battlefront games.
They couldn’t have done a better job capturing its shape, especially the twin ion cannons on its side and its “eyes” on the top.
The view from the back is the Snail Tank’s best, as you get a much better idea of how it derived its nickname from, with the sloping back and “tail”.
This year’s Star Wars Advent Calendar continues to surprise, and the Snail Tank has rocketed up my list of favourite builds. It’s great to see such an obscure prequel droid make an appearance. and with such an accurate design to boot.
Check in tomorrow to see what Day 15 brings! Can’t believe we only have 10 days remaining!
Day 15
We’re fully in familiar prequel territory now with Day 15’s B1 Battle Droid! A staple of the Trade Federation Droid Army, these guys are most commonly known as bumbling cannon fodder, and provide a bit of comedy throughout the prequels.
They’re fairly common, and also made an appearance in last year’s calendar – but like most army-builder type minifigures, I kind of don’t mind multiples of them.
Clankers aren’t too shabby, but it would’ve been nice to get a rarer type of Battle Droid like a Super Battle Droid which hasn’t made an appearance in years.
That said, looking forward to what tomorrow brings!
Day 16
After yesterday’s Battle Droid, we get an Multi-Troop Transport or an MTT for short. These bulbous grey troop transports are best known for being featured in The Phantom Menace, ferrying and deploying thousands of Battle Droids during the Battle of Naboo.
The micro model gets the MTT’s shape right, but what I love most about it is the hatch that pops open in the front, to release the Battle Droids. Shame we don’t have any micro battle droids, so yesterday’s clanker will have to do to illustrate the process.
Day 16’s MTT is a fun, interactive build that injects some variety into the lineup. It’s looking particularly strong so far!
Will we still stay in Prequel territory tomorrow? Check in to find out!
Day 17
Day 17 rockets us back to Original Trilogy territory with an Escape Pod, which you may recognise from A New Hope, which ferried C-3PO and R2-D2 to crash land on Tatooine.
The Escape Pod’s design is not too bad, it has 4 thrusters in the back and the barrel-shaped front for passengers. It was quite an interesting and slightly challenging build, especially getting the engines in, but I got there in the end.
It’s quite interesting that LEGO is digging so deep into the archives and that we have an actual Escape Pod as one of the builds, something I wasn’t quite expecting.
It’s not the most interesting build, but at the same time, I recognise how iconic it is, especially to fans of a New Hope.
Now that we’re in Original Trilogy territory, I’m naturally quite excited to see what’s to come tomorrow!
Day 18
It’s always a pleasant surprise to see a minifigure pop out of a window, and Day 18’s Rebel Fleet Trooper is a great addition to anyone’s collection.
This Rebel Fleet Trooper probably serves on the Tantive IV, which ejected yesterday’s Escape Pod and could be one of the poor hapless Troopers mercilessly cut down by Vader in Rogue One (one of THE best Star Wars moments of all time).
They’re best known for their vests, and egg-shaped visor helmets.
Here’s a look at the Rebel Trooper’s alternate face, and back printing.
All in all, it’s a pretty decent minifigure and a decent surprise to pop out of Day 18! Looking at how the days are going… I have a strong suspicion that we’ll be getting some sort of ship tomorrow…
Day 19
The 2019 Star Wars Advent Calendar continues to surprise and delight with a Mynock for Day 19! A my-what?
Mynocks are bat-like alien parasites that are drawn to power sources, and you may remember them from Empire Strikes Back as the winged alien leeches that attacked the Millennium Falcon.
I think it’s really cool to have an actual Star Wars creature in the advent calendar, which is a very rare occurence. In this case, the design works well with the webbed tan wings, ominous glowing green eyes and a prominent mouth on the front.
After yesterday’s Rebel Fleet Trooper, a Mynock was nowhere near my guesses for today. I’m really enjoying being surprised, and it also seems like the designers have very intentionally pursued all-new never before seen creatures and ships with this calendar.
Bring on Day 20!
Day 20
With 5 days left in the Star Wars Advent Calendar, Day 20 gives us yet another stellar build – this time a microscale Hoth Echo Base.
If you’re a Star Wars fans, Echo Base is hallowed ground due to it being a prominent location in Empire Strikes Back, where the Rebels take refuge before the Empire launches an assault on the base.
If you’ve been reading my Advent Calendar Countdowns for awhile, you’ll know that I absolutely LOVE these location-based microbuilds and Echo Base knocks it out of the park.
Its most prominent feature is the Ion Cannon, which is currently firing a blue laser into space, probably at a Star Destroyer, but there’s also a turret up front, and I really loved the arched entryway into the base.
This is an absolutely brilliant build and one of my favourites out of this calendar.
It really seems like we’re heading towards a strong back-half of the calendar, and I can’t wait to see what Day 21 brings.
Day 21
More Empire Strikes Back goodness beckons with Day 21’s Cloud Car! These Twin Pod ships are best known for patrolling the skies of Cloud City with a small but memorable appearance in Empire.
If I could award an Advent Calendar model for being the most accurate, it would have to be given to this model. The curves, shape, and even the transparent cockpits.
Here’s how it looks from the back, where you can see the engine’s blue glow.
In a calendar full of outstanding builds, the Cloud Car is exceptional, and I think a lot of Star Wars fans will be absolutely delighted with it.
Only three more days remain in the 2019 Star Wars Advent Calendar, and to be honest, at the rate we’re going, I kind of don’t want this to end!
Day 22
What’s the ideal companion to yesterday’s excellent Cloud Car? A Cloud Car Pilot minifigure of course! This is an excellent minifigure as it was previously a very rare minifigure, only showing up in last year’s 75222 Betrayal At Cloud City.
It was introduced in 2018, so for most people that didn’t buy Betrayal at Cloud City, this is a fantastic way to get your hands on what has been an obscure yet memorably character from Empire Strikes Back.
The most unique element about the Cloud Car Pilot is his unique red and white helmet, with its odd almost “bike aero helmet” look.
Here’s a look at the Cloud Car Pilot’s back printing, as well as alternate face.
The gunmetal grey blaster is also a neat addition.
While the Cloud Car Pilot isn’t the most notable character, its rarity and novelty makes for a great minifigure, and addition to any hardcore Star Wars fan’s collection.
Only two more days remain in the SW Advent Calendar!
Day 23
Now THIS is how you do a festive Star Wars Advent Calendar build. The second last build of the 2019 Star Wars Advent Calendar is a Christmas Gonk Droid, which is the most adorable thing ever.
More accurately known as the GNK Power Droid, these Gonk Droids have been fan-favourites since their debut, and are best known for the “gonk” sound they make.
That and the fact that in the movies, they were essentially a box with legs sticking out of them.
This Gonk Droid is wrapped in his Christmas best to look like a gift, and is just my favourite thing ever. I cannot describe how happy such a whimsical yet so Star Wars build makes me feel.
I’m all ready for the finale tomorrow, and I hope the Christmas Gonk Droid puts you in a festive mood!
Day 24
Here we are, Christmas Eve which means the final day of this year’s Star Wars Advent Calendar! As is customary, the final window contains a festive character, and this year, we get a Santa Porg!
The Santa Porg is decked out in Santa colours and has a cute little Santa Hat. It also comes with a gold present with a star ribbon on top of it.
As THE conclusion of the Advent Calendar, it’s just okay – nowhere near as fun as yesterday’s Christmas Gonk Droid, and pales in comparison to previous years where we used to get the likes of Santa Yoda, Santa Vader and even Santa Darth Maul.
That said, it’s leaps and bounds better than last year’s disappointing Rebel Trooper Snowman finale, and I do like the tie-in with the prequels, which seemed like the focus of this year’s advent calendar, what with Ahch-To, Old Luke and Chewie.
It’s a little lazy, as it’s not an exclusive minifigure or character, and really just slapping a Santa Hat on a Porg. I do love Porgs, and I’m really pleased to get another one, but deep down, I really, really, really wanted a Santa Kylo Ren. Oh well, maybe next year.
That’s it for this year’s Star Wars Advent Calendar, but we’re not quite done yet! Stay tuned for a wrap-up post as we look at this year’s Star Wars Advent Calendar as a whole, and my final thoughts on this year’s outing!
Final Thoughts and Wrap Up
Firstly, thanks SO much to EVERYONE who has been following along this year, both first-time readers and especially returning readers.
It’s been an absolute blast counting down the days towards Christmas and I’ve really enjoyed chatting to so many of you in the comments section.
I’ve really enjoyed this year’ advent calendar, and I think it’s been one of the strongest since I started doing Daily Countdowns. We had a great mix of old, new and so many surprises thrown in.
Here’s a breakdown:
We got 7 minifigures (6 if you don’t count Droids) in this year’s calendar which is a slight increase from last year, where we had 2 droids and a Snowman.
The minifigure lineup was quite solid, and I really enjoyed the variety. Old Luke Skywalker was the definite standout, but the Cloud Car Pilot and Rebel Fleet Troopers were nice surprises.
I really would’ve liked more named characters as we only got Chewie and Luke, and it feels so weird to have an Advent Calendar without a single lightsaber in it.
Again, the lack of a festive Star Wars character was a disappointment.
The ships and vehicles were really good this year, with a very obvious bias towards Sequel Trilogy ships – with the Cloud Car being the only non-sequel ship.
Highlights for me include the absolutely brilliant (but gigantic) Poe’s X-Wing, and I also really enjoyed the Cloud Car and Quadjumper, even if the latter was a little jiggly.
We got no one, not two but THREE location-based builds, which was amazing. Ahch-to and Echo Base were absolute favourites, and it’s great to see the designers embrace more of these locations in this year’s advent calendar.
Oh and so many droids, or droid-themed builds! I really liked the Snail Tank, Mouse Droid, but the Christmas Gonk Droid has to be my favourite build in the entire calendar.
In the absence of a named Christmas minifigure… the Gonk Droid was a pretty fun substitute.
The miscellaneous builds include the turret, escape pod and also two creatures the Santa Porg and Mynock.
It’s kinda funny as I created my very own Santa Porg in 2017 so to see LEGO do their own version was interesting, but also speaks to the lazy execution of the final build.
Like I said in 2017, ” Slapping on a Santa Hat on a Porg BB-8 does not make him any special in any way and LEGO could’ve done so much better.”
Really disappointing, and this truly would’ve been an outstanding Advent Calendar if we had gotten a Santa Kylo Ren.
That said, I really enjoyed this year’s advent calendar, despite ending on a bit of a downer. Thank goodness the Gonk Droid came in strong to save the day, but all in all, it has been a really fun calendar that managed to strike the right balance between new, old and rare/unique builds.
There was a lot of love for Star Wars fans with obscure ships, and characters included, as well as previously rare minifigures like the Cloud Car Pilot which made the contents feel quite substantial.
I also can’t believe I’m saying this, but where was the Weapons Rack! I know in the past years, Weapons Racks have always been the butt of the joke, and many (including me) dread opening one but I feel like they’ve become such a staple ingredient of Star Wars Advent Calendars, that it was really weird not to have one this year.
I felt like a Weapons Rack for Chewie’s Bowcaster would’ve been an obvious inclusion but as we approached the end, it was clear we wouldn’t get one. Does this mean that the tradition has been ended?
I can’t believe I’m left wanting for a Weapons Rack!
Anyway, this has been an excellent Star Wars Advent Calendar, and one of the best in the last few years. It does seem like LEGO is listening to feedback from fans, and I think they’ve really struck the right balance this time around.
What was favourite build or character in this year’s advent calendar? Let me know in the comments!
That’s it for now, thank you SO much for following every day and for leaving hundreds of comments on the post.
Merry Christmas to you, wherever you’re celebrating in the world and I hope that you’ll find plenty of LEGO under the tree tomorrow!
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Merry Christmas!
