Review: LEGO 75360 Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter (2023)

June 18, 2023 | 1

2023 is the 20th Anniversary of The Clone Wars, which has done a lot in terms of transforming Star Wars fans to prequel trilogy fans. To commemorate this milestone, LEGO has released several Clone Wars-themed sets this year, one of which is 75360 Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter.

While renowned pilots like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker have had their own iconic starfighter battles in Revenge of the Sith, the wizened old Grand Master Yoda might not strike most fans as the type to pilot his own starfighter. Nonetheless, Yoda did fly a Jedi Interceptor-like craft on his mission to learn more about the Force during three episodes of The Clone Wars, inspiring two LEGO sets based on this ship.

It seems like an odd choice for a set considering its niche source material, but the 2017 set must have sold well, and now in 2023 we have a very similar model with an increased retail price of US$35. Let’s find out of this model features any worthwhile upgrades!

75360 Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter will be available from LEGO.com from 1 August 2023, alongside the other August 2023 LEGO Star Wars wave.

This is a guest review from our LEGO Star Wars correspondent Vaderfan. We’ll be checking out the entirety of August 2023 wave of Star Wars sets on the blog , so stay tuned for more!

• Review: LEGO 75365 Yavin 4 Rebel Base
• Review: LEGO 75359 332nd Ahsoka’s Clone Troopers Battle Pack
• Review: LEGO 75361 Spider Tank

Special thanks to the LEGO Group for sending this set over for review.

75360 Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter Set Details

Set Number: 75360
Set Name: Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter
Pieces: 253
Minifigures: 2
Retail Price:  US$34.99 / AU$TBD / £29.99 / €34.99 / CAD$44.99
Theme: Star Wars
Release Date: 1 August 2023

75360 Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter Unboxing and Contents

The front of the box shows Yoda’s Starfighter flying through space, with some unspecified planets in the background.

The back of the box shows the craft in its landing mode, along with cutouts showcasing the play features.

The side of the box has this little badge to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Clone Wars.

Inside the box are three numbered bags, one instruction manual, and one small sticker sheet.

75360 Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter Minifigures

Two minifigures are included – a bit low for this price point – and they are Yoda and R2-D2. Yoda is unchanged since this minifigure first appeared in 2013, but has a nice rubber head element and decent torso printing.

R2-D2 features back printing on this occasion, making this the cheapest set so far to include a back-printed R2!

Hopefully back prints for astromechs becomes a more common occurrence in the future.

Comparing 75360 Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter to the animated series version

Here’s Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter, as it appears in the show.

And here’s a look at the previous version of LEGO Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter, which was released in 2017.

Completed Model

At first glance, not much has changed on the model since its 2017 variant, but a closer look does reveal some upgrades.

The biggest change comes from the cockpit, which has all new shaping and design. Unfortunately it’s still not as spherical as the in-universe craft – a tough ask given LEGO’s angular system – but it uses some newer curved slope pieces like the 3×3 corner slope to approximate a rounder design.

The cockpit glass has a new, more accurate print, and a pair of stickers above continue the window design.

The cockpit can hinge open at two points to access the interior, where Yoda can stand snugly. He gets a pair of trans-red cheese slopes for controls.

Just behind the cockpit is the astromech socket, two blue engines, and a clip for Yoda’s lightsaber.

R2 fits comfortably into the astromech socket, and looks great with his back printing. Below the engines are a pair of trans-light green tails, these are none other than spring-loaded shooters.

Flicking the tails will fire off the missiles, stationed near the ship’s cannons. These pieces were introduced almost a decade ago but still pack a spring-loaded punch today!

Moving on to the wings, they have not changed significantly but their shaping is slightly better.

Unfortunately, due to their plate construction and LEGO’s basic requirements for stability, the wings are still a little too thick, resulting in a fairly messy look especially from the rear.

That isn’t the fault of the designers, but I do think the source material does not translate well to the LEGO medium.

The wings do hinge open for flight, and there’s a Technic pin element in between the top and bottom halves to function as a stopper in this attack mode.

There’s also a round 2×2 sticker on either side with Yoda’s emblem.

With its wings splayed out, the ship has a slightly more aggressive look, akin to that of a TIE Interceptor. Do note the stand in the above photo is not actually included.

Putting the ship into flight mode allows you to see the inner grey wings. These don’t have much detail but are mounted at an angle, thanks to some hinge plates.

I do feel the model looks nicer in flight mode, and thus it’s a shame you can’t display it in flight mode without looking like it has just crashlanded.

Perhaps LEGO should have included a small Technic display stand, which is becoming an increasingly common appearance in sets nowadays.

It is quite decent to swoosh around, as the area behind the cockpit provides good grip.

Another gripe I have is its size – at around 250 pieces and being a fairly small model, I really do not see the US$34.99 price tag being good value, especially considering only two minifigures are included.

Final Thoughts

To be honest, I’m not sure why LEGO decided to revisit Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter in 2023. The model is a decent update from the 2017 version, but not a lot has fundamentally changed to warrant a new version of a pretty obscure craft.

The shaping of the in-universe ship also does not lend itself well to the LEGO design language, from the narrow wings that look all too bulky here, to the almost ball-like spherical cockpit that becomes slightly blocky in LEGO form. Couple that with just two minifigures for a US$35 retail price, and it is quite a hard ask.

Still, prequel fans might find something to like here, especially if you don’t already have the 2017 set or a modern Yoda minifigure.

It could also be good for a LEGO starfighter collector’s lineup, but other than that, I do have some trouble recommending this set. It’s not all bad – it is quite fun to swoosh around – but at its price and considering the competition, I think there are better sets out there.

What I liked:

• Included minifigures are decent, nice to get back-printed R2-D2 in a cheap set.
• Model is fun to hold and swoosh around.

What I didn’t like:

• Shaping of the model still looks clunky in comparison to the in-universe starfighter.
• More minifigures were needed at this price point.
• Very expensive, neither piece count nor play value help to justify the RRP.
• Unable to display the model in the more attractive-looking flight mode.

Build [3] – A valiant effort considering the unusual shaping of the source material, but ultimately falls short.
Minifigures [3] – Yoda is a decent figure and back-printed R2 is great, but 2 minifigures at this price point is quite weak.
Real Value [2] – $35 USD is a hard ask, especially considering the size of the final model and the piece count. Definitely more figures and builds should have been included to justify the RRP.
Innovation [2] – In many aspects, this is just the 2017 Yoda’s Starfighter set rereleased with some decent upgrades, but nothing significant.
Keepability [2] – Fans of Yoda and Star Wars completists might find something to like here, but otherwise its appeal is unfortunately quite limited.

Rating and Score: 2/5 ★★✰✰✰

75360 Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter will be available from LEGO.com, your local LEGO store and most toy stores from 1 August 2023.

To get the latest LEGO news and LEGO Reviews straight in your inbox, subscribe via email, or you can also follow on Google News, or socials on Facebook, Instagram (@jayong28), Twitter or subscribe to the Jay’s Brick Blog Youtube channel.