LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar 2020 – Daily Countdown

December 1, 2020 | 571

This is the one you’ve all been waiting for! Grogu statue not included!

Hello there and welcome to the Jay’s Brick Blog Daily daily countdown of the 2020 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar! We’re back again this year, bigger than ever, so check back on this post every day for a reveal of each Star Wars Advent Calendar window as we count the days to Christmas!

I look forward to Advent Calendar Season every year as it’s been a long tradition on the blog (since 2014!), so if this is your first, or you’re back once again, welcome and I hope you enjoy the daily countdown posts!

If you’d like to check out previous Star Wars Advent calendars, here are the links to 2014, 2015. 2016, 2017, 2018 or 2019 calendars if you’d like a trip down memory lane.

This year, in addition to Star Wars, I’ll also be counting down the 2020 Friends and 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 2020 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 +11) 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 affiliate links if you’re shopping on Amazon, Amazon Australia or LEGO.com!

I receive a small commission if you purchase something, which goes a long way in paying for equipment and server costs, as well as not have to resort to slapping ads all over the site.

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.

• Day 1 – A-Wing Starfighter

• Day 2 – Poe Dameron

• Day 3 – Lars Homestead

• Day 4 – Luke Skywalker

• Day 5 – Razor Crest

• Day 6 – Sith Tie Fighter

• Day 7 – Sith Trooper

• Day 8 – X-Wing Starfighter

• Day 9 – Rey

• Day 10 – D-O

• Day 11 – Millennium Falcon

• Day 12 – Porg

• Day 13 – Republic Cruiser

• Day 14 – Battle Droid

• Day 15 – Droid Control Ship

• Day 16 – Anakin’s Podracer

• Day 17 – Pit Droid

• Day 18 – Snowspeeder

• Day 19 – Tauntaun

• Day 20 – Shield Generator

• Day 21 – Snowman Gonk Droid

• Day 22 – Stormtrooper

• Day 23 – Darth Vader’s Castle

• Day 24 – Darth Vader

• Final Thoughts

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!

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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.

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.

Based on the illustrations and characters featured, the theme of this year seems to be Star Wars on Disney+. We get hints of The Mandalorian. and all the main characters from the new LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special which I recommend if you want a bit of a chuckle, and poking fun at SW nostalgia.

As always, the instruction of each day’s builds are printed on the inside of the doors, so be careful and try not to rip them out!

Without further ado, let’s kick off the 2020 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar!

Day 1

Day 1 of the 2020 Star Wars Advent Calendar starts of strong, with a fan favourite ship – the A-Wing Starfighter.

This sleek strike fighter was renowned for its speed, and its iconic arrowhead design, and maroon and white colours.

To boost the starfighter’s speed, lightweight components were used, and many trimmings usually found in other starfighter like Astromech Droids are notably missing from the A-Wing, which is why only the best pilots were entrustred to fly the A-Wing.

The A-Wing is also a nice nod to the UCS A-Wing Starfighter set which was released earlier this year.

I think the designers have done a great job getting the shape, fins and sleek profile of the A-Wing just right, and I really liked the laser cannons on the side.

We last saw an A-Wing Starfighter in the 2015 Advent Calendar, and the entire look is a massive upgrade.

And that’s it for Day 1 with the A-Wing Starfighter! Check in tomorrow to see what Day 2 brings!

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Day 2

It’s always a great day when a minifigure pops out of the window! Day 2 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar gives us a very festive Poe Dameron, the ace pilot/general of the Rebel Resistance in the Star Wars sequels.

This version of Poe with an absolutely adorable Christmas sweater featuring his astromech droid BB-8 is exclusive to this Advent Calendar, and is just filled with festive flavour.

If you’ve watched the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, you’ll recognise Poe immediately, as he’s in a festive mood organising Life Day.

Here’s a look at Poe’s alternate face and back printing, and he also comes with a blaster and a red mug.

In door 2, you’ll also notice a letter “L” printed on the door. This is meant to be a code that you can use to unlock a special character in the upcoming LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga video game, which was meant to be out in October 2020, but got delayed to Spring (Northern Hemisphere) 2021.

I guess you’ll collect these letters as you go along to form a 7-letter code, but looking at the theme of the calendar, my guess is that the code will be “LIFEDAY”.

Guess we’ll find out what it does when the game gets released!

That’s Day 2 so far, and I absolutely adore the BB-8 Christmas Jumper (or sweater if you’re American!) – I love how festive it is, and is one of my favourite seasonal Advent Calendar-exclusive prints ever!

Check back tomorrow for Day 3!

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Day 3

The 2020 Star Wars Advent Calendar continues to deliver, and Day 3 is no exception with a delightful rendition of Lars Homestead from Tattooine, home of the Lars family that raised Luke Skywalker.

I love when LEGO shrinks down landmarks, structures or places from the Star Wars universe into micro-scale, and Lars Homestead is done most excellently.

The tan-coloured igloo-shaped structure is executed really well, with the domed structure, and arched entryways atop a dark tan sandy base that represents Tattooine’s sandy terrain.

The use of an inverted tan palm tree top and technic pin for a Moisture Vaporator (the Lars family were moisture farmers) is an inspired choice and really ties the whole micro-model together.

Here’s the spare piece I received – a tan technic pin!

Oh and I couldn’t resist – if you’re feeling morbid, you can of course torch the Lars homestead to recreate this scene from A New Hope.

It was always a big ask to follow Day 2’s excellent Poe Dameron, but I daresay the micro Lars Homestead is going to please a lot of Original Trilogy Star Wars fans!

Will Day 4 continue the streak of excellent builds? Where is the dreaded Weapons Rack? Find out tomorrow!

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Day 4

We continue the Tatooine goodness on Day 4 with a Luke Skywalker minifigure, featuring his outfit from A New Hope! 

I should’ve seen this coming, and didn’t realise that my photo of Lars Homestead on fire would’ve potentially be a spoiler until he popped out of the Advent Calendar this morning. 

Luke Skywalker has been a fan-favourite for good reason, and has made plenty of appearances in Advent Calendars, but if you’re new, it’s a great addition to your collection. The print on his torso and legs are really detailed, and it’s hard to think of ways to improve it, apart from a new hairpiece. 

Given that this set is largely based on the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, it would’ve been nice to get a blue milk piece included as a reference. 

This seems to almost be a carbon copy of the Luke Skywalker from the 2014 Advent Calendar except that he has a different face, and comes with a pair of macrobinoculars.

Here’s a comparison with the 2014 version on the left, and the 2020 on the right!

All in all, I’m pretty happy with Day 4 despite already having a similar Luke Skywalker minifigure, mostly because Poe Dameron has some minifigure company!

Looking strong so far with no blips, so I’m excited to see what Day 5 will give us!

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Day 5

Okay, is this the best Star Wars Advent Calendar yet? Day 5 gives us an absolutely sensational model – the Razor Crest from The Mandalorian.

The primary ship of the series protagonist Din Djarin (or Mando as he’s affectionately known), the Razor Crest has been almost synonymous with the series, and a great addition to Star Wars’ library of ships – not to mention it being an adept dogfighter. 

The Mandalorian has been an absolute delight for Star Wars fans, and has truly breathed in new life into the franchise, taking it to new heights and personally, has made me fall in love with Star Wars all over again, after being tired out by the sequels. 

The Razor Crest is a relatively complex build, so here’s 2 build-in-progress shots to help you along if you get stuck with it.

I think the model does a great job capturing some of the Razor Crest’s features, especially the two twin engines at the back, and the twin laser cannons on the front.

The profile and proportions could be improved slightly, and the exposed studs on the side are not the best aesthetic choices, as the Razor Crest is best known for its sleek, metallic exterior.

You also get lots of spare pieces, so don’t be alarmed!

Fans of The Mandalorian are absolutely going to be delighted with Day 5’s build, and if you’ve been watching The Mandalorian religiously, the timing of this certainly does seem very fitting!

I’m really pleased that we got a Mandalorian build in this Advent Calendar, and I’ll be honest, it’s going to be really hard to top the Razor Crest!

Can’t wait to see what Day 6 will bring!

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Day 6

On Day 6 of the 2020 Star Wars Advent Calendar, we get a Sith TIE Fighter or TIE/dg Fighter for you wanting the technical name or TIE Dagger.

The Sith TIE Fighter first made its appearance in The Rise of Skywalker (Episode 9) as part of resurrected Emperor Palpatine’s Final Order secret fleet he was cooking up in between the events of Episod 6 and 9.

The design is just okay – with the new triangle wings being the most notable addition. There’s also a currently available LEGO set 75272 Sith Tie Fighter as a handy reference, but comparing the both, the micro-model’s lack of the red trim really hampers how close it looks to the real ship.

I think it could’ve been improved if the wings were red, and a second smaller triangle in black was layered above it, to give it that 2-wing cascading look, as well as create the red outline effect that makes the Sith TIE Fighter stand out.

Here are the spare elements I received. Oh, and I think the best thing about the Sith TIE Fighter is when viewed from the front, you can see the transparent red piece on the back through the cockpit glass, which is a neat effect.

That’s Day 6 so far – not a massive fan of the Sith TIE Fighter’s design, but it’s notable for being the first “bad guy” ship included in the 2020 Star Wars Advent Calendar, which some will welcome to set up some light-speed chase scenes!

Thanks for reading, let’s hope Day 7 gets back to the bar set by Days 1-6!

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Day 7

Wow! The 2020 Star Wars Advent Calendar is literally the gift that keeps on giving! Day 7 gives us a Sith Trooper – the bright red elite soldiers from the secret Sith cult that resurrected Emperor Palpatine in the Rise of Skywalker.

And yes, while these may look like Stormtrooper dyed bright red, I do like just how menacing the red and black colour scheme is, and they’re a great accompaniment to yesterday’s Sith TIE Fighter.

This is my first Sith Trooper as I’ve been staying away from the Rise of Skywalker sets, so I’m pretty happy about adding him to my collection.

The level of printing is sensational, especially on his back, and he’s also equipped with a blaster rifle. Hopefully the Sith Troopers have much better aim than Stormtroopers.

I do wish that we got a slightly different head, perhaps with a more unique face rather than the generic Stormtrooper face underneath.

One of my favourite things about the Sith Trooper is just how detailed the printing is on the helmet – the fine lines on top of the helmet and even on the nose are incredibly nice.

Has this ever happened with a Star Wars Advent Calendar? 3 minifigures in the first 7 days?

Kinda crazy when you think about it! I really love the Sith Trooper’s design – red is my favourite colour, and it just looks so much more menacing than your stock standard Stormtrooper.

Great day so far and I can’t wait to see how they top this tomorrow!

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Day 8

Day 8 of the #LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar gives us an excellent X-Wing Starfighter!

The X-Wing is one of the most iconic Star Wars ships that isn’t the Millennium Falcon, and this design is one of the best that I’ve seen so far!

The proportions are bang on, and I love the use of the new pyramid slope piece for the nose, which really elevates how it looks!

Here’s how the X-Wing looks from the back – it’s a little plain, and I would’ve loved some red or orange engines at the back.

We got Poe’s Black X-Wing in last year’s advent calendar, but it has been years since we’ve got a regular X-Wing and this is a massive upgrade that will make a ton of people really happy!

The LEGO Star Wars Advent continues to deliver, and I am thoroughly impressed at this point!

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Day 9

What, another minifigure so soon and a main character as well? Day 9 of the 2020 Star Wars Advent Calendar gives us Rey, or Rey Skywalker as she chooses to be called at the end of Episode IX.

For those of you who haven’t got this version of Rey with her white robes (it’s appeared 2 other times, one in the recent Knights of Ren Transport Ship 75284), this is a great new variant of Rey in her “post-Jedi training outfit”.

The printing details are great, and we get a dual-sided head, one with an angry frown. She also comes with a blue lightsaber, which is accurate to Rey in Episode 9, but doesn’t quite match up with the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, where she wields her yellow lightsaber.

This was a bit of a wasted opportunity for LEGO and Disney to debut Rey with her yellow lightsaber that featured to heavily in the holiday special, so I fixed it up!

I’m just floored – we’re not even in Day 10 and we already have 4 minifigures, which is just terrific – the Star Wars Advent Calendar keeps getting better and better, and with so many ships and minifigures, the playability is starting to ramp up.

Check in tomorrow to see what we get on Day 10!

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Day 10

We’ve hit double digits on the 2020 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar! Day 10 gives us yet another festive character – D-O, the cute little droid introduced in Episode 9!

D-O is a wheely (sorry) cute droid, made up of a single wheel, and a cone-shaped head that zips around. This version from the LEGO Star Wars Holidsy Special has a Santa Hat attached, making him all ready for Christmas Life Day!

I don’t have a D-O in my collection, so I’m really glad to see him pop out of Day 10’s window – I was really impressed by just how well he’s design, with printing on the wheel, and his head.

The Santa Hat is also a nice bonus!

It’s truly a Christmas miracle – it’s Day 10 and we still haven’t gotten a filler or subpar build! Can the Star Wars Advent Calendar continue its 10-day streak of awesome builds and characters? Find out tomorrow!

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Day 11

The heavy hitters just keep coming in the 2020 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar. Day 11 gives us one of the most recognizable ships in the galaxy – the Millennium Falcon!

Opening the door, I was so surprised at the number of parts in the bag, and this is by far the most complex build I’ve ever come across in an Advent Calendar.

LEGO have gone a great job reimagining the Millennium Falcon’s design – it’s now much flatter, and some of the more recognizable features such as the radar dish, and cockpit are much more prominent. The addition of tan elements also gives it an “aged” look that we saw in the Sequel movies.

The instructions were pretty tricky to figure out, given how many steps are involved, and one step (the bracket on the right) is actually obscured, so here’s a photo to help you build it if you get stuck.

The back makes great use of a trans-blue tile for the engines, although the shape is kinda clunky and awkward.

To see the drastically new design, here’s a comparison with the 2017 Advent Calendar version and even with the 2015 version which looks even more primitive.

Here are the spares included – you should have one of each element left over.

Day 11 is yet another solid addition – we’re not half way through and we’ve gotten so many notable characters and ships which tell me that LEGO isn’t holding back at all with the 2020 Advent Calendar.

Check in tomorrow to see what we get on Day 12!

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Day 12

To celebrate the halfway point of the 2020 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar, we get a Porg! These adorable Puffin-like birds were introduced to us in The Last Jedi, and occupied the the islands of Ahch-To, where Master Luke Skywalker hid in exile after the events of the Original Trilogy.

The Porgs have gone through a few minor changes since making their LEGO debut in 2017’s 75200 Ahch-To Island Training set, and now sports a white body.

I’ll never tire of expanding my Porg collection, so I’m pretty pleased with getting yet another one today.

That’s it for Day 12 so far! The Porgs took up quite a bit of screentime in the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, and were prominently displayed on the box, so this wasn’t a massive surprise.

Let’s see what we get on Day 13 as we head into the second half of the SW Advent Calendar!

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Day 13

On Day 13 of the 2020 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar, we have a delightful blast from LEGO’s past – a micro Republic Cruiser model!

This is our first “prequel-era” ship so far, and what a way to start dipping our toes into The Phantom Menace.

Also known as the Consular Class Cruiser, this sleek and narrow cruiser was used by the Republic to ferry Jedi and Diplomats across the galaxy. In the Phantom Menace, it was the ship that Obi Wan and Qui Gonn used to meet with the Trade Federation.

This is also a nod to set 7665 Republic Cruiser from 2007 which is the only time the ship has made an appearance in the LEGO universe, and I’d love to see an updated model some day.

The design is great, with the elongated front, and the massive triple engines at the back – I also like that they captured the oversized radar, but wish it was red instead of grey to match the LEGO set its based on.

Here are the spares included.

I’m very pleased with Day 13’s Republic Cruiser – a relatively obscure but beloved original ship design from the Prequel era which should delight old school LEGO Star Wars fans, especially if you have 7665 in your collection.

With the arrival of the Republic Cruiser, I hope this heralds a shift towards the Prequels, and hope we see more from the historically-maligned but now widely beloved prequels – all thanks to the magic of r/prequelmemes.

Check in tomorrow for Day 14!

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Day 14

On Battle 14, we get another staple of recent LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendars – a B1 Battle Droid from the Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.

Note: I appear to have assembled the Battle Droid’s torso wrongly! The stud should be at the back. Thanks to everyone who wrote in informing me!

These comical, bumbling, cannon-fodder bots are best known for their iconic line “Roger, roger!”.

The Separists amassed thousands, upon thousands of these “clankers” to wage the Clone Wars, so being able to bolster your Battle Droid forces is always welcome by LEGO Star Wars fans.

As a bonus, you also get a spare set of arms, which are orientated differently – one is straight, which can hold blasters correctly, and the other is angled slightly.

After showing up in 3 out of the 4 previous LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendars, it’s safe to assume that Battle Droids are now officially a fixture of Advent Calendars, and it’s nice to have another enemy.

We’re still within Prequel territory, so stay tuned to see what we get tomorrow!

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Day 15

Whoa, I did not see this one coming! Day 15 of the 2020 Star Wars Advent Calendar gives us a Droid Control Ship, a massive Battleship used by the Trade Federation, featured especially in The Phantom Menace!

LEGO has NEVER produced a Droid Control Ship set, so this micro-model is the debut of an iconic Separatist ship.

The design is great, capturing the instantly recognizable sphere control bridge in the center, which is encircled by a semi-circle ring.

These Droid Control Ships were absoutely gargantuan, teeming with all sorts of Droids, MTTs, Vulture Droids, Armoured Assault Tanks and everything else in the Trade Federation’s arsenal to wage war against the Republic.

To give you an idea of the scale, and what these Control Ships were used for, here’s an awesome diagram of the Droid Control Ship.

Here’s a look at the back view of the model.

If there’s one fault, it’s that the model is quite flimsy, and can fall apart at the lightest touch.

Prequel Star Wars fans are going to have a blast with Day 15’s Droid Control Ship, and the fact that we finally have it make its debut in the LEGO Star Wars theme.

A large-scale model of this would be brilliant, and it’s great to see the LEGO designers dip into seldom-used ships like this, and the Republic Cruiser for the Advent Calendar.

I don’t know about you, but I would love to see more Prequels builds, and hope we get another one on Day 16! Check in tomorrow to see if we’re still in Prequel-land!

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Day 16

Fans of the Prequels, we continue feasting well into Day 16 with more Phantom Menace goodness! Day 16 gives us Anakin Skywalker’s Podracer, complete with its yellow and blue livery.

The podracer model is pretty basic, especially when you compare it to the other complex builds like the Millennium Falcon or X-Wing, but it mostly works.

The bright yellow engines, and the blue trim work really well together, and delivers a burst of colour that’s much needed against what has mostly been in a grey backdrop of other ships/models.

Here are the spares included. From this view, you can also appreciate the very clever use of the round tile with pin, for the tapered engine thrusters from the back.

That’s it for Day 16 so far. My memory is hazy and I’m missing a few earlier Advent Calendars, but I think this is the first time we’ve ever gotten a Podracer in an Advent Calendar, which is pretty exciting!

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Day 17

The Phantom Menace loves continues into Day 17 of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar with a Pit Droid! These Pit Droids were cute little repair droids used to maintain Podracers on Tatooine.

The construction was pretty interesting, using a variety of random elements to get the shape of the Pit Droid. I especially like how the arms are attached to the body, and the use of the “tap” piece for its head.

Here’s the how pit droid looks from the back. The Pit Droid design is testament to the creativity made possible by LEGO – that by combining these seemingly random parts, you can build a really recognizable model of a Pit Droid.

It’s cute, and joins D-O and the Battle Droid to beef up the “Droid Contingent” of the Advent Calendar.

Check back tomorrow to see what Day 18 brings!

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Day 18

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Day 18

Only one week left to Christmas, which is crazy when you think about it! To ring in Day 18, we leave the Phantom Menace and get transported into everyone’s favourite Ice planet, Hoth with the return of a Snowspeeder model!

Last seen in 2014, the Snowspeeder is one of the most beloved Star Wars ships, thanks to the opening scene in Empire Strikes Back where Echo Base is under assault from AT-ATs and AT-STs.

This version has the tow cables as a prominent feature on the back, and a new cockpit design.

If you own the 2014 version, you’ll notice that not much has changed with the design – the colour is the biggest change, with less grey elements, and a more uniform white look.

It also feels a bit smaller and less hefty than the 2014 version.

For many models, we’ve been able to see a clear progression of designs, and are often upgrades. Putting them side by side, I think I actually prefer the 2014 version better!

Here are the spares included!

And that’s it for Day 18! Many Original Trilogy fans will be delighted to get a Snowspeeder, but I do wish they would’ve upsized it to the same level of complexity as the X-Wing and Millennium Falcon models.

Check in to see what we get tomorrow!

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Day 19

Day 19 gives us a very special (and festive) Hoth surprise – a brickbuilt Tauntaun. These lizards were used native to Hoth, and were trained and domesticated by the Rebels at Echo Base as a form of transportation across the snowy terrain.

The model is quite ingenious, and I love how they captured the Tauntaun’s tusks, and even the use of the clip for its arms.

I was initially confused about the bright red face – Tauntauns don’t have prominent mouths, and they didn’t even have red markings on their face until it clicked – it has a red nose for Christmas, just like Rudolph!

At least that’s how I’ve managed to make sense of the bright red nose, and as we’re nearing Christmas, I can’t help but enjoy the little festive touch the designers applied to the Tauntaun model.

For comparison, here’s how it stacks up next to a full-sized LEGO Tauntaun.

And here are the spares included.

Rudolph the red-nosed Tauntaun is a great festive addition to the Advent Calendar, and its arrival is a sign that we’re approaching Christmas, which hopefully means more festive builds to come!

Check in tomorrow to see what we get on Day 20!

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Day 20

On Day 20 of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar, we get yet another Hoth staple – a micro Shield Generator!

The Shield Generator was responsible for protecting the Rebel headquarters on the ice planet Hoth, and should be instantly recognizable for fans of Empire Strikes Back.

This is the first time the Shield Generator has made an appearance in Advent Calendars, and I think the micro model works perfectly with the Snowspeeder, to set up your own mini battle of Hoth scene.

Now, all we need is an AT-AT or AT-ST for the opposing Imperial side and we’ll have our perfect Hoth micro-scene! Here’s hoping we get one tomorrow on Day 21!

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Day 21

I know I wished for an AT-AT yesterday, but Day 21 of the 2020 LEGO Star Wars Advent far exceeded that – we get an incredibly festive Snowman Gonk Droid!

GNK Power Droids (or Gonk Droids as they’re fondly known) are blocky, slow-moving droids which have adorable legs sticking out of their body. They’re goofy appearance has made them very popular with Star Wars fans, and this Snowman version is a great, festive variant and a reminder that Christmas is only 4 days away!

Here’s a look at the sides – I love the use of green sprigs for the arms, the carrot nose and of course, his top hat to complete the look.

And here are the spares that I got.

Check out these adorable little cuties. And if you want to learn more about why Star War fans are mad about Gonk Droids, this video is a great watch!

Last year, we received a super festive Gonk Droid on Day 23 and was one of my favourites from the 2019 calendar, so having this Snowman as a companion makes me look forward to more festive Gonk Droid variants!

Very, very, very pleased with the Snowman Gonk Droid, and I can’t wait to see the final 3 builds!

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Day 22

You can never have enough LEGO Stormtroopers, and with 3 days left in the Star Wars Advent Calendar, Day 22 gives us a Stormtrooper minifigure!

I’ll never complain about getting a LEGO Stormtrooper, and this year is extra special because these are the new-ish variants which come with an entirely new helmet, which some Star Wars fans dislike.

The new Stormtrooper helmet has a bit of an odd shape, and is more detailed, such as printing on the back and is slightly more accurate than the older ones, but I feel like the classic LEGO Stormtrooper helmet is such a classic element, so it’ll take some time for me to get used to this one.

I split up the “good guy” builds and the “bad guys”, and wow, it’s so imbalanced, so it’s great to get some reinforcement Stormtroopers in.

All in all, any day where you get an extra Stormtrooper minifigure is a good day. Only TWO more days remain in this year’s Star Wars Advent Calendar!

Check in to see what we get tomorrow, although it should be pretty obvious by now!

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Day 23

The 2020 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar is the gift that keeps on giving – Day 23 gives us another cracker of a model – Darth Vader’s Castle!

First introduced in Rogue One, and immortalised as its own LEGO set 75251, this is such a great take on Darth Vader’s emo lair.

The build is immediately recognizable, and I like the use of the transparent cheese slope to signify lava.

What I also love is the nano Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced parked outside his pad. It’s super simple (made out of only 3 elements), and not entirely accurate but you can immediately tell what it is.

Here’s a look at the back.

Also known as Fortress Vader, it takes some serious Sith moxie to build a massive castle upon an old Sith Temple, but also on Mustafar, the planet where Anakin and Obi Wan duelled, which led to some spicy memes, but ultimately burning, maiming and disfiguring Anakin so much that he requires a special suit, and a ventilator to survive.

In fact, to get you in the Christmas spirit, feel free to relive the epic battle on Mustafar if you need to feel a little warm (that’s the lava) and fuzzy.

This is a great penultimate build for the 2020 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar, and it’s really no surprise what (or who) we’re getting tomorrow, so be sure to check in as we wrap up the Advent Calendar Countdown, and fondly look back at what an amazing year this has been.

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Day 24

On Day 24, we get the big daddy of the Star Wars galaxy himself – Darth Vader in a wonderfully festive “ugly Christmas sweater” with the Death Star embroidered on it.

It isn’t a major surprise since Darth Vader’s presence has been plastered all over the front of the Advent Calendar, I cannot state how much I love this festive twist on Darth Vader.

For a LEGO Star Wars fan, the Christmas sweater/jumper is a must-have for any collection, especially since it’s not every day that we get fun little references like this one.

Here’s a look at the back printing, which are filled with crosses, just like the front – it would be perfect if these were tiny Tie Fighters, but I’ll just imagine that these are a tiny squadron of X-Wings attacking the Death Star.

As an added bonus, Darth Vader also comes with the new variant of his helmet, which is made of 2 parts. You also get a peek at Darth Vader’s dishevelled face, which is pale and just begging for a tan.

Update: well, apologies for the confusion! I think I might have had Darth Vader’s cape go missing! Be sure to check in your box for the cape, which is found in a white box. If you’re like me, and was unlucky enough to have the cape go missing, please feel free to contact LEGO’s customer service!

One interesting difference with the Darth Vader pictured on the box art (thanks Jamie for pointing it out!) is that he doesn’t come with a cape – which ha featured on all the promotional material! If you have a spare black cape lying around, it’s an easy thing to fix, however, I would write to LEGO’s customer service requesting a cape and they should send out one to you!

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Final Thoughts

And there we have it, an epic conclusion to what is undeniably THE best LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar ever. I’ve been doing this countdown since 2014, and I have to say that 2020 has been such an enjoyable calendar, that hasn’t missed a beat since the A-Wing Starfighter popped out on Day 1.

I really love the tie-in to the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, which in itself, was a delightful romp celebrating the different eras of Star Wars, allowing us to revisit ships, places and characters from the Prequels, Original Trilogy, Sequels, and even The Mandalorian.

This has been a particularly solid year for minifigures, with a rich helping of main characters, and useful army-builder types like the Battle Droid, Stromtrooper and Sith Trooper – literally no filler at all.

While I still wish we had gotten Rey with a yellow lightsaber, the standouts are undeniably Darth Vader and Poe Dameron with their festive Christmas jumpers.

Droid-fans were feasting this year, with a great selection of Droids – with a festive D-0 and Snowman Gonk Droid taking the take. With the bar being set now with Festive Gonk Droids, I’m expecting one next year as well.

Yet again, I’ve really enjoyed the microscale locations, with Lars Homestead being my favourite for how well they’ve nailed such an iconic structure.

Here are my favourite builds from this year’s Advent Calendar – I’d love to hear what yours were!

LEGO have set the bar really, really high with the 2020 Star Wars Advent Calendar, and I don’t think you could really fault it – every single day has been a solid build or reference, and I loved getting so many main characters and iconic ships in it.

If there was one flaw I’d say it’s the lack of a Weapons Rack! This is the second year in a row that the infamous Weapons Rack has been missing, and I fear that LEGO might have killed it off for good. To be fair, these were always “dreaded” parts of older Advent Calendars.

Thanks so much for following on the countdown – whether you have been following the Advent Countdown for years, or halfway through, I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey!

Wishing you a very merry Christmas wherever in the world you are, and I hope that you stay safe, cosy and have a wonderful holiday!

To everyone that has been participating in the comments, and sharing your thoughts, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know and hear from so many of you, and it’s always a massive pleasure reading about what you and your family has thought  about the calendars!

To stay up to date on all things LEGO beyond this Advent Calendar countdown, feel free to follow me on Facebook and Instagram @jayong28 – I’d love to keep in touch!

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!

Merry Christmas and I can’t wait to say goodbye to 2020 and ring in the New Year! I hope to see you this time next year for the 2021 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar!