Review: 75398 C-3PO
Posted by CapnRex101,
LEGO has produced an impressive selection of large-scale droids, revisiting R2-D2 on multiple occasions and recreating several other popular droid models. However, humanoid droids have been avoided thus far, including the renowned protocol droid, C-3PO.
At last, 75398 C-3PO fills this noticeable gap in the range and looks excellent, far better than I expected would be possible, considering the natural challenges in constructing a two-legged, predominantly gold droid. After all, stability was sure to be a concern and relatively few parts are actually available in pearl gold, but it seems these difficulties have been overcome.
Summary
75398 C-3PO, 1,138 pieces.
£124.99 / $139.99 / €139.99 | 11.0p/12.3c/12.3c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
C-3PO has far exceeded my expectations and looks remarkably impressive
- Outstanding value on display
- Plenty of accurate details
- Many new parts in gold
- Correctly scaled with 75379 R2-D2
- Definitive C-3PO minifigure
- C-3PO's eyes are too big
- Expensive, though perhaps understandably so
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigure
75341 Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder introduced probably the best C-3PO minifigure to date, which returns here. Beyond some intricate wiring and clever use of metallic gold highlights on the torso, this minifigure includes decorated arms and a dual-moulded right leg, replicating the droid's mismatched lower leg from the Original Trilogy.
Pearl silver would probably have been a better colour than light bluish grey, but I think pearl shades have certain manufacturing limitations, so maybe combining two pearl colours is not possible. Regardless, the dual-moulded leg looks great and extensive detail continues on the sides, including features also represented on the large-scale C-3PO figure.
The Completed Model
There is space for the minifigure to stand beside C-3PO's printed plaque, which matches the style of plaques accompanying other droids. The blue image of the figure looks excellent and the information presented is all correct, thankfully. I like the smooth finish on the base beneath the plaque, exactly the same as that featured in 75379 R2-D2.
A decorated brick marking the 25th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars is also provided, including R2-D2 on the logo. I am pleased the anniversary brick is so widely available this year, found in eight sets so far.
As mentioned at the beginning of this review, C-3PO presents many challenges for designing a LEGO model. Beyond his humanoid proportions and thus small feet, compared with other droid types, C-3PO's outer plating features numerous smooth curves, rather than the sharp geometric shapes more naturally suitable for LEGO elements.
In addition, LEGO produces far fewer pieces in pearl gold than many other colours, which had the potential to cause even more problems with shaping. Fortunately, an amazing 34 elements make their debut in gold here, so the designer seemingly enjoyed a fair degree of flexibility. The same cannot be said for C-3PO because only his head and arms are articulated, but the figure conveys great personality through just five joints.
I am satisfied with the size of the model as well, measuring 38cm in height, including its base. More importantly, this means C-3PO is to scale beside 75379 R2-D2, perhaps explaining why the smaller R2-D2 was released at all, so soon after 75308 R2-D2. Even though the Astromech droid lacks a brick-built base to match Threepio, I think the pair look marvellous together.
C-3PO's head is arguably the weakest section of the figure, although its general shape looks quite good, comprising a new 2x2x2 curved corner slope and a matching 1x2x2 curved slope. The resulting curvature is accurate and I like the gold 1x1 round plate with bar on top, forming an antenna. Also, I think a printed tile was probably the best choice for Threepio's mouth and nose.
However, the eyes are disproportionately large, using metallic gold 2x2 dishes. I think a smaller round piece, such as the saucer found in various recent sets, would have been more effective, leaving a narrow gap between the eyes. The dish on the back looks perfect though and forms an access port, while pearl gold 1x1 handgrips serve as auditory sensors on each side, above C-3PO's neck.
The circuitry panel on C-3PO's back looks superb, including five pearl gold ingots to match the small panels shown onscreen. I like how these ingots are angled, although the light bluish grey plate visible underneath looks awkward. Similarly, a few dark tan pieces are integrated here and these blend nicely with the gold elements, using the same technique as 76191 Infinity Gauntlet.
Stickers form the powerbus cables around Threepio's midriff. Printed parts would be preferable, of course, but the stickered wires look effective and I am satisfied with the shaping immediately above and below the cables. Additionally, the circular charging socket and the 2x4 curved slope on C-3PO's chest are both printed.
I love the tiny 1x1 round plates with angled bars depicting sensor structures around the neck, but a round olfactory sensor should be located in between. The shoulders are perfect though, accurately featuring silver bands where they rotate and integrating 2x4 windscreens to create proper curvature.
C-3PO's arms are famously rigid and the elbows are brilliantly designed, as pearl gold wands form realistic actuators. There are no functional elbow joints, but you can detach the forearms and reconnect them at a different angle, which achieves much the same effect as conventional articulation. Also, the actuators are adjustable to match the arm position.
Another sticker is applied on each of C-3PO's hands, faithfully recreating the wiring and small gold pads seen on the original character. The design of the fingers and thumb looks excellent too, although I wish the thumbs could move because the figure cannot really grip accessories without that feature.
There are various reasons this model of C-3PO looks so good, but perhaps most interesting is the subtle angle between the hips and upper body. Protocol droids tend to stand with a slightly arched back, so the two halves of this figure are joined using a new Technic connector, with an extremely shallow angle of 168.5 degrees between its connection points.
The resulting shape reflects C-3PO's usual stance onscreen and makes this whole figure look more natural. Furthermore, the connection between the two halves of the model is remarkably strong, as light bluish grey pins slide through the Technic structure to reinforce the yellow axles pictured below.
Ball joints link the legs to the hips, again providing a completely secure connection. The legs themselves, meanwhile, are constructed around a rigid core of bricks with overlapping plates, locking them in position. That could be a problem for more dynamic droids, although Threepio probably looks best when standing in a neutral position.
The combination of curved slopes, tiles and wedge plates creates an accurate shape, avoiding unwanted sharp edges as much as possible. The knees look marvellous too, where black 1x2 grille tiles give the impression of flexible joints on the back and ski poles are mounted on both sides, again recreating minor details from the onscreen droid.
Whereas the vast majority of areas intended to be gold are indeed constructed from pearl gold elements, the silver lower leg includes quite a few light bluish grey pieces, alongside several in metallic silver. The combination looks reasonable when shown from a distance, but the flat grey is obviously not ideal, so I wish the 2x6 curved wedge slopes had been produced in silver.
A couple of odd colours are also found on the feet, notably including a light bluish grey plate on C-3PO's golden left leg. Fortunately, the feet are not the focus of attention. However, the sandy texture on the base appears quite realistic and disguises another important connection point for stability, as the feet actually extend down into the base, so they cannot be removed.
Overall
LEGO Star Wars fans have discussed a large-scale model of C-3PO for many years, as many other droids have been produced in LEGO form. I doubted whether this would be possible and whether such a model would actually look good, so 75398 C-3PO has proven to be a wonderful surprise! Despite the inherent design challenges, I think Threepio looks fantastic at this scale.
Articulation may be limited, but the moveable arms alone provide abundant options for display and some compromises were inevitable for stability. My only significant criticisms concern the oversized photoreceptors and the price of £124.99, $139.99 or €139.99, although even that is partly understandable, given the number of new parts in gold. Otherwise, this is an exceptional model of the iconic protocol droid and a lovely counterpart to 75379 R2-D2.
183 likes
53 comments on this article
Oh no! I was perfectly happy to skip 75379 as I already have 10225... But now I need 75379 to display together with Threepio. Damn you, LEGO!
This may unexpectedly be one of the best Star Wars sets this year! Definitely hoping to pick this up, especially for the dual-molded C-3PO minifig returning!
One gripe I have though - and it might just be me - is that the model looks very skinny compared to 75379. Maybe that's how their proportions actually are in the movies IDRK
Hopefully the new angle connector can lead to better Jedi Starfighters in the future.
I'm disappointed that the base is structurally necessary. The inherent draw of this set is to pair him with R2, but on a shelf having one be on an elevated base with ground texture and the other be straight on the ground breaks cohesion.
Still, I probably will pick up this set; the eye sockets don't bug me too much and harkens to some cartoonier depictions.
Dagnabbit! I wish they'd made a C-3PO in scale with 75308 R2-D2, as I'm perfectly happy with that version of the astromech.
I'm sure it is just a coincidence, but it's neat that the part count is 1138. It could be a nice nod to George's first film THX 1138.
@lazlow3 said:
"I'm sure it is just a coincidence, but it's neat that the part count is 1138. It could be a nice nod to George's first film THX 1138."
most likely not a coincidence, designers are crafty like that
I am absolutely getting this set. Gold parts galore. I already have 75308 so I am undecided if I should drop another $100 just for 75379. I hate how many stickers that set has.
An excellent looking set with a character famous enough to even be known by a non-Star Wars fan. Will definitely be getting this at some point to add to my miniscule Star Wars collection. But, as per @Plymp , the question is, do I need a smaller R2-D2 as well as my bigger one.... I think I might!
Answer me this, if 75379 is to be matched with this set and Chewbacca then why was it not in the 18+ packaging and categorisation?
Do children have to wait two years to be able to pair their R2 with C-3PO?
@MegaBlocks said:
"Answer me this, if 75379 is to be matched with this set and Chewbacca then why was it not in the 18+ packaging and categorisation?
Do children have to wait two years to be able to pair their R2 with C-3PO?"
My only assumption is some weird thing related to the anniversary figure it comes with, as none of them are in 18+ sets so they went for the next age bracket down. That or they wanted it to be distinct from the previous 18+ R2.
Y’all are lucky they did this now instead of in 2019, the mismatched gold would have been insane
Love this! I'll probably hold fire until the price drops a bit but I'll definitely be pairing him with my existing Artoo unit!
The price looks reasonable compared to other recent SW sets, and the set itself captures C-3PO beautifully IMO. Combining it with 75379 makes a wonderful SW vignette. The protocol droids have always been some of my favorite SW elements--perhaps because a programable butler is such a piquant addition to an action film--and even though I don't collect SW Lego as such, this (and, as a result, 75379 ) will go onto my wish list. So glad to finally see a set like this, which is surprisingly superior to the constraction figures that were the previous closest take on humanoid SW characters!
Wow, that new technic connector is unexpected but will come in handy for creating accurate dihedral for aircraft!
Was really looking forward to this, but the mouth is too off-putting to me.
Having the base be structurally required's also going to make it hard to recreate the classic pose with 3PO's hand on R2's head.
@Plymp said:
"Oh no! I was perfectly happy to skip 75379 as I already have 10225... But now I need 75379 to display together with Threepio. Damn you, LEGO!"
Same for me!
This thing is being released just in time for me to use some of those new gold pieces in a MOC I'm designing.
Gold? Looks more like lots of dark tan to me.
When I look at the astronaut by JMBricklayer I recently built (set 70109) with all its true chrome gold and silver pieces, this one pales in comparison imho. Sure it's not Threepio, but I'd rather have none than this one.
The shaping might be spot on (save for the eyes) but the colour (and the price) are killing it for me.
@Alia_of_AGL said:
"Hopefully the new angle connector can lead to better Jedi Starfighters in the future.
I'm disappointed that the base is structurally necessary. The inherent draw of this set is to pair him with R2, but on a shelf having one be on an elevated base with ground texture and the other be straight on the ground breaks cohesion.
Still, I probably will pick up this set; the eye sockets don't bug me too much and harkens to some cartoonier depictions."
Shouldn't be that hard or expensive to extend the sand for R2, though.
Thankfully C-3PO is probably the best case to use so many different colored pieces, especially compared to the original film when he's dusty and unpolished. But that light gray piece on the left ankle is just completely out of place.
OK I see in the instructions it's a 1x5 plate, which probably isn't available in dark tan yet. Still out of place.
I do really like it. I've pretty much stopped buying LEGO now, but thanks to the review I think I could be tempted to get this at some point. Would've been really nice for a variant C-3PO as the minifig (like the 'naked' version from the Skywalker Saga game).
The odds of me getting this set are 3,270 to 1. But that said, they nailed the form--the limited articulation doesn't bother me (and I'm pretty sure even real C-3PO couldn't bend at his elbows, it was part of his distinctive look/movement). The poses look really good, he immediately feels right. Agree that the eyes look a bit googly and obviously they'll never truly get it right without bringing back chrome gold.
I am absolutely stunned by this model and looking forward to adding it to my collection! Based on this review, I will also pick the small R2D2 that I didn’t think to pick initially.
Oh my!
Thank the maker!
I've already got my sights set on R2, so I'm strongly tempted to get the professor here as well. Yeah, bits and bobs like the eyes could be a little better, but the overall appearance is right on, they really captured 3PO.
The eyes seem alright. C-3P0's eye 'hollows' meet in the middle and so do the discs with the pieces within being the eyes themselves. Has to be paired with the R2 set though.
Oh, my! What is this? Brickset? Never heard of it. Please stop these people from examining my shiny gold plating!
I find it interesting that in the blueprint on the plaque C-3PO's head seems to incorporate a nozzle piece on the top instead of a 1x1 round plate with bar as in the final model, perhaps indicating a prototype model.
I also think the 2x2 dishes represent the space around his eyes and only the transparent studs represent the actual eyes, so the face does not look off to me.
Did you not review the buildable Chewbacca last year? Disappointed there isn’t a pic with him and the droids since they are all to scale..
looks good with the R2. otherwise, also a cool parts pack. will probably grab this at 50% off or smth
The "eyes" are the trans yellow plates; the dishes are the concaved area surrounding them, "eyebrows."
I'm not a big fan of the Star Wars stuff, but this one looks amazing. They really nailed it. Beautiful model!
May I just say a big thank you for making sure all the mold-marks on the gold ingots on his back are lined up the same way. There is a proper way to do things and you have done it.
C-3PO is chrome gold, this set is not and it is a major con
@ra226 said:
"May I just say a big thank you for making sure all the mold-marks on the gold ingots on his back are lined up the same way. There is a proper way to do things and you have done it."
I am so glad I am not the only one who fuzz about lining up the mold-marks. This is very important to me especially when I was building Notre Dame. Love this C3PO. The fitting of the bricks to form each body part is simply amazing and enjoyable how it is done.
I'm still mildly upset that we never got a C-3P0 constraction figure.
@denn said:
" @lazlow3 said:
"I'm sure it is just a coincidence, but it's neat that the part count is 1138. It could be a nice nod to George's first film THX 1138."
most likely not a coincidence, designers are crafty like that"
They slightly redesigned 21309 to get a piece count of 1,969, so yeah.
"However, humanoid droids have been avoided thus far, including the renowned protocol droid, C-3PO."
8007 from 2001 is a large scale C-3PO.
@1360 said:
" @ra226 said:
"May I just say a big thank you for making sure all the mold-marks on the gold ingots on his back are lined up the same way. There is a proper way to do things and you have done it."
I am so glad I am not the only one who fuzz about lining up the mold-marks. This is very important to me especially when I was building Notre Dame. Love this C3PO. The fitting of the bricks to form each body part is simply amazing and enjoyable how it is done."
Me too! I also try to align the LEGO logo on the studs in the same way if possible.
I've got this and the r2d2 to build simultaneously this weekend - 11 bags each. R2 needs a custom base to match though (easy enough).
I think my favourite detail is, like you say, the way they give his torso that slight angle to recreate his posture from the films; such a subtle thing, but it adds so much character!
No real interest in getting this, but I do love the attention to detail displayed, in that and in the other aspects of his shaping detail too ^^
@CCC said:
""However, humanoid droids have been avoided thus far, including the renowned protocol droid, C-3PO."
8007 from 2001 is a large scale C-3PO."
...We don't serve their kind here. Your early Technic / SW figures will have to wait outside.
I think he is awesome. Along with Chewbacca….Yes, I can say something positive on here sometimes:)
@darthsutius said:
"I've got this and the r2d2 to build simultaneously this weekend - 11 bags each. R2 needs a custom base to match though (easy enough)."
EDIT - 12 bags for R2, but close enough :P
@cofaigh said:
"The eyes seem alright. C-3P0's eye 'hollows' meet in the middle and so do the discs with the pieces within being the eyes themselves."
That was my interpretation too, the larger discs are the hollows.
Built this today, fantastic set, I love it.
Well, Goldenrod, I guess you'll be a permanent fixture in my collection.
Nice review.
@CCC said:
""However, humanoid droids have been avoided thus far, including the renowned protocol droid, C-3PO."
8007 from 2001 is a large scale C-3PO."
And it has got those 2x2 dish pieces in true chrome gold!
@Plymp said:
"Oh no! I was perfectly happy to skip 75379 as I already have 10225... But now I need 75379 to display together with Threepio. Damn you, LEGO!"
Same here!!!
I love this set, but I’d be so concerned on the lifespan of the stickers. I’ve had either 100% long lasting as well as ones that crumble after a year or so.
I want to buy this, but I’m nervous..
It never would have been as accurate, but I think it would have been cool if they'd done the stomach wires with pieces instead of stickers.
@AustinPowers said:
" @CCC said:
""However, humanoid droids have been avoided thus far, including the renowned protocol droid, C-3PO."
8007 from 2001 is a large scale C-3PO."
And it has got those 2x2 dish pieces in true chrome gold! "
Yep. I bought an incomplete set of him for a couple of quid, and my inner Jawa knew I'd make my money back selling just his eyes.
I always wondered if originally there was going to be a larger scale version to go with 75308, but maybe TLG thought there wouldn't be the appetite for the price tag of a 2000+ piece C3-P0.
@ambr said:
"I always wondered if originally there was going to be a larger scale version to go with 75308, but maybe TLG thought there wouldn't be the appetite for the price tag of a 2000+ piece C3-P0."
There's also the fact that a model that size would have had stability issues, even with a base, and poseability, even if they limited it like on this one, might have been a problem.
"the information presented is all correct, thankfully"
Are you sure this isn't a knockoff? Sounds uncharacteristic of Lego to do that. /s