Review: 75442 The Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter
Posted by CapnRex101,
Following the destruction of the Razor Crest, The Mandalorian acquires a modified N-1 Starfighter to replace his gunship. This sleek starfighter has arguably never suited a bounty hunter, although the ship looks stunning onscreen and potentially similar in LEGO form!
In fact, 75442 The Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter looks better than I could have imagined, recreating the vessel's aerodynamic bodywork with remarkable accuracy and putting drum-lacquered silver elements to good use. I approached this model with fairly modest expectations, which have been greatly exceeded.
Summary
75442 The Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter, 1,809 pieces.
£229.99 / $249.99 / €249.99 | 12.7p, 13.8c, 13.8c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
The Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter looks absolutely magnificent, but it is expensive
- Marvellous bodywork shaping
- Accurate mechanical details
- Perfect use of metallic silver
- Creative building techniques
- Quite a few stickers
- Fairly expensive
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Box and Contents
I have never been especially enamoured with the dark 18+ packaging, but this example looks better than many others because the N-1 Starfighter stands out against its background. There are sixteen numbered bags and the instruction manual inside, plus a sticker sheet and a paper bag to protect the new canopy element.
The sticker sheet is surprisingly substantial, adding yellow highlights to the vehicle's bodywork, among other details. Though I expected some of these decorations to be stickers, I think a few of the most important features could have been printed, such as the 3x3 round tile on top of the engine and the silver areas towards the nose.
Minifigures
Unusually for an Ultimate Collector Series set, the minifigures feature no exclusive parts. This version of The Mandalorian is technically unique, including the standard torso and decorated arms from numerous past sets and the legs created for The Mandalorian and Grogu, although the minifigure is easily assembled using those elements from smaller sets.
However, I am very pleased with this design. The updated legs undoubtedly improve on those used before, with knee armour and decoration on the feet, while the torso and arms remain as detailed as ever. The grey cape looks splendid too, as does the helmet. Still, I would like to see the printed ridge extended further back.
It would have been nice to have Din Djarin's dark brown hair element included as well, in case you want to display the minifigure with his face showing. It has only appeared once before in a Star Wars set, with 75331 The Razor Crest. The bounty hunter comes equipped with his blaster pistol, but no other accessories.
Grogu includes a new body piece, recreating his thick robe more accurately than the standard baby element used previously. The dual-moulded hands and distinctive collar look superb, with simple decoration on the robe. This iteration of the character, without his Beskar armour, is only otherwise available in 75444 AT-RT Attack.
Reference
Source - starwars.fandom.com
The Completed Model
Certain vehicles really benefit from a large-scale Ultimate Collector Series model and the N-1 Starfighter is undoubtedly among them. This fighter is famously streamlined and organic in its shape, which makes it particularly challenging to build an accurate iteration at minifigure-scale, while this version looks very faithful to the source material and beautiful on display.
However, this is not the Naboo Starfighter's first appearance in the Ultimate Collector Series, as 10026 Special Edition Naboo Starfighter was released in 2002. The earlier model was obviously much smaller, roughly to scale with minifigures, whereas this one measures an impressive 67cm in length, from the tip of its blaster cannons to the tail.
The vehicle's shape can make it awkward to display, with those long finials, but it certainly has considerable presence. I think it looks good alongside comparable large-scale starfighters, like 75382 TIE Interceptor from a couple of years ago.
The display stand is similar to those in past Ultimate Collector Series sets, using black Technic elements to build a sturdy base. Fortunately, there are no blue Technic pins visible on the base, unlike the stand in 75409 Jango Fett's Starship, while the visible yellow and white pieces will be covered once the vehicle is attached.
Grogu and The Mandalorian can stand on the base, flanking the information plaque. I am glad the plaque continues to be printed and the blue graphic looks nice, as normal. Mistakes on the plaques have also become typical and this is no exception, as 1,100kph is the maximum speed of an unmodified Naboo Starfighter, not Din Djarin's ship.
You can display the starfighter in multiple orientations. The stand is constructed for the ship to be angled downwards or to either side, but you can easily switch the plaque and figures to the other side and display the N-1 flying upwards, without the need for any additional parts.
Personally, I think the model looks best viewed from above, showing off the smooth bodywork and emphasising its streamlined form. However, the view from the side shows the starfighter's slim profile, which is accurate to its appearance in The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian, as well as the classic Naboo Starfighter from The Phantom Menace.
Furthermore, viewing the fighter from the front reveals the subtle anhedral shape of the wings, which again matches the onscreen ship. There are no LEGO hinges or other elements able to create such a slight angle using conventional methods, so the wings are actually attached with Technic pins and droop down a little, with supports underneath to hold them in place.
Of course, you can remove the display stand altogether as well. This model has no landing gear and we see none onscreen either, but the vessel can still rest on the ground, despite its rounded underside and underslung engine. Nonetheless, it looks much more attractive on the stand.
Vehicles from Naboo are renowned for their shiny bodywork, which the aforementioned 10026 Special Edition Naboo Starfighter managed to capture. Sadly, chrome has almost disappeared from modern LEGO sets, although drum-lacquered pieces have their own appeal and I am very pleased to see a selection included here.
There are 53 metallic silver elements in total, covering much of the forward section. The entire vessel has a brushed chrome finish onscreen, though it is particularly concentrated across the nose, in the same area as the reflective chrome on the original Naboo Starfighter. Realistically, the model was never going to be completely metallic silver and I like the clear division between colours.
Strange though it sounds, however, I am maybe more impressed by the asymmetrical armour along the leading edges of the wings. This is a subtle feature, but an authentic one, as slightly more bodywork is indeed removed from the right wing than the left, matching the engines. Also, the blaster cannons look great, properly positioned and with some texture on the barrels.
The onscreen starfighter is also outfitted with a proton torpedo launcher on the underside, not represented here. Given the need for a rounded shape, the torpedo tube could not have been brick-built, but I wish it had been printed on the 6x8x2 shell. The four Technic ball joints placed beside this shell are actually the supports for the wings, referenced earlier.
Each engine is linked to the wing with two Technic pins, so the joint appears delicate, but feels quite solid. The overall shape is effective and I like the missing panels, revealing some internal details. The bodywork above looks a bit thicker than I would like, although making it any thinner could compromise the structure.
A new 3x3x2 curved wedge slope has been produced for the intakes, faithfully recreating their onscreen design. This would line up nicely with a 4x4 cone element to build a standard Naboo Starfighter. The turbine located inside is printed on a Technic disc, which has appeared several times before.
Wheel caps developed for 42210 2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) Car are used to brilliant effect where the engine starts to taper, giving way to 1x1 clips, then a series of smaller cones and eventually antennas. The shape of these finials is not perfect, but I think specialised parts would be required to do better.
The starboard engine is more open, with only thin sections of the frame remaining towards the front. This gives a great view of the mechanical features inside, including the dark orange gear and rubber hose visible in each engine. I love the use of an Uruk-Hai sword and the blade from the Darksaber for the frame, both of which are new pieces in light bluish grey.
Among the countless modifications made to the N-1 Starfighter are the installation of cryogenic density combustion boosters and a turbonic venturi power assimilator, shown above and below, respectively. There are three intakes found on the power assimilator, exactly as there should be, so this vehicle really looks like a hot rod with a hood scoop!
The mechanical detail behind the power assimilator looks excellent as well, particularly the line of exposed conduits crossing almost the entire fuselage. This line is important because it helps to disguise what might otherwise have been quite a prominent gap where sections of bodywork join. Though seams do remain visible, the curved fuselage still looks beautiful to me.
The armour is connected to a central frame via ball joints, hence its organic shape. The design comes together brilliantly and feels very strong, despite only using two ball joints on either side. The same construction technique is used for bodywork on the underside, though with extra ball joints to avoid panels sagging.
For being almost completely hidden on display, I think the underside looks superb as well. The seams are more conspicuous on this side, without any texture to hide them, though the overall shape remains incredibly accurate. Even the vents briefly visible onscreen are included and the only interruption is the hole for the display stand.
The segmented design takes full advantage of curved slopes too, extending their curvature by lining up 2x3 curved slopes at exactly the right angles. Also, the armour around the cockpit fits together snugly. The studded wedge plates look slightly out of place alongside so many slopes, but there are similar concentrations of studs on the wings, so these are not totally alone.
A new 6x12x1 2/3 canopy element has been created for the N-1 Starfighter, which looks a little too flat, in my opinion. Nonetheless, it is certainly streamlined and this is a rare example where placing a sticker on the canopy makes sense, in case this element remains exclusive to the N-1 Starfighter. A plain trans-clear canopy is far more useful than one with a printed grey band.
The canopy cannot slide as it does onscreen, but you can attach it in open or closed positions, pictured above. The interior is quite cramped and contains a reddish brown seat, plus some of the controls seen in The Book of Boba Fett. The stickered console looks excellent and I like the control handles too, even though they should technically be connected under the console.
The only notable omissions are some buttons around the pilot and a couple of orange and red displays situated above the blue monitors. Unfortunately, there is not really anywhere to attach those details, so their absence is understandable and I am still satisfied with the interior.
Even though this model is obviously not minifigure-scale, you could place The Mandalorian at the controls and there is room for Grogu beneath his little dome. The latter actually looks fairly close to the show because Grogu's LEGO figure is oversized in relation to standard minifigures, as normal for smaller characters.
Ideally, the dome would be a bit bigger, but I think the 4x4 piece looks reasonable. Additionally, the bodywork around the dome is nicely sculpted, with clips linking multiple sections to smooth its shape behind the dome. The transition into the tail is especially impressive, using the rubber tip on a 2x8 spike.
A sticker adds some mechanical detail beside the dome, although my favourite area of detail is outside the cockpit, where several Super Battle Droid arms represent the exposed frame. They look fantastic, sandwiched between layers of plates to anchor these pieces in place.
Whereas the standard Naboo Starfighter is powered by two engines, this model includes three, with the third mounted on the underside. This engine is much simpler than the others, although its cylindrical shape seems authentic, comprising stacked wheels that create texture around the nacelle housing.
Four more stickers are applied on the tail, completing the yellow highlights. Sadly, the colour of these stickers differs from the light bluish grey plastic, though it appears worse on camera than in person. The brick-built details look perfect though, where any bodywork has been completely removed, leaving the support structure and conduits exposed.
Overall
Although I love the classic Naboo Starfighter and was delighted to see it again in The Book of Boba Fett, I have never been especially drawn to Din Djarin's Starfighter. Even so, 75442 The Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter looks truly spectacular, so much so that it is definitely among my favourite starfighters in the Ultimate Collector Series, if not my absolute favourite.
The aerodynamic shape is close to perfection and I am also impressed with the details, as any areas of exposed texture are accurate. The metallic silver pieces look lovely as well, although I cannot help thinking they would be even more appealing combined with the yellow bodywork of an unmodified N-1 Starfighter. Maybe that can be considered for the ship's 30th anniversary in 2029.
I only have two concerns. Firstly, I wish R5-D4 could be installed as an alternative to the dome, but more importantly, the price of £229.99, $249.99 or €249.99 seems rather expensive. I think the same price as 75382 TIE Interceptor would have been fair, so £199.99, $229.99 or €229.99. However, this is an occasion for me where the quality of the model overrides its price, to some extent at least.
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49 comments on this article
While it isn't true chrome, it is still much appreciated that they put some shiny silver on and didn't just leave the entire model grey.
"The entire vessel has a brushed chrome finish onscreen, though it is particularly concentrated across the nose, in the same area as the reflective chrome on the original Naboo Starfighter."
Not sure what you mean here. The original Naboo Starfighter only had a chrome front portion, the rest was painted yellow. Hence this version is not chrome where the paint would have been and that is why we have the stickers representing leftover yellow paint spots where the paint still remains.
I think it looks great, but I'm disappointed we got this before a modern Naboo version.
It looks better than the playset but has the same issue with not wanted to commit to grey or silver. Even if the reason is money with the cost of the painted silver, they have a standard silver color. Why do you have to make it the expensive printed silver but in limited areas. Just go all out with a cheaper color you have. And I know some lsw fans would complain with all grey but I’d argue that is better too.
@SinKiller_Nick said:
""The entire vessel has a brushed chrome finish onscreen, though it is particularly concentrated across the nose, in the same area as the reflective chrome on the original Naboo Starfighter."
Not sure what you mean here. The original Naboo Starfighter only had a chrome front portion, the rest was painted yellow. Hence this version is not chrome where the paint would have been and that is why we have the stickers representing leftover yellow paint spots where the paint still remains."
Yes, but The Mandalorian's starfighter is still very metallic where the yellow paint has been stripped, which is what I was referring to with the brushed chrome. Ignoring practicality for a moment, the most accurate colour scheme would have been to replace all the light bluish grey pieces with metallic silver and swapping the metallic silver pieces for chrome silver.
I appreciate the realistic look at the price in this review.
This looks better than I expected, thanks to the drum-lacquered silver in front, but I still think the shaping leaves a lot to be desired. The curve of the forward fuselage underneath the wings is awkward due to the ball parts that support the wing anhedral, the subtle flared junction between the mid-fuselage and the wings is missing, and the sharp concave curve of the aft end of the mid-fuselage skirts is present but not really visible. I'm content to wait another ten years for a better version in the colors I really want it in. That worked for Jango Fett fans after the first UCS Slave 1 set.
@CapnRex101 said:
" @SinKiller_Nick said:
""The entire vessel has a brushed chrome finish onscreen, though it is particularly concentrated across the nose, in the same area as the reflective chrome on the original Naboo Starfighter."
Not sure what you mean here. The original Naboo Starfighter only had a chrome front portion, the rest was painted yellow. Hence this version is not chrome where the paint would have been and that is why we have the stickers representing leftover yellow paint spots where the paint still remains."
Yes, but The Mandalorian's starfighter is still very metallic where the yellow paint has been stripped, which is what I was referring to with the brushed chrome. Ignoring practicality for a moment, the most accurate colour scheme would have been to replace all the light bluish grey pieces with metallic silver and swapping the metallic silver pieces for chrome silver."
Yes, absolutely, I see what you mean now . . . that would have been a very accurate way to accomplish the dilineation between the chrome and painted portions of the ship and would have looked awesome!
The fourth Star Wars article in just two days, and the fifth overall this week. This isn't secretly a Star Wars fan site, is it...?
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"The fourth Star Wars article in just two days, and the fifth overall this week. This isn't secretly a Star Wars fan site, is it...?"
Or maybe... May the 4th is coming up, and there's a movie coming out...
I'm sorry but just think again how colorful this would be if it was a YELLOW UCS Naboo fighter!
Good review, very diligent!
Looks great. But when something is $70 overpriced, it cannot possibly be justified for me
I’m gonna pass on this one. The price is insane, and I have enough trouble finding space for the smaller one in minifig-ish scale(75325). I wouldn’t mind if Lego released an updated version of the N1 in its Episode 1 livery though.
Interesting colors.
Queen's Royal Starship, when?
This looks much better than I expected. It's definitely overpriced but it's going to be hard to resist on launch day, especially with that awesome Darksaber GWP.
I hope a get an agreement on this. “Stickers on a $250 set” that is totally absurd. Lego is getting plenty of money from smaller sets, they can afford prints on a UCS set.
@560heliport said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"The fourth Star Wars article in just two days, and the fifth overall this week. This isn't secretly a Star Wars fan site, is it...?"
Or maybe... May the 4th is coming up, and there's a movie coming out..."
Of course.
It's crazy (but not surprising) that the price has been an issue in the negative column on SO many recent reviews of LSW sets.
@ML said:
"I hope a get an agreement on this. “Stickers on a $250 set” that is totally absurd. Lego is getting plenty of money from smaller sets, they can afford prints on a UCS set."
No, I like how the review finally points out how much more useful specialized parts are when they are stickered instead of printed. Many of the new specialized curved wedge slopes only come in one or two Speed Champions sets. If those sets only had printed instances of those pieces it would be much more difficult to use them in purist MOCs without stripping them of the paint applications. The windscreen piece is perfect with just the sticker since it makes it more versatile for other models that may not even use grey, though using custom stickers over a grey paint application would not have been too difficult for the inevitable nabooian recolor, but it still makes it easier for other uses.
Too many printed parts is what ruined so many of the sets of the early 2000s. Less versatility, little rebuild potential.
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @560heliport said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"The fourth Star Wars article in just two days, and the fifth overall this week. This isn't secretly a Star Wars fan site, is it...?"
Or maybe... May the 4th is coming up, and there's a movie coming out..."
And I guess all of mankind has to be excited for that very special celebration invented by Disney's marketeers to give them more money for spaceships and stormtroopers...?"
Some of us ARE excited. If you're not, just skip the articles.
It doesn't matter how many times I see versions of this ship, I still think the other end is the front.
@Anonym said:
" @ML said:
"I hope a get an agreement on this. “Stickers on a $250 set” that is totally absurd. Lego is getting plenty of money from smaller sets, they can afford prints on a UCS set."
No, I like how the review finally points out how much more useful specialized parts are when they are stickered instead of printed. Many of the new specialized curved wedge slopes only come in one or two Speed Champions sets. If those sets only had printed instances of those pieces it would be much more difficult to use them in purist MOCs without stripping them of the paint applications. The windscreen piece is perfect with just the sticker since it makes it more versatile for other models that may not even use grey, though using custom stickers over a grey paint application would not have been too difficult for the inevitable nabooian recolor, but it still makes it easier for other uses.
Too many printed parts is what ruined so many of the sets of the early 2000s. Less versatility, little rebuild potential."
This applies to 1 of 18 stickers in this set.
As much as the sprayed silver pieces are lovely I wouldn't be shocked if they're the reason it's so costly, iirc they're technically unique moulds cause they have to be *slightly* smaller to account for the added thickness of the paint
@560heliport said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @560heliport said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"The fourth Star Wars article in just two days, and the fifth overall this week. This isn't secretly a Star Wars fan site, is it...?"
Or maybe... May the 4th is coming up, and there's a movie coming out..."
And I guess all of mankind has to be excited for that very special celebration invented by Disney's marketeers to give them more money for spaceships and stormtroopers...?"
Some of us ARE excited. If you're not, just skip the articles. "
I didn't mean to rain on anyone's parade, it was just my way of saying that May the 4th isn't marked on everyone's calendars as a special event. I'm sorry if it came off a rude or anything. I know it's a thing, but I hadn't yet realised all of these articles were a build up to that. So thanks for pointing it out.
I occasionally like browsing these Star Wars articles, by the way, just to see how the builds are. And the comments rarely disappoint. :-)
100% agree on it needing the option to swap out the dome for R5-D4, which was also my only issue besides the price. The N-1 is probably my favorite ship, but I think I'm gonna have to wait for a discount on this one.
@The_Lard_Of_Fear said:
"It doesn't matter how many times I see versions of this ship, I still think the other end is the front."
I was about to write the exact same thing. In fact, until I read the review, and not being a big Star Wars fan, I always thought the front of the ship was the back.
@SinKiller_Nick said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
" @SinKiller_Nick said:
""The entire vessel has a brushed chrome finish onscreen, though it is particularly concentrated across the nose, in the same area as the reflective chrome on the original Naboo Starfighter."
Not sure what you mean here. The original Naboo Starfighter only had a chrome front portion, the rest was painted yellow. Hence this version is not chrome where the paint would have been and that is why we have the stickers representing leftover yellow paint spots where the paint still remains."
Yes, but The Mandalorian's starfighter is still very metallic where the yellow paint has been stripped, which is what I was referring to with the brushed chrome. Ignoring practicality for a moment, the most accurate colour scheme would have been to replace all the light bluish grey pieces with metallic silver and swapping the metallic silver pieces for chrome silver."
Yes, absolutely, I see what you mean now . . . that would have been a very accurate way to accomplish the dilineation between the chrome and painted portions of the ship and would have looked awesome! "
Sadly, 250 bucks is just way to cost-conscious to have a model that looks good and is accurate.
I'm not SW fan but I do like shape and how it looks with silver front.
HOWEVER, stickers number 12, 16, 18 in 250€ set are criminal...
How many centimeters in length......?
@501stLegionClankerFighter said:
"How many centimeters in length......?"
Sixty-seven.
Don't even.
Kewl
I'm more of a fan of the original because for once it had some color other than grey.
... this one doesn't, beside a few bits of remaining paint.
That said, I think they did an excellent job at making a UCS rendition of this version. It really helps that it has some greebling on the ship from the shows, which always makes for some nice detailing at this scale.
Why couldnt some of these silver pieces have been used in the Douglas DC 3? (eg wings)
No comparison to the UCS Razor Crest?
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"The fourth Star Wars article in just two days, and the fifth overall this week. This isn't secretly a Star Wars fan site, is it...?"
It's April, so May 4th is upcoming
There's a new movie coming out later in the year.
Two very good reasons for Lego to be releasing Star Wars themed sets, and they have. Ergo, there are going to be a lot of articles on this site related to Star Wars at this time.
Not every series of events is the result of a conspiracy.
I really liked the Naboo starfighters, because they were so well suited to the whole aesthetic of the palace and the royal guard and all. In The Mandalorian I found the "Hey, look, I have this old starfighter for you" a bit farfetched (again). Not everything needs to be connected by some weird coincidence. The universe is a really large place (even a long, long time ago).
So, Naboo Starfighter: really cool. Mando Starfighter: not so much.
(I wouldn't buy a yellow one either, playsets are way more fun and practical)
It is a cool build though and will probably be enjoyed by many.
Great review and what a banger of a set.
12 May 2025 my LEGO journey started at age 43 and I'm hooked. This will be my first May the Fourth and oh yes I will be getting the N-1 day 1!
I want to see the out-takes of @CapnRex101 throwing the N-1 in the air to get cool photographs.
Watch this ship gets blown up at the start of the movie, right after the set comes out, much like the Razor Crest got blown up right after the UCS Razor Crest was released.
250€ and no spring shooter?!... Easy pass. :)
@ytjedi said:
"Watch this ship gets blown up at the start of the movie, right after the set comes out, much like the Razor Crest got blown up right after the UCS Razor Crest was released."
Step 172: Model is completed. Congratulations!
Step 173: Dress model in a red shirt.
Gonna be praying for those metalic pieces to show up on PAB
It's kind of sad that we fianlly get the N1 in a modern UCS set and its the broken down grey version. It's a cool version of the ship, but there's too many other big grey masses in the UCS line. Should have been the original yellow model.
At these prices, the stickers, and limited chrome work just really stand out as awful. Specially as the sticker backs do not match the color of the plastic (a universal issue at this point for LEGO).
Competing brands have certainly upped the game to the point where this continued practice on LEGO's part feels like a huge downgrade.
A sticker is better than a print so that you can reuse the part in MOCs? That's some rationalizing ;).
We're buying a UCS display set. The vast majority of owners want this to display the model, not spend $250 to use the cockpit in a MOC.
@DevGuy said:
"A sticker is better than a print so that you can reuse the part in MOCs? That's some rationalizing ;).
We're buying a UCS display set. The vast majority of owners want this to display the model, not spend $250 to use the cockpit in a MOC."
1. The "vast majority" is mot everyone.
2. The parts will probably be on PAB, so you don't need to buy the whole set.
@Jraptor said:
"Looks great. But when something is $70 overpriced, it cannot possibly be justified for me"
Disney is going to take their pound of flesh for licensing. I'm actually surprised it's not more of a premium.
This set looks quite nice, though I can't say I have any real interest in it. I enjoyed the first season and most of the second season (until the god-awful last episode) of the Mandalorian, but haven't felt much interest in it sense. I will say though, definitely one of the better options for a UCS Mandalorian set, with the Razor Crest already done.
I really enjoy the plating on the front end, and I think the metallic silver is a good touch. It makes me think it would be awesome if we could get a Naboo Starfighter that actually does some degree of silver or chrome for the front end (though I figure chrome is far outside of the realm of possibility now). I can't help but wish this was the standard Naboo Starfighter instead. We are getting more prequel UCS sets nowadays, but this is well-deserving of a modern version. Especially since it's been a number of years since we saw a playscale one too. Ah... perhaps someday.
I was the Disney Springs Lego Store in the evening on May 1 and they had a bunch of these stacked near the entrance. It doesn't seem demand was too high.