[REVIEW] 75333 Obi-Wan Kenobi's Jedi Starfighter

[MKJoshA]

INTRODUCTION
Lego has been making Jedi Starfighters, or Delta-7 Aethersprites for the true Star Wars geek, since 2002. In 2008 Lego approached the Delta-7 design again, shrinking the proportions down. And in 2010 we even got a UCS model of Obi-Wan's Delta-7. So how does the 2022 model hold up?

SET INFORMATION
Number: 75333
Title: Obi-Wan Kenobi's Jedi Starfighter
Theme: Star Wars
Released: 2022
Part Count: 282
Box Dimensions: 26.2 x 19.1 x 6.1 cm
Weight: 2304 gram
Set Price (RRP): 34.99 EUR / 29.99 GBP / 29.99 USD / 
Price per Part: 12.4 EUR / 10.6 GBP / 10.6 USD
Links: Brickset, Bricklink

THE BOX
Nothing to write home about, the box showcases the Delta-7 on a Kamino backdrop.

The back of the box shows the play features.

And the side highlights Taun We.

CONTENTS OF THE BOX
Inside are 3 numbered bags and a fairly large sticker sheet for a set of this size.

THE BUILD

Working through the instructions, the build is pretty straight forward.

Finishing Bag 1 gives us the main body of the fighter.

The first bag only has 1 sticker to apply. But once you start Bag 2 the stickers start flying. I'm generally not a fan of stickers but am willing to accept them as a part of how Lego does things. But when you have to apply them in the middle of pieces all my patience goes out the window.

Really Lego? This is the best you could do? The sticker only adds a little bit to the aesthetics of the model. It's a pain to place correctly. And it has almost no re-use value in MOCs.

Finishing Bag 2 adds the right wing to the model.

And wrapping up Bag 3 gives us the completed set.

The ship is sleek and swooshable.

It looks good from every angle unless you have it completely flipped upside down.

And even then it's not too bad.

But how does it compare to the source material? Here are a few shots from Episode 2.

And here's what we got:

It's ok, but only just ok. The nose isn't pointy. The wings have too much pitch to them, they should be more flat. And the cockpit is all wrong. Kids will love it, but if you're looking for a screen accurate Lego counterpart then you'll have to keep searching.

So what about the minifigures?

Where Lego failed on the Starfighter model they succeed with the minifigures. Obi-Wan's haircolor still isn't right, but his 2 expressions fit him perfectly. Taun We has fantastic printing and has the right height. And we get a full R4-P17 instead of just the head like on the original 2002 model.

There's no back printing on R4, but both figures have it. It would have been nice to get a cape for Obi-Wan. But they settled for printing his cloak instead. The printing looks good and a cape would have been squished in the cockpit anyway.

Before this set was released there was a fake leak of a Lego Kaminoan figure using a minidoll body. It look fantastic and I wish Lego would have gone that route. But as far as minifigure sized Kaminoans go Taun We looks good. Yes, the neck is thicker than I'd prefer. But that's necessary to attach it to the torso.

OVERALL

There are some pros and some cons to this set. It's a sturdy, swooshable model that includes great minifigures. But it doesn't do the source material justice. Lego has yet to make a really good minifigure scale Delta-7. This set captures the essence of Obi-Wan's starfighter, but not the detail.

SCORE
How do I rate this set?

DESIGN 6
This set is not that different from previous Delta-7s. It's sturdy, but it doesn't look enough like the source material.

BUILDING EXPERIENCE 6
There's nothing amazing about the building process. The best aspect was that Lego separated the right and left wings into different bags. This meant I didn't have to go searching for a right angle plate in a pile of left angle ones.

FEATURES 4
You can shoot studs and swoosh it around. That's about it.

PLAYABILITY 9
It plays like a $30 model. Not much too it but then again there's not much expected.

PARTS 8
While certainly not a parts-pack this model still has a good selection. The new wedge slopes come un-printed in white. And you get a good selection of Dark Red. The figures are all unique.

VALUE FOR MONEY 7
The set does not feel like a $30 set. It feels like a $20 one. But Lego knows collectors will want that Taun We figure so they raised the price.

FINAL SCORE: 7
If you're looking for a cheaper Lego gift for that Star Wars fan in your family this set does ok. It's not the best Lego has to offer. But it's not going to break the bank either.

[LordsofMedieval]

I have the version before this one. Honestly, I really dislike the step down via plates in front of the canopy on this iteration - it feels lazy, doesn't at all match the sleekness of the source, and might have been an opportunity to introduce new slope molds (something we could always use). On the whole, I feel like this release is a baby step backwards.

Edited November 12, 2022 by LordsofMedieval

[Murdoch17]

Needs a model of Jango Fett's starship / Slave I to fight against! Which, unlike the Delta 7, has never gotten a re-release. But, it's nothing to lose your head over () as I'm sure they will make one someday...

[Meaf]

I'm really hoping we get some more Kaminoans somewhere else down the line. I'd love to have one but I don't feel the need to buy Taun We individually and I've already got the Hyperdrive version of this set. That's my main problem with this set; it doesn't look bad, but Taun We is the only selling point if you've already got the last version.

[Ravelino]

Nice review and I agree with you and previous posts. I don’t even own the previous set and I don’t feel like purchasing this, not even for the parts which, admittedly, are quite welcome. I would like to pick up the Tau We fig, though a more neutral torso/more Kaminoans would’ve been welcome if I were to MOC their facility one day.

[rant]I really hate stickers, and that cockpit could’ve been angled way better even while using the same canopy piece(which is completely wrong).

But that tail is probably what bugs me the most. They had two plates thickness of space and just threw an assembly of parts on top of a couple of modified 4x4 plates[/rant]

I’ve a lot more to rant but let’s call it a day by thanking you for showing me what not to purchase if it can’t be helped

[Big_Daddy]

It's a neat little set IMO. The angle of the wings is a bit too steep indeed but I'm not among those that desire a high level of accuracy in my Lego sets, it's recognizable enough and then some. The amount of stickers still bugs me though, and when you also have to apply them on such an awkward place... Also the addition of R4's body wasn't really necessary and could have allowed more freedom in front of the cockpit for the set designer.

But yeah, all in all I'm pretty satisfied to finally have this starfighter in Lego version after I missed out on the earlier versions.

[spotfrog]

Not a bad set... but I recommend the no-pieces-added mod by ron_mcphatty on Rebrickable. This build reduces lumpiness and improves the tailfin transition. Only the 2x6 nose ridge sticker feels essential, it looks fine without the rest. The long gaps along the wings still stand out but otherwise the final appearance is quite respectable.

[dvogon]

Nice review! Couldn't agree more. Now it may be found at stores with something like 20%-30% off, which put the set in the right price range, specially taking into account the minifigs, which are great.

I've made some adjustments for my children to put the droid in the right place, adding a better shape to the cockpit and lowering the overall height of the model, removing its tendency to tilt. 

I feel it's still too big and the angles of the wings are too big, but fixing those requires to redesign it from scratch. Maybe one day... I had to put some white 3x2 wedge plates because I don't have those in dark red.

 

 

 

 

 

[MKJoshA]

Love seeing all the MOD suggestions! Just proves that Lego certainly had room to fix some of errors in the design.