LEGO Star Wars' 25th anniversary could mark a change in approach for how the LEGO Group celebrates its big birthdays.
The latest LEGO Star Wars rumours suggest that at least two sets for 2024 will include seemingly random minifigures, to pay tribute to the 25th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars. According to Max Börnicke, part of the team behind reliable source Promobricks, 75379 R2-D2 is believed to include minifigures of Knights of the Old Republic's Darth Malak, while 75387 Tantive IV Hallway is rumoured to include the first-ever Fives minifigure, alongside a more typical line-up of minifigures who would believably be found boarding the Tantive IV.
Canonically, neither Malak nor Fives have any place with either of these sets. While Artoo has endured throughout the entirety of the Skywalker Saga, there's no reason for him ever to have met Malak, who existed 3,956 years before the events of A New Hope. As for Fives, seeing as he died well before Leia was ever born, it seems unlikely he would suddenly appear on board her personal starship as an adult.
Instead, it seems that, if these two minifigures do appear, they will be serving as special anniversary minifigures, highlighting a change in how the LEGO Group approaches important anniversaries. While celebratory minifigures are nothing new, in the past they have featured special characteristics. Take the LEGO Star Wars 20th Anniversary back in 2019: the LEGO Group preferred to revisit classic sets and minifigures, returning to retro characters like Han Solo and Lando Calrissian in anniversary sets such as 75262 Imperial Dropship – 20th Anniversary Edition and 75259 Snowspeeder – 20th Anniversary Edition.
What's more, as you can see from the pictures, these minifigures included printed torsos that marked them as 20th anniversary collectibles. Similarly in other themes, the LEGO Group celebrated the 20th anniversary of LEGO Harry Potter in 2021 with golden versions of popular characters. Much like the rumoured LEGO Star Wars minifigures for 2024, they were dotted throughout sets released that year seemingly at random, with a golden Harry appearing in 76386 Hogwarts: Polyjuice Potion Mistake, while you'd need to buy to 76389 Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets bag yourself a goldy Voldy.
The new approach for LEGO Star Wars' 25th birthday in 2024, if rumours are to be believed, would seemingly introduce long-awaited and popular minifigures in sets where they have no canonical place. From the early descriptions of the minifigures, there's been no mention of any '25th anniversary' printing. While that could still be possible, it would likely be an unpopular choice, especially in the case of Fives. The majority of LEGO Star Wars collectors would likely want to pose Fives among their Clone armies and special printing, while a fun collectible option, would marry the effect somewhat.
With a slew of other LEGO Star Wars sets both rumoured and confirmed to be on their way in 2024, Darth Malak and Fives could well not be the only surprise minifigure inclusions that we might see next year. We've already got our wishlist in mind, but we won't know for sure if these two minifigures or anymore are truly on the way until we get official confirmation from the LEGO Group.
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