Happy Star Wars Day everyone! It’s May the 4th and what better way to celebrate than with lightsabers. And not just any ol’ lightsabers – these are custom MOC designs. And I must say, they are damn impressive. Like many a Star Wars fan, I have always wanted a replica lightsaber prop. The official stuff is amazing but expensive. And even now, as an adult who can afford one, I’m just pressed for space. What’s a nerd to do? As it turns out you can take your two favourite hobbies/interests and mash ’em together. These replicas are the talented work of a friend of mine. Scroll on for all the deets.
The Official Stuff
Before looking at the MOCs, let’s take a quick look at the two lightsaber hilts that The LEGO®️ Group has released to date. That’s right there’s only two official lightsaber sets out there. The first lightsaber hilt is Yoda’s (6346097). It was released in the Fall of 2020 as a Gift-with-purchase. And ONLY with a purchase of the UCS Mos Eisley Cantina (75290). This tiny replica has 140 pieces and sits on a decently elegant display stand. It also boasts a printed plaque. Given the small size and somewhat inaccurate design, It makes sense as a GWP. But why Yoda’s to go with a set from the Original Trilogy. Why not Obi-Wan’s or Vader’s? Bizarre.
Fast forward a year to 2021 and we get the second lightsaber hilt. Once again it is a GWP that comes exclusively with the purchase of the UCS AT-AT (75313). And for this latest replica we get Luke Skywalker’s Lightsaber (40483) – which makes sense finally. This design utilizes 173 pieces and is honestly closer to the source material than Yoda’s. Back is the rather nice display stand, keeping things consistent. It’s a shame that it wasn’t more openly available for purchase. Shelling out close to $1000 CAD (before price increases) is pretty wild. Sadly there was no new saber set in 2022, but perhaps this year? But if you’re looking to add something similar (and better) to your collection, keep on readin’.
Meet The Artist
The designer behind these MOCs is my friend Lewis Meeny. He lives and hails from Australia and goes by the name @built_bricks for his social/online accounts. If you follow most or any of the more popular AFOLs and designers, you will have surely come across his work. He is a damn talented LEGO®️ artist, a former Master Builder and an all around lovely guy. I first came across his work back in 2019 on Instagram and have been an avid follower ever since. And although communicating with a 14 hour time difference is tricky, we still manage to chat now and then. Like most of us, the Pandemic slowed his productivity down, but he’s back to posting new work regularly with his partners, friends and the community.
To find all of Lewis’ work, click HERE to access his LinkTree page and learn more.
An Elegant Weapon
Lewis’ big claim to fame (one of anyway) is his absolutely stunning collection of replica lightsaber hilts. I’m at a loss to think of a design he has not made. At least, not one that’s been even modestly represented in any media. After several years of work, he was finally able to display his full hilt collection in public. How wildly amazing is that?! Recent designs now include full hilt and bladed designs that look spectacular. From even just a construction standpoint that’s seriously impressive. Getting long spans of LEGO®️ bricks to hold together is no easy feat, so well done Mate. Blade or otherwise, the hilts are expertly done and really sturdy. How many of them can you name?
Once you make a purchase, you get a very easy-to-follow PDF document with step-by-step instructions. You know, just like any good LEGO®️ set. You will also get a full parts list that can be easily searched on Bricklink.com. I found most of the pieces to be easy to source and therefore not that expensive. I did happily have some in my spare parts bin so that cut back on orders. That was fine for the first saber. But with the second and third ones it was pretty much a full order of pieces. Worth it though! I can’t recommend them enough for all you Star Wars fans. I have purchased instructions for three of Lewis’ designs. Check ’em out below.
From Padawan To Master
Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lightsaber is the first of two that I have from the famous Jedi. The Episode I version of Kenobi’s saber is one of faves in all the films. So it was an easy decision for a purchase. It’s got a great distinctive design and it looks great on display. Shaping on the hilt is more stylized in places but it’s understandable given the available parts catalogue. The emitter area is hexagonal and the hilt is a top-rounded square. It all works thanks though, making it unmistakably Kenobi’s. A consistent element in all sabers is a trans 2×2 dish with the correct blade colour. It’s a great touch. Construction wise this is super advanced and super impressive.
We go from Padawan to Master with the second Kenobi saber. This is the design we first saw way back in 1977 in Episode IV. That design carried into the last two movies of the prequels and it’s the OG saber (along with Luke’s/Anakin’s). Here we get a very accurate rounded design with plenty of detailing. Check out the fun NPU like the radar dish, wheel rims and 1×2 grilles. This guy is definitely a less elaborate build and not as technical as the Padawan version, but it’s no less impressive. Having both on display together with some minifigures is pretty sweet. Speakng of….
Display
After building these awesome MOCs I needed to put them on display. I dove back into the spare parts and managed to cobble together this two tiered display base. I’m pretty proud of this one, It’s nothing revolutionary but it gets the job done. And then I thought, well, I might as well go full UCS and add some minifigures. I created space to properly display 3 minifigures. In this case Kenobi from Episodes I, III and IV. And yes I purposefully left out mullet Obi-Wan for space/aesthetic reasons. I stuck to black and clear pieces to keep things as neutral as possible. It’s a design that should accommodate many a standard saber size.
The Former Padawan
My third MOC saber set is actually two hilts. And it shouldn’t surprise anyone that I needed to have Ahsoka Tano’s lightsabers from the Clone Wars series. This is easily one of Lewis’ best designs – so spot on and impressive. There are some very advanced build techniques here and it makes the experience really fun. Back is some great NPU with flaps, tire and many a sloped piece. The main hilt is complimented wonderfully by the smaller shoto blade. Since these were designed before season 7, they use the green and yellow trans pieces for the blade colours. Want to update to season 7? Well you grab those trans blue 2×2 dishes and swap them in. I absolutely love these guys and they are proudly on display on my shelf.
Unlike the Obi-Wan sabers, I used only 2 minifigures with the display. In this case it was purely an affordability issue. The only other Ashoka figure from The Clone Wars goes for approx $50 CAD minimum. And honestly that cartoonish big-eyed design is not my favourite so I’m good. And if we ever get a future, updated figure from the Clone Wars then I will eagerly swap them out.
So Many Choices
I hope you enjoyed my quick look at some MOC lightsaber hilts. If you haven’t already, please go to Lewis’ pages on REBRICKABLE and also BRICKVAULT to purchase any instructions. He has made replicas of sabers from the films, TV shows, comics, novels and video games. There’s also plenty more Star Wars goodness, not to mention great stuff from a lot of other franchises and IPs. Show him some love and pick up an item or two. And once again, Happy May the 4th!
What do you guys think? Do you own any replica sabers? Are you interested in getting an awesome brick-built replica? And if so, who’s your Jedi, Sith or Force User of choice? Please comment below and in all the usual places. Thanks as always for reading and until next time, keep on brickin’. 🧱
– Frank
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