In a galaxy of larger-than-life heroes and villains, it’s the humble droids who serve as the heart of Star Wars. They also make excellent LEGO subjects, appearing in buildable form at a range of scales and complexity. Last year LEGO released a new version of R2-D2 that struck a nice balance between detail and affordability. This May the Fourth, LEGO debuts another astromech at the same scale: LEGO Star Wars 75416 Chopper (C1-10P), built from 1,039 pieces. The opinionated droid crew member of the Ghost features a wobbly head and poseable arms and tools. The set debuts on May 1 and can be pre-ordered now for US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £94.99. Is this the droid you’re looking for?
The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
The box and contents
The box is presented vertically and opens with punch tabs. The front shows Chopper with his arms and center leg attached, while the back removes those appendages and poses the droid next to the minifig and fact sheet. Inserts show the model’s play features. Curiously, the front of the box includes “Build Together” branding for 1-4 builders using the app. I wasn’t able to preview the digital instructions to see how this would be implemented, but nothing about this build suggests an easy way to collaborate. Quite the contrary.
Inside the box are 7 numbered plastic bags, one square-bound instruction book, and a sticker sheet. Unlike sets with 18+ branding, Chopper’s instructions include no designer insights or TV stills.
The build
Bag 1 includes a fun and colorful mix of system and technic elements in a multitude of colors. Right out of the gate there’s a tricky SNOT building technique that uses clips to securely attach the bottom ring to the droid’s torso in a downward orientation.
From there, we start building up a Technic frame that’s more colorful and complicated than last year’s 75379 R2-D2. We also start on a separate wobbly section that uses rubber axle connectors for a little bounce. This whole apparatus is surprisingly complex for a 10+ set, and requires building around elements that won’t be secured until a few steps later.
The finished frame locks the wobbling mechanism into place and the adds a lever to control the movement that is accessible on Chopper’s back. Red Technic pins on each side will allow the coverings to snap onto the frame.
The front panel includes a few stickers as well as a manipulator arm and arc welder that can fold into the body. It also includes a pair of hot dog greebles! With panels attached to all 4 sides, you’re left with a hefty cylinder.
Bags 4-5 are dedicated to Chopper’s two main legs. There’s some nice asymetry in the droid’s design in both color and greebling which keeps things interesting. Stickers are affixed to the outside of the feet. The ankles can angle to allow the feet to stay in contact with the ground as the body rocks back for tripod mode.
This bot’s legs connect to the body by a Technic axle. I knew going in that Chopper is a more squat astromech design than the familiar R2 units, but at this stage the difference is quite pronounced. The third leg (which is added in bag 7) snaps into the bottom just like last year’s R2 model. There’s no mechanism here and the wheel doesn’t swivel.
Bags 6-7 add Chopper’s head, the display plaque, and the wheel leg. Like the body, the head starts of as a square with SNOT bricks for the curved exterior to attach to.
The four trapezoidal faces of Chopper’s head are connected last and are attached to shield elements that are angled inside the frame. Three of the sides are the same with the front including Chopper’s three “eyes.” At this point you can also add on the optional manipulator arms and transmitter.
The display stand is a simple affair with clips to hold the plaque at an angle and a place for the minifig Chopper to stand.
The minifigures
The Chopper minfiigure is identical to the white body version that was previously only available in the recent Ghost & Phantom II set. I’ve seen versions with the head printing askew, but my copy doesn’t have any issues. It would be nice if printing went all the away around the head instead of just front and back faces, but it’s not a bad likeness.
The finished model
Fully assembled, Chopper is a good likeness of his on-screen counterpart, and a fitting companion to his taller cousin R2-D2. While primarily a display piece, it has enough play functions in the poseable arms and wobble function to make it fun to toy around with.
The poseability does have limits, as the manipulator arms don’t pinch and the center leg doesn’t rotate. But there’s enough rotation that Chopper is surprisingly expressive for a droid.
Like a little teapot, Chopper is short and stout. Also, like a teapot, he likes to blow off some steam. Let’s see the play function in action!
Conclusion and recommendation
Here’s the part where I confess that I never watched Rebels and bounced off Ahsoka, so I came to this droid with little familiarity or predisposition to being charmed. That said, I really like this model! The build process is quite elaborate with a lot of variety in parts and techniques.
The finished model is fun to play with, especially the head wobble. He’s like a mechanical muppet. Would I have liked more mobility with the legs? Absolutely. Would I have prefered some printed elements instead of lining up stickers? Of course! But like last year’s R2 model, it’s a good compromise in functions to keep the price reasonable. The little guy has won me over. Maybe now I’ll finally listen to those friends who insist I should’ve been watching Rebels all along. Editor’s note: Jake really should watch it, and is definitely missing out!
LEGO Star Wars 75416 Chopper (C1-10P) contains 1039 pieces and releases on May 1. It can be pre-ordered now for US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £94.99.
The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
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