Mini Steps: The Evolution Of The Probe Droid Minifigure

The Adult Collector subtheme has been a welcome addition to the LEGO Star Wars lineup for many older fans. As we covered previously, two new helmets and a new sculpture were released as part of the most recent wave. Now that the largest Probe Droid released to date is out, let’s take a look back at the minifigure-scale versions.

The first Imperial Probe Droid minifigure was released in 2007 in 7666 Hoth Rebel Base. It required 21 pieces for its assembly and is the only one to include a white base as part of its stand. For a first iteration the design isn’t bad, but it is less compact than future versions would be and has the shortest legs.

It would take six years before another iteration would be created. This time the droid was included in 75014 Battle of Hoth. It kept some of the same features as the prior version but also made several changes. Included in its 25 piece construction is a minifigure hose nozzle which would become a common feature in the majority of the remaining designs.

Just when you might have thought that the probe droid would continue to be upgraded with more details, LEGO decided to scale down this droid. The next version was made in miniature scale as part of 75097 Star Wars Advent Calendar. With only 10 pieces, this version was half the size of the others.

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With a miniature version behind us, it was time to get back to regular scale builds. The following year 75138 Hoth Attack included a 22 piece probe droid that dropped the antenna on top and came with an all trans clear stand. Later the same year, the April issue of the LEGO Star Wars magazine came with a probe droid that was nearly identical. The only difference was a change in the color of the round plate and two 1×2 plates being combined into a single 2×2 plate which resulted in a 21 piece build.

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Reminiscent of the first probe droid, the one included in 75185 Tracker I went back to black sensors – the 1×1 clips that line the ring around the top. The August issue of the LEGO Star Wars magazine included the worst probe droid variant to date because this is the only version that does not come with a stand. After removing the stand though it was identical to the previous version.

To round out the lineup, the final probe droid variant came in 2019 with the release of 75241 Action Battle Echo Base Defense. This 21 piece build was very similar to the prior one and is the only assembly to include a stand but not a base. At least it can still be displayed unlike the previous one!

What do you think of the probe droid minifigure? Is there anything else that could be done to make it more accurate? Do you want to see more variants in the future, or have you had your fill of this droid? Let us know in the comments below.