Designed and constructed by MandalMotors, the Kom’rk-class fighter was famed for its speed and maneuverability – making it popular amongst the elite warrior caste of Mandalorian society. Most famous of which was the Death Watch, a splinter group that opposed the pacifistic reign of Sabine Wren, who popularized the starfighter during the Clone Wars.
During this period of galactic conflict, the most Mandalorian starfighter was the Gauntlet, which was owned and piloted by Pre Vizsla – the head of the Death Watch and ally of the Shadow Collective crime syndicate, led by brothers Darth Maul and Savage Opress. Released as part of the Clone Wars collection of LEGO sets, 9525 Pre Vizsla’s Mandalorian Fighter was – until now – the only version of a Mandalorian starfighter in the entirety of the Star Wars theme.
Coming with landing gear, swing wings and a rotating cockpit, the 403-piece 9525 Pre Vizsla’s Mandalorian Fighter also included were three minifigures – Obi-Wan Kenobi in his composite Jedi/clone trooper armor, a generic Mandalorian warrior and Pre Vizsla.
Combining the mythology of the Mandalorian culture and the high-stakes action of Clone Wars, the set proved to be a highly popular one and since its retirement in the second quarter of 2014, fans have been calling for it to be revisited.
This time around LEGO opted to develop the Mandalorian starfighter that was flown by Bo-Katan (leader of the Nite Owls and one of Pre Vizla’s lieutenants). Her fighter made appearances in the animated Clone Wars and Rebels television series – and while it might not have been the exact same ship, The Mandalorian live-action series too.
75316 Mandalorian Starfighter
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| Ages | Pieces | VIP Points | Item | Minifigures | Value |
The warrior culture of the Mandalorian people is well represented in the design of this vehicle, which looks more like a spearhead than a starfighter, and LEGO has done a great job at capturing the essence of the Kom’rk-class fighter.
The use of angled plates not only matches the Mandalorian starfighter’s blade-like appearance, as well as the differing thicknesses of the armor on its wings, where a combination of angular wedges, tiles, and studs does a remarkably effective job of replicating the ship’s distinctive blue flash.
Simulating the crew’s access ramp is a hinged wedge to the rear of the swivel structure. While it’s incongruous with the size of the set – and definitely doesn’t allow minifigures to embark/disembark the starfighter – it’s a good reminder just how sizeable an in-universe Mandalorian starfighter is.
Packed with 75316 Mandalorian Starfighter are minifigures of Bo-Katarn, Gar Saxon, and a Mandalorian Loyalist; a combination that places this set at either the right at end of the Clone Wars or the very beginning of the Galactic Empire. All three minifigures are new-for-2021 and (so far) exclusive to this set.
This version isn’t without its faults, however. The main sticking point is that the whole model tilts forward when it’s on the ground. Unlike the 2012 version, there is no articulated landing gear at the front and the model relies on two inverted wedge bricks to (just barely) lift the most off the ground. Repositioning the supports doesn’t help as they catch on the inside edge of the wing when the cockpit swivels.
Given that the cockpit swivels (again, just barely) and the underside of the Mandalorian starfighter is much of a wing as the top, it’s a shame that the underwing gets the least amount of attention. This comes down to a lack of suitable LEGO elements rather than a lack of thought or planning.
A relatively straightforward built that takes close to an hour and a half to complete, the final results are pretty pleasing. All-in-all, this set is meant to be played with and any child under the age of AFOL would get their enjoyment out of 75316 Mandalorian Starfighter, rather than getting hung up on a few minor issues.
Even though the price difference between the original version and this updated set jumps by $10 (an increase of 20% or $1.11 per year), the part count goes from 403 to 544 – which is a 30% difference. Add to that the three unique minifigures and you’ll agree that this set is worth adding to your collection.
This set is available to purchase at LEGO.com, Amazon.com, Walmart and Target, or from Entertainment Earth (pre-order), now. Some of these links generate a small income, which we use to support the site, for The Holo-Brick Archive so your purchases may help us to continue bringing you the latest LEGO Star Wars news.
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