Exposing 75328 The Mandalorian Helmet

The helmet of the enigma that is The Mandalorian joins the ranks of the Adult Collector subtheme with this new release from LEGO and marks the first helmet derived from the Disney live-action series of the same name.

As much a part of the Mandalorian warrior as their jetpacks, body armor, gadgetry and weapons, the iconic Mandalorian helmet – as we know it now – came about by a series of creative redirections during the earliest pre-production days on The Empire Strikes Back.

Stemming from early snowtrooper concept sketches drawn by Ralph McQuarrie in 1977, the genesis of The Mandalorian’s helmet began when George Lucas commented that the design would be better suited for a rogue bounty hunter, a character he had initially conceived to be the brother of Darth Vader.

As the script for The Empire Strikes Back evolved, so did the plot and Vader’s mystery brother transmuted into a race of supertroopers – and the earliest incarnations of the Mandalorians was born.

Early in 1978, with The Empire Strikes Back in development, Lucas had McQuarrie and art director Joe Johnston rework the original sketches to create a new design, and together they came up with a helmet that was less samurai and more Spartan and an all-white costume for this force of mystery warriors. When it was realized that the movie’s budget would not extend to having thousands of intricately costumed troops – and the white washed out in a screen test – the whole concept was scrapped and Lucas reverted to his original idea of a single bounty hunter.

While Johnston is credited as being the father of Boba Fett, it was McQuarrie’s earlier work that gave Johnston the basis to evolve Fett’s helmet and costume to how we know it today and allow Joseph Porro to translate the design to the present.

Though their full extent never realized, the mystique of these mysterious warriors was perpetuated by Marvel Comics when they published Star Wars #68 in 1977, when the Mandalorians were first introduced. Since then, the Mando cult has grown exponentially with fans, giving rise to a stand-alone live-action TV series and the titular character known as The Mandalorian.

75328 The Mandalorian Helmet

Ages	Pieces	VIP Points	Item	Minifigures	Value

With most fans heading straight to the contents of the box, the design of the packaging is often overlooked, which is s game because these Adult Collector sets are a cut above the norm, so take some time to recognize the effort that goes making these sets more than an eye-catching purchase. Just as striking is the instructions manual, which – from the introduction by LEGO Star Wars team lead Jens Kronvold Frederiksen to the last step – is a page-turner.

All told this five-bag set will take the average adult builder between one and a half to two hours to complete the helmet’s core which acts as an attachment point for the rest of the build, top of the helmet, the base and stand, followed by the sides and the front visor and cheek panels.

While this helmet is similar to Boba Fett’s, which was the original Mandalorian and design inspiration for all others following, there are some subtle differences that 75328 The Mandalorian Helmet displays. The two panels on either side of the model (known as motion/sound sensors by fans of the dented helmet) are slightly angled and the cheek plates are better defined. The stripe of curved silver bricks also helps to differentiate The Mandalorian’s helmet from that of his comrade’s.

Sadly the included silver pieces aren’t chrome plated – it’s been a long time since LEGO went through a major cost-cutting review and replaced them with metallic pearl plastics – but the new drum-lacquer technique adds extra luster to the surface.

Going into it set designer Michael Lee Stockwell knew that this would be a big sticking point. In an interview with starwars.com he said “When you look at any polished metal surface, it is the contrast of highlight and shadow together with the tone of the actual metal that determines how you perceive the shape of the object. In the case of a LEGO model, we typically make use of color to create these differentiations.”

It’s fair to say that the combination of silvered and light bluish-gray plates works well enough.

With enough differences – such as colors, bricks, and building techniques – between this and 75277 Boba Fett helmet, this newest Mandalorian helmet is a solid buy, and that it’s a great accompaniment to Fett’s helmet is a bonus. Hopefully, we’ll see a couple more of these, like The Armourer and Bo Katan, before long.

Available now, you can buy 75328 The Mandalorian Helmet from LEGO.com (US$59.99 / CA$79.99 / UK£54.99 / DE€59.99 / AU$89.99), Amazon.com, Toys “R” Us (Canada and Australia), Smyths Toys (United Kingdom and Germany), Target (United States and Australia), Walmart, Argos, Mr Toys Toyworld, and Kmart. Purchases made through some of these links will generate an affiliate income – at no cost to you – that is used to help maintain this website.