The second-of-three gift with purchase (GWP) items given away by LEGO during this year’s May The 4th Be With You promotion, this blockchain – if not for an early leak and an accidental reveal – would have been a well-kept secret.
Referred to as Mandalorian steel (or iron) throughout the Star Wars galaxy, it is known as beskar in the Mando’s language. Being one of the toughest and rarest metals, it is favored by the Mandalorian warriors for making armor and bladed weapons.
First appearing in the Tales of the Jedi – The Freedon Nadd Uprising comics, printed by Dark Horse in 1994, and popularized in the Republic Commando books written by Karen Traviss between 2006 and 2008, the original Expanded Universe source material for this fabled metal was assigned to Legends (twice, if you’re counting).
Keeping it in canon was the job of The Clone Wars and Rebels animated shows, a cause that was later taken up by The Mandalorian live-action series. In the premiere episode of its first season, the show’s namesake character is presented with a small bar of beskar – and offered a treasure trove of the substance – to recover a certain asset.
5007403 The Mandalorian Beskar Keyring
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Arriving in a rectangular, black cardboard box made of stiff stock, the keyring – nested in a form cut block of dense foam – is revealed after lifting off the snug lid and removing the protective tissue paper.
Made of just over 2 ounces (60 grams) of recycled battle droid steel, the fob’s metal luster is decorated with an etched Imperial roundel at the bottom right corner and a ripple pattern – much like Damascus steel – that is printed onto all six faces of the 2 x 1 x 0.15 inch (49 x 27 x 4 mm) block. The rear side sports the LEGO Star Wars logo as well the boilerplate copyright information and manufacturer’s details. Attached to it are a dark chrome-plated chain and cotter ring.
Hefty is the best word to describe this exclusive because its small size belies its weight. That’s not surprising – the keyring’s volume (5.92 cm3) and mass (60 grams) give a calculated density of 11.33 g/cm3, which suggests that it is mostly made of lead.
As attractive as it is, and aside from the logo on the back, its connection to LEGO has left many fans and collectors confused why this was produced without any obvious connection to the company’s studded product.
Will you use yours to personalize your own keys – or will you put it towards your own armor? Or will it stay in its presentation box to prevent the print from wearing off?
Included in the annual May The 4th Be With You retail promotion, this metal keychain was free to members of the VIP Rewards program when they purchased any LEGO Star Wars products over US$70 / CA$70 / UK£90 / EU€70 / AU$149 made through LEGO.com or a brand store between May 1st and 8th.
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