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This month, Lego released one of its coolest Star Wars sets ever. However, it’s not a set you can buy. It only comes with the purchase of a much larger, more expensive set—but if you have the means, not only is it worth it, it comes with a hidden surprise.
I recently cracked open my piggy bank to purchase the Ultimate Collectors Series of Jabba’s Sail Barge, both because it’s awesome and also because of that special gift. With every purchase of the Sail Barge comes a 1:1 Lego replica of Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber from Return of the Jedi. And, as someone who collects lightsabers, I had to have it. It’s only 145 pieces so it’s a relatively small set but, while building with it, I was shocked to see it came with a kyber crystal.
Now, in the lore of Star Wars, every lightsaber has a kyber crystal in it. They’re basically the secret sauce that makes the blades come alive. However, you never see the crystal. It’s inside the saber. And, as you can see in the above photo, you don’t see the kyber crystal in the finished build of the lightsaber. But it’s in there. Here are a few images.
As you can see, it’s made of two neon green circular pieces, lining up with the color Luke’s saber ignites with. And though you, the builder, see them and put them in the saber, you then quickly cover them up, never to see them again.
But I love that. I love it so much. That’s why Lego is simply one of the best toy brands out there. That’s a detail that only someone with a deep love and knowledge of Star Wars would insist on and put in there. It’s fantastic.
It does, however, bring up a bigger issue. Why doesn’t Lego make these lightsaber sets more frequently? Sabers are arguably the most popular piece of Star Wars iconography and, with only a few hundred pieces each, would make an incredible gift for the Lego Star Wars fan in your life, at an affordable price point. Sets that are around 150-200 pieces are usually between $15 and $50. Much better than the $500 it cost to get this one. Which also comes with an incredible Sail Barge, but, still.
So yes, this Luke Skywalker lightsaber set is awesome, it has a kyber crystal in it, and we want to buy a million more Star Wars lightsabers just like this one. Which would you like to see first?
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
