I have to be honest and admit that I am a big Star Wars fan in general, and the Mandalorian series quickly joined in as one of my favorites. I loved the Razorcrest and was very sad to see it have an early demise, but the N-1 Starfighter is a perfect replacement ship for Mando and Grogu. This set was well designed, except for one minor flaw which I will discuss later. Set #75325 is priced at $59.99 which feels a bit high since it has a total piece count of 412 pieces. It does come with four figures and that helps justify the price a bit. It is rated 9+, and includes 3 bags that are numbered.
The ship was much longer than I had expected. It has a sleek design and uses angled and curved pieces to create its sleek shape. The tail tapers back from the cockpits ending with a trio of straight pieces that connect to a flexible 1×2 angular extension plate. The connection here is a little weak so it can be knocked off if care is not taken when positioning it, but this is a minor issue.
It doesn’t take long to notice the two cockpits which are situated in a tiered formation. The half circle dome is perfect for Grogu’s size and Mando fits very nicely in his too. Mando has a round control panel which is created with the use of a sticker. The two transparent cockpit hatches are positioned in such a way that they are very close to one another when closed. It takes a slight bit of pressure to close them both down all the way due to this. In front of the cockpits there is a storage compartment that can be accessed when the ship is at port. This holds a wrench, the dark saber, and jetpack as needed.
A round plate with a sticker detailing swoops up at a slight angle in front of the storage compartment. You may find out as quickly as I did that when this is pressed upon a laser shoots out from the underside of the ship. I made numerous trips around the room retrieving my laser as I finished the final details of the ship.
The wings were created with the clever use of angled and straight plates. The connection points to attack the engines on the side are secure and I have had no trouble with the engines shifting positions or popping off. The engines themselves are very neat. They are both constructed similarly, but have their own distinct detailing features on the outside. I love the way that in multiple places throughout the ship the slight variation in design points to the fact that this is an older ship that has been refurbished by a skilled engineer.
The underneath of the ship is simple with the booster engine as the only added detail. This is also where the most frustrating aspect of the build is located. The booster is connected in what should be a secure way, but since it has clearance on all but the one connection point it is continually popping off with even the slightest tap. It became annoying enough while I was working with the ship that I just removed it until everything else was completed. As long as the ship is not being handled a lot the booster behaves and stays in position.
A ship needs a crew and this one has one of the best in the galaxy. The Mandalorian has a detailed print job which is precisely placed and even includes details printing on his arms including his signet. He wears a silver breastplate and has a utility belt and a bandolier strapped to him. His legs also have metallic style detailing. The helmet is a simple metallic grey with a black T slit across the front. Removing his helmet seems wrong, but you do find a face very similar to Din Djarin. Serious mouth and eyes are offset with the shading of a beard growing in. Mando comes with a jetpack and the Dark Saber.
How can something so small be so adorable! Grogu barely reaches Mando’s waist and has his arms outreached ready to be picked up. His head is created from a softer plastic and he has large black eyes and a concerned frown upon his mouth. There is a small print job on his tiny torso that shows the folds of his robe.
Grogu is not the only petite figure, standing next to him is a white BD Droid. He has silver and blue markings printed on all sides and his two little antennas peek up from the back of his head piece. I adore this little droid and he looks like he is ready to get into all kinds of mischief.
One last figure completes the set and this is Peli Motto. I was excited to see her included in the set since I really enjoy her character in the show. She wears a brown jumpsuit that has printing on torso, but not her legs. The print job is well done, the pockets are especially cute. She has a detachable brown belt that is added when assembling the figure. She comes with two facial expressions, and a voluminous curly hair piece. A silver wrench is never far from her side.
Despite the higher price point I feel that this set is worth getting if you are a Mandalorian fan. It is an iconic ship and it is well designed and let’s face it, Grogu perched in his round cockpit is worth buying the set for.
