Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian Helmet review

The Mandalorian TV series has taken the Star Wars universe – and its fans – by storm since it first released in 2019. Unsurprisingly, we’ve had a swathe of Mando-themed merchandise popping up just about everywhere we go ever since. You can’t go far without seeing something with Baby Yoda’s face on it (not that we’re complaining about that precious green child, mind). 

To say how new he is to the universe, however, The Mandalorian has quickly become one of the most loved Star Wars characters. We might not see his face very often, but his armor – and his gruff voice – is every bit as iconic as anything else from the world of Star Wars. It’s no surprise then that Lego has expanded its long-running range of Star Wars sets to include a number of builds themed on The Mandalorian. We’ve had The Child, The Razor Crest, and a range of other playsets – but we haven’t had a true adult-focused set. Until now. The Mandalorian Helmet, a recreation of Din Djarin’s helmet, is the first 18+ set based on the Disney+ show. It’s not very big and it’s pretty moderately priced, but it’s every bit as iconic as we hoped it would be.

If it’s another Lego Star Wars set you’re interested in, head on over to our round–up of the best Lego Star Wars sets. Or perhaps it’s news of the next Mando series you’re after, so here’s everything we know about The Mandalorian season 3.

Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian Helmet review: Build

• An enjoyable, methodical build
• Excellent quality instruction booklet

Having finished building the Lego Star Wars Boba Fett Helmet only a couple of weeks ago, we expected The Mandalorian Helmet to feel somewhat samey. After all, the two character’s helmets are practically identical in shape and design; it’s only their color scheme that differs. But we couldn’t have been more wrong. The Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian Helmet feels like an entirely new process. It’s as if in the two years since the Boba Fett Helmet was released that Lego’s designers have learned new techniques and discovered different, more effective ways of building.

It’s probably true: Lego as a company is one that’s constantly evolving and learning. It’s not that the design of Boba Fett did anything wrong per se – in fact, we praised that set for its innovative building techniques too – but The Mandalorian Helmet just feels… better, somehow. There are no clunky, awkward parts to squeeze together, and no parts that feel unnatural or experimental. It all just works, and it’s a very enjoyable build from start to finish.

The Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian Helmet is split across five bags, with each one taking roughly 15-20 minutes to complete. If you’re a fast builder, you’ll be done in about an hour, but we’d set aside at least 90 minutes to give yourself time to savor and enjoy the process.

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This is a systematic and logical build. Starting with the helmet’s interior frame, you’ll then move onto the top of the head, the base, the sides, and then finally the face. After completing bag one, you’ll be hard pushed to know what it is you’re actually building. It’s just a jumble of colored bricks. But don’t worry, it all comes together fairly quickly. By bag two, when the top of The Mandalorian’s head is complete, there’ll be no doubt as to what the finished project is going to be. After each bag, you’ll feel as though you’ve made real progress in bringing Mando to life.

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One of our complaints about Boba Fett’s Helmet was the printing of the instruction book as it used dark colors printed on glossy, black pages. It made seeing the instructions in certain light conditions difficult at best. It seems Lego has heard our cries and thankfully The Mandalorian Helmet’s booklet is printed on standard light-colored pages and is of seemingly good quality too. We never had an issue discerning light gray pieces from dark gray pieces – a problem that regularly rears its head when building Lego.

Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian Helmet review: Design

• It’s very gray
• Use of curved and shiny bricks give much needed texture

When you’ve finished building the Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian Helmet, anyone who’s seen the Disney+ series will instantly recognize it. It’s already so iconic. Even without Baby Yoda by his side, any Star Wars fan (or even casual viewer) will be able to tell you who Mando is. And Lego has done a wonderful job of capturing his beskar armor’s features. From the detailing on each side of his head to the visor on his face, it’s all here, and it all looks great.

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Lego has employed a focal strip of shiny silver bricks to embellish The Mandalorian Helmet with some detail. It does a great job of bringing the sea of light and dark gray bricks to life, but, of course, in actuality the entirety of Mando’s helmet is shiny – it’s made of metal, after all. But that’s not really practical with Lego. We’d argue that too many shiny bricks would dampen the effect, and so their careful application here works well.

In case it’s not obvious based on its design and the fact that it’s an 18+ ‘made for adults’ set, the Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian Helmet is not a playset. There are no moving parts, it has no ‘swooshability’ factor, and there’s no real appeal to children who like to roleplay with their models after building. However, what it does make is a fantastic display piece.

Like all Lego helmets and busts before it, The Mandalorian Helmet comes with a built-in plinth complete with a display plaque (it reads “Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian”). If you’ve got other helmet sets, it sits perfectly alongside them, sharing the same footprint and roughly the same volume of space. And if this is the only one you’ve got, it’ll look great wherever you put it. Its colors blend into just about any environment, drawing just enough attention without ever screaming “look at me!” Because, let’s face it, not everyone wants big, bricky Lego models all over their living room. But this one? We’d wager even the biggest naysayers would agree it makes a pleasant decoration.

Should you buy Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian Helmet?

Ask yourself two questions: Do you like Lego? Do you like The Mandalorian? Answering yes to both makes the Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian Helmet an absolute no-brainer. This is a very attractive, understated model that just so happens to be a lot of fun to build. The fact that it doesn’t completely break the bank, costing just $60/£55, should make it even more appealing, too.

If you’re more in the market for a playset, or if you’re purchasing a set for a younger Star Wars fan, there are undoubtedly better sets out there, like the Razor Crest, or the The Armorer’s Mandalorian Forge – which just so happens to be less than half the price. However, if playability isn’t a factor, you will not be disappointed with the Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian Helmet.

Other Lego Star Wars sets to consider

If you like the idea of more Lego helmets like this one, there are plenty to choose from. The Boba Fett Helmet makes the perfect companion piece, but there’s also Darth Vader, a Scout Trooper, Luke Skywalker’s Red Five Helmet, and a Dark Trooper. They’re all similar in size and price, and an array of them look fantastic when displayed together.

Elsewhere from the world of The Mandalorian, you could opt for a buildable model of The Child, aka Grogu, aka Baby Yoda. We’ve already mentioned Mando’s trusty ship, the Razor Crest, and there’s also the Mandalorian Starfighter. And, coming to stores in June is the N-1 Starfighter, the ship that (spoilers!) Mando later replaces the Razor Crest with.