Best and Worst year of Lego Star Wars?

[ARC2149Nova]

@Mandalorianknight @icm 2004 was a bad year not because of remakes or low set numbers, it's a bad year because TIE vs Y-Wing was a 1:1 rerelease (not a remake) of the 1999 (and 2002) set. I thought the snowspeeder was the same too, but upon further inspection there are quite a few differences between them. It also had way too many micro sets (similar to how we complain now about the 18+, i.e. non-System, sets).

I don't think the sets themselves are bad or anything like that, but compared to even waves of the era (literally sandwiched between 2002 and 2005, 2003 was also saturated with minisets) it is one of the weakest overall.

As for 2006, despite the low set number, the sets themselves are bangers. New A- & B-Wings, Slave I, first system ISD, Jabba's Sail Barge, TIE Interceptor, and the debut the GOAT Wedge Antilles...I'd say 2006 was a pretty good year. 

I think it is far too early to consider 2025 the worst year of LSW, full stop. Without pics of the summer wave (or even a complete idea of all the sets to be released) I think it's a bit of an overreaction to say otherwise. If pricing is a factor, then perhaps it is the worst, at least value wise, but we've had absurd prices in every year.

I also think 2025 is quite solid, myself. Even among the 18+ sets, you've got gems like the STAP/B1, Acclamator, Chopper, Home One, and the Jango helmet. The system sets released so far are also pretty good, prices aside. Even the U-Wing, though I feel it's a step down from the 2016 one.

[Darth_Bane13]

10 hours ago, Mandalorianknight said:

It's difficult for me to determine- obviously years like 2004 would be the worst nowadays, but it was just back when the theme was starting out. Low playset numbers feels more excusable back then than in 2025. 

I'd have to say the "best" year IMO was 2014. Something for everyone (at least out of what existed at the time):

Prequels: a whole heap of clone sets and legions (212th and 41st BPs, some mid-sized sets with more legions like the 104th in the AV-7 and coruscant guard in the gunship), some actual separatist representation to counter them like the MTT, vulture droid, and tri-fighter, as well as the salucemi set- essentially a separatist BP. Alongside this, we had the "big three"- anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka- and Grievous in terms of major characters.

OT: A good mix of cheaper sets like the snowspeeder and the Imperial Guard/Gunner BP, larger ones like the best non-UCS Mos Eisley ever, and the two perfect titans of the AT-AT and Star Destroyer. In addition, we had a good chunk of the main cast present- Luke, Han, Ben, Vader- and both a nice B-wing and the best-ever sandcrawler.

We also got the Rebels Ghost+Phantom, an excellent pair of sets, as well as the first-ever Ithorian which is a nice bonus.

 

As for the worst- recency bias, or whatever the inversion of that is, makes me want to say 2025. On paper years like 04 or 06 are worse, but it's more about the theme direction to me than what's actually on the page. A low set number 21 years ago when they were just starting out doesn't bother me as much as how half our sets nowadays are buildable 18+ objects.

Yeah I debated saying 2014 as the best year, I just personally prefer 2013 a bit.

10 hours ago, icm said:

Funny you all say 2004 was a bad year. I remember when I was a kid I thought it was a great year! 2004 brought the first AT-AT, which was a great model and had the best proportions and play features of any AT-AT until 2020 (the 2004, 2020, and UCS AT-AT sets were all designed by the same set designer), and it brought the first remakes for the X-wing, Snowspeeder, Landspeeder, and Millennium Falcon. Those were all groundbreaking remakes: it was the first X-wing with a tapered nose, synchronized wings, retractable landing gear, and white bricks; the first Snowspeeder with back-to-back seating, rear reel, and a wedge nose; the first 8w Landspeeder; and the first pizza-slice Falcon. The 2004 X-wing set a pattern that was refined all the way through 2020 (counting the playscale T-70s), the 2004 Snowspeeder set a pattern that was refined all the way through 2019; the 2004 Landspeeder set a pattern that was refined all the way through 2017 (the 2020 Landspeeder was the first to have a really different build at 8w); and the 2004 Falcon set a pattern that was refined all the way through 2024 (the Dark Falcon still uses the pizza slices). Additionally, the X-wing came with an excellent Yoda's hut that was basically free (the 2006 X-wing was the same starfighter build at the same price, but without the hut), and there wasn't another Yoda's hut until 2018. So yeah, it's true that 2004 was mostly remakes, but they were all excellent and groundbreaking remakes that set the pattern for decades. Pretty successful set designs by any measure, I'd say. And the photo staging on the boxes and instruction manuals of the X-wing, Snowspeeder, Millennium Falcon, and AT-AT that set them in the context of Echo Base and the Battle of Hoth was brilliant. 

By the same argument, 2006 had a lot of remakes, but they were excellent remakes! The first remakes of the A-wing, B-wing, Boba Fett's Slave I, the Desert Skiff (with the first Jabba's Sail Barge), the first playscale ISD, the first V-wing starfighter - that was a pretty great year too, as I remember from when I was a kid.

AT-AT was 2003, but other than that I totally agree. It was also the year they introduced flesh minifigures which was a significant change. We had the tie collection that year too, 4 ships in 1 set for $70 was pretty damn cool, even if they are blue. 2004 and 2006 had no real bad sets, for the time most of the sets were quite good and groundbreaking.

[Max_Lego]

While I don't really think it was the worst (in fact, it's pretty hard for me to determine it), I don't like 2019. The introduction of the Family Guy Stormtrooper helmet, the refusal to use the 2018 Rebel pilot helmet mold any further, the disappearance of printed oxygen tubes on the TIE pilot's helmet, new Snowtrooper, Hoth Rebel trooper and Ben Kenobi minifigures that were downgraded compared to their 2014 versions - these are some of that year's decisions made by TLG that still have a rather negative impact on the Lego Star Wars theme.

On a positive note, 2019 also gave us a new awesome Scout trooper and Captain Antilles minifigures (tough an affordable version of the latter only appeared in 2024), as well as the first ESB and ROTJ Imperial lieutenant (albeit in an expensive UCS Star Destroyer set) and Zuckuss. The 75246 Death Star cannon, while containing a rather lazy Ben Kenobi minifigure, was still a nice set.

I quite love the previous 2018 year, the last year with 2014 Stormtrooper helmets. 75204 Sandspeeder had a new Rebel helmet from ANH, 75205 Mos Eisley cantina and 75221 Imperial landing craft had nice Sandtrooper minifigures; 75203 Hoth Medical Chamber, 75208 Yoda's hut and 75218 X-wing were great sets overall; the Solo movie-based sets were nice too (and I am even not a fan of the movie), 75211 TIE fighter in particular had the one and only almost perfect TIE pilot minifigure (with beforementioned oxygen tubes printed on the helmet!). I can't decide if I consider 2018 the best Lego Star Wars year, but it was pretty solid IMO

Edit: the best (most screen-accurate) Hoth Rebel trooper minifigure was realised in 2016, not 2014

[ARC2149Nova]

3 hours ago, Max_Lego said:

Edit: the best (most screen-accurate) Hoth Rebel trooper minifigure was realised in 2016, not 2014

It was perfect, down to the most minute detail...then they massacred my boys. 

2018 was a really good year, I love the Imperial Dropship.