Unwrapping the Star Wars LEGO Advent Calendar: Day 3

The third day of the Star Wars LEGO Advent Calendar sees a new take on an old classic come busting out of those cardboard doors: Din Djarin’s N-1 Starfighter from The Mandalorian.

We first encountered this type of ship in Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The “N” stands for Naboo, the planet under siege by the Trade Federation. We saw N-1 Starfighters in their classic form—yellow and silver—take to the skies to destroy the Trade Federation Droid Control Ship.

Fast forward nearly 40 years along the Star Wars timeline—and 22 years in our own time—and the Mandalorian Din Djarin encounters an old, beat-up N-1 Starfighter in Peli Motto’s Mos Eisley hangar bay on Tatooine. He’s still ship-less after the destruction of his beloved Razor Crest, and Peli says she’ll fix up the old N-1 and add in a few modifications—namely, things to make it go real fast.

A paint job, some alterations, and a bit of patience later, Din is the proud owner of a significantly modified, sleek silver N-1 Starfighter. At the time—mid-season of The Book of Boba Fett—Grogu was still off training with Luke Skywalker. But Din plans ahead and has Peli adapt the ship to accommodate a baby Yoda in place of an astromech.

And honestly, I think that’s the coolest bit of design work in this miniature LEGO build. There are clearly two tiers of seats, signified by simple, clear, flat pieces: one square and one circular. You can just imagine a Mandalorian helmet in the former and a curious, wide-eyed, green-eared kid in the latter.

It’s a simple build, but it really evokes that N-1 feel. Held at a distance, you feel like you’re gazing at Mando’s starfighter from afar. These are the kinds of tiny ship builds I love to see in the Star Wars LEGO Advent Calendars.

What will tomorrow hold?