Ah, Cloud City. There’s no better place in the Outer Rim to mine Tibanna gas, chase down a bounty, or discover a whole new level of daddy issues in the midst of a critical battle. Announced today, LEGO’s Betrayal at Cloud City (75222) brings iconic scenes from The Empire Strikes Back to life. This set provides a 4-section centerpiece, vehicles, docks, and a staggering 20 figures for your reenactment-obsessed pleasures.
75222 Betrayal at Cloud City™
Ages 14+
2,812 pieces
US $349.99
Warning, spoilers can be found in the post for those who are about to go watch Star Wars for the first time *right now* which you should totally do because I said so!
The best part about the plethora of figurines, in my opinion, is the outfit changes for Han and Leia. They have some of the most interesting costumes, and it also means I can effectively add a Han and a Leia to my favorite character display without removing their characters from the kit. Also noteworthy is the fact that few Star Wars LEGO kits come with such a complete cast. The only significant figures missing from the movie in this set are those from the Dagobah system, and it’s no wonder they’re not hanging out in Cloud City: Luke knew they wouldn’t help him there.
In many ways, The Empire Strikes Back brought a soul to the Star Wars universe, and it’s no wonder. Without Cloud City, we’d have no Lando Calrissian (included), Boba Fett (included), Lobot with his AJ^6 cyborg construct (included), or IG-88 (included), not to mention the adorably porcine Ugnaught race (1 figure included).
Cloud City, of course, is the site of many dramatic and crucial scenes which changed the tone of the franchise permanently, and upended the destiny Luke thought he was headed toward. The setup is in a circle in quadrants with the sensor balcony, which swivels out. The Cloud City measures over 6” x 22” x 22”. It will take over an entire table, so be prepared when you’re ready to build!
Han Solo’s many escapes and eventual capture and carbonization set up the scene for the carbonite room, which may be the most memorable element featured.
The garbage processing room and incinerator have their own quadrant, which I think is a fun feature.
Opposite the compactor, we have the “interrogation chamber” which Vader uses to torture our heroes in order to taunt Luke into leaving his training to rescue his friends.
Finally, we have the most suspenseful lightsaber battle in the series. The sensor balcony is where Luke faces the true identity of Darth Vader, loses his hand, and suffers his greatest defeat. In the LEGO scene, the balcony swivels out to be suspended away from the rest of the scenes, evoking the solitude in which this epic series of scenes plays out. This one scene is what cemented my perpetual love of Star Wars permanently, so I may be biased in my excitement for the inclusion of the balcony.
As if five scene locations weren’t enough, the Betrayal at Cloud City set also includes Boba Fett’s Slave I ship and a Cloud City ship, which are totally icing on the cake. (Slave I measures over 4” (11cm) high, 7” (19cm) long, and 7” (18cm) wide.)
The only criticism I have about this kit is the price. At 2,812 pieces and a price of $349.99, I balk a bit. This is because of my ever-present 10-cent rule. That said, 20 figurines (18 minifigs and 2 buildable droids) is an understandable factor in the cost. Kits with more figures are always marked up a bit, and 20 of them adds up quickly.
The full list of characters includes 18 minifigures and 2 droids: Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker in Bespin outfits, Chewbacca, C-3PO, Lando Calrissian, Lobot, two Cloud City Guards, two Cloud Car Pilots, Leia and Han in Hoth outfits, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, two Stormtroopers, and an Ugnaught, plus R2-D2 and an IG-88 droid.
Available directly from LEGO Stores & shop.LEGO.com from 1 October 2018.
Disclaimer: This post is not a review. This post serves as an announcement for a product not yet available in stores. Stay tuned for future reviews, which may include this product.
