Review: LEGO Star Wars 75318 The Child

Today we are quickly interested in the LEGO Star Wars set 75318 The Child (1073 pieces - 84.99 €), a box which finally offers a Baby Yoda (or "Child") figurine a little more consistent than the microfig available in two sets including this one and less cubic than the BrickHeadz version of this character seen in the series The Mandalorian.

Those who have already assembled the sets 75255 Yoda (1771 pieces - 109.99 €) or 75230 Porg (811 pieces - 69.99 €) will be here in familiar territory: this new figurine uses techniques already used in these two other sets with an internal structure based on Technic beams on which more or less textured sub-assemblies are placed.

Nothing very exciting during this phase of assembly, but the solution at least allows the figurine to be stored without having to disassemble all the parts. As for Yoda, the brick stacking sequences follow one another to create relief and it is only when you press the different panels on the internal structure that you will know if you have for example shifted a Plate.

You can be wrong on the positioning of some small parts of the outer surface of the coat, it will not change much on arrival and we can not say that the drape effect is extremely precise, it is even a little messy when viewed up close.

The designer has chosen to represent the differences in the texture of the coat by alternating between smooth surfaces for the inside of the collar, the cuffs of the sleeves or the flap of the closure and visible tenons for the outside of the garment. Knowing that the collar flap is lined with fur and that the fabric of the coat is smooth, I would rather have done the opposite to keep some visible studs dear to all those who like to keep the LEGO "DNA" and get a more finish. sober on the rest of the coat.

A bit more entertaining is the construction of the character's head with its clip-on ears and movable mouth. The two ears are independent and each of them is connected to the head via two Ball Seals which allow a limited vertical displacement but sufficient to vary the expressions.

The head is fixed on a Ball joint central and a slight clearance allows it to be moved, within the limits of the stop linked to the collar of the coat. The two eyes are fixed and they are also the only pad-printed pieces in the set, with a subtle brown line that allows you to obtain a look that really matches that of the creature seen on the screen.

The arms are fixed and held by three anchoring points but the hands plugged into Ball Seals can be oriented pretty much as you see fit. However, they cannot hold much because of the limited length of the three fingers which does not allow them to completely close on the palm.

The creature "holds" in the left hand the knob of the lever of the Razor Crest, composed here of two half-spheres used until now in transparent version on the head of certain minifigs or on streetlights and available for the first time in Silver. The detail is interesting, it was either that or the bowl that the creature holds with both hands in some scenes.

Here we avoid the assembly of legs that we never see on the screen and the figurine therefore rests on a flat base which guarantees it foolproof stability.

Even if everything is not perfect on this figurine, especially in terms of the proportions of the head, the result remains in my opinion much less creepy as the googly-eyed version of Yoda that comes in the aptly named set 75255 Yoda. This Baby Yoda is almost cute and in any case he does not have to be ashamed of the many other products derived from the character marketed in recent months by different manufacturers.

We can not go wrong, it is LEGO and the many visible studs are there to remind us. It is in the spirit of the other minifigures already marketed by LEGO and we can at least be satisfied to be able to align them all on a shelf without one of them denoting too much by its different style.

The Baby Yoda microfig delivered in this box is not new or exclusive, it is the one already provided in the set 75292 The Razor Crest (139.99 €). Those who only want this microfig therefore have the opportunity here to get it for a little less and try to get rid of the rest of the set on the secondary market.

The presentation sticker doesn't tell us much about the character and just reminds us that this statue is not to actual scale, with the character standing over three inches tall in the series and only 20 cm in LEGO version. We could have done without the small display and the no-show plaque, but it gives the product a collector's touch and fans love it.

This new product seems to me in the end sufficiently successful to deserve to join the shelves of a fan of the Star Wars universe and fans of the series. The Mandalorian now have the choice at LEGO between three versions of the character with the microfig available in two boxes, the BrickHeadz version of the set 75317 The Mandalorian & The Child (295 pieces - 19.99 €) and this one.

The and 75318 The Child is currently available for pre-order on the official online store with delivery announced from October 30, 2020.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at 13th October, 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.