Review: LEGO Star Wars 75357 Ghost & Phantom II

Today we take a quick tour of the content of the LEGO Star Wars set 75357 Ghost & Phantom II, a box of 1394 pieces currently on pre-order on the official online store and elsewhere at the retail price of €169.99 and which will be available from September 1, 2023.

This set is a derivative product of the series Star Wars: Ahsoka currently being broadcast on the Disney + platform and it is already the second version of this ship at LEGO: the manufacturer had offered a derivative product of the animated series Star Wars Rebels in 2014, then marketed in two parts under the references 75048 The Phantom et 75053 The Ghost. The Phantom was then entitled to a new version in 2017 under the reference 75170 The Phantom.

At 170 € the toy, it is normal to be demanding and I think that LEGO does not disappoint with this new version of the Ghost if we keep in mind that it is not a pure exhibition model. .

The surface finish is very correct, the adjustments between the different sub-assemblies are acceptable and the object will look great on a shelf while waiting for a hypothetical release Ultimate Collector Series which will undoubtedly not fail to arrive one day at LEGO. We can only regret that the vessel is here equipped with fixed landing gear which will therefore remain deployed in the flight phase.

Regarding the assembly, the designer has not done things by halves with an internal structure made up of Technic frames which guarantees maximum rigidity to the vessel during handling. It's almost academic but this solution is essential so that everything does not fall apart in the hands of the youngest who are the main target of the product. We then plate different sections of the cabin, like the process already used for example on a Millennium Falcon and that's it.

The various interior spaces remain accessible by removing the central section of the vessel and opening the two canopies placed at the front, but the layout is rather basic. If we try to see the bright side of things, there is therefore space to store the figurines provided. The central turret is summarized here in its simplest form with a bubble and a cannon which should protrude a little more from the cabin and which do not pivot on this toy.

It also lacks the large access ramp at the front, LEGO replaces it with two side ramps and only the two cockpits and combat stations remain to offer some interesting details with in particular the use of a saber handle of inquisitor for one of the firing positions.

The transition from the model seen on the screen to the LEGO model is necessarily facilitated by the colorful side of the reference ship: the Ghost is not a monochrome ship and we find the different colors on the surface of the cabin. It's a bit flashier than the stock version of the ship, but we're not going to complain about getting something every once in a while that isn't almost entirely gray or black in the LEGO Star Wars range.

The surface of the ship is covered with a large handful of stickers which refine its silhouette a little, some of these stickers are however on a transparent background which does not offer the best rendering when they are applied on the glass Trans Black.

The bubble placed at the front is pad-printed, it was anyway almost impossible to stick a sticker on it properly. LEGO could also have split a pattern printed on the other canopy placed at the front, the installation of the planned sticker is a bit laborious and the rendering is not very convincing with traces of glue which remain clearly visible against the dark background of the room.

The Phantom II is here rather well integrated into the Ghost, it can be easily removed and put back in place without breaking everything and the visual continuity between the two vessels is perfectly ensured. Two Spring-Shooters are integrated at the front under the cabin of the Ghost, they are actuated by a mechanism incorporating a long Technic beam which is also well concealed and accessible without having to turn the ship over. These two attributes do not disfigure the construction, this Ghost can serve as a provisional model without looking too much like a child's toy.

We could debate at length the proportions of the object, the scale which does not allow to install more than one figurine in certain spaces, the angles of the different panels of the cabin or even the aesthetic approximations and the lack of detail inside the ship, but it should be borne in mind that despite the asking price which could give hope for better, this is a simple toy for children whose parents can afford to spend the amount asked.

This product derived from the series Star Wars: Ahsoka is only an interpretation that takes a few shortcuts and we will have to make do with it while waiting for something better or ignore this toy while waiting for a product intended for the brand's adult customers. As it stands, I consider that the contract is largely fulfilled knowing that it will necessarily be possible to pay for this box a little cheaper elsewhere than at LEGO in the weeks and months to come.

As for the endowment in minifigs, we logically do not find here the original cast of the animated series but a crew based on the cast of the series currently being broadcast. The pad prints are generally successful even though the Chopper Droid loses its print on top of the dome.

Lt. Beyta's New Republic pilot's outfit is nicely executed even though the blue used looks a little light to me, Officer Hawkins' is very accurate even though the legs could have been darker and the various attributes and other details graphics are pretty fitting except maybe the hair color of young Jacen Syndulla, the character with green hair in the animated series. Check it out when it first appears on screen in the currently airing series.

I also have a little trouble with Hera Syndulla's eyes, at least they lack black pupils so as not to give her that slightly too neutral look. On the other hand, I appreciate the offset of the belt from the hips to the top of the legs, it matches the outfit seen on the screen and it seems that the pants go up well above the waist.

This endowment of figurines is generally interesting for a set in this price bracket, even if I think that LEGO could have put a copy of Ahsoka in the box to thank all those who will spend 170 € in this set and who will skip over the other products derived from the series.

This box will therefore largely do the trick while waiting for a more detailed version of the Ghost and those who missed the model marketed in 2014 should not regret having skipped it at the time. This new version is a little more accomplished, a little more detailed and better proportioned even if everything remains a little coarse and approximate in places. It is above all a simple toy for children, but a beautiful well-worked toy with accessible interior spaces, some features and a very acceptable finish.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at September 9, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.