LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter Designer Interview

LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter (see it astatine LEGO) is the latest summation to the UCS, and it's a show to behold. It's large capable to marque a statement, but it looks delicate and light. It's sleek, each crisp angles, intelligibly designed to spell fast. IGN chatted with the decorator of the set, César Soares, via email. Here's our conversation.

IGN: How did you get started designing sets astatine the LEGO Group?

César Soares: Playing with LEGO bricks was ever a large portion of my childhood, and I learned the magic of gathering your ain creations from a precise young age. Eventually, determination successful 2014 I re-discovered my passionateness for gathering and started buying LEGO sets again. Put up a portfolio of my ain LEGO creations/builds and applied for a Model Designer position. After a mates of months of interviews, tasks and workshops I was offered a presumption successful the Star Wars Design team.

IGN: What different sets person you worked connected earlier the LEGO Mandalorian N-1 Starfighter?

Soares: I person been connected the LEGO Star Wars team since the beginning, but I person worked connected immoderate LEGO IDEAS sets excessively similar the Tree House, Seinfeld, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. But my main enactment has been successful Star Wars, and I person designed a spot of everything. Some of the sets are 75390 Mos Eisley Cantina, 75331 the UCS Razor Crest, 75397 the UCS Sail Barge and much precocious 75419 – UCS Death Star.

We person a immense notation room of photos, 3D renderings and videos that Lucasfilm has provided to america implicit the years.“

IGN: When you commencement moving connected designing a Star Wars vessel similar this, what benignant of notation materials are disposable to you? Does Lucasfilm supply you with elaborate blueprints, conception art, oregon models?

Soares: We person a immense notation room of photos, 3D renderings and videos that Lucasfilm has provided to america implicit the years, and that’s what we chiefly use. Of course, I besides ticker a batch of contented similar The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian. Seeing the scenes “live” ever puts a antithetic position connected however we design. For this set, we had an other acceptable of photos. Some of america went to Star Wars Celebration successful Los Angeles successful 2022 and they had the real-life size conveyance utilized successful the TV shows, truthful we took the accidental to instrumentality hundreds of photos.

IGN: How overmuch leeway bash you person to incorporated your ain ideas oregon ocular flourishes into the design? Or does it person to enactment highly adjacent to however it's depicted successful the show?

Soares: When designing a UCS set, it´s precise overmuch astir details and accuracy to the root material. And for this to beryllium possible, the size needs to beryllium adequate, meaning that usually a bigger size volition let for much close shapes and angles and much details. We ever effort to enactment arsenic adjacent to the root worldly arsenic imaginable but successful immoderate cases it´s large to adhd immoderate amusive features oregon Easter Eggs to heighten the play oregon physique experience.

IGN: What's your favourite portion astir the N-1 Starfighter set?

Soares: It's hard to prime a favourite portion of the vessel due to the fact that determination are truthful galore absorbing details, shapes and features. But I would item the engines/wings combo. They are truthful intricate and with truthful galore mechanical and functional parts exposed that they conscionable look ace cool.

When designing a UCS set, it´s precise overmuch astir details and accuracy to the root material. “

IGN: A batch of Star Wars ships are mostly grey successful color. When you are designing a monochrome ship, bash you person immoderate tactics to support the exemplary interesting, some for the builder and for viewers of the finished product?

Soares: Yes, we often usage tons of assorted colors whenever it's imaginable (i.e., not disposable successful the last model). This provides a amended gathering acquisition due to the fact that it's easier to find immoderate of the elements successful a heap of grey LEGO bricks. It besides helps the physique travel due to the fact that you person colour references that assistance place the predisposition of the exemplary and wherever elements are going to beryllium placed next.

IGN: I emotion however sleek the N-1 Starfighter exemplary is. It looks fast, adjacent conscionable sitting connected its stand. What challenges did you brushwood portion designing specified an awesome vessel that’s besides truthful constrictive and thin?

Soares: It was a large situation to get the “fast” look right. Several antithetic techniques were used: determination is simply a precise beardown halfway that goes successful the halfway from extremity to tip. And connected this core, determination are a assortment of antithetic connectors similar shot joints and clips that let integrated fuselage to link to the main body. The wings are besides built with respective layers of plates, some to get the signifier close but besides for sturdiness, arsenic they clasp the dense engines.

Lots of antithetic bow and circular elements were utilized besides (some of them wholly caller similar the cockpit and the engines inlets), to get the signifier arsenic intimately arsenic imaginable to the existent starfighter.

Chris Reed is simply a commerce exertion and deals adept for IGN. He besides runs IGN's committee crippled and LEGO coverage. You tin travel him connected Bluesky.