LEGO Star Wars (Unreleased projects)

Established since 1999, LEGO *Star Wars* is the first officially license theme as well as one of LEGO's longest running themes to date (though rumour has it that the license will expire in 2022). There have been at least a thousand sets released over the years covering all main films, TV series (*The Clone Wars*, *Rebels*), anthology films (*Rogue One*), and occasionally material from the Expanded Universe (*The Old Republic, The Force Unleashed*). It has also garnered a lot of video game tie-ins with the newest instalment slated for release in 2021.  However, with every set LEGO has cranked out, there have also been a few that were either only made as test projects or never flew off the shelves. These are the Lost LEGO Star Wars sets:

## **Podracer Bucket**

As part of the 2000 *Phantom Menace* line, 7159 Podracer Bucket was released with 291 pieces of miniature podracer models belonging to Anakin Skywalker, Aldar Beedo, Neva Kee, and Clegg Holdfast. The minifigures include Anakin, Jar Jar Binks, and a rather sloppy version of Aldar which was literally a Battle Droid with three arms and one of the Hydronaut diver heads. Unbeknownst to some, another set named 1886 Star Wars Bucket was set to be released during the film’s release, but never came out that year. Its unknown if the minibuilds and figures for this set would been slightly different than the one that was released a year later.

## **Geonosis Beasts**

Near the climax of Episode II: *Attack of the Clones*, Anakin Skywalker, Padme Amidala, and Obi Wan Kenobi are tied up in a coliseum arena on the rocky planet Geonosis where they are to be killed by three beasts: the Reek, a large rhino-like creature with three horns, the Acklay; a green spider-crab monster with three eyes, and the Nexu; a feline creature with four eyes. Two LEGO versions of the Acklay and Reek were shown, but the Nexu was nowhere to be seen. The Acklay was entirely brickbuilt (though was coloured blue instead of green like in the movie) while the Reek utilized the body parts first invented for the 2001 Dinosaurs theme and had a specially molded head. Despite being made in 2002, the sets would not be shown to the public until the 2005 LEGO Star Wars Weekends event at LEGOLAND California.  Some of the other sets that were unveiled during this occasion include earlier versions of Count Dooku's Solar Sailer, the Swamp Speeder from *Revenge of the Sith*, and some sort of Imperial Walker with an open cockpit and two Stormtroopers. Both the Solar Sailer and Swamp Speeder were revisited for *The Clone Wars* theme, but the Stormtrooper walker was abandoned and the Arena Beasts were never made into any other set. The only reason LEGO could justify this was that they believed they wouldn't sell well.  In 2016, a limited edition polybag mini-build of the Acklay was handed out with a LEGO *Star Wars* UK magazine and at least 45 of them are available on eBay around a price of $25.

## **Unreleased but with Instructions**

Set #6968 Mini Wookiee Attack (a mini build of the CIS Tank Droid) was set to be released in 2005 to coincide with Revenge of the Sith. It was never released physically, but it’s instructions were available online for a short while on the LEGO website and a archived copy of it can be found on Brickset.  In a similar case for the 2008 season, 8029 Mini Snowspeeder was never released, but its instructions were available on the LEGO website for a while.

## **Visual Dictionary Sketch Models**

On page 91 (“Designing LEGO Star Wars) for the 2009 *LEGO* *Star Wars Visual Dictionary* guide book, there is what appears to be a playset based off the Yavin IV temple from Episode IV: *A New Hope* where the Rebellion’s base is located. Some of its play features include A pyramid exterior with turret towers and a watch tower podium, a hangar bay with an X-Wing fighter, and the throne room with minifigures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Rebel Fleet Troopers. Featured in the *Visual Dictionary* from 2014 was a prototype model of what was described in the book as a “Self Propelled Heavy Artillery Walker.” In reality, this was the UT-AT “Trident” which was presumably made around *The Clone Wars* waves. Despite their intricate detail, both toys were only made as sketch models. Interestingly enough, a minifigure of Luke Skywalker wearing his yellow jacket and Yavin medallion from the end of *A New Hope* came with the 2009 dictionary.

## **LEGO Warehouse Leaks**

In 2012, an interview Fast Company conducted with LEGO contained a photo showcasing the inside of LEGO’s headquarters. While it contained a lot of products that were already released to the public, it also featured a lot of products that have yet to see the light of day (for instance, a helicopter and mech walker from the cancelled second series of Alien Conquest). Among many of the never before seen *Star Wars* items include a mini bust of Watto (most likely made for the 1999 season in promotion of *The Phantom Menace*) Ultimate Collectors Sale versions of the Hyena Droid Bomber, FX Medical Droid and Imperial Probe Droid, playsets of the Naboo scout ship, the Defoliator, CIS Geonosian Super Tank, Hardcell class interstellar transport, Asaji Ventress’ Trident-class assault starship and Obi Wan’s ship from the Season 3 premiere of The Clone Wars, a black version of the Phase 2 Jedi Starfighter (presumably Vader’s), a red version of the TIE Interceptor, and what some believe is the stun cannon used to dispel the Zillo Beast. Also included were UCS versions of the TIE Fighter and Slave I that had yet to be released at the time. Neither of the other vehicles have been made into playsets except for the red Interceptor which was rectified for the 2019 *Resistance* lineup.

## **Constractable Figures**

From 2015 to 2018, LEGO released a series of Constractable Figures based on iconic *Star Wars* characters (Obi Wan Kenobi, General Grievous, Darth Vader, et cetera) along with characters that tie-in with some of the newer films. They utilized TECHNIC joint parts similar to the fan favourite *Bionicle* series and planned to be a part of the series were a Super Battle Droid (updated from the TECHNIC set in 2002) and a 501st Legion Clone Trooper on an AT-RT Walker, but they were cancelled once the line ended due to its overall poor sales.

## **Gallery**

“Designing LEGO Star Wars” page from the 2009 Visual DictionaryA photo of LEGO’s headquarters taken from a lost 2012 interview with Fast CompanyAerial shot of the Acklay prototype along with a Solar Sailer prototype at the bottomAcklay and Reek prototypes at the LEGO Star Wars Weekend eventPackaging of what the Mini Snowspeeder would have looked likeMock-ups of the Super Battle Droid and 501st Clone Trooper sets listed in a retail catalogA CGI model of the Sepratist tank

## **Sources**

1. ↑ https://brickipedia.fandom.com/wiki/Star\_Wars
2. ↑ https://brickipedia.fandom.com/wiki/1886\_Star\_Wars\_Bucket
3. ↑ https://www.flickr.com/photos/129575737@N08/albums/72157650828278716
4. ↑ https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/106013-official-unreleased-prototype-geonosis-arena-2002-set/
5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIs42TLmOD0
6. ↑ https://brickipedia.fandom.com/wiki/6968\_Mini\_Wookiee\_Attack
7. ↑ https://brickipedia.fandom.com/wiki/8029\_Mini\_Snowspeeder
8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n\_vBZvNk3qc
9. ↑ https://www.rebelscum.com/story/front/LEGO\_Buildable\_Figures\_Have\_They\_Been\_Cancelled\_179851.asp