LEGO Star Wars Imperial Star Destroyer minifigures review – Cal Kestis, Praji and more

We’ve gone hands-on with the seven LEGO Star Wars minifigures in 75394 Imperial Star Destroyer, including the first-ever Cal Kestis – but how do they stack up in the flesh?

Cruising on to shelves on August 1, 75394 Imperial Star Destroyer is the first playset version of this capital ship since 2014, and only the third in LEGO Star Wars history. It’s also smaller and arguably more efficient than either of its predecessors, and you can see whether that’s paid off by checking out our review of the entire set.

But for many LEGO Star Wars fans – and especially those who have been around the block a few times and may already own one or two Star Destroyers – the minifigures are what matters most here. Join us now for a closer look at each of the seven characters included in 75394 Imperial Star Destroyer, among which is another brand new 25th-anniversary minifigure.

Release: August 1, 2024 Price: £149.99 / $159.99 / €169.99 Pieces: 1,555 Minifigures: 7 LEGO: Order now

Darth Vader

Who among us doesn’t yet have a Darth Vader minifigure? Well, probably anyone just getting into LEGO Star Wars for the first time. But even then you’d be hard-pressed to miss this guy: he’s currently available in no fewer than three different LEGO Star Wars sets (75347 TIE Bomber, 75352 Emperor’s Throne Room Diorama and 75387 Boarding the Tantive IV).

He’s the stand-out version of Darth Vader in LEGO form, with top-tier head printing, a two-piece helmet that’s somehow nearly 10 years old and full arm printing, so it’s hard to imagine how the LEGO Group might top this minifigure. Still, we’d probably have swapped him out for another (rarer) character – especially as this isn’t Vader’s personal Star Destroyer.

Imperial Crew Member

If you’re looking to bulk out your Imperial ranks, 75394 Imperial Star Destroyer is a one-stop shop for trying out almost every single one of the Empire’s standard units. (You’ll need to look elsewhere for a Scout Trooper, Snowtrooper and – puzzlingly – an Imperial Officer.) First up is the Imperial Crew Member, a grey-suited member of the rank-and-file that’s perfect for staffing Imperial stations and Star Destroyers.

This is the first appearance of an Imperial Crew Member since 2019’s 75252 Imperial Star Destroyer, which includes an even more detailed version with arm printing. But given this isn’t an Ultimate Collector Series model, the plain arms here are just fine, and the detailed torso and leg printing is still intact. His new face print also feels like a sly nod to the Imperial Crew Member’s expression in 75055 Imperial Star Destroyer. A solid minifigure all round, but not exactly a set seller on its own.

Imperial Navy Trooper

That sentiment arguably applies to the other generic minifigures in 75394 Imperial Star Destroyer, among which is an Imperial Navy Trooper. These guys have previously popped up in sets including 9492 TIE Fighter, 75159 Death Star, 75055 Imperial Star Destroyer and 75207 Imperial Patrol Battle Pack, variously named as Imperial Navy Troopers or Death Star Troopers.

This version includes another new face print in what appears to be the relatively new warm tan skin tone, introduced in 2022. As we’ll see, the LEGO Group has taken every opportunity to diversify the characters in 75394 Imperial Star Destroyer, which is good news for those of us looking to mix up our minifigure collections. This is otherwise a pretty drab minifigure, albeit with a helmet mould that’s still going strong 12 years later.

Imperial Gunner

With the exception of Solo: A Star Wars Story’s 75217 Imperial Conveyex Transport, Imperial Gunners have remained almost the sole preserve of Death Star sets in the LEGO Star Wars theme. And that makes sense: it’s where these guys appeared in the movies most prominently. But they did also man the Empire’s capital ships (according to our good friend Wookieepedia), so the presence of one here does make sense in-universe.

Again, it’s maybe not a particularly exciting minifigure for those of us who have been collecting for a while, though the last time one popped up was in 2019’s 75245 Star Wars Advent Calendar, so it’s a good cop for newer fans. There’s a fresher head underneath that helmet, too.

Stormtrooper

The LEGO Star Wars team is sticking by its dual-moulded Stormtrooper helmet even while it proves divisive in the community, but has at least shaken things up by swapping the hips from black to white for 2024 – in line with its recent Clone Trooper minifigures – and offering a wide variety of different heads underneath that helmet.

Not so for 75394 Imperial Star Destroyer’s Stormtrooper, though, which is a straight reuse from 75387 Boarding the Tantive IV. That’s the set to aim for if you want a bunch of Stormtroopers at the minute, but another one here would have helped increase the value proposition without affecting the LEGO Group’s bottom line too much.

Commander Praji

One of two new named characters in 75394 Imperial Star Destroyer, Commander Praji is distinguished by his torso alone. His head has been used for 29 other minifigures already across various themes, and mainly for generic characters (with one or two exceptions), so it’s not doing a lot to make Praji feel unique.

On the other hand, the expression is pretty much spot on to the character, who you might remember telling Darth Vader there were no life forms on the escape pod that jettisoned from the Tantive IV (therefore ensuring R2-D2 and C-3PO managed to land on Tatooine with the Death Star plans – good guy Praji). He’d make a great addition to 75387 Boarding the Tantive IV, and while his head is a bit meh, it’s still fun to tick another obscure Star Wars character off the list.

Cal Kestis

A slightly less obscure Star Wars character that’s also been patiently waiting for his chance as a minifigure, Cal Kestis hails from Respawn’s Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor video games. In lieu of any sets inspired by the video game beyond 75335 BD-1, the LEGO Star Wars team has taken the opportunity to bring us Cal as part of this year’s 25th anniversary celebrations.

He’s a bonus minifigure here in the same way that ARC Trooper Fives, Darth Malak and Saw Gerrera were in their sets, and while there’s room for improvement, this is a pretty solid first effort. His face print and hair capture Cameron Monaghan’s features well, while the torso and leg printing nicely toe the line between detail and simplicity (there is, after all, such a thing as too much detail).

The gunmetal grey legs go a long way to making Cal feel a bit more premium, but there are three key additions that would have really elevated this minifigure: a printed poncho, a dual-moulded right arm to represent his perpetually-rolled-up single sleeve (at least in this outfit), and BD-1 as an accessory. The last one of those feels most vital given the pair are never far apart in-game, and the only official LEGO BD-1 piece has now retired.

All that said, this is by no means a bad LEGO Star Wars minifigure – and unlike nearly every other character in the set, could well be enough of a draw on its own to tip those on the fence into buying 75394 Imperial Star Destroyer.

Our honest opinion: These minifigures are giving strong ‘Empire starter kit’ vibes, but veteran collectors will still enjoy picking up Cal Kestis and bolstering their Imperial ranks.

Click here to check out our full review of 75394 Imperial Star Destroyer, which is available to pre-order now for £149.99 / $159.99 / €169.99 and starts shipping from August 1.

The copy of 75394 Imperial Star Destroyer featured in this review was provided by the LEGO Group.

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