Lego Ghost & Phantom II review: "The best Star Wars playset in years"

The Lego Ghost & Phantom II was featured in the Star Wars Ahsoka television series, but many will know of it as the home of the Spectres, the central cast of characters in Star Wars Rebels. If you’ve yet to watch either series, you’ve likely noticed its similarities to the Millennium Falcon. And that’s because, like the Falcon, it’s a light-freighter class ship from the planet Corellia. And indeed, building this impressive playset that retails for $159.99 / £149.99 will be familiar to anyone who’s put together one of the many Millennium Falcon playsets. 

The Lego Ghost & Phantom II is priced similarly to the mid-size Millennium Falcon (75257), which is arguably one of the best Lego sets out there. And while price-per-piece ratios aren’t an accurate way to determine a set’s value, it’s interesting to note that the Ghost playset features 41 more Lego pieces than the Falcon. That said, the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs does boast an extra minifig, and that’s not including D-O. All in all, whatever your view on current Lego prices, the Ghost’s price point isn’t surprising.

What makes this fantastic-looking set stand out among other Lego Star Wars sets is its colorful exterior. If you’re a collector, looking to add something eye-catching to your shelf, this is it. But this isn’t the first time the Ghost has been released in Lego form. Back in 2014, Lego released a similarly sized version of the illustrious ship. Unfortunately, it only sat on shelves for 18 months and was discontinued before the Rebels animated series really hit its stride. Unsurprisingly, it’s become a holy grail Lego set on the used market. 

As such, a new Ghost has been at the top of many a Lego fan’s wishlist. So, if you’ve been hankering for Hera and co’s spaceship in brick form, now’s your chance… 

Lego Star Wars Ghost & Phantom II: Features

Lego Star Wars Ghost & Phantom II: How easy is it to build?

• 1,394 pieces
• Sizable interior and colorful bricks make this a fun build
• Youngsters may struggle with repetitive sections and Technic pieces

The Ghost & Phantom II’s 1,394 pieces are split across 13 bagged sections, with a sizable pair of sticker sheets containing 25 stickers. All told, I spent roughly 3.5 hours putting The Ghost & Phantom II together at a relatively brisk pace. 

Anyone who’s built a Millennium Falcon playset will be somewhat familiar with the build as the Ghost is of a similar shape and size. What won’t be familiar is kicking off the proceedings by putting together the Phantom II, a standalone shuttle that docks onto the Ghost. Clever use of SNOT (studs not on top) bricks and clips achieve the sloping sides and rounded cockpit, which makes this a fun little sidebuild, marred only by a surprising amount of stickers. 

You then move onto the Ghost itself, beginning with the chassis, which is held securely together by a grid of Technic pieces. As the chassis expands, you begin to build up what will later become the interior, adding some neat little details such as steps and Aurebesh (a Star Wars alphabet) warning strips. 

A particularly interesting part of the build is the inclusion of a small contraption, formed around a 13-hole Technic beam. This sits right beneath what will eventually become the front gun emplacement, but what’s interesting is that it doesn’t actually clip onto anything. You slot it flush against some existing pieces and then place an inverted slope on top to secure it in place. This allows the contraption to slide freely from left to right and when the front gun emplacement is installed and swiveled as far as it will go (left or right), the contraption slides into the corresponding stud shooter and fires it. 

You then move onto the landing gear before building up and detailing the ship’s surprisingly spacious interior, including the main cockpit. 

SNOT bricks are then added to form the ship’s frontage and construction of the rear ‘docking bay’ for the Phantom II begins. In reality, this is just a simple Technic Axle, but it does the job, connecting the shuttle to the ship. 

As with any symmetrical spaceship, the Ghost’s construction features its fair share of repetition. This is most prominent when piecing together the side and top panels. However, there’s nothing too tricky here, so if you’re putting together the ship for a younger builder, this is a great opportunity to get them involved.

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The side panels cleverly attach to 1x2 plates with vertical shafts, so they sit neatly between the hull’s top and bottom panels. You then build a pair of hinged ramps and docking rings, both situated on either side of the ship. The top paneling features plenty of colorful plates, with sections attaching to the ship via various clips to create those accurate, sloping angles. 

As is often the case, the engines are built up by threading various cylindrical pieces onto long Technic axles and feature some clever greebling using some silver droid arms and tiny Lego hot dogs. You then move onto the front gunner cockpit, which clips just below the main cockpit so it can be removed to easily seat a Minifigure. 

The spherical canopy is printed, but unfortunately the standard canopy that’s positioned over the main cockpit isn’t and requires a sticker. I managed to line the sticker up well, with no notable bubbles, but adding a large stickler like this onto such an important focal point is never an enjoyable process. 

The final part of the built is the top plate, which houses a gun emplacement and is removable, providing access to the ship’s interior. 

Lego Star Wars Ghost & Phantom II: Design

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• Proper interior that can accommodate all five minifigures
• The Phantom II looks great when docked on the Ghost
• Lots of playability features for younger builders

Ahsoka was the first time we got a consistent, close-up look at a live-action Ghost. I mention this because the new Ghost & Phantom II sits within the Ahsoka line of sets, whereas the 2014 Ghost was a Star Wars Rebels playset. For my money, the live-action Ghost is slightly chunkier than the sleeker animated alternative and I think this new set reflects that, while taking full advantage of the beefier form factor by introducing a proper interior, which I’ll get to later.

Ultimately though, The Ghost & Phantom II is a half-way house between its Ahsoka and Rebels guise. Because the bright color scheme is much more akin to the animated series than Ahsoka’s gritty color grading. And with the Star Wars universe’s penchant for drab, gray vessels, I’m certainly in favor of the brighter, Rebels-themed paint job.   

The old Ghost was a great-looking model and had almost exactly the same footprint as the new one. At first glance, you may even wonder how much has changed, but dig below the surface and you’ll find a raft of neat upgrades. Chief of which is the inclusion of the Phantom II. No Phantom was included with the original Ghost, you had to purchase separate Phantom or Phantom II sets (75048, 75170). Either could attach to the Ghost, but these oversized models always looked comically large. This time, not only is the Phantom II included, but it’s much smaller. Sure, it’s still not nearly to scale – so it can still accommodate a minifigure – but it does look infinitely better. 

The second big difference between Ghosts is that the new set has a spacious interior, something the original set was almost completely lacking. You simply remove the top panel to reveal a roughly 2.5 x 6in interior, which includes Hera’s cockpit, a kitchenette, two airlocks and a control panel. A particularly cool Easter egg is a Meiloorun fruit in the kitchenette, which Rebels fans will know was the subject of an entire episode.

The pull-out front turret has been given a complete makeover. Instead of the seating compartment sliding out, the entire turret slides out, making it easy to add/remove a minifigure, while freeing up access to Hera’s cockpit. Gone are the original set’s docking rings that doubled as removable escape pods, too. The docking rings are now fixed in place, allowing provision for a pair of side ramps. 

These aren’t canonically accurate, with the prototype’s ramp situated below the front gun emplacement. While the size of the front gun emplacement and cockpit would have made it hard to accommodate the front ramp, it is a bit of a shame Lego couldn’t come up with a workaround, since it’s a very prominent feature. But at this scale, there's a limit to what you can achieve.

A notable design change is the top gun emplacement. On the old model, you had to slide out the entire emplacement to seat a Minifigure. The new Ghost remedies that with a hinged canopy. You simply open it up and place a figure inside. The downside is that the emplacement is fixed and no longer swivels, which I think is a bit of a downgrade. I'm sure it must be possible to have a hinged canopy that also swivels. 

Another small complaint is a noticeable gap below the triangular paneling at the very front of the ship. I can’t help but feel a second hinge on each panel could have remedied this, but I'm splitting wookie hairs here... 

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All five minifigures are unique to the set. Chopper (C1-10P) and General Hera Syndulla are new variants, while Jacen Syndulla, First Officer Hawkins and Lt. Beyta appear for the first time in Lego form. The Ghost’s captain and fan favorite, Hera, is the pick of the bunch, with two facial expressions, as well as leg, waist, torso, back and headpiece printing. The latter is particularly well done, with a pair of printed goggles on the forehead and detailing on the long green tendrils (or Lekku) round the back of the headpiece. 

Chopper is another fine addition and I’m pleased to report that the droid doesn’t suffer from the wonky printing that has plagued recent R2-D2minifigs. It’s a small addition, but the 1 x 1 Round Tile that sits atop the droid’s head is a nice new way of representing its radar dish. Lt. Beyta is a solid Mon Calamari and New Republic pilot figure. His blue jumpsuit features leg, hip, torso and back printing. And his printed head is a fantastic representation of his species too.

Jacen Syndulla and First Officer Hawkins are the least inspiring minifigs. Both only feature torso and back printing and are basic by 2023/4 standards. Jacen does feature two different expressions, but Lego has opted for a brown hairpiece, despite the character having green hair in both Rebels and Ahsoka. There isn’t much Lego can do with New Republic officers and First Officer Hawkins does boast a nice hair piece. It’s just a shame there’re no shoulder or leg printing to represent his sleeves and boots. 

Ultimately, the minifigure selection is the biggest gripe I have with this set. Yes, it’s nice to get three brand new figures, but an Ahsoka, Sabine, or even Mon Mothma would have made the roster more interesting.

Should you buy the Lego Star Wars Ghost & Phantom II?

The Ghost & Phantom II’s sizable interior and included Phantom II already put this playset leagues ahead of the original, and despite a few minifigure shortcomings, it improves upon its predecessor in almost every way. It’s bristling with playability features, which will delight youngsters, but this colorful vessel will look right at home on an adult collector’s shelf, too. 

If you’re a Rebels fan, it’s essential. If you’re an Ahsoka fan, it’s the pick of the three Ahsoka-themed Lego sets released. And if you’re a Lego starship fan, it’s a must-have addition to your collection. Those lucky enough to already have the 2014 Ghost, there’s enough new here to at least consider picking up its successor. Simply put, I’d be surprised if Lego release a better playset in 2024.

Just like The Ghost (75053) before it, the Lego Star Wars Ghost & Phantom II (75357) is destined to become a modern classic.

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How we tested the Lego Star Wars Ghost & Phantom II

I built the Lego Star Wars Ghost & Phantom II in one sitting, and in less than four hours. The repetitive sections are a great opportunity to enlist the help of another builder. The Lego Builder app is a great way to build cooperatively, as it affords you access to a huge range of instructions on your phone. I then tested the ship’s durability during a photoshoot, which involved continuously moving it around and accessing the various play features.

For more information on our procedure, take a look at how we test products.

For more brick-based goodness, don't miss our guides to the best Lego Super Mario sets. You can also get some money off with these Lego deals.