Lego Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) #75446 review: "Captures the true essence of our little green hero"

You can't help but smile when you look at Lego Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice), as the character's cute appearance and cheeky personality has been impressively captured in brick form. He may be small, but lots of detail has been packed onto his tiny frame.

Of course, this isn't the first time that Baby Yoda has been the subject of a set, with this build sharing many similarities with the previous Lego The Child (75138) release from 2020. However, that set has now been retired, so how does Lego Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) measure up as its replacement? I'm happy to report that it's both a significant improvement, and stands alone as one of the best Lego sets based on Star Wars.

Lego Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) features

• Iconic character
• Lots of detail
• Comparatively expensive

The Lego Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) set presents Baby Yoda in exactly 1,200 bricks, forming a figure that stands around 8in (20cm) tall. While that makes him about 60% of actual proportions there's still plenty of detail and character squeezed in, while being an appropriate size for a desk or shelf display. It also comes with an information plaque, featuring a 'standard-size' Grogu minifigure that is suitably diminutive.

This is more than a simple update to the previous Lego The Child set as it works in some great new features, while still maintaining the posable head, ears, hands, and fingers that inject Grogu with personality.

However, one thing I do need to mention is the price. It's been a few years since The Child launched for $89.99 / £79.99, but while more recent comparable sets such as Lego Fortnite Peely Bone (77072) have only increased a small amount to $99.99 / £89.99, the Lego Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) will cost you a full $129.99 / £119.99. It's hard to justify where such a significant increase has come from.

Lego Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) build

• A generally straightforward build with some technical sections
• A few unavoidably repetitive steps
• Can be completed in around 7 hours

There's nothing overly complicated involved with building Grogu, though I went into the process without any background knowledge so was pleasantly surprised by the technical elements that are included. Before getting into the bulk of the external features, this build begins by constructing an internal frame housing various gears and a central shaft, that will ultimately connect to Grogu's head so he can look from side to side by sliding a lever on the base. This structure also holds some Easter eggs, including a tiny gold heart and some small discs in a tube that could be stashed eggs or partially digested blue cookies!

Grogu's cloak comes together in four sections, and it was really interesting seeing how a selection of curved and angled pieces work in conjunction to form a solid representation of rippling fabric, making what could have been a tedious stage of the build intriguing instead. Some of these steps involve attaching bricks to the underside of the section you're working on but the instructions show them from the front, which is unusual for Lego but not too difficult to follow once you figure them out. The arms then slot into the side of the body, leading to a briefly disturbing period with a headless figure sat in front of you.

Putting together the head does lead to some repetitive steps, but these are unavoidable as it's a fairly symmetrical section. Once completed, you need to connect the head to a wheel in the neck cavity via a pair of Technics clips, and while this took me a couple of attempts to line up correctly it means you can turn and angle Grogu's head while also articulating his mouth and ears.

Finally, there's the iconic beskar armor and satchel combo to construct, which involves putting together lots of individual links to make the strap that ends up being around 16in (40cm) long! This neatly wraps around Grogu when you connect the ends, and you can stash a blue cookie snack in his satchel for a treat later.

Lego Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) design

• Poseable elements add character
• Turning his head via the lever is a fun feature
• Undeniably cute

The designers of this Lego set have done a great job capturing the essence of Grogu, with the chunkiness of his cloak forming a stark contrast to the smooth green features of his face. There's an undeniable cuteness to his features, and you'd be hard-pressed to look into those big saucer-like eyes and not feel something.

Being able to pose his mouth and ears, while also rotating and angling his head, means you can create many subtly different expressions for Baby Yoda. This really brings out his character, which is an impressive feat for a collection of bricks.

This posability also extends to the arms, which can be removed and rotated through 90 degree increments to provide four different options for each. The wrists and individual fingers are also hinged to provide even more possibilities, whether he's clutching his favorite blue cookie snack or aiming his Mandalorian training gauntlet at a specific target.

Elements such as the lever on the back to rotate Grogu's head indicate this is a set designed for a certain amount of hands-on play, and it does feel reassuringly robust (as well as surprisingly heavy) so it should be up to the task. However, as with many of the best sets, it's most suited as a display piece to be admired.

Should you buy Lego Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice)?

If you already own The Child set (pictured above) then I don't think there's enough difference to justify the significant investment in Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) as well, unless you're a completionist collector. However, if you have a Baby Yoda-shaped gap to fill, then this is by far your best option.

There are cheaper alternatives available, such as the Grogu with Hover Pram set or various significantly smaller Brick Headz, but none of those captures the true essence of our little green hero in the way this does. Lego Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) is fun to build and a pleasure to look at, making it one of the best Star Wars gifts out there.

Ratings

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How we tested Lego Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) #75446

I built the Lego Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) (75446) set over a few evening sessions at a couple of hours each, for a total build time of around 7 hours. As the set is split over 10 bags there were regular intervals during the build, so it was simple to find a natural break point when required.

For more, check out our guide to how we test products.

For more recommendations on cool collectibles, why not check out our guide to the best toys?