Star Wars Advent Calendar 2021: daily countdown
by bricksphere
We reach this December 2021, and it is again the time of the year to open the Star Wars Advent Calendar 2021 for a daily discover of the small gifts.
The Star Wars Advent Calendar was first released 2011 with up and down, and spanning the entire saga. This year, the calendar will mostly focus on the very successful Disney series: The Mandalorian. I love it! So, as for the 2019 Advent Calendar and the 2020 Advent Calendar, I will do my daily countdown. As you probably know, the Calendars were presented by LEGO already in summer, and online it is already possible to see all the surprises. However, I like to open daily with my children and I will present them in this page every day.
The box already presents the main theme and most of the most interesting gifts, but I am really anxious to see what every day reserves.
And if you don’t have enough excitement with the front picture, let see further surprises also on the back.
It really looks like the entire The Mandalorian series will be exploited!
What to expect in this post
Before starting, I would like to thank again Jay’s Brick blog for the inspiration. He is doing the countdown since several years and I found his idea amazing! I apologise, if the structure of my post is similar to Jay, but I think that it is great and very useful. Likewise, I will post on a daily basis and I will update this page with my own pictures.
Like the previous years, together with the Star Wars Advent Calendar, you can follow my daily countdown also of the Harry Potter Advent Calendar 2021.
Let’s Start!
When you open the panel you will see other images of the surprises in a snowy planet, that with the presence of a crevacce, it looks like the icy planet Maldo Kreis.
Anyway, without further ado, let’s start the unboxing!
- Day 1 – Razor Crest
- Day 2 – Riot Mar’s Starfighter
- Day 3 – Imperial Stormtrooper
- Day 4 – E-web Heavy Blaster with Snow Launcher
- Day 5 – Training Targets
- Day 6 – K79-S80 Imperial Troop Transport
- Day 7 – Mythriol’s Speeder
- Day 8 – Tusken Raider
- Day 9 – Tusken Defence Wall
- Day 10 – Tusken Ballista
- Day 11 – X-Wing Starfighter
- Day 12 – Tie Fighter
- Day 13 – Scout trooper
- Day 14 – Weapons Rack
- Day 15 – Speeder Bike
- Day 16 – Droid Sled
- Day 17 – Imperial Light Cruiser
- Day 18 – IT-O Interrogation Droid
- Day 19 – Slave 1
- Day 20 – IG-11
- Day 21 – Weapons Rack
- Day 22 – Grogu, “The Child”
- Day 23 – Grogu Hovering Pram
- Day 24 – Din Djarin, “Mando”
Day 1 – Razor Crest
Of course, in the Star Wars Advent Calendar 2021 about The Mandalorian, the first gift can only be the Razor Crest.
It is the iconic spacecraft of Din Djarin, and already become really a character of the series.
As you might remember, the Razor Crest was already present on Day 5 of the 2020 Advent Calendar. However, the 2021 version looks much more accurate and detailed.
The calendar already started with a great model, I cannot wait for tomorrow to see what it brings.
Day 2 – Riot Mar’s Starfighter
For day 2, there is another starship: the Fighter of the Guild of Bounty Hunter Riot Mar.
The fighter made its appearance at the beginning of Chapter 5 of The Mandalorian TV series. The Bounty Hunter was hunting Mando in space, but after a short dogfight, the Razor Crest defeated this Fighter.
The dark and fast scenes didn’t allow to clearly visualise the Fighter, but this representation is well accurate. I like it also because the Fighter looks like a modification of the Republic Starfighter Z-95 Headhunter.
To make the model quite effective, there are several nice parts, but it is in general an easy build.
Let me know if you like it and check in tomorrow for see Day 3!
Day 3 – Imperial Stormtrooper
On this Day 3 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar 2021 there is the first minifigure: the Imperial Stormtrooper.
A similar minifigure was also on Day 22 of the Calendar 2020. Moreover, in appearance the minifigure is the same, but this trooper has a different face.
There is not much to say about this minifigure, because a stormtrooper is always welcome, to reinforce the Imperial army!
The minifigure comes unarmed, however in the box there is a big laser-snow gun that probably will come tomorrow on Day 4.
Day 4 – E-web Heavy Blaster with Snow Launcher
On the Day 4 of the Star Wars advent calendar 2021 we have an E-web heavy blaster equipped also with a snow launcher.
It is a nice combination of parts to make it quite accurate.
It is definitively the weapon of the stormtrooper of Day 3, even if, there will be probably also a weapon rack.
If you like to replicate, you can have a look at the instructions.
It is a good calendar so far, and I am looking forward for tomorrow.
Day 5 – Training Targets
Today we have the training targets for our stormtrooper of Day 3, so he can train with the Heavy Blaster of Day 4.
They are simple combination of parts, actually, combined not a traditional way. It is a strange gift even if I will keep it only for the time of the calendar.
Anyway, waiting for Day 6 to come, you can enjoy shooting at them with the heavy blaster.
Day 6 – K79-S80 Imperial Troop Transport
Another nice micro scale model for Day 6: the K79-S80 Imperial Troop Transport.
As usual these micro scale models with a combination of a few parts can well represent it. Including the turret on top.
I found the red brick a nice Christmas decoration, but actually, I noticed that the Mandalorian version of the ITT has a red strip.
Whatever the red strip means, I like to say it is the Christmas camouflage.
Finally, while our trooper founds a way to enter the Transport, we will wait for Day 7.
Day 7 – Mythriol’s Speeder
Another micro-scale model: the Mythriol’s Speeder.
It was used during a mission on planet Navarro to destroy one of the last Imperial Outpost. It appears in Chapter 12 of The Mandalorian TV Series.
The construction is well accurate and the use of the pale blue is great. I admit, that the instructions are a bit tricky in particular the front part because the 2×2 round plate is not very well visible.
I hope you enjoy it, and let see if tomorrow the second minifigure will come.
Day 8 – Tusken Raider
Finally today we have the second minifigure: the Tusken Raider.
They are the indigenous habitants of the deserts of Tatooine. Despite in “Star Wars: The New Hope” they are rude and wicked, in The Mandalorian TV Series their culture is better presented.
The Tuskens appears in the Chapter 9: The Marshall and Mando knows very well both their culture and their language.
As expected, the minifigure of today is the standard Tusken Raider which appears already in several LEGO sets, like the latest related with The Mandalorian TV-Series, the set 75299 Trouble in Tatooine.
It comes unarmed as for the Stormtrooper of Day 3. However, in the next days something should arrive.
Let’s leave the Tusken discussing with the trooper, waiting for tomorrow’s gift.
Day 9 – Tusken Defence Wall
We had on Day 8 a Tusken Raider, and today on Day 9 we have its defence wall including its Gaderffii Stick.
The defence wall is a small combination of bricks with the clip for the Tusken club. However, I prefer to arm the Tusken.
I don’t know if it was really made on purporse or not, but you can also fit your Tusken Raider in the free 2 studs in front of the sand wall.
There are no special feature in this gift, but it is a nice add-on for the Tusken Raider. So, looking forward for the next days to come.
Day 10 – Tusken Ballista
We have another gift related with the Tusken Raiders: a Ballista.
It is a small model with a snowthrower, so the Tusken Raider can fight the Stormtrooper.
I admit that in The Mandalorian TV series, the Tuskens were a revelation: they were better described and more humanised that in the original trilogy. So, I really appreciate this series of gifts.
The ballista is also a recall to the LEGO set 75299 “Trouble on Tatooine”, where there is the model of the ballista.
I guess after three days of the same topic, tomorrow on Day 11 we will move to a different one. Let see it!
Day 11 – X-Wing Starfighter
There are several appearances of the X-Wings in The Mandalorian TV Series, so on Day 11 we have the microfighter of this iconic starship.
This is a very similar model as the one on Calendar 2020, but with differences in the color an on the astro mech. I don’t have much to say, it is quite easy to assemble and effective, including the possibility to fold and unfold the wings.
All in all, the red brick and the blue dot for the Astromech, make me think to Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing. What do you think?
The calendar is going great, I like it everyday, and I really curios about tomorrow.
Day 12 – Tie Fighter
After the X-Wing it is the time for another iconic spacecraft: the Imperial Tie Fighter.
It is another must of Star Wars universe and it was also in other calendars. If I am not wrong the Tie fighter itself was not present in the 2019 or 2020 calendar, but maybe in some previous one, so it is well appreciated.
As expected, it is a simple and effective build, that makes easy to build an entire fleet.
Let see what tomorrow will bring.
Day 13 – Scout Trooper
On day 13 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar there is the third minifigure: the Scout Trooper.
The minifigure has again no weapon but a nice new helmet. It is completely printed with a normal face behind. In other model, the helmet had a hole for the gogles and the face was black monochrome. Finally in this minifigure the face is a normal one and the black is painted directly on the helmet. I really appreciate it.
On the back side, the details of the uniform are well printed.
It is one of the two bad guys who kidnapped “The Child”, but they were eliminated by the assassin droid IG-11. So, I am really curios if tomorrow there will be either a speederbike or IG-11 itself.
Day 14 – Weapons Rack
On Day 14, we can finally arm our Imperial Troopers with the weapons in this rack.
It is a small build with and embrasure, a blaster rifle and a blaster gun.
It is a kind of similar cover as for the Tusken Raider in Day 9.
But of course for the Empire there are two minifigures and so, two weapons.
Not a particular notably gift, but a nice add-on for the Troopers.
Let see what tomorrow will bring.
Day 15 – Speeder Bike
After the Scout trooper and its weapon on Day 15 we have the Speeder Bike.
Despite it is a simplified version, it is a quite big model to fit in the small cases of the Advent Calendar.
The sets detail more the speeder bikes, but I am quite happy with this simplified version.
It will not be my favourite speeder bike, but I really appreciate the effort to fit it in the case.
Let see what tomorrow will bring.
Day 16 – Droid Sled
On Day 16 there is the droid sled.
The droid sled are background elements of the Star Wars universe developed also in The Mandalorian TV Series.
It is absolutely a minor vehicle of the story, however, during the battle in Navarro at the end of Chapter 3, Mando used one of these sled to take cover against the other bounty hunters.
Talking about the model itself, it is quite simple but effective. My favourite part is the miniscale of the astrodroid.
Let see how it will fit with the rest of the calendar and waiting for tomorrow to come.
Day 17 – Imperial Light Cruiser
On Day 17 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar 2021 we have the Imperial Light Cruiser, the ship of Moff Gideon.
I don’t have much to say about these microscale spaceships. In particular, I am really fascinated how the designers at LEGO can create them with really few parts.
The Light Cruiser is very well visible at the end of the Season 2 and the last episode is entirely played inside it.
Enjoy the Imperial starship while we wait for Day 18.
Day 18 – IT-O Interrogation Droid
It is time for another droid: IT-O interrogation droid.
It is a small build with a dark feeling due to the black parts and the threatening red eye.
It made a minor appearance in The Mandalorian TV Series, but it reminds very well when Darth Vader interrogate Princess Leia in The New Hope.
So, the calendar is going close to the end, but I think the main gifts are still to come. Let see tomorrow.
Day 19 – Slave 1
In The Mandalorian Season 2 Boba Fett makes his appearance and today at Day 19 we have his iconic starship: Slave 1.
There is a great combination of colors and parts to make the build very nice.
Even if the Slave I was already available in other Advent Calendars, I am happy to have it here. Moreover, on December 29th 2021, Disney will release the Book of Boba Fett TV series.
Let see what tomorrow will bring.
Day 20 – IG-11
Here we are at the last week before Christmas and I am expecting a great finale of the Star Wars Advent Calendar 2021. So, for Day 20, we have IG-11, the Assassin droid seen on Season 1.
As for the other minifigures of Day 3, Day 8 and Day 13, the droid comes unarmed.
I am really curious to see what tomorrow will bring and the end of the calendar.
Day 21 – Weapons Rack
On the day 21 there is another weapons rack with the blaster for IG-11 and Din Djarin.
It is nice to have these weapons, but I am surprised to see two racks in the same calendar, moreover because all the minifigures arrived unarmed. I think the designers could have done a better work by adding other elements of the series rather than two weapon racks.
All in all, I am still convinced that this is a great calendar and the more interesting gifts will come at the end.
Day 22 – Grogu, “The Child”
Finally here it is Grogu aka “The Child” aka “Baby Yoda”.
Grogu comes with the baby-carrier so other minifigure can carry him.
The character is really cute in its Christmas red dress and green scarf. As in the other sets, the body is the same as a baby minifigure.
It is small and cute, I like it very much and this Christmas Grogu will become the main character of several funny scenes.
I was really looking forward for this kind of characters in the Star Wars Advent Calendar 2021, unfortunately the calendar is almost over, so let see what comes in the last two days.
Day 23 – Grogu Hovering Pram
Here we are at day 23 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar 2021 with the Grogu’s Hovering Pram.
It has all the red details, so it is a Christmas pram, not the standard used during the TV-series.
Grogu fits perfectly and I like, it looks really nice and cute.
Mando is missing, and of course he will come at the last day. So, stay with me also tomorrow for the last day and some final considerations.
Day 24 – Din Djarin, “Mando”
We are at the last day of the Star Wars Advent Calendar 2021 and the gift is Din Djarin, aka “Mando”.
As already spoiled in the box, Mando comes in his Beskar armour but completed with a funny Christmas scarf. Of course, the print continues also on the back.
Even if it is a sober Christmas add on for Mando, he couples perfectly with Grogu.
This is definitively one of my favourite couple, but also in this Christams version they look simply great.
In conclusion, I think this is a great ending for this calendar and a very funny version of Mando.
With Mando and Grogu, my daily countdown finish, but stay with me for a short wrap up and some considerations.
Final Considerations
After ten years of Star Wars Advent Calendar, this 2021 version is the first time devoted to a specific part of the saga. The Mandalorian TV-series in particular is a fantastic add on to the story and I am glad that LEGO devoted a full calendar to it.
On one side I think this version of Mando and Grogu are great, but on the other hand, I found a bit a lack of minifigures and a few gifts not really interesting, in particular the targets and the weapons racks. Again, I appreciated a lot the models of the ships but I was expecting some more minifigures.
What do you think of this Calendar? I would really like to know your feeling about it in the comments below.
In the mean time Merry Christmas!