Behind the Hype: How LEGO® and Star Wars™ Became a Multi-Generational Obsession

For over a quarter century, LEGO® and Star Wars™ have shared one of pop culture’s most enduring creative partnerships. When the first sets landed in 1999, which was then timed with Star Wars: The Phantom Menace™, the collaboration did more than merge bricks with blasters, it bridged generations of fans. From those early builds like the TIE Advanced Fighter and Landspeeder sets to modern masterworks that span every trilogy, LEGO Star Wars became the blueprint for how play could meet cinematic storytelling, and how nostalgia could be endlessly rebuilt.

In our latest Behind the Hype series, we trace how a modest licensing deal between LEGO Group and Lucasfilm evolved into a full-blown cultural phenomenon. What began as a handful of toy sets transformed into a living archive of the Star Wars galaxy: over 900 sets, more than 1,300 minifigures and an ecosystem that now includes video games, animated series and collector exhibitions like Rancho Obi-Wan’s sprawling gallery of builds.

The secret to LEGO Star Wars’ staying power lies in how it balances imagination and reverence. Every re-creation feels familiar, yet never redundant. The video game adaptations of LEGO Star Wars that began in 2005 also turned this tactile storytelling into digital form, making the humor and heart of Star Wars accessible to every platform and generation

Whether stacking bricks or unlocking planets, fans engage with the saga not as passive viewers but as co-creators in a galaxy that’s still being assembled. That emotional currency — the feeling of belonging — is what keeps the hype alive. And this year, it’s embodied in the new LEGO® Star Wars™ Death Star™, the largest and most ambitious set ever produced under the partnership.

With more than 9,000 pieces, this Ultimate Collector’s Series release captures every defining detail of the Empire’s ultimate weapon — from Emperor Palpatine’s throne room and Darth Vader’s meditation chamber to a fully functional trash compactor, rotating superlaser dish and multiple modular sections that reveal the Death Star’s sprawling interiors. Measuring over 17 inches tall and 24 inches wide, the build also features display-ready brick version starships like the TIE Advanced x1 and Imperial Shuttle, connecting LEGO’s legacy of play with the scale and spectacle of cinematic world-building.

The LEGO Star Wars Death Star set is practically a museum-grade artifact that rewards patience, precision and fandom in equal measure. Designed for collectors and lifelong builders alike, it reaffirms why LEGO Star Wars remains a gold standard in pop culture craftsmanship. And ultimately, the series endures because it understands fun and fandom, bridging generations, between collectors and dreamers, between the past and the galaxies yet to come.

Start building your own LEGO Star Wars Death Star by heading to the official LEGO website.