LEGO Star Wars Slave I (8097) Review

One of the most memorable ships in the Star Wars Universe is the Slave I and in July 2010, LEGO released set 8097 for all the collectors. The Slave I set celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. It contains 573 pieces and includes three minifigures. The set retails for $79.99 which is around $0.14/piece.

Minifigs

As stated before, there are three minifigs included with the Slave I: Boba Fett, Bossk, and Han Solo. Boba Fett has a new design with more detailing than the previous version. He carries his blaster and also has some additional armor pieces for his accessories. Bossk is in this yellow suit and carries a blaster rifle. Han is in the clothes where he is frozen in carbonite. There is also a carbonite piece to store Han in.

Build

The main colors of the Slave I are green, red, and gray. It has a decent amount of weight and has a lot of playability with it. One of the main features of the set is the wings are able to turn depending on which way the ship is angled. If it is laying flat, the wings will be aligned with the rest of the ship. If it is in the vertical “flight mode”, the wings will turn 90 degrees because of gravity. Also the cockpit is able to turn along with the wings. The windshield is completely removable although I would’ve liked it to be hinged.

There are some other features of the Slave I including the weapon mechanics. In the middle of the ship, right under the cockpit, there is a door which hides the missile system. It is able to launch four flick-fire missile by pushing the lever from behind the ship. On the side of the ship, there are hatches that open on either side to reveal more flick missiles. At the bottom, there are two twin blaster cannons that is able to rotate 360 degrees but it might hit the side of the ship if they are turned up. Not a big deal to me but some might not like that.

Other things that are included are compartments throughout the sides of the ship to store small items such as Boba Fett’s extra armor and accessories. Another major feature of the ship is the cargo bay to hold the Carbonite Han Solo. Although it is a cargo bay, there’s no room to fit the Bossk minifig. I wish there was a place to put him on the ship instead of leaving him behind.

Results

There are many good points and bad points for the Slave I but the good ones outweigh the bad. First, the minifigures included are very nice. Boba Fett is exclusive to this set as well as Han Solo. Bossk is pretty rare because he only appears in one other set, the Ultimate Collector’s Series Super Star Destroyer (10221). As mentioned before, the Slave I has a lot of playability. Younger kids won’t have problems playing with it at all.

For the cons of the set, there are a few stickers that you will have to put on, mainly on the windshield. One other thing I didn’t really like about it is there’s no place to put Bossk. You can stand him on the cargo ramp but that’s unrealistic if you are flying it around. One last minor complaint is that it’s a little difficult to display the ship in “flight mode”. It easily tips over when it’s standalone and pieces of the wing will break off. If you don’t have anything to support it standing, I would suggest leaving it flat. Again, those minor cons are just inconveniences and aren’t a big deal.

Even though the retail price of the Slave I is $79.99, I would still recommend getting it just because it’s one of the most iconic ships in Star Wars. Yes the price might be a little high but the value of it will double or even triple in a couple of years. So get one now before LEGO discontinues and makes way for other sets.

LEGO Star Wars Slave I (8097)

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