I’ve Changed My Mind, I Don’t Think LEGO’s New Star Wars ARC-170 Starfighter Is Too Pricey After All

I’ve changed my mind when it comes to LEGO Star Wars’ new ARC-170 Starfighter. Initially, I felt like the upcoming model was far too small considering its price tag. However, I did some digging and found a surprising truth about the new set (and current LEGO prices in general).

Debuting in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith, the ARC-170 was an impressive Republic starfighter flown during the Clone Wars. It was also the predecessor to the original trilogy’s X-Wings with a similar wing design. While LEGO released its first minifigure-sized model of the ARC-170 in 2005 to coincide with the final prequel movie’s release, it also released an updated model in 2010. This brings us to a third iteration of the ARC-170 15 years later which is set to be released on January 1st, and I’ve completely changed my tune about the upcoming LEGO set.

Rising LEGO Prices Have Been An Ongoing Complaint

Star Wars Models Like The New ARC-170 Are No Exception

It’s no secret that LEGO has been raising their prices lately, particularly when it comes to their licensed products with Disney such as Marvel and Star Wars. Naturally, paying $45 for LEGO’s upcoming 290-piece Ahsoka’s Jedi Interceptor does feel like it’s $15 too high. To that end, I initially felt as though the new ARC-170 Starfighter (75402) was another victim of LEGO’s price-hiking, especially with the starfighter being noticeably smaller than the previous two minifigure-size models.

Furthermore, I certainly haven’t been alone in feeling as though the ARC-170 is too expensive. It’s certainly been a point of contention among LEGO fans online, and many have written off the ship as not enough brick for the buck. However, I discovered something pretty surprising when looking at LEGO’s older ARC-170 models.

I Realized The Older ARC-170 Was Actually A Worse Deal

Adjusting For Inflation Reveals A Surprising Truth

When looking at the 2010 ARC-170 model, the ship is indeed bigger than the new version that will soon hit store shelves. Likewise, the 2010 model’s original retail price put it at $59.99, seemingly $10 cheaper than the new model’s $70 price point. However, I then adjusted for inflation, which revealed the actual value the older ARC-170 model would have today: $86.80, nearly $10 more than the upcoming set.

Despite being bigger, the 2010 iteration also had about 100 pieces less than the new version. As such, the 2010 ARC-170 is the more expensive set, while also having fewer pieces. This means that the 2025 ARC-170 is the better deal with its $70 price tag being more logical than it might have seemed initially.

Is The New ARC-170 Better Than The Older Versions?

It’s Up For Debate, But The Value Is Certainly Better

While it’s still up to the individual customer presence when it comes to the design, I did find it surprising that the new ARC-170 objectively has more value than the previous 2010 model. As such, this experiment has certainly led me to believe that the ongoing general sentiment that LEGO is raising prices across the board is perhaps more of a myth than social media would have one believe. That being said, this isn’t to say that LEGO’s not raising prices in certain cases, particularly when it comes to their smaller models.

Related

25 Most Expensive LEGO Star Wars Minifigures Of All Time

Not all Star Wars LEGO minifigures are created equal, as some are much more exclusive and valuable than others on the secondary market from resellers.

When it comes to the visual design of the new ARC-170, it seems as though this new iteration is denser with more detail compared to the previous models. The same could be argued for Star Wars LEGO’s 2024’s Star Destroyer which was similarly smaller than its predecessor (but still has more pieces). Likewise, I’m of the opinion that the smaller size for the ARC-170 actually looks better as it’s more accurate to the actual size of the movie’s starfighter in relation to its pilots. Regardless, I’m certainly going to be picking LEGO’s new ARC-170 when it releases in the new year.

Click here to view/pre-order ARC-170 Starfighter (75402) on LEGO.com

Your changes have been saved

Star Wars

Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.

Cast

Mark Hamill , James Earl Jones , David Prowse , Carrie Fisher , Harrison Ford , Daisy Ridley , Adam Driver , Ian McDiarmid , Ewan McGregor , Rosario Dawson , Lars Mikkelsen , Rupert Friend , Moses Ingram , Frank Oz , Pedro Pascal

TV Show(s)

The Mandalorian , Andor , Obi-Wan Kenobi , The Book of Boba Fett , Ahsoka , The Acolyte , Star Wars: Skeleton Crew , Lando , Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Star Wars Rebels , Star Wars: The Bad Batch , Star Wars: Resistance , Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures , Star Wars: Visions

Character(s)

Luke Skywalker , Han Solo , Rey Skywalker , Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious , Obi-Wan Kenobi , Ahsoka Tano , Grand Admiral Thrawn , Grand Inquisitor , Reva (The Third Sister) , The Fifth Brother , The Seventh Sister , The Eighth Brother , Yoda , Din Djarin , Grogu , Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader , Leia Organa , Ben Solo/Kylo Ren

Expand