Designing models of well-known characters in LEGO® bricks is no easy task. Capturing an actor’s unique likeness and giving them an expression is hard enough in any medium, but when using LEGO bricks, it’s even tougher.
LEGO® BRICKS
BUILD HOURS
LEGO® BRICKS
BUILD HOURS
KYLO REN, much like Darth Maul, presented a unique set of constraints as a character almost entirely constructed from Black LEGO bricks. While this monochromatic palette simplified the underlying structure of the build, it significantly complicated the visual design. The core question became: how do you effectively differentiate between various textures and distinct parts of the model when they are all the same colour? Our solution lay in dedicating extra time and precision to accurately shaping each individual area and meticulously defining the edges where different sections met, relying on form rather than colour to convey detail.
Kylo Ren’s dramatic, billowing cape was a prime example of this challenge. Replicating the fluid, wavy nature of fabric in rigid brick form required careful consideration. We opted to use primarily 1-stud wide LEGO bricks to avoid making the cape appear too thick. However, this narrow construction introduced its own set of challenges, as the inherent clutch power of the LEGO bricks sometimes caused unexpected pushing and pulling forces within the structure.
Kylo’s Crossguard Lightsaber, held in his characteristic reverse grip, also presented logistical challenges. With its three individual blades and the corresponding three sets of wiring that had to be seamlessly embedded within the LEGO structure and carefully routed through the character’s wrist, this particular build demanded some serious pre-planning and precise execution. We had to strike a delicate balance – ensuring the internal gaps were wide enough to accommodate all the necessary wiring while still maintaining the overall structural integrity and sturdiness of the model.
His face provides one of the few splashes of colour in the otherwise dark build, naturally drawing the viewer’s eye upwards along his imposing height and stature to his scowling, scarred features. Capturing Adam Driver’s unique likeness involved the extensive use of LEGO slopes, tiles, jumper plates, and brackets in a variety of Nougat and Light Nougat coloured elements.
With REY, our focus was on maintaining a sense of finer, less angular features. To convey her determined spirit, we incorporated small, angled tile elements to subtly shape her expression. Her iconic, windswept hair strands were created using dinosaur tail elements, which proved to be surprisingly effective.
She has bare sections on her arms and legs, which meant we had to use a lot more Light Nougat LEGO bricks than we usually do. One of the most challenging aspects of Rey’s construction was achieving the precise downward and forward tilt of her head relative to her more sideways-oriented body. To achieve this, we had to angle her entire neck downward where it connected to her shoulders and then further rotate her head again at the neck joint, just below the chin.
Another surprisingly challenging detail on Rey was accurately representing her ears! While most of the other characters either had helmets or flowing hair to partially obscure their ears, Daisy Ridley’s are much more exposed. We therefore designed her ears as separate sub-assemblies using rounded LEGO tiles and slopes before carefully integrating them into the overall head structure.
As a character relatively new to the Force at this point in the saga, Rey is still equipped with her trusty blaster, which was a fun element to build. We used a claw element as a trigger mechanism, combined with Reddish Brown LEGO parts to give the effect of leather.
Witness these incredible models and more at the world-first LEGO® Star Wars: The Exhibition. Embark on an epic, hands-on adventure through the Star Wars galaxy – Created by Ryan ‘Brickman’ McNaught and his talented team with over eight million LEGO bricks and 25,000+ build hours. Now open at Melbourne Museum.
