Review: 75357 Ghost & Phantom II

Star Wars Rebels was launched in 2014 and the Ghost, a reliable VCX-100 light freighter, formed an integral part of the animated series. Now this celebrated vessel is returning for the upcoming Ahsoka series on Disney+, providing inspiration for 75357 Ghost & Phantom II.

This 1394-piece rendition of the transport looks spectacular in official images, cleverly incorporating the Phantom II shuttle and including an extensive interior. Taking these factors into consideration, as well as the desirable characters provided, I think this could be among the best Star Wars sets released this year!

Minifigures

Among the original members of the Ghost crew, General Hera Syndulla was the most eager to become involved in the wider Rebel Alliance, so her elevated rank seems appropriate. The rank indicator on her torso is accurate and I like Hera’s jacket, displaying the correct sigil on the back and fur around the collar, while her lekku are intricately decorated with circular patterns.

Jacen Syndulla is introduced at the very end of Star Wars Rebels, as Hera and Kanan Jarrus’ son. The animated character’s hair was green, but this minifigure features a dark brown piece instead, which looks excellent. Furthermore, the double-sided head is unique and adds to the array of warm tan heads available, while the torso is nicely detailed as well.

Short legs were probably a good choice to reflect Jacen’s age, but their inability to bend limits how he can interact with the Ghost, unfortunately. I would have preferred medium legs. Jacen lacks accessories, but Hera is armed with her blaster pistol and features a determined face for combat, as an alternative to a smile.

C1-10P, better known as Chopper, is Hera’s faithful droid companion. This version of the droid is simpler than the equivalent introduced in 2014 and I am disappointed with the printing on his conical head, which comes nowhere near covering its whole circumference, unlike the Chopper figure produced before. Of course, the design being printed askew is also frustrating.

The torso fares better, especially since printing covers both sides. The mix of white and light bluish grey elements is unexpected, but that looks reasonable too, in my opinion. Moreover, I like the short legs and the 1×1 round tile on top of the head is a welcome addition, representing Chopper’s external transmitter.

Two new characters complete the minifigure roster, beginning with First Officer Hawkins. Like Hera, this minifigure wears a Rebel rank indicator and his uniform is similar to officers featured in Return of the Jedi, notably including Crix Madine. Additionally, the hair element corresponds with Hawkins’ appearance in trailers and his head is new.

Lieutenant Beyta also appears briefly in trailers for the Ahsoka series and adds another Mon Calamari to the range of Star Wars minifigures. The head designed for Admiral Ackbar in 2009 continues to look superb, but is uniquely decorated with orange markings on this occasion. The lieutenant’s New Republic flight suit is also impressively detailed, particularly across the front.

The balance between new features and those similar to the classic Rebel Alliance flight suit is effective, including a familiar ejection harness and a smaller life-support pack on the torso and legs. Beyta carries a standard blaster pistol, while Hawkins is shown unarmed in the instruction manual. However, an extra blaster is available aboard the Phantom II.

Reference

Source – starwars.fandom.com

The Completed Model

75053 The Ghost was released alongside Star Wars Rebels in 2014 and was well-received at the time. The original model measured 33cm in length and this iteration is only one centimetre longer, although dramatically improves upon the shape of its precursor, as well as the detailing. Of course, such upgrades are expected given the much-increased piece count and price. I will publish a full comparison article soon.

The cockpit and forward gunner station are probably the most familiar areas of this model, as the same canopy elements were used in 2014. However, their colour has changed to the new trans-black shade, which debuted in 75346 Pirate Snub Fighter. These canopies look fantastic together and the surrounding bodywork is surprisingly complex, even featuring two stickers.

A pair of adjustable laser cannons are located beneath the gunner station, corresponding with the onscreen freighter. However, the lower deck and ramp are missing. I recognise they would not be minifigure-scale, but the ramp in particular would be welcome for display and may serve a practical purpose because this structure could support the ship from below.

Instead, the model stands on three landing legs, reinforced with Technic axles. These can be removed, but do not interfere too much with the overall appearance of the vehicle. In addition, the Technic structure underneath is relatively well hidden, although a couple of light bluish grey Technic frames are visible towards the front, when viewed from low angles.

Two functions are found on the underside, both linked to a 13M Technic beam, located behind the forward landing leg. Sliding this Technic beam sideways activates the pair of spring-loaded shooters and rotates the laser cannons. The assembly works smoothly and the dark bluish grey beam is comfortably accessible when gripping the model, although the spring-loaded shooters can be fired accidentally.

Both canopies open, although only the cockpit is readily accessible to place minifigures inside. Lowering the forward bubble instead reveals an accurate control yoke, which makes ingenious use of the pearl dark grey hilt developed for Inquisitors’ lightsabers. I would expect to find some controls in here, but this yoke is incredibly detailed.

The gunner can be placed inside by completely removing this section of the Ghost, which slots into the fuselage and connects via two clips. This provides easier access to the cockpit and the relative positions of these two control stations are perfect, so the pilot can converse directly with the forward gunner underneath, exactly as shown in Star Wars Rebels.

Furthermore, the exterior looks brilliant. The sand green, sand blue and flame yellowish orange panels stand out beautifully against the white armour, with occasional red highlights too. These correspond with the onscreen vessel and I welcome the use of plates and tiles here, instead of relying heavily on stickers. Even so, a total of 25 stickers are provided, many of which are used for subtler details.

A pair of new 1x6x1 slopes are integrated immediately in front of the dorsal laser cannon turret, recreating the gradual taper of the bodywork. The resulting shape is impressive, but the actual turret is positioned noticeably further back than it should be. Moreover, the twin laser cannons cannot rotate around the bubble, only raising and lowering on hinges.

I could understand compromising either the turret’s position or its motion if necessary, but this design lacks both, which is disappointing. Also, the dorsal laser cannons are typically oriented towards the stern when not in use. However, there is ample space for a minifigure beneath the trans-black dome, while the laser cannons themselves are reasonably detailed.

The dorsal turret and surrounding armour is removable, revealing a spacious interior. There is room for numerous minifigures inside, although only one can sit in the cockpit, which is slightly elevated above the main hold. I like the control yoke here and the steps, but the lack of a proper seat is odd, given the available space.

Conversely, the model does include a sink and a crate, which contains a brick-built meiloorun. The orange fruit memorably appeared in the fourth episode of Star Wars Rebels and is a neat inclusion for fans of the animated series. Also, I like the stickered hazard stripes and Aurebesh text on the floor, which reads ‘airlock’. These corridors would indeed lead to the docking rings, so the warnings are appropriate.

The rear section leaves a lot to be desired. Given its proximity to the engines, this would have been an ideal place for some internal mechanical detail. Alternatively, there is ample space for the bunk beds shown regularly in Star Wars Rebels, maybe featuring some of Sabine’s artwork or the hidden storage compartment where Kanan keeps a holocron.

Boarding ramps can be lowered on each side, underneath the docking rings. I suppose these are a welcome addition and they do not interfere with the interior, but the onscreen freighter is accessed through a forward ramp, as mentioned earlier. Furthermore, each docking ring is only supported by one Technic axle, so they are not nearly as secure as I envisaged.

Nevertheless, the docking rings look excellent and I am impressed with the texture around the edges of the fuselage, seamlessly sandwiched between armour panels above and below. Also, there are no conspicuous gaps between the Ghost and the attached Phantom II. This shuttle is admittedly oversized in relation to its mother ship, but that was unavoidable at this scale.

Once detached, the Phantom II leaves behind a substantial gap in the fuselage, although this does not expose any awkward colours or unsightly structural features. In fact, this provides a good view of the remarkably simple connection method, comprising a reddish brown Technic axle and a single stud. While this seems inadequate, I have found the shuttle remains secure even when the Ghost is inverted.

The engine cluster is absolutely outstanding, with trans-opalescent blue dishes fixed on the tip of each nacelle. The engines glow yellow in Star Wars Rebels, but presumably that changes in the Ahsoka series or the designer simply preferred blue. The texture on the engines is stunning as well, making effective use of droid arms and dark bluish grey sausages for smaller details.

Even though it is not perfectly in scale with the Ghost, the Phantom II is surprisingly compact, measuring just 12cm in length. Also, the model still looks very good, accurately recreating the proportions of the modified Sheathipede-class shuttle and featuring a balanced colour scheme of white and flame yellowish orange to match the source material.

The nose is probably the weakest area of the design, as the cockpit should extend to the very front and the bodywork underneath should slope away, avoiding the flat shape seen here. The sticker on the nose looks nice though and I like the laser cannons beside the cockpit. Moreover, there is space for Chopper’s head on the starboard side, where the Astromech droid socket is found. This is not shown anywhere in official images or the instruction manual, but was surely intentional.

I presume the nose has been constructed this way to accommodate hinges underneath, so it opens for easy access to the interior. The function is welcome, but I think a simple removable canopy would have been acceptable here, given the scale of the shuttle. There is only enough room for one minifigure inside, but even Hera’s lekku fit comfortably.

The shaping improves towards the back, where 1×2 inside curved slopes create an attractive curve between the flat sections of the fuselage and the central stabiliser. Only a few studs are visible across the outside and the smooth bodywork looks lovely, especially in combination with texture on the front of the stabiliser. The stickered Tibidee symbols on either side are accurate too.

Trans-blue 1×1 round tiles represent the engines. These are shown to be yellow in trailers for the Ahsoka series, but I think consistency with the Ghost was a sensible decision. Despite the lack of a passenger compartment, there is an opening door on the rear of the Phantom II, which covers a pearl silver blaster pistol and a pair of macrobinoculars inside.

Overall

75357 Ghost & Phantom II was revealed to acclaim in July and I have been looking forward to the set more than any other released this summer. Fortunately, the Ghost does not disappoint! The vehicle looks absolutely stunning, featuring an accurate colour combination and wonderful texture across the exterior, substantially improving on 75053 The Ghost. The model also feels very tactile, as every panel is firmly attached.

There are minor issues, as the dorsal turret is positioned incorrectly and the Phantom II’s shape could be better. I think the interior could be more detailed as well, although the amount of space is remarkable. The price of £149.99, $159.99 or €159.99 feels slightly expensive, especially with only five characters included, but the Ghost compares favourably with 75257 Millennium Falcon, for example. As I hoped, this is undoubtedly among the best Star Wars sets of the year.