In the LEGO Star Wars series of sets, there have been six different versions of Slave 1, the ship used by Boba Fett, the bounty hunter. These six versions have ranged from small, almost pocket-sized models to larger ones measuring over a foot in length. Although he plays a relatively minor part in the overall Star Wars stories, his character has captured the imagination of many of the story's fans. As a result, his ship has also become an object of great interest.
According to the Star Wars plot, Boba Fett, the bounty hunter, has a role in the story in both Episodes V and VI. A bounty hunter, he's is hired by Darth Vader find Han Solo, capture him, and turn him over to the gangster Jaba the Hutt. Boba's ship, Slave 1, was passed down to him by his "father", Jango Fett (Boba is actually a Jango clone!), who, shall we say, "obtained" it during his escape from the prison located on Oovo IV. The ship was a prototype of the Imperial Firespray class patrol ship. Jango stole it while making his escape from the prison.
Jango called the ship Slave 1, and he began a program of major upgrades and put a lot of effort into re-arming the ship. After he brought the ship to the Kuat Drive Yards he had their powerful drive engines squeezed into the ship, taking up two-thirds of the room in the hull. The weapons added to the ship included two sets of twin blaster cannons, two projectile launchers, and two rapid-firing laser cannons. There was also a system for mine laying that could deploy seismic charges.
The LEGO versions of Slave 1 feature a lot of these weapons. The level of detail in the models has increased as with each new model that has been released. The first release of Slave 1, designated LEGO 7144, was released in the year 2000. While it captured the basic elements of Slave 1, it looked a bit primitive, since it didn't have the specially designed elements that were added to the later models. This initial version looked a lot like something a LEGO fan would build using nothing but basic LEGO parts.
The Slave 1 version released next by LEGO was designated as LEGO 7153. Here, the quality and level of detail began to improve a bit. The cockpit for this ship was a piece of molded plastic with a dark tint. The pieces on the upper side of the landing shoe were also special pieces, which gave it a more finished look. This model was larger, it had more than two times as many pieces, (358), as the 7144 version, which had just 165 pieces. This set also came with mini-figures, unlike its predecessor.
The Slave 1 model designated LEGO 6209 came next, released in 2006. Once again it was a larger model than the previous one, having 537 elements. At this point the design of LEGO Slave 1 really began to come into its own. The number of specialized parts increased substantially, which gave the ship a much more finished appearance. The ship includes a cargo hatch that can open to load the Carbonited Han Solo aboard. The finished ship included the mine launchers, as well as the missile launchers. The twin cannon arrays are also present. The total of four mini-figures (five if you count the Carbonited Han Solo) was the most to be included in a Slave 1 set up to this point.
The most recent version of Slave 1, LEGO 8097, is the model currently available and still in production. It is again larger than its predecessor, but only marginally - 572 elements vs. 537. The finish and quality of the model have improved yet again, with even greater use of special elements to create a more finished appearance. The cockpit cover can be opened, and a mini-figure seated inside. This set contains three mini-figures, plus the Carbonite skid, which is designed to allow the Han Solo mini-figure to be inserted into it, for really great realism. The finish details on this latest model are really impressive, and the completed ship has a real look of authenticity to it.
Finally, the last two versions of Slave 1 that LEGO produced were mini- (pocket-sized) versions of Solo's ship. The one designated LEGO 20019 was included with the January 2011 Brickmaster Catalog issue. It wasn't intended for sale in stores. The other miniature was one part of a two-ship set that was released in 2003 - the second ship was a model of the Delta-7 Aethersprite Class Starfighter flown by Obie-Wan Kenobi. These older Slave 1 LEGO sets are all available in the reseller market, and the current set is available on the primary retail market, so it's never too late to build out your collection of Slave 1 ships. If you don't have a Slave 1 in your fleet, better get one soon before they do disappear.
According to the Star Wars plot, Boba Fett, the bounty hunter, has a role in the story in both Episodes V and VI. A bounty hunter, he's is hired by Darth Vader find Han Solo, capture him, and turn him over to the gangster Jaba the Hutt. Boba's ship, Slave 1, was passed down to him by his "father", Jango Fett (Boba is actually a Jango clone!), who, shall we say, "obtained" it during his escape from the prison located on Oovo IV. The ship was a prototype of the Imperial Firespray class patrol ship. Jango stole it while making his escape from the prison.
Jango called the ship Slave 1, and he began a program of major upgrades and put a lot of effort into re-arming the ship. After he brought the ship to the Kuat Drive Yards he had their powerful drive engines squeezed into the ship, taking up two-thirds of the room in the hull. The weapons added to the ship included two sets of twin blaster cannons, two projectile launchers, and two rapid-firing laser cannons. There was also a system for mine laying that could deploy seismic charges.
The LEGO versions of Slave 1 feature a lot of these weapons. The level of detail in the models has increased as with each new model that has been released. The first release of Slave 1, designated LEGO 7144, was released in the year 2000. While it captured the basic elements of Slave 1, it looked a bit primitive, since it didn't have the specially designed elements that were added to the later models. This initial version looked a lot like something a LEGO fan would build using nothing but basic LEGO parts.
The Slave 1 version released next by LEGO was designated as LEGO 7153. Here, the quality and level of detail began to improve a bit. The cockpit for this ship was a piece of molded plastic with a dark tint. The pieces on the upper side of the landing shoe were also special pieces, which gave it a more finished look. This model was larger, it had more than two times as many pieces, (358), as the 7144 version, which had just 165 pieces. This set also came with mini-figures, unlike its predecessor.
The Slave 1 model designated LEGO 6209 came next, released in 2006. Once again it was a larger model than the previous one, having 537 elements. At this point the design of LEGO Slave 1 really began to come into its own. The number of specialized parts increased substantially, which gave the ship a much more finished appearance. The ship includes a cargo hatch that can open to load the Carbonited Han Solo aboard. The finished ship included the mine launchers, as well as the missile launchers. The twin cannon arrays are also present. The total of four mini-figures (five if you count the Carbonited Han Solo) was the most to be included in a Slave 1 set up to this point.
The most recent version of Slave 1, LEGO 8097, is the model currently available and still in production. It is again larger than its predecessor, but only marginally - 572 elements vs. 537. The finish and quality of the model have improved yet again, with even greater use of special elements to create a more finished appearance. The cockpit cover can be opened, and a mini-figure seated inside. This set contains three mini-figures, plus the Carbonite skid, which is designed to allow the Han Solo mini-figure to be inserted into it, for really great realism. The finish details on this latest model are really impressive, and the completed ship has a real look of authenticity to it.
Finally, the last two versions of Slave 1 that LEGO produced were mini- (pocket-sized) versions of Solo's ship. The one designated LEGO 20019 was included with the January 2011 Brickmaster Catalog issue. It wasn't intended for sale in stores. The other miniature was one part of a two-ship set that was released in 2003 - the second ship was a model of the Delta-7 Aethersprite Class Starfighter flown by Obie-Wan Kenobi. These older Slave 1 LEGO sets are all available in the reseller market, and the current set is available on the primary retail market, so it's never too late to build out your collection of Slave 1 ships. If you don't have a Slave 1 in your fleet, better get one soon before they do disappear.
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For more about the LEGO Slave 1 sets, such as where to buy them and find the lowest prices, click on Lego Slave 1. To find more great LEGO Star Wars themed gifts, click on Lego Star Wars Sets, where you can find lots of information on some of the best Star Wars LEGO sets.
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