Imagine all of your favorite Star Wars characters coming together no matter what era of the universe they’re in. Well, the new LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special did just that. The special takes the viewer on a nostalgic journey through Star Wars history, while still creating a new and exciting story for fans.
Note: There are spoilers beyond this point.
The 45-minute special takes place on Life Day, the holiday celebrated by people across the galaxy with festive decor, food and drink, and music to get people in the holiday spirit. The main characters of the holiday special — sequel trilogy stars Rey, Finn, Poe, and Rose — are getting ready to spend Life Day with Chewbacca’s family. However, Rey takes a break from party-planning to seek a better understanding of Jedi Lore so she can train Finn better. Yeah, that’s right — the special starts off with a force sensitive Finn training to become a Jedi. That in itself is incredible. Many fans of the show have wanted Finn to be a Jedi since the first movie of the new trilogy, The Force Awakens. This strong start to the special sets the bar for a great and entertaining story.
While at the Jedi Temple, Rey and BB-8 find a key that allows them to travel through space and time, which in turn can help her teach Finn by watching other masters teach their padawans. Through a portal, Rey and BB-8 are thrown into various scenes across decades of Star Wars stories. From Dagobah to Mustafar, Star Wars fans get a new perspective at some of the most iconic scenes across all nine movies. While watching Rey encounter these beloved characters — like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Anakin — the viewer gets a massive rush of excitement due to the equally excited Rey. She fangirls hard, and honestly, that’s a mood.
Much to her dismay, Rey encounters an interaction between Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, who end up spotting her. This begins a fast-paced, large lightsaber battle between the Jedi and Sith while the key takes them through multiple portals and moments within the franchise. On the way, several other characters tumble through the portal, like an older Han Solo and a younger Han Solo, some clone troopers, and Princess Leia. There was a quick pause in the momentum for Rey and Vader to admire how adorable The Child is from The Mandalorian, which was highly appreciated. We love that little green alien and his armored father. While the audience only gets short snippets of the different scenes, the pace of it keeps the story moving, effectively keeping the audience engaged.
One of the more entertaining scenes was when the dozens of characters who fell through time and space land on Tatooine and immediately begin a huge battle between those on the dark side and those on the light side. Seeing only the upper half of Darth Maul wield his double-sided lightsaber and three Obi-Wan’s from the different prequel movies all say “Hello There!” brought a sense of joy that we didn’t know we needed.
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Emperor Palpatine ends up getting a hold of the key and chaos ensues as him and Vader pop in on a shirtless Kylo Ren, who plays the part of an overzealous fan of Vader, making fun of how the movie version strives for approval and wants to be like his grandfather. In an epic fight scene between the three Sith, Rey, and Luke, it ends how it always was supposed to — Darth Vader betraying his master effectively eliminating The Emperor… until The Rise of Skywalker. After putting every character back where they’re supposed to be, Rey finally makes it to the Life Day party where those who she considers her family are celebrating.
The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special stays true to the whimsical feel from the notorious first holiday special that aired in 1978. The gags, including some LEGO specific jokes like the hair of a character popping off when they fall, truly granted the lightheartedness many fans long for that is absent within the movies. While the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special is meant to be a playful, corny take for Star Wars fans to enjoy this holiday season, it surprisingly put a bow on the franchise and relays an important message like all good Star Wars stories do: friends and family are the most important thing to celebrate during this time of joy and cheer.
You can stream the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special on Disney+ now.
