Review: LEGO 75397 UCS Jabba’s Sail Barge (2024)
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The LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series (UCS) continues to expand its extensive lineup, in October 2024 the 75397 UCS Jabba’s Sail Barge joins the collectiom. The Khetanna has previously appeared in play-scale form in 2006 and 2013, but this version promises to be the biggest and best one yet.
The LEGO 75397 UCS Jabba’s Sail Barge officially goes on sale on 3 October 2024 (for LEGO Insiders) worldwide, exclusively on LEGO.com, and if you order at launch, you’ll also receive a free 40730 Luke Skywalker’s Lightsaber gift with purchase (GWP) to accompany your purchase.
With 11 characters, and priced at US$500 / AU$800 / £429.99, it’s a hefty ask like all big UCS sets. Does it do justice to the Tatooine gangster’s ship? Let’s find out!
Prices and regional product pages:
- 75397 UCS Jabba’s Sail Barge [US] – US$499.99
- 75397 UCS Jabba’s Sail Barge [AUS] – AU$799.99
- 75397 UCS Jabba’s Sail Barge [UK] – £429.99
- 75397 UCS Jabba’s Sail Barge [EU] – €499.99
- 75397 UCS Jabba’s Sail Barge [CA] – CAD$649.99
Special thanks to the LEGO Group for sending this set over for review. If you’re planning on purchasing the UCS Jabba’s Sail Barge, please consider using the affiliate links in this post. I may earn a small commission with each purchase that helps support the work I do on the blog!
75397 Jabba’s Sail Barge
75397
Jabba’s Sail Barge
11 (Bib Fortuna, Princess Leia, C-3PO, Max Rebo, Kithaba, Vizam, Wooof, Gamorrean Guard, Jabba the Hutt, Salacious Crumb, and R2-D2)
3942
US$499.99 / AU$799.99 / €499.99 / £429.99 / CAD$649.99
3 October 2024 (Insiders Early Access)
César Soares (@cesbrick), Graphics & Minifigs by Martin Fink
Unboxing
The box is suitably massive, befitting a UCS set of this price and part count. The 25th anniversary metallic sand blue border wraps around the bottom, while Tatooine’s twin suns cast an backlit glow on the back which helps the Barge stand out from the black background.
The back of the box showcases some interior shots and comparison images.
The full minifigure selection is displayed on top, with a 1:1 picture of Jabba. Salacious Crumb for scale.
Inside the box you’ll find two smaller boxes, with pictures of Salacious Crumb and Max Rebo on the side. Pretty standard practice for large UCS sets (the UCS Venator did this as well) and helps to make the unboxing process less hectic.
Inside, all the bags are made from paper, in accordance with LEGO’s shift towards sustainability. (Some of the smaller interior bags inside are plastic though).
The instruction manuals come inside this cardboard folder to protect them from damage, which is always welcome.
Inside you’ll find both manuals (showing the front and rear of the barge) along with a modest sticker sheet.
The sticker sheet is very small for a set of this size, but considering it’s US$500 it would’ve been nice to get all prints. Then again, some of the designs are very niche.
The manuals have some detailed information about the model and the in-universe barge.
The sails came packaged in this paper envelope, with specific instructions not to cut the package open.
Building the LEGO UCS Jabba’s Sail Barge
The building process consists of 35 bags divided into 32 stages. I really enjoyed the build process more than most other UCS sets – the model had a lot of interior detail which was more engaging than plain Technic structure which is common on many of the other larger UCS models.
UCS Jabba’s Sail Barge Minifigures
Jabba the Hutt makes his LEGO return – still sporting the same mould, but with minor (arguably insignificant) cosmetic updates to the printed wrinkles on the front and back of his body.
Jabba is made from two unique specialised pieces that came in their own separate paper bags. A Technic pin connection allows the upper body to rotate, and the arms are poseable as well. Anti-stud connections are available on the underside, however Jabba cannot attach to a studded baseplate, instead requiring at least a raised plate to fasten him on.
The controversial Huttslayer Leia returns, making her first appearance since 2013, and I think this is the best version yet. She becomes one of the few LEGO Star Wars minifigures to feature dual-moulded legs to depict her dark red skirt, which does kind of look like pants but I think it is a reasonable compromise. Her new rubbery hair mold looks great, and she has a neck bracket piece to connect to the included chain element.
The standard C-3PO minifigure is included here. Arm printing is great as usual but the lack of the dual-molded right leg is infuriating especially considering the price point of the set – it really does look subpar with the patchy silver printing, instead of a proper C-3PO from 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder.
R2-D2 is included with a tray attachment (2×4 plate) complete with some very nice dual-molded cups that I have not personally encountered before, but tend to show up in Harry Potter sets. He has back printing which is good to see, no complaints here.
Moving on to Jabba’s gang, we have his right-hand man Bib Fortuna. This figure is also frustrating as it uses the thick lekku headpiece introduced in 2022, which reflects Fortuna’s chubbier physique in The Book of Boba Fett. That is not accurate to his look in Return of the Jedi, which is a disappointing oversight for a set of this calibre. The rest of the figure looks fine though.
Max Rebo returns and is unchanged from his 2013 debut, but honestly looks good enough as the in-universe character design is fairly simplistic. The rubbery head mold is really cute as well.
One Gamorrean Guard is included; this variant is unchanged from 2022 and uses the head mold first introduced in 2012, but this is forgivable as the minifigure still looks excellent and maintains consistency with its generic predecessors.
Moving on to named grunts, we have Kithaba, a Klatooinian skiff guard. This minifigure has been updated and looks good – I particularly like the bandana and headpiece combination here – and the torso print is neat. He can be equipped with a brown musket piece, but this is usually stowed away in the barge’s weapons rack.
Next up is a Nikto named Wooof, which is certainly an interesting name. This minifigure features a new helmet mold and new face/torso prints, so looks good and has a high level of effort considering he’s basically a generic grunt.
Another Nikto is included, this one being named Vizam, who has a recolored hat mold first introduced in 2016. Like his two companions, Vizam does not have printed legs, but nevertheless still looks reasonable for a minor character.
Salacious Crumb has been updated for 2024 – this version now sports eyes without printed pupils which has been a controversial change. The one-piece mould has a singular anti-stud at the base so can be held by other minifigures or attached to studded surfaces.
On the whole, there is a nice lineup of minifigures but it is definitely weaker than it could have been – in part because many of the key characters from the Sail Barge scene already appeared in 75396 Desert Skiff & Sarlacc Pit! The reuse of inaccurate/under-detailed pieces on figures like Bib Fortuna and C-3PO is also disappointing considering this is a US$500 set, where you’d expect a higher level of detail for the premium price LEGO is asking.
Completed Model
The UCS plaque is separate from the main model in this set, with a large flat platform to place Jabba the Hutt. The printed 8×16 tile with the fact sheet looks excellent, and the 25th Anniversary brick is a nice touch too.
A 2-wide display stand is also included for the rest of the minifigures, with special accommodation for figures like R2-D2 and Salacious Crumb. Unfortunately, due to its plate-stacking design, it does warp upwards slightly on either end which looks odd.
Moving on to Jabba’s Sail Barge, this model measures 77cm (30″) long and 25cm (10″) tall, commanding a significant presence on display which its playset predecessors lacked.
The brown colour scheme is a little dull, although some effort has gone into breaking the monotony with the use of some dark brown highlights to show weathering. The dark orange textile sails add a splash of colour on the top as well.
The front of the barge looks excellent, with several wedge-shaped panels meshed together tightly to achieve the angled, rounded front fascia.
The rear is impressive as well, although the (admittedly still minimal) gaps between panels are slightly larger here. The use of 1×2 grilles adds some welcome texturing, as do the three rectangular exhaust ports at the rear. The outer two exhaust sub-assemblies are slightly wobbly though, as they are only attached with one Technic axle each.
The barge rests on three Technic stands, and its length really makes it look suitably grand on display. The shaping and proportions are also excellent, making it a model you can happily sit and admire for extended periods of time.
There are some posable details towards the rear – one ball-jointed flap on either side and a bunch of windows with grille tiles.
The two sails on top are identical and made from a cloth-like material. They are printed on top and connected via a Technic ball-jointed skeleton, which enables posability.
There is room for minifigures to stand on the sail barge’s deck under the sails, which looks great for display.
For play and posing, however, the sails can be easily detached as they are only connected via one axle each. This grants greater access to the deck of the Khetanna, which features some lovely mechanical detail and has rubber guardrails running up and down the entire perimeter.
Unlike the rest of the barge’s exterior, the deck is predominantly dark grey in color. A pair of access ports (using window elements mounted sideways) enable minifigure access to the interior – these actually lineup with a pair of ladders on the lower level which is great thoughtful design.
Further behind is another suspiciously-shaped 6×6 box; this is also another access point for minifigures to the lower level.
Removing the 6×6 tile on top and reveals another ladder inside, which enables minifigures to climb down into the lower sections.
The rear of the deck is stepped; stairs are included so minifigures can access the higher levels. The main deck cannon is obviously the highlight here but the deck also includes a pair of smaller guns that can be clipped on at any point in of the guardrails.
The deck cannon looks great, in particular the use of Technic gears and minifigure rollerskate elements for mechanical detail. A minifigure can be attached via studs at the side to control it, and you can point the cannon at the deck to replicate the Khetanna‘s memorable destruction.
The barge has three opening panels on either side, which fold down thanks to a simple Technic pin connection.
With the panels folded down, you can see the interior, which is split into four key sections.
To enable easier access, the deck can be removed in two parts. These are not connected by any studs but they slot into position securely and the rear half has connection points with the folding side panels.
This allows us to gain a better look at the interior. The barge as a whole seems to be relatively close to minifigure scale but the interior does seem a little bit smaller than it should – perhaps due to the space constraints posed by the angled panels.
Starting at the rear, we have Jabba’s room, which features a small corner for Max Rebo to perform.
He is flanked by some streetlamp pieces recolored in nougat which look excellent. Max Rebo also gets his brick-built Red Ball Jett keyboard, which can rotate and looks fairly accurate.
A couple of suspicious exposed studs are included in the wall cutouts on either side.
This is actually a place where you can pose a minifigure to look through the windows of the Sail Barge – the windows are too high for minifigures placed on the interior floor.
This feature works decently well and I think it’s a reasonable compromise between balancing the interior and exterior appearance.
Jabba gets a brick-built dais which looks excellent and has one stud connection. A chain piece is included for him to hold on to Huttslayer Leia.
The chain piece is just somewhat long enough to wrap around Jabba’s neck, to recreate his dramatic end.
With the figures removed, you can see the dais is built on its side with one singular stud connection for Jabba. There’s some unique brick-built architectural designs at the rear, along with a stickered 2×3 tile with a graphic of Jabba on the wall.
The next room is the kitchen, which features one of the main ladders that leads to the upper deck.
This can be easily removed (it’s only attached with a couple studs) to grant better access to the kitchen.
The kitchen is really well laid out, with lots of accessories clipped onto the walls. A pair of stickered 2×2 tiles depicting menus are on the wall, along with a frog on the floor. Some clever upside-down building techniques has also been used for the plates in the cabinet.
The counter forms an L-shape, with some additional drawers and food accessories.
The next room is the prison room, which also features another pair of ladders to the upper deck.
The ladders can also be removed to access a weapons rack behind, which feature a wide array of accessories for the included minifigures.
The prison cell itself can also be removed easily as it is also only attached by a couple of studs.
Inside there’s a seat, a bone, and a stickered 2×4 tile with some tally marks.
The reverse of the barge also has a removable wall to give better access to the prison cell.
The final room is the cockpit, which features two large seats.
A simple sliding door links the cockpit to the weapons rack and prison room; this slides out of the way easily and minifigures can walk through.
A pair of brick-built seats complete with backrests and headrests are included which can each hold one minifigure. Three stickered tiles form the display screens, along with a few more printed slopes and tiles for extra detail.
Final Thoughts
On the whole, 75397 Jabba’s Sail Barge is a mixed bag. The build itself is truly well done, and was a joy to build from start to finish as I especially love interior-centric builds. The minifigure selection is relatively large but also lacking in some details – the compromises on the Bib Fortuna and C-3PO minifigures are frustrating, and you’ll need to spend another US$80 on 75396 to get the full character lineup from the climactic Return of the Jedi scene featuring the Barge, and Luke’s heroic rescue.
The retail price is also a tough ask. At US$500 / AU$800, the set is the joint-7th most expensive UCS set of all time, and I’m not convinced it fully justifies its price point.
While it looks impressive on display, the compromises on the minifigures and the piece count of just 3,942 pieces are not what you would typically expect from a set at this price. It’s also a relatively monochrome brown, which may dissuade some potential buyers in terms of display value, and certainly isn’t as iconic as a Death Star, Star Destroyer, or even the Razor Crest which all hover within this price range.
Hutt-core collectors may be willing to overlook these flaws–and they’ll find a lot to like here–but the combination of these factors makes the value proposition and a solid recommendation to purchase at full price a hard one.
With LEGO creating a trend of discounting large UCS sets like these fairly often, unless you absolutely need the 40730 Luke Skywalker’s Lightsaber GWP to add to your collection, it’s probably best to wait for a sale to get the most out of this purchase.
Final Score
Audience rating
Thanks for reading! 75397 UCS Jabba’s Sail Barge will available exclusively from LEGO.com or your local LEGO store from 3 October 2024 (Insiders Early Access), ahead of a 6 October general release date.
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