The spirit of Star Wars: 75357 Ghost & Phantom II review

For many fans of the Star Wars Rebels series, the appearance of the iconic Ghost spaceship in the Ahsoka series was the one of the best news of the year. This VCX-100 class light freighter is, together with the T-6 1974, the main vehicle tandem in the latest Star Wars series. LEGO has already used this ship once, during the Rebels series; then the 75053 model was created in 2014.
Now, less than 10 years after the first iteration, Ghost returns in a refreshed version as 75357 Ghost & Phantom II.

Ghost

The 1,394 parts of this set form a large, yet very neat ship. As befits such a large model, its frame consists of a large number of solid Technic elements, cleverly connected with countless pins. This construction is covered with plates in various shapes and colors. During construction, it’s a great pleasure to watch the raw scaffolding gradually taking shape, and in the early stages of construction we can only guess where the individual parts of the ship will be built. Surprisingly, once the chassis and floors are built, the upper fuselage comes together very quickly. These are four large panels, attached to the rest of the structure with clips, and the compactness of the structure is ensured by solidly built and fastened docking locks.

The silhouette of the ship is perfectly complemented by a strip of gray bricks along the sides, which not only fills the gaps and creates a compact hull, but also, thanks to the use of the reverses of the bricks, creates an interesting detail that contrasts with the dominant white. Similarly, on the upper part of the hull, details in sand green, sand blue and flame yellowish contrast with the white, enriching the texture of the hull. Although the ship lacks the characteristic “beard” in the form of a front – a lower loading ramp, and the upper gun turret doesn’t rotate, the shape and design of the ship are more than successful.
You just need to be careful when moving this model. The cannon located at the bottom of the hull rotates horizontally and activates a spring-loaded cannon that can fire accidentally.

Phantom II

Above the engine section, which is very nicely depicted in the brick version, rests a tiny shuttle: Phantom II. Made mainly in the SNOT technique, the ship makes a really great impression, with the horizontal refinement of the shape and the roundness of the hull. The Phantom II’s silhouette nicely complements that of its mothership. Of course, in this scale the minifigure rests in the cabin in a semi-reclined position, but it’s not a problem, especially compared to not so hospitable 75362 T-6 Jedi Shuttle 😉

The Crew

I think we all would like the refreshed Ghost to have its classic crew: that colorful band of adventurers known from Rebels. However, we cannot forget that the condition of this crew in Ahsoka is different: only Hera Syndulla and the reliable and indispensable droid C1-10P, better known as Chopper, remain from the old days. The spirit of Kanan Jarrus is present in their son, Jacen Syndulla.

The crew is complemented by First Officer Hawkins and Lieutenant Beyta. Of course, the Hera minifigure is the biggest decoration of this set: The most impressive thing is the casting of the lekku with the leather pilot’s cap, which, together with the brown jacket, stylizes this fig as a retro ace of the sky. Jacen is quite a nice minifigure too, although for unknown reasons the boy doesn’t have green hair, like his on-screen prototype, but brown. The Hawkins and Beyta figures ensure that the team is diversified, as we have a human and a Mon Calamari here. This differentiation looks great in photos.

Photographing Ghost

As everyone knows, it is not easy to take a photo of a ghost. It is no different with the Ghost. The specific, very compact silhouette of this vehicle requires more planning than, for example, the elegant shape of the already mentioned T-6. The squat and wedge-shaped body of the ship looks good on land, cutting into the landscape. Just like a house, only with cannons.

However, we’ll have to wait for photos in space, because this set actually needs a lot of space to photograph it. It’s also quite spacious inside though; there are also some cool details, such as the meiloorun fruit [an Easter egg referring to Star Wars Rebels season 1 episode 4 “Fighter Flight”] and warning markings on the floor.

Fortunately, I don’t lack space outdoors, so turned my garden into the forested surface of some outer rim planet where Ghost stopped to complete some secret New Republic mission. For this shoot, I was inspired by the mood of Yavin 4, with hangars and buildings hidden among lush vegetation. In my opinion, Ghost and Phantom II fits perfectly into this atmosphere and I hope that I managed to capture the spirit of Star Wars with this set.

Conclusions

75357 Ghost & Phantom II is a great proposition for every Star Wars fan. The refined silhouette of the ship and well-chosen details make this model look great both on the shelf and in front of the lens. Minor changes or imperfections do not change the overall impression of this set, and this impression is very good.

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