Review: Lego Star Wars Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama

I am enjoying so far this new wave of diorama sets Lego has recently released. It spans multiple themes, such as Star Wars and Jurassic Park. These sets perfectly blend playability, collectibility, and unique minifigures.

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One of the most impressive options in this collection is the Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama set. It's accompanied by two other sets: the Death Star Trench Run and  Dagobah Jedi Training. However, the Trash Compactor set is the clear standout of the three. It's got amazing attention to detail, super cool features, and the minifigures included are top-notch. I've also gotta say, it looks so good on display!

I have been eyeing this set for a while now and I'm happy that I finally had the chance to build it.

In-universe comparison

This set showcases the scene in Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope, where Luke, Han, Chewy, and Leia get trapped inside a trash compactor while attempting to escape Death Star. Here you can see how well the overall set compares to the scene.

The attention to detail is impressive, especially the door's patterned lights and the walls' intricate designs. It's also cool that the designers included the stick they use to stop the walls from caving in. The only minor difference is that Chewbacca is holding the long bar instead of Han Solo as he does in the film, but that you can easily change.

After a closer look, I also noticed and appreciated how they tried to recreate Luke's pose when the trash compactor doors were closing. However, I realized that in the picture, I had used the incorrect facial expression for Luke.

When you spin the model around, you’ll catch a glimpse of R2-D2 and C-3PO doing some serious computing in the hangar bay. They're on a mission to shut down all the garbage mashers on the detention level, which is a super cool easter egg because it's not even a main scene in the movie. I think the scene was a good excuse to include the droids' minifigures in the set. The scene also showcases a beautiful printed 2x2 inverted tile, that represents an Astromech droid interface socket.

Another cool easter egg is that they included the head of the Dianoga that lives inside the trash compactor. The creature is barely visible in the movie but has become very well-known by fans, even so that you can spot it if you visit Galaxy's Edge.

Minifigures

We get six figurines to populate this mini diorama: Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2.

I think Lego did a fantastic job with the minifigure selection. Luke, Han, R2-2D, and C3Po minfigures are unique to this set. This means they feature minor variations from their previous iterations with the same outfit. For example the C3PO minifig includes a silver printing in its left leg which was not done on previous iterations of the figure.

I just love the minifigures that Lego chose for this set. They did an amazing job. Luke, Han, R2-D2, and C3PO are all unique to this set and have some really cool little details that make them different from their previous versions. For example, the C3PO minifigure has a shiny silver design on its left leg that wasn't there before. It's just so cool to see how much attention to detail Lego puts into these.

I included a picture comparing Luke and Han minifigures from other sets, the ones on the right are the newer ones. The facial features now have more intricate detailing, resulting in a more lifelike appearance. Additionally, the Stormtrooper suit printing has also been improved. Overall, the changes are minimal but definitely effective in enhancing the overall quality of these minifigures.

As a fan of Lego Star Wars, I am always on the lookout for new additions to my collection of lego minifigures. I will definitely be adding Luke and Leia’s minifigures to my frame.

Building Experience

The overall building experience was entertaining and not repetitive. It featured intricate studs not on top techniques and clever connections to create the surrounding walls.

Here are a few pictures of the process:

Bag 1 starts with the base, which is always my favorite part of building these dioramas.

The only annoying part of this step is putting together those teeny-tiny 1x1 tiles on the floor. You have to count them so that the design lines up perfectly. But the way they used different colors to make it look like murky water is pretty slick.

As usual with the Diorama style sets, Lego included the Star Wars logo printed tile alongside a quote. In this case, it features one of Hans's famous sarcastic jokes: "One thing's for sure. We're all gonna be a lot thinner!"

The second bag focuses on the back wall and the door which I mistakenly assembled upside down during my first attempt. You can also notice how the different elevations in the wall will serve as the "rails" for the side walls to slide. Aslo, the middle section that features the Dianoga is where the two walls will eventually come together.

The last two bags are for each of the side walls. This part was entertaining to build as it uses a lot of fun /nice parts usage/ to reassemble the junk. This means the designers have used a LEGO element in new and unexpected ways. For example, they use a spare astromech droid leg and a few car pieces to represent the junk.

I must say, I was quite impressed with how they were able to achieve the worn-out and dirty appearance of the walls with the mix of colored tiles. The overall look of the set was very cohesive and well put together.

My favorite feature of the set has to be how everything was cleverly positioned so that when the walls collapse entirely, both sides perfectly fit into one another.

By far, the most satisfying part of the build is opening and closing the walls. (If you notice carefully, you can see that I have completely assembled the right wall in the opposite direction, second blooper).

Display

I particularly value the diorama sets for their flexibility in terms of display, as they fit almost everywhere; cubes, shelves, desks, and more. This is in contrast to larger ships or Ultimate Collector Series models that may be too large for standard displays.

I decided to display it in one of the Ikea Eket cabinets. I'm a bit annoyed by all the wasted vertical space above the set, so I might move it to the top row later. But in terms of width and lighting, the scene looks good here.

It looks even better when paired with other sets of the same style, like Vader's meditation chamber. I wish Lego used the same base frame for every lego star wars set that is not a ship.

Final thoughts

This is a really great set in general. It came out on April 26th, 2022 and costs $89, with a total of 802 pieces. Some reviews mention that it's a bit pricey for the number of pieces included, but I personally think it's worth it due to the cool designs, moving parts, and special minifigures.

An additional advantage is the clever use of the back of the diorama, with R2 and C3PO’s little scene, which is a rare feature in dioramas. Plus, not having any stickers makes the set feel more authentic since all the details were created through brick building. Overall, it's a fun and unique addition to any Star Wars Lego collection.