May the 4th vs The Mandalorian: The Ultimate Loyalty Test. Who Are You Supporting?

May the 4th is coming up fast, and for Star Wars fans looking for deals, my past articles say it all. In a nutshell: there are not a lot of deep discounts, and it’s more about random merchandise pushes. This year, it’s all about The Mandalorian and Grogu. The theatrical continuation of the Disney Plus series later this month will pick up from where things left off.

Set in the messy aftermath of the Galactic Empire’s collapse, The Mandalorian follows Din Djarin, a bounty hunter of few words and even fewer smiles. He becomes the unlikely guardian of Grogu, a tiny, big-eared, Force-sensitive little guy from the same species as Yoda. What starts as a straightforward job becomes a look at the cosmic underground, as Outer Rim politics get explored. There are bounty hunters galore, Imperials doing their own thing, and minor civil wars the pair must navigate. The concept is essentially Lone Wolf and Cub, and it’s a beautiful frontier look at a galaxy far, far away.

By the time the third chapter wraps, Din and Grogu have settled into something that is clearly a dad-and-son situation. With the little green tyke choosing family over Jedi training, and both of them ready to take on whatever comes next, this new adventure will see them heading out to rescue a Hutt! What makes this film a must-see is that it connects with the animated Clone Wars series. Rotta is Jabba’s son, and he’s nothing like Graballa from The Freemaker Adventures. Had that been another tie-in, I’d be there in an instant. Since this species isn’t meant to be pure comic relief, some humour and family-friendly choices will need to be made to draw fans in for this latest entry to the Star Wars canon.

With most of the merchandise tied to this film’s release later in May, only die-hard fans will be interested in select material. I won’t be chasing the LEGO and clothing that’s coming, but I must admit the art design for the Boonta Eve Classic Retro Moto Zip jackets looks good. I can pass on the baseball jerseys, and since I’m not the type to show off my nerd cred with branded material, I’m going to look into what I can 3D print and put on display when the day comes. Maybe I’ll have Grogu cheering from my roof. He’ll activate every time a breeze turns the gears.

In the meantime, here are my top five picks for those with an FDM printer. They are freely available to download, and once painted, having something uniquely yours to display is a better way to celebrate the day than spending money or rewatching movies and animated spinoffs.

Walking AT-AT

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4377926

Certain parts of this multi-part model require TPU, though the right-sized rubber band can also do the job. I already have the big Hasbro toy to house my action figures, but having a mini-me version around feels pretty necessary.

Luke Skywalker’s Lightsaber

https://www.printables.com/model/135347-luke-skywalkers-lightsaber-star-wars

The maker says you need a multi-colour 3D printer to get the most out of it, but segmenting the parts is also possible for those without one. In the hands of a model maker who knows how to polish plastic so it looks metallic, the finished saber looks great, at least from afar! No fan can truly be attuned to the Force without owning the saber that started it all.

Lambda-Class Imperial Shuttle Kit Card

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/lambda-class-imperial-shuttle-kit-card

Most plastic model hobbyists start somewhere, whether it’s a car or an airplane, and when they feel confident, they graduate to tougher builds. For Star Wars fans, the shuttle is a calling card to begin a journey into a hobby that may forever change them. Out of all the models out there, this is an easy build, so a whole fleet can be constructed.

BD-1 Droid from Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order

https://www.printables.com/model/868721-bd-1-droid-kit-card-20

Sorry R2 and BB-8, but BD-1 is the cute droid to fawn over. This kit card offers an easy build with improved parts, and the finished bot will look curiously at you while you work on another project. This model has revisions and updates to make sure all the parts fit. As for making it remote controllable, I’m sure even that is in the works.

3D printer hobbyists have been building robots durable enough to wage war, and that’s a sight to behold. YouTube videos can be found here and here.

Razor Crest Mark 2 (The Mandalorian)

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/razor-crest-mark-2-the-mandalorian

A great way to put the spotlight back on the film keeping Star Wars fans going for another year. The spaceship design looks like a work in progress, but if you need somewhere safe to keep Grogu, this is it. It can also be scaled up to fit your action figures inside.

 

And What About LEGO on May the 4th? Check out this recap: