We’ve all had those fun moments when building a LEGO® set and finding a minifigure wearing a top sporting the logo of a classic theme or when we spot a bygone set referenced in sticker. For many years, LEGO designers have loved to sneak nods to past LEGO builds into newer sets. But it wasn’t until 2022 and the celebration of the LEGO Group’s 90th anniversary that they really started to delve into much loved, bygone themes. During the 90 years of Play celebrations, we got updated versions of a Classic Space Galaxy Explorer and a new Lion Knights Castle. These were joined by promotional sets inspired by the old Castle, Bionicle and Blacktron themes. Thankfully, the nostalgic trip continued with a remake of the Pirates Eldorado Fortress and will expand further in 2025 with another Blacktron set. Here’s a preview of the LEGO Icons Blacktron Renegade.
Product Details
Set Name: Blacktron Renegade | Set Number: 10355 | Pieces: 1151 | Theme: Icons
Number of Bags: Bags x 7 | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: N/A | Characters: Blacktron Astronauts x 3 + Droid | RRP: £89.99/$99.99/99.99€/149.99AUD/129.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores & LEGO Online January 1st (Insiders), January 4th (General)
Classic Space is a beloved theme, and in the late 1980s, it branched out to include different factions. One of those was Blacktron. A somewhat shadier group of space-faring astronauts, Blacktron did away with the brighter primary colour scheme of Classic Space for a mix of black and yellow. Blacktron operatives sported black suits with visors. One of the larger of the earlier Blacktron sets was 6954: Blacktron Renegade, an asymmetrical battleship with modular components. You can see more of the older set over on Brickset. (Image below via Brickset)
Similar to how other recent sets have remade previous ones, this new version of the Blacktron Renegade uses newer elements and modern-day build techniques to recapture the feel of the original set but expand upon it. The original set was built from just 315 pieces whereas the Icons version includes 1151 elements. Despite the vastly greater piece count, great effort has been made to include features from the original set. That includes unique printed pieces and the ability to split the ship up into sections.
One of those removable elements is a planet-drop rover vehicle. This completely dwarfs the equivalent from the 80s set. The four-wheeled vehicle features a cockpit covered by a transparent yellow visor, this coloured see-through elements were a staple of the original space sets. The rover can be connected to the ship in the gap found in the centre of it. But instead of being stored in a container, the rover simply slots into the ship and is held in place by two tabs. It can then be deployed by moving a lever on the rear of the ship. This causes the tabs to retract enough to loosen the grip on the rover. It’s a wonderful play feature.
As mentioned, the ship has an asymmetrical configuration which is achieved by the set’s ability to be split apart. The main body of the ship features four points, two on the front prongs and two at the rear. These can be used to connect one of four different components. They include a small craft, two engines and an airlock. These cans be connected to any of those points allowing you to reconfigure the ship. It’s a little robust compared to the original set. Along with the sections and the rover also being removable, there are a couple of red fuel tanks and two small gliders (the sections with the Blacktron ‘triforce’ logos) which can be removed.
The base section of the ship is filled with detail and a surprising amount of new elements. Considering how simple the original set was, the updated version is pretty impressive. Not only does it offer those connection points for the removable sections, but it also hides four flip-out landing gears. Despite the body of the ship being mostly black, its many details are well-defined. Party due to the use of some interesting and unusual elements, yellow pieces and a few pieces elements which include a few control panels and the wing on the front of the cockpit.
Early minifigures were a much simpler fare compared to their modern-day counterparts. The set includes three identical minifigures and despite their menacing colour scheme and visor, they sport the classic smiling face. This makes look as if they have stepped straight out of the original set. Despite the rest of the set making use of new elements, it’s nice that the minifigures remain retro. The minifigures are joined by a buildable robot, it’s noted in the instructions that this is a corrupted version of a support robot feature in a Classic Space set.
The set offers the ability to rebuild it into the Blacktron Alienator, another classic Blacktron set. The instructions included in the set allow you to build the base model. But if you want to build the Alienator, you’ll need to use the LEGO Builder app. At the time of writing this review, the alternate instructions were unavailable.
I never had any of the Blacktron sets as a kid, but I’ve always thought they looked quite cool. The black and yellow colouring of the sets is just as iconic as the classic blue and grey. So for me, it’s been fun being able to experience a true Blacktron set for the first time. The LEGO Group has a strong back catalogue of original brands and the fact they are finally using them is very welcomed. The Blacktron Renegade was a unique set when it was originally released and its updated counterpart is just the same. There will be those who wish the Classic Space and other bygone themes, to be brought back as an ongoing range. But I think them being part of the Icons range and having just one or two sets released a year, makes the sets a little more special and a much more fitting celebration of the original sets and themes. Insiders can purchase the LEGO Icons Blacktron Renegade from January 1st, 2025 before its general release on January 4th.
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The LEGO Group provided this set to BricksFanz.com for review purposes. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
