This is a set that I have displayed in my bedroom, because this set just looks so awesome!

-Building experience, This set is fun to build as most buildings are, it does have some things in it that are a little challenging to build but I don't mind. The second floor is probably the most fun to build because it has the bacta tank in it and has a secret door to enter.

-Parts, This set has some great parts which include the following, it has some transparent red pieces which are always nice to get, it also has two black microfigures which are the same design as the Kylo Ren hologram in the first order star destroyer set, but they are black instead of transparent blue.

-playability, this set is so fun to play with, figures include, Darth Vader, Darth Vader (bacta tank) which is exclusive, two royal guards, and an imperial transport pilot which is exclusive and uses the same design as the hover tank pilot but with blue markings. The set has many functions such as a secret door to enter the second floor. The bacta tank door can open so you can place Darth Vader (bacta tank) in there. The third floor has a meditation chamber which can open and close to put Darth Vader inside. The fourth floor has a small stud shooter to fire at intruders. The first floor is mainly a hangar for the included Vader's tie fighter, but the right side is a charging station for the included mouse droid which has a hidden red kyber crystal in the wall and the left side is a sith shrine with a hidden lightsaber hilt in the wall.

-Overall feelings, as you can see this set has so much playability, so I would highly recommend this set for someone who wants to play or display this set because it is good for both and with two exclusive figs, I recommend this set for collectors too.

Minifigures: 2 Out Of 5 Minifigures Are Exculsive. But 4 Out Of 5 Were New To Me. Darth Vader Is The One We All Have But Always Good To See Him In A Set. These Are My First Royal Guards And Vader Always Needs His Guards. Next Is The Imperial Transport Pilot Who Is Exclusive And He Is Great I Just Wish They Gave Him An Exclusive Face. Last Is Bacta Tank Vader. It Is A Really Good Figure And He Fits Right Into His Tank

Build: The Build Is Soooooooo Amazing! I Love The Front Of The Castle,But The Back Is Even Better! I Love How There Is A Little Garage For Vader's TIE. On 2 Sides Of The Castle There Are Little Decoratians. On One Side Is A Holocron (maybe?) With 2 Mini Statues Of Palpatine And A Hidden Lightsaber Hilt. On The Other Side Are Some Extra Studs For The TIE And A Hidden Kyber Crystal So Its Cool That You Can Make Your Own Lightsaber. Then There Is A Floor Just For Vader's Tank. And Then There Is A Floor For Vader's Meditation Area And I Don't Know If I Built Mines Wrong But Anytime I Try To Close It With Vader In There,The Top Always Breaks Off. And The Final Floor (Its Not Really A Floor) There Is An Area Where The Imperial Transport Pilot Can Protect Mustafar With A Stud-Shooter. And Vader's TIE Is A Good Build Too.

Yes Vader's Castle Is Currently My Favorite LEGO Set.

Last May I went with my family to a trip to Disneyland. We arrived the day before we'd actually enter the park, so we used the time to do some exploring in the Downtown Disney shopping center next to the theme parks. My dad and I had set up a reservation at The VOID VR experience along with my cousin to experience Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, an augmented VR story set inside Darth Vader's castle that was first introduced in Rogue One (in a way that makes this our first Star Wars set inspired partially by a theme-park type experience... now Lego were is my freaking Star Tours set already?!).

For the brief 15 minutes or so we were in the attraction; we got to experience the world of Mustafar through our VR headsets. The heat of the lava flows, the chaos of being shot at by the castle's stormtrooper guards; and then finally an encounter with the castle's famed resident Darth Vader himself... Leaving the VR experience my mother who was waiting outside pointed out that I was shaking and sweating like crazy, and the best explanation I had for her was that I had just came face to face with Lord Vader himself and it scared me in a way that can't be properly described on a website such as Brickset! To say it was intense and caused me to fully suspend the illusion of disbelief would be an understatement. For those who haven't seen the VR experience yet, I can best describe that encounter with Lord Vader as being very similar to the finale of Rogue One.

So when Lego announced 75251-1 Darth Vader's Castle I knew I had to buy the set. I picked it up shortly after Christmas and here are my thoughts on it.

Minifigures

Imperial Transport Pilot; one of two unique figures to this set, I bring up the Imperial Transport Pilot first since he is the character here most linked to the Secrets of the Empire VR experience and not to the castle's appearance in Rogue One.

In the VR experience the Imperial Transport Pilot is actually a rebel spy in disguise, who is joined with K2SO from Rogue One in a mission to infiltrate Darth Vader's castle. The screenshot from above shows the character as he appears in the VR experience, and highlights that the minifigure is missing a backpack and the blue printing on the lower legs. Despite those omissions, I have to say I am fairly satisfied with the finished look of the figure, especially with the nice re-use of the mold for the Scarrif Stormtroopers from Rogue One. The blue highlights stand out, and make the character match the color scheme of the 501st legion from The Clone Wars era. The faceprint used for the character is unfortunately the common 'Angry Clone' head, and not a more unique print to hint at this status as a secret Rebel spy. (Side note, one of my former neighbors actually now works for The Void in their development offices in Utah, and when I look at this figure I always wonder if he played a part in the design of the character in the VR experience. Just makes me wonder...)

Darth Vader: Bacta Tank

The next wholly exclusive figure takes its inspiration from a scene in Rogue One and is a critical element to finishing one of the completed scenes in the model. Lego is a bit limited in that it can't make minifigures completely lacking arms or legs, a problem that has been seen in previous sets depicting Anakin's transformation to Darth Vader following his defeat at the hands of Obi Wan in Revenge of the Sith. Just like the Anakin figure in 75183-1, the bacta suit version of Vader in this set gets around the issue by depicting his missing limbs with metallic silver arms, hands and legs to suggest his prosthetic replacements.

Its a fairly effective solution, and I like how the finished figure looks. The printing on the head is a unique 'resting' Vader face only available in this set, and the torso print is also new depicting some sort of mechanical implant in Vader's chest. A scuba diver rebreather piece is added to the neck to represent the respiration system Vader wears while in the bacta tank.

Royal Guards

We get two Royal Guards to protect the castle. These are great figures, but near identical to the two Royal Guards from 2014 in the 75034-1 battlepack and the 75093-1 Death Star duel set. The main difference is the previous stiff cape pieces have been replaced with the newer soft cape material. Still two spectacular figures and great additions to the set, but not anything really new.

Darth Vader

Like the Royal Guards, this fully suited version of Vader is identical to the version seen in several other sets including 75093-1, using the 'smiling Vader' faceprint from that set and not the Anakin faceprint from 75183-1. The helmet mold is starting to enter its fourth year since being introduced, and its still a pretty nice upgrade on the original with the separate neck and helmet pieces being able to open up similar to how it was seen functioning in Empire Strikes Back. Again another great figure, but nothing new compared to the previous releases of Darth Vader.

The Build

Structure sets of this size aren't pretty common in the Lego Star Wars theme, but the build follows the conventions of similar sets from other themes; starting at the bottom foundation and heading up to the top of the structure. Probably the most unique structural element of the design is how the upper two-thirds of the tower are built as individual walls similar to the construction of Tie-Fighter wings in larger sets, set at an angle, and then connected to each other to form a rather sturdy structure.

The small Tie-Advanced is one of the first things built in the set, and has a considerable amount of SNOT work to allow for a functional minifigure craft at such a small scale.

The Finished Model

When complete, Darth Vader's castle stands at an impressive height as a standalone model; however it is comparable in height somewhat to other Lego Star Wars sets such as the various AT-AT or Imperial Shuttle variants we have gotten over the years. It kind of makes me wish we could have gotten this set just a little taller since displaying it directly side by side with other large Star Wars sets ruins the illusion of forced perspective. However that sense of forced perspective can be restored by displaying it alone, or maybe with some creative tricks a MOC builder might come up with to modify the set. The use of forced perspective is rather comparable to the large Disney Castle set from a few years back, with windows and other features decreasing in size as the model goes up in height. A lava flow on the front made of transparent orange bricks emphasizes this, and the lava always catches the ambient lighting well in a room giving it a decent 'glow' to it.

The model is rather sturdy despite the unique construction methods used, and I can using two hands safely pick up the model on the upper walls and move it around. However when possible, I would recommend picking it up from the sturdier base although moving it around with the upper walls is possible.

The Tie-Advanced is a nice inclusion and a solid looking model with its sleek wing panels, but it is by no means the highlight of this set. The 'basement' of the castle consists of three separate scenes, a large empty hangar for the Tie to dock at, an adjunct to the hanger with a set of stairs to the next level, a charging port for the brickbuilt mouse droid and storage for extra studs for the stud shooters on the Tie-Advanced and the turret on the top of the building. On the opposite side of the basement is one of the most intriguing aspects of the model, a Sith Shrine. While the Sith Shrine does not match any particular canon source, it bears a loose resemblance to the similar shrine's seen on Malachor in Star Wars: Rebels and the canon shrine built at Vader's Castle which was revealed in a comic book about the same time this set released.

A play feature hidden in the rock work of the basement level is doors which open up to reveal a hidden lightsaber hilt and a red kyber crystal to build a Sith lightsaber. I do wish this sort of generic lightsaber had been replaced with a Lego build/mold more closely resembling the blue double pronged 'ancient' lightsaber from Secrets of the Empire.

The next level is connected to the bottom by the after-mentioned set of stairs. A hinged door opens up to the outside to allow access into the center room. The small platforms outside have enough room to place figures, perhaps recreating the combat scenes on the exterior of the castle from Secrets of the Empire.

The interior of the room on this floor takes inspiration from Rogue One, and it is here that Bacta Suit Vader has his use. A bacta tank made from transparent blue cylinders rests in the middle of the room. The bacta tank sits on jumpers so it can be removed from the room to more easily open it to place Vader in and out of it. There is enough room to place the two Royal Guards in the room to protect Vader while he is in the tank. It is at this point were it is worth noting one of the noticeable character omissions from this set, Vader's aid from Rogue One named Vanee. While Vanee was a rather minor character, I do wish he was included in this set since he is the one in the film who 'awakes' Vader from the bacta tank when Director Krennic arrives.

The next floor takes inspiration from the Meditation Pod from Empire Strikes Back, with a pod big enough to sit a fully armored Vader in it. The use of pieces on clips around a circular brick to create the illusion of a circular pod is a bit rough, but I can't think of any other method that may have worked better especially at this small scale. With that said, its still a fun play feature; and offers another iconic Vader related scene in this set. In addition to the meditation pod, a small hologram table with a figurine representing a hologram of Emperor Palpatine rest just to the right (or to the viewer's left) of the meditation pod. A single modified plate with a peg provides a spot to mount Darth Vader's lightsaber, but if the blade piece is left in the lightsaber it will bump against the slanted walls of the room if built as shown in the instructions.

The final floor is a circular brick that forms the roof of the castle. A stud shooter is mounted as a turret here on the roof. A sticker pattern on the roof suggests this location is loosely patterned after the circular meeting pad (?) that Darth Vader met Director Krennic at during Rogue One. However the slanted angle of the walls here and the small size of the roof make it kind of difficult (although not impossible) to place two figures on the roof to suggest such a meeting taking place.

Conclusion

As a whole, Darth Vader's Castle is a pretty solid set with plenty of play features and a solid build depicting a new, but rapidly becoming an iconic location in the Star Wars saga. Are there a few things I would change or add to the set? Yes, I do think the exclusion of Vanee is unfortunate; and I can think of a few other elements that would have also been nice inclusions to the set such as the ancient lightsaber from Secrets of the Empire, Director Krennic from Rogue One, or K2SO in part due to his role in Secrets of the Empire.

The set successfully ticks off that one critical piece for me, does it remind me of the VR experience? Yes, its pretty easy to remember leaving Secrets of the Empire shaking and sweating from having just encountered Darth Vader in his fortress building this set. The fact its a never before seen location in Lego Star Wars to and not a remake of something from the more familiar Original Trilogy or Prequel Trilogy also gives this set a very unique vibe. I recommend this set to any Star Wars fan, especially those who are fans of Vader, Rogue One or who perhaps had similarly frightening experiences in the VR attraction as I had!

Darth Vader suffered a brutal defeat against Obi-Wan Kenobi on the lava planet of Mustafar, so I was surprised that he chose to build his home there. The scene at the castle was one of my favorite scenes in Rouge One, so I am glad that LEGO produced this set.

MINIFIGURES

Darth Vader wears his traditional black body armor and helmet with a spongy black cape, red lightsaber and a white head with a neutral expression and lots of scars. Vader's helmet is the two-piece version with a separate chin guard on his neck that closes off the bottom of the helmet. This is the same figure as in the Death Star (2016).

Darth Vader (Bacta Tank) appears for the first time in this set and probably won't be featured in any other sets for a while. He is printed with cybernetic implants on his chest and stomach along with many scars across his white colored torso. Vader has two cybernetic hands and one metal arm in addition to both robotic legs. The Sith lord's head is printed with a new sleeping/resting expression. He comes with a black respirator.

The Imperial Royal Guards are wearing traditional red robes with the red old-style ninja mask. They each wear a spongy red cape that is printed dark red on the inside to go with the red torso and the dark red arms and hands. The guard's heads are unprinted black and their legs are plain red. Each guard comes with a force pike. These figures are also in the Death Star (2016).

The Imperial Transport Pilot is wearing what looks to be a mix of 501st Clone Trooper armor, Imperial Hovertank Pilot armor and Stormtrooper armor. He has a really cool set of prints on the torso and legs, and the helmet is extraordinary with very realistic printing and molding. He has angry clone head and is equipped with a medium black blaster.

The Mouse Droid (if it really counts as a minifigure) is a pretty nice little build that looks very good. There's not much left to say about it.

Darth Vader's TIE Advanced

The TIE Advanced is a nice little build with lots of detail and playability. It features stud-shooters and an opening cockpit for Darth Vader that is tiny but still manages to fit him inside. There is a clip for Vader's lightsaber on the underside and many little details on the top. I really like this model because it perfectly captures Vader's TIE on such a small scale, but you can still have a good time playing with it.

Castle Exterior

The castle sits atop a rocky cliff, which is represented by some 2018 large corner rock pieces in dark tan. The building is powered by lava flowing under and out of it and this is shown as an impressive stream of trans-orange coming out of the castle's base. The base is built in to the rock pieces and the black pillars coming down with the lava look magnificent. The front of the castle features red stained-glass windows with lots of gray angled bricks creating a nice pattern around the windows. The top has two distinct spires that look perfect when compared to Rouge One. The sides aren't as exciting but they feature some nice details and the left side (from the front) has a door in the wall and a staircase leading up to the door.

Sith Cave

The castle is built upon an ancient Sith cave, so it makes sense that it would be included. The cave clearly takes inspiration from Star Wars Rebels' Sith Temple with the holocron and Sith statues. I really like the stickers on the walls and the fold out kyber crystal is nice too.

Ammunitions Store

This little space features a charging space for the mouse droid, in which it fits perfectly. There is also a place to store extra studs for the TIE Fighter.

Tie Advanced Hangar

The Hangar looks magnificent with its traditional Imperial wall light stickers, and it impressively fits the TIE perfectly. The staircase also leads down to this level.

Bacta Tank Room

This room features a bacta tank for Vader to soak in and recover from his wounds. The tank is a nice build that hinges open and fits a minifig inside to show them floating in bacta fluid. The trans-red windows behind it look very cool in contrast to the trans-blue tank. The room is where the outside door leads and there is a nice little simulated hallway at the door. The room also has a bacta tank control panel. This is my favorite room.

Meditation Chamber

The platform for this room is held up in a really unique way with hinges. The little blue thing is a trans-blue hologram of Emperor Palpatine. The meditation chamber itself is a neat little build that looks great and folds down well over Vader even with his large helmet.

The Meeting Area

This is literally just a circular platform. It is a nice looking circular platform though and it has a turret for defending the castle. Plus the platform holds the entire castle together so I guess it’s pretty important.

Final Opinion

This set is really ominous (in a good way). It looks great compared to the source material, so it is great for display too!! It is also going to be a tremendous play set for kids and I think that the price is good for a set of this size. I highly recommend this set to AFOL's, TFOL's and KFOL's because it has awesome minifigures and an awesome build.

I hope this was helpful!