LEGO explains why Jabba’s Sail Barge doesn’t have more opening windows

The LEGO Group has revealed the answer to the question we’ve all been asking: why doesn’t 75397 Jabba’s Sail Barge have more opening windows?

You can try to deny it, or perhaps deem it madness, but if you fall into that specific category of people who a) have built the latest LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series set and b) have fond memories of playing LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (or indeed LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga), chances are you’ve found yourself wishing 75397 Jabba’s Sail Barge had more opening windows.

The 3,942-piece set does include a few opening windows and hatches towards the back of the barge, but the middle and forward panels are decorated with fixed 2x3 tiles that cannot open. And if you, like us, spent way too much time during The Great Pit of Carkoon (as the level is called) using the Force to break every single window and hatch along the side of the barge for extra studs, the lack of windows in the UCS set might be slightly disappointing.

It turns out there’s at least good reason for it, though – and it’s a pretty obvious one when you think about it. “I did try to include more opening windows and hatches towards the front, but it made the panels very thick because they would need so much more reinforcement, as you can see with the panels further back,” LEGO designer César Soares told Brickset.

According to César, Lucasfilm was ‘keen’ that minifigures should be able to look through at least some of the set’s windows, necessitating the opening hatches towards the back of the barge – but that meant elevating the characters enough that they stand at eye level with the windows. “It was tricky because having a ledge all the way along would look awkward,” he explained.

“I could have made it removable to avoid obstructing Jabba, but everything else in this area is taken from the movie, so it would stand out as having no purpose beyond supporting the minifigures. At the back, however, I could take advantage of the curved structure you can see in the film and the studs on top are inconspicuous, where minifigures can stand.”

Those thinner panels along the middle and front of the barge conceal much of the set’s interior, including a well-equipped kitchen, armoury, prison cell and cockpit. And while some LEGO Star Wars sets – or even other IP models – are often hampered by strict adherence to their source material, that apparently wasn’t the case for 75397 Jabba’s Sail Barge.

“The initial brief was actually very open about what should appear inside the barge, so that was decided in discussions between me and Jens [Kronvold Frederiksen, Creative Lead of LEGO Star Wars], with a couple of other designers,” César said. “A cockpit is an obvious addition and the prison is an homage to previous models of the Sail Barge, which have both included a cell in about the same place.”

The designer apparently watched the opening scenes of Return of the Jedi ‘dozens of times’ to figure out the set’s interior, but perhaps the most detailed part of this space ultimately came from other source material.

“We actually considered condensing the kitchen slightly and making more room for the lounge because you can see the space is quite ample in the movie, but it made sense to include the kitchen,” he added. “It has appeared in reference books and Lucasfilm was on board right away with including a kitchen, even though it is not shown in the movie.

“I was also very happy to build a kitchen personally, as that is not something that often appears in Star Wars sets, so it was great to have that chance. Access was a key consideration as well, so I had to design the steps and ladders with easy removal in mind.”

75397 Jabba’s Sail Barge is available now for £429.99 / $499.99 / €499.99.