LEGO Star Wars The Mandalorian and Grogu sets miss a major character

The LEGO Group missed a major trick by leaving one key character from The Mandalorian and Grogu out of every set tied to the film.

With the movie only having been out for a matter of days, this is your spoiler warning if you have not seen it yet.

Though playing a major role in the film, Rotta the Hutt appears in none of the Mandalorian-inspired sets released alongside it, despite there being several obvious opportunities to include him.

Before seeing the movie, the omission felt understandable. Based on the trailers, Rotta – voiced by Jeremy Allen White – seemed like he might only play a small part in the story.

However, that turned out not to be the case. Rotta appears throughout much of the movie, with his relationship with Grogu adding some surprisingly heartfelt moments to the plot.

The character could easily have worked either as a brick-built figure or as a moulded piece inspired by Jabba the Hutt, whose existing piece from LEGO Star Wars 75397 Jabba's Sail Barge still exists.

Rotta is noticeably leaner and more muscular than Jabba, so a brand-new mould or buildable figure would have suited him better. Not only would that have made the sets feel more distinctive, but it could also have helped justify their price points.

Looking back now that the film has been released, Rotta’s absence stands out most in two specific sets. First is LEGO Star Wars 75447 The Razor Crest. If the set had room for an Imperial Remnant Stormtrooper, it certainly had room for Rotta.

The model now appears to blend two moments from the film: Sigourney Weaver’s Colonel Ward giving Din Djarin his new ship, and the scenes from Commander Coin’s hideout, where the Stormtroopers appear. Rotta’s inclusion would have made complete sense, as he leads Zeb, Mando, and Grogu to the Imperial base.

However, the biggest missed opportunity is undoubtedly LEGO Star Wars 75451 Hutt Palace Sentry Droid Showdown. While Rotta does not directly appear during the sentry droid battle itself because he is trapped inside the palace doors, the set still had every reason to include him.

That becomes obvious when looking at Embo’s inclusion. Embo does not actually appear during the battle either, only arriving after Mando and Grogu get through the guarded entrance.

If the set can justify including Embo despite his lack of presence in the specific scene depicted, then Rotta also would have been a perfectly reasonable addition.

Hopefully, any future sets based on The Mandalorian and Grogu will find a way to finally introduce Rotta the Hutt with a brand-new moulded figure. However, if the film’s box office performance ends up matching its divisive critical reception, the LEGO Group could scale back its Mandalorian output altogether.

LEGO Star Wars 75451 Hutt Palace Sentry Droid Showdown is available to preorder now from LEGO.com for £44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99 ahead of its August 1 release, while LEGO Star Wars 75331 The Razor Crest is available now for £139.99 / $149.99 / €149.99.