There are several reasons why LEGO’s upcoming UCS Death Star is generating controversy. One of the most anticipated LEGO Star Wars sets in some time, expectations were high for this mᴀssive set, which is reportedly scheduled to release in October. However, it seems the vast majority of Star Wars fans and collectors aren’t happy with what’s been seen so far.

Officially, The LEGO Group has yet to reveal images of the upcoming Ultimate Collector Series Death Star. However, details about the $1000 model have been known for a while, and the first images of the model were recently leaked in early August. Here are the biggest reasons why the new LEGO Death Star is so controversial (going beyond the price tag).

Star Wars’ Upcoming LEGO Death Star Isn’t A Full Sphere (It’s Flat)

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Thanks to various leaked images of the UCS Death Star, it’s now been confirmed that the model will not be a full sphere like many collectors were expecting.

Instead, the 9,023-piece model is a flat cross-section of the Death Star, depicting various scenes from A New Hope and Return of the Jedi with moments from both the first Imperial battle station and the Death Star II.

In essence, 2025’s UCS Death Star is more like one of LEGO’s previous diorama models, defying the majority of expectations based on previous Death Star models. The hope was for the biggest spherical LEGO Death Star ever with both an interior and exterior, though this is not the case.

It’s impressive to see so many scenes incorporated into one model with 38 minifigures (including brand-new figs like Galen Erso). However, the UCS Death Star has also generated complaints due to how small each scene is, as well as the view that LEGO cut corners with less priority on accuracy.

As some key examples, Darth Vader’s meditation chamber was only ever seen aboard his Super Star Destroyer, not on the Death Star. Likewise, Luke and Leia swinging to safety did not happen in the same room where Obi-Wan shuts off the battle station’s tractor beam.

It also looks like the back of the model is just as flat as the front, another unfortunate missed opportunity, as some curvature on the back wouldn’t have been difficult and might have helped the set receive a better reception. Unfortunately, many see the new UCS Death Star as an incomplete model, and not worth the $1,000 price tag.

The New UCS Death Star Is Coming After A Pretty Pricey August Wave

It certainly doesn’t help that The LEGO Group was already facing criticism following the release of their August wave of Star Wars sets. The wave includes some very exciting and anticipated models including the Republic Juggernaut (75413) and Battle of Felucia Separatist MTT (75435). However, many have taken issue with the objectively high price tags.

At any rate, the controversy surrounding LEGO’s new UCS Death Star seems to go beyond the cost, stemming from a wide gap between what the expectations were from collectors and what we’ll actually be receiving in October. That said, you still have to give LEGO credit for including H๏τ Tub Troopers from the LEGO Star Wars games.

LEGO’s new UCS Death Star is expected to be released in early October.