It took five years. Five long years of staring at pixelated Jedi on our monitors before LEGO finally decided to give us what we wanted. If you've been following the brick-built galaxy for any length of time, you know the community basically spent half a decade yelling into the void for a Cal Kestis minifigure. Well, the void finally blinked. As part of the massive celebration for the 25th anniversary LEGO Star Wars Cal Kestis minifigure lineup, the hero of Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor has officially landed in physical form.
He isn't just another Jedi.
Honestly, he represents a weird shift in how LEGO handles the Star Wars license. For a long time, the "Gamerverse" (if we want to use the Marvel terminology) was ignored. We got a random Old Republic set here or a Battlefront pack there, but the core protagonists of the modern EA era were missing. That changed with the release of the Boarding the Tantive IV (set 75387).
The Long Wait for the Scrapper from Bracca
When Jedi: Fallen Order released in 2019, everyone assumed a set was coming. We waited. Then Jedi: Survivor dropped in 2023. We got a BD-1 droid (set 75335), which was great, but it was empty. No Cal. It felt like a punch in the gut for collectors who wanted the pilot of the Stinger Mantis to lead their shelf displays.
The 25th anniversary LEGO Star Wars Cal Kestis minifigure is actually a "bonus" figure. This is a specific strategy LEGO used for the anniversary year. Instead of putting Cal in a set where he logically belongs—like the Mantis or a duel with the Second Sister—they tucked him into a set depicting the opening scene of A New Hope. It's a bit of a head-scratcher if you care about "accuracy," but for collectors, it was a relief just to see him exist.
He’s labeled with a special 25th-anniversary print on his stand. That’s the "collectible" hook. But the figure itself? That’s where the nuance is.
📖 Related: The Dawn of the Brave Story Most Players Miss
Breaking Down the Plastic: Is This the Cal We Expected?
Let's look at the actual design. LEGO went with the Jedi: Fallen Order look. Think younger Cal. He’s wearing his blue and orange rigger's outfit from the beginning of the first game. His hair is that classic "dark orange" messy swept-back piece we've seen on other characters, but it fits his ginger locks perfectly.
One thing that surprised me? The printing.
The torso printing is remarkably dense for a "standard" figure. You can see the straps and the tech-y greebling of his vest. But here is the catch: he doesn't have leg printing. In an era where LEGO is putting toe printing on random C-3PO figures, leaving Cal with plain dark-tan legs feels like a missed opportunity. It's a small gripe, but when you’ve waited five years, you notice the details.
He comes with a blue lightsaber, obviously. But the real star is the 1x1 printed plate representing BD-1. No, it isn't a custom mold. It's a tiny printed piece. Some people hate that. They wanted a tiny, specialized droid mold. Personally? I think the print is a clever way to keep the scale somewhat realistic, even if it lacks the "wow" factor of a unique piece.
Why the Tantive IV?
You might be wondering why a guy from the Imperial era who fought Inquisitors is hanging out on Princess Leia's ship. It’s part of the "unlikely alliances" theme LEGO did for the anniversary. They took iconic characters and shoved them into sets where they don't belong as a sort of Easter egg hunt for fans. It’s why you see Darth Malak from Knights of the Old Republic in an R2-D2 set. It’s weird. It’s chaotic. It’s very LEGO.
👉 See also: Why the Clash of Clans Archer Queen is Still the Most Important Hero in the Game
The Market Value and the "Anniversary Tax"
If you're looking to grab the 25th anniversary LEGO Star Wars Cal Kestis minifigure, you have to decide if you want the whole set or just the guy. Historically, anniversary figures like the 20th-anniversary "Yellow Skin" Han Solo or Lando Calrissian have held their value incredibly well. Cal is likely to do the same because he is a "first-ever" version of the character.
Typically, when LEGO releases a highly anticipated character as a one-off anniversary special, they don't put that exact version in a cheaper set later. They might release a "Survivor" version of Cal with a beard and different clothes in 2027, but this specific 25th-anniversary version—with the printed stand—is likely a one-and-done deal.
Prices on the secondary market usually hover around 30% to 50% of the total set cost just for the figure alone. If the set is $50, don't be shocked to see Cal selling for $25 on BrickLink the second the set retires.
Spotting the Details Most People Miss
There’s a subtle bit of character work in the face print. Cal has a very specific "earnest but tired" look in the games. LEGO captured that with a dual-sided head. One side is his standard determined look, and the other is a bit more stressed. It's not a "smiling" face because, let's be real, Cal doesn't have much to smile about. He's a survivor of Order 66. The lack of a smile is actually a huge win for accuracy.
Also, look at the hilt. It’s the standard chrome-less silver hilt. I know, some fans wanted a custom mold for his "broken" hilt or the double-bladed version. LEGO almost never does custom hilt molds for single characters (aside from Count Dooku or Asajj Ventress), so the standard hilt was expected. It’s a bit of a "Lego-ism" we just have to live with.
✨ Don't miss: Hogwarts Legacy PS5: Why the Magic Still Holds Up in 2026
How to Display Him Without Looking Like a Hoarder
If you’re a serious collector, you probably want to keep him on the anniversary stand. It’s a black plate with a 25th-anniversary logo. It looks clean. But if you're a MOC (My Own Creation) builder, he fits perfectly into any Bracca shipyard or Coruscant underworld scene.
- Keep the stand safe. Even if you take the figure off to play or display, don't lose that 2x4 printed tile. That's where the long-term value sits.
- Swap the hair? Some fans have been swapping his hair for the more recent "Reddish Brown" textured hair from other themes to mimic his Jedi: Survivor look. It works surprisingly well if you want an older Cal.
- The Lightsaber Blade. Cal’s saber in the games is a very specific shade of Cyan or Blue. The "Trans-Light Blue" bar LEGO uses is the standard, but if you have any old "Trans-Cyan" bars from the 90s, they actually look a bit more "game-accurate."
What This Means for Future Star Wars Gaming Sets
The existence of the 25th anniversary LEGO Star Wars Cal Kestis minifigure is a massive signal. It tells us that LEGO is finally listening to the older demographic that plays the Respawn games. For years, there was this weird barrier between "Kid Star Wars" (The Clone Wars/Rebels) and "Adult Star Wars" (the darker games). That barrier is gone.
We’ve seen a shift. We got the Justifier from The Bad Batch, we got the E-Wing from Ahsoka, and now we have Cal. This opens the door for other characters we've been begging for. Maybe an Iden Versio from Battlefront II? Or a modern Starkiller from The Force Unleashed?
The 25th anniversary wasn't just about looking back at 1999. It was about filling the holes in the collection that have been bothering us for decades. Cal was the biggest hole.
Actionable Steps for the Serious Collector
If you're ready to add him to your ranks, don't just blindly click "buy" on the first eBay listing you see.
- Check the Set First: Currently, the Boarding the Tantive IV set is the most cost-effective way to get him. You get a great hallway diorama and several other figures. Buying him "loose" right now is often more expensive than just buying the whole set on sale at a big-box retailer.
- Verify the Cape: Note that Cal does not come with a poncho in this set. If you see a "Cal Kestis" online with a cloth poncho, it's either a custom or a modified figure. The official LEGO version is "Scrapper" Cal without the poncho.
- Storage: If you're buying for investment, keep the figure out of direct sunlight. The dark-orange hair and the printing on the 25th-anniversary tile are prone to UV fading over several years. A simple acrylic display case is your best friend here.
- Check for Cracks: Always check the torso-to-leg connection. Modern LEGO "reddish brown" and "dark orange" plastics are much stronger than they were ten years ago (the infamous "Brittle Brown" era), but it's still good practice to be gentle when posing him.
Cal Kestis is finally here. He’s ginger, he’s plastic, and he’s exactly what the collection needed to feel complete. Whether he’s standing on his 25th-anniversary base or leading a charge against some Stormtroopers on your desk, he represents a high point in LEGO’s recent character design. Grab him before the 25th-anniversary window closes and he becomes one of those "I should have bought that when it was $50" legends.