A Star Wars fan has wowed the internet with his Mandalorian cosplay—made almost entirely out of Lego.
During lockdown, 17-year-old Reddit user Eric (@u/LengthinessAny3713) discovered a way to combine his passion for the sci-fi franchise with his love of building.
"I've always loved Lego," the teen, from California, told Newsweek.
"I started to create complex models and replicas at 14 years old and wanted to build a Lego suit—the idea eventually turned into a Lego Mandalorian suit."
Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian follows bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), who goes on the run after rescuing a Jedi youngling from the Galactic Empire. Set after 1983's Return of the Jedi, the show's third season recently aired on Disney+.
In Star Wars lore, Mandalorians are a nomadic creed who wear the armor as a representation of their faith. That means no taking the helmet off (or swimming in monster-infested waters if you do).
The OG Mandalorian, Boba Fett, appeared in the original trilogy and became a fan favorite—despite only having four lines of dialogue. The character has since got his own spin-off, The Book of Boba Fett, that ties in with The Mandalorian's timeline.
In the movies and TV shows, Mandalorian armor is made of beskar, a durable alloy unique to the Star Wars universe.
After sketching a few simple design ideas, Eric began by creating a Mandalorian belt and helmet with Lego bricks. He describes his first attempts at creating a full suit as "crude, but functional."
Over the past three years, he's experimented with ways to streamline his creations and experimenting with different designs. The latest iteration took roughly two weeks to make from start to finish, and getting it to move without breaking took some trial and error.
"What was once an inflexible, blocky, and uncomfortable suit of armor has turned into a sleek, streamlined, appealing, and fully functional suit. And it does not break my back anymore when I put it on," he said.
The suit was popular among fellow Lego enthusiasts, receiving almost 7,000 upvotes on the r/lego subreddit.
"This is f****** awesome. Nice work!!" said u/CrazyCatBreath.
"Everything about this is amazing!" agreed u/GeorgeArt16.
"That this is Lego blows my mind," wrote u/dab_doctor2000.
"Homie can pull mad b****** with his Lego skills," commented u/garbageking413.
"I have seen non-lego Mando cosplays that don't look half as good as this!" said u/Khitrir.
"This looks absolutely stunning," wrote u/Wboy2006. "You should wear it to a convention. People will love it."
Do you have any videos or pictures you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our On the Internet section.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more
