LEGO UCS Death Star vs Barad-dûr: Which Villain Lair to Buy
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The Ultimate Collector Series Death Star (75419) and the Icons Barad-dûr (10333) are both still on sale and both packed with interior scenes. Here is how the two big 18+ villain fortresses compare, from LEGO's own descriptions, and which suits your shelf and your films.
The Ultimate Collector Series Death Star and the Icons Barad-dûr are both still sold, so there is no deadline forcing the choice. Pick by film and by the shape of your space: the Death Star is the bigger and wider set, a diorama of A New Hope's interiors with 38 characters, while Barad-dûr is the taller one, a four-section tower with a glowing Eye of Sauron.
Where each set stands
Both are marked 18+ and both are on sale. Our catalog lists the Death Star as launched on October 1, 2025 with an expected exit at the end of 2028, and Barad-dûr as launched on June 1, 2024 with an expected exit at the end of 2027. Prices and piece counts are on the cards.
The Ultimate Collector Series Death Star: a wide diorama of the station's interiors from A New Hope with 36 minifigures and 2 droids, LEGO's biggest Star Wars set at launch.
Barad-dûr: Sauron's tower in four sections, with 10 minifigures, an automated black gate and an Eye of Sauron that lights up.
How they compare
| UCS Death Star (75419) | Barad-dûr (10333) | |
|---|---|---|
| Line | Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series | Icons, The Lord of the Rings |
| Size (LEGO's figures) | Over 70 cm high, 79 cm wide, 27 cm deep | Over 83 cm high, 45 cm wide, 30 cm deep |
| Shape | A wide cut-away diorama on a compact foundation | A tall tower in four stacking sections |
| Figures | 36 minifigures and 2 droid figures | 10 minifigures |
| Functions | A working elevator, a retractable bridge, the trash compactor | An automated black gate, a light-up Eye of Sauron, a raisable Orc cage |
| Expected exit | End of 2028 | End of 2027 |
The UCS Death Star (75419)
LEGO calls this the biggest LEGO Star Wars set of all at its launch, and it is not the sphere many people picture. It is a cut-away diorama of the Death Star's interior from A New Hope, built on a compact foundation so it stands on a smaller surface than its width suggests.
- Scenes: the trash chute and crushing trash compactor, Princess Leia's holding cell, the hangar control room Luke and Han infiltrate as Stormtroopers, the tractor beam controls Obi-Wan switches off, Emperor Palpatine's throne room, a hangar bay with the Imperial Shuttle and the Superlaser.
- Moments to recreate: Luke and Leia swinging across the retractable bridge and the Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi duel.
- Figures: 36 minifigures, including Luke in Jedi and Stormtrooper versions, two Han Solos, Leia, Chewbacca and Darth Vader, plus 2 droid figures.
At about 79 cm wide it needs a wide shelf or a sideboard; at 27 cm deep it fits a standard depth.
Barad-dûr (10333)
Barad-dûr is Sauron's fortress as a tower in four sections, with the Eye of Sauron raised above it. LEGO's description lists a room on every level.
- Ground floor: Gollum's hideout, a weapons forge and a prison with a raisable Orc cage.
- Upper floors: a dining area, a throne room whose throne opens to reveal a hidden map of Middle-earth, Mouth of Sauron's study and a tower library with a rotating ladder.
- Functions: the black gate is automated and the Eye of Sauron illuminates.
- Figures: 10 minifigures, including Sauron, the Mouth of Sauron, Gothmog, an Orc, Frodo, Sam and Gollum, with the One Ring and the Light of Elendil among the accessories.
At about 83 cm high it needs vertical room more than width: the top of a low bookcase or a tall cabinet.
The rest of each collection
For Lord of the Rings fans, Barad-dûr sits beside Rivendell, The Shire and the 2026 Minas Tirith, which our catalog lists with the most pieces of the four; Rivendell is the one with a deadline, expected to leave on December 31, 2026. For Star Wars fans, the Ultimate Collector Series added the Executor Super Star Destroyer in October 2026.
Minas Tirith, the 2026 Lord of the Rings flagship and the largest of the four Middle-earth display sets in our catalog.
Rivendell, the 2023 Lord of the Rings set, expected to leave LEGO's range on December 31, 2026.
Which should you buy?
Buy the UCS Death Star if:
- Star Wars is your film and A New Hope your favourite
- You want the most figures and scenes in one set
- You have a wide shelf or sideboard
Buy Barad-dûr if:
- You collect the Lord of the Rings display sets
- You want a light-up feature and a tall silhouette
- You have height to spare but limited width
Related guides
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