Lego is pushing politically correct language policing with the announcement of their new "Jango Fett's Firespray-Class Starship" set, deliberately avoiding the iconic vessel's actual name from Star Wars canon – Slave I. This 2,970-piece Ultimate Collector Series set represents yet another instance of corporate sanitization of the beloved Star Wars franchise.
The ship, which appeared in this iteration in "Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones," has been known as Slave I since its introduction to the Star Wars universe. The vessel was piloted by bounty hunter Jango Fett, played by Temuera Morrison, who used it to pursue Obi-Wan Kenobi through the asteroid rings of Geonosis in one of the film's most memorable sequences. After Jango's death at the hands of Mace Windu, the ship passed to his clone "son" Boba Fett, who continued to use the vessel, famous in the original trilogy.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Lego designer Jackson Hughes spent six months working on the model, which features an interior, movable main entrance, adjustable blasters, and seismic charges. Yet despite this attention to detail in the physical design, Lego couldn't bring itself to use the ship's actual name, instead opting for the generic and sanitized "Firespray-Class Starship" designation.
This isn't the first time Disney and its licensing partners have attempted to erase the Slave I name from Star Wars merchandise. In 2021, Lego began referring to the ship as "Boba Fett's Starship" in their sets, prompting backlash from fans and even Mark Anthony Austin, who portrayed Boba Fett in the Special Edition of "A New Hope."
"When applying for personalized plates for my car, 'SLAVE1' was on the banned list. It's a fictional spaceship. Never advocated slavery. Jango Fett wasn't a slave owner. The ship was never used to move slaves. I could go on," Austin wrote on X at the time, highlighting the absurdity of the name change.
Fans are also savaging the current iteration on X.
One fan mocked the announcement in the comments, “Slave 1 is too problematic a name for them?”
Another quote tweeted, “Boy, "Jango Fett's Starship" sure is a mouthful of a name. I wonder if he ever gave it a better one.”
A third said, “Jango Fett’s Starship, bah Slave I. It’s and has been Slave I for decades, you nerfherders. Till some pussy at Disney decided it was offensive to call the ship by that name.”
Fandom Pulse was unable to find anyone defending the decision of the change in comments or quote tweets.
The decision to rename the ship appears to be part of Disney's effort to sanitize Star Wars, which has led to low ratings and poor fan reception of its recent streaming shows. This same mindset led to the company changing Princess Leia's "Slave" outfit from Return of the Jedi to the "Huttslayer" outfit in merchandise – despite the fact that the scene depicted Leia literally breaking free from slavery and killing her captor.
What makes this particularly frustrating for Star Wars fans is that the name Slave I has nothing to do with promoting or glorifying slavery. It's simply the designation of a fictional spacecraft in a science fiction universe, chosen by characters who operate outside the law as bounty hunters. The name reflects the gritty, morally ambiguous nature of these characters rather than making any statement about real-world slavery.
The $299.99 set will hit stores on May 1st, but many longtime Star Wars enthusiasts are already expressing their disappointment with Lego's continued capitulation to political correctness. For a franchise built on rebellion against oppressive forces, it's ironic that Disney and its partners continue to bow to the pressure of language policing rather than respecting the established lore that fans have embraced for decades.
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To hell with woke Lego.
It wouldn't surprise me if this decision was all Disney and Lego had nothing to do with it. Disney's logo is on the box, they own the IP, and they most likely dictated to Lego that they couldn't use the real name if they wanted to make this set.
Still getting it, but it's disappointing.