LEGO® Disney·Pixar Lightyear review: 76832 XL-15 Spaceship & 76831 Zurg Battle

Products in this article were provided by LEGO®; the author's opinions are their own.

Today’s article features 2 of the LEGO® tie-in sets from the upcoming Disney·Pixar film Lightyear, the origin story of the astronaut who inspired the Buzz Lightyear action figure seen in the Toy Story franchise. As usual, we’ll start with the new and exciting parts in each set then take a look at the minifigures and completed builds.

• 76832 XL-15 Spaceship - 497 pieces, 3 minifigures and priced at 79.99 AUD / 64.99 CAD / 49.99 EUR(DE)/ 64.95 EUR(FI) / 45.99 GBP / 49.99 USD 
• 76831 Zurg Battle - 262 pieces, 2 minifigures and priced at 49.99 AUD / 39.99 CAD / 29.99 EUR(DE)/ 34.95 EUR(FI) / 24.99 GBP / 29.99 USD 

They're available from today, 24 April 2022 and if you're buying these from LEGO.com please do consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'.

New elements in 76832 XL-15 Spaceship

The hot topic of this set is the new canopy piece, 10X4X2 FACETED CANOPY WITH BAR in Transparent Yellow ( 6384445 | 98878). It's angular, sleek and the same hue as the original 1979 LEGO Space ships, so naturally it's already a 'classic Classic-Space canopy'. I have no doubt it'll be a hit with Benny fans everywhere.

At 10 modules long (11 including the bar extension) and only 4 modules wide, its proportions are ideal for use on speedy, aerodynamic spaceships - go figure! 

Many of its angles and facets line up with existing elements, great for integrating it into builds. A match for its main diagonal – 9 modules long, 2 bricks high – eludes me though; I think this might be the first time we've seen such an incline.

The other new moulds in the set are all minifigure related so I’ll cover those a bit later on. For now, let's dive into the recolours.

Recolours & rare parts in 76832 XL-15 Spaceship

2x 3.2 SHAFT W/ KNOB in Dark Stone Grey (6392597 | 79194) A useful, greebly element in another useful, greebly colour. 

Nice to see these relatively new wedge plates coming in more colours too:

• 2x LEFT PLATE, 2X6, DEG. 9 in White (6392746 | 78443) 
• 2x RIGHT PLATE, 2X6, DEG. 9 in White (6392747| 78444)

A trio of nifty Dark Azure parts next, recolours of established elements like these feel extra special, especially when they come at once:

• 2x NOSE CONE SMALL 1X1 in Dark Azure (6404754 | 59900)
• 2x ROOF TILE W. LATTICE 1x2x2/3 in Dark Azure (6219248 | 61409)
• 2x LIGHT SWORD - BLADE in Dark Azure (6404755 | 21462) 

That's all for new recolours. However, the XL-15 boasts a variety of rare and lesser-seen elements too. The good news keeps on coming for Dark Azure fans with a modest collection of plates:

• 2x LEFT PLATE W. ANGLE 3X12 in Dark Azure (6259086 | 47397) 2 other sets
• 2x RIGHT PLATE W. ANGLE 3X12 in Dark Azure (6259087 | 47398) 2 other sets
• 2x PLATE 1X12 in Dark Azure (6185543 | 60479) 2 other sets
• 4x CORNER PLATE 45 DEG. 3X3 in Dark Azure (6369498 | 2450) 1 other set

More greebles and clip elements are found on the greyscale:

• 2x PLATE, 1X3, W/ VERT. 3.2, NO. 1 in Dark Stone Grey (6365692 | 79987) in 3 other sets
• 2x WHEEL BEARING 2X4X1, W/ FUNCTION in Dark Stone Grey (6325271 | 69963) in 4 other sets
• 1x MINI SHOOTER, W/ 3.2 SHAFT, NO. 2 in Titanium Metallic (6345880 | 69767) in 2 other sets
• 1x PLATE 1X2 W/HOLDER, VERTICAL in Dark Stone Grey (6350292 | 49563) – coming in 8 other sets, this stretches the term new yet still feels recent enough to include.

These 'rare parts in set' lists always have a pile of miscellaneous elements and the XL-15  is no exception:

• 1x BOOK, NO. 3 in White (6289813 | 28684) whole only other appearance so far was in the Marvel CMF The Vision
• 2x PLATE 1X1X2/3 in Black (6388352 | 86996) 1 other set
• 2x PLATE 1X1X2/3 in White (6383985 | 86996) 1 other set
• 4x BRICK 1X1, W/ CROSS HOLE in Sand Green (6359069 | 73230) 2 Other sets
• 3x PLATE 1X1, W/ 1.5 PLATE 1X2, DOWNWARDS in Black (6380236 | 79389) 5 other sets

Not so much a rare appearance, just a plain wired one are 2x DIFFERENTIAL 3M, NO. 1 in Medium Stone Grey (6285647 | 65414), available in 6 other sets all in the LEGO Technic line. Intricate Technic elements are not my area of expertise so I've enlisted the help of fellow New Elementary contributor Alex Campos to explain what this thing is for.

"This is one part that makes up a differential, the 4th generation that LEGO have made. It’s usually seen stuffed with 5x 12T single-bevel gears (6589) and paired up with a 28 tooth gear (65413). It can handle more torque than the previous generations, which used just 3 bevel gears."

For those, like me, who are wondering what a differential even is, Alex tells me they’re used to split a car's engine power allowing a wheel on one side of a vehicle to turn faster than the one on the other side which reduces wheel slippage and tire wear.  So what are they doing on a spaceship? I think you can probably guess, but get back to them later.

Printed elements in 76832 XL-15 Spaceship

Besides the minifigures and figure accessories, this set has only 3 prints. However, in scarcity there is quality.

• 1x TILE 2X2, W/ DEG. 45 CUT with ‘IVAN’ Console print in Medium Stone Grey (6381630).
  A beautiful print that surprisingly wasn't shown off in promotional images so I let out a squeal of excitement when it tumbled out of one of the bags. According to the sticker sheet, IVAN stands for Internal Voice Activated Navigator.
• 1x BRICK 1X1 in Transparent Light Blue with double sided crystal print (6394769).
  Officially represents the ‘crystallic fusion’ fuel though I’m sure Star Wars fans will be using it for Coaxium canisters soon enough. This great little print is also found in 76831.
• 1 x TILE 1 x 2 with Computer Keyboard No Letters print in White (6329575).
  Admittedly not new or difficult to come by, but I felt it should get a mention.

Speaking of the sticker sheet, here it is. Cynics will say the UCS-style info sticker is just an excuse to bump the price up but I would be very surprised if it, and the five extra parts its inclusion necessitates, occupy a big percentage of the set’s budget.

Before we take a look at figures and the XL-15 itself, we’ve got another set full of interesting elements to dive into. Sadly there's no snazzy canopy piece this time around and the new elements are better discussed alongside the minifigures so we’ll begin our look at 76831 Zurg Battle with its recolours.

Recolours & rare parts in 76831 Zurg Battle

1x 3.2 SHAFT W/ KNOB in Dark Stone Grey (6392597 | 79194) also appears in this set., but instead of re-using the same image from earlier, here’s the complete range of all six colours available to date:

• Trans Clear (6359231) - also included in this set 
• Black (6356406)
• Medium Stone Grey (6378136) 
• Dark Turquoise (6388350) 
• Pearl Gold (6369112) 

This trio of Purple/Medium Lilac recolours should leave you in no doubt this is indeed the Zurg set:

• 9x GOLD INGOT in Medium Lilac (6394865 | 99563) It's a good time to be a fan of the Ingot element as it now comes in purple - long gone are the days of monochromatic ingot line-ups. 
• 1x BRICK 2X3, OUTSIDE BOW, LEFT in Medium Lilac (6394866 | 80177)
• 1x BRICK 2X3, OUTSIDE BOW, RIGHT in Medium Lilac (6394867 | 80178) The pair were introduced earlier this year in the speed champions line, this is the second colour to appear free of prints. 

Now for the rarely seen elements, starting with more exciting purple parts: 

• 3x PLATE W/ BOW 2X2X2/3, 45 DEG. in Medium Lilac (6351826 | 66956) 2 other sets
• 2x PLATE 2X2, CORNER, 45 DEG. in Medium Lilac (6382583 | 26601) 2 other sets
• 8x ANGLE PLATE 1X2 / 2X2 in Medium Lilac (6334093 | 21712) 4 other sets
• 4x PLATE 1X1, W/ 1.5 PLATE 1X1, DOWNWARDS in Medium Lilac (6336391 | 36841) 5 other sets

Not forgetting this set's odds and ends:

• 1x MINI SHOOTER, W/ 3.2 SHAFT, NO. 2 in Silver Metallic (6345879 | 69767) 2 other sets 
• 1x ANTENNA 1X1X8 in Transparent Red (6350507 | 47094) 2 other sets. One of which is 80035 Monkie Kid's Galactic Explorer that Eero recently reviewed.
• 2x PLATE 1X1 ROUND W/ HORIZONTAL 3.2 SHAFT in Bright Red (6384112 | 32828) 1 other set 80109 Lunar New Year Ice Festival.
• 6x STICK Ø 3.2 W. HOLDER in Bright Red (6398319 | 48729) Last seen in 2019 and appearing in 5 other sets

Printed elements in 76831 Zurg Battle

• 1x SLIDE SHOE ROUND 2X2 in Dark Stone Grey with mechanical print (6381614) We’ll have to wait until the movie arrives to find out what this recurring baddie gadget is all about. It also appears in 76830 Zyclops Chase.
• 1x BRICK 1X1 in Transparent Light Blue with crystal print (6394769) Thankfully not exclusive to either set - the more of these beauties around the better I say.

As you'd expect, the sticker sheet is Zurg-centric with many purple armour plating details. You may notice I have actually applied some this time!

With that ominous sign, we’ll stick (pun intended) with 76831 Zurg Battle and take a look at those weird and wonderful minifigure elements I keep alluding to.

Minifigure parts and accessories in 76831 Zurg Battle

In fairness this first figure can’t really be called ‘mini’ as it’s the buildable Zurg’s supervillain, supersized head mould in Medium Lilac (6381619 | 98877). Although technically it can be placed on a regular minifigure body to hilarious effect so I’m going to say it counts.

Upon seeing the set images I initially assumed Buzz's wings were the same elements from his toy alter ego but it's actually a single piece solution this time around: Lightyear wings with mechanical print (6299742 | 01642).

I was a tad disappointed by this at first as I liked the previous individual wing elements, WING, MINI FIG. BUZZ 'NO.1' in Bright Yellowish Green (4569507 | 88746), and hoped we were getting them in a less garish colour. Still, the new mould has plenty of moc potential and has a rather nice print which offsets my disappointment a fair bit. 

What’s a pair of wings without a place to attach them? As you probably spied above, the Lightyear sets introduce a new body armour piece, 2x SPACE RANGER BODY ARMOUR in Bright Yellowish Green (6381603 | 98875). Unless this mould is licensed, I feel it's the kind of thing we’ll see in a CMF at some point. My only gripe is the lack of any helmet bubble to accompany it.

A pair of peg holes are present on the new mould that accept the transparent half dome (4566144 | 88066) seen on the previous Buzz Lightyear bodywear piece (4569506 | 88737). Whether the half bubble was omitted during development or its inclusion in these sets was never a possibility, I'm just glad the parts designers included those peg holes so at least the option for the bubble is there. 

Building 76831 Zurg Battle

Two lavishly detailed minifigures are included, Buzz Lightyear (of course) and Izzy Hawthorne. Both  have arm printing and come with alternate heads and hair - Hooray! 

1x BLUE COLLAR ROBOT CAT 'SOX' in Flame Yellowish Orange (6299740). The adorable feline robot companion Sox translates very well into LEGO form using the existing cat mould, and appears in both sets. This is good news for the wider FFLC (fans of LEGO cats) community too, since Sox could easily pass as a non-robotic cat even though his fur is a tad vibrant. 

Before Zurg, we're treated to the wonderful side build: ERIC. I rarely choose to apply stickers, preferring to have my parts primed for use in mocs but I just had to complete this great little bot's look. Fortunately ERIC looks good even without the stickers so those of you more principled than me can still enjoy a great looking robot.

Zurg has the high volumes of brackets, ball joints and curved slopes customary of LEGO mechs. The build was uneventful aside from one hiccup with the order in which elements are added. We’re asked to place two 2x2 tiles with 2 studs (33909) on Zurg’s shoulders - only problem being his head is already in place and overhangs the surrounding area. 

Aside from that oddity which is quick to puzzle out, everything comes together smoothly and the end result is a great looking baddie that almost literally pulls no punches when it comes to articulation.

Building 76832 XL-15 Spaceship

 

Three minifigures are included: Buzz Lightyear in a pilot’s jumpsuit - here we see that fancy space ranger armour again, this time in Medium Stone Grey (6381626 | 98875) – along with Mo Morrison and Darby Steel who both use the same fantastic legs (6381618), torso (6397283) and helmet ( 6337879 | 01598). I suspect sci-fi fans of all sub genres could make use these parts. Once again, it's great that all figures come with alternate heads and hair.

Building the XL-15 is a joyful experience. Little things like colour-coding the port and starboard wings… 

…or the way these double cheese slopes on the engine intakes slot into place put a big smile on my face. It’s one of those sets where the effort that must’ve gone into making the sub-assemblies line up perfectly is tangible and it shows in the quality of the completed ship.

The finished XL-15 is an exemplary LEGO spaceship and even comes with a stand that can be affixed in a few different ways for various dynamic poses - For these shots I opted to leave off the parts for the info plaque to keep the focus on the ship itself. 

There are a few inaccuracies compared to the ‘real’ thing but the build looks so good I'm willing to look past them. Plus when swooshing it around - which if you buy this, you’ll be doing a lot - it all becomes a blur anyway!

Here’s the aforementioned differentials acting as thruster nozzles on the business end. They have a habit of spinning out of position but the aesthetic is well worth the second or two it takes to realign them. It's great when designers get to prove they can do 'nice parts usage' just as well as moc builders. This time they’re awarded twice the brownie points for making a rather expensive part more easily obtainable. 

No expense is spared on the inside either with ample room for Buzz and his bulky bodywear piece, Sox, accessories and a Crystallic Fusion canister. We also see that fabulous IVAN print in situ as the ship’s cockpit console. It's a little surprising there aren’t any spring-loaded shooters given how popular things that go 'pew pew!' are with younger fans. However, I think it’s encouraging to get a cool fantasy craft without any built in weapons every once in a while.

Closing Thoughts

As a lover of spaceships and cats, it was a given that I would like the XL-15. However, in this case I feel my blind love is warranted. The price is reasonable, bordering on generous considering the weight of the ship and besides my minor grumbles about the otherwise stand-out minifigures, I’m struggling to avoid calling it a perfect set.

76831 Zurg Battle is equally strong even if mech-based sets aren’t usually my cup of tea. Brick-built Zurg is durable, well finished and is joined by a great side build and selection of minifigures. 

The designers of all departments brought their A-game with this theme, and I can’t wait to explore its new parts like the canopy and body armour piece further. The sets are available from today, 24 April 2022 and if you're buying these from LEGO.com please do consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'.

• 76832 XL-15 Spaceship - 497 pieces, 3 minifigures and priced at 79.99 AUD / 64.99 CAD / 49.99 EUR(DE)/ 64.95 EUR(FI) / 45.99 GBP / 49.99 USD 
• 76831 Zurg Battle - 262 pieces, 2 minifigures and priced at 49.99 AUD / 39.99 CAD / 29.99 EUR(DE)/ 34.95 EUR(FI) / 24.99 GBP / 29.99 USD

READ MORE:  More from Tom Loftus: building with the new LEGO® 5x5 Curved Plate

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