Star Wars is the single most reliable investment theme LEGO makes, but there’s a catch most “best sets to invest in” lists skip: the sets that appreciated the most over the last five years were bought years before that. If you want returns like the ones below, you have to buy the next batch now. So this list does two jobs, the sets that actually delivered, and what to buy today for the next five years.
The sets that actually delivered
These are the real, documented performers, the ones that turned a retail purchase into a serious return.
10195 Republic Dropship with AT-OT Walker (2009). $249.99 at retail, now valued near $2,800. Up roughly 1,020%. It’s the most valuable Clone Wars set there is, and proof of what a large, licensed, retired set does with enough time.
10030 Imperial Star Destroyer (2002). $269.99 retail, now around $1,600. Up roughly 490%. An early Ultimate Collector Series grail that never stopped climbing.
75222 Betrayal at Cloud City (2018). $349.99 retail, now around $1,340. Up roughly 283%, and still compounding at nearly 17% a year, one of the strongest recent Master Builder Series sets.
10236 Ewok Village (2013). $249.99 retail, now around $930. Up roughly 272%, about 15% a year.
75157 Captain Rex’s AT-TE (2016). $119.99 retail, now around $350. Up roughly 190%. A Rebels set that proves you don’t need a UCS box to see strong returns.
The pattern is unmistakable: large sets, licensed subjects, left sealed for years after retirement. Size and patience win.
What to buy now for the next five years
The sets above already ran. Here’s where the same pattern points next.
75192 Millennium Falcon (UCS). Still available at $849.99 and the definitive flagship. It barely loses value even years after release, and jumps hard whenever it eventually pauses production. The safest hold on the list.
75290 Mos Eisley Cantina (2020). $399.99 retail, already up to around $507 and compounding at about 15% a year while it matures. A Master Builder Series set with a long runway.
75309 UCS Republic Gunship (2021). $399.99 retail, now near $578, up about 45% at roughly 15% a year. A UCS set still early in its curve.
75337 AT-TE Walker. Still at retail around $131 and projected to retire by the end of 2026, with a chassis that’s gained 200% to 1,000% across four previous versions. The clearest near-term buy on this list. (We break down the full case in our AT-TE Walker investment review.)
Retiring-soon exclusives generally. The N-1 Starfighter and other retiring Star Wars sets follow the same script: buy sealed before retirement, hold past the first year.
The Reseller’s Take
Two rules do most of the work in Star Wars investing. First, buy big and licensed, UCS and Master Builder Series sets, large exclusives, and iconic vehicles, punch far above smaller sets over time. Second, buy on the way out, the money is made by owning a set sealed when it retires, then waiting. The sets people brag about today were boring purchases years ago. Boring, patient, and sealed is the whole strategy.
Bottom line
The best-performing Star Wars sets of the last five years are already expensive, that’s the point. The list that matters is the next one: a UCS flagship you sit on for years, a couple of maturing Master Builder sets, and a retiring-soon walker you buy at retail today. Star Wars keeps paying, but only for the people who buy early and sit still.
Prices and resale figures from public sources (LEGO, BrickEconomy) as of mid-2026. Projections are estimates based on historical trends, not guarantees.