LEGO Star Wars Magazine Issue 121: The Praetorian Guard That Completes Gideon's Trio

Of all the Imperial factions LEGO has put into minifigure form, the Praetorian Guard is one of the most striking: head-to-toe crimson armour, a faceless helmet, and a silhouette that reads as "elite bodyguard" from across the room. LEGO Star Wars magazine issue 121 put one of those figures in a paper bag on the front cover — and for anyone who owns Moff Gideon's final-battle set, it's the one piece that makes the display look finished.

Why This Red-Armoured Guard Matters

The figure in the bag is the Imperial Praetorian Guard from the finale of The Mandalorian Season 3, where Moff Gideon's personal guard squares off against Din Djarin and Bo-Katan in the ruins of Mandalore. It's the same minifigure LEGO used in 75386 Paz Vizsla and Moff Gideon Battle and in the 2024 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar (75395) — so this isn't a new design. What it is, though, is the easiest way to get a third one.

That number matters. The on-screen scene features three Praetorian Guards, but 75386 only includes two. Anyone who wanted the full trio had two routes: buy a second copy of the battle set, or track down the limited-run 2024 Advent Calendar after the fact. One copy of this issue closes the gap without either.

It also works the other way round. If you're building a small detachment of Gideon's guards rather than recreating one scene, the magazine gives you a single figure without the rest of a larger set attached.

Issue 121 at a Glance

• Magazine: LEGO Star Wars Magazine, UK edition from Immediate Media
• Issue: 121
• Gift: Imperial Praetorian Guard minifigure, catalogued as LEGO set 912504 (9 pieces, paper bag)
• UK release: mid-April 2025
• Sits between: issue 120 (Imperial Commando) and issue 122 (Juggernaut tank mini-build)

Comics, Games and the Rest of the Issue

The reading side of the magazine follows the familiar Immediate Media format, pitched at roughly six-to-eleven-year-olds. Boba Fett leads one of the adventure features, racing through space against the clock, and the main comic story carries the issue. There's a "Galactic Game" that pits the First Order against the Resistance, which is a nice touch given the Praetorian Guard's own sequel-trilogy roots in the throne room of The Last Jedi.

Beyond that you get the usual mix of puzzles, quizzes, pull-out posters, fact pages and LEGO set competitions. It's a well-built kids' magazine in its own right. If the copy is heading to a young fan, the comics and activities are a real part of the appeal — not just the wrapping around the bag.

Where It Fits for Collectors

Let's be clear about what kind of issue this is. LEGO Star Wars magazine issue 121 isn't a unique-figure chase piece; the Praetorian Guard exists in other sets. Its appeal is practical rather than rare:

• It completes a scene. Two guards in 75386, three on screen. This is the missing third.
• It's an army-builder's shortcut. A single-figure bag is the lowest-friction way to add one more guard to an Imperial Remnant display.
• It anchors a strong stretch of the run. Issues 120 to 124 cover an Imperial Commando, this guard, a Juggernaut tank, a TIE Defender and pilot-suit Luke. Collectors keeping a shelf of back issues will notice a gap here.

The scarcity story is the same as the rest of this UK exclusive line. Immediate Media printed the magazine in large quantities, but it was never sold on LEGO.com or through US retail, and once the next issue took its place on UK shelves the supply stopped. Well over a year on, sealed copies are steadily thinning as bags get opened.

Buying Issue 121 Now: What to Check

Paper covermount bags are easier to tamper with than foil packs — they can be opened and folded shut again without much trace. With only nine pieces in the bag, a missing helmet or weapon won't show in a stock photo. Ask to see the actual copy, bag still attached, before you commit.

And decide which product you actually want. If you only need the third guard for your 75386 display, a loose, complete minifigure does the job perfectly. If you're collecting the magazines as a run, only an intact copy of LEGO Star Wars magazine issue 121 with its bag counts.

Browse our LEGO magazine range to see which back issues we have in hand, fill out your Imperial Remnant from the wider LEGO Star Wars collection, or read our guide to the LEGO Star Wars Magazine for how the UK release schedule and covermount gifts work.