A LEGO Star Wars ‘R2-KT’ minifigure already exists – and is incredibly rare

A new R2-KT minifigure is said to be on the way as part of the LEGO Star Wars 25th anniversary line-up – but it wouldn’t be the first time the LEGO Group has produced a pink astromech droid…

Rumoured to be included in set number 40755 – a LEGO Store exclusive believed to be dropping in October – R2-KT is for all intents and purposes a colour-swapped version of R2-D2. But this particular astromech droid has an incredible real-world legacy: it was created by 501st Legion costuming group founder Albin Johnson and the R2-D2 Builders Club to honour his daughter Katie, who tragically passed away from cancer in 2005.

In the years since, R2-KT has spread awareness of paediatric illnesses all over the world, raising millions for charity – and has also been adopted into canon by Star Wars filmmakers. The droid first appeared in a LEGO Star Wars short film in 2009, before popping up again in The Yoda Chronicles in 2013 and finally as a playable character in 2016’s LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens video game.

But while 40755 may mark R2-KT’s first official inclusion in a LEGO Star Wars set (if these rumours bear fruit), it wouldn’t be the first time the LEGO Group has paid tribute to the character – even if unintentionally. According to FBTB, a couple of very rare official LEGO Star Wars minifigures could be seen on display at a fan convention in 2010, including George Lucas and a pink R2 unit.

The latter is said to be a prototype minifigure designed to test the printing for the Clone Wars-era R2-D2, created sometime around the late 2000s. And while there’s no official statement tying these pink droids – of which only 50 are thought to exist – directly to R2-KT, some reports suggest that the LEGO Group handed them out to Johnson’s friends and family. (We’ve reached out to Albin to verify this.)

Whatever happened to these minifigures, you can pretty much write off your chances of finding one today. They’re among the rarest LEGO Star Wars minifigures around, and Minifigure Price Guide estimates their value at roughly $1,300 apiece – but even buying one for that price requires finding one available for purchase.

Custom R2-KT minifigures have been produced and sold in the years since, with a portion of proceeds donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, but none have matched up to the light grey dome with Clone Wars-era patterning – and even those custom minifigures are hard to find these days.

The good news is that you may soon be able to get your hands on an official LEGO Star Wars R2-KT minifigure instead. While the droid is now rumoured to be a bonus member of the 25th-anniversary line-up, rather than one of the core six members, it’s still said to come with a printed plate to fit seamlessly in with the wider collection of ARC Trooper Fives, Darth Malak, Saw Gerrera and so on.

Look out for that one on shelves in October, but treat the finer details lightly until officially confirmed by the LEGO Group.

LEGO Star Wars 25th anniversary minifigures confirmed and rumoured so far

25th anniversary minifigure	LEGO Star Wars set	Price	Pieces	Release date
Darth Malak	75379 R2-D2	£89.99 / €99.99 / €99.99	1,050	March 1, 2024
Saw Gerrera	75383 Darth Maul’s Sith Infiltrator	£59.99 / $69.99 / €69.99	640	May 1, 2024
Fives	75387 Boarding the Tantive IV	£49.99 / $54.99 / €54.99	502	March 1, 2024
Young Leia	75392 TBC	$99.99	1,186	August 1, 2024
Cal Kestis	75394 Death Star Playset	$159.99	1,555	August 1, 2024
Nien Nunb	75396 Escape from the Sarlacc Pit	$79.99	558	August 1, 2024
R2-KT	40755 [Star Wars 25th Celebration]	TBC	383	October 1, 2024
Darth Maul	LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary: Updated Edition	£19.99 / $24.99	N/A	April 4, 2024

Featured image: Facebook / R2-KT and FBTB

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