LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga might not have been the smash hit we were hoping for, but it’s packed to the brim with content. With twenty-four planets to explore, what all is there to experience in the massive game? I mean, I’ve put over 40 hours into the experience and still have several secrets to find! As mentioned in our Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga review, things are a bit… inconsistent. So let’s separate the galactic highlights from the planets that are lucky to be here.
Here are the LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga planets ranked from worst to best.
Kijimi – Not Even a Sandbox!
Kijimi is a visually distinct location from The Rise of Skywalker just begging to be explored further. Its story mission is even one of the few to really emphasize a wide range of gameplay, incorporating player choice around stealth and combat. So you can imagine my surprise upon discovering… Kijimi doesn’t actually have anything besides its story mission.
I know the Final Order blow it up, but none of the other planets present that face canonical devastation are ruined when exploring in Free Play. The orbit above doesn’t even feature anything – just some random Ties spawning for you to dogfight fruitlessly.
This is particularly glaring given two of the other Rise of Skywalker locations that do receive areas to explore. Kijimi was done dirty – a darn shame.
Kef Bir – Admit It, You Forgot This One Existed Too
Hey, remember how The Rise of Skywalker insisted that the Death Star actually landed on a totally unnecessary new planet instead of the moon of Endor? Well, it exists… but remains highly unremarkable.
Going into the Death Star II’s interior would be novel, were it not for you having to explore a sizable section in the story playthrough to begin with. The one exception is the ability to engage in an MSE droid battle pit that tries to evoke Battle Bots.
Really, you can just stop by to get the datacard and leave Kef Bir for the last on your to-do list if you’re aiming to do a completionist run.
Ajan Kloss – Slightly Larger Than Exegol
By far one of the smallest locations in the game. Ajan Kloss somehow has a sandbox level, implying someone decided it was more interesting to offer another jungle environment than a more distinct locale like Kijimi.
There’s nothing mechanically exciting that really sets it apart either. The story campaign barely acknowledges its existence. This planet could’ve easily been merely in cutscenes.
Exegol – A Tomb of Discontent
Exegol is barely featured in the story mode, to the point the final level is stretching the definition of a videogame level. Surely they were saving the good stuff for the sandbox that finally pays off on discount Korriban, right? Right?
Well, there’s a gonk named Gonkatine, so there’s that! Uh, wait, where are you going? You need more than that?!
Otherwise, Exogol is another small sandbox, plus it’s just not visually interesting. Lots of crumbled ruins and lifeless aesthetics that don’t inspire wonder in the slightest. Like Kef Bir, you’d be forgiven for skipping Exegol. It’s just not that memorable, even if it does differ considerably from all the jungle-forest and desert locations.
Endor – It Takes a Village
Endor is one of the most famous locations in Star Wars. One that’s been explored twice over by previous LEGO games, so what’s the new twist? Oh, well, you see…
There’s less of it than ever. Seriously. It’s not that the Ewoks have a terrible village or anything. It looks great, and it’s sizable… like in LEGO Star Wars II, just with a higher polycount. You can really tell they were running out of new ways to spin Endor.
In a desperate bid to offer experiences different from the past LEGO Star Wars games, TT Games’ Endor levels, whether scripted or sandbox, feel like we’re getting oversized side dishes. I’m not saying repeating the level from LEGO The Force Awakens would’ve been ideal either. However, that prologue scenario was so good, it’s strange that the bigger game shrinks it down on all fronts.
D’Qar – Fallen to the D’Qar-Kside
Like Endor, we’ve seen a better version of D’Qar already. What’s strange is how D’Qar has taken a mechanical downgrade alongside a visual one as well. The lighting is oddly flat, and there’s less detail to the exterior environmental design. It may be larger than the map in LEGO The Force Awakens, but this feels like a step backward. It also features one of the more infuriating racecourses, so that doesn’t do it any favors.
Jakku – Like Tatooine, but Lame
It’s Jakku. As Han Solo said, it’s “nowhere” and you’ll be forgiven for pretending it doesn’t exist. Falling in with the other Force Awakens environments, it pales in comparison to what came before.
There’s really not much else to say. It’s Jakku.
Crait – Like Tatooine, but With Salt
Crait is a gorgeous location within LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and it features one of the more memorable battles of the sequel trilogy. So of course, the LEGO version focuses mostly on the dullest caverns. The biggest highlight is that if you squint at it, and pretend it’s the late 90’s, you can pretend you’re playing a LEGO Rock Raiders game. Otherwise, it’s a fairly underwhelming sandbox. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing exciting either.
Cantonica – I Canto Even!
Cantonica’s scenic city of Canto Bight was beloved by some and derided by others for its subplot in The Last Jedi. So, of course, it’s one of the more fleshed-out environments in the game! This at first leaves you intrigued until you realize it’s one of the more linear ‘sandbox’ levels.
It demonstrates one of the few sandboxes that try to tie into the narrative of the story campaign, but at the cost of feeling more restrictive upon revisiting it. Doesn’t help that the minigames are more tiresome than fun to engage with.
Dagobah – Swamp Gas
Dagobah is a refreshingly distinct environment with unique puzzles, callbacks to the films, and puzzles to piece apart. The downside is, that it’s a dingy swamp. If you can look past that, there’s some fun to be had! However, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still only a few steps away from a sewer level. A darn interesting one beneath the surface, but kids might not like it all that much upon first glance.
Yavin Iv – It’s One Temple. Seriously.
Yavin IV is a strange map. You can clearly see a bigger level off in the distance, with additional areas to explore, straight out of Battlefront II by the looks of it. Yet you’re barred almost entirely to a single Massassi temple.
As locations go, it’s not the worst – which is sadly the best thing I can say about it. Nothing is bad, but nothing is great either. It’s the absolute middle of the road with an emphasis on basic platforming and a few puzzles.
Kashyyyk – But What of the Attack on the Wookiees?
Kashyyyk, like Yavin IV, feels as though it was lifted straight out of Battlefront II. Unlike Yavin IV, you can actually explore many of the same areas around Kachiro! There’s a heavy emphasis on platforming and navigating the tree-centric architecture. You will either love this, or hate it, depending on how you feel regarding the game’s new navigational controls.
It’s a competent, visually distinct level that feels less like a forest, and more like a genuine fantasy world.
That said, what is with that annoying buzzing noise? Is that a glitch or does someone need to give the Wookiees some bug spray?
Pasaana – Like Tatooine, but Tiny
Pasaana. A festival of excitement. Easily the best sandbox from The Rise of Skywalker in the game. Bursting with an actual ounce of personality. Shame it’s so barren and small that you’ll see most of it just playing through the story. At least it’s not frustrating to navigate or anything.
It is, however, clearly included by obligation, despite some cute sidequests involving puppet shows a gonk beauty contest. It really could’ve been something special if there was just a bit more to see than just enough tents to make up a charity art show event.
Ahch-to – Bless You!
Maybe it’s because it’s an island, but Ahch-To is easily one of the most fully realized environments. No blatant invisible walls or convenient blockages. You can even visit a few locations from deleted scenes from The Last Jedi, such as the festival from Luke’s cut third lesson. Though the side activities aren’t profound, they’re fun enough to engage with.
Naboo – Under Da’ Sea!
Naboo boasts not only one but two notable sandbox environments – the topside city of Theed and the underwater Gungan City. Each features a diverse variety of side activities as well as a gorgeous visual design. Theed has high towers and arches full of secrets leading you to scenic views. Beneath the sea, the Gungan City is a jungle gym of platforms that’s genuinely fun to navigate.
The only real issue holding Naboo back – besides having to deal with Gungans – is that there’s not much connecting the setting to the greater saga.
Unless you love the prequels, these are just LEGO puzzles and platforming strewn across Space Italy. However, if you can’t get enough of the prequel trilogy, this planet is for you and it’s a decent addition for LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
Bespin – Copy-Pasted Luxury
On one hand, Bespin’s Cloud City is by far one of the best-looking and expansive single hubs in the Skywalker Saga.
On the other, many of its rooms are repeats with slight tweaks to set dressing or a puzzle crammed into a doorway.
On the third hand, you can even solve a few problems with multiple solutions. Best of all though, there’s a mission with Willrow Hood! The effort on display is solid, even if certain corners may have been copy-pasted to speed along the level’s development.
Hoth – The Cold Shoulder
Exploring Echo Base should be one of the more pedestrian experiences, but remarkably, that’s not the case. The entire rebel base is loaded with surprises, a few with branching aspects like found in Cloud City.
Really, the only downside is that Echo Base is arguably more entertaining than actually engaging in the Battle of Hoth in the story mode. That’s just surreal to consider.
Tatooine – I Hate Sand
It’s Tatooine. It’s like Jakku, but with a personality besides crashed ships in the distance. Tatooine features by far the most hubs to explore. They are full of things to do and can be quite a bit of fun. How much you’ll enjoy all that though is based on your patience for sand and repetitive environments.
It’s not for lack of effort, there’s just so little for TT Games to work with here besides sand, canyons, and sandstone villages. If you can look past that, there’s so much to see and do. If you can’t, then I absolutely can’t blame you.
Takodana – The Mandatory Crossover Planet
Takodana remains one of the second-most awkwardly forced settings from The Force Awakens. For all its appearances in the new timeline, it’s never really stood out from Mos Eisley or Endor, which it tries to merge together into a single location. So you can understand my surprise when it’s one of the stronger planets to explore.
While the story mission visiting Takodana is another “this was better in LEGO The Force Awakens”, the sandbox more resembles a Tomb Raider level. The platforming here is the right kind, there’s solid emphasis on exploration, and it’s just the right size for players to reasonably complete in one to two visits.
While not the largest planet to go to, it feels expansive in the right ways, earning its spot as the best sequel trilogy map in the game.
Geonosis – Clanking Along
Geonosis is a great but weird level. It has easily the second-best non-LEGO environmental art, combined with some interesting side missions, including a rematch with the beasts from the Geonosian arena. Its orbital region is remarkable thanks to its asteroid rings. Yet what keeps it from being the top LEGO level is the biggest irony – there’s just not that much LEGO in the level.
Maybe it was an optimization issue or an aesthetic choice. Whatever the case, it’s still a solid environment worth exploring… just ironically one where the central gimmick is less obvious at a first glance.
Coruscant – Life in the Brick City
Coruscant rivals Tatooine in sheer number of hubs, and doubles down with the density of things to see and do. As the center of galactic civilization, that makes a ton of sense. It’s a shame you can only fly around in a scripted story level, but otherwise, every layer of Coruscant is represented. The highest spires of the rich and famous, the Jedi Temple, the nightclub scene, and the civilian concourse between these districts.
Many of the best sandbox-based storytelling sections even arise here, such as Clone Troopers assaulting any Jedi characters during Order 66. By far, Coruscant is one of the finest triumphs of the Skywalker Saga. Now, mind you, I also tended to have more glitches here than elsewhere, and some of the platforming-centric Kyber Bricks require finagling the physics engine.
However, overall, Coruscant demonstrates that it would’ve been better to focus on a few more varied worlds like this; offering a handful of engaging planets rather than a long list of theme parks.
Mustafar – Hot Stuff
That said, if microcosm theme parks are your thing, Mustafar is a must-visit. Gorgeous art design, a varied environment to explore, and filled to the brim with iconic areas from Obi-wan and Anakin’s famous duel. Whether you’re scaling the waning structure of the Mustafarian mining platform or uncovering secrets within its interior, it’s a delightful little jaunt.
Kamino – Down Where It’s Wetter
Here we are. The best planet to visit in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga… Kamino! The layout is fantastic, everything elegantly interweaving. The side quests are a mix of on-planet quests and a hunt that’ll take you all the way to Yavin IV. Every character class has something to do, the aesthetics mix high definition and LEGO elements beautifully. Just the right level of interactivity. Nothing is kept unnecessarily out of reach nor so tightly compacted that it feels like you’re in a wading pool.
Kamino is the height of TT Games’ sandbox design, evoking LEGO Indiana Jones 2’s best hub environments but on a grander scale.
And there you have it! Every LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga planet ranked from worst to best! Let us know which is your favorite in the comments below!
