LEGO Star Wars Magazine Issue 120: The Imperial Commando Issue With a Mystery Second Gift
Most issues of Immediate Media's UK magazine follow a simple formula: one bag on the cover, one figure or build inside. So what made LEGO Star Wars magazine issue 120 different from the issues on either side of it? Two things. Every copy carried an Imperial Commando from The Mandalorian Season 3, and every copy also carried a second, previously released LEGO gift that you couldn't identify until you got it home.
How Issue 120 Stacks Up Against Its Neighbours
Look at the run around it and the contrast is clear. Issue 118 brought a single Qui-Gon Jinn, and issue 121 followed with a single Praetorian Guard. Issue 120, which reached UK shops in March 2025, gave buyers a guaranteed figure plus a lucky dip. It was an early example of the double-gift format that Immediate Media has gone back to several times since, including issues 140 and 142.
The numbering is worth knowing, too. The same Imperial Commando appeared on the continental European edition as issue 119, roughly a month earlier, because the UK schedule runs behind Germany's. If you see a "119" Commando listed online, it is usually the EU version of the same gift.
A Closer Look at the Imperial Commando Minifigure
The guaranteed figure is catalogued as LEGO 912503, and it is the same Imperial Commando found in 75373 Ambush on Mandalore Battle Pack. These are the jetpack-equipped troopers who serve Moff Gideon's Imperial Remnant in the final episodes of The Mandalorian Season 3, essentially Imperial-built Mandalorian-style armour in Gideon's colours.
Design-wise, the minifigure is a solid army builder:
- Detailed armour printing on the torso and legs, so it holds up next to battle-pack figures
- A white jetpack that gives the figure its distinctive silhouette
- A standard Star Wars blaster, ready for the Mandalore showdown
It is a small bag, just five pieces, but it is the sort of figure that looks better in multiples. One commando is fine. A squad of four lined up behind Moff Gideon is a display.
The Lucky-Dip Bonus
The second gift is what gives LEGO Star Wars magazine issue 120 its personality. Each copy came with an extra set recycled from an earlier issue, assigned at random. Jedi News reported finding a 44-piece Republic Fighter Tank mini build alongside an Emperor Palpatine minifigure, and other collectors have reported the Palpatine pairing as well. Because the bonus varies from copy to copy, two people holding the same issue can end up with different hauls.
What's Inside the Magazine
The reading side sticks to the familiar Immediate Media mix for six-to-eleven-year-olds:
- "Anakin's Army", a story asking how Anakin will whip a squad of unruly troops into shape
- "The Way of the Lightsaber", set aboard a Venator-class Star Destroyer with Captain Rex, Commander Cody, Anakin and Obi-Wan
- An epic comic, "Boom Boom", plus a space duel feature that asks who wins the showdown
- Two posters: clone troopers in a bold pop-art style, and Kylo Ren backed by the First Order
- Puzzles, quizzes and LEGO set competitions
The clone pop-art poster is a standout, the kind of thing that ends up on a bedroom wall rather than in the recycling.
Why It Earns a Spot in Your Collection
This is not a one-of-a-kind chase figure. The Imperial Commando also exists in the battle pack. Its appeal is about convenience and completeness:
- Troop-building without duplicates. You get an extra commando without buying another full battle pack and its repeated figures.
- It pairs with nearby issues. Combined with issue 116's Mandalorian Nite Owl and issue 121's Praetorian Guard, it lets magazine-only collectors build a small Season 3 Mandalore scene.
- The bonus adds a variant layer. Run collectors may want to note which extra gift came with their copy.
- Supply is shrinking. As a UK exclusive LEGO magazine, issue 120 was never sold on LEGO.com or in US stores, and retailers such as Mags Direct now list it as sold out. Sealed copies with the bag attached thin out every time someone opens one.
If you're hunting a copy of LEGO Star Wars magazine issue 120 today, ask the seller to confirm both gifts are still attached and which bonus is included, because you can't tell from the cover alone.
Build Your Imperial Remnant
Check our LEGO magazines collection for the UK back issues we currently have in hand, or expand your squad from the wider LEGO Star Wars collection. If you're new to the title, our LEGO Star Wars Magazine collector's guide explains how the UK release schedule and covermount gifts work, so no issue slips past you.