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LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – Best Upgrades For Every Class

The Skywalker Saga's skill tree adds a surprising amount of depth to the LEGO Star Wars experience, but some upgrades are better than others.

By Matthew Byrd | April 5, 2022 | | 0

While The Skywalker Saga expands the LEGO Star Wars series in several fascinating ways, one of the game’s best new features has to be the addition of a skill tree and a class upgrade system.

Granted, The Skywalker Saga‘s skill tree system isn’t exactly as deep as the ones found in most modern games, but the LEGO Star Wars games were never exactly that difficult to begin with. Instead, the various class upgrades you’ll find in The Skywalker Saga help add a little flavor to the game’s combat and allow you to feel a sense of progression that goes beyond simply working your way through each episode’s story and hunting collectibles.

So if you’re interested in diving into The Skywalker Saga‘s skill system but don’t know where to start, here’s a look at a few of the best upgrades available to the game’s various classes.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – How Do You Upgrade Your Character?

Upgrading your character in The Skywalker Saga costs Studs and Kyber Bricks. Studs are the little LEGO pieces that have become a series staple by this point, but Kyber Bricks are kind of a new concept for the franchise. They’re basically special blue LEGO bricks you’ll acquire after completing certain objectives, meeting certain level requirements, or simply by finding them in the game’s various hub sections.

Once you have enough Studs and Kyber Bricks, you’ll be able to upgrade your character by opening the main menu and heading over to the “Upgrades” tab. From there, you’ll find every upgrade in the game separated by the various character classes.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – The Best Core Upgrades

Speedy Sprint – Sprint More Quickly while exploring the open Galaxy.
Fast Build – Increase the speed of assembling build-its by hand.
Counter Cash – Recieve studs for successful combat counters.
Extra Health – Increase health by an additional bar.
Extra Health II – Increase health by an additional bar.
Extra Health III – Increase health by an additional bar.
Ship Enhancements – Increase the attack power of your ships.
Collectible Detector – Highlight important collectibles in the current area with an on-screen marker.
Attract Studs – Collect studs from further away.
Melee Attack Power – Increase the attack power of lightsabers and other melee attacks.
Ranged Weapon Power – Increase the attack power of blasters and other ranged attacks.
Health Recovery Speed – Automatic health recovery starts earlier and works faster.

Since most of the Core upgrades apply to every character in The Skywalker Saga, they tend to be the most valuable overall upgrades in the game. You’ll eventually want to unlock most of them.

Having said that, Counter Clash and Collectible Detector are easily among the very best upgrades in the game. In fact, I’d recommend upgrading Collectible Detector to Tier 3 as soon as possible. Attract Studs, Health Recovery, and Extra Health are probably the next most important Core upgrades (in that order). Finally, I found that Melee Attack Power is a little more valuable than Ranged Weapon Power simply because there seemed to be more (and better) characters that mostly rely on melee attacks, but your mileage/preferences may vary.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – The Best Jedi Upgrades

Force Flinger – Increase the attack damage caused by objects thrown with the Force.
Jedi Reflexes – Successful combat counters are more powerful and damage nearby enemies.
Trick Time – Increase the duration of Distract and Panic Jedi Mind Tricks.
Mind Master – Increase the range of effect for Distract and Panic Jedi Mind Tricks.

There’s a pretty good chance you’ll end up playing as a Jedi whenever one is available in The Skywalker Saga, so it makes sense to grab a few Jedi upgrades after you’ve acquired the very best Core upgrades.

So far as that goes, Jedi Reflexes is probably the most valuable overall Jedi Skill, but you might get a surprising amount of mileage out of Force Flinger if you’re into throwing things at enemies. Trick Time and Mind Master are fine, but they’re not a priority by any means.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – The Best Hero Upgrades

Improved Shield Generator – Increase the shield for ships piloted by Hero characters.
Armored Disguise – Adds a defense boost to equipped armor pieces, reducing damage.
Rebel Heart – Increase how often defeated enemies will drop recovery hearts.
Hero Terminal Expert – Hero Terminal interactions can be bypassed or completed for bonus studs.

Hero upgrades tend to be pretty valuable since they apply to some of the characters you’ll be using most often during the course of The Skywalker Saga. They’re obviously not as versatile as Core upgrades, but they end up impacting a surprising number of characters.

Sadly, most of the individual Hero upgrades are pretty weak. Hero Terminal Expert is probably your best option in this class if you’re looking to acquire extra studs, but unless you really need the defensive boos offered by Armored Disguise, you can save a lot of these for when you have spare Kyber Bricks to spend.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – The Best Scavenger Upgrades

Crafty – Add new color schemes for Scavenger Tools by rebuilding them to get an alternate color scheme.
Expert Climber – Increase climbing speed.
Better Breaker Blaster – Increase the explosive range and damage of the Breaker Blaster, making it more destructive in combat.
Advanced Gliding – Increase speed when using the Glider.

There aren’t a lot of Scavenger characters in The Skywalker Saga, which also sadly means that most of the Scavenger upgrades in the game are pretty limited compared to the other options offered to other classes.

That said, Better Breaker Blaster is a great option for anyone who finds themselves favoring Scavenger characters. Crafty is neat, but hardly necessary, while Expert Climber and Advanced Gliding are situationally useful minor upgrades.

Every Scavenger Character in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Chief Chirpa
Jawa
Logray
Paploo
Rey (Episode VII)
Rey (Episode VII – Starkiller Base)
Rey (Scavenger Grey Vest)
Teebo
Teedo
Tusken Raider
Wicket

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – The Best Scoundrel Upgrades

Business Opportunist – Recieve a stud discount when purchasing rumors and hints in the Holoprojector.
Charged Shot – Hold the fire button, then release when the weapon flashes to fire a charged shot. This powerful shot causes 25% more damage and bounces off of surfaces.
Combat Slide – Press the interact button while running to perform a combat slide, causing damage to enemies and objects.
Piercing Rounds – Pierce through cover with ranged attacks, inflicting damage on enemies behind it.

Given that certain Scoundrels are also some of the most beloved characters in Star Wars history, it’s honestly not that surprising to see that their upgrades are a little more substantial than other upgrades reserved for specific classes.

Charged Shot and Piercing Rounds help make Scoundrels some of the most powerful characters in The Skywalker Saga, while Combat Slide is a nice supplementary attack that also increases your movement speed. Business Opportunist can probably be skipped unless you’re trying to unlock every upgrade in the game.

Every Scoundrel Character in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Bala-Tik
Chewbacca
DJ
Doctor Evazan
Han Solo (Episode IV)
Han Solo (Episode V)
Han Solo (Endor)
Han Solo (Hoth)
Han Solo (Hoth – Hood)
Han Solo (Carbonite – Shirt)
Han Solo (Episode VII)
Lando Calrissian (Episode IX)
Lando Calrissian (Hermit)
Lando Calrissian (Episode V)
Lando Calrissian (Episode VI – General)
Lando Calrissian (Han Solo’s Clothes)
Lando Calrissian (Jabba’s Palace)
Maz Kanata
Ponda Baba
Sidon Ithano
Tasu Leech
Wandering Wookiee
Zorii Bliss

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – The Best Bounty Hunter Upgrades

Enemy Detector – Detect enemies through walls and other surfaces.
Hidden Bounties – Collect a bounty of studs from defeated enemies.
Scattershot – Bounty Hunter weapons fire a spread of bolts, causing damage across a wider range.
Shock Grenade – Press interact to throw a Shock Grenade which briefly stuns enemies and disables energy shields.

Much like Scoundrels, Bounty Hunters benefit from a series of surprisingly strong upgrades that make it even easier to justify playing as some of the iconic characters that belong to that class.

Hidden Bounties is certainly the best Bounty Hunter upgrade. It’s a fantastic way to farm extra studs without changing your basic gameplay strategies. Scattershot and Shock Grenade are also incredibly useful, while Enemy Detector quickly proves to be a gimmick ability that is just slightly better than worthless.

Every Bounty Hunter Character in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

4-LOM
Aurra Sing
Bazine Netal
Boba Fett
Bossk
Carib Diss
Dengar
Greedo
IG-88
Jango Fett
Jango Fett (Casual)
Leia (Boussh Disguise)
Rothgar Deng
Zam Wesell (Human)
Zam Wesell (Alien Face)
Zuckuss

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LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – The Best Villain Upgrades

Demolitions Expert – Grenades cause explosive damage over a larger range.
Extra Ammo – Weapons found in weapon drop crates carry more ammo, allowing them to be used for longer.
Defense Droid – A training remote will provide backup during combat, attacking your enemies.
Villain Terminal Expert – Villain Terminal interactions can be bypassed or completed for bonus studs.

Everyone loves a good Star Wars villain, which makes it that much more of a shame that most of the Villain upgrades in The Skywalker Saga are pretty bad.

Defense Droid is really the only upgrade in this section that comes close to being generally useful. Villain Terminal Expert isn’t terrible, but it’s certainly situational. The other skills are really only valuable if you’re playing as specific Villain characters.

Every Villain Character in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Ap’lek
B1 Battle Droid
B1 Battle Droid (Commander)
B1 Battle Droid (Geonosis)
B1 Battle Droid (Heavy Assault)
B1 Battle Droid (Kashyyyk)
B1 Battle Droid (Security)
Captain Canady
Captain Peavey
Captain Phasma
Captain Phasma (Cracked Helmet)
Cardo
Commander Jir
DJ (First Order)
Emperor’s Royal Guard
Empire Captain
FN-2199
Finn (FN-2187 – No Helmet)
Finn (FN-2187)
Finn (First Order)
Finn (Episode VIII – Supremacy)
First Order Flametrooper
First Order Jet Trooper
First Order Officer
First Order Officer (Kijimi)
First Order Snowtrooper
First Order Cold Weather Assault Trooper
First Order Special Forces Fighter Pilot
First Order TIE Fighter Pilot
General Grievous
General Hux
Han Solo (Stormtrooper)
Han Solo (Stormtrooper — No Helmet)
Imperial Fleet Trooper
Imperial Gunnery Technician
Kuruk
Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper)
Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper — No Helmet)
00M-9
Pryde
Rose Tico (First Order)
Rose Tico (Episode VIII — Supremacy)
Sandtrooper
Sandtrooper (Commander)
Sandtrooper (Sergeant)
Scout Trooper
Scout Trooper (Kashyyyk)
Sith Jet Trooper
Sith Trooper
Snowtrooper
Sovereign Protector
Stormtrooper (Empire Sergeant)
Stormtrooper
Stormtrooper (Empire Commander)
Stormtrooper (First Order — Driver)
Stormtrooper (First Order Sergeant)
Stormtrooper (First Order Officer)
Stormtrooper (First Order Heavy Assault)
Stormtrooper (First Order Squad Leader)
Stormtrooper (First Order)
TIE Fighter Pilot
Tarkin
Trudgen
Ushar
Vicrul

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – The Best Dark Side Upgrades

Fear The Dark Side – Enemies and civilians will have an increased chance of running away in fear and from a further distance.
Power Push – Force Push will knock back more enemies and objects over a wider range.
Force Crush – Repeatedly damage enemies grabbed with the Force.
Dark Rise – Boost the power and capabilities of Force Lift.

Morals aside, The Skywalker Saga‘s Dark Side roster features some of the coolest characters in the game. As such, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll end up playing as quite a few of them and will also want to upgrade those characters at some point.

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So far as that goes, Power Push will probably end up being the most valuable Dark Side upgrade. Force Crush and Dark Rise are both viable options, but neither is quite as good as Power Push. As for Fear the Dark Side…well, it’s both thematically satisfying and surprisingly useful during combat situations whenever it actually procs.

Every Dark Side Character in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Anakin Skywalker (Charred)
Anakin Skywalker (Yellow Eyes)
Count Dooku
Darth Maul (No Cape)
Darth Maul
Darth Vader
Darth Vader (No Helmet)
Kylo Ren (Episode IX)
Kylo Ren (No Helmet)
Kylo Ren (No Helmet – Scar)
Kylo Ren (Topless)
Kylo Ren
Palpatine (Scarred)
Palpatine (Senator)
Palpatine (Chancellor – Grey)
Palpatine (Chancellor – Red)
Rey (Sith)
Snoke
The Emperor

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – The Best Astromech Droid Upgrades

Distraction – Project a hologram that distracts nearby enemies for a period of time.
Droid Barge – Press interact while moving to slide into enemies, causing damage.
Astromech Socket Expert – Astromech Socket interactions can be bypassed or completed for bonus studs.
Super-Charged – Add a shockwave to stun prod attacks that damages nearby enemies.

The Astromech Droid class includes quite a few Star Wars characters not exactly known for their combat abilities, which certainly helps explain why most of that class’ upgrades at least help make Astromechs slightly more useful during fights.

So far as that goes, Super-Charged is certainly the best combat-based upgrade in this class. Droid Barge isn’t far behind, and Distraction is another one of those gimmicky abilities you’ll rarely use. Astromech Socket Expert is worth putting a point into (as every other relatively similar ability tends to be), but it’s not a priority by any means.

Every Astromech Droid Character in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

BB-8
BB-8 (Disguise)
BB-9E
G8-R3
K3-R1
R2-A6
R2-B1
R2-D2
R2-D2 (Swamp)
R2-D2 (Waiter)
R2-KT
R2-N3
R2-Q5
R2-R9
R4-M9
R4-P17
R5-2JE
R5-D4
R5-M2

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – Best Protocol Droid Upgrades

Destructive Disassembly – Release a shockwave when disassembling that damages nearby enemies.
Paid Translator – Recieve bonus studs for translating alien languages.
Polished Plating – Add a chance of deflecting bolts fired from enemy weapons.
Turret Tune-Up – Bolts fired from Protocol Terminal Turrets will bounce off surfaces, increasing their chances of hitting enemies.

Much like Astromech Droids, most of the Protocol Droid upgrades are designed to try to help those always-helpful robots feel a little more useful in combat situations. Unlike Astromech Droids, even a fully-upgraded Protocol Droid will struggle to set itself apart during most battles.

Still, it’s worth putting at least one point into Paid Translator if you have an extra Kyber Brick available. Everything else is probably best left to completionists.

Every Protocol Droid Character in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

C-3P0
C-3P0 (Kijimi Coat)
C-3P0 (Episode I)
C-3P0 (Red Arm)
C-3P0 (Red Eyes)
C-3P0 (Rusted)
E-3P0
H1-NT
K-3PO
ME-8D9
R-3P0
RA-7
TC-14

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Written by

Matthew Byrd | @SilverTuna014

Matthew Byrd is Games Editor at Den of Geek and an entertainment enthusiast living in Brooklyn. When he's not exploring the culture of video games, he's…