Are you excited for the Ninjago Crystalized theme? We’ve been working our way through the full summer 2022 wave , and today’s review is all about Ninjago 71772 The Crystal King. This 772 piece set is available now in the UK and August 1st worldwide from the LEGO Shop Online for US $69.99 | CAN $89.99 | UK £54.99. Five minifigures join a very unusual Centaur-mech in this villain-heavy adventure. Do you need more bad guys in your life? Keep reading and see if you’re tempted!
The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
Unboxing the parts, instructions and sticker sheet
The Crystal King comes in a mid-sized tumb-punch box. Like the rest of the Crystalized sets, the color scheme here is very neon, with the dark pink elements playing off against a darker purple background. The upper right corner has Lloyd and his Golden Ultra Dragon, and we get the Ninjago logo down the left side. The age range for this set is set at 9+, which feels like a good recommendation to me. The buildings in the background have a bit of Ninjagon text to decode – the signs read “Team up” and “Go”.
The back of the box shows the set’s contents in an isolated setting, giving you a better idea of just what’s included. A small inset shot shows the mech’s play feature of an opening cockpit area.
Inside the box are seven numbered parts bags, a sticker sheet, and a perfect-bound instruction manual.
The sticker sheet is fairly minimal. The images here will add a bit of decoration to the mech’s armor plating.
The parts
There aren’t very many parts of note in this set, but we do get one exclusive recolor: Among the cool range of transparent dark pink elements is this 8x4x2 windscreen. The other transparent elements are also pretty scarce, with both the large and small crystal blades and katana currently limited to the Crystalized sets.
The build
There’s only one model to be built in this set – the Crystal King’s mech. The cockpit comes together first, with a good level of SNOT connections and sturdy Technic joins. Those joins are a little different from the standard Ninjago mech, as this one’s centaur-shaped body requires a completely different hip build.
The main color scheme of dark grey and transparent dark pink contrasts well with pops of dark blue and gold. The surfaces have an interesting texture that invokes that feel of jagged crystal even in the more mechanical areas.
From the back, you can see the wide range of connections being used – click hinges in the shoulders, clips, Technic pins, rods…this mech has it all.
The rear body connects at an interesting, yet sturdy, angle thanks to those Technic joints. The first sticker gets applied to show this mech has a spine.
The rear legs are beefy builds with splayed toes assembled from 1×2 slope bricks. The hip joints are big-fig click hinges, a connection that can hold a lot of weight, while the feet are connected with more common ball joints.
The mech’s head is pretty striking. The transparent dark pink horns in the crown feel regal, while opaque dark pink horns form the eyes. The overall look is very Lord of the Rings-esque.
The center of the torso gets some serious love, too, with a golden ribcage protecting that new windscreen element. More stickers go on the chest armor, adding some nice visual interest.
The front legs are a more detailed build than the rear ones, with more armor plating and 1×1 crystal pyramid accents. The articulation here is a lot less, though, with both the knees and hips being locked in position for stability’s sake . The ankle does have a ball joint, at least.
With all four feet on the floor, the mech has a very interesting shape. It’s also pretty darn stable compared to the Ninja Mechs that keep falling off my shelves.
The arms continue to play with the color scheme, with golden fingers topped with purple claws. The thumb is fairly posable, allowing for a realistic range of motion. The clip connections in the palm are there to hold the figure’s weapon.
The back of the mech gets a pair of spiky wings. This is a great use of the large crystal blade element, and the dark blue colors really enhance the look. The wings fit into the clip connections we saw earlier, and have a decent range of pivot.
The final bit of build for the mech is the dragon-like tail. It uses Mixel ball joints and is able to support its own weight quite well.
Oh, and there’s a big ol’ spear/scepter/weapon thing, too. It’s a nice change from just another mech-scaled sword. The gold bar connection in the center is what clips into the mech’s hands. It’s a nice upgrade from the usual Technic pin assembly we see on these larger weapons.
The finished model
The Crystal King’s mech is a very different beast from the usual humanoid robots that populate the Ninjago world. The centaur-like shape is a great variation, with the heavy armor plating making it feel more like a fantasy golem than a technological terror. The colors help shape that image, with the black and dark grey body reading like steel or stone, a fitting rocky base for the transparent dark pink crystal accents.
Other than the articulation in the limbs, the only play feature on the mech is the opening cockpit area. This does feel a bit more elaborate than usual, with the movable golden rib cage and chest armor locking the windscreen in place. The cockpit seats the Crystal King figure well, although there’s a sad lack of control surfaces. Maybe it’s psionically piloted? Or maybe it’s just magic. I guess it really doesn’t matter much.
With the King at the heart of the mech and three support troops in front, Lloyd feels a little outmatched. This is a fun inversion to sets like the 71765 Ninja Ultra Combo Mech where one or two bad guy characters are expected to take down the robot.
The minifigures
This set includes five minifigures, three of which are exclusive to this set. The first is sure to be a fan favorite; a new “Fugitive” version of the heroic green ninja Lloyd. He has a common dual-sided face print, but his cowl, legs, and torso are all new. The Ninjargon character on his hood is “L” – letting you know this is Lloyd if the color didn’t give things away.
There’s also a bit of cannon fodder to be had – the Vengestone Warrior is a common sight in the Crystalized sets. (Great for army building, at least!) This figure features a dual-molded head and new prints on the legs and chest. Also of note are the transparent dark pink arm and leg; a cool way to tie the minifigure into the Crystalized theme.
The other baddie is a Vengestone Guard – what I assume to be a slightly tougher foe. It uses the same head and legs as the Warrior but has a different torso print with two transparent arms. This one also has the crystal shoulder armor upgrade – something that the Guards sometimes lack.
The next exclusive character is Harumi, the former princess of Ninjago and the founder of the Sons of Garmadon. Her return is a bit of a mystery for the storyline, as she was apparently killed in her last appearance. Well, if Star Wars is fine with “somehow, Palatine returned”, then Ninjago should get a pass, too. Harumi comes with a dual-sided head and new printing for her torso and legs.
Finally, we come to the Crystal King himself. This character was first mentioned back in Season 13 of the Ninjago show but remained hidden until he was revealed as the central baddie of Season 15. He has two variations in the Crystalized sets – a four-armed version in two other sets, and the two-armed look that is unique to this set. That said, other than the horns on the oni mask and inclusion of shoulder armor, the core parts here are all the same as the four-armed version; you just don’t get the extra torso extender.
Side by side, you get a strong “Don’t talk to me or my son ever again” vibe. I do like how the shorter horns make this set’s version feel like the first form of the boss, with the upgrade waiting to kick our hero’s butts just when they think he’s down for the count.
Conclusion and recommendation
This is another strong offering in the Crystalized theme. The mech stands out from the existing robot army, the minifigures (three of which are exclusive) are all well designed, and the build is fun with just the right touch of complexity to keep older builders interested. At $70 US for 772 pieces, the cost ratio is reasonable for a minifigure-heavy set at just 9 cents per. If you’ve been waiting for a great mechanical foe to pit your heroic Ninjago mechs against, pick this one up!
LEGO Ninjago 71772 The Crystal King is available now in the UK and August 1st worldwide from the LEGO Shop Online for US $69.99 | CAN $89.99 | UK £54.99. It is also available via third-party sellers on Amazon and eBay.
The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
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Forgive me if this is common knowledge (our family is WAY behind on Ninjago), but do we know if this thing is supposed to be mechanical? It conspicuously lacks the word “mech” in its name. I like your idea of it being more a creation of magic, like the golem.
ps. Thank you for the review! I look forward to picking this up in August.
@ForestMenOfEndor – I’m honestly not sure. What I was able to find suggests the centaur is an “alternate form”, so magic does sound more apt than a mech. The Ninjago Wiki might be a place to watch for more info: https://ninjago.fandom.com/wiki/Crystal_King