Posts by Jake Forbes (TBB Managing Editor)

Ekko from Arcane transformed into a LEGO legend

Mitch Phillips isn’t just a phenomenal LEGO character builder – he’s also a great teacher at how to break free from the LEGO grid and create impossible shapes full of personality. His latest creation is the hero Ekko from Arcane, the animated series based on League of Legends. The build started with Ekko’s face and iconic hourglass face paint (the hero’s powers involve time manipulation), and an afro made from twisted rubber bands.The mix of curves and angles is a perfect match for the animated series’s signature style.

Mitch breaks it all down in his video walkthrough, which is an essential watch if you’re curious about techniques that push LEGO elements to their limits. Not visible in the photograph is the most insane parts usage – the hoverboard’s rotor is made from a ring of Clone Trooper visors using a connection I’ve never seen before.

The name Ekko also suggests a mash-up of Eero Okkonen, another character builder whose creations some of Mitch’s design invokes. Coincidence…?

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New LEGO Harry Potter sets fly in this June bringing buildable creatures and biggest ever Hogwarts module [News]

LEGO must have hidden those Harry Potter Horcruxes somewhere very safe indeed, as 14 years after the Deathly Hallows ended the Boy Who Lived’s story, sets keep coming. This summer you can manage some mischief at home with 8 new sets, ranging from a massive minifigure scale version of Hogwarts’ Main Tower to the pull-back powered Book of Monsters. All sets will release on June 1, 2025, and many can be pre-ordered now. Don’t get caught in a pop quiz unprepared – read on for the full details.

Take a peek at the next wave of LEGO sets from the Wizarding World!

From Sand Elves to Frank Herbert’s DUNE, these desert dwelling minifigs are an oasis of creativity [Minifig Monday]

Believe it or not, Tatooine is not the only desert world to inspire amazing minifigures. There’s also Jakku. And Jedha. And Geonosis. And Pasaana. And… You know what? We’re not looking at any desert worls where Jedi have set foot today. Instead, for this week’s Minifig Monday we’re looking at original designs from the worlds of fantasy, literature, history, and military sci-fi.

Leading us into the desert today is Jacob Manahan, whose Akhanii desert elves are an imagined ancient kingdom from which civilization flowed. Jacob selects a nice assortment of printed body parts with folds of cloth and timeless jewelry (and I see Horizon‘s Aloy split across two different figures). Those blue eyes suggest the presnce of a certain spice on this world…

Speaking of Spice, builders Parker (lego.frenzy) and Woudt (_standaartwoudt_) recently collaborated on a series of fig builds based interpreting the characters of Frank Herbert’s Dune, without leaning the official figures from the excellent Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter. Parker’s series leads with this ensemble. I love the choice of the Haunted Mansion employee for Paul’s sullen face. The Sardukar soldier is epic and menacing. Parker even slips in a brilliant mini-build with that innovative Sandworm maw made from light nougat shields clipped in a ring.

Quench your thirst for hot desert minifigures after the break

Crush the budding rebellion from within the Imperial Security Bureau

The Imperial Security Bureau scenes are easily some of the best in both seasons of Andor as we get to see how petty and cunning the Empire’s most ruthless officers can be. Some even say that the ISB is the shadow government undermining the Emperor’s good intentions. Jonah Frost converts the ISB briefing room into LEGO and this brightly-lit set for shadowy dealings has never looked better. The standout technique is the irregular wall textures made from cheese slopes at every orientation. The doorway with the Imperial logo also looks great. It’s a perfect backdrop for the new Dedra Meero minifig to stand and sneer. Maybe Major Partagaz can even muster up some kind words for everyone’s favorite spider-counter.

The Force is strong with these miniaturized Star Wars vehicles

There has been an Awakening in the Star Wars building scene. John (J.R. Snotly Builds), an AFOL from Utah, just started sharing their LEGO creations a few weeks ago, and already they’re a force to be reckoned with. The builder’s style is based on embracing minifig scale while preserving maximum detail. That means Star Wars vehicles that are decidedly smaller than most official sets, but look perfectly proportioned next to a minifig. This Snowspeeder is barely 12 studs long and can still seat 2!

By working at this scale, John makes ships that we’ve seen in LEGO hundreds of times feel fresh again, using surprising parts and connections to solve familiar build challenges in new ways. Take, for example, the engine cones on this N-1 Starfigher made from Castle helmets!

Purists might note that the windscreen used on the A-Wing and N-1 isn’t a LEGO part, as the builder found that the WANGE windscreen was better for keeping a minifig pilot enclosed at this scale. John also has a version with a LEGO alternative.

What an exciting debut, and perfectly timed for Star Wars Day.

May the 4th – TBB’s Top Ten LEGO X-Wing MOCs [Feature]

In celebration of May the 4th, we’ve scoured our ~~Jedi~~ archives to appreciate the hundreds of Star Wars fan models featured on this site over the years. On the cusp of our 20th anniversary, those archives run deep. (You heard that right. If the Battle of Yavin was happening right now, The Brothers Brick would have been founded right around the time Senator Palpatine was kidnapped by General Grievous!) There is one Star Wars vehicle that has been recreated and shared by adult fans of LEGO more than any other – the X-Wing Fighter. Just as each Jedi must construct their own lightsaber, creating an original X-Wing design is almost like a rite of passage for builders. Here are 10 of our favorite designs from builders who regular readers of the site will definitely recognize. We even have free instructions for the model featured in the cover.

Cut the chatter, Red two. Let’s see those X-Wings!

Brothers Brick picks – Our favorite sets for May the Fourth

May the 4th has exploded (like Yavin 4) into the second biggest shopping event of the year for LEGO fans with a dozen new sets and a multi-day event offering perks like double Insider points, set discounts, and exclusive gifts with purchase. This year’s LEGO Star Wars 40765 Kamino Training Facility (free with LEGO Star Wars purchases totalling US $160 | CAN $210 | UK £145) will be a big draw for many fans thanks to three exclusive Clone Cadet minifigures. We’ve scoured the sale and selected our ten favorite Star Wars sets that are available now.

See our top ten Star Wars sets for celebrating May the Fourth

Holey rusted metal! 76304 Batman Forever Batmobile is on the way!

Chicks love the car. Not the Jag or the Bentley. The other car. LEGO fans also love Batman’s iconic ride from 1995’s Batman Forever, and this summer, you can crank up Seal’s Kissed by a Rose and build it for yourself. 76304 Batman Forever Batmobile joins LEGO’s growing lineup of the Caped Crusader’s car from across Bat-media, perhaps the best corporate synergy since Batman took these wheels for a spin to get drive-thru. With its oversized fins, ribbed sides, and glowing blue engine, the vehicle is just as over-the-top as Jim Carrey’s Riddler performance, and we’re here for it. We also get our first version of Val Kilmer’s Dark Knight (the cape is rubber of course). Releasing on August 1, LEGO 76304 Batman Forever Batmobile contains 909 pieces and can be pre-ordered now for US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £89.99.

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Take a trip through the LEGO looking glass for two very different spins on Alice

When LEGO introduced a new scale of buildable figures for characters like Wednesday Addams, the sets introduced interchangeable printed faces with big eyes. As builder lavishlump points out, these faces are quite similar to the ones used for the popular Japanese Nendororoid figures and work great for LEGO anime characters too. Lavishlump used the Glinda face for a model of Alice Margatroid, a magical puppeteer from a Japanese PC game.

LegoWyrm uses the same techniques for a very different video game Alice – the heroine of American McGee’s Alice. Wednesday’s goth expression is a perfect match for this dark spin on Wonderland.

Time will tell if LEGO continues to release buildable figures at this scale and expand the face options for anime fans, but for now it’s great to see a specialized part spur creativity in the community.

Take a trip to Kyoto for a postcard perfect build of the Golden Pavilion in LEGO

Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, is a jewel of Kyoto with a storied history. It burned down several times since the site became a Zen Buddhist temple in 1399, most recently in 1950, but it was always rebuilt with its top stories covered in gold leaf. Now it’s been rebuilt in LEGO as well, courtesy of Lasse Vestergård. Unlike the original, Lasse’s version isn’t just gilded but uses pearl gold bricks. With a limited range of elements in that color, the builder had to find creative solutions and work with small 1×1 and 1×2 plates to build the large structure. (Lasse has some experience with golden temples!) The temple looks incredible as it sits at an angle on a placid lake surrounded by gardens. I appreciate the brick-built hills in the distance, keeping every element on screen made from LEGO.

This isn’t the first time we’ve featured a MOC of Kinkaku-ji. 18 years ago we presented a version by Japanese LEGO legend Jumpei Mitsui.

Doubling down on Friends to make a sweet modular candy shop

The Heartlake City Candy Store is a sweet addition to the LEGO Friends line built from bubblegum colors and packed with fun printed elements and sporting adorable mascots. But while it’s a good value for a playset, the shop is only a facade. Builder Suzies_bricks was inspired to give it a major upgrade to integrate into her Suzieville city of colorful custom modulars. Combining two copies of the Friends set and a whole lot more pieces, Suzie added an en extra story and adapted the interior to be minfig-friendly. Speaking of, Suzie assembled the most colorful characters possible to try out the new sweets. The building stretched Suzie’s supply of dark azure elements to the limit (nice assist from Ninjago City Gardens with that lovely pointed arch).

The best part of this sweet shop? There’s a slide into the ball pit that loops outside the building, a feature sorely lacking in LEGO’s official modular sets.

Alternative builds, Iron Builders, and international buildings in this Week in Bricks! [Feature]

This week LEGO news is a blur with all the summer set announcements, but there are a lot of other great stories by and for LEGO builders to seek out. Thankfully, ABrickDreamer has gathered them into the latest This Week in Bricks. My favorite feature this week? In honor of May the Fourth, I have to go with this incredible Bespin diorama from Hypolite Bricks! I also found Jesse Gros’ story of rediscovering LEGO to be relatable and inspiring. What is your highlight of the week?