From Classic Castle, Creator, and Ninjago to Harry Potter and D&D, dragons have long been an essential part of the LEGO mix. Brick-built dragons are also a popular inspiration for adult builders, from medieval monsters to Chinese sky serpents. What type of dragon will you build?
The term “shrimp” doesn’t typically evoke an image of a fearsome creature, but what if you combined the obscure and dangerous Peacock Mantis Shrimp with a Dragon? Lego builder, and imaginative creator, Joss Ivanwood, who takes pride in designing and building “dragons, robots, monsters, and more,” has merged the otherworldly mantis shrimp with a dragon. The use of bright colors, combined with what can only be assumed is an expert-level application of LEGO Technic joints, transforms a fish’s nightmare into a vibrant and imaginative reality.
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Retro minifigure callbacks have become something of a theme in LEGO’s Collectible Minifigure Series. In CMF Series 25, for instance, we got a callback to the beloved Fright Knights of the 1990s, with Basil the Batlord re-imagined as a Vampire Knight. But what’s a Batlord without a noble steed? Enter talego, who has reduxed the dragon in 6007 Bat Lord to go with the figure. And the results are awesome! It looks suitably frightening in all-black, with some custom red wings to match. Take a close look at the head, too: a sausage gives the dragon not only eyes, but pupils too. And not only are the Batarangs thematically great, they double perfectly as both eyebrows and horns!
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As we cross the halfway point of 2024, Joss Ivanwood (jayfa_mocs) continues his Year of the Dragon LEGO celebration with his sixth offering: Draconis Wisteria. June’s dragon is a tribute to the flowering wisteria vine. The idea first came to Joss at the start of the year, but it took until now for the vision to fully come together and the results truly soar. Joss excels at organic shaping in his builds, especially when liberated by the chaotic outgrowths of roots and vines, as he demonstrated with his orchid-inspired Demogorgon. The model masterfully incorporates a lot of snaking brown parts that you would expect with the theme, and a few parts you might not, like a hairpiece for upper maw, and golden One Ring eyes. This dragon is such a perfect execution of a concept that just feels right. I can imagine the majestic beast nesting on a pergola, draping its wings to create a lavender canopy and perfectly camouflaging itself in plain sight.
With six months remaining, I can’t wait to see what other imaginative spins on the dragon Joss has in store for LEGO fans.
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Poor Prince Philip will never be among the most well-developed and nuanced of Disney characters, but there’s no denying his courage. That bravery is on full display in nobu_tary‘s LEGO rendition of Sleeping Beauty’s climactic battle. The evil fairy-turned-dragon Maleficent unleashes a stream of fire, which is perhaps my favorite part of the build—an assortment of rounded bricks capture the green flames billowing from the dragon’s maw.
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One thing we learned from How to Train Your Dragon is that dragons do indeed come in many shapes and sizes, as evident in this dragon by Joss Woodyard, inspired by a toad which reminds me of the rock-eating Gronckle, especially with those tiny wings. Lots of long curved parts used as tails and claws are here used to sculpt the dragon’s large mouth and tongue. The small eye tiles commonly found in nightmare creatures from the LEGO Dreamzzz theme make perfect reptile eyes, while the transparent wing element makes a great dragonfly wing on this dragon’s lunch.
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Iron Builder competitions are one of our favorite sources of delight as we seek out new LEGO creations to highlight and share. These playful competitions highlight some of the most creative builders in the hobby while also showing how much potential is packed into a single eccentric LEGO element. The latest Iron Builder just kicked off between TBB regulars Sandro Quattrini and Gerrit Gottschalk, and the “seed part” is the green Koopa shell with spikes. Sandro fires the first salvo with a majestic green dragon, which uses 34 shells to achieve the snaking, scaly body. The head design is very effective, especially the sculpting around the eyes using minifig arms and frogs for an organic shape.
gGh0st strikes back with an elegant Japanese sword display, using koopa shells for the hilt. There are plenty of other nice touches in the still life scene, like the life buoys on the tsuba blade guard and the perfect curvature of the blade and scabbard. But the best touch of all: gGh0st’s sly nod to Sandro’s build, incorporating the unmistakeable green dragon design into the sword stand. That playful back-and-forth is another reason why Iron Builder competitions are so much fun to spectate.
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A LEGO Ninjago wave would only be complete with at least one dragon, and while 71814 Tournament Temple City does come with a small dragon, there is a much more impressive dragon coming out this summer, and it is awe-inspiring! LEGO Ninjago 71822 Source Dragon of Motion is possibly the sturdiest dragon ever from the theme, and considering how long the theme has been around, that is saying something. Measuring 25 inches in length, with a 29-inch wingspan, this might even be the largest single-headed Ninjago dragon ever. Setting all kinds of records, LEGO Ninjago 71822 Source Dragon of Motion comes with 1,716 pieces and will be available starting on June 1st, for US $149.99 | CAN $199.99 | UK £129.99
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.
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Joss Woodyard has a thing for creative LEGO creature designs (just look at what he’s got in our archives). But since 2024 is the year of the dragon, what better excuse than to get some awesome dragons out of him? April’s entry takes inspiration from birds both ancient and present for a striking feathered fiend. It’s part bearded vulture, part Archaeopteryx – the feathered flying dinosaur from the Jurassic period. And the feathers are what really make this build stand out, using a variety of pieces from the Bionicle and Chima lines of years gone by.
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LEGO Masters builder, and half of the winning team for the show’s debut season, Tyler Clites presents us with quite the adorable fellow in his Bubble Dragon build. While one wouldn’t typically associate a dragon with such a cuddly demeanor, Tyler has convinced me otherwise with this deceptively simple creation. At first glance, we’re drawn to associate the CGI bubbles in both the foreground and background to the title. However, a closer examination reveals rounded, or bubbled, claws on the feet, hands, teeth, wings, and the cutest rounded belly. It’s putting to use just about every curved slope and rounded plate and tile that one can find in turquoise and orange-yellow!
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Gleeoks are the three-headed dragons who have menaced Link going back to the very first Legend of Zelda game. King Gleeok, introduced in Tears of the Kingdom, is the most fearsome incarnation of the recurring boss to date, and makes for one of the most menacing LEGO dragons we’ve ever seen. Built by Mitch Phillips, the model wasn’t created via Ultrahand, but instead employs a masterful blend of System and Bionicle techniques to achieve the inticate organic design. The three toothy heads first catch the eye, colored to match the elements of Thunder, Flame, and Frost. Then you might be drawn to the spidery wings whose membranes come from the sails of several LOTR Corsair ships. Perhaps my favorite section of the build is King Gleeok’s scaly chest, which, if you look closely, you can see is made from red discs affixed to a net and wrapped around the torso.
It’s such a complicated build with unusual parts that you can’t fully appreciate it from pictures alone. Thankfully, Mitch guides you through the build process on his YouTube channel.
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The word “dragon” should naturally conjure an image of a fire-breathing, terrorizing great lizard, its eyes filled with the promise of impending doom. Now, envision that same image but on a much smaller scale. The dragon crafted by creator Bart Marable, though diminutive, manages to capture the essence of this mythical beast. It depicts a dark creature exhaling flames upon what appears to be a tranquil island village, where residents live out their days in peace. In this compact creation, the creator has paid meticulous attention to detail, from the water supporting the island to the tip of the cathedral’s cross, leaving nothing to be desired.
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This year, we celebrate a very important anniversary in the LEGO community. And no, I’m not referring to the 50th anniversary of Dungeons and Dragons, although that’s certainly an epic milestone. Instead, I’m talking about the 25th anniversary of Star Wars LEGO sets. For it was all the way back in 1999 with that star-crossed fusion of intellectual property that some of us first believed we could see our favorite bricks paired with D&D. Well, it’s finally happened with LEGO Ideas 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale. Coming in at 3,745 pieces, this set is based on the contest-winning design by fan Lucas Bolt, and sculpted into the final model by LEGO designers (and huge D&D fans) Mark Stafford and Jordan Scott. The set will release on the LEGO website on April 1st for LEGO Insiders (April 4th for everyone else), and retail for US $359.99 | CAN $469.99 | UK £314.99. But will Red Dragon’s Tale pass the TBB constitution check, or are we headed for saving throws? Read on to find out!
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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