Ninjago

Egalt the Master Dragon

The first Master Dragon, and honestly a lovely one, wings and all.

Brick Rated Score

3.9/5

Set 71809 · 2024

Pieces533

Minifigs5

Year2024

Set number71809

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The verdict

I have built a lot of Ninjago dragons over the years, and Egalt still made me grin when the head clicked into place.

He is the first Master Dragon LEGO has ever made, with a long snouted head, posable legs and tail, and those big foil wings that catch the light. Five minifigures and a genuinely poseable creature for seventy dollars is a fair deal, though the foil wings and the tiny side build are where it wobbles. If you love Ninjago creatures or you are building for a kid who watches Dragons Rising, this one earns its shelf space.

Best for: Ninjago fans who want a big poseable dragon and a strong minifig lineup

The full review

What it is

Egalt is the first Master Dragon LEGO has put out in the Ninjago line, and you can tell they gave the head some extra love. The snout is longer than the usual dragon builds, running seven modules with hollow studs along the top, and it gives him a wiser, older look than the snappy young dragons in the rest of the wave. Black and white with red and gold accents, he measures about 46cm nose to tail and 36cm across the wings, which is a proper presence on a shelf. The first time I set him in a gliding pose with a ninja perched on his back, I got that little jolt of joy that good LEGO creatures still give me.

The catch

I will be straight with you about the two things that hold Egalt back. The wings come on a foil sheet, and while they catch the light beautifully, they feel thin and a bit cheap in the hand for a set at this price. Some builders adore that shimmer and some find it flimsy, so it really depends on what you want from a dragon. The other niggle is the side build, which is just a small brick tree holding the magic mallet and the gong of shattering. It is a nice story hook from the show, but it is not much to actually build, so nearly all the fun is in the dragon itself. At seventy dollars for 533 pieces you are paying a slight premium, and the five minifigures are doing a lot of the heavy lifting on value.

Who it's for

So who is this for? If you or the child you are building with follows Dragons Rising, Egalt is one of the most characterful creatures in that wave, and the minifig lineup of Lloyd, Sora, Nya, Lord Ras and Cinder is genuinely good. Kids will play with him for hours because he poses and swooshes so well. If you are a display-focused adult builder chasing clever engineering or a dense parts build, this is not the set that will thrill you, and you might prefer one of the bigger Ninjago dragons. But as a warm, poseable, first-of-its-kind creature that plays as well as it shows, Egalt is easy to recommend, especially now that he is retired and the price is starting to creep up.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building Egalt takes about an hour to ninety minutes, and it flows in the satisfying way Ninjago creatures usually do. You work outward from a ball-jointed spine, adding the legs, the tail segments and finally that lovely long head, so it never feels repetitive the way a big vehicle can. Kids can manage it solo at eight and up, and there is a real payoff moment when the wings and head go on and he suddenly looks alive.

The head is the standout, with its seven-module snout and hollow studs giving it a shape the older dragon molds never had. The foil wings are the other signature element, a shimmering sheet material that reads as magical on the shelf even if it feels light in the hand. Colorwise you get some nice red and gold accents against the black and white body, and the five minifigures carry a lot of the parts value, coming to roughly 62% of the set price on their own. It is not a set stuffed with rare recolors for parts collectors, but as a themed creature build it uses what it has cleverly.

Fun facts

01Egalt is the first ever Master Dragon toy in the Ninjago range, tied to season 2 of the Dragons Rising series.
02The set carried a $69.99 RRP and, since retiring, has climbed to roughly $85 for a sealed copy on the secondary market.
03The finished dragon is big for its part count, measuring about 46cm long and 36cm across the wings, with a 17cm height.
04The five minifigures (Lloyd, Sora, Nya, Lord Ras and Cinder) are worth around 62% of the set's original price combined.