Harry Potter

Forbidden Forest: Magical Creatures

A small slice of the Forbidden Forest that punches above its piece count.

Brick Rated Score

3.7/5

Set 76432 · 2024

Pieces172

Minifigsn/a

Year2024

Set number76432

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The verdict

I love that LEGO keeps going back to the Forbidden Forest instead of just rebuilding the castle over and over, because the forest is where Harry Potter actually gets weird and a bit scary, and this set leans into that.

For 172 pieces you get a proper little scene, gnarled trees, a patch of undergrowth, and a cast of the forest's stranger residents, not just another courtyard rebuild. It will not fill a shelf on its own, but it earns its spot next to the bigger Hogwarts sets. Pick it up if you want an affordable, playable piece of the wider Wizarding World, and skip it if you are only after a big centerpiece build.

Best for: Harry Potter collectors filling out the wider Hogwarts grounds display on a budget

The full review

What it is

I will be honest, when a Harry Potter set comes in under 200 pieces I brace myself, because so many small licensed sets feel like an afterthought bolted onto a bigger wave. This one did not feel that way to me. The moment I had the tree trunks stacked and the undergrowth clipped in, it actually looked like a forest floor instead of a flat green plate with some leaves stuck on top, and that is not nothing at 172 pieces.

The catch

The honest caveat is size and pacing. This is a fast build, you will not lose an evening to it, and if you are the kind of builder who wants a long, absorbing session this will not scratch that itch on its own. It is also clearly designed as a companion piece, meant to sit beside the bigger Hogwarts Castle and Grounds sets from the same wave rather than stand alone as a centerpiece. The forest texture leans on repeated plant pieces rather than a pile of new molds, so parts hunters looking for rare prints will find slim pickings here.

Who it's for

Where this set earns its keep is as an affordable way into the wider Wizarding World display. If you already own the big castle set and want the grounds to feel less empty, or if you are building out the story beats of the books rather than just the architecture, this is a smart, cheap addition. If you want one big impressive build for your money, put your budget toward the castle instead and treat this as the extra scene you add once the centerpiece is done.

The parts story

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

Building it is quick and a little meditative, mostly trunk sections, branch pieces, and layered greenery that clips together fast. There is no fiddly minifig-scale interior to fuss over, it is closer to a diorama build, stack the trees, texture the ground, place the figures, done. That makes it a nice palate cleanser if you have just finished a long, technical set and want something low pressure.

Piece-wise this is not where you go hunting for new molds or rare prints, the value is in the scene it creates rather than any single standout element. The trunk and branch pieces do double duty as general-purpose brown tree parts that are genuinely useful in other builds and dioramas, which softens the sting of the otherwise ordinary parts list. At this price point for a licensed Harry Potter set, the part count still feels fair rather than padded.

Fun facts

01The Forbidden Forest has been a recurring LEGO Harry Potter setting since the earliest waves of the theme, alongside sets built around Aragog and the Whomping Willow.
02In the books and films the Forbidden Forest is home to centaurs, unicorns, thestrals, and acromantula, giving LEGO a wide bench of creatures to pull from for forest-themed sets.
03Smaller Harry Potter scene sets like this one are typically released alongside a flagship castle set in the same wave, designed to expand the grounds display rather than stand alone.