Sonic The Hedgehog

Knuckles and the Master Emerald Shrine

A little shrine that actually crumbles when you want it to.

Brick Rated Score

3.8/5

Set 76998 · 2024

Pieces325

Minifigs1

Year2024

Set number76998

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The verdict

I love a set that gives you a job to do, and this one hands Knuckles a whole shrine to guard and then dares you to knock it down.

The big translucent green Master Emerald sitting on its stepped altar is the reason I picked this one up in the first place, it just glows against the grey stonework. The break function is simple but it works, and for a set this size that is exactly what I want from an action build. This is the one for younger Sonic fans and for anyone who wants a small, punchy display piece rather than a weekend project.

Best for: young Sonic fans and collectors who want a small display piece with a working action feature

The full review

What it is

I'll be honest, the Master Emerald piece is what sold me before I'd even opened the box. It is a big faceted translucent green gem that sits on a stepped stone altar, and Knuckles gets to stand guard over it exactly like he does in the games. LEGO built the whole set around one idea, protect the emerald, and then gave you a lever that lets you smash part of the shrine wall down when the action calls for it. It is a small mechanism, nothing fancy, but pressing it and watching a chunk of the wall tumble away never stopped being fun for me.

The catch

Where I have to be straight with you is on value and scope. Three hundred and twenty five pieces goes by fast, so this is not a set that is going to occupy an afternoon of building. It is closer to a playset with one good trick than a display model with a story to tell piece by piece. The shrine itself is mostly grey brick and I found myself wishing for a bit more texture or color in the stonework to match the drama of that glowing emerald sitting on top of it. And you only get the one minifigure, Knuckles, so if you were hoping for a bigger cast to act out a scene, this will feel a little sparse.

Who it's for

If you have a Sonic fan in the six to nine range who wants something they can actually play with, knock down, and rebuild in ten minutes, this is a genuinely good pick, especially paired with one of the other 2024 wave sets like Sonic's Green Hill Zone. If you are shopping for a serious build or a densely detailed diorama, I'd steer you toward a bigger set in the line instead, this one is built for action, not for hours at the table.

The parts story

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

The build itself moves quickly and is aimed at a younger builder, most of it is straightforward stacking to raise the stepped altar and frame out the shrine walls around the smash mechanism. There is nothing technically demanding here, which is exactly the point for a set clearly designed to be played with immediately.

The standout piece by far is the Master Emerald itself, a large faceted translucent green element that catches light beautifully and is the kind of piece I would happily hunt down on its own for other builds. Knuckles comes as a proper printed minifigure with his signature dreadlock hair piece and spiked gloves, and the small collapsible wall section uses a simple hinge and lever setup that resets cleanly for repeat play. It is a modest parts list, but the pieces that matter are doing real work.

Fun facts

01This was part of LEGO's first wave of Sonic the Hedgehog sets, released in 2024 under license from Sega, marking Sonic's debut as an official LEGO theme.
02The Master Emerald is the actual centerpiece of the box art and set name, reflecting its central role in Sonic lore as the artifact Knuckles is sworn to protect.
03The set's action feature, a section of the shrine wall that collapses on command, mirrors the destructible environments Sonic games are known for.
0476998 launched alongside sibling sets built around Sonic, Tails, Amy, Shadow, and Dr. Eggman, giving the wave a full roster of characters from the games.