Ninjago

Lloyd's Legendary Dragon

The head on this dragon is a little masterclass in parts, and it kept surprising me all the way through.

Brick Rated Score

4.1/5

Set 71766 · 2022

Pieces747

Minifigs4

Year2022

Set number71766

Check price on Amazon

Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

The verdict

Ninjago has been making dragons for over a decade, so I went in expecting the usual, and this one still got me.

The gradient of greens and blues down the body is gorgeous, the head build is clever enough that I rebuilt it twice just to watch how it comes together, and the flapping wings are genuinely fun to hold. The catch is that same flapping gear robs you of free wing posing, which stings on a display piece. For Ninjago fans and anyone who loves a good creature build at a fair price, it is an easy yes.

Best for: Ninjago fans and creature-build lovers who want a poseable dragon without a huge price tag

The full review

What it is

Lloyd's Legendary Dragon is a 747-piece Ninjago build from early 2022, and it is the rare licensed-theme creature that made me slow down and actually study it. The body runs a gradient of greens into deep blues, the tail curls and poses, the legs and arms all move, and the head is the part I keep coming back to. It is built almost entirely from existing elements arranged so cleverly that the snout, the jaw and the horns all read as one confident shape. I rebuilt the head section twice, not because I got it wrong, but because I wanted to see the logic again. For a theme that has been churning out dragons for ten years, that is a real compliment.

The catch

Here is where I have to be straight with you. The wings flap. They flap on a Mixel-joint mechanism that swings them forward and back in one satisfying motion, and holding the finished dragon and working that flap is honestly delightful. But that same mechanism is the whole problem for anyone who wants a static display piece, because the wings will not hold a free pose. They want to return to the flapping arc. So you get a wonderful play feature and a slightly frustrating shelf model in the same object, and which one matters more depends entirely on you. The build also leans a little thick through the torso, and if you came hoping for a box full of fresh molds, this is not that set. The parts are well chosen but familiar.

Who it's for

If you love Ninjago, or you just love a big poseable creature that photographs well and does not cost a fortune, get it. The launch price of 69.99 was genuinely fair for what you are holding, and the minifig lineup of Lloyd, Nya, Python Dynamite and Viper Flyer sweetens it. If you are a hardcore parts hunter chasing new elements, or you specifically want a display dragon with fully articulated wings you can lock into a dramatic pose, this one will leave you a little wanting. Everyone else, I think you will be charmed.

The parts story

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

Building this is a steady, rewarding sit-down rather than a grind. The head goes first for most builders and it is the highlight, a genuinely satisfying bit of geometry where existing slopes and curved pieces stack into a proper snarling face. From there the body sections repeat a little as you work the gradient down the spine, but never enough to bore you, and the wing assembly with its Mixel joints is the moment the whole thing clicks into a working machine in your hands.

On the parts front, this is not a set that will make a collector rush to the sorting trays. New Elementary noted it does not flood you with new molds, and that is fair. What it does offer is a smartly organized palette across earth blue, azure, bright green and dark green, and those colors sit in useful recolor-friendly shapes if you build your own creatures. At 747 pieces for a 69.99 launch price, the part-count value is solid without being remarkable, and the four minifigures carry a decent chunk of that worth.

Fun facts

01The set is part of the Ninjago Mission Banner Series, so completing the story rewards you with a collectible banner that flies from a pole on the dragon's back.
02It released on 1 January 2022 at 69.99 USD and retired around the end of 2023, and sealed copies have since climbed roughly 40 percent above that original price.
03The wing motion runs on Mixel ball joints, the same humble part LEGO first introduced for the tiny Mixels line, here doing the heavy lifting on a large dragon.
04Lloyd can be upgraded mid-play with a hood, and the dragon itself can be kitted out with a saddle and bigger attack-mode wings.