LEGO NINJAGO's Guardian Dragon has cemented its legacy

Brick Fanatics' staffers are highlighting their favourite LEGO sets from the past 12 months as part of our look back over 2025. This time, it's Jack with the most adult-aimed slice of NINJAGO to date...

2025 has featured a generous selection of LEGO sets, many of which I have fallen in love with. From 72046 Game Boy to 10350 Tudor Corner, it's been a tough year to be a LEGO fan and someone trying to save up for a new home. Of all the new releases from the past 12 months, there's one that easily stands above the rest in my collection, though.

As much as I have delighted in the debut of LEGO One Piece, and seem to be one of the few enthusiasts to enjoy 10367 The Lord of the Rings: Balrog Book Nook, 71847 The Guardian Dragon is easily my favourite set of 2025. There's simply no contest. 71847 The Guardian Dragon is available for £139.99 / $149.99 / €149.99, but is also on sale for £30 off on Amazon UK now.

The 1,650-piece model is one of the first releases as part of the Legends line, and I am ecstatic to see what else the NINJAGO team does with this new collection. The model instantly stands out on store shelves alongside 71846 The Fire Knight Mech thanks to a wholly unique box design that leans heavily into NINJAGO's more mature audience, but without straying too far from the colourful nature of the theme.

This isn't quite the mostly-black boxes of LEGO Icons, but there are elements of modern graphic design in the box art that make it a genuinely displayable work of art. This display-forward experience continues when you open the box, revealing a specially-designed poster that is nothing short of stunning and something that I have already found a spot for in my future home.

To be transparent, I was provided this set for review by the LEGO Group earlier this year, but I would have purchased it myself soon after its launch had it not been provided. That doesn't change the overall quality of this set, though. From top to bottom, 71847 The Guardian Dragon is a masterclass in LEGO creature and landscape design, using a variety of genius techniques to find the perfect balance between being displayable and sturdy enough to move without worry.

It's that latter point that has seriously taken me by surprise. I want to be careful and hold the model by its base when I first see it, but gripping the torso of the dragon is perfectly fine to carry this build, and you'll find that nothing will fall off while it is moving. Even after finishing the build and re-analysing the instructions, I'm still not completely sure how the designers have achieved this.

The dragon itself demonstrates just how far NINJAGO has come, too, and the inclusion of an exclusive minifigure is the cherry on top of my favourite set of 2025. As a longtime NINJAGO fan, I can't imagine how this model could have been any more ideal for enthusiasts who have grown with this theme since day one. My excitement for the 15th anniversary definitely played into my appreciation for 71847 The Guardian Dragon, and I love that the NINJAGO team were well aware of their older audience outside of the theme's biggest and most expensive models.

Little did I know what was on the horizon. The first LEGO NINJAGO 15th-anniversary sets for 2026 have now been unveiled, and it's clear now that the NINJAGO team were teasing what was to come with 71847 The Guardian Dragon. Display, detail and amazing building techniques are key components of the new Legacy models, including 71858 Four Weapons Blacksmith and 71860 Lloyd's Titan Mech. They lack the unique box design that the Legends sets feature, but I prefer it this way to make the 2025 model that much more special.

Most notably, while 71847 The Guardian Dragon and 71846 The Fire Knight Mech offer display-forward experiences at more affordable price points, 2026 is far surpassing them in this regard. 71866 Ninja Character Display costs just £34.99 / $44.99 / €39.99 and is evidently designed with display in mind rather than play.

As much as this model features numerous minifigures, there's not a lot of space on the build to play with them; instead, it features transparent stands to pose them and showcase your love of NINJAGO. Add to that the ability to showcase 71866 Ninja Character Display in the middle of the 15th-anniversary minifigure collection, and this has become an instant must-have model for every day one NINJAGO enthusiast.

These sets have likely been in production for some time, but I believe that 71847 The Guardian Dragon and the other Legends model played a part in proving to the LEGO Group that there is an audience for LEGO NINJAGO sets targeting fans like me. I have never felt more seen in the LEGO portfolio and am thrilled to see what is next for this beloved theme.

There are undoubtedly equally good and even better builds from throughout 2025, but 71847 The Guardian Dragon has special significance to me and other longtime NINJAGO fans. My experience with this model goes beyond that of most enthusiasts, as it was the subject of one of my first videos for Brick Fanatics. This is something which I hope to continue doing for myself and our audience, and I would have never had the confidence to do so without the encouragement and familiarity of NINJAGO.

LEGO NINJAGO 71847 The Guardian Dragon is available now for £139.99 / $149.99 / €149.99 with a retirement currently scheduled for the end of 2026. You can check out our review of this build by clicking here.

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