Past and Present: The LEGO® The Lord of the Rings™ Theme

From kindly hobbits and great wizards to menacing orcs and monstrous creatures, J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth™ is a rich tapestry that, back in 2012, was recreated in brick form. The LEGO® The Lord of the Rings™ theme delivered a full range of sets for fans to recreate those magical moments. Join us as we step into the realms of Middle-earth and explore this much-loved collection.

In 1950s England, an Oxford professor, J.R.R. Tolkien, published one of the world’s most well-known stories. Set in the fictional world of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings trilogy spawned adaptations on radio, stage and TV and possibly most notably on the big screen with Peter Jackson’s epic movie series from the early 2000s. Such is the popularity of this epic tale that in 2012, The Lord of the Rings got the brick treatment. The arrival of the LEGO The Lord of the Rings theme delivered all of our favorite characters in the form of incredibly detailed minifigures, sets packed with rich story-telling and iconic brick-built scenes to recreate the tale.

Be it the moment when our beloved protagonist Frodo Baggins™ and his fellow hobbits are attacked by the Ringwraiths™ on Weathertop™, or the final, most life-changing clash of them all with the Battle at the Black Gate, each set was intricately designed with an attention to detail that lets even the greatest LOTR fan – or, dare we say it, Tolkien himself! – relive the magic of this enchanting world.

Join us as we take a look at trip down a brick-built Middle-earth and celebrate this amazing LEGO theme! Let the journey begin…

The Fellowship of the Ring

We begin the on-screen fantasy in a war-torn land, where Elves and Men fight for the freedom of Middle-earth against the hordes of Sauron™. As the battle climaxes, we are transported to a somewhat different landscape. Welcome to the lush green lands of The Shire™. It’s here we get our first glimpse of Gandalf™ the Grey as he arrives for Bilbo’s party.

This is a scene that is captured on our first set, Gandalf Arrives (9469). Complete with a Gandalf minifigure, his horse and cart, and a gleeful Frodo™. A joyful moment that is aesthetically captured perfectly in this compact offering.

The second ‘Fellowship offering’ is more of an adventurous setting. The Attack on Weathertop (9472) set depicts the windswept fortress ruins where our hobbit heroes and Aragorn™ battle the Ringwraiths after Sam’s open fire had attracted too much attention. The set offers plenty of display value and even opens up to reveal several play features like a trap door, a hidden weapons rack and even a flick missile. The set includes five accurate minifigures, Frodo™ and Merry™, a sword-wielding Aragorn and two Ringwraiths, one upon a menacing black horse. Frodo also has the One Ring™, which was as a new element at the time, with a golden chrome finish. We have seen this piece used in a multitude of sets since.

Next stop is the Council of Elrond™ set (79006, released in 2013), where you can hold court with Elrond, Arwen™ and the eternally cantankerous dwarf, Gimli™. The Gimli minifigure is a perfect example of how incredibly detailed and accurate the minifigures in this theme are. His printed axe, his uniquely-shaped textured helmet and flowing beard were all new elements made for this theme. Gimli’s torso was even printed despite being out of view as it was fully covered by his beard.

With the Fellowship formed, it’s time to venture through the Mines of Moria™ (9473) set. Once the most famous of dwarf realms, this now-abandoned mine is packed full of dangers. At 776 pieces, this set was one of the larger offerings and included a super-sized cave troll with giant brick-built mace. This alone made this set worth owning. The set not only had the first Legolas figure, but also had five figures unique to this set – the cave troll, two olive green orcs, Peregrin Took<span style='color:black;'>™ (‘Pippin’) and Boromir<span style='color:black;'>™). This set includes the mine door, hidden features, treasure and toppling walls. It really packed in the play-and-display value, with the figures making it highly collectible.

As the Fellowship bravely battles its way to Mordor™, we encounter Saruman™ the White in The Wizard Battle (79005) set. The set itself is only 113 pieces, but don’t let this number define your opinion. The Wizard Battle has plenty to offer. A ten-brick high throne for Saruman seems fitting but it’s the intricate and unique minifigures of Gandalf and Saruman that highlight the attention to detail and appeal that the entire The Lord of the Rings theme carries. Did you know that The Wizard Battle set was supposed to include a third minifigure, Radagast™ the Brown? However, there were not enough resources to do him justice and so the set was released with just the two wizards.

From the smoldering depths of Isengard™ comes The Orc Forge (9476) set, featuring ghoulish orcs and Uruk-hai™ – including their leader, Lurtz. Besides other stellar collector’s perks, the Urak-hai armor worn by the minifigures in this set displays the Hand of Saruman, making already unique minifigures much more collectible. The forge itself has a working conveyor belt, tool rack and a mechanism for melting metal, including a brick-lit flaming pit that can be opened to reveal a hidden Uruk-hai. The Orc Forge, like other The Lord of the Rings sets, boasts more exclusive minifigures in the form of Lurtz and a dark tan orc!

The Two Towers

In The Two Towers, we see the journey become more perilous and the Fellowship fragmented, as members are lost. Building the Tower of Orthanc™ (10237) set to commemorate the humbling darkness of that perilous time is a fitting tribute to the Fellowship.

The Tower of Orthanc is a massive 2,359-piece homage to Saruman’s looming fortress and it features an exquisite level of detail to match the scale. Inside, there’s a dungeon entrance hall, throne room, alchemy room, library, attic and a balcony for Saruman to observe his surroundings. With the aid of a light brick there’s even an illuminating Palantír™.

But it isn’t only detail that makes this set the ultimate display piece, the sheer size of this six-floor build is enough to impress even Gandalf himself! The Tower of Orthanc is truly the holy grail. Besides representing an iconic landmark in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Tower of Orthanc has ultimate play and display possibilities, two unique figures (Gríma Wormtongue™ and a long-robed Saruman), a buildable tree Ent and Gwaihir the eagle which has space to be ridden by Gandalf.

As Gandalf escapes from the tower, our other heroes prepare their first battle of a lifetime with The Battle of Helm’s Deep (9474) set, one of the other larger theme offerings. Alongside the brick-built castle gatehouse, outer wall and horn tower is eight incredible minifigures, three of which are exclusive. Théoden™, the King of Rohan™, Haldir™ of Lothlorien™ and the bomb-carrying Uruk-hai Berserker™. Also included is Aragorn, Gimli and three more armored Uruk-hai.

The set not only boasts a host of play features including a hidden door, ‘exploding’ wall and endless accessories, but it also can also be combined with the Uruk-Hai Army (9471) set to make a larger wall. Complete with armored hook shooter, some aggressive-looking Uruk-hai, and a couple of well-armed Rohan soldiers, this gives further play-and-display value to this iconic on-screen moment.

The Return of the King

As we enter the third part of the trilogy, we find ourselves with lots more brick-built treats to help us recreate these final epic scenes.

We start in the web-filled caves with the Shelob Attacks (9470) set. Battling the brick-built spider we have figures three unique to this set in the form of Frodo, Samwise™ and the ring-obsessed Gollum™. As the two brave hobbits do battle, you will observe some fine detail included in the brick arachnid. From poseable limbs and extractable web to the gouged-eye sticker detail. With only 227 pieces, this set manages to deliver high appeal, from the three minifigures to the articulated and poseable Shelob.

While the Corsairs of Umbar, a group of pirates who stood with Sauron, are not featured heavily in The Return of the King, the Pirate Ship Ambush (79008) set gives them the platform they deserve. But it’s more than just a platform, it’s an impressively large deck, crowned with billowing cloth sails and five unique figures decked out with their own individually designed shields. At almost 19" (half a meter) long, this ghostly ship has plenty of room for zombified soldiers, orcs, a pirate and one King of the Dead – plus three of the Fellowship.

Get ready for the final scene with the Battle at the Black Gate (79007) set. With its spiky battlements, smattering of skulls and bones, and the characteristically demonic-looking Mouth of Sauron™, this set perfectly captures the seriousness of the event at hand. This famous black gate is built to allow it to open and close, determining the fate of those in attendance. The highlight of this set is that four of the five minifigures are exclusive to this set. This is worth owning for the Mouth of Sauron and Aragon minifigures alone.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a seasoned fan or just getting to know the collection, the LEGO The Lord of the Rings theme provides a perfect opportunity bring the magic of Middle-earth home. It’s a range that offers great display and play features and truly depicts an epic fantastical tale. However, the range and detail of minifigures included is enough on its own to make this a stand-out collection.

Such is the popularity of this franchise, 2023 has seen the LEGO Group revisit the theme with the release of the spectacular THE LORD OF THE RINGS: RIVENDELL™ (10316) set and a continuation of a strong minifigure line-up.

©NLP™ Middle-earth Ent. Lic. to New Line.

Did you know?

• The 12 sets from the original LEGO® The Lord of the Rings theme generated a grand total of 34 unique minifigures.
• Outside of the sets listed, there were three promotional polybag sets from the LEGO® LOTR universe: Frodo™ with Cooking Corner (30210), Elrond™ (5000202) and Uruk-Hai™ with Ballista (30211).
• The One Ring™ element in Attack on Weathertop™ (9472) has become a regular feature in many other non-LOTR sets, including as an engagement ring in the Parisian Restaurant Modular Buildings set (10243)!
• Peter Jackson had a cameo in all three films – as a man eating a carrot, a Rohan™ soldier and as one of the Corsairs of Umbar, respectively.
• Sir Christopher Lee, who played Saruman™ in the movies, met Tolkien once after crossing paths with him in an Oxford pub in the fifties.
• John Rhys-Davies, who played Gimli™ the dwarf, was the tallest of the Fellowship of the Ring actors, coming in at just over 6 feet (1.85m) in height.

© New Line Productions Inc. All rights reserved. THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY and all names of the characters, items, events, and places therein are ™ of Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC under license to New Line Productions, Inc. (s25)