I have a few reveals that I really look forward to each December. While many themes offer sets that make my wish list (hello there, Monkie Kid City of Lanterns), I love the Chinese New Year sets, the Modular, and of course, the newest Minifigures series reveals most of all. It is like the LEGO® Group read my mind because they have sent me all of these goodies this year for pre-release review. Yes, you read that correctly. All of them. We already reviewed the new Boutique Hotel modular. The Chinese New Year reviews are coming soon. Today, we delve into the Minifigures Series 22 review and feel guide. You can check out the video version of the feel guide below. Additionally, time references throughout this article direct you to specific points in the video for particular minifigs.
NOTE: The LEGO® Group provided these Minifigures for review. However, the provision of products does not guarantee a favorable review. What follows is my honest opinion.
MINIFIGURES SERIES 22 SPECIFICS
- SET #: 71032
- UNIQUE CHARACTERS: 12
- COST FOR ONE MINIFIG: $4.99 CAD
- COST FOR FULL SERIES: $59.88 CAD
- COST FOR FULL BOX: $179.64 CAD
- RELEASE DATE: January 1, 2022
FIGURE SKATING CHAMPION
YouTube Video Reference: 2:52
FEEL GUIDE: The first item that stuck out in this blind bag was the skates. Despite being small, the blades with the studs attached stuck out two out of three times that I found this character. Additionally, the bag contains a 1×2 jumper plate and one of those small stands used to make characters look like they are jumping. The Figure Skating Champion also comes with a trophy… oddly enough, for something much larger than a skate, I only felt this one out of three times. Check the YouTube video above for a 360-degree view of the character.
OF INTEREST: This character includes a blond version of the new hairpiece first seen in blue in the Everyone is Awesome set, and seen again in grey in the Queer Eye kit.
WHEELCHAIR RACER
YouTube Video Reference: 4:44
FEEL GUIDE: This Minifigure comes double-bagged. Additionally, there is a large, plastic wheelchair frame included. As such, the bag feels quite thick from the get-go. The wheelchair is the easiest object to find. However, it is not the standard wheelchair we have seen in the past. It is elongated and has a small chairback you can clearly feel. The wheels are not attached in the bag. The double-bagging makes anything else hard to feel in this case. With that said, careful feeling reveals a 1×1 cylinder brick, and a helmet with ridges on it. There is a 360-degree view of the character in the video.
OF INTEREST: The logos on this Minifigure’s outfit feature the same logo as the sports shops in City sets 60203 (Ski Resort) and 60306 (Shopping Street).
BIRD WATCHER
YouTube Video Reference: 7:55
FEEL GUIDE: The first item I found in this bag was the hat with the ponytail. Interestingly, I also found the small binoculars easily. Additionally, the blind bag contains a pink satchel and a toucan. I did not feel the toucan in any of the three bags I felt. The ponytail/hat hairpiece was easiest item to find in my experience. Check out the YouTube video for 360-degree views.
OF INTEREST: This is the first LEGO® System toucan! I have never seen a satchel in pink before, nor have I seen the binoculars piece in dark green. I also like the GPS watch printed on her arm.
NIGHT PROTECTOR
YouTube Video Reference: 10:06
FEEL GUIDE: This is one of two characters including a sword. Luckily, the swords feel different. The Night Protector comes with a more traditional blunted sword, reminiscent of the Castles theme of old. Additionally, this blind bag contains an oval shield. The Star Wars theme used this mold for the Gungan shield, and LEGO® Dimensions used it on the gate build if you need a point of reference. See the Night Protector in 360-degrees in the YouTube video.
OF INTEREST: I think this is the first time we get this particular hairstyle in teal… and the character has lots of neat, new printing.
FOREST ELF
YouTube Video Reference: 11:24
FEEL GUIDE: This character is also double-bagged. However, in this case, the extra interior bag is not as obvious as with other characters. The easiest object to find is the elf’s acorn hat. Be careful though, it is easily mistaken for the Snow Guardian’s hat. They are similar in shape with a thick brim. The Forest Elf’s hat is narrower and features a higher dome. Additionally, you can feel for the walking stick in this bag. Check out the YouTube video for full 360-degree views.
OF INTEREST: This character is shorter than most other Minifigures in the series. However, he comes with the short, moveable legs, not the stumpy un-moving ones. Additionally, you acquire the first ever LEGO® acorn hat and an oak-leaf cape.
ROBOT REPAIR TECH
YouTube Video Reference: 13:33
FEEL GUIDE: This bag threw me off the first time because it feels like it is full of random, little bricks. Think one of those small parts bags from an Advent calendar. The Minifigure comes accompanied by a brick-built robot, hence all the loose bricks. The welding helmet is another telltale sign you have the Robot Repair Tech. Additionally, I found the hammer helpful for identification as well.
OF INTEREST: While the Robot Repair Tech does not include a double-sided face, the character has printing on both sides of the head. On the back, you get a pattern and rechargeable battery indicator, which I thought was awesome. Check out the YouTube video to see the character all round.
TROUBADOUR
YouTube Video Reference: 16:16
FEEL GUIDE: I found the Troubadour’s hat easily. The coins (1×1 round tiles) and the guitar are easy to identify as well. No other character has the same. You might confuse the coins for the eyes on the Repair Robot Tech’s buildable buddy if you are not careful.
OF INTEREST: When I translated these characters’ names from a German toy retailer site in the reveal article, this one came back as the Blue Bard. I like that name a lot more. Interestingly, the coins feature the logo that flew on banners above the first yellow LEGO® castle. The Troubadour’s pink detailing also matches the banners. Coincidence?
SNOW GUARDIAN
YouTube Video Reference: 18:14
FEEL GUIDE: The hat is easy to find in this blind bag. However, remember to be careful not to confuse it with the Forest Elf. The Snow Guardian bag includes a longsword. This sword is larger than the Night Protector’s, and has a sharp point. Additionally, Snow Guardian comes with a round shield, similar to the Viking from series 20, or the Ancient Warrior from series 21.
OF INTEREST: The Snow Warrior comes with blue-eyed husky companion. This is the first time I have seen this particular hat mold as well. Once again, I like the name translated from German more… The Winter Warrior.
CHILI COSTUME FAN
YouTube Video Reference: 19:32
FEEL GUIDE: The Chili Costume Fan is very easy to find. The packet is quite thick due to the chili costume piece. It is a very distinct part, and it was all I needed to identify this character each time. She is the only Minifigure in the series to feature a large piece like that. However, the blind bag also contains a 1×1 milk carton brick and some wedge pieces. Interestingly, the character includes alternate hair which I found helpful in identifying the Minifigure. Check out the YouTube video for a 360-degree view of the Chili Costume Fan with her costume on.
OF INTEREST: As mentioned before, the Chili Costume Fan comes with an alternate hairpiece in bright red. She also features a double-sided face and new torso printing.
SPACE CREATURE
YouTube Video Reference: 20:50
FEEL GUIDE: This blind bag contains two head bricks, one is the actual head, the other is a clear container the character wears on its back. The “hairpiece” is the antenna head-cap seen with insect-costumed characters in the past. Consequently, you feel antennas sticking off of it when feeling the cap. It is more rubbery than a typical hairpiece. Finally, the gun is easily identifiable and no other character has one.
OF INTEREST: The Space Creature wears a uniform featuring the classic space logo. As such, it makes a fun addition to any intergalactic space crew you might develop.
RACCOON COSTUME FAN
YouTube Video Reference: 23:34
FEEL GUIDE: Raccoon Costume Fan is another double-bagged character. As such, you can narrow down your search with the thicker packet. However, to actually identify the character, I found the garbage very helpful. Additionally, the bag contains an extra hairpiece. Finally, the mask is a large piece, but I found it hard to use as an identifying characteristic because it took me a while to figure out what it actually was.
OF INTEREST: This character is essentially a re-color of the fox from series 19, right down to the garbage bag. Interestingly, you acquire an alternate hairpiece with this Minifigure, similar to the Chili Costume Fan.
HORSE AND GROOM
YouTube Video Reference: 25:08
FEEL GUIDE: Despite there being a large foal figurine in this bag, the first item I found was the carrot. The second identifying piece I used was the hair and hat. This Minifigure also comes double bagged. Combined with the foal, the package is quite large.
OF INTEREST: We get a new color variation of the Parker hairpiece from Hidden Side with the Horse and Groom blind bag. Additionally, the torso features a new plaid shirt design. Finally, I am thrilled that the character comes with short yet moveable legs.
MINIFIGURES SERIES 22 REVIEW
Overall, I really like Minifigures Series 22. I am absolutely thrilled that the series does not contain any character with stumpy, unmoving legs. The two short characters included in the series both have the shorter, moving legs. I really dislike when I cannot make Minifigures sit down or pose them fully. Additionally, the series includes a number of new and interesting pieces. Among them, we get a foal, a lute, a Mongolian style winter hat, an acorn hat, an oak-leaf cape, a toucan, a chili pepper costume, and a new style of wheelchair. Traditional Castles theme fans should enjoy a number of characters from this wave, while Space fans acquire a new alien.
If you follow True North Bricks on Instagram, you know we hosted a Series 22 battle-of-sorts over the week leading up to this Series 22 reveal. You all voted for your favorite characters as Minifigures were pitted against each other. We hoped to determine the most anticipated Minifigure of series 22. After each round of voting, the minifig with the most votes moved on to the next round. In the end, the Snow Guardian took the mantle of the character you all are most looking forward to. The results of each round are shown in the graphic below. I hope you enjoyed this Minifigures Series 22 review. What do you think of the new characters? Did your favorite win the popular vote? Let us know in the comments below or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
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