LEGO® Rivendell Coming Soon

Rumors have swirled recently concerning an imminent return of the Lord of the Rings theme. Of course, we saw the Lord of the Rings BrickHeadz released in January 2023. However, for me, those did not constitute a return to full form. Today, the tides have changed. An epic LEGO® Rivendell is coming soon, based on the Fellowship of the Ring movie. Interestingly, the set does not mark the return of the Lord of the Rings theme per se. The official press release and packaging brand this as an Icons set. Either way, I’ll take it. I loved the films and largely missed out on the LEGO® theme in my dark ages. But brace yourself, this set will hit your savings hard.

RIVENDELL SPECIFICS

• NAME: The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell
• SET #: 10316
• THEME: Icons
• COST: $669.99 CAD ($499.99 USD)
• BRICK COUNT: 6167
• MINIFIGURES: 21 (15 characters & 6 statues)
• VIP PRE-SALE: March 5-7, 2023
• RELEASE DATE: March 8, 2023
• COST/BRICK: $0.109 (good value)
• BRICKS/FIG: 294 (excellent character count for an Icons set)

The set includes several iconic Rivendell locales from the Lord of the Rings. Obviously, we get the council of the ring. However, Rivendell also features Elrond’s study, Frodo’s bedroom, an elven tower, the gazebo where Arwen and Aragon meet under moonlight, an elven armory, and the historic hall housing the Shards of Narsil. Speaking of which, the press release alludes to numerous new Minifigure accessories, including the Shards of Narsil, Sting, and a plethora of other weapons.

While this set is stunning, part of me wonders if one large set was really the way to go. Of course, this is part of the Icons theme and not a proper return to Lord of the Rings. However, with an expansive elven city like Rivendell, I wish the LEGO® Group had broken this set into smaller kits. Imagine the recent Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle sets, only Lord of the Rings style. That way, you could purchase sets that interconnect to make a larger scene. Collectors could then choose to get them all, or focus on particular locations for budgetary reasons.

Part of me wishes this set came as smaller, interconnecting sets.

Let’s not overlook the Minifigures. The official press release states Rivendell comes with 15 Minifigures. However, if you examine the images closely, you also acquire six statues. Five grey minifigs line the base of the tower, and one holds the Shards of Narsil. Additionally, Rivendell houses all the characters you would expect to see in the Fellowship of the Ring. There is Gandalf, all four hobbits, Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, Aragorn, Elrond, Arwen, Bilbo, Gloin, plus two additional elves. As a fantasy fan, I am really excited to gain access to elven hairpieces/ears again. It also looks like Gimli and Gloin come with the shorter, moving legs and not unmoving stumps. They can actually sit at the Council of Elrond!

Overall, I am excited by the LEGO® Rivendell coming soon. I love Lord of the Rings, and I love fantasy worlds. Anything falling into those categories is a sure hit for me. But I think this set would better serve the AFOL community as a series of smaller, interconnecting sets. I will buy it anyway. Additionally, if you take part in the VIP pre-sale, you get the Frodo and Gollum BrickHeadz (40630) for free. What do you think of Rivendell? Let me know in the comments below or reach out on social media. For more LEGO® news, click here.

Until next time,

-Tom

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