Well, it’s finally happening. After what feels like ages of waiting and being told “…We don’t have plans to do this….”, it’s a reality. Today The LEGO®️ Group announces the reveal of the Gringott’s Wizarding Bank (76417). And I gotta say, this is definitely an epic and surprisingly wild set. I definitely didn’t expect something this complex or unique. What a statement piece! The design is quite original and definitely makes you step back and say “How?!” And that’s pretty awesome after this many sets – Harry Potter or otherwise. Adding to the appeal is the ability to integrate the building into Diagon Alley – the bare minimum of what we were hoping for. Let’s take a closer look at this latest magical set.
Gringott’s wizarding bank – collector’s edition
- SET #: 76417
- THEME: Harry Potter
- COST: $559.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 4803
- MINIFIGURES: 13
- VIP RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2023
- GENERAL RELEASE DATE: September 4, 2023
- COST/BRICK: $0.12 (good value)
- BRICK/FIG: 369 (OK value)
- DIMENSIONS: 36 cm tall x 32 cm wide x 25 cm deep (Bank only)
- OF NOTE: Bank combines with Diagon Alley (75978)
too magical to fail
Gringott’s is a major set piece and location in the Potter universe. We visit it in the first and seventh films. And while that first visit was fairly tame, the second visit ends up being quite a ride. Hence our dragon friend on the roof. The Ukrainian Ironbelly literally tears the roof of the joint carrying our wizards to safety. And while I love the inclusion of the dragon, it’s not as detailed as I would expect. It’s a bit blocky, but it does look nicely poseable with a great head mold. I shouldn’t nitpick however because the building and caverns are simply spectacular! The bank interior is a bit sparse but it’s full of Goblins, swanky architecture and security. And it looks like we get several new printed pieces too. I also don’t need to say much about the exterior – it’s absolutely spot-on.
Wizard Engineering
The designers have outdone themselves from a details and engineering perspective. Just look at how this thing seems like it practically hovers in mid-air. I can’t wait to see how the base is built. I’m getting shades of The Upside Down (75810) from Stranger Things too. In a smart move, Gringott’s Bank itself can sit on the pedestal base or on it’s own. And that’s particularly exciting for owners of the D2C Diagon Alley (75978). Gringott’s itself is a corner build which lets you place two Diagon Alley shops on either side. The mine car and rail elements are such a fun addition. Stopping at each vault, this set will have plenty of easter eggs and secrets.
Rounding out the fun are 13 minifigures with characters from the first and seventh films. If you ever wanted a full roster of goblin employees, then this is your set. There’s a handful of new characters, but they are mostly the aforementioned goblins. Bellatrix and Dragomir Despard have alternate face prints and hair as they are really Ron and Hermione in disguise. Those tricky goblins get some lovely torso printing as does Griphook’s arms. Even our nameless goblins get dual molded arms. It’s a nice reference to The Deathly Hallows and a small but practical nod to The Philosopher’s Stone with the OG Harry and Hagrid figs.
A Strong Line-Up
The D2C Harry Potter sets are nothing if not grandiose. This is the 5th such set since the line relaunched following Hogwarts Castle (2018), Diagon Alley (2020), Hogwarts Icons (2021) and last year’s Hogwarts Express (2022). Aside from the UCS Star Wars sets, I don’t think too many themes have this level of D2C sets release per year. And they are also all currently in production and available for purchase. Of particular note is the cost/brick on this set is quite good at ‘only’ $0.12. Check out the chart below for a quick reference.
| SET | SET # | DATE | COST | PIECES | COST/BRICK | MINIFIGS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hogwarts Castle | 71043 | 2018 | $589.99 | 6020 | $0.10 | 4 |
| Diagon Alley | 75978 | 2020 | $559.99 | 5544 | $0.10 | 17 |
| Hogwarts Icons | 76391 | 2021 | $379.99 | 3010 | $0.13 | 3 |
| Hogwarts Express | 76405 | 2022 | $619.99 | 5129 | $0.12 | 20 |
| Gringott’s Bank | 76417 | 2023 | $559.99 | 4803 | $0.12 | 13 |
A Pleasant Surprise
And that is the long-awaited Gringott’s Bank folks. I know I’m impressed. I was in no way expecting that level of detail from this set. In my mind it was just going to be a simple building with a dragon. We got that and more, so kudos once again to the team. And not to be shady, but was anyone else expecting this type of build for the recent Batcave Shadowbox? I don’t dislike the Shadowbox but it’s a dark rectangle. And compared to this, much more basic. Well, hopefully all the fans are pleased. What do you think? Are you picking this up on day 1? Are you still fans of the Harry Potter theme? Did this meet and/or exceed your expectations as well? Comment below and in all the usual places. Thanks as always for reading and until next time, keep on brickin’. 🧱
– Frank
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