The latest series of LEGO® Minifigures returns to an original line-up of characters, and just like past series, they are joined by some great new elements. Series 29 includes 12 new characters, but two are causing a little more excitement as they are inspired by two beloved LEGO themes. This year marks the 20th Anniversary of NINJAGO and the 30th Anniversary of the fabled BIONICLE theme, so two characters found in this new series are inspired by those themes.
Now LEGO Minifigures come in their own individual boxes; they can be purchased in different ways. The minifigures come in outer boxes of 36, 12 or 6 minifigures. Although it’s not a 100% guarantee, a box of 36 should result in 3 full sets, the 6 packs will have 6 different characters, and the 12 pack will give you a full set. I’ve been provided with two of the 12-pack stack boxes, and they have included a full set in each, although one set is missing a tuba, instead featuring a rogue Ronin hood.
Boxes mean you can’t feel the packets, but single packs also carry a scannable code near the barcode. Once they have been made readily available, there will be multiple ways to scan the boxes to find the characters you require. Despite that, people are still ripping boxes apart in shops to find certain characters and steal them.
Here’s a closer look at the Series 29 characters, which include Soccer Goalkeeper, Marine Biologist, Tuba Player, Unicorn Elf, Monster Hunter, Robot T. rex, Chocolatier, Boba Cup Fan, Bionicle Cosplayer, Mysterious Ronin, Cute Witch and Trash Monster.
Product Details
Set Name: Series 29 | Set Number: 71052 | RRP: £3.49/$4.99/4.99€
Pieces: each blind box includes various accessories, baseplate & collectors leaflet | Availability: LEGO Brand Stores, LEGO.com & LEGO retailers from May 1st
Soccer Goalkeeper
With the World Cup taking place later this year, it’s only fitting to include a character from the world of sports. The Goalkeeper is a fairly basic character, with his kit being nice and colourful. I like the use of dual-moulded legs to help show the character is wearing shorts. A ball element is included, and it has a hole so it can be placed on a stud and held by a minifigure. It’s a shame the design on the ball doesn’t match the colours of the Editions Football.
Marine Biologist
LEGO Minifigures are known for introducing new elements, and the Marine Biologist is a great example of that. The character uses a new hairpiece, which has a scuba mask attached to it. The character is also joined by a new clownfish figure. I must also commend the choice to include two clear peg studs to allow the minifigure to wear the flippers and still be attachable to a base plate.
Tuba Player
The Tuba player is the least exciting character found in this new series. The player’s outfit is rather plain, and despite some similarities, it seems like a missed opportunity not to use the colours of the Billund LEGOLAND Marching Band. However, I like the new tuba instrument element, and the face print is fun.
Unicorn Elf
This regal character wouldn’t look out of place in a Lord of the Rings or a Castle set. The details on the elf’s robes are quite simple, but I like the silver and gold against the light green. I also like how the tiara has been incorporated into the hairpiece used for the minifigure. The character is joined by a unicorn, which is the same as the mythical creatures found in the Creator Unicorn Castle set, but is a unique colour combination here.
Monster Hunter
One of the best characters to feature in this series, thanks to the high level of detail found on the minifigure. The Monster Hunter has a great hat-and-hair combination piece, along with a new weapon element, which appears to be a fire shooting sword gun. But it’s the details on the head, torso and legs that are the most impressive. She’s also carrying a 2×3 tile, noting the bounty for a familiar-looking monster, last seen in the Creator 3-in-1 Hunted House.
Robot T. rex
The Robot T. rex uses recoloured pieces previously used for the more traditional-looking T. rex minifigure from Series 24. This time, there are all white with the print detail that gives it a technological twist. Unlike other dinosaur-themed minifigures, the head used suggests this isn’t a costume, so in place of a face, the head features a mechanical hole. The character includes a battery accessory, which unfortunetly not Octan-branded.
Chocolatier
The Chocolatier appears to have taken inspiration for her chocolate sculpture from the Dungeons & Dragons Minifigures Series. Her chocolate dragon is a recoloured version of the Tiefling Sorcerer’s pet dragon. There is a clever use of elements here, as a wand element is placed inside a 1×1 cone, capped with a white minifigure display peg to create a chocolate piping bag.
Boba Cup Fan
Food-themed costumes have featured in many past series of LEGO Minifigures, and the latest is inspired by the Boba Tea craze. The plastic cup in which the unique beverage is served works perfectly for a wearable costume. It’s a shame the tapioca balls are not printed on part of the torso and legs, as the minifigure is extremely plain when removed from the cup outfit. It also seems odd that the character isn’t holding a cup of Boba Tea.
Bionicle Cosplayer
BIONICLE remains a beloved bygone LEGO theme, but due to the unique elements used to create the sets, the best way to honour the theme has been Easter Eggs dotted about various LEGO themes. So, although we won’t be getting any new sets to mark the theme’s 30th Anniversary, this minifigure is the next best thing. As the name suggests, this is a costume, but it does include a unique new element for the Tahu mask. The rest of the minifigure is designed to look as close to the Toa of Fire as possible. I especially like the Technic gear print on the back of the torso and the small BIONICLE canister accessory.
Mysterious Ronin
The Mysterious Ronin is as mysterious as suggested, as it is clearly Lloyd from the world of NINJAGO. But instead of offering the usual ninja robes, a new hood element has been created, which looks very cool. It also pairs nicely with the shoulder armour and the print detail on the legs and torso. I’d love to see the other members of the NINJAGO crew get similar variants.
Cute Witch
If it weren’t for the hat and cat, it would be difficult to know this is a witch. The character is definitely inspired by Japanese anime cosplayers. This is certainly the case with the oversized bow design on the torso and the cutest socks on the legs. The witch is joined by a new cat figure. This shows a sitting feline, and I’m sure it will appear elsewhere in many different colours.
Trash Monster
The legacy of VIDIYO continues with the Trash Monster, which uses the same ‘melted’ hood element as the Slime Singer Bandmates character. Here, it’s meant to represent the horrors of a pile of festering trash with similar detail on the body. Under the hood element is a rotting pumpkin head, and the monster has a stained pizza box, a fish skeleton and a 1×1 tile featuring a fly.
These were provided to BricksFanz by the LEGO Group for review purposes. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group. Providing a set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
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