The Best LEGO Lord of the Rings Sets

In 2023, LEGO released Lord of the Rings Rivendell—a 6,000-piece tribute to Peter Jackson’s vision of Middle-Earth and the J.R.R. Tolkien-written books that inspired it. You can check it out on Amazon. I reviewed the set for IGN and interviewed the designer in a follow-up feature. It is one of the best, most detail-oriented builds of the past five years.

But aside from a handful of Brickheadz models, and an upcoming set based on Sauron’s dark tower, the Rivendell is the only major LEGO Lord of the Rings set currently available (see them at LEGO Store).

This wasn’t always the case. LEGO and Lord of the Rings first partnered in June 2012, and between June 2012 and October 2014, LEGO released numerous sets that celebrated both the original Lord of the Rings film trilogy and the subsequent Hobbit trilogy. The last of these went out of print in July 2015; the only way to obtain them now would be to go on the expensive secondary market.

Here is a showcase of the major LEGO Lord of the Rings sets over the past decade plus: what was released, what is currently on sale, and what we might expect to see in the future.

Attack on Weathertop

• Set: #9472
• Age Range: 8-14
• Piece Count: 430
• Release Date: 6/1/2012
• Dimensions: 5 in. (13 cm) high and 6 in. (16 cm) wide
• Price: $59.99

This set captured the moment when Aragorn defended Frodo and the Hobbits from the Ringwraiths. It included the key details, such as the spiral stone staircase that led to the top of the watchpoint, as well as the black horses that the Ringwraiths rode as they searched the realm for the One True Ring. This was part of the first wave of LEGO Lord of the Rings sets in June 2012, along with the second entry on this list.

The Mines of Moria

• Set: #9473
• Age Range: 9-14
• Piece Count: 776
• Release Date: 6/1/2012
• Dimensions: 11 in. (27 cm) high, 5 in. (12 cm) wide
• Price: $79.99

This Mines of Moria sequence is one of the coolest parts of the Lord of the Ring movies. The set based on it included a massive cave troll and several freestanding elements to represent Balin’s Tomb. The LEGO designers rigged the tomb to fall apart at the press of a lever, and you could also recreate the scene where Pippin knocked the skeleton into the well (via a trap door), thereby alerting everyone to the Fellowship’s presence.

The Orc Forge

• Set: #9476
• Age Range: 8-14
• Piece Count: 363
• Release Date: 7/1/2012
• Dimensions: 8 in. (21 cm) high, 9 in. (22 cm) wide
• Price: $39.99

A small but richly detailed build, the Orc Forge was a blacksmith forge with fanciful elements, with a chain lift and bucket to transport ore, and a chute that fed into a cauldron to melt the ore down. It also included an anvil and a light brick to make the fire glow.

The Battle of Helm’s Deep

• Set: #9474
• Age Range: 10-14
• Piece Count: 1368
• Release Date: 7/1/2012
• Dimensions: 9 in. (22 cm) high, 3 in. (9 cm) wide
• Price: $129.99

Based on the climactic siege that concluded The Two Towers, this was a massive castle set. It had the Horn of Helm Hammerhand at the top of its tallest tower, and its signature, curved outer wall, including a breakaway portion so you could recreate the moment when the orcs breached the defenses.

An Unexpected Gathering

• Set: #79003
• Age Range: 9-14
• Piece Count: 652
• Release Date: 12/1/2012
• Dimensions: 6 in. (16 cm) high, 11 in. (28 cm) wide, 6 in. (17 cm) deep
• Price: $69.99

A charming build of Bilbo’s home, An Unexpected Gathering included Gandalf, Bilbo, and 4 of the 12 dwarves who imposed themselves on his hospitality. Green was the predominant color of the set’s exterior, which gave it the fertile, bountiful atmosphere that we associate with the Shire.

Battle at the Black Gate

• Set: #79007
• Age Range: 9-14
• Piece Count: 656
• Release Date: 6/1/2013
• Dimensions: 8 in. (22 cm) high, 11 in. (30 cm) wide, 2 in. (7 cm) deep
• Price: $59.99

Obviously, the Battle of Black Gate, which was the climax to the entire LOTR trilogy, was much grander than what could be accomplished with 656 LEGO pieces. This is the exact sort of build that would most benefit from a modern reimagining. Can you picture what the LEGO designers could do with 3000 or even 4000 pieces? Still, there was lots to appreciate about this set, especially the Mouth of Sauron Minifigure, the Great Eagle, and the angular severity of the Gate itself.

Tower of Orthanc

• Set: #10237
• Age Range: 14+
• Piece Count: 2359
• Release Date: 7/1/2013
• Dimensions: 28 in. (73 cm) high, 8 in. (21 cm) wide, 6 in. (16 cm) deep
• Price: $199.99

This model of Saruman’s massive tower was two-and-a-half feet tall, and it was as imposing as the LEGO designers had hoped. But as intimidating as the exterior was, the interior was equally impressive and included a throne room (where Gandalf and Saruman had their wizard duel), a dungeon, a library, and an alchemy room. It also comes with a massive Ent and a Great Eagle, so that Gandalf can hitch a ride off the roof.

The Lonely Mountain

• Set: #79018
• Age Range: 8-14
• Piece Count: 866
• Release Date: 10/15/2014
• Dimensions: 8 in. (21 cm) high, 16 in. (39 cm) wide, 4 in. (10 cm) deep
• Price: $129.99

This was Bilbo’s big moment, when he discovered the entrance to the Lonely Mountain on Durin’s Day. And this set includes the secret door, Smaug’s lair, the mountain of gold, and a number of play mechanisms the dwarves’ battle with Smaug, when they try to submerge him in liquid gold. This set was part of the last wave of Lord of the Rings sets from 2012-2014. We wouldn’t get another set in the series until January 2023.

Gandalf the Grey & Balrog

• Set: #40631
• Age Range: 10+
• Piece Count: 348
• Dimensions: 3.5 in. (9 cm) tall
• Price: $19.99

In January 2023, LEGO released several LOTR-themed pairings as part of their collectible Blockheadz line. There are three different sets available for purchase, each for $20: Gandalf the Grey & Balrog, Aragorn & Arwen, and Frodo & Gollum.

Lord of the Rings Rivendell

• Set: #10316
• Age Range: 18+
• Piece Count: 6167
• Dimensions: 16 in. (39 cm) high, 29 in. (72 cm) wide, 20 in. (50 cm) deep
• Price: $499.99

And that brings us to the present day. On sale now exclusively at the LEGO Store, Rivendell sets a bar for the level of delicate detail that can exist in a single set. It is beautiful, but it is fragile, with some elements hanging on by single connections. Other details, like the leaves on the trees and the patterning of the roofs, create a cumulative intricacy. And many more details are enclosed, meant to be cast in shadow by the exterior elements. This is a set that you admire with your eyes and not with your hands, and is one of our picks for the best LEGO sets for adults.

As for what’s to come, a massive set will be arriving in June 2024—a LEGO model of Barad-dur, the massive tower in Mordor that’s topped with the Eye of Sauron (see it at LEGO Store). It’s set to release June 1 for LEGO Insiders, and June 4 for everyone else.

It seems clear that LEGO is committed to its LEGO Lord of the Rings line, which has widespread adult appeal. What other Middle-Earth structures are ripe for a 5000+ piece re-creation? Maybe Helm’s Deep? Or maybe the Mines of Moria? How about the town of Bree? The possibilities are numerous.