LEGO Harry Potter 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake review

76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake is nothing short of a must-have LEGO Harry Potter model, improving on the original set in every way.

The concept behind 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake is crucially different to that of 2005’s 4762 Rescue from the Merpeople. However, it calls back to the classic Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire set in a way that both respects the source material and simultaneously reinvents the model.

Should you pick up only one LEGO Harry Potter set in 2023, make sure it’s 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake. This build proves that even after two decades, the LEGO Harry Potter design team have more than enough room to showcase their creativity.

— LEGO Harry Potter 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake set details —

Theme: LEGO Harry Potter Set name: 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake Release date: March 1, 2023

Price: £39.99 / $44.99 / €44.99 Pieces: 349 Minifigures: 5

LEGO: Available now

— Where to buy LEGO Harry Potter 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake —

As of March 1, 2023, 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake is available on the official online store, physical LEGO stores and other retailers for £39.99 / $44.99 / €44.99. Check out the latest deals below.

[bdproduct search=’76420′ sort=’discount’ numberOfRecord=’4′ brand=” sliderMinValues=’0′ sliderMaxValues=’750′]

— LEGO Harry Potter 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake build —

While 4762 Rescue from the Merpeople focused solely on the underwater aspect of the Black Lake, 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake takes minifigures above the water with a pier to launch the minifigures into the contest.

It’s a dramatic change to the original design of the set, introducing a whole other level to the build with a more interesting perspective than was originally presented. There’s not a lot to the pier itself, with a small interior to make the Gillyweed potion and a space down below with a plank that leans forward to simulate diving.

Still, it’s visually appealing despite the number of pieces it uses – and combined with the underwater section, it’s stunning on display. There’s not a lot of space to pose minifigures but for Viktor and Harry, there’s just enough.

Beneath the waves you’ll find Hermione and Ron seemingly floating in the water, with chains attached to their legs. However, this is just a clever illusion, hiding a piece that holds them when looking at the model straight-on. It’s an ingenious but simple technique that works wonders in adding a magical touch.

The build itself is gorgeous, with a colour palette similar to 4762 Rescue from the Merpeople – but with a greater mix of muted and vibrant colours that drastically change up the overall appearance for the better. It’s a touch too symmetrical, but that can easily be rectified by swapping out some seaweed.

Together, the underwater arch and pier offer a concept not often seen in LEGO sets, but one that we can only hope will be revisited across other sets and themes. Combining action both above and below the surface in an impressively-detailed model helps this set to stand out from the rest of the LEGO Harry Potter theme.

— LEGO Harry Potter 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake minifigures —

76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake has an amazing selection of minifigures, all of which are exclusive in some way. From Harry in his Triwizard Tournament sports outfit to Viktor with the interchangeable shark head and slightly-terrifying mouth head print, every one of the minifigures is astoundingly accurate – and some go the extra mile in their level of detail.

Viktor Krum is uncommon for LEGO Harry Potter so any appearance of the character is greatly appreciated. The shark transformation is represented well here using the existing element and the new face print, and it’s a great evolution from the minifigure in 4762 Rescue from the Merpeople.

Just like in the 2005 set, Viktor and Harry are joined by unconscious minifigures of Ron and Hermione, which mostly exist to decorate the scene, but conscious alternate expressions are included too.

Far more interesting is the new Merperson using a variety of existing elements in interesting ways, from the flowing LEGO VIDIYO hair to the plain green mermaid tail. It’s a fantastic interpretation of the Merpeople and will likely remain exclusive to this set for some time.

Also included, but not technically a minifigure, is a new piece for a Grindylow with a shiny opalescent design that helps it to stand out in the underwater scene. It’s another fantastic addition specific to this model, which boasts plenty of characters that almost certainly won’t appear elsewhere.

— LEGO Harry Potter 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake price —

While the 349 piece count comes a bit short compared to the £39.99 / $44.99 / €44.99 price, the five minifigures, exclusive elements and volume of plastic feel absolutely fair for the RRP. It could have been 10% higher and 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake would still be easy to recommend.

LEGO Harry Potter sets can be expensive, but there’s no denying that 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake is astounding value at its base price. Any discount on this build makes it even more of a must-have.

— LEGO Harry Potter 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake pictures —

— LEGO Harry Potter 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake pros and cons —

Multi-level builds are a rarity in the wider LEGO portfolio and in hindsight, the Triwizard Tournament’s segment at the Black Lake is the perfect setting for a display-centric build. While it’s limited in play features, 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake makes up for it with a visually impressive and unique model and a stellar minifigure selection.

Suffice to say you should seriously consider picking up 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake, whether at its RRP or with any kind of discount. It improves on 4762 Rescue from the Merpeople in every way and still manages to stand out from the rest of the LEGO Harry Potter theme.

76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake pros	76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake cons
Gorgeous multi-level build	Play features and functions are limited
Amazing minifigure selection
Interesting concept executed flawlessly

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your LEGO sets using our affiliate links, and read more about the wider issues surrounding LEGO Harry Potter.  

— Alternatives to LEGO Harry Potter 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake —

There’s no other set quite like 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake, but we can name a few alternatives with similar prices and quality minifigures. 76398 Hogwarts Hospital Wing costs £44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99 with four minifigures, including one exclusive character. 76401 Hogwarts Courtyard: Sirius’s Rescue is £44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99 and is currently on sale in the US. It only has three minifigures, but does come with Buckbeak.

76413 Hogwarts: Room of Requirement weighs in at £44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99 and is on sale in the UK at the time of writing. Its five minifigures and tall model make it the closest match to 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake.

— LEGO Harry Potter 76420 Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake FAQs —