LEGO Hogwarts Castle 2018 vs. 2023 comparison divides Harry Potter fans

One keen witch or wizard has shared the first image of both the 2018 and 2023 LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castles side-by-side – and the community is divided over which looks best.

This summer’s Wizarding World range seemingly finishes the ambitious modular Hogwarts Castle the LEGO Group kicked off in 2021, with the brand new 76415 The Battle of Hogwarts tying everything together in a neat bow. The final footprint achieved by assembling seven different LEGO Harry Potter sets surpasses that of 2018’s microscale 71043 Hogwarts Castle, while maintaining a similar silhouette.

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But beyond the basics of their layout, these two huge Hogwarts displays couldn’t be more different: one uses dark grey roofs, while the other opts for a retro sand green. One is microscale, complete with dozens of nanofigures, while the other is built for play, inhabited by minifigures. And they both champion different aspects of the LEGO experience: aesthetics or interactivity.

To help decide which of the two formats you’d prefer to have on your shelf (if indeed you only have space for one, as is likely the case for most of us), redditor CameronSwack has uploaded an image of the two layouts side by side. From the photo below, you can get a real sense of just how closely the modular playsets have collectively followed the magical school’s architecture, even while the individual models have come across as confusingly boxy at times.

The LEGO Group has clearly been playing the long con with its 2021-2023 LEGO Harry Potter range – but it isn’t for everyone. Some members of the LEGO Harry Potter community are still content with 2018’s 71043 Hogwarts Castle, which offers a more detailed version of the Wizarding World locale all in the one box.

“2018 is way less chaotic looking,” one writes on reddit, while another adds: “2018 is more pleasing to the eye, 2023 is just too loud.” OtterForThree notes that the 2023 layout is ‘a pain to move and put together’, while 71043 Hogwarts Castle ‘is two pieces that separate very easily’. Even an anonymous LEGO designer, who claims to have worked on the modular sets, heralds the 2018 model as their ‘single favourite LEGO set of all time’.

Not everyone agrees, though: several redditors prefer the 2023 layout for its focus on playability and compatibility with minifigures. “The 2018 micro[scale set] is good for a really nice picturesque look at the castle, but the 2023 [layout] is a lot of fun to customise and make your own rooms,” writes martinsavvy.

“I really like the aesthetics of the older [Harry Potter] sets,” synoptosaurus chimes in. “There’s more magical ‘weirdness’ to it. But I think the modularity of the new sets allows a more approachable creativity for kids (and even for us older, less accomplished builders). The external aesthetics of the new sets might not be as nice, but it’s a lot of fun to focus on the internal playability.”

Even the thread’s mysterious LEGO designer admits that the modular sets are ‘a completely different experience’ that ‘doesn’t create such a finished looking article as the single 2018 set’, but leans into the play value ‘from being able to move minifigures around’.

Ultimately, your ideal Hogwarts display will likely come down to your basic priorities for any LEGO set: do you want to tinker with it, change up the details and maybe even let your inner child play around with it every now and then? Or do you want something that you can build, proudly leave on show and essentially never touch again?

If the latter sounds good to you, make a beeline for 71043 Hogwarts Castle. To enjoy the former experience, check out the full list of Hogwarts sets that can combine with one another in the table below. Or for a curveball choice, there’s always the upcoming 76419 Hogwarts Castle and Grounds…

Every LEGO Harry Potter modular Hogwarts set – 2021 to 2023

Set name	Price	Piece count	Release date
40452 Hogwarts Gryffindor Dorms	Free with orders above £100 / $100 / €100	148	October 25, 2021
40577 Hogwarts: Grand Staircase	Free with orders above £130 / $130 / €130	224	July 15, 2022
76386 Hogwarts: Polyjuice Potion Mistake	£17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99	217	June 1, 2021
76387 Hogwarts: Fluffy Encounter	£34.99 / $39.99 / €39.99	397	June 1, 2021
76389 Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets	£129.99 / $149.99 / €149.99	1,176	June 1, 2021
76395 Hogwarts: First Flying Lesson	£24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99	264	June 1, 2021
76398 Hogwarts Hospital Wing	£44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99	510	March 1, 2022
76401 Hogwarts Courtyard: Sirius’s Rescue	£44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99	345	June 1, 2022
76402 Hogwarts: Dumbledore’s Office	£79.99 / $79.99 / €89.99	654	June 1, 2022
76413 Hogwarts: Room of Requirement	£44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99	587	March 1, 2023
76415 The Battle of Hogwarts	£74.99 / $79.99 / €84.99	730	June 1, 2023

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