LEGO Icons Toothless designed to build a ‘moment of connection’
The designer behind LEGO Icons 10375 Toothless has revealed his passion for the project and how he created an emotional connection with the set.
Fans of Universal’s How to Train Your Dragon movie series are in for something of a treat next month. The LEGO Icons theme is launching 10375 How to Train Your Dragon: Toothless, a 784-piece model due to be released on July 1, 2025.
Despite expectations of how the previously-rumoured set might look and discussions around whether or not 10375 How to Train Your Dragon: Toothless deserves its status as a LEGO Icons release, there’s still more to the stylised build than initially meets the eye.
In an interview on LEGO.com, designer Jae Won Lee has been discussing the creation of the brick-built Night Fury and how breathing life into the fan-favourite character was something of a personal journey for him.
“I am a huge fan of How to Train Your Dragon,” said Jae. “The story of Vikings and dragons coexisting was a fresh idea and was especially convincing because the main character and Toothless were friends, not masters and servants. It was like the relationship between me and my dog.”
That passion for the project drove the conceptualisation of 10375 How to Train Your Dragon: Toothless, one that led to a surprising emotional ride for the LEGO Icons designer.
“The first thing that came to mind was the scene where Hiccup and Toothless communicate when Hiccup puts his hand on Toothless’s forehead and they become friends,” Jae explained. “When LEGO fans first encounter this set and start putting the bricks together, I want them to feel that moment of connection. I thought about how to make a simple, effective build, rather than a design that is overly complicated or requires flashy techniques.”
The chibi-style look of 10375 How to Train Your Dragon: Toothless has drawn criticism from some fan quarters, despite the fact that the character’s appearance was never intended to be cinematic. However, nailing one factor of the LEGO Icons build was a key priority for the designer.
“The most important part of any character design is the face,” said Jae. “LEGO bricks have various elements that can implement various character expressions and, after thinking about and sketching Toothless’s expression, I found the characteristic parts.”
“For example, the big eyes and mouth, the thick tongue and the protrusions on the head were important design elements for recreating expressions, and I conducted numerous mock-ups to implement the expression by combining elements.”
That initial design work ultimately led to the unique final look of 10375 How to Train Your Dragon: Toothless, with the LEGO Icons set’s chibi-inspired appearance featuring one specific area that Jae is especially pleased with.
“My favourite detail is the cute wagging tongue,” Jae revealed, “which – if replaced with the fish included in the set – would look like a scene of Toothless biting a live fish as the fish’s head and tail would wiggle.”
10375 How to Train Your Dragon: Toothless will be released on July 1, 2025 for £59.99 / $69.99 / €69.99, with pre-orders for the LEGO Icons set now open. To find out more about the upcoming movie model, be sure to take a look at our full review right here.
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