71847 The Guardian Dragon is LEGO NINJAGO’s first true display set

LEGO NINJAGO well and truly comes of age with 71847 The Guardian Dragon, its first set intended solely for display.

LEGO NINJAGO’s experiments with display sets have spanned the NINJAGO City range, including last year’s 71819 Dragon Stone Shrine and 71821 Cole’s Titan Dragon Mech, as well as various other one-off builds. Each of these previous experiments has included numerous play features, walking the line between play and display. In contrast, the new 71847 The Guardian Dragon is NINJAGO’s first set meant purely for display, with not even a flick-fire missile to speak of…

NINJAGO enthusiasts who have been around since the start of the theme will find a lot to love in 71847 The Guardian Dragon. It’s a build that incorporates techniques that have grown more involved than those seen in the early days of the theme, providing an adequate challenge while staying true to the aesthetic they love. In short, 71847 The Guardian Dragon may be complex in its structure, but it’s still distinctly a NINJAGO set.

Unlike other NINJAGO dragons, you won’t be posing this model in a variety of ways to find that perfect look. Daidan is already in her ideal pose, stretching her wings while perched on an intricate rock structure. Almost every joint is locked in the correct position using angular tiles, ensuring that you can’t possibly pose her wrong. While you can move her arms, there’s not much reason to: this is a display set through and through, and it’s proud of it.

The other current NINJAGO Legends set, 71846 The Fire Knight Mech, features a mech that can be removed from the base. By contrast, 71847 The Guardian Dragon is locked in a singular pose, and on to the base completely, communicating a level of confidence the likes of which NINJAGO has rarely seen before – and which is entirely earned here.

Daidan is jam-packed with detail, covering every inch of her beautifully-scaled form. The hints of gold allow the green and tan colour scheme to pop, drawing the eye from one aspect of the build to another. There has never been another LEGO creature built like this, but we can only hope that this will change after this extremely successful trial.

Despite the towering height of 71847 The Guardian Dragon, this is an incredibly sturdy set, and you’ll find that jostling Daidan (within reason) won’t cause her to fall. The base is the most fragile part – not that it’s overly weak, but the likes of the red torii and plants aren’t quite as strongly connected as the rest of the giant green dragon.

That’s not an issue, and only goes to show just how incredibly thoughtful the rest of the structural design in 71847 The Guardian Dragon is. Instead of just stopping with an already impressive dragon, the NINJAGO team have also included a stunning display base, decorated with a shrine and a series of small streams flowing elegantly into a basin.

The water flows from the peak of the rock structure, and the colour choices here are much more grounded than you’d usually see in NINJAGO. This contrasts with Daidan’s bright colour scheme wonderfully and continues to sell the idea that this is a NINJAGO set for more mature fans. This base could have been a set on its own and still blown us away. Thankfully, it’s just the supporting structure for one of NINJAGO’s best-ever dragons.

Daidan’s design is vastly different to any other NINJAGO dragon, too. The model leans into whimsy and fantasy more than ever, thanks in no small part to the halo-like crown on Daidan’s head, topping the build like a shining beacon for all to see. Gone are the days of NINJAGO dragons with the same base appearance in different colours, and 71847 The Guardian Dragon demonstrates how NINJAGO has evolved and embraced its whimsical creatures.

A single minifigure joins the dragon in 71847 The Guardian Dragon, offering an exclusive version of Master Wu in the new style of armour seen in the current season of Dragons Rising. This was the only way to represent this outfit on this character (without delving into spoiler territory), and it looks good. While Wu is by no means the star of the show here, this finely-detailed minifigure is the cherry on top of NINJAGO’s greatest display set so far.

Whether you have a passing interest in NINJAGO or have been here since day one, you owe it to yourself to strongly consider 71847 The Guardian Dragon. With 1,650 pieces for £139.99 / $149.99 / €149.99 and in an era of more expensive models for fewer pieces in licensed themes, 71847 The Guardian Dragon has a very reasonable asking price, even including an exclusive and stunning poster to frame above the build.

The only complaint we can fathom is that the fabric wings are only printed on one side, but the back of the dragon build is more than detailed enough to make up for this, considering it’s not the angle you’ll be displaying this build at anyway. Otherwise, the LEGO NINJAGO team have come in swinging with 71847 The Guardian Dragon, proving the true potential of the fantasy theme ahead of its 15th anniversary. NINJAGO Legends is off to an incredibly strong start between this and 71846 The Fire Knight Mech.

Our honest opinion: 71847 The Guardian Dragon is one of the most impressive LEGO display sets, and for a reasonable price. It showcases the true potential of LEGO NINJAGO as well as how the theme and its audience have grown.

This LEGO set was provided by the LEGO Group for review purposes.

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How long does it take to build LEGO NINJAGO 71847 The Guardian Dragon?

You’ll spend around three hours putting together everything in 71847 The Guardian Dragon. While the build provides plenty of challenges, at no point does it ever feel frustrating or impossible.

How many pieces are in LEGO NINJAGO 71847 The Guardian Dragon?

There are 1,650 pieces in 71847 The Guardian Dragon, including two fabric wing elements and one minifigure.

How big is LEGO NINJAGO 71847 The Guardian Dragon?

71847 The Guardian Dragon measures 48cm tall and has a wingspan of 50cm. The circular base measures 19cm deep and 19cm wide.

How much does LEGO NINJAGO 71847 The Guardian Dragon cost?

You can pick up 71847 The Guardian Dragon right now for £139.99 / $149.99 / €149.99. The package includes the main build, a single minifigure, an exclusive poster and an instruction manual complete with concept sketches, all within a uniquely artistic LEGO NINJAGO box.