Brick Fanatics’ top LEGO sets of 2023: honourable mentions

Selecting just 10 of the best LEGO sets released in 2023 for our end-of-year round-up was always going to leave a few big names on the table, so here are our honourable mentions…

Is there any task in the LEGO calendar more difficult than choosing the best sets of the year? Yes, probably, definitely, but it doesn’t mean that coming up with a top 10 for the year is any easier. The hardest part is – undoubtedly – leaving aside those sets that are one writer’s personal favourite, or one that would otherwise have made the cut if not for the fact that there were, somehow, 10 sets just marginally better.

With so much good stuff rolling out of Billund over the past 12 months, there were inevitably going to be a few omissions from the main list that stung. To that end, each member of the Brick Fanatics team has chosen one of their favourite LEGO sets from the best of the rest for the list below. Check out our personal choices and let us know if you agree in the comments.

Chris – 21344 The Orient Express Train

Choo, choo. When 21344 The Orient Express Train rolled out of Billund earlier this month, initial reactions were mixed: the final model represents a dramatic departure from Thomas Lajon’s original concept, completely changing the colours, scale and even the type of locomotive. But none of those things should get in the way of the fact that this is a genuinely awesome LEGO train.

Featuring probably the best carriages ever conceived in bricks and boasting a luxurious dark blue and gold colour scheme, this is the real deal for train enthusiasts. It runs on regular LEGO track (with motors too, if you’re prepared to tinker a bit), comes with a solid minifigure selection and is just massive. All aboard, if you please.

Rachael – 21342 The Insect Collection

LEGO gets a lot of flak for being an expensive hobby so it’s always a delight to see mid-priced LEGO sets that really go a long way. You essentially get three sets in one with 21342 The Insect Collection, with each of the three buildable bugs (no, we’re not counting the bee and definitely not the ladybug as actual builds) including enough detail to be displayed on its own.

The vibrant colours, authentic habitat scenery on each stand, and the flexible poses (particularly for the mantis) make 21342 a pleasure to build and almost as much fun to display. It’s cute enough to charm even the most cowardly entomophobe, making it a standout set of 2023 that deserves more love than it gets.

Jack – 10317 Land Rover Classic Defender 90

Reviewing this set was a highlight of my experience in 2023. Comparing 10317 Land Rover Classic Defender 90 to the authentic car and testing it out in the dirt made me appreciate its finer details. And though LEGO cars are rife with detail, they are rarely as customisable as this LEGO Land Rover. The number of times that I’ve reworked this build when showing it to guests or just for the fun of it has astounded me.

While it isn’t quite on my shortlist of favourite 2023 sets, 10317 Land Rover Classic Defender 90 is an incredible feat for LEGO Icons and should pave the way for more customisable LEGO cars in the future.

Matt – 71469 Nightmare Shark Ship

Easily the stand-out entry in the first wave of LEGO DREAMZzz sets, 71469 Nightmare Shark Ship delivers exactly what it says on the tin. The model perfectly captures the key selling point of the theme, by combining two separate items into one, thereby creating a unique fusion that offers something wholly original.

The fact that 71469 Nightmare Shark Ship takes a simple child’s toy and transforms it into a bat-winged monstrosity that’s truly the stuff of nightmares demonstrates the ingenious design of the build. In addition, the set can also be repurposed as a hulking land tank and comes with four minifigures, further highlighting why this is one of the outstanding LEGO models of 2024.

Matthew – 10315 Tranquil Garden

Far from the flashiest of LEGO sets this year, 10315 Tranquil Garden is absolutely charming precisely because it doesn’t cry out for attention. In a year where the LEGO Group has experimented with representations of famous art, flora and architecture, Tranquil Garden is one of the best examples yet of how a LEGO set can feel truly meditative.

It’s a quiet little slice of serenity that, while simple to build, feels tremendously satisfying, and looks incredible on the shelf. The fact that it’s minifigure scale doesn’t exactly hurt, either.

Rob – 76419 Hogwarts Castle and Grounds

LEGO Harry Potter has proven to be a theme unafraid of testing itself in recent years, as any of the various creative avenues it has ventured down of late will demonstrate. One such example is in the finely-detailed 76419 Hogwarts Castle and Grounds. With a larger set in the same theme offering an on-paper identical concept, this was a set that was up against it before we’d even seen photos.

Yet having had the set in hand, we can now point to any number of aspects unique and special to this microscale LEGO Architecture-adjacent masterpiece – but its best feature is for how much it manages to squeeze into a smaller surface area and within a tighter budget. 76419 Hogwarts Castle and Grounds is a nice example of what happens when the LEGO Group can be unafraid to take creative risks. More of this in 2024 please.

Click here to check out our top 10 LEGO sets of 2023, or head here for more retrospectives on the year just gone – and what’s ahead for 2024.

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