We all know, thanks to their partnerships with Star Wars, Nintendo, and Harry Potter, that LEGO excels at bringing third-party creative properties to life. The company has also been making huge strides in creating awesome LEGO sets for adults. What they struggle with is generating and sustaining an original property for kids. There was the LEGO Adventurers line (1999-2003), which only exists now as a set of Easter Eggs in the LEGO Haunted House. There was the Hidden Side line (2019-2020), LEGO's early foray into augmented reality.
But sometimes, an original theme really takes off and captures the public's imagination. Case in point: the LEGO Ninjago line. It's an odd mix of East Asian mysticism (predominantly Chinese and Japanese), futuristic cyberpunk, and badass robot dragons. It really shouldn't work. But it somehow does, thanks to LEGO's trademark earnestness and self-effacement.
Here are the 10 best LEGO Ninjago sets currently available. We've ordered them by price, so you can practice the art of Spinjitzu on any budget.
Jay’s Lightning Jet EVO
LEGO Ninjago Jay’s Lightning Jet EVO $9.99
An excellent, budget build for 10 dollars, Jay's Lightning Jet has his signature blue colors and a solid base. It also includes a place for Jay to store his tiny sword—something that should never be taken for granted when it comes to LEGO.
Lloyd’s Mech Battle EVO
LEGO Ninjago Lloyd’s Mech Battle EVO $19.97
An excellent introduction for a novice builder, this set includes two mechas, one good, and one evil, so your child has everything he or she needs to play pretend. Plus, for 20 bucks, the price is just right to test the waters, before you decide to invest fully into an expensive hobby.
Nya’s Water Dragon EVO
LEGO Ninjago Nya’s Water Dragon EVO $19.99
Another introductory build, this one features a squat water dragon with a wide base. That makes it sturdy for intense play, which a six-year-old will no doubt engage in. The detail on the dragon is especially nice, with stylized water elements and a scaly, curled-up snake torso.
Jay and Nya's Race Car EVO
LEGO Ninjago Jay and NYA’s Race Car EVO $49.97
This set includes both a car and a helicopter, and it swaps out the more typical skeleton enemies for snake warriors. The car's spoiler doubles as a detachable ninja glider, so Jay can engage in mid-air battle.
Creative Ninja Brick Box
LEGO Ninjago Creative Ninja Brick Box $59.99
Have the open-endedness of LEGO free building, but with a number of specialized pieces that give your builds that signature Ninjago flavor. This is an excellent starter set, or if you're an advanced builder, an excellent supplement to flesh out your Ninjago village with additional, enhancing details.
Lloyd’s Legendary Dragon
LEGO Ninjago Lloyd’s Legendary Dragon 7% off $69.99$64.99
This is probably the closest that Ninjago comes to an archetypal, green, medieval times dragon. And thankfully, it's really cool-looking, with a green exterior, a blue underbelly, and enormous, articulable wings. It's also got a decent size, and measures approximate a foot-and-a-half long from tip to tail.
Jay’s Titan Mech
LEGO Ninjago Jay’s Titan Mech $79.93
Jay's Titan Mech has an appealing blue, white, and gold color scheme, and a slender, sleek construction that differentiates it from other, bulkier LEGO mechs. The final build is articulable, with a massive sword and a mounted shoulder cannon that fires a projectile.
Ninja Dojo Temple
LEGO Ninjago Ninja Dojo Temple Masters of Spinjitzu Set $99.99
This set has a high piece count for a low age range, an increasing rarity in LEGO builds. It has nice architectural detail and plenty of space for you to stage imaginary battles, and best of all, the set is interconnected. Youth-targeted LEGO sets tend to have "island" parts to its scenery, but this one uses a bridge element to link it all together.
Zane’s Ice Dragon Creature
LEGO NINJAGO Zane’s Ice Dragon Creature $99.99
A 2-in-1 special, you can build this as either a dragon—a vicious, six-legged behemoth with sharp teeth—or a massive ice warrior with a golden sword. Both builds have a beautiful color scheme of white and light green, which creates the impression of new ice versus older, glacial ice.
NINJAGO City Gardens
LEGO Ninjago City Gardens $349.99
The most expensive Ninjago set is this one—a massive modular building with five levels, multiple apartments, and tons of little details, including a noodle shop, a rooftop bonsai garden, and 19 unique LEGO Minifigures.
LEGO Ninjago recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, an achievement that demonstrates the brand's staying power. And already, LEGO is looking toward the future; a brand new show (not a reboot!) set in the same universe—Ninjago: Dragons Rising—begins its first season on June 1.