Lego’s new $400 Lion Knights’ Castle is a love letter to my childhood

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The company agreed to revive one of its classic Lego themes, such as Space, Castle, and Pirates, with a new, adult-grade Lego set.

The company is bringing back classic Space and classic Castle at the same time. The Lego version of the original Lego spaceship will be available for pre-order this morning. The Lion Knights' Castle is the most intricate and impressive castle playset the company's ever produced.

To see more about the Lego Galaxy Explorer instead, tap here.

If you want to learn more about the revival of the original galaxy explorer spaceship, you can tap here.

I have been looking over the high-resolution photos of each set for days, marveling over the details. I didn't have to do it by myself, but I did have to speak to their lead designers. The Black Knight's Castle is one of the most famous forts in the world, and it was designed by the man who co-created Lego Pirates and Forestmen.

If the new castle doesn't do better than them all, I'll be damned.

There are hidden passages and traps. I used to have exposed strings in the drawbridge and portcullis, but now they're hidden in the set. The towers from the Lego castle are fortified. A waterwheel geared to a grindstone is used by a baker. A royal bedchamber, an armory bristling with weaponry and a dungeon, and a tiny banquet hall are all connected by ladders and staircases. An ox-and-cart, an outdoor food stand, and mini-stables are included in the price.

Madge says that they wanted to evoke the feeling of opening the catalog as a child. The set has 20 minifigures, more than any other set except Star Wars and sports.

Many of the minifigs are women and a lady with a crown is in charge.

Image: Lego

Image: Lego

The entire set transforms, that's the most amazing part. I wish I had a video to show you, because from the outside it looks like an enclosed castle, even when the set is open, and doubly so when it is closed. Take a look at the waterwheel in the pictures above. Is the river running through the castle or next to it? Both are the answer.

Image: Lego via Brickset

Image: Lego via Brickset

Image: Lego via Brickset

Photo: Lego

The goal from the beginning was the enclosed/open design. The original yellow Lego castle from 1978, which swung open on hinges, was one of the main influences on his team. We want it to be something you can play around with, so we made it fully enclosed so you had walls on every side.

Madge and Psiaki decided to hide the merry men and women inside the new castle because they shared a love of 6066 Camouflaged outpost. I mean it literally when I say "inside."

The forest men can break you out of the dungeon if you are on the drawbridge at the wrong time.

There is only one spot in the entire model that isn't occupied by a story. There is very little empty space underneath.

I get the sense the longest-tenured Lego designer is quite proud, but maybe also a bit jealous of what his fellows can do.

They had to take out so much because we put so much into them. The price points were lower because people didn't spend as much on toys.

In those days, grownups wouldn't admit if they played with Lego, that's quite a new thing

Photo: Lego

One of his castle models had a blacksmith and a kitchen, but he had to remove them. He thought children would care about the staircases leading up to the towers. There was a chimney on one of the buildings, but there was no fireplace in that building. That was what they saw. The figures can fly up to the towers.

He had to give up catapults and trebuchets because they were considered weapons, but Lego designers won the battle there. He and the late Jens Knudsen, creator of the Lego minifigure and Lego Space, convinced the higher-ups to allow not only a pirate captain with his own face, but projectile shooting cannons. He says that all of them were battles with the owner.

He didn't want me to put a skull on that and he didn't want to see that. It didn't look right after they tried many different versions. We talked for a long time after we went for a cup of coffee at his home. He agreed to make his skull on the flag but only if he made it smile.

Image: Lego via Brickset

They did. My childhood Royal Knight's Castle has a tiny rock flinger on the battlements that you can flick with a single finger.

New Lego parts are usually created by the former fisherman. He has designed minifigures that are similar to the original skeleton, as well as elements like the feathers in the Forestmen's hats and knight helmets, which he says were originally conceived as quills for minifigs to hold, too. It was required that the element could be used for at least 10 years.

The new Lion Knight's Castle will be on sale August 3rd for LegoVIPs and August 8th for everybody else. If you purchase the new Forest Hideout set through June 22nd, you won't get it for free. This is the last picture of the new castle.

Photo: Lego