LEGO Ninjago 71858 Four Weapons Blacksmith: Ninjago-ing back to where it all began [Review]
Nearly 15 years ago, LEGO launched a new line of action-themed sets in a theme called Ninjago. At the time it was expected to be much like other themes of the time, with a run of two to three years. As it turned out, it was successful beyond even LEGO’s own expectations – and the theme is now a beloved mainstay of their current catalogue. At least part of Ninjago’s success can be attributed to the accompanying TV series, the pilot episodes for which were broadcast in January 2011. In an apt celebration of this anniversary, January 1, 2026 sees the release of 71858 Four Weapons Blacksmith. 1,259 pieces make up the place where the Ninjago story started – yours for US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £89.99. Let’s look at it together and go back to the beginning – long before time had a name…
LEGO Ninjago 71858 Four Weapons Blacksmith | 1,259 Pieces | Available January 1, 2026 |US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £89.99
The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
The box and build
Many of our review sets these days are black-background 18+ sets, so the bright colours of this box are very refreshing!
Inside are 12 paper bags, plus the instructions and a modest sticker sheet.
Although this isn’t the type of set that usually gets a preface in the instructions, there is a double-page spread talking briefly about the history of Ninjago. There are some shots of the blacksmith’s appearance in the TV show to act as a helpful reminder of what it looks like if you haven’t watched it in a while (or, ahem, at all).
Rather than being built on baseplates, the foundations of this blacksmith employ a colourful array of bricks, plates and SNOT pieces. It’s much more parts-intensive, but as we’ll see, it pays dividends later on. It does mean we can put some nice rockwork around the outside.
Speaking of parts-intensive solutions – I was a bit surprised to see a wall foundation that was two bricks thick. One is normally plenty! But the reason why becomes apparent very quickly: some sideways building allows a door piece with a grate to become a nicely-framed latticed window.
Things really are going sideways here, but in a good way! More window frames are used to create a wonderful panelled floor and bed.
We’ve been gradually adding landscape as we go, and now we have one half of the ground floor complete. Lime green wouldn’t have been my first choice for greenery, but I have to say it looks pretty good.
Half? Yes – this house is split in two by a hinge brick, opening up for access to the inside. The box advertises this set as buildable by one to four people. Presumably, then, this sub-assembly forms one of the four that can be built along with the rest. It starts off in similar fashion to the other half.
This is one of the areas where the raised floor comes into play. This half houses the blacksmith itself, so we need a nice, fireproof floor. And with some 2×2 half-round tiles at 45 degrees, we have a very nice tiled floor indeed!
That’s inset into the foundations, and the rest is built up similar to the sleeping quarters. It’s not long before the two halves are joined together, so perhaps I was wide of the mark with the shared build split…
The walls are quick to follow. Most of the techniques here are fairly straightforward, albeit still providing some nice detail. I like the 3×3 gold tile used as a gong!
Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed some upturned headlight bricks in the rock formation around the outside. They provide an interesting connection point for some of the pillars around the outside, which are attached upside down. We’ll come back to these a bit later.
For now, you can see how these parts go together, forming as they do the entrance with a clock above the door. At this point we can also look at the back of the building, and see some red trees and a keep-off-the-grass sign being erected.
Now we can get started on the roof. This is mostly stacking black sloped elements, but there is some intrigue with what will eventually form the sign. A simple lever pops the sign off once assembled, revealing the map to one of the golden weapons hidden behind it.
Remember those inverted headlight bricks I mentioned earlier? They make another appearance here, with a 1x1x2/3 plate combining with a 3.18mm bar to get the studs back to the correct orientation. Doing this ensures the studs on the four-sided SNOT brick are at the correct level to attach some 1×2 tiles to later.
After building it up a bit more, it’s time to add some details. The construction of the sign is pretty neat. It’s not quite visible in the pictures, but attached to Kai’s ninja headgear is a tiny facsimile of the cards that came with the early Spinjitzu sets. Nice touch!
The other side of the roof is made in similar fashion, but it leaves a gap in the middle – which is filled by this sub-assembly. That forms the conclusion of our build, and we’ll take a look at it in a moment.
The minifigures
Six minifigures grace this set, five of which are Ninjago protagonists. From left to right, we have Kai, Master Wu, Maya, Ray, the Master of Earth, and Nya. The Master of Earth is one of seven anniversary figures, and so stands on a plinth with a nice printed tile. I like them a lot! I can see a lot of these prints finding good homes in custom figures.
These characters all match their early season appearances, and almost all of them have reversible heads. Wu doesn’t for obvious reasons, but I’m not sure why Maya has a generic non-reversible one. Otherwise, the printing on all the figures, front and back, is fantastic.
The finished model
Finished and closed up, the Four Weapons Blacksmith is a charming residence.
Removing the roof ahead of opening it up, we can see Kai’s ZX mask and Nya’s Samurai X helmet. It’s fun that these are hidden in the rafters, as if waiting for just the right amount of character development before being brought down and dusted off. They look really cool facing each other off like this too!
Then opening it up further, we can take a good look at the insides. Access is reasonably good, although I did find getting into the blacksmith portion a little tricky with my big hands.
Popping the sign off is the only real play feature, but it’s both easy to access and well-concealed from the outside.
There are plenty of play opportunities to be had outside the smith though. Nya and Maya can practice their fighting skills…
… Or the Master of Earth can come round for tea. Good thing Maya is the Master of Water!
This also shows off one of the best angles of the house. The extended eaves mean the entrance and window – which look so good – are a bit hidden when seen from above. So if you’re planning to display it, I would recommend putting it on a slightly higher shelf so you can get a good look inside.
Conclusions and recommendation
I was expecting this review to be a tough one. Ninjago’s debut coincided with the start of my dark age, and my involvement with the theme since coming out of it has been fairly peripheral. But I have a deep respect for it and its fanbase, and in this set I can feel that the designers share that some love and respect. It’s very faithful to its small-screen counterpart. The easter eggs are subtle, but meaningful – and that’s just the ones I could identify!
Its appeal goes wider than just Ninjago, though. It could quite easily fit into a modern-day city or historical diorama. And it wouldn’t require much rebuilding, if any – the play features don’t detract at all from its display value. I’m hardly a Ninjago aficionado, and I would already recommend it to anyone. Ninjago fans – particularly long-term ones – are sure to love it even more than I did.
LEGO Ninjago 71858 Four Weapons Blacksmith | 1,259 Pieces | Available January 1, 2026 |US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £89.99
The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
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