Blocks scours the vast library of licensed LEGO themes to find five great new sets for 2024.
There was a time in the LEGO Group’s history when licensed themes were unheard of — every new theme was completely original. But that changed in 1999 with LEGO Star Wars. That single theme’s popularity encouraged the LEGO Group to expand its licensed catalogue, which has now come to feature dozens of different IPs over the past twenty-five years.
The current lineup of licensed themes has some excellent variety, with offerings from popular film franchises like Harry Potter as well as video games like Minecraft. Plenty of new LEGO sets arrived on New Year’s Day 2024, all itching to join your collection. So Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine, has found five of the best new licensed sets, from a variety of franchises and price points, to help you with your LEGO shopping in 2024.
21254 Turtle Beach House
LEGO Minecraft as it exists today began in 2014, and it’s still going strong a full decade later. 21254 Turtle Beach House crafts an entire set with in-game features that didn’t even exist when the theme began — turtles, drowned and bamboo all make an appearance in this 2024 set. The titular beach house is an adorable little build, perfectly upscaling the Minecraft turtle design. Two other scales of turtle are included — a full brick-built adult as well as babies made of just a roller skate and 1×1 tile. The drowned minifigure comes with a trident, and the player character has a turtle-inspired design to go along with the theme of the set.
75372 Clone Trooper & Battle Droid Battle Pack
Clunky name aside, 75372 Clone Trooper & Battle Droid Battle Pack is an excellent sophomore outing for the larger battle pack style. The set is essentially two battle packs in one, giving equal footing to both the Clones and Droids, unlike 75280 501st Clone Troopers. The four Clone Trooper minifigures enter the battle with a speeder and turret emplacement; the Droids have a STAP and Tri-Droid on their side. The minifigure selection is easily the best part of the set, with the first plain white Phase II Clones and Super Battle Droids in a decade.
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76964 Dinosaur Fossils: T. rex Skull
Considering the relatively low price point, 76964 Dinosaur Fossils: T. rex Skull is an exceptional model. The skull itself is a fantastic build, using a variety of angular plates and bricks to create the T. rex skull’s iconic shape. Plenty of slopes are put to equally good use with the fossilised footprint that sits aside the skull. The two models are accompanied by a stand that comes with a plaque similar to those in Star Wars’ Ultimate Collector Series sets.
43249 Stitch
The wacky design of the beloved Disney character is captured perfectly in 43249 Stitch. Just over 700 pieces go into the model, which features a full replica of the character complete with a flower, Hawaiian shirt and ice cream cone. Unlike similar large character models like 75318 The Child, Stitch’s eyes are entirely created using decorated elements. This may hurt the building experience a little, but the result is well worth it — 43249 is a wonderful set for fans of the character.
76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit
LEGO Harry Potter has enjoyed incredible success in its second run, earning itself yet another fresh wave of sets in 2024, including 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit. The hut itself uses a great mix of colours to make what could have easily become a bland build very pleasing to the eye. The use of the ingot element adds some texture to the walls, and a handful of natural elements sit just outside the door to suggest a larger scene. The figure selection is great as well, featuring all three of the main heroes alongside Hagrid and Draco Malfoy. 76428 doesn’t release until March 2024, giving you a little more time to save up before adding it to your collection.
All these sets can be found on LEGO.com, along with plenty of other new and exciting 2024 sets.