LEGO 10316 The Lord of the Rings Rivendell comes with a cast of 15 new and improved minifigures from across Middle Earth. Blocks is highlighting some of their best features…
During the opening of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the many different inhabitants of Middle-earth are immediately introduced. There are humans, elves, dwarves and the little Hobbits of the Shire. Throughout the series, mystical and sometimes monstrous beasts are either friend or foe to the heroes of the Fellowship.
It’s at the Council of Elrond that all of these different peoples interact, and 10316 The Lord of the Rings Rivendell comes with the complete cast debating what to do with the One Ring. While there are some characters who have simply had an update, there’s a few new faces too, and Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine, is taking a closer look at some of those minifigures…
Arwen
Unbelievably this is only the second time that Arwen has featured in a LEGO set, with her only other appearance being in 79006 The Council of Elrond from 2013. She’s had a major update, with a new hair mould capturing her pointed elven ears and the angled cheekbone printing (which was not flattering at all) ditched from her previous minifigure. She’s also in a more screen-accurate white dress from when she rescues Frodo at Weathertop. If you look closely you’ll also see her Evenstar necklace printed in shiny silver.
Peregrin ‘Pippin’ Took
Pippin is such a fun character in The Lord of the Rings and he complements Merry really well. Wearing his signature woven scarf, he’s ready for the road with a shorter cloak element and dual-moulded legs suggesting how the Hobbits are always barefoot.
Legolas
Speaking of dual-moulding, another character who makes use of it is Legolas. His boots are dual-moulded and it appears to be the first time that this isn’t a straight line, as it is on most minifigures. He cheats with his hair though, which is the same new element as Arwen, but in blonde – and not the proper platinum blonde either. Thankfully the very detailed printing for the embroidery across Legolas’s jerkin really makes up for it, because although it’s not mentioned much in the films, he’s actually a prince.
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Boromir
While Boromir features amazingly detailed printing across his armour, plus a newly printed shield element, what’s most interesting about this minifigure is his sword. If you do a quick search about LEGO sword elements on Brickset, there are over 200 entries, even if this does include lightsaber blades. But Boromir’s blade is definitely new, featuring a curving cross-guard and with the edges coming to a sharper point than previous designs.
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins has had plenty of minifigures across LEGO sets inspired by The Hobbit, but 10316 is the first time he’s been portrayed as an older Hobbit. He’s 111 to be precise. His aged Hobbit appearance is simple yet very effective, using a combination of tan and white printing, paired with a brown walking cane. Bilbo’s also got a new hair piece which is surprisingly similar to Grand Moff Tarkin’s, but is a bit more windswept and still has some curly volume.
With 15 minifigures marking the most that’s ever come in a single LEGO The Lord of the Rings set, 10316 The Lord of the Rings Rivendell is sure to please Tolkien fans. Which is your favourite character? Do you think someone else should have made the cut? Summon a giant eagle and fly other to any of the Blocks social media channels to let us know!