LEGO NINJAGO's 15th anniversary Four Weapons Blacksmith set was a challenge to design, from pitch problems to budget issues.
While the finished model looks to be well worth it, the designer behind
"I've been waiting to talk about this for two years, and if you know our development process, things are usually in the office for one year," explained designer Chi Wing Lee to DuckBricks. "I actually built the very first sketch model of this a year ahead of time just to sell the idea."
"This blacksmith shop has been thrown around almost every year when we talk about the cool thing that we want to make for the fans, but every year, there's something else happening. 2023 was Dragons Rising, so we focused on that and made way for 71799 NINJAGO City Markets instead."
Thankfully, the upcoming 15th anniversary provided the perfect excuse to revisit the Four Weapons Blacksmith, but it didn't come without some risks.
"In 2025, when we talked about it, we were going to do it in 2026, but deep down I was worried about it being put aside again in 2026; it's our one chance to do this set justice for the anniversary," Lee continued.
"I really wanted to make this happen, and a lot of times before we build the model, people in pitch meetings just look at one screenshot from an animated show 15 years and it may not sell the idea as well as seeing it built. So with a week of downtime, I built it, but part of me was still a little bit sceptical."
Lee's scepticism largely came from the concept of the set itself, compared to most of the other topics NINJAGO covers. Ultimately, a building isn't going to be quite as exciting as dragons and transforming mechs, meaning this would be a build for the most dedicated NINJAGO fans. This mindset left Lee with a few must-have features in the final set, though convincing the higher-ups that this was the right move for the set wasn't easy.
"When I look at the blacksmith shop itself, I know fans will be super excited, but is it a really cool building to build?" Lee queried. "The design of it is very humble; it's a box with half of the mass being the roof. So part of me as a designer wanted to build it out for myself and see if anyone ever brings it up again, should I support this or go against it and suggest that it may not be a good product for this size? I convinced myself after building it, so I went on and convinced the rest of the team.
"When I pitched the model, we had no idea of the budget, and I didn't think much about it. By the time we had to finalise it, we looked at the price and it was so over budget, and marketing came to me and they suggested we make it open-back and cut it in half or shrink it. But no, it has to be this size because the older fans will want it to be enclosed, that's the comment we always get, but also the forge is on the back wall and without that it would never be accurate."
Lee's persistence has resulted in one of the most show-accurate LEGO NINJAGO sets to date, and the fact that the building is fully enclosed makes it a great display for current or returning fans alike. Unfortunately, some cuts had to be made, including the decision to eschew arm printing on Ray, where he should have had flames on his armour. Lee isn't giving up on this just yet, but will need fans' support to get to the 20th anniversary.
"Yes, next time," Lee stated. "Support us so we can make it to the 20th anniversary. I'll try to fight that battle again."
As much as it was a difficult journey to get to
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