LEGO® NINJAGO® June 2023: Elements Rising

Ninja Goooo! We had to wait for what felt like a long time, but finally we know what happens to the LEGO® NINJAGO® theme after the Crystalized storyline wrapped up. 

Products in this article were provided by LEGO®; the author's opinions are their own.

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The original LEGO NINJAGO series has come to an end, and a new series called Ninjago: Dragons Rising will premiere 1 June 2023. Judging by the trailers that have appeared so far, the whole Ninjago Universe has been turned upside down by an event called The Merge, where the realms have been joined into a new world. A new world means new challenges, new villains to fight, and new allies to team up with. Also, there be dragons!

All this naturally means a new wave of sets with new elements. I’ve been sent all of the Summer 2023 Ninjago sets, and I’ll be reviewing them in the coming weeks. But first, I’ve searched through every box and bag to find all the new elements that might appear in your next MOC!

Grab a drink, get comfortable, and walk with me through the long list of 155 exciting new elements.

Dragons Rising

Seeing as the title of the new series includes dragons, it’s not surprising to find new dragon elements. The Ninjago design team must have spotted Grumpy Cat from the January 2023 LEGO® Friends wave and said: Hold my beverage. And just how cute is this baby dragon Riyu they came up with!

The dragon is a single molded piece, so no moving parts, and made out of standard ABS. I was hoping the wings might be a more rubbery plastic, like used in some of the recent LEGO® Jurassic World raptors. 

Aside from an anti-stud underneath each leg, I was unable to spot any official connection points. There is a hole underneath the hollow head, but it’s too small to fit a 3.18mm bar. The element is found in sets 71792, 71796, 71797 and 71798 in Sand Green (6434535). The number molded underneath is 3275, the Design ID is yet unknown.

We get 7 new dragon head elements. There are no new molds, but there are recolors and new prints.

 From left to right, top to bottom:

• Creature Body Part, Dragon Head Upper Jaw with Spikes with Trans-Yellow Pattern, Metal Blue Markings, Bright Light Yellow Eye print in Dark Blue (6434536 | 100588), found in 71798. Both the Trans-Yellow as the Dark Blue are new for this mold.
• Creature Body Part, Dragon Head Upper Jaw with Spikes with Trans-Yellow Pattern in Tan (6432405 | 1005887), found in 71796. Like the previous head piece, both plastic colors are new for this mold.
• Creature Body Part, Dragon Head with Trans-Yellow Horns Pattern and Red Markings, Yellow Eyes print in Pearl Gold (6434539 | 82276), found in 71789, shows a new print.
• Creature Body Part, Dragon Head with Trans-Yellow Horns Pattern and Dark Azure Markings, Yellow Eyes print in Dark Blue (6434540 | 82276), found in 71796, appears for the first time in Dark Blue.
• Creature Body Part, Dragon Head Lower Jaw with Pointy Chin with Green Markings, Eye, Silver Line print is new in Bright Light Orange (6434496 | 80017), found in 71794.
• Creature Body Part, Dragon Head Upper Jaw with Bright Light Orange/Black Markings, Lavender Eyes Print in Dark Red (6434542 | 72362pr0008), found in 71793, is also a recolor.
• Creature Body Part, Dragon Head Lower Jaw with 6 Studs on Top, Spike, Teeth is new in Nougat (6441400 | 76923), found in 71793.

Nya’s dragon from 71798 Nya and Arin's Baby Dragon Battle walks around on raptor legs:

• Animal Body Part, Dinosaur, Raptor Leg, Left with Black Claws, Bright Light Blue Markings print in Dark Blue (6434541)
• Animal Body Part, Dinosaur, Raptor Leg, Right with Black Claws, Bright Light Blue Markings print in Dark Blue (6434543)

The elemental dragon from 71796 Elemental Dragon vs. The Empress Mech flies around on wings coming from a foil sheet (6436710 | 10103650).

New balls, please

From what I can make out of the trailer and the sets, the story revolves around spheres that contain elemental powers. For these spheres, a new ball mold has been introduced. 

The balls are dual molded, consisting of a ribbed core and a transparent shell, and come in 6 colors. The Trans-Clear version has a Pearl Gold core, and the other colors appear to have a Satin Trans-Clear core, judging by the sparkly effect. It’s hard to get on photo, but the effect looks beautiful in real life, giving a great 3D effect due to the ribbed structure of the core.

• Ball with Pearl Gold Core in Trans-Clear (6458054 | 92534), found in 71777, 71778, 71779, 71795
• Ball with Trans-Clear Opal Core in Trans-Bright Green (Unknown EID | 92534), 3 in 71779
• Ball with Trans-Clear Opal Core in Trans-Yellow (6435621 | 92534), found in 71796
• Ball with Trans-Clear Opal Core in Trans-Purple (6435623 | 92534), found in 71793
• Ball with Trans-Clear Opal Core in Trans-Orange (EID Unknown | 92534), 3 in 71777
• Ball with Trans-Clear Opal Core in Trans-Light Blue (6439405 | 92534), 3 in 71778, 1 in 71791

The diameter is exactly 2 bricks or 6 plates high, making them a lot bigger than the standard balls that are traditionally used in Great Ball Contraption builds (on the left). They are also a bit bigger than Zamor balls (in the middle). 

Each ball has a hole all the way through. It doesn’t seem to be an official connection point; perhaps it is  needed for cooling during the molding process?

The balls can be connected to a LEGO build by 2 new special plates featuring rings:

• Plate Special 2 x 2 with Ball Hup in Black (6418458 | 3204), found in 71791, 71795, 71796
• Plate Special 2 x 2 with Ball Hup in Dark Red (6441068 | 3204), found in 71793
• Plate Special Round 2 x 2 with 3 Ball Holders, 3 Studs in Black (EID Unknown | 92512), found in 71777, 71778, 71779

The rings have ridges that hold the balls, while allowing them to spin freely. There is not much resistance, but if you apply a little pressure, the balls jam. 

The balls in their holders would work great as eyes in a head. You could wait for the right color and print to appear, or go for a possessed look now.

In the 3 smaller sets 71777, 71778 and 71779, the characters ride the plate with 3 ball holders as a spinner, but they are 'cheating' by using a boat stud underneath the center which carries the weight. So I don’t think they can be used as a transportation mechanism for larger vehicles. I would love to be proven wrong though, as it would be great to have an omnidirectional vehicle. 

Set 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon (and maybe others, I haven’t built them all yet) show the balls can also be launched. In this case a LEGO® Technic axle ‘flips’ the ball out of the ring. It requires a lot of force.

Other new molds

A new curved brick is also introduced, which has left the New Elementary team scratching their collective head. 

Design ID 3220 has a footprint of 3 x 3 modules plus a protruding curve in the front. It features a curved front that for some reason has a cutout. I have not been able to find an existing curved brick that fits inside, so I’m not sure why it’s there. The whole brick is 1 brick high on the highest point, but the top features a curved or sloped surface as well. The sides also don’t seem to line up with existing elements. The Slope Curved 3 x 2 with Stud Notch comes close, but is not a perfect match. So as a stand-alone element this new mold might be interesting, but incorporating it into a build next to other bricks might be tricky.

We get 3 versions of the mold:

• Brick Curved 3 x 3 with Cutout, Eyes print in Medium Azure (6434497), found in 71797
• Brick Curved 3 x 3 with Cutout, Light Bluish Grey Markings, Orange Eyes print in Black (6434495), found in 71790
• Brick Curved 3 x 3 with Cutout in Dark Red (6441402 | 3220), found in 71793

A new lightning element with Technic bush connector is introduced, adding an electrifying look to your MOCs.

• Lightning with Axle Hole in Trans-Yellow (6444264 | 2149), found in 71796
• Lightning with Axle Hole in Trans-Light Blue (6420236 | 2149), found in 71791

The final new non-minifig mold is another foil sheet (6440805 | 104046), giving wings to the latest incarnation of the Destiny’s Bounty found in set 71797.

The Latest Ninja Fashion

Each new season of Ninjago has given the ninjas a new look, and Dragons Rising is no different. I won’t list all the new printed heads, torsos and legs, as that will give you a scroll-thumb injury, but instead save those for my set reviews. 

I will of course show you all new molds, starting with the headwear. 

The ninjas are disguised by a new head wrap consisting of 2 parts, each made out of a new mold. The bottom section is a neck bracket, with part of the wrap and a shoulder guard. 

In the back we find a holder for 2 katanas. The top section, worn as a hat, shows a smooth wrap. Its smoothness makes me doubt the correct terminology for the headwear, as it could also be seen as a hood.

The new head wrap combination comes in 6 colors:

• Head Wrap in Blue (6437692 | 2187), found in 71790, 71796
  Shoulder Guard with Wrap in Blue (6437693 | 2188), found in 71790, 71796
• Head Wrap in White (6437170 | 2187), found in 71791, 71796
  Shoulder Guard with Wrap in White (6437171 | 2188), found in 71791, 71796
• Head Wrap in Black (6430272 | 2187), found in 71791, 71795
  Shoulder Guard with Wrap in Black (6430275 | 2188), found in 71791, 71795
• Head Wrap in Green (6437164 | 2187), found in 71790, 71793, 71794, 71797
  Shoulder Guard with Wrap in Green (6437162 | 2188), found in 71790, 71793, 71794, 71797
• Head Wrap in Dark Azure (6437163 | 2187), found in 71798
  Shoulder Guard with Wrap in Dark Azure (6437161 | 2188), found in 71795, 71798
• Head Wrap in Red (6437149 | 2187), found in 71789, 71793, 71795, 71797
  Shoulder Guard with Wrap in Red (6437147 | 2188), found in 71789, 71793, 71795, 71797

In the 3 small spinner sets, the ninjas wear a printed head wrap. The neck bracket is the same as in the other ninjas.

• Head Wrap with Yellowish Green Markings Print in Green (EID Unknown), found in 71779
• Head Wrap with White Markings print in Dark Azure (EID Unknown), found in 71778
• Head Wrap with Bright Light Yellow Markings print in Red (EID Unknown), found in 71777

The series introduces 2 new ninjas, Sora and Arin. They also wear new headgear, with the neck bracket being the same as the other ninjas, but with a different top. Cora has cat ears and molded hair, while Arin spots horns.

• Hood with Cat Ears, Coral Hair Pattern in Dark Blue (6430280 | 3213), found in 71792, 71796, 71797
• Shoulder Guard with Wrap in Dark Blue (6437172 | 2188), found in 71792, 71796, 71797
• Hood with Pearl Gold Horns Pattern in Bright Light Orange (6430278 | 3448), found in 71792, 71794, 71797, 71798
• Shoulder Guard with Wrap in Bright Light Orange (6437173 | 2188), found in 71792, 71794, 71797, 71798

Arin moves around using a grappling hook. The new mold is made out of the same rubbery material as the Equipment Whip - Bent (88704). The handle and top of the grappling hook are a standard 3.18mm bar diameter, but the hooks themselves have no official connection points. The bend in the center provides a spring action.

• Whip with Grappling Hook in Black (6430279 | 3206), found in 71792, 71794, 71797, 71798

The Empress' New Clothes

The ‘baddies’ in the series are portrayed by Empress Beatrix (fun fact: our former Dutch queen is also called Beatrix; looks like she has a new job after her abdication?), Rapton and Lord Ras, along with various minions. And naturally, they also have new outfits.

I’m not sure if it is his real head or just a mask in the series, but in LEGO form, Lord Ras has a new molded head in Black (6434480 | 4065), found in 71789, 71793, 71795, 71796. The head/mask has the vibe of a lion with the manes blown back and a braided beard. 

The minions have 2 new types of headwear, both coming in Black and Pearl Gold. The helmet with horns looks very intimidating, but I can’t say the same for the minions who grabbed the nearest frying pan. They do have a nice clean look, making them useful to re-use in other functions.

• Helmet with Horns in Black (6437169 | 3217), found in 71790, 71794, 71798
• Helmet with Horns in Pearl Gold (6430284 | 3217), found in 71791, 71793
• Pan for Hat in Pearl Gold (6430286 | 3221), found in 71796
• Pan for Hat in Black (6437984 | 3221), found in 71791, 71794

All baddies feature new shoulder guards, again coming in Black and Pearl Gold:

• Shoulder Armor in Black (6437168 | 3216), found in 71790, 71791, 71792, 71794, 71797, 71798
• Shoulder Armor in Pearl Gold (6430283 | 3216), found in 71789, 71791, 71793, 71795, 71796

Empress Beatrix is wielding a new sword, with an interesting connection option: The hilt features a bar connection set under a 45 degree angle, as well as a straight bar in the hilt and the blade. 

There are some limitations though: The bar in the blade and the angled one have a tight space to move around, limiting their turning radius, as shown by the LBG clips. The straight bar in the hilt has a larger radius, but only when nothing is connected to the angled bar., as shown by the DBG clip. Underneath the hilt is a hole that can fit a bar, unfortunately the holes on the side of the hilt are non-standard. Despite the limitations, it’s still a very pretty piece of weaponry.

Just a heads up!

Just a few more things to mention about the minifigs, before we move on to the recolors:

First up is a new head mold, Design ID 28621, featuring 2 vent holes in the hollow stud. Okay, it’s not completely new, because it has been around since 2018, but up until now, the mold was exclusively used for transparent colors. 

In LEGO Minifigures 71038 Disney 100 we found the first opaque color: Ernesto and Baymax feature the new mold in White. And in the summer sets for Monkie Kid the mold can be spotted in Yellowish Green. In these June sets, Ninjago adds 3 more colors: Dark Green, Black and Yellow. 

There are also new heads in Flat Silver and Pearl Gold found in the Ninjago sets, but they are the old 3626c Hollow Stud mold. Maybe because these are not standard solid colors?

The 3 small spinner sets feature torsos with transparent arms. The Trans-Bright Green right arm is new, as the left arm has been seen previously in a LEGO® VIDIYO figure, joined by a Lime right arm. There are no Element IDs known for these torsos (yet), as the instructions don’t have an inventory list.

New Prints

Aside from the minifigs, we only get 2 new prints:

• Wedge Curved 4 x 3 No Studs with print in Black (6434501), found in 71789, 71798
• New head with Gold Decorations print in Trans-Red (6434500), found in 71795

Despite the lack of many new prints, I was pleasantly surprised by the relatively small size of the sticker sheets found in the sets. Some even don’t have a sticker sheet at all! 

For the set reviews, I’ll be building the sets without the stickers applied so I can show you how the models look without them, and then apply them for a comparison.

Recolors

The final type of new elements are the recolors, and it is a pretty long list.

Starting with the largest elements:

• Cable, Flexible 21L with 2 Connectors and Bars in Black (6440995 | 2630), found in 71795
• Windscreen 6 x 6 x 2 Canopy in Reddish Brown (6438239 | 87606), found in 71795
• Technic Panel Fairing #17 Large Smooth, Side A in Dark Orange (6440434 | 64392), found in 71794
• Technic Panel Fairing #18 Large Smooth, Side B in Dark Orange (6440433 | 64682), found in 71794
• Brick Special 4 x 10 x 1 With 2 Wedges, Pin Holes in Dark Bluish Gray (6439367 | 65186), found in 71798
• Dish 10 x 10 Inverted (Radar) with Solid Studs in Dark Green (6440431 | 50990), found in 71794

• Weapon Sword, Blade with Bar, Single Edge in Trans-Orange (6442248 | 65184), found in 71796
• Hinge Plate 1 x 12 with Angled Side Extensions and Tapered Ends in Trans-Yellow (6440365 | 57906), found in 71798

• Slope Curved 3 x 2 with Stud Notch Right in Dark Green (6375814 | 80178), found in 71794. It’s not a real recolor, but it is the first time the mold appears in Dark Green without print.
• Slope Curved 3 x 2 with Stud Notch Left in Dark Green (6375624 | 80177), found in 71794. As its counterpart, it’s the first time the mold appear in Dark Green without print
• Slope Curved 4 x 3 with 3 Layers, 1 x 3 Cutout on Underside in Dark Green (6440432 | 66955), found in 71794
• Slope Curved 4 x 2 No Studs in Nougat (6441399 | 93606), found in 71793
• Slope Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 in Nougat (6441397 | 15068), found in 71793
• Brick Round Corner, Curved 3 x 3 x 1 Quarter Circle in Dark Red (6410116 | 76797), found in 71793

• Technic Brick Special 2 x 2 with Pin Hole, Rotation Joint Ball Half [Horizontal Top] in Dark Red (6441398 | 48170), found in 71793
• Brick Special 2 x 5 with Slope, Studs on Side in Dark Red (6440777 | 79897), found in 71793
• Brick Special 2 x 5 with Slope, Studs on Side in Bright Light Orange (6440445 | 79897), found in 71794
• Technic Brick Special 2 x 2 with Ball Receptacle Wide and Axle Hole, No Arm Holes in Dark Azure (6441422 | 67696), found in 71796
• Plate Special 1 x 1 with Clip Vertical [Thick Open O Clip] in Medium Azure (6445843 | 60897), found in 71791
• Plate Special 1 x 2 with Pin Hole on Top in Dark Azure (6443301 | 11458), found in 71796
• Bracket 1 x 1 - 1 x 2 in Dark Bluish Gray (6435043 | 79389), found in 71793
• Bracket 1 x 2 - 2 x 2 Inverted in Medium Azure (6441006 | 99207), found in 71797
• Plate Special 1 x 8 with Door Rail in Pearl Gold (6417695 | 4510), found in 71795

• Tile Special 2 x 4 Inverted in White (6440438 | 3395), found in 71792
• Plate Special 2 x 4 with Groove and Two Center Studs (Jumper) in Black (6438520 | 65509), found in 71797
• Plate 4 x 4 Corner in Dark Blue (6442566 | 2639), found in 71796
• Weapon Gun / Pistol Two Barrel in Pearl Gold (6433738 | 95199), found in 71791, 71796
• Animal Body Part, Dog Bone [Short] in Yellow (6441007 | 93160), found in 71797, but also available for a while already on B&P.
• Technic Axle Connector 2 x 3 Quadruple in Dark Blue (6440437 | 11272), found in 71796
• Plant, Leaves 4 x 3 in Bright Light Yellow (6438496 | 2423), found in 71795
• Tile Special 2 x 3 Pentagonal in Medium Azure (6439271 | 22385), found in 71797

• Door Frame 1 x 4 x 4 (Lift) in Tan (6438243 | 6154), found in 71795
• Fence 1 x 4 x 2 Ornamental Asian Lattice with 4 Studs in Tan (6438240 | 32932), found in 71795
• Animal / Creature Body Part, Tail / Claw / Horn / Branch / Tentacle, End Section, Large in Dark Red (6441401 | 67361), found in 71793
• Wheel Hard Plastic Large, D.36, with 4 Studs in Black (6440829 | 3486), found in 71789
• Large Figure Shoulder Cover, Armor, Round, Smooth with Bar in Black (6432392 | 1686), found in 71796
• Fence Spindled 4 x 4 x 2 Quarter Round with 3 Studs in Red (6438241 | 21229), found in 71795
• Fin Jagged with Axle Hole in Bright Light Orange (6439781 | 76919), found in 71797
• Fin Jagged with Axle Hole in Red (6441688 | 76919), found in 71794
• Flag 5 x 6 Hexagonal with U Clips in White (6437122 | 17979), found in 71791

And last but not least, some recolors for Minifig Headwear:

• Hair Swept to Right in White (6438032 | 70592), found in 71795, 71796
• Hair Short Swept Back with Sideburns and Widow's Peak in White (6262496 | 21268), found in 71792, 71794, 71797
• Hair Mid-length, Pearl Gold Horns Print in Red (6434538 | 80831), found in 71793. This mold was introduced last year for Chang’e, a character from the Monkie Kid theme. It’s always nice when a seemingly dedicated mold finds its way across themes.

Conclusion

You made it to the end of the list!

My favorite new elements are the balls. They just look beautiful with the added sparkly core. There have been balls and spheres before but, as far as I can trace back, not with the special holder plates. This provides great creative options. 

I’m also happy to see the existing dragon heads getting recolors and prints. There have been many new molds in the past years, and I’m happy the designers didn’t rely on a new mold again for the new dragons.

But enough about me: what do you think of all the new elements? Are there any that jump out to you and make the creative sparks roar?

Please join me next time as I start building the sets.

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