LEGO® NINJAGO® Spinjitzu review: Rise of the Tri-Baller

Spinjitzu has been practiced from the very start of the LEGO® NINJAGO® theme. Over the years, many different iterations have been released in sets, and the June 2023 wave adds a new version: Dragon Power Spinjitzu. Three ninja each get their own set: 71777 Kai’s Dragon Power Spinjitzu Flip with 72 parts, 71778 Nya's Dragon Power Spinjitzu Drift with 57 parts and 71779 Lloyd's Dragon Power Spinjitzu Spin with 56 parts. 

These small sets include a nice new mould. But before we take a look at that, I’ll have a quick look at the sets themselves and the other elements found in them. 

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

LEGO® NINJAGO® Dragon Power Spinjitzu
US$10.99/ £8.99/ 9.99€/ AU$16.99
1 June 2023

71777 Kai’s Dragon Power Spinjitzu Flip
72 parts

71778 Nya's Dragon Power Spinjitzu Drift
57 parts

71779 Lloyd's Dragon Power Spinjitzu Spin
56 parts

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Playability

The premise is simple: the ninja ride a sort of platform carried by three Dragon Energy Cores, and need to defeat an Imperium Droid in order to collect the Golden Dragon Energy Core. Each set has its own tactic to defeat the droid and collect the core: Lloyds spins, Nya launches and Kai flips. 

I figured it was easiest to show you these in a short video.

Before we come to the new molds, the only thing worth mentioning in terms of parts are the minifigs.

Minifigures

The figures in the sets are all new. The heads, shoulder guards and legs are identical to their counterparts in the larger sets from the wave, but their head wraps feature a unique print, and the torsos feature a new print and translucent arms, also unique to these sets.

A Trans-Bright Green left arm has previously appeared in a LEGO® VIDIYO™ set, but Lloyd sports the first ever right arm in this color. The heads are of the new mold with 2 vent holes in the stud, previously only seen in translucent plastics (28621). It has just been spotted that this opaque version has a different Design ID: 3274. The two molds appear identical, though.

Lloyd

• Head Wrap Top Half with Yellowish Green Markings Print in Bright Green (EID Unknown)
• Minifig Head in Yellow (6434435)
• Shoulder Guard with Hood and Katana Holder in Bright Green (6437162 | 2188)
• Torso, Trans-Bright Green Arms, Green Hands in Dark Green (EID Unknown)
• Hips and Legs in Bright Green (6434437)

Kai

• Head Wrap Top Half with Bright Light Yellow Markings print in Red (EID Unknown)
• Minifig Head in Yellow (6434427)
• Shoulder Guard with Hood and Katana Holder in Red (6437147 | 2188)
• Torso, Trans-Red Arms, Red Hands in Dark Red (EID Unknown)
• Hips and Legs in Red (6434429)

Nya

• Head Wrap Top Half with White Markings print in Dark Azure (EID Unknown)
• Minifig Head in Yellow (6434431)
• Shoulder Guard with Hood and Katana Holder in Dark Azure (6437161 | 2188)
• Torso, Trans-Light Blue Arms, Dark Azure Hands in Dark Blue (EID Unknown)
• Hips and Legs in Dark Azure (6434433)

New molds

Sphere (part 92534)

I promised you a special new element! The new Rising Dragons TV series introduces a new phenomenon called Dragon Energy Cores.

These cores are represented in the sets by a new spherical element, with Design ID 92534. The sphere is 19mm in diameter, which is just under 2 bricks (6 plates), making it bigger than the standard soccer ball (above left, 14mm) and Zamor spheres (center, 16mm). 

Inside the sphere is a ribbed core, with a translucent mantle around it. For the Trans-Clear sphere, the core is Pearl Gold, and for the colored spheres the core is Satin Trans-Clear, giving a magical sparkly effect. 

Each set contains one Trans-Clear sphere, and 3 spheres of the same color.

Plate Special with 3 Sphere Holders (part 92512)

To connect these spheres to a build, a new element is introduced: Plate Special with 3 Sphere Holders in Black (6418456 | 92512), which I'll call the Tri-Baller. It holds 3 spheres securely, but can still spin freely when not too much pressure is applied. The spinners in the sets cheat a bit by placing a boat stud underneath the center to lessen the load.

Aside from its holders, the Tri-Baller has more connectivity to offer. In the center is a 2x2 round recessed area with 2 studs. Across this area runs a divider, meant to hold the legs of the figure standing on top of it more tightly. Between the holders we find a single stud with hole all the way through, allowing for a bar connection.

At the bottom we find a 2x2 anti-stud area in the center, and anti-studs on the sides.

The divider means there is no room to place a standard brick on the center, but the ridge at the bottom of a Brick Round 1 x 1 or Plate Round 1 x 1 can solve that. 

Using the three studs on the pointed corners, we can stack multiple Tri-Ballers. With spheres in place, the minimum space between the plates is 2 bricks high. Without the spheres the gap can be reduced to a single-brick height.

Using the setup shown on the top right, a single-brick height is achieved, while the Tri-Ballers can be rotated without collisions.

It’s also possible to connect 2 Tri-Ballers side-to-side, which requires a one-module space in between. The stud connection is not very strong, so I suggest using a sandwich connection. Or perhaps my 1x3 plates are getting old!

Combining triangular LEGO parts

Our dear leader Tim is obsessed with the Nexogon, also known as Plate Special 6 x 6 Hexagonal with Pin Hole (27255), introduced in LEGO® Nexo Knights. Given the triangular nature of both plates, I was tasked with seeing how they would interact with each other. And interact, they can! 

The studs on the corners of the Tri-Baller line up perfectly with the bars on the Nexogon, allowing a simple yet sturdy connection using a bar with clip. Using 2 x 2 jumper plates, the studded area of the Nexogon can be lined up as well.

The plates can also be connected side by side, simply using a Plate 1 x 1 with Clip. 

With 9 spheres carrying the load, there is some spinning possibility as well.

I came across this other connection option on Discord by user BrickFury, who used a Technic propellor plate. In the original photo a 51138 Technic Plate Rotor 3 Blade with Smooth Ends, 6 Studs was used for more usable studs. I couldn't find that one my collection and I had to settle for this 2712 Technic Plate Rotor 3 Blade with Toothed Ends and 3 Studs instead. The geometry is the same though.

Tablescraps using the new Spinjitzu elements

Blacktron has discovered an alien planet with the remains of a lost civilization. In an underground bunker, they find large triangular crates containing a never-before-seen repulsor lift technology. 

Quickly, they learn how to use the technology and adapt it to their own vehicles.

Conclusion

The sets provide a cheap pick-up with great playability for children. The standard parts are just that. No recolors or even rare parts to be found, but the unique minifigs look very nice.

The true value are the lovely new spheres and that Tri-Baller plate, which offers a lot of creative possibilities. It's the perfect new obsession for spaceship builders, so it's great they come in such relatively cheap sets, especially if your creativity requires bulk. If I've inspired you and you're thinking of buying them from LEGO.com, please consider using our affiliate links, we may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop.

Now I just need the spheres and Tri-Baller to appear in the various classic LEGO® Space colors! #bringbacktransneongreen 

READ MORE: What are the new LEGO® parts for June 2023 and which sets contain the most?

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