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10 November 2024

New parts: January 2025 LEGO® Monkie Kid and LEGO® Chinese Traditional Festival sets

Posted by Skye Barnick

Earlier this week at the China International Import Expo, the LEGO Group unveiled three new LEGO® Lunar New Year/ Spring Festival sets – some launching on 25 December 2024 in most countries in the Asia Pacific region and worldwide on 1 January 2025 – and two new LEGO® Monkie Kid sets launching 1 January.

closeups of 6 new moulds in 2025 Lego sets

As is usual for these themes, these sets feature a wealth of interesting new molds, recolored parts, and printed elements. Let’s take a peek at 80065 Erlang’s Celestial Mech, 80066 Mythical Creature Qilin, 80116 Trotting Lantern, 80117 Good Fortune, and 40813 Lucky Cat to see what the new year has in store!

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New LEGO® Lunar New Year/ Spring Festival sets for January 2025 

80116 Trotting Lantern

  • Pieces: 1295
  • Age mark: 9+

Price and release date:

Other countries click here

Trotting Lantern Lego set and box

A trotting lantern is a type of Chinese lantern which traditionally uses the warm air current from its flame to rotate a paper cutout image around, making it appear to “trot” across the lantern’s surface. The LEGO version understandably replaces the flame with a light brick that you turn on by pressing the knob on top of the lantern and rotate by turning the same knob. In addition, printed transparent panels are provided in place of paper cutouts, and the top tier of the lantern unfolds to reveal a minifigure-scale Lunar New Year scene.


80117 Good Fortune

  • Release date: 25 December 2024 in some countries in the Asia Pacific region and worldwide on 1 January 2025
  • Pieces: 1021
  • Age mark: 9+

Price and release date:

Other countries click here

Good Fortune Lego set and box

This set includes an assortment of life-size Lunar New Year decorations and accessories representing a wish for good fortune in the coming year. These include three gold sycees (Imperial Chinese metal ingots), a persimmon, a vase of red berry branches, a decorative hand fan with parts and instructions for two different brick-built patterns, and a calligraphy brush with hand scroll. The Chinese word for Spring is written on the scroll in LEGO plates and tiles.


40813 Lucky Cat

  • Pieces: 280
  • Age mark: 9+

Price and release date:

Unlike the other 2 sets, this one seems more fairly priced in North America. Notably, it is extremely well-priced in New Zealand compared to Australia. 

Other countries click here

Lucky Cat Lego Set and box

This smaller set is based on Japanese maneki-neko figurines, which are commonly displayed in Asian businesses and households as a charm to invite wealth and good fortune for their owners. Like many non-LEGO lucky cats, this set includes a pendulum/ counterweight function inside to gently wave its “beckoning” left paw, and is seated with a shiny gold coin over its tummy.


New LEGO® Monkie sets for January 2025

80065 Erlang’s Celestial Mech

  • Pieces: 806
  • Age mark: 9+

Price and release date:

Other countries click here

Erlang’s Celestial Mech Monkey Kid Lego box and set

This mech belongs to the heavenly sage Erlang Shen and echoes several of his signature features: his three-pronged spear, truth-seeing third eye, pointed crown/headdress, and shoulder pads resembling his celestial hunting dog Xiaotian Quan (who can also ride into battle atop the mech’s shoulder). The set also includes a cloud for Monkey King, Erlang’s sometimes-enemy, sometimes-ally, to ride, as well as a hoverbike for Monkey King’s modern-day protege MK (the titular Monkie Kid).


80066 Mythical Creature Qilin

  • Pieces: 791
  • Age mark: 9+

Price and release date:

Other countries click here

Mythical Creature Qilin Lego Monkey Kid set and box


The qilin is a legendary creature with antlers, cloven hooves, long whiskers, a flowing mane, and a body decorated with colorful scales. It is often compared to unicorns from Western legends or to giraffes, which were identified as qilin when they were first brought to China by Somali merchants. This brick-built qilin towers above minifigures and wears a high-tech saddle that can also be piloted as an aircraft. Also included are a brick-built cloud for minifigures to ride and a food cart run by the enterprising Pigsy.


New molds

Plate Round 1x1 with Hollow Stud and Clip on Underside

2 images of new piece Plate Round 1x1 with Hollow Stud and Clip on Underside used in lego sets, plus a close up of the piece

One new mold that has long been on many builders’ wishlists finally debuts here: a round plate with a clip underneath! This part feels like the counterpart of Plate Round 1 x 1 with Hollow Stud and Bar on Underside (79194), which is often used to attach parts to minifigure hands such as energy or web blasts in LEGO® Super Heroes sets. As with that part, I’m sure we will see a host of creative uses for this new clip plate in future sets and MOCs!

Two of this element appear in pearl gold in set 80117 Good Fortune, where they are used to attach the gold chain fastener to the right side of the handscroll, while three are used in 80066 Mythical Creature Qilin to attach two jeweled lanterns to Pigsy’s food cart and a feather/ plume to the top of the flagpole on the creature’s saddle.


Chain 3L with 2 Bars and Center Link

3 images of new piece Chain 3L with 2 Bars and Center Link used in lego sets, plus a close up of the piece

Another useful new part appearing across several of these sets is a short chain with bar connections. This is the first chain piece to feature Ø3.18mm bars at both ends as connection points instead of hollow studs or anti-studs. 

The disadvantage of a bar connection like this is that it cannot be locked in place from two sides, as a plate can, so will be less suitable for heavy-duty applications such as on cranes, tow trucks, or castle drawbridges. Even so, we can probably expect it to be put to good use for chain weapons in the LEGO® NINJAGO® theme, hanging light fixtures in modern-day themes, or any number of decorative/ ornamental details.

80116 Trotting Lantern boasts eight of this piece in pearl gold as decorative tassels on each of the lantern’s eight corners. Two also appear in 80117 Good Fortune, as part of the gold chain fastener on the handscroll, and two in 80066 Mythical Creature Qilin as decorative tassels behind the creature’s ears.


Food, Dumpling

3 images of new dumpling piece used in lego sets, plus a close up of the piece

The variety of meal options for minifigures continues to grow with the introduction of a new dumpling element! This part has a 1x1 footprint with an anti-stud on the bottom and a distinctive crimped edge. We spotted two of these dumplings in tan in the food stall from 80116 Trotting Lantern, as well as one in each of the two LEGO Monkie Kid sets.

In these sets they presumably represent jiaozi, known as gyoza in Japan or potstickers in some Western countries. These are an especially popular dish for Lunar New Year celebrations due to their shape loosely resembling a gold sycee, which remains a symbol of wealth and good fortune in the modern day.

That said, some of my New Elementary colleagues were also quick to point out their resemblance to other foods from around the world, such as Polish pierogies, Italian half-moon ravioli (mezzelune), Cornish pasties, or Portuguese rissoles – let us know in the comments what foods they remind you of!


Brick with Curved Top

This next part was hard to spot due to most of the set photos focusing on the mech itself.

lego monkey kid minifig flying on a cloud


On Monkey King’s cloud, the curved white elements to the left and right of the Unikitty tail piece (15429, 37993, 7100)  look like the classic part Brick Curved 1 x 2 x 1⅓ with Curved Top (32807, 6091) from the early 1990s, but it's not. 

Left image ©2024 The LEGO Group. Center and right images ©2024 New Elementary

The official image above left shows the cloud from above. We tried building it with the existing part 6091 (in dark pink above right), but with such a small gap, there is no way of attaching the Unikitty tail (above center in reddish brown, just resting on top).


Baby Peach in her vehicle as featured in Lego Super Mario set 72036 Mario Kart™ – Baby Peach & Grand Prix. One yellow curved piece in her hair is highlighted.

It could be the same new mold spotted in LEGO® Super Mario™ 72036 Mario Kart™ – Baby Peach & Grand Prix Set, also releasing on 1 January 2025: Brick Curved 1 x 1 x 1 with Curved Top, which is 1 plate shorter than part 6091 and lacks the protruding 1x1 plate.

However, using this would mean the sides of the cloud are only attached by one stud each, so would rotate freely – that's irritating during play, and unlikely to meet LEGO standards. So what else could it be?

It's possible that this could be another entirely new mold, and close examination of the 360-degree spin video from LEGO.com (which briefly shows the cloud from underneath) suggests this new mold could actually be a Brick Curved 1 x 2 x 1 with Curved Top, i.e. identical to 6091 but a plate shorter in height! Odd as this change may seem, part 6091 has always been unusual for the LEGO System, being 4 plates high.

Might LEGO be replacing 6091, and might its sibling elements like the corner piece get the same treatment in 2025? 

That said, the Trotting Lantern does include 16 of part 6091 in red, so it remains to be seen whether the shorter version will eventually end up entirely replacing its taller precursor. 


New headgear pieces


The Trotting Lantern set also continues the tradition of Lunar New Year minifigures dressed as each year’s Chinese Zodiac animal, and for this purpose it introduces a Snake Mask with Black Eyes and Red Tongue Print in lime. 

The LEGO Monkie Kid sets introduce another new headgear element, a Chinese Helmet with Face, Wings, and Hollow Stud. The Celestial General in 80065 Erlang’s Celestial Mech wears one in pearl gold and the Celestial Warrior in 80066 Mythical Creature Qilin wears one in flat silver, each with a different plume/ tassel piece.


Fabrics

80065 Erlang’s Celestial Mech being constructed on a table. The mech wears an enormous cape

The mech itself in 80065 wears a Large Cloth Cape with Two Holes in black, which is attached by a towball on each of the figure’s shoulders. Like similar-sized capes in past sets, this piece will mostly be of use to builders who specialize in buildable characters, and it certainly adds a sense of regal elegance to the finished model.


Recolors

While there is not as much to say about newly recolored existing parts as about the entirely new parts, these will no doubt be useful to some builders, especially those looking to build in specific color schemes. We spotted at least one new recolor in every set besides 40813 Lucky Cat.

80116 Trotting Lantern includes one new recolor:

    child playing with 80116 Trotting Lantern lego set. One piece is highlighted: a teal angled door frame
    • 8 x Door Frame 4 x 4 x 6 Corner (28327) in Dark Turquoise


    80117 Good Fortune includes three new recolors:

    80117 Good Fortune lego set on a table, with 3 reddish orange curved pieces highlighted
    • 4 x Round Corner 5 x 5 x 1 with Bottom Cut Outs (24599) in Reddish Orange
    • 4 x Brick Round Corner 5 x 5 x 3 1/3 Dome Top (76776) in Reddish Orange
    • 4 x Brick Round 5 x 5 Macaroni with 1 / 3 Inner Side (5532) in Reddish Orange


    80065 Erlang’s Celestial Mech includes one new recolor:

    80065 Erlang’s Celestial Mech lego set being built on a table. A minifig shoulder piece is highlighted.

    • 1x Minifigure Neckwear Shoulder Pads with Dragon Faces, Rivets in Black


    80066 Mythical Creature Qilin includes one new recolor:

    80066 Mythical Creature Qilin lego set on a table. An orange minifig hair piece is highlighted

    • 1x Hair Mohawk with Ponytail (75512) in Orange


    New decorations

    3 images of 40813 Lucky Cat lego set showing stickers being removed from a stick sheet and the final model with 2 different stickers applied.

    40813 Lucky Cat uses stickers for the pad of its raised paw and for the coin on its tummy, with two different patterns to choose from for the latter: a stylized koban (Tokugawa-period Japanese gold coin) or a written Chinese wish for good fortune. However, it also includes white 4 x 4 x 2/3 round corner bricks (49612) printed with two new patterns for its left and right eyes.


    80116 Trotting Lantern likewise uses stickers for several of its features, such as the shadow puppet theater and the written message on the center column, but introduces an impressive assortment of new printed parts as well:

    4 printed pieces from 80116 Trotting Lantern lego set

    • 16 x Glass for Window 1 x 4 x 6 with Ornate Geometric Border and Decorative Clouds Print in Opal Trans-Clear
    • 1 x Panel 1 x 2 x 2 with Deer and Chinese Writing ‘Good Fortune’ Print in Trans-Clear
    • 1 x Panel 1 x 2 x 2 with Monkey King and Gold Sycee [Ingot] Print in Trans-Clear
    • 4 x Tile Round 2 x 2 with Bottom Stud Holder with Elaborate Dark Orange Decorations Print in Pearl Gold

    That last printed element might be confused at a glance with the 2 x 2 Tile Round with Dark Orange Decorations Print (101521 | 6420446), introduced two years ago in 40648 Money Tree and 80111 Lunar New Year Parade. This new tile is printed with a smaller square in the center and a more elaborate pattern surrounding it, but it likely serves a similar symbolic purpose as a wish for good luck and prosperity in the coming year.

    One of these new printed “coins” also appears in 80117 Good Fortune, resembling a decorative clasp for the brick-built fan (though the fan’s construction doesn’t actually allow it to open or close). Other new printed elements in that set include two white 8 x 8 inverted radar dishes printed with a blue floral glaze pattern, and two red 2 x 6 tiles each printed with a different written message.


    All minifigs from 2025 Monkie Kid Lego sets 80065 Erlang’s Celestial Mech and 80066 Mythical Creature Qilin. Each set has 5 figs and one animal.

    The only new printed elements I was able to spot in the two LEGO Monkie Kid sets are minifigure elements, including new outfits for Monkey King, MK, Mei, Sandy, and Mr. Tang, plus a new outfit and face print for Erlang Shen and a new torso print shared between his Celestial General and Celestial Warrior subordinates. 

    The models themselves appear to use either stickers or pre-existing printed elements for all their decorations. Thankfully, both sets have enough brick-built detail that they should look fairly impressive even if you dislike stickers and choose not to apply them.


    READ MORE: Review: 71814 Tournament Temple City from LEGO® NINJAGO®


    All images are ©2024 The LEGO Group except where indicated. Image editing by Thomas Jenkins and Tim Johnson. All text ©2024 New Elementary.

     

    Set 80116 on LEGO.com
     Set 80117 on LEGO.com
     Set 40813 on LEGO.com
     Set 80065 on LEGO.com
     Set 80066 on LEGO.com

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    13 comments:

    1. Andrew Barnick10 Nov 2024, 15:48:00

      Nice overview!

      In the section on minifigure prints, one that I noticed is what I think is a new face print for Mo the cat in the Monkie Kid sets! This is the first set in a few years to use the "mohawk cat" mold from TLM2 for him (the previous two years used the kitten mold), and the open-mouthed face print seems to be an update.

      ReplyDelete
    2. RavingRem11 Nov 2024, 11:44:00

      For the cloud, what if the 1x1x1 2/3 brick has studs on all sides?

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Andrew Barnick11 Nov 2024, 15:16:00

        Would be a potentially useful part but no—you can tell that it doesn't in the 360° spin video (and you could also probably see the stud through the stud gaps in the 2x2 round plate in that direct top view image).

        Delete
    3. Max Roberts11 Nov 2024, 14:18:00

      I don't have the tail, so I'm not sure of its fixings, but might there be an inverted bracket attached to the 1x1 round plate? There seems to be a gap between the tail and the base on the render, but is it wide enough to be 1/2 a plate?

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Andrew Barnick11 Nov 2024, 15:17:00

        As above, the 360° spin video disproves that (and you'd be able to see a half-plate rise more clearly on the other images if it was there).

        Delete
    4. Anonymous11 Nov 2024, 16:39:00

      I m very excited with the new part (clip on a side, hollow stud on the other side) ; many times, i was frustrated that part doesn t exist ; it opens a wide way for small builds, or for "filling" antistuds with nice greebles ! Hopefully we will have soon many recolours of that super part !

      ReplyDelete
    5. Alphonse12 Nov 2024, 01:16:00

      Looks like there is a typo on the headgear image, you reference 80067 where the flat silver headgear comes from, but in the text and lego its 80066

      ReplyDelete
    6. Anonymous12 Nov 2024, 13:10:00

      The new white part has to be similar to 6091, only one plate lower. On each side you can see the tiny, black crack between the new part and the rounded one next to it, towards the back, but as you move towards the center of the cloud that crack disappears. This means there’s a plate protruding there, again towards the back, and then the crack reappears between the round plate and the new part, next to the center.

      ReplyDelete
    7. Anonymous13 Nov 2024, 22:59:00

      All new sets seem to be marked as having 1295 pieces. This looks like a mistake.

      ReplyDelete