Review: LEGO Lord of the Rings Brickheadz (40630, 40631, 40632)

December 23, 2022 | 3

I can’t believe that the day is finally here where LEGO has somehow resurrected the Lord of the Rings theme. These aren’t minifigure playsets unfortunately, but LEGO Brickheadz, which doesn’t appeal to everyone.

The LEGO Lord of the Rings Brickheadz have a release date of 1 January 2023, and there will be 3 double packs available: 40630 Frodo & Gollum, 40631 Gandalf the Grey & Balrog and 40632 Aragorn & Arwen which will be available exclusively from LEGO.com or your local LEGO Store.

See below for regional pricing and product pages

• 40630 Frodo & Gollum – US$19.99 / AU$29.99 / £17.99 / €19.99 / CAD$24.99
• 40631 Gandalf the Grey & Balrog – US$19.99 / AU$29.99 / £17.99 / €19.99 / CAD$24.99
• 40632 Aragorn & Arwen – US$19.99 / AU$29.99 / £17.99 / €19.99 / CAD$24.99

If you’re planning to pick up any of these LEGO LOTR Brickheadz, please consider using these affiliate links as I may receive a small commission with each purchase. Your continued support helps me run the blog, and continue to produce more awesome, educational and useful LEGO content!

Without further ado, let’s take a quick look at all three LEGO Lord of the Rings Brickheadz in this combined review!

Special thanks to the LEGO Group for providing this set for review

First up, the packaging for the LEGO Lord of the Rings Brickheadz are incredible, and they feel fresh and familiar all at the same time. The characters are featured prominently, and the colours are exactly what you’d think when Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy comes to mind.

How good is it to see the LEGO logo and Lord of the Rings logo on the same box?

Unfortunately, I can’t way the same about the instruction manuals… which have the bland, sterile white design. Why couldn’t the awesome box art be copied over here??

40630 Frodo & Gollum Brickheadz Set Details

Name: Frodo & Gollum
Set Number: 40630
Pieces: 184
Price: AU$29.99 | US$19.99 | £17.99 – Buy from LEGO.com [US] [AUS] [UK]
Exclusive to: LEGO.com, LEGO Brand Retail Stores
Theme: Brickheadz, Lord of the Rings
LEGO Designer: TBD
Release Date: 1 January 2023

First up, we have 40630 Frodo & Gollum, two characters whose fates are bound to the one ring.

Both these characters are ring-bearers, and the One Ring was originally found by Smeagol’s friend, Deagol, who Smeagol murdered in cold blood to obtain the ring.

Smeagol was then tricked by Frodo’s cousin, Bilbo Baggins in a game of Riddles in the Dark, and then held on to the One Ring for XXX years, before handing it over to Frodo at his one hundred and eleventy first birthday.

Gollum, at this stage was fully consumed by his lust and desire for the One Ring, and stalked the Fellowship in the hopes of reclaiming it. In The Two Towers, Gollum and Frodo’s paths cross in Ithilien, and Gollum becomes their guide to penetrate Mordor’s defences.

The Frodo Brickheadz is masterfully designed, using colours to effectively convey and identify Frodo.

Naturally, he carries the one ring, an element that has been kept in LEGO’s portfolio despite the early end to the Lord of the Rings theme, perhaps in hopes of its return one day. That day is now!

He has a dark green cloak, a gift from Galadriel of Lothlorien, built using effective use of slopes, giving it a believable silhouette.

Frodo’s hair is is pretty basic, and nothing to write home about, with plenty of studs to convey texture and his signature curly hair.

A nice little addition to really bring the character to life is the printed tile for the front of his torso, which has Frodo’s brown vest, and the Elven leaf brooch which really ties the  entire ensemble together.

One thing I didn’t really like about Frodo is the massive sword that they’ve given him. The hilt is slightly more accurate to Sting, his Elven sword, but the shape of the blade is completely off.

Thankfully, you can easily fix this by replacing it with the old Sting sword element, which looks MUCH better, and more proportionate.

Also, here’s a comparison with the Frodo minifigure! I don’t recall us getting a Frodo minifigure with an Elven brooch, and if the rumours of a minifigure-scale set are true, I’d love to see Frodo with the Lothlorien brooch on his torso.

Next up, we have perhaps one of the ugliest Brickheadz ever, which kinda does fit the bill seeing as Gollum isn’t going to be winning Mr. Middle Earth beauty pageants any time soon.

It’s really hilarious how bad Gollum looks, as he really nails the naked tan-baby Brickheadz look, down to his the filthy brown loincloth covering Gollum’s precious.

Gollum comes with a blue fish, his favourite food when he dwelled near the roots of the Misty Mountains.

The only decorative printed elements are these 1×4 tiles with Gollum’s wispy hairs across his head.

And here’s a comparison with the Gollum minifigure. It’s a shame that LEGO Brickheadz typically don’t have mouths, but looking at both side by side, it immediately becomes apparent that LEGO really needed to include a printed tile with Gollum’s toothy mouth.

Gollum’s signature facial features are his large glassy eyes followed by his mouth. The eyes are not possible due to the requirement to use Brickheadz eyes, so they really should’ve included a mouth tile.

Having it look plain just makes it look like the plain Go Brick Me mascot, devoid of any identifying features.

That said, Gollum does work when placed alongside the other Lord of the Rings Brickheadz, especially Frodo, you can tell that it’s Gollum. He just doesn’t look good as a standalone Brickheadz, but thematically, Frodo and Gollum ultimately work well together.

40631 Gandalf the Grey & Balrog Brickheadz Set Details

Name: Gandalf the Grey & Balrog
Set Number: 40631
Pieces: 348
Price: AU$29.99 | US$19.99 | £17.99 – Buy from LEGO.com [US] [AUS] [UK]
Exclusive to: LEGO.com, LEGO Brand Retail Stores
Theme: Brickheadz, Lord of the Rings
LEGO Designer: TBD
Release Date: 1 January 2023

Next is Gandalf the Grey, the leader and architect of The Fellowship of the Ring. Old Mithrandir translates particularly well to the Brickheadz format, like most human characters.

I especially like the design of his beard, and how welcoming he looks. The negative space created by the quarter tiles above his mouth is especially pleasing.

Here’s a look on the side, where there’s some lovely slope-work on the sides for his hair. Gandalf is packing quite a bit of heat, with one hand grasping his wizard staff.

And in his other hand, he’s wielding Glamdring, a legendary Elven sword that was forged and used by Turgon of Gondolin, which he found in The Hobbit.

Here’s a look at Gandalf’s back, where he has a grey cloak, and more of that incredible hair texture, as well as a pointy wizard hat. Really superb sculpting with Gandalf’s hair.

And here’s a comparison with a Gandalf LEGO minifigure!

Next is one of the biggest and most impressive LEGO Brickheadz I’ve ever built – the Balrog from Moria, also known as Durin’s Bane. This Balrog Brickheadz is HUGE, thanks to its wingspan and height, and really nails the “flame and shadow” look.

We’ve never gotten a Balrog depicted in LEGO Lord of the Rings, so this makes for a great pairing with Gandalf, who faced off on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm in Moria,

Here’s a look at the Balrog from the side. The Balrog’s horns give it a sense of heft and size, and the wingspan gives it a fearsome larger-than-life shape.

New for the Balrog Brickheadz are these Brickheadz eyes that appear in yellow for the first time. I also really like how its mouth is constructed – the technique used to give it a sense of depth, and the use of yellow and orange parts on the inside work remarkably well for for a proper 3D effect.

Here’s a look at the Balrog’s back, with a rather long and articulated tail, that you can position. The wings can also swivel slightly, allowing you to create slightly different poses.

Oh, and the best part about the Balrog? He comes with a tiny flame whip! I just love how comical it looks, and really interjects the Brickheadz’ design with some cutesy fun.

40631 Gandalf and Balrog are 2 for 2, with both builds boasting excellent, and recognisable designs. The Balrog also breaks barriers by one of the largest Brickheadz models yet, and makes amazing use of its wings, and horns, as well as the colours for a highly effective design.

If there’s one Lord of the Rings Brickheadz to prioritise, it’s without a doubt this one.

40632 Aragorn & Arwen Brickheadz Set Details

Name: Aragorn & Arwen
Set Number: 40632
Pieces: 261
Price: AU$29.99 | US$19.99 | £17.99 – Buy from LEGO.com [US] [AUS] [UK]
Exclusive to: LEGO.com, LEGO Brand Retail Stores
Theme: Brickheadz, Lord of the Rings
LEGO Designer: TBD
Release Date: 1 January 2023

Next, we have star-crossed lovers, Arwen and Aragorn. Here’s a look at the Arwen Brickheadz, featuring a pale green dress that she wore during Aragorn’s coronation as King of Gondor.

The Arwen Brickheadz opts for simplicity, with a few subtle details such as her headpiece, and pale green dress that she wore to Aragorn’s coronation.

Here’s a refresher of the scene in question.

The only printed element included is her forehead, which has ornate Elven crown/headpiece.

Here’s a look at the back, and sides, where we have drum-lacquered silver elements to extend across her head to the back, even being positioned slightly lower on the back of her head.

Here’s a comparison with the Arwen minifigure, who has a different outfit, as we’ve never gotten the green coronation dress variant in minifigure form!

I understand the design choice to go with a plain green dress, but I think there was a lost opportunity here to really commit, and have her entire dress printed, or at the very least, the upper half to really pay homage to the delicate Elven details on her dress.

And last but not least, we have Aragorn, who is dressed up in his regal coronation armour. The King of Gondor, ascends the throne and truly looks the part.

Here’s a look at Aragorn’s face, and crown, which is printed on a Nexo shield. Fun fact, the crown he’s wearing during coronation features the same design as the crown worn by Isildur in the War of the Last Alliance.

What really stands out for me, is the design and technique used for Aragorn’s beard. As you can see here, I especially love the use of a thinner brown line beneath his eyes!

Aragorn has a printed 2×4 tile on his chest, with his coronation armour bearing the symbol of the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor, which is really nice.

Of course, he has his sword, Anduril the Flame of the West, by his side.

Here’s a look at the back and sides – it’s really interesting that the designers opted for studs for his hair instead of heavy layering of slopes for the design.

And here’s Arwen and Aragorn together, only the third human-elf marriage in Middle Earth, making their union highly significant.

For pairings, it makes sense, and I also like that we get coronation versions of both characters, which we’ve not gotten before in LEGO sets, which give it a bit of a fresh take on both characters.

What I liked:

• Lord of the Rings is finally back
• Some innovative Brickheadz design techniques and forms
• Brickheadz match their characters
• Aragorn, Gandalf, Balrog and Frodo

What I didn’t like: 

• Frodo didn’t come with Sting
• Arwen’s dress is plain
• Gollum really should’ve had some teeth/mouth

FINAL THOUGHTS:

It goes without saying that I am absolutely delighted that 2023 spells the return of LEGO Lord of the Rings, and even though we seem to be starting with Brickheadz, it bodes extremely well for LOTR fans that more is to come, especially now that the license is “active”.

Brickheadz are a particularly niche LEGO theme, with some really ardent collectors, and those that refuse to bother given that they’re somewhat odd Funko pop-clones.

I happen to like Brickheadz, and have a fairly decent-sized collection, and LEGO Lord of the Rings is one of my favourite themes of all time, so these are absolutely up my alley.

With 6 characters spread across 3 sets, I’m confident to say that most are hits, rather than misses. Gollum, while copping a lot of hate for his naked baby look isn’t too bad, however I really think there was a missed opportunity to include a printed tile for his signature toothy mouth.

Out of all 3, the best double pack is undoubtedly 40631 Gandalf and Balrog, with 2 superb designs included, that don’t feel like any compromises were made.

The Balrog in particular was an absolute blast to build, and the completed model is terrifyingly large, and opens up possibilities of larger Brickheadz, which I hope to see soon.

You’ll likely either fall into one of three camps:

1. You’re a LEGO Lord of the Rings and Brickheadz fans, so these sets are the perfect union
2. You’re a LEGO Lord of the Rings fans, but don’t care about Brickheadz, which means that youre excited, but likely not that eager to rush out and spend a significant amount of money on Brickheadz
3. You’re a fan of neither and will not care in the slightest

As there are 3x packs, it does feel quite pricey, especially if you decide to pick up all in one go, which will cost you about US$60, and because of that, price is something you’ll need to consider, especially if there are more LEGO Lord of the Rings offerings coming, in which case, that US$60 might go a lot further saving up for it.

But if you’re like me, and have been waiting years for LEGO LOTR to return, and don’t mind Brickheadz, these will absolutely fill you with a lot of joy, and make for fun, compact display models that you can display next to your LEGO Lord of the Rings sets, or other LOTR merchandise.

I really hope we continue to see more Lord of the Rings Brickheadz – it would be silly, if LEGO did not commit to eventually releasing the entire Fellowship in Brickheadz form.

I’d also love to get an Ent, Uruk Hai, Saruman and Ringwraith Brickheadz too to round out the collection!

The acid test for any LEGO Brickheadz is how well it matches up against the subject matter’s appearance, and in the case of all 6 LEGO Lord of the Rings Brickheadz, it’s safe to say that they represent Frodo, Gollum, Gandalf, the Balrog, Aragorn and Arwen well enough, so this passes the recommendation test for me.

Rating and score: 3/5 ★★★✰✰

Build [3] – Brickheadz builds are fairly simple, but there are clever techniques scattered throughout
Real Value [3] – Fairly typical Brickheadz pricing which has been unmoved by price hikes. Yay?
Innovation [2] – Some really cool stuff here like the Balrog, but nothing completely groundbreaking
Coolness [4] – LEGO Lord of the Rings returns, one of the most anticipated theme comebacks
Keepability [4] – Great to display and don’t require a lot of thought

Thanks so much for reading my review of the LEGO Lord of the Rings Brickheadz!

What do you think of the LEGO Lord of the Rings Brickheadz? Let me know in the comments below!

40630 Frodo & Gollum, 40631 Gandalf the Grey & Balrog and 40632 Aragorn & Arwen will be released on 1 January 2023 and will be exclusive to LEGO.com and your LEGO store

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Special thanks to the LEGO Group for providing this set for review.