Exclusive: First detailed look at LEGO Lord of the Rings Rivendell (10316) set

February 8, 2023 | 39

Update: Check out my full in-depth review of 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell!

This has been one of THE hardest secrets that I’ve had to keep, but last September during my visit to LEGO’s HQ in Billund, Denmark, we were given an exclusive early look at the newly revealed 10316 Rivendell set.

And now, I can bring to you, an exclusive early look at some of the details of 10316 Rivendell, to give you a clearer look at the minifigures, and sublime details of this 6,167-piece marvel!

10316 Rivendell will be released exclusively on LEGO.com and your local LEGO stores for LEGO VIPs from 5-7 March 2023, ahead of a general release from 8 March 2023 onwards.

• 10316 The Lord of the Rings:Rivendell [US] – US$499.99 
• 10316 The Lord of the Rings:Rivendell [AUS]  – AU$799.99 
• 10316 The Lord of the Rings:Rivendell [UK] – £429.99 
• 10316 The Lord of the Rings:Rivendell [EU] – €499.99
• 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell [CA] – CAD$669.99 

If you’re planning on purchasing Rivendell, please consider using the affiliate links in this post. I may receive a small commission with each purchase which goes a long way in supporting the work I do on the blog!

Credits: Ashwin Visser, Senior Graphic Designer, Michael Psiaki, Design Master, Wes Talbott, Design Master, Chris Perron, Lead Designer, Djordje Djordjevic, Madison O’Neil, Senior Graphic Designers

Thanks to BlocksMag for some of the credits info!

It was honestly such a surreal opportunity, being invited into LEGO’s headquarters and have LEGO announce that not only was Lord of the Rings returning as a theme, but to get to see 10316 Rivendell in all its glory so early on with other LEGO Fan Media who were present.

Note: this is not my full review of the set – that will be coming a little later, so keep an eye out for my full-blown review and detailed look at the LEGO Rivendell set!

I also had the opportunity to sit down with Ashwin Visser, who led the graphic and minifigure design for this set, which I’ll be able to share after my review has been published.

ANYWAY.

Without further ado, here’s a closer look at some of the most interesting things about 10316 Rivendell!

First up, the minifigures! A whopping FIFTEEN minifigures are included in the set, in addition to six Elven statue minifigures.

From left to right, we have two Elven smiths, Arwen, Gloin, Pippin, Elrond, Legolas, Samwise Gamgee, Boromir, Aragorn, Bilbo, Gimli, Merry, Gandalf the Grey, and Frodo Baggins.

It’s incredible and such a great move for LEGO to include the entire Fellowship of the Ring, plus some extras like Gloin, and the Elven smiths that reforged Narsil are a nice touch. For a set this pricey, not including the Fellowship would be sacrilege.

Here’s a closer look at the Elven smiths, Arwen and Gloin (Gimli’s dad). Arwen is in a brand new white outfit, with the Evenstar on her neck.

It’s a little subtle, but I love how pronounced her lips are, matching Liv Tyler’s look in the movie.

Here’s a look at Pippin, who is holding some Lembas (the bread of the Elves), Lord Elrond in his red robes, Legolas, and Samwise Gamgee, Froddo’s gardener.

As you can see, LEGO have introduced brand new elf hairpieces, which have larger and more prominent Elf ears.

Sorry, that Boromir (and Aragorn’s face) got cut off, but here’s Aragorn, Bilbo, Gimli, Merry and Gandalf.

This is one of my FAVOURITE minifigures in the set, Bilbo with his scary face as an alternate face! Also love that this is an older version of Bilbo, with white hair and his tan outfit.

I will need to double check this, but I’m fairly certain that Gimli has a new and slightly different helmet mould, compared to the older version. There’s a new beard-element as well, and most excitingly – new axes!

AND MY AXE!

And last but not least, here’s a look at Frodo Baggins, the ring-bearer. I am fairly certain that his sword Sting is a new mould (with very subtle changes), but the noodle-y Hobbit hair is still the same.

Oh, and there are also six statues of unnamed Elven heroes on the base of the tower – these should absolutely count as minifigures as well, so in total, there are 21 minifigures, which is a really respectable amount for a set of this size and scale.

Do note that these Elven statue minifigures depicted in these photos are prototypes, which is why their faces and torsos have stickers on. The final model, will of course be printed.

But there’s no Gollum! Best to pick one up on Bricklink while he’s not too expensive, especially if you missed out on the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit sets.

Here’s a look at Rivendell, which is a massive, highly detailed and just downright gorgeous. The set measures over 15 in. (39 cm) high, 29.5 in. (75 cm) wide and 19.5 in. (50 cm) deep, and it can split into 3 main sections, allowing you to display it as a mega display model, or individually.

Here’s an angled look at the main structure and the large tree in the middle of the courtyard.

One of the most eye-catching parts of the design is this repetitive roof tiling technique using 1 x 1 tiles across the roof of the set. The colours are great, and they introduce a sense of texture and sophistication to the overall design.

Better get these straight to ensure your Rivendell looks good!

Here’s a closer look at the Council Ring, which features a semi-circular ring of chairs for the Council of Elrond, and a pedestal in the middle where the ring is placed, and the council argues over the best way to destroy it.

The tiling design in the middle is fantastic, and yes, those Nexo shields and 2×2 tiles are brand new printed elements.

Side note: I love the chair design, which not only uses sausages, but popsicle elements for the backrests!

There is a REALLY COOL EASTER EGG AND SECRET here, which I will not share in this post, but it’s seriously cool, and hey, I need to give you a reason to come back and read my full review to see for yourself.

Oh, and because it’s absolutely essential for the Fellowship to actually sit in their chairs at the Council of Elrond… LEGO have also included spare elements for minifigures with skirts to actually look like they’re sitting properly.

Hobbits can also sit down – I don’t have a photo that I can share, but looking at the official images you essentially use 2x LEGO headlight bricks, and a stud (for their feet) to make it look like their feet are up!

Keep it secret, keep it safe.

Other really cool models that really give off a Rivendell vibe is this white Gazebo, which has really ornate details on the roof. Very clever use of white life rings/toilet seats.

These would make @ranghaal very proud.

Oh, and for fans of LEGO plant elements, there this very cool fern element included in abundance in the set! It’s such an interesting design, and as you can see from other photos, can be placed either facing upwards or downwards for interesting foliage design.

Oh, and this is super cute, but there’s a little frog just chilling underneath the waterfall in a cave!

Here’s a look at the side, including these beautiful sharp archs, and Bilbo’s bedroom upstairs.

Here’s a look at the back, which is exposed and opens up like a dollhouse.

For Lord of the Rings fans, the interiors are chockful of Easter Eggs and references, and I was honestly impressed by how many nods to the movies and incredible set design the design team managed to squeeze in.

Oh, and from this view, you can see more of the lovely tiling on the ground floor, including a third new printed tile design.

Ashwin Visser, the Senior Graphic Designer who worked on the set, has some an exemplary job with the graphic design on the set. These are stickers, but you get some really gorgeous art, representing famous paintings and artworks depicting the history of Middle-Earth.

Here we have Celebrimbor forging the Rings of Power.

Here is an awesome painting of Isildur and Sauron, battling at the siege of Barad-Dur. If Sauron looks familiar, it’s because they adapted his look from LEGO Dimensions. This really makes me want a Sauron minifigure – something that has eluded LEGO Lord of the Rings fans for years!

There are also smaller portraits, and I especially like this one, which depicts Vingilot, Earendil the Mariner’s ship, which made the voyage to Valinor to plead for the help of the Ainur (Gods) on behalf of Elf and Men to topple Morgoth (Sauron’s boss). Earendil is a half-elf and was Elrond’s father.

There are also plenty of other stickered tiles with maps and diagrams of Middle Earth.

And last but not least, one of my favourite parts of Riveldell – the Shards of Narsil. And yes, that is a brand new broken sword mould specially created for this set!

Such incredible attention to detail and just one of many tiny touches that demonstrate how beloved the Lord of the Rings IP is by the LEGO Designers who worked on this incredible set.

I hope you enjoyed this extensive preview of the newly announced 10316 Rivendell set!

I will be sharing my full review of the set, to give you a closer look at all the intricate details, and closeups of the minifigures, their accessories, my thoughts on whether you should get it, and so much more, so keep an eye out on the blog for when my full review is published!

There’s one super-awesome Easter Egg that I’ve intentionally not included in this preview, so if you want to discover all the secrets of Rivendell, you’ll want to check back in again!

10316 Rivendell will be released exclusively on LEGO.com and your local LEGO stores for LEGO VIPs from 5-7 March 2023, ahead of a general release from 8 March 2023 onwards.

Special thanks to LEGO for the invitation to attend LEGO Fan Media Days in Billund, Denmark.

What do you think of Rivendell, its minifigures and details of the model? Will you be picking it up?

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