13 new and exciting things you might’ve missed in the new January 2023 LEGO sets

December 5, 2022 | 7

There’s been a LOT of new LEGO news in the last few days with a heap of LEGO 2023 releases being officially announced.

I’ve been busy previewing the new sets, from Friends, City to Minecraft, and in case you missed it, I’ve decided to highlight 13 new and exciting things I’ve found in all the new LEGO 2023 sets!

Warning: Plenty of LEGO Animal content ahead!

1. LEGO introduces the first all-male Friends set

LEGO Friends are introducing a sub-theme of Friends Rooms in 2023, which pair up the 8 new characters and showcases their living areas and interests.

41754 Leo’s Room makes history as the very first LEGO Friends set that features all-male minidoll. For the longest time, male minidolls have been relatively rare inclusions, and it’s so nice to get a fairly affordable set that’s just for the boys.

That said, we need to ask Leo some questions about his living arrangements – is he sleeping in a kitchen?

2. Baby German Shepherd

The new 2023 LEGO sets are chockful of plenty of new animals, but none are as adorable as the German Shepherd puppy found in 60369 Mobile Police Dog Training!

German Shepherds have been a fixture of LEGO City sets, and this uber-cute German Shepherd puppy feels almost illegally smol and cute.

3. Bite Suit makes clever use of Cactus Minifigure arms

Speaking of 60369 Mobile Police Dog Training, it also contains a very clever element recolour in the form of a Dog Bite Suit, used to train the Police Canine Unit!

It features a recoloured element, from LEGO Minifigures Series 18’s Cactus Girl! It’s a shockingly clever use of this somewhat obscure element, and it works so so well.

4. First Heartlake City Policewoman minidoll

After a decade in production, it appears that yes, there is crime and a need for law enforcement in Heartlake City!

Isabella is a nice character introduced in 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores, the largest set in the January 2023 LEGO Friends wave, and she’s in a Police uniform!

Technically, there have been Police in the LEGO Friends Girls On a Mission cartoon (Olivia’s mum Laura is a Policewoman), but this is the first time we’re getting a Police minidoll in a set, which is super exciting.

I wonder what a Heartlake City Police Station would look like!

5. First Friends minidoll with Vitiligo

LEGO Friends 2023 continues to break down barriers and introduce plenty of interesting features and in 41729 Organic Grocery Store we get introduced to Jordin, the very first Friends minidoll with vitiligo.

This isn’t LEGO’s first set with a depiction of vitiligo in a character (that honour goes to 21337 Table Football) but this is a first for the minidoll format, and Heartlake City!

6. Nova enjoys playing Bionicle!

Nova is a gamer, and in her set 41755 Nova’s Room, she’s depicted playing and streaming a Bionicle fighting game!

The obscure reference to the once-popular Bionicle theme is winning Bionicle fans over, and who can blame them? It’s such a neat reference to include to keep the theme’s legacy alive.

Oh, and did you notice the Skull of OGEL collectible she also has? Nova is definitely a LEGO connoisseur, and if it were an occupation, would also probably be a LEGO Content Creator or Youtuber.

7. New Chonky Cats in LEGO Friends

One of the best new animals introduced in LEGO Friends 2023 are these adorably chonky cats! In fact, there are 2, with a brown one (I think she’s called Gertrude) is found in 41742 Cat Hotel, and Leo’s white car, who has the best name for a chonky cat – Churro!

Their expressions, including Churro’s grumpy face are just overwhelmingly adorable.

8. LEGO Minecraft finally gets a hoe

Found in 21241 The Bee Cottage is a long-awaited accessory, the hoe! Minecraft players will be familiar with this tool, which is something you get in the early game, and it’s taken oh, just about 10 years for it to be introduced into the LEGO Minecraft theme.

9. Printed Wheel Arches

LEGO Speed Champions will get at least one new (but very exciting!) vehicle in January 2023, 76917 2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline GT-R R34.

While fans are super excited about more Japanese sportscars, as well as the introduction of the Brian O’Conner minifigure, an exciting new innovation will debut in the set – printed wheel arches. A first for LEGO Speed Champions!

Here what LEGO Speed Champions designer Chris Stamp had to say about the upcoming Nissan Skyline R34.

10. LEGO Classic Monkeys are coming!

A new LEGO Classic set is due to be released in January 2023, and it’s an absolute delight. 11031 Creative Monkey Fun is only US$9.99 and is a contender for one of the best budget LEGO sets of 2023.

Look at how adorable the monkeys are, and you can also customise their expressions with eyes and mouths!

Absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on this one, it just looks so fun.

11. Minecraft gets a frog!

Another long-awaited animal also makes its debut in a relatively cheap LEGO Minecraft set – frogs are finally coming to LEGO Minecraft, and can be found in 21240 The Swamp Adventure!

It’s super cute and the fact that it’s available in the cheapest set in the January 2023 Minecraft wave is a nice bonus.

12. Baby Mo

Is Monkie Kid’s Mo the Cat shrinking? It sure looks like it, as he appears as a kitten in 80044 Monkie Kid’s Team Hideout.

It’s adorable, and just begs the question, just how much smaller can Mo get?

It also presents an interesting idea about this set, and whether it’s set in the past, or maybe he got shrunk down somehow! Hopefully we’ll find out when Monkie Kid Season 4 airs!

13. Otters are coming to LEGO City!

Lots of cool new animals are going to be introduced in the new January 2023 sets, but the cutest of the lot has to be these LEGO Otters found in 60394 ATV and Otter Habitat, a cheap US$9.99 set that releases in January 2023.

2 are included in the set, and they look otterly (sorry) adorable, and I can see this set being very popular thanks to these new LEGO Otters. I know I’m going to pick this set up on day one, purely because of the otters!

Hope you enjoyed this list of some interesting LEGO sets coming in January 2023!

If you missed all the new LEGO sets recently revealed, check out all the new LEGO sets coming in January 2023!

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