Review: 76393 Harry Potter & Hermione Granger
Posted by Huw,The latest batch of Harry Potter sets includes the usual assortment of minifig-scale models, but also among them is something rather more interesting and unique: scaled-up models of minifigures.
LEGO has made upscaled minifigs before, most notably one of the first adult-oriented sets ever produced, 3723 LEGO Mini-Figure 21 years ago, but not 6-scale ones and not with the level of detail and functionality found in 76393 Harry Potter & Hermione Granger.
The set is of particular interest to me because AFOLs in the UK, myself included, started building and displaying 6-scale figures around 15 years ago, so I was keen to find out how it was constructed.
Construction
It's safe to say that they are far more complex and sophisticated than I expected them to be.
Inside the torso there's frame to hold the sides at the correct angle, and gears on friction pins to ensure that the protruding axles that'll hold the arms can take their weight and allow them to be rotated and posed.
The hip assembly is constructed upside-down, and it too has joints designed to create a lot of friction so that the legs can be positioned and held in a range of poses.
The hollow legs have 2x8 Technic plates inside which provides both strength and a means to attach them to the axles on the hips.
The arms are sculpted using a variety of curved and cheese slopes and the hands are constructed using light nougat coloured pieces which are finally becoming more widely used this year. The set contains 120 pieces in the colour in 13 different designs, all but one of which are new in this set.
Harry has a large cloth cape which, rather than attach around the neck as minifig ones do, is affixed under the arm joints.
Construction of Harry and Hermione is largely the same up to this point, other than some colour variations, but the heads differ significantly due to the figure's different hairstyles.
Inside is an exceedingly complex SNOT framework to allow the outer layer of hair to be built up on four sides and the top.
The face is printed on a new 4x6 curved piece, officially called "BRICK 4X6, OUTSIDE BOW W/ CUT OUT"
The end result looks excellent: just about every curved slope in the parts portfolio has been used to give the hair an organic look.
As you might expect, there's an 'anti-stud' on the bottom to attach the head to the torso. Also visible in this picture is Harry's distinctive lightning scar, printed on a 1x3 curved slope.
The completed model
The figures stand 26cm tall which is almost exactly 6x the height of a standard minifigure. Both are equipped with wands which may well be upscaled 6x from the minifig-scale version but look more like swords at this size!
Both have a lightsabre rod inside, presumably to replicate the core inside the fictional ones: Harry's holly wand has a phoenix feather core, while Hermione's vine wood wand has a dragon heartstring core.
Thanks to the friction joints on the shoulders and hips they are very poseable and just about every pose you can get a minifig to strike, these can replicate it.
Harry can bend forwards slightly but any further than this he will topple. Harry's neck rotates, but Hermione's does not on account of the hair flowing below her neck.
6-scale figures in the UK
In 2007, Duncan Titmarsh, who would go on to become the UK's LEGO Certified Professional, built a 6-scale version of 375 Castle. He asked Brickset member jsutton for help designing the minifigures to go with it and one of his earliest designs is shown below.
It looks crude and blocky compared to the Hogwarts students but bear in mind that small curved slopes did not exist back then, and cheese slopes had not long been introduced. It was the state of the art of the time.
During the next 6 years or so several members of Brickish, the UK club for AFOLs, replicated many other minifigures at this scale and displayed them at public events.
Images courtesy of jsutton.
Here's one that I built at the time that miraculously I still have in one piece.
Here he is with new mates Harry and Hermione. He looks to be slightly smaller, his legs, particularly.
Verdict
I really enjoyed building these and finding out how they were constructed, which was far more complicated than I expected when I first saw them. A lot of care and attention has been put into both accurately up-scaling minifigure components and also ensuring that they can be posed in the same was as minifigures.
The main problem with the set is the price. In the UK it's £120 and despite having over 1600 pieces, it does not look to be worth anywhere close to that figure. The US price of $120 (equivalent to £85) is far more palatable. Unfortunately, it's available only at LEGO.com and Smyths Toys in the UK, so deep discounts are unlikely, at least in the short-term.
Nevertheless, it's an unusual and attractive display piece, and it makes a welcome change from an endless stream of minifigure sets.
There's obviously a lot of potential to produce scaled-up versions of minifigs from other themes and I can foresee Star Wars ones in particular being very popular, despite the high price tag. It will be interesting to see whether any will be forthcoming.
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67 comments on this article
Thanks for the review. Here's hoping we see more 6 scale "minifigs" in other themes. Or, dare I dream, a Creator set with scope to build your own custom figure
These are a very interesting concept. Could we be seeing these throughout different themes? I would like to see Iron Man and Darth Vader.
I have to say those builds look awesome. I'm not a Potter buyer but those figures really look great.
I wonder how they compare in size to the Wooden Original minifigure Lego released? Would love to see a size comparison picture... please?
Do you think we'll see more "big" minfigures being released for other themes. Would LOVE to see a classic 70s/80s spaceman release. Or even just a plain basic minifigure... oh the possibilities, but you're right about the price that needs to drop a bit.
As ever, a quality review. Thanks Huw.
I kinda want to see those big face pieces on the front of trains :lol:
As an upscaling builder myself I do love these. But I was disappointed with the inaccuracies in the 3723 10x figure and I note a few in these. The legs shouldn't fatten-up and come together under the joint, and shouldn't be 6-wide either. On a real minifigure, the torso is 2 studs wide at the base, but the whole leg assembly is slightly narrower and there's a gap between the legs. Yours, with 5-side legs offset from the torso by half a stud, is much more accurate. The arms are better on these. The torso slant is slightly off, but then there are no 1x2x4 slopes!
How about a photo or two to compare them with a Flashlight or Alarm Clock figure? I'm assuming they're taller than flashlights; probably the same height as one of the clocks, though I've never checked to see if they're exactly 6x.
More ideas / examples here:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/upscaledlego/pool/
From the review, these look much better than I anticipated and the techniques look great. I'd be interested in these to modify into more generic characters, as I don't care for Harry Potter stuff but, ouch!, that UK price.
Lovely versions of the minifigs - *Macrofigs*??
If TLG release Classic Space figures in the original White and Red I will happily hand over my money!
In Germany, Smyths Toys currently has them on offer for 109.99 Euro, which is a 20 Euro discount at least. Still, I'll wait for them to drop below 100 Euro before I pull the trigger.
The RRP in Euro (in Germany) is equivalent to about 155 USD, which the set is definitely not worth by any means.
I really like the parts used to design the hands for the figure created by @Huw. I think those hands looks a lot more like minifig hands than the hands of 76393.
I think a Classic Space figure in this scale would sell very well. The chinstrap would be the difficult part to get right. Although, it could be left broken, like many of my old helmet elements.
Having seen these in person at my local Lego Store, I can attest: these look fantastic on display and are a delightful way to spruce up a wizarding display with something truly unique! While I hope they make these in other lines as well (yes please, Star Wars) - my biggest hope is that they find a way to start using wraparound cloaks like Harry has here on standard scale minifigs.
I appreciate the in depth build photos, especially since it’s like a Harry lobotomy is happening, haha. Thanks for the review, these are nifty, albeit pricey!
I really like these, particularly now I can see inside them.
I just wish it wasn't a 2 pack. 1 at £60, or even up to £70 would be a no brainer, but I don't need two very similar builds at that price. For me, it's the basic mistake they avoided with the shoes, selling one knowing that people who would want both can just double up.
Nice construction inside. I like these. Except for the face. The transition between the printed face and chin looks bad.
Here's a giant STAY PUFT that I build a while back:
https://flic.kr/p/2kTEzA5
Make a classic space, policeman, or castle figure and I’ll bite!
Anyone who knows me knows that I have no love for the Harry Potter theme. But I do like this new standard for 6x upscaled figs and would love to see it implemented in other themes. The ideal, for me, would be to get figs from themes like Ninjago and Monkie Kid in this style. But it’s probably more likely that we’d see other licensed themes like Star Wars or Super Heroes first.
Currently there are a small number of parts used in these builds that could be limiting for making custom ones. The 1x4 inverted double slope (used for the hands), some of the various wedges and brackets for the arms, and the 1x3 inverted half arch don’t yet come in many colors. But the introduction of a new curved slope for the faces (which will probably have other uses but feels tailor-made for this) gives me hope that Lego has longer term plans for this style of set, and that as more are released, more options for customization will become available.
@Huw
Your right to point out the US/U.K. price differential but your comparison isn’t really fair. The US price is before sales taxes (typically 8-10%) and the U.K. price is after VAT (20%). The sticker price in the USA isn’t what you actually pay at the till.
$120 is £86.82, let’s call it £90 as no one gets the exchange rate on xe.com. £90 + 20% VAT is £108 so the different is really £12-£13.
Bodies look great, faces look bad.
@CliveyB said:
"Lovely versions of the minifigs - *Macrofigs*??
If TLG release Classic Space figures in the original White and Red I will happily hand over my money!"
Oh, goodness yes. I’d dearly love that.
These look like great builds, and the availability it fosters of the nougaty colors in far more brick varieties is especially appreciated. I can’t bring myself to financially support the Wizarding World theme as long as JKR is so transphobic, but I really hope they bring this into other themes, both licensed and not.
These things looks so amazing, and I feel like there’s so much possibility in what you can create by using this base structure. It’s like Brickheadz but ten times the size! That size is the big downside to this as well though; anything LEGO makes or you want to make yourself will be much more expensive than it has any right to be. Still though, I can’t wait to see more and really want to give designing one of my own a shot!
This now makes it obvious why those new 1x3 slopes were designed (first seen in the police station modular). The part is crucial for the hips.
Batman, please and thank you.
The build is way more interesting than I expected. Even though these look great and I'd love to get them, even in the US I can't justify that price. For some reason it doesn't feel substantial enough at that level (but maybe I'm just telling myself that so I can put the money toward other sets, or other adult responsibilities)...
I tried building the large figure version of other figures, but I think I like this smaller scale better.
Don't care for Potter stuff, but I would pay good money for a Johnny Thunder version of this.
These are awesome! hope we see more of, agree are pricy! A surprise to see to.
They ought do a giant from deathly hallows pt2 in this way.
I've always wanted my 75112 General Grievous to have a proper cape, I wonder if Harry's there could work? Looks about the right size.
Awesome review. Very glad to see these, as I've done some at 3x scale myself so happy to see them coming in at 6x but more interested to see where this line continues. So many great characters out there and well I just don't care much for HP.
It's always great to see that at least some CCBS pieces have survived the purge.
Where is Ron????
They are a trio.
I want this but probably won’t get it because the completist in me wants Ron too.
It doesn’t feel like a complete set and I’m a bit sad about it
Was the robe piece ever released officially by Lego for minifigures? I've seen plenty of custom minifigures wearing them.
These look great. Though not interested in Harry Potter ones. So safe for now. Could be dangerous times ahead if Lego release others like this in the future.
I think the techniques used in these are fascinating. The methods to add friction to the joints are really clever, and the complexity of SNOT construction in the head/hair is a step above what we usually find in official sets.
I used them as the basis for a MOC of Marvel's Galactus I did recently in the same style: https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-78590/monty_builds/galactus-buildable-figure/
Why didn't LEGO do this for their other toylines?
Would love a marvel galactus at this scale!!
@Brick_Bricky_McBrickface said:
"Would love a marvel galactus at this scale!!"
I've done one, it's on Rebrickable!
I am at best aggressively indifferent towards Harry Potter, but I'm loving these macrofigures. Forget replica-shoes or typewriters, I want to see more of these!
That construction, inside the torso and hips particularly, is really clever design work; I like it a lot. The construction of their respective hairstyles is fantastic too... these models certainly are built to impress!
Though... I'm a little dissatisfied with the face and torso designs being printed. I know it makes them more accurate to actual minifigures, which is understandable... but I feel like, at this scale, we could have got some clever designs for them if those details had been able to be brick-built instead. The original minifigure in 3723, after all, had a face built of pieces that were available at the time, and I would have found it even more interesting to see a modern-design-style approach to that.
Though I guess that would also have made it tricky to get the right degree of smooth roundness to the head at this scale... still, I'd have been interested to see if it could have been done.
Still nice, but not something I can really see myself buying... or that I could afford, even if I felt that way inclined! And I'd have been more interested in them being Harry Potter characters a few years ago than I am at present, honestly. Though I must admit, I'd be fascinated to see it if Lego took on some of my childhood favourite minifigures in this style. One of the Rock Raiders, perhaps, or especially the Adventurers guardians - adv001 and adv021 - would come closer to tempting me, for sure!
As others have said, I would love some Ninjago and Classic Space versions. But they should also include the matching Minifigures in each set.
My first thought when I saw these was "Wierd."
My second thought was "I need these as a Luke and Vader!"
I think this should obviously be used for a Marvel Giant-Man and other similar big characters.
These are really cool and well-designed but the little details that are only here and not on the Minifigures make me wish the actual figures had those.
Possibilities are endless in this concept, if they do make more, I hope they are sold as single though.
I wonder if the IDEAS Anatomini being considered and later rejected had anything to do with this set.
I was interested in these for the possibilities they open up with other themes. The price, though, is a big hindrance and I don’t foresee myself wanting to buy any, no matter the theme, at that price.
Interesting side look at older stuff from the British fandom! Thanks Huw!
If I can get them cheaper than MSRP I'll probably pick them up, to build once for fun then use as parts packs.
Even though I am not interested in these, and certainly won't pay $120 for a set like this, I must say a lot of design work has been put into these sets.
That shot of Harry's lifeless, decapitated head is kind of terrifying, as an FYI.
Thanks for the review.
I have no interest in HP, but a lot of interest in megafigs ! So I will probably buy it.
One question: it is possible to have two different persons build each a megafig at the same time ?
I would like some infos about instruction manual and bag division.
For big, repetitive builds, like Taj Mahal and Colosseum, I think TLG should design the manuals, steps and bags to promote teamwork/great family time.
PS: english is not my first language
@Brickeric:
You can learn a lot by looking up the set instructions on the LEGO website. If the set uses numbered bags, it will be indicated in the instructions, as will the division of bags. And even if there’s only one instruction booklet, this also works as an easy cheat on that. If one person uses the physical instructions, another person can download the digital version and start somewhere in the middle.
Thanks for the suggestion about the 2nd (digital) copy of instructions. I didn't expect it would be available soon after set release.
PS (off-topic); My wife (not a WFOL !) has parents from India. When she was a kid she told them she would build them a Taj Mahal. With a lot of free time during late pregnancy came the big Taj Mahal set, and didn't give her choice : build the set with me! Twelve years later, building this set (many 4x repetitions) with our two sons would be great!
These are awesome, only I have zero interest in Harry Potter. Now should they do this for Star Wars I would be very interested, it would be so much better than the helmets. However, at $60 per not-so-mini-figure, maybe it’s best they don’t do it.
@Brickeric, the instructions are in to manuals so yes, two people can build at once and it's a good ideas to do it that way as it will avoid repetition.
@kapowza said:
"I kinda want to see those big face pieces on the front of trains :lol: "
That sounds like a Really Useful Engine!
I'd love to see them do a Captain Redbeard at this scale, to see how they did the hook and pegleg.
@monty_bricks: That Galactus is awesome! Just hope he doesn't get hungry and you start losing bricks...
@Antoine_23 said:
"UK not happy with price? Think more before doing a brexit then! LOL"
Mreaow, the claws are out! He's not wrong though.
Had no interest in these at first, seemed quite novelty... But now seeing the amount of brick engineering involved WOW. Don't think I've been that impressed by a Lego construction in a long while. Characters still have no interest for me but excited to see where they take these techniques. That UK price though...
This is an awesome review @huw thank you. The content regarding previous afol 6x designs was fascinating and added real depth to the review. Not a criticism of the standard format, and appreciate there are rare opportunities to add this kind of insight, but delighted you included it in this way rather than creating a separate article.
I'd definitely be interested in this product being released in themes that I like more than I like HP. Also be cool for Lego to do a sequel to 41597 - I suggest "Go Six Me", although there would be far too many parts required for it to be affordable!
@Ridgeheart said:
" @Antoine_23 said:
"UK not happy with price? Think more before doing a brexit then! LOL"
Mreaow, the claws are out! He's not wrong though."
I mean they are and its an irrelevant point
@Chapelbuild2017 said it first: awesome review, @Huw. And thank you so much for linking back to the castle and my 6-figs. Makes me feel old though!
I think this set looks really attractive. Personally I find the randomness of minifig hair really difficult to achieve, so I'm particularly impressed by that aspect of Harry and Hermione. I do think it's a shame though that the hair cannot be removed from the heads. Whenever I take my 6-figs around local Scout groups for an evening of LEGO, some of the biggest laughs come from the children swapping around the heads and the hair, so Lex Luthor in a top-hat, or Luke in a space helmet, or Superman with Leia's buns, etc. It's surprising how much fun it is.
I think @Joefish knows just how pedantic I am about the scale and that's why my legs are built 11-wide, even though it made them much harder to build :-). I think the figures in 76393 look pretty good though at 12-wide, and the notched hips don't look too bad to me - a necessary compromise for a set.
It's fascinating for me to see how the LEGO designers solved the same problems of friction that I faced for the arms and the legs. I remember showing Jamie Berard my arm mountings - complete with an illegal move - nearly a decade ago. I think that the gears approach in 76393 is inspired! And the double friction bearings on the legs is a pretty clever way to keep them posable and strong enough to hold the weight of the torso and head when the legs are angled. Kudos to the design team there.
I'm not a huge fan of using prints or stickers at this scale, I prefer to take a brick-built approach to faces and torso artwork. That’s why my torsos are built without slopes so that there is plenty of scope for snotted detail. @kingalbino, @CliveyB, @OneIsLit, @supervir2, @Blondie_Wan, @TheOriginalSimonB - a fellow Brickish member came up with a very natty design for the Classic Space logo. When I built a couple of classic spacemen to celebrate the launch of Peter Reid’s 21109 Exo-Suit, he kindly allowed me to use it. There’s a photo in blocks magazine which is reproduced here https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/118550-midi-figs-from-great-western-brickshow-14-who-knows-m/
If there's a Great Western LEGO Show again this year then fingers crossed I’ll be there with some new figs: Max, LEGO Brick Suit Guy, an orange Spaceman, and my current favourite: Lester.
Now I’m off to buy the set ...
I doubt I would ever buy these, but great review in seeing how they make these large figures articulated.
I really really want to see Batman Classic TV Series and/or 1989 and/or Dark Knight Trilogy ones
The UK price for the typewriter is £180 and the US price is $200. So clearly some sets can be priced more competitively than others...
(48% of us didn't vote for Brexit, so that means quite a lot of UK Brickset readers weren't in favour.)
They're accurate but...
am I the only one who thinks there's something wrong with the way the face is a huge printed piece? The smooth face, the odd chin... Can't quite put my finger on it, it just feels.... wrong.
@BrickChamps said:
"Nice construction inside. I like these. Except for the face. The transition between the printed face and chin looks bad.
Here's a giant STAY PUFT that I build a while back:
https://flic.kr/p/2kTEzA5"
That’s awesome!
You should make lots of these and sell them, or sell the instructions at least!
These brickbuilt figures always look creepy. Well designed - but sill creepy.
Next.
Great review, and fascinating insight into 6 scale figs. I had no idea that was a thing, but they look great!
You got a “Herry” in there.