Of all of the 2019 Legacy remakes that we got this year, the Golden Dragon is probably the one I was most excited for, not just because I got the original one from 2013. Much like the Throne Room Showdown or Ninjago City Chase, this set is a strong $20 set with a good build and beautiful minifgures.

Building Experience

The set took me around 10-15 minutes to build, with me taking my time. That can be expected for it having just over 150 pieces. Everything fit together fine, and the instructions were easy to follow.

Minifigures

Golden Ninja Lloyd was my most anticipated figure of this set, because who wouldn't want this guy? This is the only other time besides 2013 that we've gotten an official Golden Ninja minifigure, and this version truly does justice to the character. His accessory is a golden katana, a pretty common piece and not that important in my opinion, since Lloyd doesn't need a sword. (Yeah, I know, I'm not funny.) He uses the new 2019 style hood piece, which is now one piece again. The face printing is exclusive and is printed onto a golden head, much like with the original. The torso has some really nice shiny gold dragon prints, and the legs bear much resemblance to the original figure. The major change here is the loss of the ZX shoulderpads in gold, since the new hood piece unfortunately restricts giving your ninja any kind of armor piece that overlaps the back or front of the torso.

The Overlord is a pretty dope figure as well, and this is the only other time since 2014 that we've gotten a truly official Overlord minifgure. (The 2013 version was literally just Garmadon with a mouthguard.) This version doesn't necessarily resemble any particular appearance from the show, but rather mixes designs and details from all of his different looks. He's four armed, ghost-tailed, and he has the Helmet of Shadows. His weapon is a long spear. His face print is a crazy evil snarl printed onto a translucent purple head, which makes the figure that much better. His top torso piece is the same used since some of the 2017 Garmadon minifgures, with printing resembling the Golden Master version. The bottom torso has fairly simple printing, and he uses the ghost tail piece that we've gotten for minifigures like Bansha, Nadakhan, and Yang recolored in translucent purple and black.

The Stone Scout is the least exciting minifigure in this set, but it's not exactly fair competition when you compare him to the other two. He has some really nice printing on his torso, which seems to blend styles from his 2013 and 2016 versions. His weaponry is a gun metal gray crossbow, with a black quiver that the scout can wear with it. His face printing has green face paint, a color we haven't gotten before and is only otherwise obtainable from Cole's Earth Driller. The hat is the newer style rice hat that we got in the movie sets recolored in red.

The Build

This version of the Golden Dragon, while it is descaled from it's original version (which was $10 more expensive) is still a very good representation of the Golden Dragon. My favorite part of it is the plastic head, which is molded after the classic rubber heads that we got with Ninjago dragons back in the day. No longer being rubber, the mouth can actually open and close and there is a stud shooter inside that you can remove if you don't care for it.

The wings are similar to the original - large golden blades. They look very nice here and have much better articulation compared to the 2013 dragon. Both wings have claws at the ends to pick up Stone Warriors and hurl them out of the fight.

The main body and saddle are very simply designed. The saddle area is mainly white, with enough room to sit Lloyd, and there's a nice flag on the back with a sticker on it. The tail is very articulated as well, and has the two katanas on the end just like the original.

The one issue I have with this dragon is the legs, but more specifically the feet. They are so easily moved and so oddly built that the whole thing can easily collapse just by lightly nudging it. Putting the dragon in different positions and stances can be a challenge, as the legs never seem to cooperate. Rather than using normal dragon feet pieces, these are brick-built, and...they don't look all that great. The toes added don't do much to help the dragon stand up, and the balance is just so off. If Lego had just used normal dragon foot pieces and gave them the claw pieces that the wings do, this dragon would stand perfectly fine.

The Price

Overall, the set is good, it has some great pieces, and the minifigures are phenomenal. This set retails for $20 in the US, which isn't half bad, considering all you get here. Now, if Lego had made this $15 instead, I think that would have been perfect, but to be fair getting the Golden Ninja and his dragon isn't anything to common, so I understand why Lego may put a bit more value on this one. The fact alone that they put two beloved and coveted characters like the Golden Ninja and the Overlord together in a $20 set is fantastic, and if you're a Ninjago fan especially, this set is definitely for you.

Final Thoughts

Other than the feet, the dragon is a pretty strong build, and like I said, the minifigures are more than surprising. If you're only planning on getting a few sets from the Legacy wave, pick this one up. Even if you're only picking one set up, pick this one up. Lego has really been stepping up their game with $20 Ninjago sets since the movie, and I really hope they keep this up.