Review of the LEGO Lion Knights Castle

So, I don’t normally write reviews of LEGO sets. It’s not that we don’t buy any… haha. If you’ve followed this site for very long, you know that we are huge LEGO fans! However, on this site I prefer to post original LEGO creations and educational activities using LEGO bricks.

This time I’m doing a review, however, simply because these castle sets are so cool. It was totally time for LEGO to release a good castle (those Nexo Knights sets were awful…) and they hit the ball out of the park with the new Lion Knights’ Castle and the Creator 3-in-1 Medieval Castle!

I discovered a few years ago that I enjoy designing something new with LEGO bricks more than building a set. But my mind is changing somewhat due to all the amazing sets that LEGO has been releasing with teens and adults in mind.

Earlier this summer, I bought myself the Medieval Blacksmith Shop. It’s an awesome set, and very enjoyable to build. So when I saw that LEGO was releasing a new Lion Knights’ Castle of truly EPIC proportions, I knew I wanted to order it.

I had bought the Creator 3-in-1 Medieval Castle and never built it (I know, that sounds super silly!). Jonathan, my 10 year old, has been saving up to buy the Creator castle from me. He finally earned the last of the money needed, so this weekend we built BOTH castles!

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LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Medieval Castle Review

Let’s start with the smaller and much more affordable medieval castle.

At $99.99, this castle is awesome to build and a very good value. It stayed at list price all during the 2021 Christmas shopping season, so I’m hoping it will go on sale this year. I think there’s a good chance that it will!

Pros: Fun to build, looks awesome with lots of fun details, cool moving parts like a working drawbridge and a water wheel that makes the blacksmith’s hammer move, the castle layout can be played with either open or closed, the set makes three different builds.

Cons: There are only two knights and no horses. I’d recommend getting a horse or two from Brick Link if you don’t have any. It would also be helpful to have additional knights. Two is not enough for a cool scene!

The photo above shows the castle opened up. It can be folded up as shown below. The sections attach to make a square, but if you pick up the castle, the connections will probably come apart.

Here’s another view of the castle folded up.

There’s a lot to play with inside the castle. When you turn the water wheel, the blacksmith’s hammer goes up and down.

Jonathan loves all the places to pose the knights, and I love the cute little touches like the mouse and the cheese (see them on the steps near the blacksmith’s shop?).

Bottom Line: While this medieval castle is built on a much smaller scale and has far fewer features than the Lion Knights’ Castle, it’s really just the right size (and price) for kids. Then the 3-in-1 option takes it to the next level. The set includes instructions for turning these same bricks into a tower and a working catapult, or a medieval marketplace.

We highly recommend the Creator 3-in-1 Medieval Castle!!

Order Here: LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Medieval Castle

LEGO Lion Knights’ Castle Review

The Lion Knights’ Castle is truly a work of art. It’s every child’s dream. I mean, just LOOK at it! It has towers, knights, bridges, and secret passageways. There’s a dungeon and a hideout. Every feature a castle should have is found in this set.

There is an incredible amount of detail in the construction of this castle. You can see the detail in the castle towers and walls, but they are also hidden details like a bird’s nest in the rafters, little frogs here and there, etc.

My 19 year old son and I really enjoyed the unique building techniques in this set. There are some amazing angles between sections of the castle walls. The Tudor style section is brilliant. (It’s constructed – not stickers! And it’s not tiles on the outside of the building.) The drawbridge and gate mechanisms are impressive.

Here’s a view with the water wheel. When you turn the water wheel, the gristmill turns inside the castle.

Let’s look inside the castle! There are two main sections. Each section opens up to reveal several fully furnished rooms.

It’s helpful that there are two sections because this castle is HEAVY. It’s hard to carry the whole thing at once!

The rooms are small, but how could they really make this castle any bigger? There is still so much detail in each room.

Look at the tiny harpsichord! And I wish I could show the kitchen in full because it’s adorable.

There are several fireplaces throughout the castle.

At the bottom right of this photo, you can see the gristmill that turns when you turn the water wheel.

This little hideout (pictured below) is completely hidden! When the castle is assembled, you don’t see this room at all.

See that little food stand on the floor above? The food stand flips forward and reveals the entrance to the forest people’s hideout. SO COOL.

This set comes with 22 minifigures, two horses, a cow, a lamb, a bird, and other accessories. One of our favorites is the wizard figure. The cow and cart are very fun and detailed.

Lots of great facial expressions, like the trumpet player below!

The LEGO Lion Knights’ Castle is not available on Amazon, but you can order from the LEGO website.

Here’s the link: Lion Knights’ Castle

I’m not sure if other retailers will ever carry this set, or if they will keep it a LEGO website exclusive.

Is the Lion Knights’ Castle worth the $399 price?

In my opinion, YES, if you can afford it. I had some VIP rewards to redeem, so I was definitely happy to save some money on this set! If you’re not part of LEGO’s VIP program, you should sign up. You will earn points for purchases which you can trade in for discounts and other rewards.

I do think the price is fair and fully justified. This set is incredible, and you’ll enjoy several hours of building. I love how my castle looks on display, and we’ll enjoy it for years to come.

If you look at the cost per brick, the Creator 3-in-1 Medieval Castle is a bit cheaper. However, the Medieval Castle comes with 3 minifigures, and the Lion Knights’ Castle has 22 minifigures, plus animals.

Ultimately, I think it comes down to your goal and the age of the person doing the building. My 19 year old son and I did most of the building on the Lion Knights’ Castle, although my other kids all helped at some point. The set is recommended for ages 18+, and for good reason. The instructions are easy to follow, but I wouldn’t call the building simple. It’s a good challenge for a teen or adult.

Younger kids will be happier with the Creator 3-in-1 Medieval Castle, and your wallet will be happier too.

OTHER RECOMMENDED SETS:

The LEGO Medieval Blacksmith Shop is currently on sale on Amazon!! $149.99, marked down from $179.99. Totally recommend! This set looks amazing, and I really enjoyed building it.

The LEGO Creator Expert Bookshop is one of my other all-time favorite sets! I have this one displayed on my desk.