LEGO Skeksis extracts essence from Galidor parts

I’ll always be partial to Labyrinth when it comes to Jim Henson fantasy worlds, but the creatures of The Dark Crystal, especially the deliciously wicked Skeksis, are undeniably rad. Margit (one of the talented builders to make our shortlist for Builder of the Year) consulted her LEGO orrery and found a great conjunction of elements to make this spot-on take on the simpering Chamberlain. The head comes from the unhinged Nepol and Shimmel set and perfectly captures the Chamberlain’s totally trustworthy smile. He’s just here to help! The staff was snatched from Euripides and complements the Skeksis aesthetic like a dream.

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Mini Tirith, City of Mini Kings

Just last month we posted a roundup of some of the incredible creations from Joe (jnj_bricks), including a Minas Tirith build that cleverly uses force perspective akin to the Peter Jackson films. Apparently not content with wow-ing us with just one Minas Tirith build, Joe is back again with a smaller but equally impressive build of the White City. He shared that everything here is fully connected, and we think the smooth lineup of the cheese slopes used predominantly throughout the shaping of this build give it a very polished look.

An aerial view reveals the Court of the Fountain, which cleverly uses a turntable base atop a green plate to nearly identically recreate the courtyard’s appearance in the films and art from Alan Lee.

Construction comes alive with these epic CityCore bots

Creating a badass mech in LEGO takes skill. Instilling that build with personality is the work of a master builder. Doing so while working in DUPLO elements, now that is next level! Redverse first introduced the “CityCore” theme, blending kid-friendly construction with sophisticated mechh design, with the orange MK series. Now the builder is back with the RW series:

Before any road is paved, before any path is cleared, the CityCore RW-Series is on the job… Whether it’s pushing debris, digging deep, or hauling heavy loads, these machines know the value of getting things right the first time – no shortcuts, no hesitation.

First up is Rumblejack, a Quattroid on the smaller side who pounds the ground flat before paving. Not only does Redverse brilliantly employ oversized Quateo blocks for the tamping tool, Fabuland arches also make an appearance in the bot’s feet.

Next we have Duplon bruiser PushWell, an anthropomorphic dozer. The expressive face clinches this bot as a winner, thanks in large part to the DUPLO antennae element used for the grille mouth and nose.

Finally, there’s Grubjaw, a gruff and hard-working digger. The jutting dozer jaw and sunken eyes sell the bot’s silent resolve in such a fun way.

Redverse’s bots seem like they rolled straight out of a cartoon and leave me wondering what other DUPLO parts are waiting for new purpose in tomorrow’s mechs?

We were on the verge of greatness...

If you’re a long-time reader of The Brothers Brick, you know we tend to praise the talent of the best LEGO builders out there. A recent diorama by Abe Fortier (aka Hypolite Bricks), the first of 12 tributes to Rogue One, is technically masterful. Lah’mu’s landscape with a cutaway of the dark soil, the domed homestead, and the builder’s signature black frame at the base are absolutely top-notch. The vignette effortlessly captures the entire plot of the scene.

And yet, there’s one little detail that leaves me longing. You see, Abe’s build can’t quite capture the scene’s tension and desperation! Yes, glossy and colorful LEGO bricks are to blame. I wish the grass wasn’t quite this bright, and if only there was a way to build that unsettling, stormy wind that hangs in the air during the tense exchange…

Nevertheless, Abe reached the ultimate goal: he made me wish this were an official LEGO set. Seriously—what a perfect candidate for an 18+ diorama. Give us more Rogue One sets like this, LEGO!

And by the way, don’t miss the detailed video showing the building process. Or feel free to revisit the movie’s opening scene to soak in its dull, unsettling vibe once again.

A coastal kingdom in decay, dreaming of past glory

Imagine building a story as sprawling as Game of Thrones in LEGO one vignette at a time. That’s just what the builders behind French LEGO RPG Feodalis are doing! Guillame (@gui.lego) is the creator behind House du Messny of Rivermer, a once great kingdom rebuilding from ruin. Here we see the great gate shut tight after the sighting of an ominous bird. Guillame is an accomplished builder of kingdoms in decay, as seen in this latest model, where brickwork is pockmarked and full of stones coming loose.

See more of Guillame’s medieval kingdom below

Talking mechs, music, and LEGO fashion with Mexican creator Tenkyuu.mocs

LEGO fandom is global and here at The Brothers Brick, we strive to feature creators from every corner of the world. Access to bricks and local support isn’t evenly distributed, though, as the recent changes to Bricklink’s service reminded us all. For Mexican builder Zazil Yakín Xipé, who shares LEGO creations as @tenkyuu.mocs, not amassing a huge collection of bricks hasn’t stopped her from creating a string of impressive and innovative mechs. Today we’re excited to share an interview between Tenkyuu and Zakar.ion that covers LEGO-inspired fashions, Exo-Force, and that one time a worker at a Mexican LEGO factory went rogue and made black market Vaders with the official molds!

Our interview with Tenkyuu.mocs begins here

Take flight with this stunning Cormorant

Nature photographer and bird-building extraordinaire Bram (skabram.builds) recently re-worked an older creation and shared this absolutely stunning Cormorant build! Bram is no stranger to incredible bird builds and has a unique ability to capture their likeness in brick form, but this is the largest creation we’ve seen from him yet and makes for a striking display piece. The head rotates, the wings are flexible via the use of various ball-joints, and there’s an alternate display in which the bird’s wings are tucked in. Our favorite view is the imposing wingspan side profile below, but this build is a sight to behold no matter which angle you view it from.

Fly on in and check out some alternate views of the Cormorant!

“And I thought they smelled bad before the race!”

Everyone knows Tauntauns are the Star Wars universe’s most adorable arctic ride/sleeping bag. But did you know they make great racing beasts, too? Will (@montivalbricks) leaves icy Hoth to assemble a sorrel Tauntaun gelding, tacked up and ready for the derby. The builder does a phenomenal job capturing the tauntaun’s features from small elements. A roller skate nose offers perfect nostrils, and minifig hands kick off as toes.

Will created this impressive racing beast for the Star Wars Factions RPG, a LEGO storytelling universe where builders can compete in challenges tied to a shared story world. That means we get plenty of lore to accompany the build, so we know that the mount is named Dicastery and that the jockey is Tur C’otte, a NeuroSaav employee. Will’s excellent build won first prize in the Canto-Key Derby. Congratulations to Dicastery and his builder both!

These wearable builds are a crowning achievement in LEGO

It’s easy for minifigures to get dressed in their LEGO finest, but for humans looking to wear their hobby on their sleeves, one has to get creative, as outside of rings and wristbands (and Nike collabs), LEGO hasn’t provided many official offerings for the brick-built wardrobe. Finnish artist Heidi Aulikki Puumalainen is one of a small but growing number of builders focused on wearable builds, like this jewel-encrusted crown that is both elegant and sturdy enough to wear dancing.

Heidi’s headwear first shone on LEGO Masters Finland where she partnered with Satu Aaltonen, whose work is currently on display in LEGO House’s Masterpiece Gallery. For this bridal-themed headpiece, Heidi led the build while Satu wore it down the runway. I love how elegant the trans-yellow chains become when draping from a floral crown.

See more of Heidi’s wearable creations below

Come sail away on the Marlin Zeppelin of your dreams

The Marlin Zeppelin comes in as Piotr Przytuła’s last LEGO build of 2025, and with it, he looks to the future. You may recall this world within a jellyfish from last November, so if that and this new marlin are any indicator, 2026 should shape up to be a wondrous, dream-filled year for Piotr. The pink fins of this animal would look regal against any sky while transporting its cargo through dreamscapes. It conjures up the kind of imaginary world I’d love to live in for a while, even if unknown perils lie ahead. We’ll wait with baited breath to see what adventures he’ll take us on in the new year.

This Ghibli minifigs are more than they’re stacked up to be

LEGO Masters Germany winner Alex (Brix Tales) has quickly become one of my favorite habitat builders. This quartet of tributes to Miyazaki films epitomizes why, with their dynamic shapes that eschew convention and a bold use of color.

Princess Mononoke (newly restored in 4K – go see it!) is uses only foliage to house minifig hero San, who makes perfect use of this Ninjago headpiece to evoke the character’s forest mask. Using ghost faces as Kodoma is a brilliant choice, and I always appreciate a green sprue used for a vine.

See close-ups of the other scenes after the break

The Brothers Brick LEGO Builder of the Year 2025 [News]

So 2025 has been and gone, the dust has settled from the New Year’s celebrations, and the last of the champagne has just about left our systems. But we have one final bit of business to attend to from last year: the coronation of the Brothers Brick’s LEGO Builder of the Year! As a reminder, our shortlist is over here. And man, what a stacked list! How do we pick out a winner from that? Well, our builders of the year tend to cover a lot of bases, and often their achievements extend beyond merely making great LEGO models. Ultimately, it’s about consistency across the whole year.

And the key to determining this year’s Builder of the Year actually came while curating our Creations of the Year shortlist, as our victor had several builds that could’ve made the cut for the shortlist alone. The Brothers Brick are delighted to crown Seigo Aoki, who builds under the handle DeRa, as our Builder of the Year 2025!

Click here for a retrospective on DeRa’s terrific 2025!