LEGO Ninjago Egalt the Master Dragon 71809 Review: 532 Pieces of Posable Dragon

Ninjago · Dragons Rising

Ninjago lives and dies by its dragons, and this is the big one from the Dragons Rising era. The LEGO Ninjago Egalt the Master Dragon 71809 is 532 pieces at $69.99, rated 8+, with five minifigures - two unique to this set - and a fully posable dragon. Brickset lists it from January 2024 with an exit at the end of 2025, so it’s in its last-stock phase.

What you actually get

• 532 pieces, rated 8+, at a US price of $69.99 - 13.2 cents per piece, a number that looks bad until you count the minifigures and the size of the dragon.
• Egalt, the Master Dragon: a large, articulated dragon with jointed legs, wings, neck and tail, built for posing and for being swooshed around a room.
• 5 minifigures, 2 unique to this set according to Brickset - the ninja lineup kids want plus the season’s opponents, which is what makes a Ninjago box feel complete.
• A retail set retired end-2025, so buy from remaining stock; Ninjago dragons with exclusive figures are quick to leave.

How does it compare with the mech sets?

Ninjago alternates between mechs and dragons, and children usually have a side. Mechs like Kai’s Elemental Fire Mech are compact, sturdy and cheap. Dragons are bigger, more fragile at the joints, and far more impressive on a shelf. Egalt is the one that satisfies both the play and the “look what I built” instinct, which is why it’s the dragon parents get asked for.

Against smaller dragons in the same season it wins on articulation and figure count; against the giant Ninjago sets it wins on price.

Is LEGO Egalt the Master Dragon 71809 worth it?

For a Ninjago child, yes - it’s the season’s centrepiece dragon at a mid-range price, and five minifigures give it play value long after the dragon is built. The per-piece number is high, but Ninjago is priced on figures and moulds, not bricks. Buy at or near $69.99 from remaining stock; if you’re only seeing marketplace listings well above that, a current-season dragon will do the same job for less.

Who it suits

Kids from seven or eight who follow the show, and any child who wants a dragon that poses rather than a vehicle that rolls. Less suited to adult collectors - the ninja colours don’t display quietly - and to very young children, because the wing and leg joints need a firm hand.

Worth knowing first

Two practical notes. First, articulated dragons shed a joint or two under enthusiastic play; keep the instructions, because the first repair happens within a week. Second, Ninjago minifigures are the part that holds value - if this becomes a hand-me-down, the figures are what the next child will care about.

Verdict

The dragon of the Dragons Rising season: 532 pieces, a posable Egalt, five minifigures with two exclusives, at a price that makes sense while stock lasts. For where it sits among everything we’ve rated, see the best LEGO sets for adults. Check the current price of Egalt on Amazon.