LEGO NINJAGO 71858 Four Weapons Blacksmith is packed with Easter eggs, many of which the designer behind the build has explained.
Following the reveal of 71858 Four Weapons Blacksmith, launching on January 1, 2026, for £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99, has set the tone for the 15th-anniversary NINJAGO sets, packing in more specific Easter eggs than most other NINJAGO models. From references to the series as well as some of the original 2011 builds, NINJAGO fans will find a lot to recognise and appreciate in this build.
An interview with Lee Chi Wing from DuckBricks has detailed the context behind many of these references, demonstrating the passion the NINJAGO team has for the nearly 15-year-old franchise.
Interior decor
The interior of 71858 Four Weapons Blacksmith is where most of the set's Easter eggs can be found, including the rest area to the left of the shop as you enter, complete with the raised, stepped surfaces built using opaque windows and frames. The stairs to the right of this space are nowhere to be found in the set, but there is no second floor to see, either.
The other side of the shop is where most of the blacksmith work takes place, including the gong on the wall, which comes in use in later seasons thanks to a familiar symbol emblazoned on it. In the pilots, it appears blank, and as they are the main source of inspiration for this set, the symbol is not included. There's another reason for eschewing the symbol, though.
"There's the gong, I'm sorry there's no icon," explained Lee. "We considered putting the icon there, but in the end, this is more about the pilot season, and in the pilots, there's no icon. I know it's going to come up, and we talked about it a lot, went back and forth. Technically, it could have been a sticker, but it all adds to the budget. Even with just one more sticker, it would make the sticker sheet more expensive, and something else might have to go."
Challenges with this set's budget were something that had to be strongly considered at every step of development, as detailed in another part of the interview.
Artwork on the walls of the blacksmith shop matches that seen in the show, though the portrait of Ray and Maya appears to be new, since they're not in the stoic poses seen in the painting in the Hands of Time season. This painting at least references Maya's old face print, though, since the cheekbones were left aside a long time ago.
Weapons and accessories
Given the context of 71858 Four Weapons Blacksmith, many weapon Easter eggs are to be expected, and this proved to be a great opportunity to reference three of the first NINJAGO sets released in 2011. Arguably, the most fitting of these is a reference to 2508 Blacksmith Shop, which otherwise looks drastically different to the 2026 set.
"Another really cool reference that people may not notice is the way the anvil is built," Lee shared. "I'm not 100% sure because we've done so many blacksmith sets over the years, but from what I checked, the only one built similar to this with the tooth piece and the inverted slope is the original 2508 Blacksmith Shop. So this is my one reference to that set. It's still slightly different because I wanted to do the round wood at the base of it, so it's cut one plate shorter."
Including any further references to the 2011 set would have been challenging, considering how inaccurate that original set was, and by comparison, how accurate the new release is. The anvil is at least a good way of calling back to that build without majorly compromising the quality and accuracy of the 2026 set.
The callbacks to older sets continue, thankfully, through an Easter egg to NINJAGO's first spinners.
"All the weapons from this set are actually the weapons you get from the Kai and Nya 2011 spinner sets, which I think is a really cool reference," continued Lee.
The two-bladed weapon on the wall may not be a reference to the Fusion Blade from Hands of Time after all, but the Ninjargon underneath it reads '20Z'. Instead of those last two slashes representing a Z, though, they may be 11, making this plaque read '2011', when NINJAGO started.
Other accessory Easter eggs in
Rounding out the accessory Easter eggs is the updated Four Weapons map, now matching the design seen in the animated montage. The map can also be accurately hidden behind the shop's sign, ready to kickstart 15 years of adventures.
Outside
Finishing up the references in 71858 Four Weapons Blacksmith is a simple sign warning people not to step on the grass. This is a similar sign to that which Pythor instructed Lloyd to ignore when the Green Ninja was still a child, aiming to become a villain.
71858 Four Weapons Blacksmith will be launching on January 1, 2026, for £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99, featuring six exclusive minifigures and 1,259 pieces.
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