Lego Minifigures Series 13 (Part Three)

Without further ado, here's part three of my reviews of Minifigures Series 13!

The Goblin

I wasn’t sure about the goblin when I first saw him. Not because he’s a bad minifigure or anything, but because I don’t really know where I’d put him in my collection. I don’t own any other orcs or goblins at present, never really having invested in Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit sets, which makes him a bit of an odd figure out. But I am a bit of a sucker for any minifigures that look like they could be used in a game of Dungeons and Dragons, and so I caved shortly after buying most of the rest of the set.  

Armed with a nasty-looking jagged blade (one can safely assume it would be covered in rust, were it real) and holding a filthy bag full of loot, the Goblin is a sinister but cute little creature. He’d fit in reasonably well in the background of a Lord of the Rings display, but I actually think I’ll use him as a minion for one of the Evil Wizards I own. He could fit the role of either comic or sadistic sidekick quite well.  

Galaxy Trooper 

Another series, another Space figure. Not that I’m complaining, mind you – I am always glad to see more of these guys. We got the Galaxy Patrol minifig in series 7, but he looked like more of a commander, or general hardened veteran. In my book, this guy better lends himself to army building. Part of this is due to his less bulky chest-piece, which is an all-new mould. It has more of a regular grunt look than the one from series 7 did. 

He comes equipped with two pistols, both of which can clip onto his “backpack”. Naturally this leaves his hands free for close quarters combat. He's also got two printed faces -- I prefer the more "cyborg"-looking one, though the human one is nice and generic for those looking to army-build.

Hot Dog Guy

Here he is – the figure most likely to be the popular favourite from this series. And indeed, he’s pretty cool. Surprisingly – but happily – his outfit has been cast out of hard plastic, rather than the soft PVC we often see for accessories. Given that it’s a unique and fairly large new mould, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see this costume again in a City set, perhaps in a slightly different colourway.  

Beneath the costume he’s just some dude with no distinctive clothing. No printing at all, actually! But this is part of his charm, of course -- the hot dog costume can be easily repurposed to fit a plethora of characters.

Though not my personal favourite from the set, I still think he looks pretty great. Figures like this typify the best of the Minifigures range – an unusual character that might not find a home in a “regular” Lego set, but nonetheless has display potential. 

Evil Wizard

We’ve had an awful lot of pop culture references over the course of the Minifigures range – Tarzan, Sherlock Holmes, Conan the Barbarian, Dracula, The Mummy, Jane Fonda…the list goes on and on. Series 13 continues this trend with a figure who is so clearly “inspired” by Ming the Merciless it’s a wonder that Lego haven’t found themselves in legal trouble.  

He’s been given an accessory to differentiate him and move him into more Castle territory – a flaming staff, presumably powered by evil magic. It's a pretty cool accessory actually, and may end up going to another figure at some point. 

Of course, now that Lego has produced Ming, they really need to produce a Flash Gordon to go with him – perhaps as a “Space Adventurer” or some similarly generic title? Who knows what wonders Series 14 may hold?