Review: LEGO 10333 Barad-Dur
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10333 Barad-Dur is the next follow-up to the critically-acclaimed Rivendell, offering LEGO Lord of the Rings fans the chance to proudly display Sauron’s Mordor fortress in epic fashion.
At 83cm tall, LEGO Barad-Dur stands tall and strikes an imposing pose, making this one of the most eye-catching large display models in the LEGO Icons theme.
It’s one of 2024’s most anticipated releases and will be released on released on 1 June 2024 for LEGO Insiders (free to join), ahead of a 4 June general release date, exclusively from LEGO.com or your local LEGO store.
You will also receive a 40693 The Lord of the Rings: Fell Beast as a gift with purchase, if you purchase LEGO Barad-Dur between 1-7 June 2024, while stocks last.
Is it worth the price of admission, and how does this set fare when compared to Rivendell? Let’s dive straight into this detailed look at 10333 Barad-Dur! Be sure to also check out how tall Barad-Dur is compared to Orthanc and other tall LEGO towers!
See below for product pages and regional pricing:
- 10333 Barad-Dur [US] – US$459.99
- 10333 Barad-Dur [AUS] – AU$699.99
- 10333 Barad-Dur [UK] – £399.99
- 10333 Barad-Dur [EU] – €459.99
- 10333 Barad-Dur [CA] – CAD$599.99
If you’re planning on purchasing LEGO Barad-Dur, please consider using the affiliate links in this post. I may earn a small commission with each purchase that helps support the work I do on the blog!
Special thanks to LEGO for sending this set over for review.
10333 Barad-Dur Set Details
10333 Barad-Dur
10333
Barad-Dur
10
5,471
US$459.99 / AU$699.99 / £399.99
€459.99 / CAD$599.99
1 June 2024 (Insiders Early Access)
Antica Bracanov
Unboxing and building the LEGO Barad-Dur
Barad-Dur is one of the biggest Summer 2024 LEGO sets, and I was very surprised to see that all 40 numbered bags were all paper, which I think is quite impressive for a set with 5,471 pieces.
The build is split into three sections and there are three corresponding manuals included, so this is technically a “Build Together” set that you can share with up to two other people.
Here’s a look at the instruction manuals, which has plenty of great tidbits about Barad-Dur and the design team.
If you’re going solo, you build Barad-Dur from the rocky lava base, and work your way up, ending with the Eye of Sauron.
I’m a big fan of Tolkien’s books, and my most vivid memory of reading Return of the King is just how dour and bleak Frodo and Sam’s journey through Mordor was. As they trek through the dusty wasteland, every step weighs down on them as the Ring’s power grows, and the quest feels all but hopeless, save for snatches of the times Frodo and Sam reminisce about what they miss about the Shire and what they’d do when they get home.
Building Barad-Dur is pretty dour, and while there are epic moments as you come to realise the sheer scale and size of Sauron’s fortress, the build drags on and on, as you switch in between the repetitive sections of Barad-Dur’s exterior, to rocky lava sections.
It’s not really the fault of the designer or instructions team – the model itself is mostly monochromatic and there’s a necessary amount of repetition required for Barad-Dur’s many towers, and I do appreciate the addition of fictional interiors which does break up the build process slightly.
Small Easter Eggs, and pockets of humour (especially around the Orc Cafeteria) are welcome breaks from the otherwise bleak build sections, and it is quite an effort to power through the 40 numbered bags, and 5,471 pieces to get to the end, but just like Sam and Frodo’s torturous stroll through Mordor, it’s all worth it in the end once you come to realise what a powerful display model Barad-Dur is.
You do end on a high note, building the Eye of Sauron, which is just a brilliant showcase of colour theory, blending different shades of yellow and trans orange elements to vividly re-create Sauron’s flaming eyeball.
According to designer Antica Bracanov, she first approached Barad-Dur with the Eye, which set the scale for the entire model. I also appreciated the way the pupil was constructed – the black piece slides into the two arches.
Meet the LEGO Barad-Dur Minifigures
Let’s go to one of the brightest spots of the set, the minifigure Department. Barad-Dur comes with 10 minifigures, a respectable number that stays true to the characters that make an appearance in or close to Barad-Dur, and introduces two heavy hitters, Sauron and an all-new Gollum minifigure.
Frodo and Sam are of course here, as they near the end of their quest to destroy The One Ring, and there’s also a small troop of Mordor Orcs, and the debut of Gothmog, that ugly Orc Commander with a face not even a mum could love.
After years of waiting, LEGO Lord of the Rings fans can finally own a Sauron minifigure, and he’s practically flawless. He wields his massive mace but isn’t super tall as depicted in the movies, but I think that’s okay because the proportions might look a little weird.
Sauron’s helmet and armour piece is one single piece, and is made out of rubbery plastic, which is a little disappointing as I typically prefer hard plastic for accessories, but it doesn’t detract from the looks at all.
The material gives it a bit of a matte wheen and the armour details are spot-on and he looks exactly what you’d imagine a Sauron minifigure to look like.
We were of course given a tease of what the Sauron minifigure might look like in this decoration from Rivendell, so it’s quite surreal to finally have him in the flesh.
Sauron’s minifigure sports highly detailed prints across his legs and body, and under his helmet, is a minifigure head made of fire and shadow. We never actually see Sauron’s face in the movies, but this is a really cool interpretation of the shadowy malice of Annatar.
Here’s a look at the back printing.
Sauron is a clear winner here, and a huge drawcard of this set, and is a must-have for LEGO Lord of the Rings fans who can finally add him to their collection.
Here’s a look at the Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins minifigures, which are identical to the ones from Rivendell, sans capes. It’s a little disappointing that the minifigures are recycled as they’re not really movie-accurate to the outfits that Sam and Frodo were in as they trekked into Mordor and up Mt Doom.
A more tattered and dusty outfits would’ve been preferred, and some dirt on their faces also would’ve been nice, but I guess this is a quick way to save money by recycling these minifigures.
Here’s a look at their back prints and alternate faces.
One really nice addition to make Sam and Frodo look different is the introduction of these Orc Helmets that they don in the movie to disguise themselves!
These come in a bag as a set with the other new helmets introduced in the set, and are a great nod to the movies. What a great way to swiftly introduce so many new Orc helmets in one fell swoop.
While the two Hobbits disappoint, LEGO surprises us all with an all-new Gollum mould, which features a new face print, and also a whole new body plus droid arms for everyone’s favourite creepy Stoorish Hobbit, who was corrupted by the One Ring.
It’s quite fascinating that LEGO decided to update Gollum as the old one was pretty passable, but with news that there will be a Hunt for Gollum movie in the works, I can see LEGO’s justification for investing in a brand new mould, as we’ll likely see Gollum again in future Lord of the Rings sets.
Here’s a side by side comparison with the old Gollum, to demonstrate just how different they look. I like the hair and wrinkles, and the slightly more detailed face, which has more traditional “minifigure eyes”, but the lack of the nose feels like a slight downgrade.
It’ll take awhile to get used to this new 2024 LEGO Gollum, but, at least its distinctive enough for collectors.
Here’s a look at Gollum’s side profile compared to the original. His posture definitely got much worse!
Another great addition to the set is the Mouth of Sauron, a Black Numenorean that serves as Sauron’s herald and Lieutenant of Barad-Dur. I’ve placed him side by side with the older version (on the right) from 79007 Battle at the Black Gate, which is quite a pricey minifigure on the aftermarket.
LEGO have only briefly updated the Mouth of Sauron minifigure, with slightly more texture on his robes, and more leg printing, but otherwise, it looks mostly the same, which is really neat, and speaks to just how good the original’s design was.
Even his helmet has very subtle differences, and is a brand new mould.
Here’s a look at the Mouth of Sauron’s back prints, and his minifigure head which looks so damn creepy with his sharp teeth and eyeless face.
Overall, if you missed out on the Mouth of Sauron minifigure, this is a great substitute that’s only a slight upgrade from the original, yet unique and different enough to still please die-hard collectors.
Here’s a look at the four Orc minifigures included in the set. We get two kinds, green orcs and orange orcs which alludes to the different variations of Orcs that form Mordor’s forces. The green Orc hairpieces are new and interestingly, each Orc has unique prints making all 4 of these exclusive variants!
It’s a tiny detail, and even if LEGO did repeat the designs, fans probably wouldn’t have mind, but I love that they went ahead and gave each Orc his own distinct armour and design. And yes, that is a BBQ Orc, with a sausage on a skewer, ready to fire up the grill!
These new printed shields are great as well. We really need modern Uruk Hai!
And last but not least we have Gothmog, the Orc General that’s supremely ugly. He comes with his own printed breastplate and just looks incredible. Very glad to have him also make his debut in this set as he’s one of the most visually prominent Orcs in the movie.
The printing on Gothmog is superb and I especially like his printed armour, and how deformed his face looks.
And here’s a look at his back print.
The Barad-Dur minifigure lineup is quite good – nowhere near as epic as Rivendell where you got the entire Fellowship of the Ring in one set, but Sauron is a heavy hitter and probably the most-wanted LEGO Lord of the Rings character that he carries the entire lineup.
The new Gollum, and updated Mouth of Sauron are also highlights, and you get a decent number of exclusive Orc designs to round out the minifigures. I think the addition of two more Orcs would’ve been really nice, but overall, I’m quite happy with the minifigs, except for the recycled Sam and Frodo.
LEGO Barad-Dur’s facade
Here’s a look at the completed LEGO Barad-Dur model, a massive and imposing structure that stands 83cm (32.6 inches) tall. What it lacks in colour and beauty (compared to Rivendell), LEGO Barad-Dur more than makes up for it in terror and malice, perfectly capturing Sauron’s Mordor fortress, topped with the all-seeing Eye of Sauron.
As a LEGO model, Barad-Dur just oozes display presence thanks to its height, but the sharp towers, and “teeth” are make for a stunning model that’s only accentuated by the rocky lava that surrounds it.
There’s great use of colour to bring the craggy lava base to life, and I love the use of trans-orange tiles on orange plates to lighten and brighten the base up, which makes it look like it glows without the help of 3rd party lighting.
There’s lava flow, and craggy rocks on its side.
And despite not being minifigure-scale, the little details across Barad-Dur’s facade make for a feast for the eyes, even if it makes you question whether Sauron was going through an emo, death metal phase when planning the design.
But most of all, the sheer size of Barad-Dur is what makes the model stand out from other sets in your collection.
And yes, it looks brilliant next to Orthanc, the Two Towers from the movie. Yes I know in the books, Tolkien is quite ambiguous with what exact Two Towers he was referring to (he switches between Minas Morgul and Orthanc, or even Cirith Ungol), but as this is based off the Peter Jackson trilogy, we’re going with Orthanc and Barad-Dur.
If you want to see Barad-Dur compared to other tall sets like the Eiffel Tower and Avengers Tower, check out my post showcasing just how tall LEGO Barad-Dur is.
Here’s a look at the entrance to Barad-Dur, and the door opens up thanks to a simple mechanism that activates when you twist a rock on the side, opening the gates of Barad-Dur!
Let’s check out LEGO Barad-Dur’s interiors
Like its smaller tower brother Orthanc, Barad-Dur has an exposed dollhouse style back, allowing easy access to the interiors. Some people will be upset that it’s not a “complete” building, but if that’s such a big deal, you can always buy two sets and stick it together.
I’m mostly okay with the cut-off back as having a complete 360 Barad-Dur would be prohibitively expensive, and when displaying it, you don’t really see the back of the model anyway.
There’s a huge cavernous section that can be accessed from the back, or by sliding the top two sections of Barad-Dur off, allowing you to admire the interiors from the inside.
There’s a large pool of lava, with a skeleton hanging from a cage that you can lower and raise with some gears, and a big forge section for the working class Orcs to craft swords, and armour for their impending assault on Minas Tirith.
I really like the integration of Mount Doom’s lava into the forge, with this section here used to smelt ore.
There are armour racks and barrels with Orc equipment, and I do like the inclusion of a grindstone.
A poor prisoner was left to gruesomely get cooked over a pool of lava, which you can lower and raise with a winch. Maybe he or she was some poor Elf that got tortured.
To the right, there’s a little chamber for Gollum to seek refuge in, and there’s even a tasty fish in there for a snack. The chamber is a little small, and hidden in the rock is a compartment with a spider, perhaps a nod to Shelob!
This section is quite small, and in keeping with the humour of the interiors, I really would’ve liked a funny sticker inside, maybe with some scribbles of “My precious” to personalise Gollum’s little hidey hole.
Going up a level, we have the Orc Cafeteria, where meat is back on the menu. Yes, you read that right. An entire part of the build dedicated to bringing a classic LOTR meme to life.
Yes, there is a literal chalkboard menu with that inscribed there, which is simply hilarious and one of the funniest jokes that can be found in a LEGO set.
As we don’t get to see much of Barad-Dur in the movies, LEGO Designer Antica Bracanov took plenty of fun creative liberties with the interiors, especially this Orc Cafeteria.
There’s a long table strewn with meat, a section to prepare meat and veggies and even a grill for the BBQ Orc to prepare some delicious sausages over the freshest Mt Doom lava.
Life in Mordor can be pretty bleak, but you have to hand it to the Mouth of Sauron, he sure knows how to keep Orc morale up!
I quite like the Orc Cafeteria, but if there’s one thing that could improve it, I would’ve liked a toilet!
Oh, and there’s also another Easter Egg hidden on this floor. A stickered tile with diagrams of the three Elven rings Vilya, Nenya, and Narya, which Sauron notably never touched.
Moving up a level, we have Sauron’s throne room, which features a small throne flanked by two banners with the Eye of Sauron on them. It’s quite a minimalist room, and quite spartan and the colours does make it look a little Star Wars-esque.
There’s a neat mechanism, that allows you to pull a rod which opens up a throne to reveal a Palantir chamber on the inside that pops out! Very clever and dramatic, just like Sauron!
Meet Sauron’s TV room, where the Dark Lord relaxes and catches up on the going ons in Middle-Earth, as well as peek into the future with his 4K HD Palantir-vision.
The Palantir features a dual-sided minifigure head printed with two references – one of Bag End in Hobbiton on fire, a nod to the Scouring of the Shire and visions of the Shire burning, as well as the other being the White Tree of Gondor also burning.
LEGO likes to hide Easter Eggs and references to potential future sets, so I’m taking this as a solid clue that we’ll get a Bag End AND Minas Tirith set in the future, maybe 2025. Book the prediction because I’m calling it now!
The interiors of Sauron’s Palantir chamber features some stickered decorations, and I love this map of Middle Earth with photos of the Mouth of Sauron and Gothmog, the Two Towers (as well as Edoras and Minas Tirith), and a scrap of paper with Gollum’s secret as to the whereabout of the One Ring – Shire, and Baggins.
Here’s hoping this is another clue that we may get Minas Tirith as a future set.
On the next floor up, we have the Mouth of Sauron’s office, which is dotted with paperwork. There’s also a stickered Mithril vest, which he uses to deceive Gandalf and Aragorn that he has captured Frodo at the Black Gate.
There’s also a miniature model of the Fell Beast there, as well as a drawing of Saruman.
And going up to the final level, we have Sauron’s library. It’s quite a tall section here, so there’s a ladder for easy access.
There’s a stickered tile here with the numbers, 3, 7, 9 and 1, a nod to the Rings of Power poem – Three rings for the Elven-Kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf Lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, and One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne.
And last but not least, we get to the pinnacle of Barad-Dur with the Eye of Sauron. As I raised earlier, it’s a brilliant build that perfectly employs some very impressive mix of colours to bring Sauron’s fiery eye to life.
Like the all-seeing roving eye depicted in Peter Jackson’s movies, the LEGO Eye of Sauron also has the ability to swivel and “look” in different directions, which is pretty neat.
And if that’s not dramatic enough, you can also hit a red light brick to illuminate the Eye of Sauron. It looks great in the dark, but even in regular lighting, it does accentuate its look, although, I’d say that this set is a prime use-case for 3rd-party lighting if you can afford to add it to the build.
And last but not least, we reach the end of the quest, with a small slice of Mount Doom, a cliff where Frodo struggles to cast the Ring into the fires of Mt Doom, before Gollum reaches forth, grabs it and plunges to his fiery death, taking the One Ring with him.
Sorry for the spoilers!
It’s a neat little sub-build, and compact enough that you can display it close to you, and I also like that there’s a stud for Gollum to fasten himself, to make it seem like he’s falling into the fire!
Final Thoughts
I’ve spent a good amount of time with 10333 Barad-Dur and have been stewing on this review to arrive at my conclusion, and I think this is a really good LEGO Lord of the Rings set.
Initially, my instinct was to compare it with 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell, which is my favourite set of all time, and an exceptional LEGO set in itself, but I think it’s not an appropriate comparison, despite both of them being hugely expensive LEGO Lord of the Rings sets.
Mostly because Rivendell is in a class of its own, and is the perfect combination of value, display presence and beauty, which very few sets stand a chance going toe to toe.
LEGO Barad-Dur on the other hand, has tremendous display presence, dare I say, slightly more than Rivendell because of its sheer size, height and being topped by the Eye of Sauron. It just looks imposing, dark and malicious, and tall LEGO sets have the innate advantage of standing out from their peers.
But it’s also quite a one dimensional set, mostly because it’s just Sauron’s dark fortress, and there aren’t as many interesting visual points of interest, or playable scenes for minifigures as you might expect from a set this size.
The interiors are fun, and I’m really glad Warner Bros let the Design Team freestyle and have fun with imagining what could be on the inside of Barad-Dur, down to an Orc Dining hall that brings an age-old LOTR meme to life.
But the interiors are a little lacking in that sense, and I don’t think there’s enough to make excite you, and most of the time as you have it on display, you won’t even notice them. You’ll just be aware that they exist and there’s some fun Easter Eggs there.
That in itself is Barad-Dur’s major flaw – it’s a terrific take on Sauron’s stronghold, but it’s a one dimensional set, even if executed near flawlessly as a model made to be displayed.
The minifigure selection is incredibly strong, carried by Sauron of course, but small things like the recycled Frodo and Sam minifigures leave much to be desired in that department.
For LEGO Lord of the Rings fans, it’s a must-have because it is an 83cm tall Barad-Dur and you have to own a Sauron minifigure. It also looks great alongside Orthanc and Rivendell if you have those, but it doesn’t boast the range that Rivendell has, and is more goth and dark, compared to the undisputed beauty of LEGO Rivendell.
The price for LEGO Barad-Dur is fair in my opinion as you’re getting a LOT of LEGO.. Prohibitively expensive, yes, but I’d rather LEGO go all out with Barad-Dur than nerf it in areas to bring the price down. Flagship sets like these are almost always better being ambitious, and as we’re still in a once-a-year LEGO Lord of the Rings release cycle, it’s still somewhat manageable to strive and save for.
At its core, LEGO Barad-Dur just looks terrific to display because of its size, and with the option to extend its height even further, the sky literally is the limit with how tall you can build Sauron’s evil fortress. Is it a must-own and a genre-defying set like Rivendell? Probably not, but that’s because it’s Barad-Dur, which doesn’t inspire the same awe and beauty as Rivendell.
Judging the set as Barad-Dur itself though? It hits all the right notes for a display set, and I’m glad that I now have two massive black LEGO Lord of the Rings spires I can proudly place on display permanently.
If you have the means, definitely pick it up at launch, mostly to qualify for the 40693 The Lord of the Rings: Fell Beast GWP, but if not, I think it’s safe to wait and save up for it and spring for it eventually when LEGO runs a great offer like 2X points, or they inevitably discount it because it won’t sell as well as Rivendell. You can and should be patient with Barad-Dur if you’re on a budget.
Final Score
Audience rating
Thanks so much for reading! LEGO 10333 Barad-Dur will be released on 1 June 2024 for LEGO Insiders, exclusively from LEGO.com or your local LEGO store.
Be sure to also check out how tall Barad-Dur is compared to Orthanc and other tall LEGO towers!
What do you think of LEGO Barad-Dur? Let me know in the comments!
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