LEGO Ninjago at 15: biggest sets by year and size

396 sets in 16 calendar years, with 470 parts in the average box

The theme's fifteenth anniversary is a good moment to look at the whole catalogue. Our database holds 396 Ninjago sets, running from 2011 to 2026. The average set contains 470 parts. That number sounds like a mid-size box, but almost nothing sits at the average. The theme is a pile of small sets with a handful of monsters on top.

The monsters are easy to name. The five largest Ninjago sets we track are NINJAGO City Markets (6,163 parts, 2023), NINJAGO City Gardens (5,710, 2021), NINJAGO City (4,873, 2017), The Old Town 15th Anniversary (4,852, 2026) and NINJAGO City Docks (3,555, 2018). Four of those five are city builds. The fifth is a 2026 anniversary set that follows the same logic.

So the theme's centre of gravity is not the dragon or the mech, whatever the box art suggests. It is the town the ninja live in. If you only remember one thing from this guide, make it that.

2011 to 2014: 23 sets at the start, then a dip to 7 in 2013

The theme opened in 2011 with 23 sets and followed with 22 in 2012. Then the output fell off a cliff: 7 sets in 2013 and 9 in 2014. Those are the two thinnest years in the whole run. Our data shows the drop clearly but cannot explain it, so we will not pretend to.

The 2014 year still gave us a landmark. Battle for Ninjago City (1,224 parts) is the earliest set in our top 30 by size. It is the first sign that the theme could carry a bigger, town-scale build, even if it was modest by today's standards.

For a collector in 2026 this period matters mostly as history. The sets are old, the part counts are small compared with what came later, and the thin output means fewer choices. Treat it as the pre-history chapter.

2015 to 2017: the theme learns to build big, and 2017 is the busiest year ever

Output jumped back to 32 sets in 2015, and the size ceiling rose with it. Temple of Airjitzu (2,033 parts, 13 minifigures) is the headline. Final Flight of Destiny's Bounty (1,264 parts) and City of Stiix (1,070 parts) sit next to it in the same year. 2016 brought Samurai X Cave Chaos at 1,255 parts, with 23 sets that year.

Then came 2017, which has the most sets of any year in our database: 34. It is also the year the theme was folded into a film line. In our database, NINJAGO City (4,873 parts, 19 minifigures), Destiny's Bounty (2,296 parts) and Quake Mech (1,202 parts) all sit under The LEGO Ninjago Movie.

That is worth pausing on. The third largest Ninjago set ever made carries a movie label, and it still ranks as a core piece of the theme's history. If you build by theme rather than by franchise, you will want it on the shelf.

2018 to 2021: the city sets turn Ninjago into a display theme

NINJAGO City Docks arrived in 2018 with 3,555 parts and 14 minifigures. The same year gave us Dragon Pit at 1,669 parts, and 29 sets in total. In 2019 the biggest boxes were Castle of the Forsaken Emperor (1,223 parts) and Land Bounty (1,189 parts), out of 32 sets. In 2020, Destiny's Bounty came back at 1,783 parts, among 30 sets.

Then 2021 raised the ceiling. NINJAGO City Gardens reached 5,710 parts and 22 minifigures, the second largest Ninjago set in our records. The rest of that year's range was tiny by comparison: the Epic Battle Sets run from 60 to 78 parts, and Tournament of Elements reaches 292.

Look at that spread. A 5,710 part city and a 60 part duel pack launched in the same twelve months. That is the Ninjago model in one year: tiny sets for the shelf and the pocket, one giant for the person who wants a skyline.

2022 to 2024: City Markets takes the record at 6,163 parts

2022 was quieter, with 23 sets and Ninja Dojo Temple at 1,396 parts as its biggest entry in our top 30. Then 2023 delivered the record. NINJAGO City Markets holds 6,163 parts and 21 minifigures, about 500 parts more than City Gardens. It is the largest Ninjago set in our database, and it is not close to anything else in the theme.

The same year also gave us Destiny's Bounty - Race Against Time at 1,741 parts, out of 26 sets. In 2024 the big box was Tournament Temple City at 3,490 parts with 14 minifigures. Source Dragon of Motion (1,717 parts), Dragon Stone Shrine (1,212) and Wolf Mask Shadow Dojo (1,190) filled out the upper tier.

The 2024 range also included four Micro sets: Micro NINJAGO City (339 parts), Micro NINJAGO Docks (275), Micro NINJAGO City Gardens (376) and Micro NINJAGO City Markets (365). They shrink the big city sets to a size you can fit on a desk. That is a sensible idea, and an honest admission that most shelves cannot hold a 6,000 part town.

2025 and 2026: workshops, a bounty and an anniversary town

2025 gave us 27 sets, led by NINJAGO City Workshops (3,247 parts, 11 minifigures) and The Temple Bounty (2,388 parts, 6 minifigures). The Guardian Dragon follows at 1,650 parts. Notice that the city line kept going, but at a more modest scale than the 2021 and 2023 monsters.

The 2026 range holds 28 sets and the anniversary is the centrepiece. The Old Town 15th Anniversary has 4,852 parts and 24 minifigures, the largest cast of any big Ninjago set we list. The cast includes Master Wu, Kai, Nya, Jay, Garmadon and a statue of the First Spinjitzu Master. For a fifteen year celebration, that is a fitting roll call.

Around it sit Ultra Dragon Battle (2,178 parts), The Twin Titan Mechs (1,708), Lloyd's Titan Mech 15th Anniversary (1,293), Four Weapons Blacksmith 15th Anniversary (1,259) and Land Bounty (1,215). Land Bounty also appeared in 2019 at 1,189 parts, so the name has returned. Our reservation: Ultra Dragon Battle has only 4 minifigures for 2,178 parts, which is a lean cast for a box that size.

What size is a Ninjago set? Five tiers, in parts only

Under 100 parts. This is the pocket tier. Kai's Dragon Power Spinjitzu Flip has 72 parts, Zane's Battle Suit Mech has 93, and the Epic Battle Sets sit between 60 and 78. Build time is short, display value is low. These are minifigure delivery vehicles.

100 to 500 parts. Here you find Cole's Earth Dragon EVO (297 parts), Tournament of Elements (292) and Cole's Mission Mech and Dragon Zane (364). The Micro city sets from 2024 also land here. This is the sweet spot for a single evening of building.

500 to 1,500 parts. Thunder Raider (576 parts, 2020) opens this tier. It runs up through Quake Mech (1,202), Land Bounty (1,215) and Lloyd's Titan Mech 15th Anniversary (1,293). These are proper display models, big enough to dominate a shelf slot.

1,500 to 3,000 parts. Temple of Airjitzu (2,033), Destiny's Bounty (2,296 in 2017) and Ultra Dragon Battle (2,178) live here. Expect a multi-evening build.

More than 3,000 parts. Only the city builds reach it, plus Tournament Temple City at 3,490. Seven sets in our database pass 3,000 parts, and all of them are towns or temple cities. Plan the shelf before you plan the build.

Where to start: a 1,200 to 1,800 part ship or dragon beats a city

Our advice is to resist the skyline at first. A mid-size ship or dragon gives you the theme's best habits without needing a spare table. Destiny's Bounty is the obvious pick because it has appeared three times in our top 30: 2,296 parts in 2017, 1,783 in 2020 and 1,741 in 2023 as Race Against Time. You can compare three generations of one ship in our database.

If you want a dragon, Source Dragon of Motion (1,717 parts) and The Guardian Dragon (1,650) are the large options. Both are in the same size band as the ships, so the build effort is comparable.

If you want a city, the question is room, not budget. City Markets and City Gardens each carry over 20 minifigures and more than 5,000 parts. If that is too much, the Micro versions give you the layout at a fraction of the footprint. Whatever you choose, check the part count against your shelf depth first.

The minifigure count tells you which sets are crowd builds and which are vehicles

City sets carry the cast. City Gardens has 22 minifigures, City Markets 21, The Old Town 15th Anniversary 24 and NINJAGO City 19. Docks and Tournament Temple City each have 14. These are scenes, not vehicles, and the minifigures are what makes them feel populated.

The ship sets run the other way. Destiny's Bounty has 7 minifigures in both its 2017 and 2020 versions, and The Temple Bounty has 6. You get the core ninja crew and not much more. Temple of Airjitzu is the exception, with 13.

Why does this matter? Because parts per minifigure changes what you are buying. A city gives you a lot of people to place. A ship gives you a single large object. Decide which one you want before comparing part counts.

Our take

Fifteen years in, Ninjago is healthier than the thin 2013 and 2014 numbers might suggest. The theme released between 22 and 34 sets in every year from 2015 to 2026, and it has found a second identity as a display line. The city sets are the reason to pay attention.

Our reservations are specific. The very small sets are plentiful and the cast of some large boxes is thin, with Ultra Dragon Battle at 4 minifigures the clearest case. And the largest builds are so large that few collectors can display them properly. We would like to see more sets in the 3,000 part range, between the ships and the towns.

Still, the range from 72 parts to 6,163 parts is real. Whatever size you want, there is a set. Our verdict is a solid 8 out of 10 bricks.

Editors' score 8 bricks out of 10

Ninjago
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biggest sets
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City Markets
Destiny's Bounty

The sets in this story

Frequently asked questions

How many Ninjago sets exist?

Our database lists 396 Ninjago sets, released between 2011 and 2026. The average set holds 470 parts. The busiest year was 2017 with 34 sets, and the thinnest was 2013 with only 7. In 2026 we already count 28 sets, so the current year is close to the long term norm.

What is the biggest Ninjago set ever?

NINJAGO City Markets, set 71799, from 2023. It has 6,163 parts and 21 minifigures. City Gardens (71741, 5,710 parts) is second, followed by NINJAGO City from 2017 (4,873 parts). The 2026 anniversary set, The Old Town 15th Anniversary, is fourth at 4,852 parts with 24 minifigures.

Which Ninjago set is best for a first purchase?

We suggest a ship or dragon between roughly 1,200 and 1,800 parts. Destiny's Bounty is the natural choice, since it exists in three versions in our top 30: 2,296 parts in 2017, 1,783 in 2020 and 1,741 in 2023. Cities are better as a second step, once you know you have the space.

What are the 15th anniversary Ninjago sets?

Three sets in our database carry the 15th Anniversary name: The Old Town 15th Anniversary (4,852 parts, 24 minifigures), Lloyd's Titan Mech 15th Anniversary (1,293 parts) and Four Weapons Blacksmith 15th Anniversary (1,259 parts). All three were released in 2026, alongside 25 other Ninjago sets that year.

Are there smaller versions of the big Ninjago city sets?

Yes. In 2024 there were four Micro sets: Micro NINJAGO City (339 parts), Micro NINJAGO Docks (275), Micro NINJAGO City Gardens (376) and Micro NINJAGO City Markets (365). They reproduce the city themes at desk size, which suits collectors without room for a 6,000 part build.

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