It's that time of year once again. The Holidays are approaching, seemingly faster than ever before, and along with them comes the annual need to buy loved ones gifts. Finding a partner, friend, or family member something they'll truly love is almost always a difficult task this time of year, but thankfully there are more options than ever to please the more nerdy-inclined, and LEGO has become a one-stop shop for gamers, movie buffs, and fans of just about any nerdy IP out there.
From Star Wars to Harry Potter to Marvel, LEGO really has something for everyone, and that's truer now than any year in the company's long history. Now, on top of every movie franchise it's been working with for years, LEGO has teamed up with some of the world's most popular video game IPs, including both Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. No matter the budget, skill level, or interests, LEGO has something for everyone this 2023 Holiday season.
LEGO Star Wars, Marvel, Harry Potter, City, and Friends Advent Calendars
Approximate Retail Price: $30-40
Amazon Links:
LEGO Star Wars 2023 Advent Calendar
LEGO Marvel 2023 Advent Calendar
LEGO Harry Potter 2023 Advent Calendar
LEGO City 2023 Advent Calendar
LEGO Friends 2023 Advent Calendar
The most obvious pick for any LEGO lover this Holiday season, LEGO has a range of advent calendars this year, with five themes in total. Each of these LEGO advent calendars comes with an array of minifigures, and a handful of tiny buildable sets, all themed around the specific franchise or LEGO line. For instance, the LEGO Star Wars 2023 advent calendar comes with a Clone Trooper and Battle Droid among others, and tiny versions of the Bad Batch's ship, an Ewok village, and much more. These LEGO advent calendars usually come with one or two exclusive minifigures as well, usually with Christmas jumper torsos.
LEGO Avengers Tower
Approximate Retail Price: $500
Link to LEGO Avengers Tower on LEGO Website
Set to release on November 24 2023, this new LEGO Avengers Tower is the talk of the town right now in the LEGO community. An absolutely gigantic set, this version of the LEGO Avengers Tower is the ideal gift for hardcore LEGO and Marvel fans this Holiday season, though it definitely isn't cheap. But while the $500 price tag is certainly lofty, fans do get a lot for their money, including 31 minifigs, a buildable Quinjet and Chitauri Leviathan, and even Marvel Studios President himself, Kevin Feige.
LEGO Marvel Series 2 Minifigures
Approximate Retail Price: $4.99
Link to LEGO Marvel Series 2 Minifigures on Amazon
Another incredibly popular LEGO Marvel product that's flying off shelves right now is the LEGO Marvel Series 2 Minifigures collection. Sold in blind boxes, these minifigs take some of the most iconic Marvel characters and give them the LEGO treatment, most of whom for the first time. From MCU Disney+ characters like She-Hulk and Moon Knight, to X-Men heroes like Wolverine, there are a ton of great characters to collect.
LEGO Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter
Approximate Retail Price: $164.99
Link to LEGO Dune Ornithopter on Amazon
Though it technically doesn't come out until February 2024, the LEGO Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter is simply too impressive to keep off this list. A collaboration seemingly plucked from fans' wildest dreams, this LEGO Ornithopter has 1369 pieces and comes with eight minifigs, each one representing a different character from the recent Dune movie, and presumably its upcoming sequel. Though fans won't be able to get this LEGO Dune set until February next year, having it on pre-order would still make for a good gift this Holiday season.
LEGO Pac-Man Arcade
Approximate Retail Price: $269.99
Link to LEGO Pac-Man Arcade on Amazon
Following right on from its successful Nintendo and Atari console range, LEGO released a Pac-Man Arcade set earlier this year, and it's a perfect gift for nostalgic gamers this Holiday season. While it may not actually function like the real thing, the LEGO Pac-Man Arcade does have a few fun little playability features including a small crank on the side of the machine that moves the ghosts throughout the maze, and rotates the high-score counter.
LEGO Mario Piranha Plant
Approximate Retail Price: $59.99
Link to LEGO Piranha Plant on LEGO Website
Released just a few weeks ago, the LEGO Piranha Plant takes an iconic Super Mario villain and gives it a wonderfully blocky makeover. Coming in at just over 500 pieces, this LEGO Mario Piranha Plant is the perfect mid-range LEGO gift this Holiday season, giving fans a great display model to put on a shelf.
Lego Super Mario Donkey Kong’s Tree House Expansion Set
Approximate Retail Price: $59.99
Link to LEGO Mario Donkey Kong Expansion on Amazon
Though it might not be an older fan's ideal set, the LEGO Mario Donkey Kong Tree House expansion is a great gift idea for younger LEGO fans. Designed to be used in conjunction with the rest of the Super Mario LEGO sets, this expansion comes with large buildable versions of Donkey Kong and Cranky Kong, along with a pretty sizable version of the gorillas' tree house.
LEGO Sonic The Hedgehog Sonic vs. Dr. Eggman’s Death Egg Robot
Approximate Retail Price: $59.99
Link to LEGO Sonic vs. Dr. Eggman Robot on Amazon
Though there are a ton of new LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog sets to choose from this Holiday season, the Sonic vs. Dr. Eggman set is probably the best place to start. Coming with both the Blue Blur and his arch-nemesis, the LEGO Sonic set comes with all the various bits and pieces fans need to make their own LEGO Sonic adventures, including a launcher for Sonic, some obstacles, and Dr. Eggman's hulking Death Egg Robot.
LEGO Horizon Forbidden West Tallneck
Approximate Retail Price: $89.99
Link to LEGO Horizon Forbidden West Tallneck on Amazon
Though it came out quite a while ago now, the LEGO Horizon Forbidden West Tallneck set is still one of the best gifts a gamer can get this Holiday season. Along with the towering Tallneck itself, this $90 set comes with a small buildable Watcher, and an incredibly-detailed Aloy minifigure. And the best part about this set being a little older is that it's pretty common to see it drop in price dramatically during sales like Black Friday.
LEGO Minecraft Sword Outpost
Approximate Retail Price: $44.99
Link to LEGO Minecraft Sword Outpost on Amazon
LEGO's Minecraft range has been going strong for over a decade now and it remains one of the best options for younger LEGO gaming fans. While some of the LEGO Minecraft sets can get a tad pricey, this LEGO Minecraft Sword Outpost is fairly reasonable, coming in at $45 for just over 400 pieces and five minifigures.
LEGO Minecraft Iron Golem Fortress
Approximate Retail Price: $109.99
Link to LEGO Minecraft Golem Fortress on Amazon
But on the more expensive side of things is the LEGO Minecraft Iron Golem Fortress. Though it retails for about $110, this LEGO Minecraft set comes with 868 pieces, and six minifigures, along with a ton of extra accessories and smaller builds like skeleton horses. A great feature of this set is that can also come apart, giving fans both a small fortress, and a posable Iron Golem.
LEGO Walt Disney Tribute Camera
Approximate Retail Price: $99.99
Link to LEGO Walt Disney Tribute Camera on Amazon
It might not be related to gaming, but the LEGO Walt Disney Tribute Camera is one of 2023's most intriguing LEGO sets that just about any die-hard Disney fan should have. In celebration of Disney's 100th anniversary, this LEGO set gives fans two buildable vintage cameras, along with five LEGO Disney figures, including Bambi, Dumbo, Walt Disney himself, and black-and-white versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse.