LEGO NINJAGO 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech review

71785 Jay’s Titan Mech is LEGO NINJAGO’s biggest and boldest Titan Mech set yet – but can it build on those traits to deliver something genuinely new in a theme swamped with robots?

That’s really the question that faces every new mech in a theme jam-packed with them, and not without reason: if you’re buying into each and every one of these sets, or even just hand-picking a select few, you need to know whether the latest one offers something different from the last. At the price point these mechs command, the LEGO Group can’t get away with reskinning basic skeletons in the same way as, say, Marvel’s (comparatively) mini mechs.

The good news is that 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech sets itself apart right out of the gate, defined by a unique aesthetic even within a theme now in its 13th year on shelves. That much is obvious from the official images – but how well does it hold up in your hands, and can the building experience reach for the same distinction?

--- LEGO NINJAGO 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech set details ---

Theme: NINJAGO Set name: 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech Release date: January 1, 2023

Price: £69.99 / $79.99 / €79.99 Pieces: 794 Minifigures: 5

LEGO: Available now

--- Where to buy LEGO NINJAGO 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech ---

71785 Jay’s Titan Mech is available to buy directly from LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores, but you may be able to find it cheaper through third-party retailers. Check out the latest deals on this LEGO NINJAGO 2023 set below.

--- LEGO NINJAGO 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech build ---

NINJAGO nailed its colours to the mech mast pretty much from day one, all the way back in 2011, and yet here we are 12 years later and the theme is arguably stronger than ever. The latest mega-mech to come out of the Core subtheme – those sets that define the essence of NINJAGO – belongs to Jay, and it’s a beauty.

Before we get to the aesthetics achieved by this striking blue, white and gold mech, though (and more on those colours too shortly), it’s worth touching on just how much fun you’ll have putting it together. And it’s quite a bit – even if that experience is surprisingly brief given the nearly 800 pieces in the box. From the articulated knees and sturdy thighs to the angled torso and feet built sideways, every inch of Jay’s big blue robot is imbued with the confidence of a designer who’s done this kind of thing before. (Coincidentally, Niek van Slagmaat definitely has.)

That’s through not only the impressive size of 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech, which quickly builds into one of the tallest NINJAGO mechs in recent memory, but also the model’s strong command of colour and aesthetics. It wears its influences on its sleeve – '90s anime robots – but its own personality shines through too, elegant and slight in a way few LEGO mechs manage, particularly at this scale. There’s not much meat on those bones, but Jay’s mech stands tall regardless.

It’s also surprisingly poseable given its slender profile, with articulation built all across the mech – even in its knees, which isn’t always a given for LEGO. Clever use of ball joints (at varying sizes) ensures it’s a sturdy beast, and while the level of articulation doesn’t quite reflect the number of them included – the feet are especially tricky to manipulate – there’s enough capability that you’ll be able to switch up your display from time to time.

This is also a mech filled with character (not characters – scroll down for those), partly communicated through its bold and beautiful colours, but also through its enormous brick-built weaponry, shoulder-mounted cannons and the cable sprouting from its head, constructed in unorthodox fashion. It’s a mech that perhaps prioritises flair first and foremost, which is really what sets it apart in a crowded sea of NINJAGO mechs, but that never comes at the expense of the fundamentals: a sturdy and poseable robot.

Also included in 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech is a small ballista for the bone baddies, which is a fun (if tricky to activate) play starter that most adult fans will probably be happy to consume for parts. That leaves the focus on the mech, with stellar results.

--- LEGO NINJAGO 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech characters ---

The battle-in-a-box concept is alive and kicking in NINJAGO’s 2023 line-up, exemplified here through a combo of two ninja, three baddies and a Wu-bot. Jay and Nya are fine designs, if not exactly rare, while each of the Bone King, Bone Hunter and Bone Knight all appear elsewhere too. As an assortment here they work well, fleshing out the mech and ballista with enough characters to keep things interesting if this is the only NINJAGO set you own, and those new bone weapon elements are pretty spicy.

The Wu-bot (or Pixal Bot, if you prefer) is unique to 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech, meanwhile, and a fun follow-up to the Wu-bots included in 2021’s 71756 Hydro Bounty and 2022’s 71765 Ninja Ultra Combo Mech.

--- LEGO NINJAGO 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech price ---

71785 Jay’s Titan Mech costs 70 big ones in the UK, a full £10 more than 71738 Zane’s Titan Mech Battle. (It’s a $15 / €15 difference in the US and Europe respectively.) Do you get more bang for your buck here? Not really. The two mechs come in at a comparable size – Jay’s is sleeker, but packs in that massive sword – and you’re getting fewer pieces here, although the balance is readjusted a bit by the inclusion of two extra minifigures.

That direct point of comparison falters a little bit when you look at the landscape of the past two years, and inflation and price increases and so on, so what you really want to know is: does 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech feel like money well spent, regardless of what’s come before? And the answer is yes, just about, though the building experience is fleeting enough that you’re probably best waiting for a discount of some sort. But what set doesn’t that apply to these days?

--- LEGO NINJAGO 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech pictures ---

--- LEGO NINJAGO 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech pros and cons ---

71785 Jay’s Titan Mech carves out its own identity in a growing sea of NINJAGO mechs, and that’s really all you need at this point. Like 71738 Zane’s Titan Mech Battle before it, it’s the kind of set that transcends the trappings of its theme to achieve universal appeal – so if you’re just into mechs but couldn’t give a hoot about Jay, Nya and the gang, there’s still something here for you.

That’s because it’s also unique in the long and growing list of mechs scattered across almost every LEGO theme by now, which is credit to its bold and confident aesthetic above all else. It might not be quite as nimble as its sleek skeleton suggests, but then there are circa 700 pieces making up this mech, and it’s still a sturdy thing. In short: long live NINJAGO’s Titan Mechs.

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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--- Alternatives to LEGO NINJAGO 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech ---

The LEGO Group isn’t exactly short on mechs at the moment, with plenty others currently available within NINJAGO and across other themes. 71738 Zane’s Titan Mech Battle is still the one to beat for NINJAGO, but you can go even bigger with Monkie Kid’s 80045 Monkey King Ultra Mech, or keep things small, affordable and accessible with sets like 80040 Monkie Kid’s Combi Mech or 71783 Kai’s Mech Rider EVO.

--- LEGO NINJAGO 71785 Jay’s Titan Mech FAQs ---