LEGO’s Battle of Hogwarts is a clever approach to what could have been a boring set

LEGO Harry Potter 76415 The Battle of Hogwarts is not only the perfect closer to 2021’s modular wizarding school, but is also a clever approach to what could have been a really boring set.

Released last summer as part of a varied wave of Wizarding World sets, 76415 The Battle of Hogwarts is the first time the LEGO Harry Potter theme has explicitly recreated the final duel between the boy wizard and Lord Voldemort from the Deathly Hallows: Part II. And while we didn’t know it for sure at the time, it also turned out to be the final piece in the modular Hogwarts system that debuted with 2021’s 20th-anniversary range.

That means expectations going into this set in 2024 – some nine months after its initial release – are relatively high, not only for being the first and only model to tackle this subject matter at this scale, but also for offering a satisfying finishing touch to a multi-set build that many of us will have been assembling over a three-year period – and which we’re now facing restarting with the newest March wave.

Between 76426 Hogwarts Castle Boathouse and 76430 Hogwarts Castle Owlery, this year’s LEGO Harry Potter range has rebooted Hogwarts yet again, with a return to grey rather than sand-green roofs. And that means 76415 The Battle of Hogwarts has its work cut out for it in 2024 – but thanks to its particularly clever approach to its subject matter, this is one Wizarding World set still worth your attention even while the LEGO Group does its best to render it obsolete.

There are two good reasons for that. The first is pretty simply that if you have been building up the 2021 version of Hogwarts, this is an essential piece of the puzzle: whether you opt for the LEGO Group’s suggestion in the instructions to configure it as a bridge or keep it as initially built, as the school’s courtyard and entrance hall, it plays a pivotal role in achieving the familiar silhouette of the iconic Harry Potter location.

And that really taps into the second and major reason 76415 The Battle of Hogwarts is still so successful in 2024, which is that this is unlike any other Hogwarts set before it. Yes, it has that familiar mix of tan, dark nougat, grey and sand green elements; and yes, the turrets, towers and modular rooms and floors won’t necessarily be anything new to veterans of these sets. But it’s the particular priorities of this model that make it distinct.

Where sets like 76402 Hogwarts: Dumbledore’s Office and 76389 Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets can pack in all manner of tiny details that are relevant and specific to their slices of Hogwarts, 76415 The Battle of Hogwarts has the tough task of justifying a £74.99 model based on a section of the school that’s pretty much devoid of detail. Fortunately, the LEGO design team has identified the opportunities this set does present, across its architecture, its narrative and its characters.

76415 The Battle of Hogwarts is essentially a backdrop for Harry and Voldemort to go toe-to-toe, while a few other major players duke it out on the sidelines. But what could have been a bland and boring slice of scenery – remember how empty the final showdown felt in the movie? – instead becomes a key part of the battle, because almost everything here can be destroyed and dismantled.

That’s true of any LEGO set, but it’s intentional and purposefully set up for play here. Entire sections of the build, from floors to turrets and towers, are designed to pop off and reattach easily and instantly. You can take the courtyard from fixed to rubble in a matter of seconds, playing out the battle of Hogwarts with more than just a couple of minifigures in front of a static backdrop.

It gives the model genuine purpose, even on display by itself – you don’t need the rest of Hogwarts to enjoy this – and has the dual benefit of allowing the entire model to be cleverly reconfigured into the bridge that leads to the school’s courtyard. (There’s almost an argument here for buying two of these for a bigger display, though it will take a bit of savvy customisation to make it work.)

Throw into the mix perhaps the most relevant selection of minifigures we’ve seen in any LEGO Harry Potter set to date – Harry, Voldemort, Bellatrix Lestrange, Molly Weasley, Neville Longbottom and Scabior – and the new wands that can cast spells (of which you get two spares in the box), and the ingredients are all there for a successful Wizarding World model, whether to finish off the rest of your modular Hogwarts or just as a standalone recreation of the story’s final moments as they play out on screen.

So while the LEGO Group may already have left behind this particular modular Hogwarts system, it shouldn’t put you off picking up 76415 The Battle of Hogwarts in 2024. The LEGO Harry Potter theme may never revisit this particular scene – it took more than a decade for it to come to life this time – and if it does, who’s to say it will be as smart and successful as this?

76415 The Battle of Hogwarts is available now at LEGO.com, in LEGO Stores and at third-party retailers such as Zavvi for £74.99 / $79.99 / €84.99 (or less). This copy was provided by the LEGO Group for review.

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