Review: 76434 Aragog in the Forbidden Forest
Posted by CapnRex101,
Four minifigure-scale models of Aragog have been produced and the latest version, available in 76434 Aragog in the Forbidden Forest, looks particularly creepy! The giant spider is certainly bigger than its predecessors and features more realistic arachnid details.
Updated versions of Harry and Ron are also included, seemingly improving on the equivalent minifigures from 75950 Aragog's Lair. In fact, this set is essentially a direct remake of its 2018 counterpart, with a substantially larger rendition of the titular Acromantula.
Summary
76434 Aragog in the Forbidden Forest , 195 pieces.
£17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99 | 9.2p/10.3c/10.3c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Aragog in the Forbidden Forest is an enjoyable set, primarily for the titular spider!
- The best version of Aragog to date
- Nice companion for other sets
- Good minifigures
- Fang could have been included
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Harry Potter and Ron Weasley don warm jackets for their journey into the Forbidden Forest, following spiders in a search for information about the Chamber of Secrets. These costumes earlier appeared in 75950 Aragog's Lair, but the new minifigures capture slightly more detail, particularly on Ron's chequered jacket. I think its primary dark bluish grey colour works better than the previous lighter shade.
The design on Harry's shirt looks excellent too, although its updates are subtler, relative to the minifigure from 2018. Otherwise, these two friends feature the same hair elements and double-sided heads as usual, complete with frightened expressions, which suit this scene from the film perfectly.
Both minifigures are equipped with their wands and a lantern is provided as well. Although he does not play a major role in the scene, Fang joins Harry and Ron in the Forbidden Forest, so perhaps Hagrid's dog could have been included. After all, a new piece was introduced for Fang in 76428 Hagrid's Hut: An Unexpected Visit, which we examined a couple of months ago.
The Completed Model
LEGO has plenty of experience building giant spiders, across a variety of themes. Aragog puts this experience to impressive use and definitely improves upon existing models, in my opinion. Beyond its increased size, now reaching almost 19cm across, this version of the Acromantula features slimmer limbs and therefore more realistic proportions than its precursors.
Each leg includes a single click hinge, while the reddish brown tail elements forming the tips of the legs can rotate. The designer probably could have integrated more joints, but these provide ample movement for play and posing. Furthermore, the lone click hinges ensure the legs remain strong enough to support the weight of the spider comfortably, even with some off the ground.
Aragog's chelicerae and pedipalps are also articulated, while his printed eyes look absolutely fantastic. They are arranged exactly as seen onscreen and look fittingly menacing, although I am struggling to view the lower row of eyes as anything other than a frowning mouth! Even so, the printed 2x2 curved slope is effective.
The legs are fixed to the body using Technic connectors, spreading them out nicely. I am glad their reddish brown colour matches other areas of the giant spider, complemented by dark tan, dark brown and black parts. These include a black 1x2 double slope with overhang on Aragog's abdomen, seemingly depicting a stinger.
Like the legs, the abdomen is also attached to the body via a click hinge, which allows some motion. Also, I should mention that Aragog's legs are sufficiently articulated to curl up, so you can recreate the memorable scene of his funeral from Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, as shown here.
A small section of the Forbidden Forest accompanies Aragog, where his fellow Acromantulas reside. Two medium nougat spiders are included, which is fewer than I would like, particularly given their shared colour. Providing a couple of exclusive reddish brown or dark brown spiders would have been appropriate, matching Aragog.
The dark blue and bright light blue colours correspond with 76432 Forbidden Forest: Magical Creatures, as this structure is intended to connect with the earlier set. This option is welcome and the models form a cohesive whole, although I believe there was an error in arranging their clips because the more detailed sides of each section face in opposite directions once linked.
Overall
76434 Aragog in the Forbidden Forest provides by far my favourite version of Aragog to date. The giant spider looks scarier than ever and I like how the legs are assembled, allowing easy posing. The minifigures are good too, although I wish Fang was included, since Harry and Ron have already appeared in many small sets.
Speaking of which, I appreciate the continuity between this set, 76424 Flying Ford Anglia and 76432 Forbidden Forest: Magical Creatures, all three of which work well together. Additionally, the price of £17.99, $19.99 or €19.99 feels reasonable to me, so I would definitely recommend this set to Harry Potter fans.
108 likes
40 comments on this article
Shelob was terrifying in the film!
Looks great here.
@bananaworld said:
"
Shelob was terrifying in the film!
Looks great here."
yeh, I should get this to place around Barad-Dur!
Aragog looks SO good. Very happy to see a that printed brick, too, and I adore all of the mouth articulation. Fang popping up here would have made perfect sense, but… alas!
@bananaworld said:
"
Shelob was terrifying in the film!
Looks great here."
True... But it's good and relatively cheap way to get Frodo and Sam so I'll get this one...
@HJB2810 said:
" @bananaworld said:
"
Shelob was terrifying in the film!
Looks great here."
yeh, I should get this to place around Barad-Dur!"
At almost $500, I would expect LEGO to have included any and all applicable Harry Potter side builds in the forthcoming LotR set. ;o)
Great tree-building set if it goes on sale!
I got 75950 when the Harry Potter line rebooted in 2018, so this set greatly intrigues me.
IMO 9470 Shelob still has the more realistic and impressive spider look, but this one is very good, especially at $20--not bad, not bad at all.
@naota_XD said:
" @bananaworld said:
"
Shelob was terrifying in the film!
Looks great here."
True... But it's good and relatively cheap way to get Frodo and Sam so I'll get this one..."
That Light of Erandil leaves something to be desired, though. Should look like a small vial, not a huge lantern.
"Your body may decaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, but your spirit will live ooooooooooooooon...." - Horace Slughorn
Since I have the previous version I'll be skipping this unless it goes on deep discount at some point. I don't want another huge creepy spider even though it's part of the story. Wouldn't mind the forest piece and the updated Harry & Ron but I need to put limits on all the remakes for budgetary reasons.
I'm not arachnophobic but I still find that uncomfortable to look at!
I feel like you could prank some people pretty hard with this Aragog build. It looks legit creepy!!
Mostly good, but I do think it's a step down in some ways from the 2018 version 75950 which came with five (FIVE!) extra spiders, as well as a tree-build that had a printed spiderweb dish piece. Surely this could've included a tree like the ones in 76432 to make it actually feel a bit forest-y.
I'm also missing the brick-built face of the 2018 Aragog. It wasn't perfect but it was more LEGO-y, whereas a printed slope is a little bit too smooth and flat. But at least it's a print so I can't complain too much, but I would've liked to have seen more of a brick-built version.
Still a great spider build on the whole though, I'll surely pick one up. Could've been better though!
Whoa, they included the average Harry Potter fan in this set!
@Trigger_ said:
"Whoa, they included the average Harry Potter fan in this set!"
No, that IS Harry Potter.
I suppose stamping on Lego's officially a bad idea. Better find a pretty big vacuum cleaner then!
he did not have to mention the eyes looking like a frown
I can't unsee that
It looks quite disgusting to me.
Which is meant as a compliment, because it looks just as disgusting (and terrifying) in the movie.
This might be the best LEGO rendition of a giant spider so far.
The previous set 75950 has a history around my house. It was my son’s first introduction to Harry Potter and he thought the spider was a hairy potter, I.E. a creature called a Potter that was hairy. It’s still a running joke to this day.
@DaLegoNerd1 said:
"he did not have to mention the eyes looking like a frown
I can't unsee that"
It would make a good wooden snowman
"Titular Acromantula"?
I think I saw them supporting Slayer a few years ago
another con: too realistic for arachnophobes.
@AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
" @DaLegoNerd1 said:
"he did not have to mention the eyes looking like a frown
I can't unsee that"
It would make a good wooden snowman"
I don't see it personally
@EtudeTheBadger said:
" @Trigger_ said:
"Whoa, they included the average Harry Potter fan in this set!"
No, that IS Harry Potter."
The eight-legged monster with fangs and scary eyes is Harry Potter? The more you know!
@CapnRex101 said:
"...seemingly depicting a stinger."
Not an organ that spiders have on their rear-end, though they do have spinnerets there.
@Trigger_ said:
" The eight-legged monster with fangs and scary eyes is Harry Potter? The more you know!"
So, you're suggesting (if not outright stating) that the average Harry Potter fan is a spider?
That's just weird.
When compared to the similarly priced 75950, it's interesting to see how pieces went to the main build this time, sacrificing the smaller spiders along the way in order to beef up Aragog.
Other than that, I love the modularity of the forest vignette and the compatibility with 30677 and 76432. Combined with those, Aragog also gains two more spiders to the army/nest.
Great review, spot-on as always. Fang would be great, and I wish all the leg parts matched.
Nevertheless, this set is fantastic. A very nice design. I love the brown color scheme to contrast with the usual black of big Lego spiders. Showing it curled on its back is hilarious and strangely moving.
"Ohh, farewell, Aragog! King of the arachnids. The body will decay. But, your spirit lingers on..."
Seems like only yesterday, he was the size of a wee Pekingese. Time flies, my friends.
I will get many to add to my Halloween and HP displays. I don't need it for Barad-dur as I have 3 of the all-time great 9470 (of course, I had to replace all the brown hinge pieces on the legs because they snapped liked potato chips).
That is a realistic spider. So it’s a pass for me. Plus I can get real ones that size for free here anyway.
@Reventon said:
"That is a realistic spider. So it’s a pass for me. Plus I can get real ones that size for free here anyway."
I sometimes feel that Lego is poisonous.
Down there in the far away land of make believe beauty and danger, it's really true?
I gotta get down there.
@whw_iv said:
"Aragog looks SO good. Very happy to see a that printed brick, too, and I adore all of the mouth articulation. Fang popping up here would have made perfect sense, but… alas!"
Gollum would have been better than Fang.
I don't have many Harry Potter sets, and one of the ones I do have is 75950, but I'm tempted to get this one. I've always found spiders fascinating creatures, and this is an excellent brick-built one.
@Reventon said:
"That is a realistic spider. So it’s a pass for me. Plus I can get real ones that size for free here anyway."
Hahaha, true....
Pros: The best version of Aragog to date.
Cons: The best version of Aragog to date.
@DaLegoNerd1 said:
"he did not have to mention the eyes looking like a frown
I can't unsee that"
That's what it looks like in the films too.
@EtudeTheBadger said:
" @Trigger_ said:
" The eight-legged monster with fangs and scary eyes is Harry Potter? The more you know!"
So, you're suggesting (if not outright stating) that the average Harry Potter fan is a spider?
That's just weird."
"average Harry Potter fan is a spider" factoid actualy just statistical error. average Harry Potter fan is a humanlike being. georgs spider, who lives in cave and leads over 10,000 spiders, is an outlier adn should not have been counted.
@Andrusi: Thanks for the laugh; I love that meme.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @Andrusi: Thanks for the laugh; I love that meme."
From now on = Adnrusi
@DaLegoNerd1 said:
"he did not have to mention the eyes looking like a frown
I can't unsee that"
That was probably the first thing I noticed about this set.