Featured set of the day: Ruler of the Jungle
Posted by Huw,
Today, BionicleJedi has selected a classic Adventurers set:
What makes 5906 Ruler of the Jungle special? Well, for me, it was the first set I ever picked up that had a minifigure who was designed to be *a specific character*.
I'd had a few small Lego sets before that point, plus a couple of buckets of bricks, but all my minifigures up until then had just been generic citizens (and one Space robot) who didn't, to my young mind, carry a lot of personality between them. To this kid, Lego was just a passing hobby, not something I had any thought of investing deeply in.
Then, in early 1999, I discovered something fascinating: that there were dedicated Lego themes with their own internal stories and characters! It might sound obvious now; but it was news to little seven-year-old me, and it roped me into the hobby in a way that would last for years. I had found the UK Lego Adventures comic that had just started being sold in newsagents at the time, the first issue featuring the 1999 Ninja line, and... man, I was fascinated. I'd never dreamed that Lego had STORIES and CHARACTERS and ADVENTURES; and even if the comics were never the pinnacle of storytelling, it hooked me.
The second issue that I got (third in total) starred the Adventurers Jungle subtheme, and it captured my imagination like nothing before. The aesthetic, the jungle-y environment, the air balloon, the cool minifigures! I wanted in on that world.
Up to that point, I think, I hadn't really keyed in to the fact that these were actually promoting sets that could be bought in shops; I thought it was all just completely made up to make building with Lego seem more interesting. And then, on holiday to France that year... I stumbled upon this set in a toy shop.
I recognised the minifigure RIGHT AWAY from the comic, and that was all it took to get me completely sold. My parents bought it for me, and I remember I couldn't WAIT to get back to where we were staying to open it. I wasn't allowed to build Lego in the car for the risk of losing pieces down between the seats; but I feel like we reached a compromise where I could open the box, but not the interior bag until we got to our accommodation.
And then, getting back, building the set... it's such a SMALL, SIMPLE thing, you'd think there couldn't have possibly been any excitement involved in throwing those fourteen pieces together to make the statue, but... as a child, I didn't even think that. A lot of the parts I hadn't encountered before; they came together quickly, and it was certainly a nice little bit of scenery that felt appropriate to the 'ancient civilisation' aspect of the Adventurers line. I guess it helped that before then all the little Lego sets I'd had were vehicles, so this was a pleasing change of pace.
But the highlight for me was most definitely the minifigure: Achu, the Lord of the Jungle! I'd never seen such an imposing minifigure before (in the, what, less than ten that I owned at the time, granted!). From his giant ornate headdress and its fantastic printed design, to the intricate detailing on the medallion on his torso. And then, the printed legs, still an uncommon thing in the 90s. The character suggested by his scowling expression and stripes of face-paint, so different from the standard smiles of my other minifigures. And THAT CAPE, fabric with its fascinating stylised skull design! He was everything I didn't know I'd been wanting in a minifigure - at that time, I hadn't known that many of those parts even could exist.
Even if Achu was an obstacle to the Adventurers in the comic, he quickly became a constant hero of the stories I played out with my Lego sets, frequently teaming up with the Shogun (from 6013 Samurai Swordsman, which I also gained on that same holiday) and the Rock Raiders (4930 The Rock Raiders, who stole the show on my birthday later that year), to protect his treasure from various threats. An anachronistic team-up, admittedly; but together the seven of them were absolutely and unashamedly my favourites.
And honestly, in 20-plus years, Achu hasn't yet given up the title of one of my favourite minifigures of all time. I'm not sure whether that's due to nostalgia, or the fact that he's still an impressive minifigure for his time even after all these years... or perhaps a bit of both. But he, and this set as a whole, absolutely captured my childhood imagination; and for that alone, I feel like it has earned this feature.
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24 comments on this article
It's funny how one's circumstances, based on age and geographical region, often primarily drives one's perception of a Lego set. Those comic books you had didn't exist here in the USA. The only narrative adventures we had involving the named characters in a theme was in the Lego Mania Magazine (although some tie-in books may have also been published) in the late 1990s. Perhaps due to their isolated, one-off nature, I never really connected the storyline and characters of Adventurers (for example) firmly to the Lego sets I had. Having names helped a lot, but seeing the story before the sets didn't become a concept I was familiar with until BIONICLE was in full swing.
Nevertheless, I remember Achu (get it? Aaa-CHOOOO! Bless you!) and was very impressed by the minifigure. But as far as the storyline I was exposed to was concerned, he was nothing more than sort of a bogeyman that guarded the sun disc that Johnny Thunder was after. In effect, he played the same role as Pharaoh Ho-Tep in 1998. I loved the original Adventurers line-up, but the jungle adventure in 1999 didn't quite grab me the same way. Of course, Star Wars came out that year and probably stole a lot of my desire for any other Lego sets, but looking back, I really only missed out on getting Achu. He still looks great. Glad you shared your story about a set that I didn't even know existed up to this point!
Wow, this one is fantastic! Thanks
I love these stories. Seeing how other people lived and experienced LEGO. Every story is unique, and can hardly wait for next.
Thank you Huw for this!
See this Lego? This is staple how EVERY CMFS should be.
-1New mold
-Full atractive printing (EVEN ON CAPE)
-Basic but cool accesory
All of the featured sets that have had their story told were quite long and makes the one that I submitted feel very short
Anyway @Lego_Lord_Mayorca, you need to call a doctor for sneezing and they might test you for symptoms. It really sucks having to stay inside for 2 weeks, I know from experience (I’m kinda still in isolation so, technically, I am currently experiencing) :)
I too have great memories of getting a new set on a shopping trip with my parents or grandparents, and the anticipation of getting home to open it. I specifically remember sets I got on vacations and getting to build them in a hotel. I think I also made deals to open the box but not the bags so as to not lose pieces in the car. I chuckled a little when I saw that.
Comics ARE the pinnacle of storyteling.
You just made me add this figure to my “want” list!!
I’m not sure why but I absolutely LOVE this review! You made the minifig character become more than some figure in a small set. The descriptions of the cape, the print on the large and material, the headdress, it all just comes together so well that I can’t help think this is an awesome set & figure!
@Slobrojoe said:
"All of the featured sets that have had their story told were quite long and makes the one that I submitted feel very short
Anyway @Lego_Lord_Mayorca, you need to call a doctor for sneezing and they might test you for symptoms. It really sucks having to stay inside for 2 weeks, I know from experience (I’m kinda still in isolation so, technically, I am currently experiencing) :)"
I'd say, and I am very sorry about it, that at the rate things are going at the moment in the UK, I doubt it will only be for two weeks. Summer is coming and this will make all this confinement a lot harder. Best to all.
Wow, you can get this new in a bad box (very far from collector spec) for "only" 100$CAD (either ebay or bricklink). Talk about good appreciation - almost comparable to the first few modulars and UCSs.
Aw, thanks for all the positive comments, everyone! I love how we all have different memories of these experiences, and yet have little parts and aspects of them in common too; it makes being able to share this with you all a really great experience :D
@redbeardlegoman said:
"Comics ARE the pinnacle of storyteling."
I didn't mean to knock comics in general; I only meant that the Lego Adventures Magazine ones weren't a highlight of their kind!
To clarify, their stories were typically pretty weak, just 4 or 6 pages containing a basic scenario that the respective theme's heroes had to solve; but the worlds they introduced me to were so fantastic to me as a kid that they more than made up for that fact ^^
This is one character that needs to return.
One of the coolest minifigs ever.
One of the things I loved about the Adventurers (at a time, in the late 90s, when there weren't many things to like about Lego's product) was the actual characters. Between him (and the mummy who the Adventurers had to deal with, on their Egyptian journey), I thought they were so lovely. And beautifully-designed, with such great details.
I never owned this set specifically or (5905-1 Hidden Treasure) but had the parts and colors and minifigure's to build them.
I remember playing out so many story's between the two sets, and 5902-1 (River Raft) using sets 5905-1 shrine as a throne for the ruler of the jungle, and the bad guys stealing his statue and escaping on the raft, but the heroes would bring it back to him all the time.
And King Achu is still one of my favorite minifigures.
Great memory's.
Thanks for sharing your story. I loved all of the personal details (especially opening the box but not the bags in the car)!
Thanks for the concern, everyone! But thankfully, I have one of those chrome gold sun discs to ward off the power of Achu!
I never knew this set existed. I'm not familiar with a lot of themes but I looked at them old catalogs so much, I kind of remember most of the sets. This is not one of them. Interesting.
I love stories like this, about how a silly obscure part of a brand can mean so much to a kid creating their own adventures. Well outside LEGO, I think a lot about how as adults we've trained ourselves to focus on protagonists and their complicated journeys, but as a kid, sometimes you latch on to something completely different and go your own way.
Sadly I don't own this figure, but I always wished. It's one of my favorite minifgs of all time and it's just cool to see a minifigure wich brings a story with it. Awesome design for a figure back in the days and exclusive pieces. I hope Lego will bring back a similar designed figure, but that will probably never happen :(
@Lego_lord Sets as small as this one weren't often in catalogs. The only catalog I've ever seen this set in is the 1999 Large UK catalog in Brickset's library (https://images.brickset.com/library/Catalogues/c99uk2.pdf).
I loved reading your story! I never really played out stories with my Lego as a kid, being more focused on building than playing, so I've had the reverse journey. When I finally got my hands on Medieval Market Village a few years ago, I found myself making the minifigures do absurd things, and a story arose naturally...