Running for almost a decade at this point, each December we kick off the annual tradition of seeing what’s in the year’s LEGO Advent Calendars. And for 2023, there’s so much to be excited about. With 24 days of different creations on tap, we’ll be taking a day-by-day look to highlight all of the miniature creations, minifigures, and other builds in the countdown to the end of the month. This year, we’re checking out the latest LEGO Star Wars, Marvel, City, and Friends Advent Calendars for 2023.
For the first time ever, we’re taking a look at four different LEGO Advent Calendars for 2023. So whether you’re following along at home with your own unboxing experience or just checking out the builds to get in on the festivities, be sure to head below the fold to see how the 2023 Star Wars, Marvel, City, and Friends LEGO Advent Calendars stack up. Dinosaur For Kids
We’ll be publishing updates each and every day up through December 24 at around 10 a.m. EST every morning. The lead image will also be a silhouette of the included characters and builds, but if you go any further you’ll see spoilers!
The Endor action continues, and for Day 18 it’s a miniature Speeder Bike! The Star Wars Advent Calendar really doesn’t want to shy away from the 40th anniversary of Episode VI, and today’s build makes me excited that the set isn’t! I adore this cute little model, far more than any of the other miniatures we’ve pieced together over the past few days. So while it might be a little too small for a minifigure to ride on, it has some novel parts usage and does the trick at recreating the source material.
The Sorcerer Supreme has landed! Following up the hero’s signature garment yesterday, Day 18 of the LEGO Marvel Advent Calendar is delivering a minifigure of Doctor Strange. At this point, I don’t know who doesn’t have a ton of these considering just how many sets he has been crammed into lately. But if you somehow don’t have the character, it’s a pretty good inclusion.
The printing is still the same, high-quality version we’ve gotten in other sets this year and is easily one of the best versions ever released of Strange.
Then check out the 18th creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. Today’s inclusions give us some presents to put under the tree from the City countdown yesterday, as well as a little pug for the Friends set.
If you’ve been enjoying the Return of the Jedi theming, you’re in for a treat with Day 17 of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar. The company really is making sure to get every little model it can out of the 40th anniversary of the film, and today’s inclusion assembles a miniature AT-ST.
The build itself is pretty small, but it pairs very well with the other models we’ve gotten the past few days. It’s certainly not the best one we’ve had, but it’s far from the worse.
Accessories really are just getting their entire own days huh now? Day 17 of the LEGO Marvel Advent Calendar is here and it’s giving us the Cloak of Levitation. It’s wild to be getting this add-on before a minifigure of the hero who is normally seen wearing the cape, but I guess we’ll just have to wait until tomorrow to assemble ourselves a Doctor Strange.
I know the idea of just getting an accessory for a day is bad, but at least it’s something as great as the cloak. It’s such a higher-end piece that I understand why they did it, but I wish it had just been included with Strange so we could have gotten some other miniature model.
Then check out the seventeenth creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. Today’s inclusions double down on the festivities from the City side of things with a fun little Christmas Tree, while the Friends countdown gives us a ton of accessories for the pets included in the first 16 days.
Keeping the Return of the Jedi theming going for another model, Day 16 of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar is here with a miniature Endor Bunker build. It goes so perfectly with the Ewok Village from yesterday, even if the scale is a little off, and makes good use out of the minimal included prices. It’s not going to be the best build from the countdown by any means, but it’s a neat creation nonetheless.
Shifting up gears completely, Day 16 of the LEGO Marvel holiday countdown action moves over to putting one of the more fearsome villains in the spotlight. Loki’s Throne is today’s build, and it’s such a cute little model. It feels just the right amount of ornate for someone chasing glorious purpose, and is certainly one of the better inclusions in the Advent Calendar so far.
We should be seeing the trickster himself as tomorrow’s inclusion, so stay tuned!
Then check out the sixteenth creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. Today’s inclusions give us some more minifigure accessories, with the City kit assembling such a cute little clock. Then as far as the Friends build goes, we get a table and chairs.
Let the Endor action continue! Day 15 of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar is delivering a very delightful little build of the Ewok Village from Return of the Jedi. It uses some brown and green bricks perfectly in order to assemble such a cute little model. I love how efficient the whole model is for making a pretty scaled down version of the source material while still capturing enough detail to tell what it is./
Keeping up the Episode VI theming is of course another perk. So while this creation may not be festive, I’m pretty happy with it. Maybe we’ll get some more Endor stuff tomorrow!
For the Marvel inclusion in Day 15 of the LEGO Advent Calendar, we have a miniature Arc Reactor build. And by that I mean we have a translucent blue brick on top of a small build. It’s not the best inclusion in the countdown so far, and is effectively just a weapons rack. It’s pretty funny to me that the Star Wars set has avoided that dreaded category of build this year so far, only for the Marvel counterpart to pick up the slack.
But that aside, my real complaint is that I wish it was done in the same style as the other modular builds we’ve been getting. At least having a little weapon storage rack that clicks into the other builds would have been cool, but this just feels out of place.
Then check out the fifteenth creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. Today’s inclusions aren’t anything too amazing, but do double down on the festive theming. There’s a cat and a small Christmas tree build for the City action, with the Friends kit of the day assembling a delightful little oven.
Another minifigure has arrived for Day 14 of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar for 2023. It gives us Princess Leia, who keeps up the Return of the Jedi theming with her outfit from Endor. It’s a figure we got earlier in the year with one of the diorama sets, but considering a lot of builders didn’t end up buying that kit (myself included) I am happy to see a chance to score the figure.
Trading out her spear for a hockey stick and some skates, Day 14 of the LEGO Marvel Advent Calendar is all about accessories for Okoye. We’re getting a few different inclusions like the aforementioned hockey gear, which also includes a puck and little goal that cleverly uses a windshield element. There there’s also a small present who is joined by a bunny figure.
It’s a nice little batch of accessories, although nothing all too special. I suppose the play aspect of including these kinds of add-ons is easy to overlook, but getting something a little extra would have made this more of a highlight in the countdown. We could have at least received an extra pair of skates and another stick so Okoye isn’t playing alone.
Then check out the fourteenth creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. Today’s inclusions aren’t anything too amazing, but there is a neat little minifigure for the City collection that includes a sweater and smartphone. Then on the Friends side, we have a cute little pup figure.
Day 13 of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar is assembling one of my personal favorite vehicles from a galaxy far, far away. The Imperial Shuttle from Episode VI barely gets any screen time, but is one of the cooler transport ships to ever grace the screen in the Original Trilogy. And for its miniature model today, the design is pretty solid! It has folding wings which is a nice play feature, and manages to capture the likeness pretty well.
Today’s inclusion also marks a departure from the Prequel side of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar. So far for 2023, we’ve been getting a lot of Clones, Droids, and other oddities from the Clone Wars era, but now it looks like we’re jumping ahead to the end of the Galactic Civil War with some Return of the Jedi focus. I sense an Ewok in the near future…
We’ve got a new minifigure! Okoye is making the cut for Day 13 of the LEGO Marvel Advent Calendar. It’s a not a new figure, but anyone who hasn’t picked up one of the few sets she has come in will be happy to find the Wakandan warrior in the holiday countdown – even if she isn’t all too festive.
Okoye comes complete with a spear that actually has a nice design to it. I feel like the LEGO Group could have just given her something far more basic as an accessory, or maybe not even one at all. So at least we’re getting a fitting weapon for her.
Then check out the thirteenth creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. We’re back with an adorable little addition to the gaming setup from yesterday for the City countdown. It’s a neon green gaming chair that may lack the Razer logo, but is very much inspired by the kind of look you’d find at a battlestation. Then over on the city side of the action, we have a crate full of Christmas tree ornaments to decorate yesterday’s inclusion in the calendar.
My favorite build of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar has arrived, and it’s only Day 12! Every year we get a different themed Gonk Droid who’s infused with the holiday spirit, and today’s take on the festive character is a reindeer.
It’s such a cute build, and one that joins other top contenders from past years like Santa and snowman Gonk Droids. Just a phenomenal build, zero notes.
Letting the moment down a bit, the Marvel LEGO Advent Calendar for 2023 is assembling (drumroll please….) a workbench! Can you believe it! This small build goes with some of the other sections of an Avengers HQ we’ve been building, but it does leave a lot up to the imagination. It has a little tool box and a crowbar, but nothing all too exciting.
Then check out the twelfth creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. We’re back with an adorable little gaming setup for the City countdown, including a laptop, mouse, and a cup. So at least our little gamer who is likely coming in the days to follow isn’t stuck using a trackpad or anything to game. Then there’s a great little Christmas tree from the Friends calendar – although it’s missing some decorations…
The droids really are taking over! Today’s build for Day 11 of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar is assembling another miniature model, and this time it’s of an AAT. The droid tank has been a staple in the Prequels since we first saw the Trade Federation troops hit the scene in 1999’s The Phantom Menace, and for today’s holiday countdown gift we’re getting a version based on the Clone Wars color scheme.
Don’t tell any Clone Troopers, but this is a pretty adorable little model. It’s scaled down a bit further than the Hailfire Droid Tank from yesterday, but makes great use out of the more limited part count.
Giving us one of the first actually holiday- AND hero-themed builds from the LEGO Marvel Advent Calendar for 2023, Day 11 assembles this cute little fireplace. It clicks into the other modular builds that have been included in the past few days of the countdown, and notably has an instantly-recognizable icon resting above the mantel.
Thor’s Mjölnir hammer is the perfect centerpiece to this festive display, and makes for a very cute build – not to mention a very well-themed one, too.
Then check out the eleventh creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. We’re back with two new minifigures! The City set has a fun little gamer boy rocking a pair of headphones around his neck and a controller, while the Friends countdown delivers the named character Leo complete with a snowball.
Keeping up with the CIS-themed builds, Day 10 of the LEGO Advent Calendar has assembled a miniature IG-227 Hailfire Droid Tank. This is something that feels entirely forgotten by the LEGO Group, and so I am thrilled to be getting even a mini version of the droid. It has some very clever parts usage – which I can always appreciate – and fits in nicely with the past few days of Prequel builds.
So while it may not be anything all too festive, I am pretty happy with today’s inclusion.
Speaking of something that’s not festive, Day 10 of the Marvel LEGO Advent Calendar is giving us a nice addition to all of the minifigures we’ve gotten before. Normally I hate opening up a door in the countdown and finding an accessory, but today is a different story. We have a jetpack build that on top of actually feeling pretty complete, it just far more fan than we’ve really gotten before.
It’s a much better inclusion than the webbing that went with Spider-Man, and actually feels like the creation is going to go a long ways for younger builders who want to play with the Advent Calendar gifts before the big day towards the end of the month.
Then check out the tenth creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. We’re back with another two creations, this time assembling a neat little chimney for the City countdown. It has some embers in the base and uses some of the textured brick elements to really deliver a neat little build without using a ton of pieces. The Friends Advent Calendar includes a little seesaw that clicks into the other builds from the festive set so far.
My prediction was right! Just like how our lovely little Clone Trooper was followed up by a companion build, yesterday’s Battle Droid is getting the same treatment. Day 9 of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar is including a neat little STAP model.
It’s a pretty complex design as far as these holiday countdown models go, and does a really good job of recreating the droid personal vehicle. I would have almost rather they go with the design in the new Battle Pack coming out in January. Even so, I dig that the designer did their own thing and we got a neat little mini figure-scale model out of it.
Marvel’s Day 9 build on the other hand is giving us Captain America! It’s a pretty typical release for the Star Spangled Avenger, but still a pretty great one. The shield is of course an essential when it comes to Steve Rodgers, and the rest of the design is as solid as they come.
Then check out the ninth creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. There’s a pair of builds, with the first landing from the City and delivering this delightful little chorister holding a candle. We also have another animal from the Friends calendar.
Watch out troopers! Day 8 of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar for 2023 has arrived and is giving us a Battle Droid to oppose the 212th Clone from a few days back. This Trade Federation trooper is the same Battle Droid design we’ve been getting for nearly 25 years, and is still just as perfect as it was back in 1999.
Aside from noting the LEGO Battle Droid’s perfection, there’s really no notes here. I love that we get someone to oppose the Clone from Day 6, and hopefully there will be a themed build to go alongside the droid much like we saw with the command station from yesterday.
As far as the LEGO Marvel Advent Calendar goes for Day 8, 2023 is giving us a fun little reindeer build. It has the same golden color scheme as the Spider-Man webbing from a few days back, and gives off such cute little robot vibes. I wouldn’t say it’s the best inclusion we’ve had, but it’s hard to argue with a fun mix of Marvel and holiday charm.
There’s also a pair of white discs that are meant to serve as bases for some of the golden web pieces earlier on in the holiday countdown. There just so happens to be two of them that are wonderfully shaped like trees, and so you can make some tiny little Christmas trees. Love some good parts usage and this is among the best in the Advent Calendar so far – even if it is simple.
Then check out the eighth creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. There’s a pair of builds, with the first landing from the City lineup and giving us an absolutely delightful lamp post. I know it’s not overtly Christmas-themed, but it just screams holiday season to me. Maybe it’s the classic movies that always end up featuring this kind of scenery, but I loving today’s build.
Then for the Friends action, there’s another build for the animals included in previous days to play in. It has the same modular connections on the base and a very vibrant color scheme.
A great follow up to yesterday’s Clone Trooper, today we have a little build to go with Mr. 212th. The Clone Command Station feels like one of the more complete miniatures we’ve received from the 2023 LEGO Advent Calendars – at least on the Star Wars end – and is scaled to at least fit a minifigure.
It’s not the most instantly-recognizable thing from a galaxy far, far away sure. But I at least love that it ties in with the figure we got from the day before.
Over on the Marvel side of the 2023 LEGO Advent Calendars, we have another minifigure. Today is Black Widow, and she comes adorning an all-new Christmas sweater. There’s nothing ugly about this print, as it puts everyone’s favorite Avengers assassin in a blue sweater complete with some snowmen and the Black Widow insignia.
No notes, really. This is such a fun inclusion and it’s perfectly festive. The design is one of the cuter ones in my opinion, and getting this figure only a week in means there should be plenty of excitement left for the next few weeks of the countdown. Can’t wait!
Then check out the seventh creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. There’s a pair of builds, with the first landing from the City lineup and giving us a cute little skier. As far as the Friends inclusion goes, you’ll find a lizard and some plants.
A new minifigure has arrived for Day 6 of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar. We can always use more Clones, and today’s model is assembling a spare 212th Clone Trooper for your LEGO army. This is the figure that came in the AT-TE from last year, and so it’s great to get another one. Hardly anything to complain about if you ask me, even if it isn’t exclusive or new.
For today’s Marvel calendar inclusion, we have a small build that clicks in with the rest of the Iron Man-themed builds we’ve had in the past. It’s a seemingly yearly inclusion to pack in these modular designs that are an extension of the Hall of Armor, and Day 6 has a fun little gift wrapping station.
It’s not the most Marvel-themed build, but it does deliver everything I could want from the festive side of things. This is a very cute model and makes some great use out of the included bricks. Sure, this won’t go down as the best kit from the Advent Calendar, but it’s pretty cool if you ask me.
Then check out the sixth creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. There’s a pair of builds, with the first being a small ice sculpture of a bird from the City set, as well as a delightful little snowman from the Friends countdown.
Keeping up with the prequel theming, Day 5 of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar for 2023 is giving us a tiny Clone Turbo Tank to assemble. This small build makes great usage out of its included bricks in order to stack up to one of the more iconic vehicles from Revenge of the Sith. It’s been ages since we’ve had the chance to assemble one of the Republic tanks, and now the festive countdown is at least giving us one.
I can’t say that today’s inclusion in the Advent Calendar is as fun as yesterday’s, but it’s still pretty solid! I love that we’re getting Clone Wars builds to go alongside the expanded universe stuff, too. Lots to looking forward to going forward with the pace we’re setting just five days in.
For Day 5 of the LEGO Marvel Advent Calendar we’re getting a snowman – just with a bit of a twist! The build takes your average snow creation and equips him with not just a classic top hat, but also an arc reactor on the front. There’s a pair of white blasters for arms, which also fits in quite well with the rest of the Marvel theming.
I love this kind of holiday-themed build, and something as fun as a snowman based off of Iron Man is pretty hard to beat. It may be a simple model, but today’s creation is certainly a hit in my eyes!
Then check out the fifth creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. There’s a pair of builds, with the first being a hockey goal to go with yesterday’s hockey player, as well as a cat to expand the Friends countdown.
I absolutely love when we get festive takes on Star Wars characters, and Day 4 of the LEGO 2023 Advent Calendar is giving us just that. Assembling a minifigure-scale pit droid, the red and white design comes complemented with a sack of presumably toys – or maybe Podracer parts. Who’s to say but you!
We’ve gotten Santa-themed Gonk droids in the past, and so I love that there’s another type of bot to get the same treatment this year. It’s such a fun inclusion and while not an actual minifigure, might as well be one. I’ll take this kind of model everyday of the countdown if they’re this novel. So Day 4 is another big win for the LEGO Star Wars 2023 Advent Calendar.
Quite the boring addition to the LEGO 2023 Advent Calendar, today we’re getting some accessories for yesterday’s Spider-Man figure. This is pretty par for the course, and is a yearly occurrence of getting a few odds and ends rather than a full build. I can’t say that these appreciated, because I know younger builders will likely love having the option to give Parker something to actually fight bad guys with.
I just wish that it came with something a little extra to make it more exciting.
Onto the third day of the Advent Calendar action, the LEGO Star Wars side of the countdown has a new micro build to assemble. It’s sticking with the theming of not being tied to one of the original films, and stacks up to the Mandalorian’s N-1 Starfighter. This is a very cute build that instantly looks like the source material – something that even the microfighter version couldn’t do.
I particularly like that this mini ship has the bubble cockpit on top of Grogu, as well as some orange accenting in there to break of the otherwise grey design.
What a great surprise for Day 3 of the LEGO Marvel Advent Calendar! We have our first minifigure, and it’s a festive one at that. This year is assembling Spider-Man in quite the appropriate holiday sweater. I always love these Christmas-y takes on iconic heroes, and the web slinger this year is really starting things off strong.
He rocks a green sweater with a print on the front that brings the signature mask iconography to his apparel with some snowflake designs. It’s pretty funny that Spider-Man would be wearing his own merch, but that definitely feels on-brand for Peter if you ask me.
We also have the third creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. There’s a pair of builds, with the first being a small brick-built reindeer and the second being a small dog with some accessories from the Friends set.
A perfect follow up to Omega from day 1, today we’re assembling a miniature version of Cad Bane’s Justifier. The full playscale set for this ship was previously the only way you bring home Omega originally, and now we’re getting a micro version.
And as it stands with today’s Advent Calendar inclusion, I’m digging the design. It’s nothing all too special, but the fact that the LEGO Group was able to get the tail on the back to actually work – like it does in-universe – is just such a novel inclusion.
Marvel is already getting festive for the LEGO Advent Calendar, with a build for day 1 that really embodies what we love to see from these Christmas countdown sets. Following up Iron Man, today we now have a Winter Quinjet!
This winter build isn’t made up of all too many pieces, but does a pretty perfect job at recreating the iconic Avengers vehicle. The whole thing is made out of white and red bricks, as you’d expect from something blending in with the holiday festivities. It does break that with a little transparent cockpit element and some gold on the wings, but the whole build so fun.
We also have the second creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. There’s a pair of builds, with the first being a small North Pole sign pointing to Santa’s workshop, as well as an archway on the Friends side of the countdown.
Kicking off all of the festive action, we have our very first minifigure! The LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar makes a bit of an interesting choice for 2023’s first day with the inclusion of Omega, but I am all for it. We’ve only had a chance to score this figure in one set previously. So anyone who didn’t score last year’s Justifier ship hasn’t had a chance to bring this character to their collection.
It’s the same minifigure as before, and there’s no reason to complain there. Omega completes Clone Force 99 as the final member of the Bad Batch and comes complemented by a tiny brick-built sleigh that she can fit in. All in all, a very good start to the holiday countdown this year.
As far as what’s in store for the first day of the LEGO Marvel Advent Calendar, we have another minifigure. I couldn’t think of a better start than including Iron Man, and for the festive set we get a more recent version of his Mark 85 Armor. It’s the same torso that we’ve seen in tons of sets by now, but is one of the first times that we’re getting the updated helmet design. So if you didn’t already buy the latest Iron Man Armory set, this is a great way to grab a new minifigure.
We also have the first creations from the LEGO City and Friends 2023 Advent Calendars. There’s a fun snowman build that imitates a skier, as well as Autumn from the Friends theme, complete with a snowboard and helmet.
Build festive joy during the Christmas holidays with an Advent calendar featuring daily collectible surprises including Star Wars characters, mini building toy vehicles and accessories. Includes Emperor Palpatine, an Ewok and a Pit Droid in holiday outfits, a Gonk Droid dressed as a reindeer, Omega with a sled, a 212th Clone Trooper, B-1 Battle Droid and Princess Leia.
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