(Written by William)
LEGO Collectible Minifigs Series 13 is now available at most retailers and at the Online LEGO Shop, so today we will look at how to identify them inside the blind bags. One thing I want to mention before we begin is that, unfortunately, gone are the days when these minifigs were $2.99 a packet. You may get lucky and find a retailer that initially puts out the new series at the old price, but likely most of them already caught up on the new pricing of $3.99. This means that you will either have to be paying $16 more (+tax) for the whole set of 16 minifigs, or you will only get the ones you really want. Either way, with the higher price you would want to make sure that what you pick is what you really want. And that’s where this guide is going to help. 🙂
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Classic King: Sadly, the best piece to feel for is the sword. That’s not to say it’s a bad piece, however there are lots of swords in this series -so the sword you are feeling for needs to be thin to avoid the larger swords of the Egyptian Warrior and the Goblin, but it can’t be too thin like the Fencer’s foil. And it needs to have a wide hilt to avoid the Samurai’s katanas. Ultimately, once you find a sword, try to confirm the King by checking for his beard. Or if you find what you think is a beard, make sure the package doesn’t have a gun, as that would indicate the Sheriff. There are four Kings in a full display-box.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Sheriff: This is an easy minifigure to find. All you have to do is shake the baggie so that the small pieces fall into one corner, then find the 2×2 tile that represents the “Wanted” poster. This is the only 2×2 tile in the entire series, so you can’t mix it up with something else. The other pieces included with the Sheriff can be easily confused with the accessories of other minifigs in the series. There are four Sheriff minifigures in a full display-box.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Unicorn Girl: This might be a little tough to identify. Her horn feels a lot like the Disco Diva’s microphone or the Snake Charmer’s flute. And you can’t depend on her tail since that feels a lot like the new snake piece for the Snake Charmer. So if you find a small bar-like piece, go for trying to identify her headgear. While the Disco Diva and the Snake Charmer have very round headgear pieces, the Unicorn helmet is very textured. The mane of the helmet feels a bit ridged like an open zipper. There are three Unicorn Girls in a full display-box, so this is one of the rarest minifigs in the series.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Snake Charmer: Start with finding the small bar. For those of you with good tactile perception, you can make out that this bar feels different from the Unicorn’s horn and the Disco Diva’s microphone. If you can’t tell, try to find the snake. It’s rubbery and flexes a bit, however you’ll want to confirm by finding the turban next, because the Unicorn Girl’s tail also has some flex to it. The turban will feel very round with an opening – like a cracked marble. There are four Snake Charmers in a full display-box.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Goblin: This minifig is quite difficult to identify. The big notched sword is easy to find, but it’s almost impossible to tell apart from the Egyptian Warrior’s sword. So you will need to find the minifigure’s head, headgear, and sack. At a glance they all have a rounded head shape, however in the case of the headgear and sack there is a bit of extra texture. So basically if it feels like you have found three heads, you most likely have the Goblin. There are five Goblins in a full display-box, so this is one of the most common minifigs in the series.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Paleontologist: It may be small, but the 1×1 round tile is the most recognizable item that you will find with this minifigure. The bone is okay, but you don’t want to mistake it for the Sheriff’s gun, so it is best to stick with trying to identify the 1×1 round tile. It’s very small so tends to fall easily into a corner when you tip the bag. There are three Paleontologists in a full display box, so this is one of the rarest minifigs in the series.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Alien Trooper: If you find the 2×2 dish (seen on the picture as attached to the end of the gun) then you just found the Alien Trooper. And that’s all there is to it. The gun would be another decent candidate to look for, but the dish will result in more consistent identification and fewer mistakes. There are four Alien Trooper minifigs in a full display-box.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Egyptian Warrior: This is the only minifigure in this series with a shield, so although it may take a bit of work locating this triangular shield piece, it is worth it. The rest of the parts (sword, headgear) can be too easily confused with other minifig accessories. There are four Egyptian Warriors in a full display-box, so he is one of the more common minifigures in this series.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Carpenter: The saw is hard to miss, but since this is a brand new piece and we are not used to how it feels, it may be a bit difficult to identify. So if you rather feel for something more familiar, go for the 1×4 tile. It has a simple shape and is easy to recognize. There are five Carpenters in a full display-box, so this is one of the most common minifigs in the series.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Evil Wizard: Find the 2x2x2 slope and you got the Wizard. Being the only dress slope in the series, this minifigure is easy to identify. The only downside is that we tend to focus on the small pieces when identifying minifigs, and here you have to look for a large one. So, if you find a lot of small pieces and you are not sure which minifig you have, do a quick feel through for the larger items and see if you can find the slope. There are four Evil Wizards in a full display-box.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Fencer: Here is another minifigure with a sword, and unfortunately finding this sword is pretty much the only way to identify him. The piece feels a lot like an antenna, and the basket hilt gives this very thin sword a unique profile that you should be able to recognize, however make sure you don’t mix it up with the Samurai’s katanas. There are three Fencers in a full display box, so this is one of the rarest minifigs in the series.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Female Samurai: The big armor piece is easy to find, but it feels really close to the Galaxy Trooper’s armor, which is also very large. So the next step is to find the two swords, which are unique to this minifigure and will help you narrow down the identification. There are three Samurai ladies in a full display-box, so this is one of the rarest minifigs in the series.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Disco Diva: I wish there was something better than the skates to look for, however the rest of the pieces feel a bit too similar to others. The skates and the microphone are some of the smallest elements in the series so if you find three tiny pieces, you may just have ran across the Disco Diva. There are three Disco Diva minifigs in a full display-box, so this is another one of the rarest minifigs in the series.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Hot Dog Man: Hopefully you’ve felt a standard minifig ghost-shroud piece before, since that’s exactly what the hot dog costume feels like. Fortunately, even if you aren’t familiar with the LEGO minifigure ghost, the hot dog is the largest piece in this entire series, which makes it easy to identify. There are three Hot Dog Men in a full display-box, so this is one of the rarest minifigs in the series.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Lady Cyclops: The club is the piece to look for, as the headgear can be easily confused with other pieces. It is narrow on one end and fat on the other, with some texture thrown in, so it is fairly easy to identify. There are three Lady Cyclops in a full display-box, so this is another one of the rarest minifigs in the series, and a perfect match for the previously released male Cyclops.
➡ LEGO Minifigures Series 13 Galaxy Trooper: Although the armor is nice and big, it is the guns that will help to distinguish this guy from other minifigs with big pieces. The guns are the double-barreled variety, which makes them feel like binoculars with a small handle off to the side. Just make sure that when you find the armor that it’s not the Samurai. Essentially, swords equals Samurai while guns equal Galaxy Trooper. There are five Galaxy Troopers in a full display-box, so this is one of the most common minifigs in the series.
One way to quickly identify the above mentioned parts and accessories is to first shake the baggies so that all small parts fall into one corner. This way you can identify them quickly. It is also a good idea to have a printout of the minifigures with accessories that you can look at as a reference while you are searching for the minifigs you want. You can go through a whole box of Collectible Minifigures quite quickly following these simple methods, and as a bonus you will also improve your tactile skills! 😀
Hope this helps with hunting for the LEGO Series 13 minifigures! They should be available at all LEGO retailers and are also listed at the Online LEGO Shop. If you have your own tips and tricks on identifying them feel free to share in the comment section below! 😉
And you might also like to check out the LEGO Minifigures section for more news, reviews and discussions, or choose from the following posts:
I got six from this series so far. I’ve passed over several Evil Wizard while looking for Hot Dog guy and the Unicorn. I don’t think, I had a cyclops bag yet.
I’m sharing this guide on my blog.
Is it just me, or does the king look a lot like the BURGER KING mascot. I have the hotdog guy, the goblin and the samurai female.
Not just you. He does look like Burger King Monarch.
I haven’t spotted any of these yet. I’ll be trying for the evil wizard as it will go great with the Wizard back in the last series, series 12. (man, I remember when it was only series 3!) Great guide by the way!
Word on the Facebook street is that Hot Dog guy is easy to identify but rare, so it makes him even rarer because everyone goes for him. I purchased my Hot Dog guy from a re-seller because he was the one I wanted out of all of them. I paid dearly, not going to say what.
Yeah, sometimes I have to do that too; get some of the minifigs from resellers for a somewhat higher price. It is actually better to get them earlier than later as prices tend to go even higher when the series gets retired. So enjoy your hot-dog guy! I will pretend it is a vegetarian tofu-dog. 😉
The unicorn horn is pretty easy to differentiate from the disco microphone because it is made of rubber, so it bends.
Nice guide, I will definitely be using this. I’m going to go for the Paleontologist, Snake Charmer, and maybe Carpenter from this series, as I’m not too interested in it; I liked Series 12 better. 😕 Too bad my local toy shop was sold out of them…. But maybe it has Series 13 now, and maybe (even better) at the same price of $3.49. I will have to check, I really like the 50¢ off. 🙂 Admin, I found one typo as well: (Galaxy Trooper) “armor is nice a big” should be “nice and big.” 😉
Also: http://brickset.com/article/13814/scooby-doo-set-list Hm. I’m not sure I like LEGO expanding to cover so many TV shows…. 😕
Yes, Series 12 was excellent. But each series will appeal to different people, and there are at least some in each series that would be appealing. Like I really like the Carpenter in this one (along with several others), even though I’m not planning to get them all. Stores in my area don’t carry them yet, so I will have to wait. And thanks for caching that typo. What would I do without you guys! 😛
Funnily enough, I spot a lot more typos than I tell you about… normally because they’re not major; I report the ones the bug me. 😉
My problem with LEGO is that my first impressions of a set tend to wear off, and the longer I look at something, the more I like it. So if I stared at the Carpenter, took in his every detail, for 5 minutes, I may end up wanting him. 😕
Also, I just built a water-tower from the Detective’s Office, or rather, using that technique, and I’m amazed at the design. It really is ingenious, and you can only truly appreciate it when you build it. 🙂 Too bad it can’t be done on LDD. 😕
Fortunately we are not running a grammar and spelling website! And anyway, I read that only the first and last letters of each word are important, the rest can be mixed up and people will still understand what we are talking about. So there… 🙄
Yes, the water-tower is really sweet. There are many other amazing building details in this set. William and I covered most of them, but there is one detail neither of us mentioned (I was hoping William will cover it because it was more his area, but he didn’t), and this was actually my favorite detail because it is so subtle. It is how brilliantly the brown section of the building on the third floor is connected. It is offset by a half a brick because it is built on jumper plates, and then the construction is brought back at the top with a single one of those black 1×1 round plates with a hole in the middle. (I’m talking about the brown wall facing the front of the building)
I was extremely impressed! It is the best of engineering and it is so subtle that most people will likely miss it. The only reason I noticed it myself is because I replaced all the 1×1 round plates with holes wherever I could with regular round plates, so I have more left for MOCs. That one I could not replace. Why? Because the hole on the 1×1 round brick in this situation is essential! Check it out yourself and you will see why. 🙂
And the brown wall facing the back on the third floor is also impressive. This is also offset by jumper-plates, and it is aligned with the roof with one of those modified 2×2 plates with a center hole (the one often used for making hearts for LEGO jewelry). This is exactly what I love about the Modulars! I’m very impressed by the skill of LEGO designers!
I’m not sure where you read that, and I’m not srue I lkie it vrey mcuh. But cen yau unrdesnatd waht I’m wirtnig? 😀
I actually noted the half-stud offsets for the brown sections when I first examined the official images. However, I only just started the brown section on the second level on LDD, and I am likely to not finish it unless I can identify the floor plates. 😕 Now that I look at the spot you’re mentioning, I see the black 1×1 holed plate on the wall. But allow me to correct you: that plate doesn’t bring the brown wall to center, it merely connects the blue wall to the grey wall there. It turns out that the entire grey part of the wall there is offset by jumper plates, and the jumper plates bring that wall into alignment with the brown wall, allowing for a smooth, connected top to the wall for the roof to attach to. It’s still super cool, though. 🙂
And I saw that modified 2×3 plate with the first official images too, and it took me a whole minute to understand the network of connections there. I may sound like a know-it-all, but when I build something without instructions, nothing escapes me! 😀 Still, that set is the most fascinating I’ve seen in terms of technique, and I congratulate the designers on the superb skill put into the set. 🙂
LOL! Of course I can read it! It’s science! You can read whole paragraphs like that. Lots of people are having fun with reading like that. It’s quite fascinating actually how the brain works. As far as the walls, I just took off the roof and looked at it again, and it is the brown wall that’s offset by jumper-plates. The 1×1 black stud allows the connection between the blue-gray and brown walls. Yes, it is right below the gray section, but it is in fact what allows the corner between the brown and blue walls to connect and thus allow to be topped off with the tiles. Otherwise the two wall’s couldn’t connect, which you can examine by just looking at the brown and blue section of the walls before the black stud and gray section is added. To allow the connection, the gray wall has to be connected with a jumper-plate at the other end, but it is just that section of the wall that is offset. Not the blue section below it. Anyway, I think we are saying the same thing just in a different way – the point is that the connection is really awesome and complex. 🙄
I’ve read that somewhere to, it’s true. SCIENCE!!!
I have to agree, this series wasn’t my favorite. Not as many must haves as series 12. I actually ended up not taking the crap shoot and ordering all of the ones I wanted from re-sellers because there weren’t enough that I wanted to make the effort to hunt for them.
I’m going to have to agree, series 12 was better. maybe it was just because of the new minifigure elements, or the fact that some of these seem to be sort of identical to some of the last one’s from different series. (example, evil wizard, Cyclops etc.) speaking of which, I wonder, if they had a series for the LEGO movie, do you think they may have one for the Ninjago movie coming out? that would make sense to me.
I sure hope they will make a Ninjago series. But something tells me LEGO will ignore that possibility. But maybe I will eat my words in a year or so. 😕 Either way, there’s almost enough minifigs in the episodes that haven’t been made yet to fill a little more than an entire series of 16. 🙂
I kind of doubt there would be enough interest to do one for the Ninjago movie; how many sideline but still interesting characters could there be for a series? – each fig would have to appeal to fans of the movie, so it couldn’t be too trivial, and also to people who aren’t interested in Ninjago, so there couldn’t be too many similar or specific minifigures.
That’s all true, however remember that it was announced that the Ninjago movie was going to be very different from the TV series. So it could be a totally different plot and set of characters. Also, I’m pretty sure they will make it such that it appeals to a much larger audience, not just little kids. This is a full feature-feature film and they are most likely aiming for the same kind of success The LEGO Movie had, which means the plot-line and characters have to appeal to adults and kids, LEGO fans and non-LEGO fans alike. I’m pretty sure it is going to be big, and awesome! 😀
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If you guys are interested you may check it out using the link below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B2OIRVT2Is&feature=youtu.be
I spend a LOT of time at my local LEGO store helping people find which figure is which, I was actually there last night, sorting them out in order, and am actually about to do so again… XD
Nice! I do the same at my local TRU. 😀
I can’t sleep until the complete series has been felt out… XD
Unfortunately, nobody bought Minifigs last night, so it was all for nothing. D:
Funny that the paleontologist is “rare” because we’ve gotten her twice. No one in my family wants it. I traded it once for a goblin. Now I’m bringing this second one back to trade at LEGOLAND for something my boys or I want. We all want hot dog guy. I wanted the unicorn, which I got at my last visit. The trick for the unicorn is to feel for the ears at the top. My husband thought he found it before but the ears were ilon the side, making it a goblin. And yes, I blame my husband (who I love) for getting is the paleontologist twice – he thinks her hair is the Kings beard and I dint confirm it either time.
Erin, a good way to confirm the paleontologist is to also check for the small 1×1 round tile. That way you know for sure it is her, and not someone else (like the king). Wishing you the best in finding your hot-dog guy! At my Toys’R’Us they had tons of them, while other people report that they have trouble finding one as they are so popular. So it just depends. 🙂
Thanks for your help. I’m planning to get the royal king and the hotdog guy soon.
Also I’m gonna buy the goblin. Maybe.
Thanks again for these quick tutorials I had a successful hunt for the King and I found it! Now my second target is the goblin.
Keegan, the Goblin is really cute. You may want to get more than one. 😉
I got my first goblin today today I also think he’s very cute;).I way hoping to find him by his sword. But I found him by the bag. I also wanna say that if you are really good at feeling the bags you might be able to tell the difference between the Egyptian warrior’s sword and goblins sword. The sword of the goblin has has like some battle damage on it and the agyptian warriors sword is perfectly smooth. I hope you could understand what I’m trying to say.my grammar is a little bad : – )
Lol i typed “today” twice 🙂
Yes, today is today. 😉
🙁
Ah… why the sad face? 😕
I lost my new Goblin:(
I’m really sad 🙁
You lost your Goblin? How is that? Maybe he is just hiding somewhere. Goblins do that. 😉
I’m seriously sad 🙁
But anyway I’m sure that I’ll find him. Because it didn’t disintegrate out of existence! He is hiding somewhere in my house!
Oh my god everyone is gonna think I’m 5 years old
Yep I’m an idiot
Anyone else get a dud? I opened up my packet and got a yellow ring with some white curved bricks. No minifigure 🙁
Liz, sounds like someone stole the content of the packet and carefully sealed it back. If you got it at a retail store you might want to report this to them, they should also allow you to exchange the packet.