The Top 25 Most Expensive LEGO Animals

18th February 2022

LEGO minifigures get a lot of attention from collectors, with many buying sets just for the minifigures and having no intention to display, play with, or even assemble, the set itself. This is evidenced by the numerous Ebay listings of LEGO sets that you see every day stating MINIFIGURES NOT INCLUDED. Some minifigures are sought after to complement a personal collection, while many are bought as investment pieces. And smart investments many of them are, as they can skyrocket in value following discontinuation of a set and continue to rise for years afterwards. They also have the added benefit of being much easier to store than your £500 UCS Star Wars Set.

We’ve previously put together top 10 lists of most expensive minifigures from a range of themes, but in this article, we take a different tangent and look at the 25 priciest LEGO animals, because as you will see, many have done extremely well. We have included living, extinct, and fictional animals found on land, in the air, and under the water. So if you’re thinking about selling any of your old sets, you might want to have a look at this list first.

We have priced all the animals in the list according to the asking price of those currently on sale at Bricklink. We have provided a cost range, which represents what is needed to purchase each figure in new or excellent unused condition.

25. Spinosaurus

Price: £22 - £30 ($30 - $41)

The Spinosaurus is the first of many dinosaurs on this list and was released in the Spinosaurus Attack Studio set in 2001, as part of the Jurassic Park theme. Spinosaurus is the largest of all known carnivorous dinosaurs and has a distinguishing sail-like fin on its back. Fans of the Jurassic Park trilogy will remember the Spinosaurus’s duel with the Tyrannosaurus rex in the third movie, where it came out on top. The design of this figure is a little primitive compared to later LEGO figures, but that’s not surprising considering it's over 20 years old. A Spinosaurus has only been created once by LEGO, which likely contributes to its price. It can now be picked up for £22 - £30.

24 & 23. Dark Gray Elephant & Light Gray Elephant

Price: £22 - £30 ($30 - $41)

LEGO first gave us elephants in 2003 in the Orient Expedition subtheme of the Adventurers theme. The Elephant Caravan set featured a dark gray elephant, while the Scorpion Palace included a light gray one. Aside from the difference in colour, the light gray variant features an inset back piece, because it had to accommodate a howdah (carriage on its back), whereas the dark gray variant doesn’t, as it had a more naturally seated rider. Both are now very similarly priced, and each cost between £24 - £30.

22. Basilisk

Price: £25 - £30 ($48 - $41)

There have been four LEGO variants of the Basilisk from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, all of which look very different. It was the first of these, released in 2002 in The Chamber of Secrets set, that is now the most expensive to acquire. Although we prefer the most recent incarnation of the giant snake, age definitely plays a big factor in driving up the price. This Basilisk will now cost you between £25 - £30.

21. Indominus Rex (Version 2)

Price: £25 ($34)

The deadly Indominus Rex, a hybrid dinosaur created from the genome of Tyrannosaurus rex and genomes of other dinosaurs to give it greater size and intelligence, has featured as two versions in the Jurassic World theme. The second of these was found in the Indominus rex vs. Ankylosaurus set, which only retired at the end of last year. If you were lucky enough to pick it up, you would now have a LEGO figure worth £25. This second variant was gray, whereas the first version was white in colour. This is one of our favourite LEGO dinosaur figures as the dagger-like teeth and red eyes do a good job in capturing the menace of the Indominus rex.

20. Triceratops

Price: £29 - £33 ($39 - $45)

Over the years there have been eight LEGO triceratops, four adult versions and four baby versions. This third-generation adult figure is the most expensive of the lot and was included in the 2012 Triceratops Trapper, as part of the Dino theme. The first two adult versions are little too simplistic to be highly sought after, but for the third and fourth versions LEGO improved the design and gave them much more detailed colouring. The two later adult versions both look fantastic, but age seems to be a significant factor driving aftermarket price, and with this version being seven years older it costs a little more. It can now be added to your collection for £29 - £33.

19. Tyrannosaurus Rex with Reddish Brown Back

Price: £30 - £35 ($41 - $48)

The most well-known and popular dinosaur is without a doubt the Tyrannosaurus Rex, and so we would expect at least one T-Rex figure to be on this list. However, this is in fact the first of three we will see. LEGO have produced eight different T-Rex figures to date, with only the Velociraptor having been incarnated more times. This excellent version was in another 2012 Dino theme set called Dino Defense HQ, and although not the most realistic, it has one of the better colour schemes in our opinion. For £30 – £35 this T-Rex can be yours.

18. Tyrannosaurus Rex with Dark Bluish Gray Back and Dark Brown Markings

Price: £30 - £35 ($41 - $48)

Another Tyrannosaurus Rex comes in at the same position on this list, with this being a much later figure released in 2019 in the T. rex vs Dino-Mech Battle set. It should be noted that since 2012 the design of the T-Rex has remained the same, with the colour being the only thing that differentiates each version. The grey, tan, and brown colouring of this figure resembles the most realistic portrayal of a T-Rex, although it does look like its just had its teeth whitened. This T-Rex can also be bought for £30 – £35.

17. Red Dragon

Price: £30 - £35 ($41 - $48)

There are a number of dragons on our list, and we’re not surprised. The mythical and legendary beasts have always captured people’s imagination and filled us with awe. They feature strongly in many popular stories in books and on the screen. In 2013, the Dragon Mountain was released as part of the Castle theme and featured a large red dragon. The design was the same as the previous wave of dragons released as part of the fantasy era of the Castle theme in 2007. LEGO was obviously happy with what we consider to be a nice depiction of a dragon. The narrow angular headpiece is especially good and gives the dragon the sinister look it deserves. Again, this figure can be purchased for £30 – £35.

16. Tiger

Price: £30 - £35 ($41 - $48)

The City theme delivers greater playability but it is often overlooked by LEGO collectors, as the sets tend to lack unique pieces and desirable minifigures, and are therefore less appealing and sought after. Subsequently, City sets do not often appreciate in value over time. The Jungle Air Drop Helicopter set may not have been picked up by many adult collectors, but it contained a tiger figure that now commands a handsome price on the aftermarket. We suspect that a big driver of the high price for this figure is the fact that LEGO have only ever given us one lifelike tiger. That combined with the high popularity of tigers means that you will now have to spend £30 - £35 to get this figure.

15. Dark Red Fantasy Dragon

Price: £30 - £40 ($41 - $54)

The Fantasy Era of the Castle theme, which ran from 2007 to 2009 brought us trolls, skeletons, and most importantly, dragons! The dragon from the Skeleton Tower set is the second on our list. As mentioned previously, the fantasy dragons provided a blueprint for later dragons to follow. This one is a darker hue to the Red Dragon at #19 on this list and has a slightly higher price, we expect mainly because it’s 6 years older. The current asking price is £30 - £40.

14. Indoraptor

Price: £30 - £40 ($41 - $54)

Also coming in at £30 - £40 is the Indoraptor from the Jurassic World franchise. This has to be the coolest dinosaur out there, with its black scales and ragged teeth. It was another hybrid dinosaur created as the “perfect weapon” in the underground labs of Lockwood Manor, and featured in the appropriately named Indoraptor Rampage at Lockwood Estate set from 2018. Personally, if I could pick any of the LEGO dinosaur figures to have, this would be it.

13. Ankylosaurus

Price: £32 - £37 ($44 - $50)

The Indominus rex vs. Ankylosaurus set not only gave us a Indominus rex, which sits at #21 on this list, but as the set name suggests, also gave us an Ankylosaurus. Many people will recognise the spiky, club-tailed dinosaur from various on-screen depictions, and LEGO gave us a nicely detailed version with beautiful nougat and tan colouring. This is the only Ankylosaurus to be released, and it may remain that way, as the Jurassic World films conclude this year. As a result, £32 - £37 will be needed to add this one to your collection.

12. Black Fantasy Dragon

Price: £33 - £38 ($45 - $52)

Another dragon from the Fantasy Era is twelfth on the list, with this one having a predominately black colour. Whether black is a more appealing colour, or whether it’s the fact that this dragon came in the more expensive King's Castle Siege set, this dragon is a bit more expensive than the Dark Red Fantasy Dragon and comes in at £33 - £38.

11. Tyrannosaurus Rex with Dark Red Back

Price: £33 - £40 ($45 - $54)

The most valuable Tyrannosaurus Rex, albeit only slightly more expensive than several others, is another 2012 version coming from the T-Rex Hunter set from the Dino theme. This version has a fiery look with its red and dark red colour scheme. The prices of all the Lego T-Rex figures are very similar, which its not unsurprising given that the design hasn’t changed for many years. The price difference seen here seems to be mainly down to people favouring the more unique and unusual colour of this T-Rex. It can now be bought for £33 - £40.

10. Glow in the Dark Octopus

Price: £35 - £50 ($48 - $68)

The ability to glow in the dark is very cool, and its why we loved the ghosts from the classic Castle sets. The number of glow in the dark LEGO figures and parts is limited, so it was great to get such a large one in the form of an Octopus in the Mission 7: Deep Sea Quest set in 2008, that belonged to the Agents theme. It also appeared in the Coin Bank Pirate Ship, which is technically a piece of gear rather than a set. This octopus would add great playability to any underwater or pirate scene, but with a £35 - £50 price tag you may want to keep it firmly behind a display case.

9. Oriental Dragon

Price: £40 - £65 ($54 - $88)

The Oriental Expedition subtheme that came out in 2003 gave us camels and elephants, and more unexpectedly gave us a dragon. Any classic LEGO fan, or fan of a certain age, will see the resemblance this one has to the green dragons in the early Castle sets. The Oriental Dragon features gold printing on its side and an intricate gold chrome headpiece, as well as translucent red wings. All Lego collectors share traits with a magpie and are drawn to shiny objects. The gold helmet, as well as the age and short shelf life of the Dragon Fortress set in which this dragon was found, means that it now costs £40 - £65.

8. Indominus Rex (Version 1)

Price: £45 - £55 ($61 - $75)

The first version of the Indominus Rex is unsurprisingly more expensive than the second, given that age is a significant factor in price. The first version has a white body with grey scales, and it appeared in the Indominus rex Breakout set of 2015. This figure now commands a price of £45 - £55 which is about half the price of the original RRP of the set.

7. Dark Green Fantasy Dragon

Price: £50 - £65 ($68 - $88)

The third and final Fantasy Era dragon on this list is the dark green variant that was included in the 2008 Troll Warship set. What sets this dragon apart from the others, and results in its higher price, is the gold touches on its legs, wings, and tail, and the silver armour headpiece. It’s a fantastic looking dragon that looks like it could rule over all others. And at a current value of £50 – £65 we’re not the only ones that think this.

6. Goat with Dark Tan Horns

Price: £55 - £60 ($75 - $82)

This list is dominated by those animals that could easily tear a human apart, and so having a cute little goat so high up this list will surprise many. What may be more surprising to learn is that this is the only LEGO goat ever to be released, which is the reason why this unassuming farmyard animal will now cost you between £55 - £60. This is going to be especially good news for owners of the 2011 Mill Village Raid set, as it included not one but two goats. That’s not a bad return for a set with an RPP of £66.99.

5. Hungarian Horntail

Price: £60 - £70 ($82 - $95)

Yet another dragon makes our list. This time it’s the Hungarian Horntail that Harry must evade in one of the trails of the Triwizard Tournament. This was the first of three variants LEGO have made and is the only one to not be brick built, which gives it a serious edge over the others. This figure looks a lot sleeker than the other two and proves that design does not always improve over time. This LEGO dragon is unique from all others as it features a different head, broader neck, and horned wings. Released in the Harry and the Hungarian Horntail from 2005, this dragon now costs between £60 - £70, which is not bad considering the RRP of the set was £29.99.

4. Sharkanator

Price: £66 - £75 ($90 - $5100)

The only shark on our list is a robotic kind. The Sharkanator features metal like printing on its head and comes with fantastic gold teeth. It was included in the AntiMatter's Portal Hideout set of 2015 that belonged to the Ultra Agents theme. Both the figure and its accompanying set are now incredibly hard to get hold of. Only two Sharkanator’s are listed on Bricklink and only five of the set. Ebay shows that the figure and set have only been sold once each. Purchasing this rare figure will now set you back between £66 - £75, if you can find one!

3. Translucent Light Blue Dolphin

Price: £66 - £80 ($90 - $109)

Whilst dolphins are a much-loved animal, and this LEGO version looks especially good in translucent blue, these are not the main factors determining its high price. As with any collectible, unusual quirks and uniqueness determine rarity, and thus drives up price. This dolphin featured an abnormal connection on its underside that was too narrow to properly accept the two studs that would normally fit for connection. It is also too small to fit a Technic axle but will loosely accept a bar. For this reason, this dolphin now costs £66 - £80.

2. Rancor

Price: £100 - £130 ($136 - $177)

The Rancor is one of the most iconic beasts in the worldwide phenomenon that is the Star Wars saga. Any Star Wars fan will be able to recall the famous scene under Jabba’s Palace where Luke is forced to battle the mighty reptilian hulk. The Rancor has only featured once in the Rancor Pit set, released in 2013, and LEGO did a great job in capturing its muscular textures, disproportionately long arms, monstrous hands, and dagger-like claws. We are also unlikely to get another Rancor unless LEGO plan on releasing an updated Rancor pit set. The figure’s rarity, the quality of its design, and the insanely high popularity of Star Wars amongst both Lego and non-Lego collectors alike, is why the Rancor is now priced at £100 - £130.

1. Smaug

Price: £150 - £165 ($204 - $224)

The most expensive LEGO animal figure is Smaug, the dragon from the Hobbit that lives in the lonely mountain and sleeps atop a giant pile of treasure. Smaug takes the crown of being the largest LEGO dragon, as its neck and tail pieces stretch a little longer than the others. The spikes along its skull and neck are finely done and we especially like the printed torso showing gold stuck to Smaug’s underbelly and his weak spot. It’s a very accurate replica of how he is depicted in the second Hobbit film. Like most figures on this list, Smaug only appeared in one set, The Lonely Mountain set from 2014. The rarity, impressive nature of this figure, and the high popularity of all things Middle Earth are what has pushed Smaug to the top spot, with an asking price of £150 - £165.