There be LEGO Pirate fans in this world who ain’t content with the LEGO Pirate theme’s familiar Caribbean setting, particularly them Brethren of the Brick Seas lot.
But LEGO Pirates be a niche interest and official Classic Pirate releases what venture into distance waters are not a speck on the horizon!
Behold 71848 The Temple Bounty from the Ninjago theme
So we must set sail beyond the known seas!
Chartin’ waters where the ships ain’t flyin’ the usual Jolly Roger, to discover vessels still endearing the hearts of LEGO Pirate fans.
71848 The Temple Bounty
A spectacular LEGO® NINJAGO® ship designed for fans aged 14 and older.
It be part of the Dragons Rising series and serves as the ninja team’s mobile headquarters in Season 3 of the show.
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- Front of the box
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- Back of the box
The official webpage states:
Spectacular LEGO® NINJAGO® ship model
The Temple Bounty ship building kit for display and storytelling includes moving sails, a removable roof and 6 minifigures.
Enjoy ninja adventures on the high seas!
Interactive playset includes everything kids need to recreate exciting stories from season 3 of NINJAGO® Dragons Rising.
Specifications
She’s just shy of two feet of brick-and-sail glory — a proper vessel for voyaging across international tabletop seas!
Raise the decks for easy access
- Piece Count:
2,387 bricks of intricate detail and storytelling potential. - Dimensions:
49cm / 19.3in high | 58cm / 22.8in long | and 26cm / 10.2in wide. - Price:
199,99 € | US $199.99 | £179.99 | CA $259.99 | AU $299.99
Minifigures
The crew include Zane, Cole, Wyldfyre, Nya — bold hearts all!
But beware, matey… their sworn rivals Rogue and the dreaded Zarkt be lurkin’ about… yikes!
From left to right: Nya, Wyldfyre, Zane, Cole, Zarkt and Rogue
Which components of these minifigures is salvageable be up to yer discernment.
Or maybe yer’ll toss the whole lot overboard in favour of minifigs from the Ninja theme of late 90s.
The crew is the first thing yer’ll probably wish to maroon dismiss
Interactive Elements
Aye, it has play features, even though the set ain’t strictly for youngin’s.
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- Sushi Bar
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- Ship’s Computer
To elaborate upon these innovative wonders:
- Moving sails powered by a gear mechanism
- A sushi bar and foldable table that reveals a secret computer
- A translucent reveal blade that unveils a secret map on the captain’s table
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- Removable Sections
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- The stand
- Removable roofs and floors for convenient interior access
- A display stand for showcasing the ship on a dramatic angle
Serving suggestion: plonk it on a chest of draws at 15 degree angle
Aye, she boasts some grand features! But when the galley be servin’ sushi instead of boiled cuttlefish, and the ship’s computer doubles as the mess table, yer might be tempted to rip the innards out and refit her with a more period-appropriate interior.
What is a Junk? (Asian Ship)
A junk be a traditional Chinese sailing vessel known for its distinctive design, remarkable durability, and historical significance across Asia.
A modern junk – 📸 Shaolin Port Douglas
Far from worthless “junk,” these ships are engineering marvels that dominated trade and exploration for centuries.
Key Features
Here be some traits which define this particular kind of ship:
- Battened Sails:
Junk sails resemble Venetian blinds — reinforced with horizontal battens for strength and easy reefing. They could be adjusted quickly and required fewer crew to operate. - Flat-bottomed Hull:
Ideal for rivers and shallow coastal waters, with watertight bulkheads that improved safety and cargo capacity.
Example of batten sails on Jack Pergentini’s junk – 📸 Mazu Resortwear
- Central Rudder:
Unlike Western ships that used side rudders, junks had a stern-mounted rudder centuries ahead of European designs. - Multiple Masts:
Larger junks often had five or more masts, spreading sail area for speed and stability.
Admiral Zheng He and his fleet of Junks – 🖼️ oil on canvas, circa 1492
Historical Significance
Junks first set sail around the time of the Han Dynasty (circa 200 BCE). These vessels weren’t just sturdy — they grew more cunning and evolved with the winds of time, throughout the Song, Yuan, and Ming Dynasties.
Junks weren’t just for haulin’ treasure — they sailed for war, trade, and discovery. Most famously Admiral Zheng He, who’s fleet boasted ships near 120 metres / 400 feet long — bigger than galleons, bolder than Loong myths!
A junk sailing around Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh, Vietnam
From the harbors of Japan to the deltas of Vietnam and the spice-swept isles of Indonesia, these Eastern sea crafts left their mark. Shipwrights far and wide took a page from the junk’s cunning design — her stout hull, flat bottom, and cunning rudder — crafting their own variants to brave monsoon winds and merchant treachery alike.
LEGO Ninjago® Theme
If yer a devotee of Classic LEGO themes, yer may not be familiar with modern-fangled themes like Ninjago.
Ninjago pages from the 2016 LEGO catalogue
It blends ninja action, elemental powers, sci-if, and epic storytelling into one of The LEGO Group’s most successful original universes.
More Ninjago pages! Remember when LEGO Pirates occupied 4 pages in the catalogue?
Launching during 2011, it swiftly seized the hearts of fans, propelled by its spirited animated TV series, rich lore, and diverse minifigure lineup.
Ninjago follows a team of young ninjas — Kai, Jay, Cole, Zane, Nya, and later Lloyd — all trained in the mystical martial art known as Spinjitzu.
The O.G. Ninjago ninjas
Each ninja represents an element; fire, lightning, earth, ice, water, and energy.
They battle the villainous Lord Garmadon, The Overlord, Serpentine, and Skulkin, across seasons with constantly evolving story arcs.
71799 City Markets be the current centerpiece of the Ninjago theme
LEGO Ninjago® Sets
The theme has evolved over time and spawned subthemes like Skybound, Prime Empire, and Crystalized.
Ninjago sets vary from historically inspired to outright science fiction fantasy, and encompass a wide range of designs, including:
- Vehicles, temples, dragons, mechs, and modular cities.
- Feature collectible minifigures, weapons, and Spinjitzu spinners.
- Weapons varying from katanas and spears, to more fantastical items like flaming teapots or dragon power elements.
Ninjago®: Dragons Rising
There be a fresh chapter in the legends of Ninjago — Dragons Rising; the third season, a tale spun in the year 2025.
Official Ninjago: Dragons Rising poster
After a mighty clash o’ realms known as the Merge, Ninjago be tangled with fifteen strange worlds, creatin’ a chaotic universe named the Merged Realms, where reality trembles with each cursed MergeQuake.
Example of an elemental dragon – 71836 Arc Dragon of Focus
Into this storm sails the old sea dog Lloyd Garmadon, training young deckhands — Arin, Sora, and Wyldfyre — to guard the mystical Elemental Dragons. These beasties be brimming with magic, and greedy cutthroats be after their spark to claim dominion o’er the realms.
The saga tells of legacy passed down like ancient maps, of unlikely crews joinin’ forces from far-off lands, and of fierce battles waged ‘cross skies and shadowy depths.
A smaller Ninjago set – 71824 Sora’s Dragon Spinjitzu Spinner
With more than 60 tales told throughout three fantastic seasons, it’s docked in the harbors of Netflix, Peacock, and Roku.
What Do Yer Think?
Ninjago sets may include useful parts, but there be a heap of technobabble Classic Pirate fans may need to excise from their designs.
So does 71848 The Temple Bounty hold potential as a mighty LEGO Pirate ship?
How will you use The Temple Bounty to fulfill yer LEGO Pirate needs?
How much tinkerin’ be required to “classic-fit” this vessel?
And what of extrapolating its parts for fresh creations? Do the material sails have use?
71848 The Temple Bounty is currently available in most regions but will be arriving upon Northern American shores 1 August, 2025.
Aye crew, ye know the drill — while yer wait for the Black Pearl, hoist yer bricks and let the winds of creativity blow!
Let us hear know how The Temple Bounty be findin’ new life in yer LEGO Pirate builds over at the Classic Pirates Facebook Group.
