Hi there!
Today we’re taking a look at a very special LEGO theme that’s perfect for our current Spooky Season: LEGO Monster Fighters. The series was released in 2012 and brought together vampires, werewolves, mummies, zombies, and other classic monsters—though only for a fairly short time.
In this first part, we’ll take a look at the first six sets in order of set number. Part 2, featuring the Ghost Train and the Haunted House, among others, will follow in the next few days.
Let’s get started!
The Story Behind LEGO Monster Fighters
Before we get into the individual sets, here’s a brief history of the series.
The sets consistently feature special triangular, transparent elements—the so-called “moonstones.” Each one represents a specific monster or supernatural power.
Lord Vampyre and the other monsters want to collect these moonstones. The Monster Fighters, on the other hand, are trying to prevent them from doing just that.
As a result, the individual sets weren’t just random spooky models, but were connected by a short story. And now let’s take a closer look at the first six.
9461 The Swamp Creature – Swamp Monster
First up is 9461 The Swamp Creature, released here as the Swamp Monster.
The set was released in 2012 and included 70 pieces and two Minifigures. It featured the Swamp Monster itself and Monster Fighter Frank Rock, armed with his two revolvers.
The German MSRP at the time was 7.99 euros, or about 11.4 cents per piece.
The model itself is quite small. Frank Rock gets a small swamp vehicle—or airboat—along with a piece of swamp landscape that, of course, also includes the matching moonstone.
I actually think it’s pretty charming, especially as a small starter set.
Today, a new copy costs about 28 euros; you can sometimes still find a used one for around 13 euros.
9462 The Mummy – Mummy Carriage
Next up is 9462 The Mummy, or rather, the mummy’s carriage. The set consisted of 90 pieces and also included two minifigures: a mummy and the monster fighter Ann Lee.
The German MSRP was 9.99 euros, which works out to about 11.1 cents per piece.
Ann Lee gets a small flying machine that’s built a bit like a mini-helicopter or gyrocopter.
The mummy, on the other hand, rides—as befits his status—on an Egyptian chariot pulled by a skeletal horse. Of course, this fits perfectly with the classic mummy theme. It also comes with a matching Egyptian moonstone. Today, a new set costs around 37 euros; used sets can sometimes be found for around 20 euros.
9463 The Werewolf – Werewolf Hideout
Third, we have 9463 The Werewolf, or “The Werewolf’s Hideout” in German. This set is already quite a bit larger. The set consists of 243 pieces, includes two Minifigures, and cost 19.99 euros at the time. That worked out to a pretty fair price per piece of 8.2 cents.
Of course, the set includes the werewolf himself and Major Quinton Steele.
Quinton gets a small vintage hot rod, while the actual main model consists of a large tree where the werewolf can hide and jump out.
Of course, it also comes with the matching werewolf moonstone.
Today, the set costs about 52 euros new and around 30 euros used.
And I think this combination of a vehicle, a tree, play features, and two beautiful figures is pretty impressive for the 19.99 euros it cost back then.
9464 The Vampyre Hearse – The Traveling Vampire Crypt
The fourth set is 9464 The Vampyre Hearse, known in German as the ” Fahrende Vampirgruft.”
The set consists of 314 pieces and includes three Minifigures: Dr. Rodney Rathbone, Lord Vampyre, and the Zombie Driver.
The German MSRP was 29.99 euros, which works out to about 9.6 cents per piece.
Dr. Rodney Rathbone is a pretty cool guy anyway. His mechanical left leg is especially striking.
But the real highlight, of course, is Lord Vampyre’s vehicle.
We get a large black hearse, with Lord Vampyre lying in his coffin in the back. The Monster Fighter also comes with a small motorcycle, which he uses to give chase. And of course, the matching vampire moonstone with a bat motif is a must-have.
Today, the set costs around 110 euros new, and you can sometimes find it used for around 45 euros.
9465 The Zombies – The Zombies’ Graveyard
Now we come to what is probably the most sought-after set in this first part—and perhaps even one of the most sought-after sets in the entire Monster Fighters series.
9465 The Zombies, known here as The Zombies’ Graveyard.
The set consisted of 447 pieces, cost just 39.99 euros at the time, and thus worked out to only about 8.9 cents per piece.
The set included four figures: Jack McHammer, the Zombie Driver, the Zombie Groom, and the Zombie Bride.
And these figures, in particular, are something else today.
Jack McHammer has a mechanical left arm, which makes him one of the most distinctive Monster Fighters.
But the real stars, of course, are the zombies.
The Zombie Bride, in particular, is extremely expensive today and is in itself a major reason why the complete set now commands such high prices. Individual pieces are now sometimes selling for around 90 euros or more.
The set itself is a small cemetery with graves and play features that allow the zombies to emerge from their graves. Of course, it also includes the Moonstone of the Undead. And it was precisely this theme that must have struck a chord back then.
In 2012, zombies were everywhere anyway thanks to shows like *The Walking Dead*, and at the same time, LEGO still doesn’t exactly release classic zombie sets in large numbers even today.
A complete LEGO cemetery set with several zombies was therefore something special.
Added to this was the limited availability of the set. Internationally, 9465 was sometimes sold as a retailer exclusive; in the U.S., for example, it was available exclusively at Target. The set had also already been discontinued by the end of 2012.
Today, a new copy can easily cost nearly 300 euros, and used ones sometimes still go for over 200 euros.
This clearly shows just how sought-after this particular set has become.
9466 The Crazy Scientist & His Monster – The Crazy Scientist’s Lab
To wrap up this first part, let’s take a look at 9466 The Crazy Scientist & His Monster, which was released here as “The Mad Scientist’s Lab.”
The set consists of 430 pieces, includes four Minifigures, and cost 49.99 euros at the time. This brought the price per piece to about 11.6 cents. LEGO itself also lists 430 pieces for the model.
Included are The Crazy Scientist, Dr. Rodney Rathbone, Major Quinton Steele, and, of course, the monster—basically the Monster Fighters version of Frankenstein’s monster.
The entire set is clearly inspired by a classic Frankenstein lab.
The set includes the experiment table, various technical devices, and, of course, the chance to bring the monster to life.
Fittingly, the moonstone in this set features a lightning bolt symbol.
And that, of course, fits like a glove.
New, the set costs about 85 euros today; used, it goes for around 55 euros, depending on its condition.
A series that I almost completely missed as a child
Those were the first six sets in the LEGO Monster Fighters series.
And the funny thing is: As a kid, I actually thought the sets were pretty cool. I knew about them from the LEGO catalogs and had seen them there—but somehow they still completely slipped my mind.
I didn’t own a single Monster Fighters set back then. It wasn’t until a few years later that I rediscovered the series and thought to myself: Why didn’t I buy any of them back then?
After that, smaller pieces and figures kept finding their way into my Collection through flea markets, until about three years ago, when I was able to buy a large portion of the Monster Fighters series secondhand and at a pretty good price.
Among other things, I now own the Mad Scientist’s Lab, the Werewolf’s Lair, and the Traveling Vampire’s Crypt.
I also have two more sets, though those won’t be featured until Part 2: the Ghost Train and the Haunted House.
For me, it’s one of the coolest LEGO themed worlds ever
Looking back, I actually think Monster Fighters is one of the coolest original themed lines LEGO has ever released.
And to this day, I think it’s a shame that it didn’t turn into a long-running series.
Of course, the theme fits especially well with Halloween, but that’s exactly what makes it so charming.
We have vampires, zombies, mummies, werewolves, a mad scientist, lots of glow-in-the-dark elements, and these little moonstones that tie all the sets together.
Especially when you look at the prices of sets like *The Zombies* today, you can see that the series still has a pretty large fan base.
In the long term, I would therefore like to collect the remaining models.
My goal is to eventually have a complete LEGO Monster Fighters collection.
Whether that will happen so quickly at today’s prices is, of course, another story.
In the second part, we’ll take a look at the next sets in the series – and there are a few more of my personal highlights.
Now it’s your turn: What do you think of LEGO Monster Fighters?
Do you still have any of the six sets from this first series from your childhood?
And would you be excited to see a comeback of this awesome theme?
Feel free to write anything in the comments!
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Author: Dante