The LEGO Dark Forest was a sub-theme within the discontinued LEGO Castle line, released in 1996. It centered on a group of outlaws living in the forest who opposed the ruling Dark Forest King.
Theme Overview
The theme was a short-lived addition to the Castle world, known for its focus on woodland elements, tree-based hideouts, and a distinct lack of traditional castles. The color scheme heavily featured brown and green to represent the forest environment.
Factions: The primary faction was the Dark Forestmen, identifiable by their green outfits and feathered hats. They operated outside the traditional kingdom's laws.
Characters: The main antagonist was the "Dark Forest King", who likely ruled over the territory.
Design: The sets utilized large, specialized tree and rock pieces to create organic-looking hideouts and ambushes. Some sets included glow-in-the-dark ghost figures for added atmosphere.
Notable Discontinued Sets
Only four main sets were produced under the Dark Forest sub-theme, making them relatively rare collector's items. They are no longer available new from retailers and can only be found on the secondary market.
Dark Forest Fortress (Set number: 6079): The largest set in the theme, featuring a modular, tree-based fortress that could be built in different configurations.
Dark Forest Riding Stable (Set number: 6024): A smaller set that included horses and a stable built into a rock formation.
Dark Forest Encounter (Set number: 6046): A small set featuring a road baseplate, a knight, and two forestmen for an ambush scene.
Dark Forest Preview (Set number: 1845): A very small promotional set.
Successor and Related Themes
The Dark Forest theme succeeded the similar but older Forestmen (1987-1990) and Wolfpack (1992-1993) sub-themes. The general concept of forest outlaws has appeared occasionally in later castle themes, but not as a dedicated sub-theme. The modern LEGO Icons Lion Knights' Castle (set 10305) includes an homage to the classic Forestmen, a nod to the enduring popularity of this type of castle sub-theme.