The LEGO Dragon Masters was a popular, discontinued theme that was the primary LEGO Castle line from 1993 to 1995, with a small revival in 1996. It focused on the conflict between the benevolent Lion Knights and a new, evil faction led by the wizard Majisto who used dragons to their advantage.
Theme Overview and Storyline
The theme was a darker and more fantasy-oriented departure from previous Castle lines. It centered around the powerful wizard Majisto, who was training the Dragon Masters to master their dragons. Their primary antagonists were the classic, "good guy" Lion Knights.
Factions: The Dragon Masters were the "bad guys" in this scenario, identifiable by their red, black, and green color scheme and a prominent dragon crest.
Characters: The main characters included Majisto the Wizard (who also appeared as an ally in other themes), the Dragon Master Knights, and the Lion Knights as their rivals.
Aesthetic: The sets were known for their unique designs that integrated dragons, magic, and medieval architecture. The theme featured a new, large, articulated dragon mold that could breathe fire via a manual play feature.
Notable Discontinued Sets
These sets are now highly sought-after collector's items and are only available on the secondary market from re-sellers.
Fire Breathing Fortress (Set number: 6082): The flagship set and primary fortress for the Dragon Masters, it featured a large, brick-built dragon on top that could be manually operated to "breathe fire" (launch a small red cone).
Dragon Master's Ship (Set number: 6057): A unique medieval ship with a large, green dragon head as a figurehead.
Majisto's Tower (Set number: 6080): A standalone tower set for the wizard, which was often featured on the box art of other sets.
Dark Dragon (Set number: 6043): A Fright Knight set that was released under the "Dragon Masters" sub-theme in 1994, featuring a black dragon.
Dragon Wagon (Set number: 6021): A smaller set featuring a wagon pulled by a horse.
Legacy and Related Themes
The Dragon Masters theme was a significant part of the LEGO Castle era, offering a compelling narrative and unique models. The concept of using a dragon as a core part of a faction was later explored in other themes, and the wizard character Majisto is one of the most iconic LEGO minifigures.
The current LEGO Icons Lion Knights' Castle (set 10305) includes an homage to the classic Dragon Masters, as it includes a brick-built dragon and a minifigure with a staff.