The LEGO Orient Expedition was the final, globe-trotting sub-theme of the discontinued LEGO Adventurers line, released in 2003 and running until 2005. It followed the main character, Johnny Thunder, and his team on a quest across Asia to find the legendary Golden Dragon of Marco Polo.
Theme Overview
The storyline, told through comics in the instruction booklets and on the LEGO website, took the adventurers through India, the Himalayas, and China. Their goal was to find four treasures (the Golden Shield, Golden Sword, Golden Helmet, and the Golden Dragon itself) before their nemesis, Lord Sam Sinister, and his various local allies.
A unique feature of the Orient Expedition theme was an integrated board game. Many sets came with a piece of the game board, character stat cards, and a die, allowing collectors to combine their sets to play a full board game.
Key Sets
The theme included 20 sets and promotional polybags, with the larger ones being the main "stops" on the board game map.
Dragon Fortress (Set number: 7419): The largest set, it served as the final location in China where the Golden Dragon was found.
Scorpion Palace (Set number: 7418): Located in India, this set housed the first treasure, the Golden Shield of Marco Polo.
Temple of Mount Everest (Set number: 7417): This temple in the Himalayas was the location of the Golden Sword, guarded by a yeti and the hunter Ngan Pa.
Emperor's Ship (Set number: 7416): Featured the emperor's large ship used by the villains in the China segment of the story.
Varying Vehicles and Creatures: Smaller sets featured vehicles like the Elephant Caravan (set 7414) and Aero Nomad (set 7415), as well as creatures from local beliefs such as the Tygurah and the Jun-Chi monster.
Characters
The main characters were the recurring heroes from previous Adventurers themes.
Johnny Thunder: The Australian adventurer and main protagonist.
Dr. Kilroy and Pippin Reed: Johnny's reliable partners in exploration.
Lord Sam Sinister: The long-time antagonist of the Adventurers, now called Lord Sam Sinister, who pursued the treasures.
New Allies and Villains: The team also met new allies like Babloo and Jing Lee, and faced new villains such as Maharaja Lallu and Emperor Chang Wu.