Until this set, LEGO had never made a Thestral, the skeletal winged horses of the Harry Potter stories that most characters cannot even see. The first version is now cheaper for part of Amazon’s customers: the Thestral Family falls from $69.99 to $41.99 on Amazon for Prime members, a 40% reduction, as one of the early Prime Big Deal Days offers. The box holds 548 pieces and builds two creatures, an adult and a baby.
Fabric Wings and a 9.5-Inch Adult Thestral
The adult is the centerpiece. Once built it stands more than 9.5 inches (24 cm) tall, which is taller than a paperback stood on end, so this is a model that needs its own spot on a shelf. Both models have the bony body and bat-like features the creatures are known for, and the adult’s wings are made of fabric. I think that was the right call, because wings built from plates would have been heavy and stiff, while fabric can be spread wide or folded against the body.
Both Thestrals are articulated at the head, the legs and the wings. That gives two ways to use the set: a child can pose the pair mid-flight or walking and play with them, and an older fan can fix a pose and leave them on display. The baby is the smaller of the two, and having figures of different sizes is what makes the scene read as a family, as the name says.
A buildable tree completes the set. It is there as scenery, a nod to the Forbidden Forest where the Thestrals live in the stories, and it gives the two creatures a setting when they are displayed together. LEGO adds that the figures can be combined with other Harry Potter sets, which are sold separately, for anyone who already has a Hogwarts build on the shelf.
The age rating is 10 and up, and LEGO describes the set as one for children who enjoy challenging builds. I would take that seriously for a younger sibling: 548 pieces with articulated joints and fabric parts is a long build that asks for some patience. One thing the listing does not mention is a minifigure, so I would not count on finding Harry or anyone else in the box. As a present, it suits a birthday or the holidays for a fan who already knows the creatures.
Shoppers without a membership will not see this price: the LEGO Harry Potter Thestral Family (76458) is $41.99 instead of $69.99 on Amazon as an exclusive Prime price, under the Early Prime Big Deal label. There is a single version of the set, and returns are free.