Every LEGO Indiana Jones Set RANKED!

Released as a part of LEGO’s relatively short-lived BrickMaster program, this polybag was exclusive to subscribers to the aforementioned club. It was pretty simple, offering only Dr. Jones and a green one-seater Jeep for him to drive. Not much to say beyond that, hence it being at the bottom of the list. 

Despite the inclusion of four exclusive minifigures, this set contained just 63 pieces, one of which was a giant barrel for Marion to hide in (just like the movie!) Unfortunately, the rest of the pieces were pretty one dimensional and didn’t add for a lot of creativity or use outside of the specific context of this set, and since LEGO is all about play and reimagining, this one ranks pretty low.

Limited to just 500 copies ever produced, the SDCC exclusive Indiana Jones set depicts a generic landscape for Indy to drive his Jeep across. If the vehicle looks familiar, that’s because it’s the exact same car that was included in #21’s polybag - in face that polybag was packaged inside of the SDCC box shown here! It’s a neat set for it’s history, but there was nothing exclusive to it outside of the box it came in, leaving a lot to be desired as far as play value and uniqueness was concerned.

Of all the Indy films, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull had the most sets made for it. A wonder, considering the fan base’s hate for the film. Regardless, the Chauchilla Cemetery Battle was a pretty faithful play-oriented take on the scene from the film. This made for a great playset, but pales in comparison to everything else higher on the list. 

A loose interpretation of the not-so-loved jungle chase scene from Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, this set came with a small boat, a tree fort, and an amphibious vehicle for Indy and Marion to escape in. I have fond memories of this set growing up, as my family had a camper for a few summers and this was the only LEGO set I had with me for two summers in a row. I can’t tell you how many times I rebuilt the set, swapped the minifigs around to make new characters, and took it outside for hours of play.

As grounded as the first three Indy films were (suspending disbelief for the relics aside) Kingdom of the Crystal Skull introduced some rather questionable elements. One of which was the Jungle Cutter. While a cool vehicle in principle, it was hardly believable, but dang did it make for a neat LEGO set. The treads were built to move the two razors at the front of the vehicle, and the trees included were able to be chopped down with them. I also liked the inclusion of the little cave with treasure in it, as it allowed you to have your own non-Crystal Skull inspired adventures with your own imagination. 

Look, I know this set isn’t all that exciting, but don’t you miss the days when a little $10 set included three desirable main characters, some weapons, and a big giant canvas tent for your collection? I sure do, because if this set came out today it’d easily be $15-20 (or more.) There’s not much to this set, but simplicity is key and doing a lot with a little can go a long way when it comes to ranking LEGO sets!

I’m not a big plane guy, but I can appreciate good LEGO craftsmanship when I see it. This was a very innovative take on The Last Crusade’s iconic sky chase, including a German plane that could have its two wings broken off just like the movie. It’s three minifigs and two planes, so there’s not much to really say about it beyond that, but dang if it wasn’t a neat set for 2009!

Fun Fact: this is one of the only LEGO sets ever released to be based off of a deleted scene from a film. Rumor has it that there was an entire sequence shot at an airfield with a plane that was scrapped from Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, hence the existence of this set. To further add to the lore, this was only obtainable at the LEGO Store, LEGO Shop at Home online, and oddly enough, Toys R Us. It’s actually a pretty detailed set, and a rare offering of a commercial passenger plane at the time, so it’s a shame that this wasn’t more widely available back in the day. 

This set is a mixed bag. On one hand, it represents one of the most iconic scenes in the entire Indiana Jones franchise, but as a LEGO set, it offers very little given the fact that most of the “build” is a giant grey piece that makes up for the wings (oh, and don’t forget it required stickers to boot!) It’s a neat set that displays well, but the whole point of a LEGO set is, well, the building aspect, so a set that’s basically a handful of pieces atop a single grey wing isn’t all that exciting when it comes to the building experience. 

Released as a part of the 2023 comeback wave, this set packs a lot of punch for $40. It offered four exclusive minifigures, including the first-ever LEGO Sallah. It included the Ark of the Covenant, lots of snakes, and even two giant Anubis statues, but still it feels a little hollow compared to other sets offered in the line. Unfortunately, this set offers nowhere near the price-per-piece value that its original counterpart did in 2008, so we’ll have to wait a bit further down the list to see why this one isn’t ranked quite as high… 

While not technically accurate to the film, this set offered tons of play value as well as collector intrigue. First off, LEGO rarely makes reality-based war vehicles, so getting two pretty believable German transports was a rarity at the time - and even to this day. Along with those, we also got three generic German soldiers, perfect for army building. Aside from that, it also included a gold treasure chest, which if it were film accurate should’ve been the Ark of the Covenant, but for play value it was nice to get yet another treasure for Indy to hunt down. Perhaps the biggest disappointment for the set is the lack of inclusion of Belloq, as well as Toht, who to this day has never existed in LEGO form. 

Another 2023 remake, this set’s price tag was a stunning $34.99, making it not only one of the best valued sets in the LEGO Indiana Jones line, but arguably one of the best priced licensed sets ever. Offering three exclusive minifigs is appealing enough, but including an 8-wide car that could fit two minifigs seated inside as well as a WWII-accurate fighter plane made this a dream both financially and for fun. 

The LEGO Indiana Jones theme sure loves its sets based off of chase sequences, don’t they? This set was a blast, as it included almost entirely exclusive minifigures (with the exception of Short Round, who also appeared in the Temple of Doom set.) Short Round’s car had a cloth canopy that had a hole in the top for Indy to pop out of and shoot the bad guys from, and overall this was a fun set with tons of play value.  

Speaking of play value, the Venice Canal Chase is one of the best offerings in the entire LEGO Indiana Jones line. Not only did this set include a little dock area, but it came with two uniquely built boats which each had their own play features. One boat could be split in half while the other could have the center blown apart. This set was so fun to build as a kid, and heck, it’s still pretty great as an adult!

You may be wondering how an $11 set ranked so high, but that’s just it. Ask 10 kids who collected LEGO in 2008, and I guarantee the majority of them had this set. There’s something so charming and magical about Indy and his dad’s motorcycle and side car, not to mention the German soldier chasing after them on his own motorcycle and the gate for them to crash through. Nostalgia at its finest!

I know, I know… you’re ready to tell me that ranking a Crystal Skull set this high is a crime. Hear me out: a retail price of $80 got you 10 minifigures, 929 pieces, a massive baseplate to build on, three Crystal Skull pieces, and tons of play features to create your own adventures with. If you haven’t been sold yet, then I’m sorry, but you’re missing out. Don’t let the hate for this movie overshadow the fact that this was an awesome set with so much potential for customization and play. I unashamedly love this set and I think anyone who gets a chance to own it would attest to the same!

Ah, the controversial Temple of Doom. The film itself has been held to its own scrutiny over the years with claims of racism and sexism, but we’re here to discuss plastic bricks and not world affairs. This set offered so much incredible play value. With nearly all exclusive minifigures (Short Round being the exception again) this set included everything from the sacrifice pit trap door to the iconic mine cart chase, complete with a rail system that would let you recreate the iconic sequence from the film. I’ve had this one proudly on display in my house for years now, and it’s always a fan favorite when I have guests over and give them a tour of my collection. 

Earlier on the list we talked about the 2023 Lost Tomb set, but this one is the bonafide original. Retailing for just $20, you got a compact and walled-in Well of the Souls straight from the movie. The big winning factor for this set is it’s price; it’s hard to imagine LEGO putting out at $20 set today that would offer this size, detail, and playability. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of great $20 sets today, but none of them hold a candle to this. To add fuel to the fire, adjusted for inflation, this set would be about $28 today, which still would make it a great deal. 

You had to know that the two sets at the top of this list would be the Temple Escape sets. This one from 2008 was my favorite LEGO set of all-time for nearly a decade, but it still holds a special place in my heart. It offers a certain nostalgic simplicity that few sets from the era can lay claim to. Ask anyone who had this set back in the day, and I am sure all of its owners have at least one special memory surrounding this set. My unique story with this set is that I created my first piece of LEGO digital content using it. Somewhere at my parents’ house exists my old flip phone which contains a stop motion animation I made using this set. I bet it looks terrible by today’s standards, but next time I go home I’ve got to find that phone and upload that video online somehow. 

Unsurprisingly, the $150 2023 set takes the cake as the best Indy set of all-time. Not only does this improve on the original in nearly every way, it also offers some of the most advanced Technic functions ever to appear in a brick-based LEGO set while also crafting its own unique identity from the first one that helped launch the Indiana Jones theme over 15 years ago. This set is a blast to build, great to display, and above all offers a challenging experience for builders of all levels. It’s as close to a perfect set as can be!