The WEIRD History of LEGO Fright Knights!

Let's take a journey back to one of LEGO's most underrated and controversial Castle subthemes!
Set footage from ‪@OldLegoGuy‬ Go check out his videos! He has a large archive of classic castle sets on his channel
Music from pandabeatsmusic.com/
Fright Knight Traitor Transport remake by ‪@CheeseyStudios‬

[@Goldfyre]

Shoutout to LEGO for making this video outdated 2 days after it released by GIVING US A NEW BASIL THE BATLORD CMF!!!!!

[@joshuabutler5905]

Was literally talking about Basil yesterday - I think we manifested this 😂

[@TeflonDave]

Just came back to see the timeline on this! Seemed pretty close together in my memory. I guess they were! Insipid comments for the algorithm! I'd be happy to let the commercials run for ya, but I've got premium. Dunno if that helps you at all 🤷‍♂

[@dangerxcom]

Hoping to get the basil cmf soon, I’ve got a 6 pack of the series ordered

[@woodyjohnson1102]

Legos watching🫣 keep the good ideas coming!!!

[@CheeseyStudios]

Thanks for featuring my build! This was really fun to watch. I'm honestly quite unfamiliar with Fright Knights, so it was great to have all this info so nicely packaged into a short video. Awesome work!

[@Goldfyre]

Thank you so much! Your Retrospective videos are some of my favorites so that means a lot.

[@carson2823]

The timing of this video with CMF series 25 proves we are living in a simulation and nothing will change my mind about that

[@perl_kristi23]

I wish they make a remaster set of this kingdom.

[@pancakebandit2011]

I agree

[@arbitrary2868]

Well, we ain't getting a set... but we ARE getting the Bat Lord himself come January!

[@KahnSig]

Fright Knights needs a reboot

[@morganmiquel2712]

If they don't made this, We gonna made this !!

[@magnuslauglo5356]

The big Fright Knights Castle really is underrated. It is unique for a castle in that it is taller than it is wide, and it is surely one of the tallest Castles that Lego has released, perhaps excluding the Disney and HP Castles. It can also be reconfigured to be wider and somewhat shorter - trult modular in ways that earlier castles weren't. Too bad about the gaps in the walls, but FWIW the arch-focused architecture is aesthetically appealing. The basic soldiers also have excellent torso printing.

[@Goldfyre]

It also had a pretty spacious interior

[@kysmoses]

We GOT A FRIGHT KNIGHT CMF

[@ClassicStudStudios]

Nope! Not a fright knight, we got something better, BASIL THE BATLORD

[@kysmoses]

@@ClassicStudStudios so hyped

[@nightmare3491]

It would be amazing to see a remake or moc of one of the most legendary Lego factions

[@brickreviewer7866]

Man the Fright Knights would look awesome as a modern figure

[@brickreviewer7866]

@@lucasBricks1234 This comment was from before they were unveiled but funny coincidence😂

[@arbitrary2868]

I love how this video was uploaded a couple days ago, and now CMF 25 leaks and Basil is there. You sir are a psychic!

[@Goldfyre]

Yeah... lol immediately made this video outdated

[@Ruune__]

Loved the production value of this video! It’s super well made and it covers pretty much everything

[@Goldfyre]

Thank you! I'm trying to improve my editing with each video.

[@kevintenney8571]

I loved this theme and it needs to be remade for sure. I have all the original sets and to this day have them on display. Very underrated theme.

[@Goldfyre]

Super underrated

[@mocmotionstudios]

Great video! So good to see Basil coming back in the Series 25 CMF wave as well as the other fright knight soldier in series 19.

[@Darthkermit_frogo]

New vid let's go 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@jpwlockhart]

Such a classic theme, and looks like CMF series 25 is including a remake of Basil, so there’s still some love there!

[@rosscalhoun3389]

The black dragon with trans-orange wings was the coolest Lego I had as a kid, and that's all I need to declare Fright Knights a winner.

[@Stanley_baker]

love the video! happy halloween!

[@EdgeofBricks]

Awesome series, last classic Castle from 97 😀 great video my friend!! Keep going great content

[@thegreatskinkpriest8104]

Man those shields were so good.

[@monblane493]

Yes finnaly a video🎉

[@YEmilianov]

Witch's Magic Manor and Night Lord's Castle were my first Lego sets. They hold a special place in my heart!

[@Rottenflieger.]

I was OBSESSED with Basil the Batlord as a kid after playing Lego Racers. A shop that sold lego near me happened to have set 2848 and 2872 in the early 2000s and I was so excited to be able to own my own minifigs of him and Willa. I actually didn't realise there was a whole range of kits featuring these characters and theme, back then I didn't really search online for lego so I assumed that the characters were unique to the Lego Racers game and had come out in these small kits afterwards. It was only a few years ago that I looked up the character and discovered there was a whole range associated with him!

[@Goldfyre]

I think this is actually a really common occurrence. When Basil is mentioned online it seems like it's mostly people referencing lego racers

[@jonjingle6047]

Im in the process of revamping (pun intended) the fright knight army when the new basil figure comes out

[@ClassicStudStudios]

This video was great!, especially hearing YOUR history with the theme and how you thought it should’ve come a couple years later!. And interms of a set id like to see you remake, I think the one you said would make a good GWP 😂 have a great day Goldfyre

[@Goldfyre]

Thanks! I hope you have a great weekend

[@paladin3784]

This set is based around the holy roman empire since Fright knight is baron von baron ancester according to the set haunted house (10273)

[@eyelessarts]

I always want to see more fantasy or medieval area Lego pieces.

[@Ibroughtmycamera2]

Traitor Transport is the earliest Christmas present I can remember! I remember thinking that little dragon cave was so cool! I still have the dragon, though he's missing his upper jaw 😂 Basil's helmet is a core memory for me.

[@Narayan.V.F]

I love all of it

[@LegioCorvus.]

Nice video!

[@karterver337]

If you're interested, I can say that Fright knights were inspired by Carpathian states like Hungary, Transylvania and Wallachia.

[@SW_Bricks]

Merry HaLlowistMas everyone

[@Jack_Klash]

These were the first Lego Castle sets I got, they will forever be my favorite faction.. the castle was top notch.. 2 stories plus a tour, I used to rebuild it in my own designs, endless fun..

[@paulridings6551]

awesome video!

[@Goldfyre]

Thanks!

[@grahamnlegos]

One of the best ways themes. Good video Fyre! I’d love to see you make a remake.

[@grahamnlegos]

Edit; For me the mini figure designs and concepts of the medium-big sets can tank the fact that the sets were released in one of Lego’s worst time periods.

[@Goldfyre]

Thanks! I might try and remake a few of the sets 😁

[@QalOrt]

I think you are correct with them being Eastern European. I always thought of them as Greek - Basil is a Greek name and they have flame-throwers which the Greeks of the Middle Ages has - Greek Fire.

[@eveerust]

They look so good! I love the helmet and the only thing I don’t particularly care for is the witch. But other than that is looks great

[@RoninCatholic]

My favorite Fright Knights torso is that light gray one with red arms and all those little red birds on the front. The birds also look like crosses, so I combined it with light gray legs to make a priest minifigure. I think the only Fright Knights set I actually got was the Trader Transport, with the big cave piece.

[@Venom3254]

Just got the minifigure from the 25 wave, as someone who didn't get the original sets. The figure is beautiful. The cape, helmet and esthetic.

[@tonlito22]

It would be really neat to see some more Fright Knights going forward. I get the feeling that Fright Knights were meant to be the new villain faction for the Forest Men and Royal Knights, since the Dragon Masters were down to acting as body guards for tax collectors and operating toll bridges. They just didn't, you know, make any sets featuring fights between the Fright Knights and anybody else. Maybe Time Twisters are to blame? Also, Willa probably has halberds on the front of her airship to act as a deterrent against dragons attacking her ship.

[@ToastyToast25]

I always used fantasy in castle castle so I never minded the fright nights

[@ThePeacemaker848]

1:29 the brestplate torso on the right was one of my favorites. Reminded me of one of the warriors from the movie 13th Warrior. Overall I thought the sets for the theme were pretty bad while the minifigures had some uniqueness too them.

[@zenonx1]

I would love to see an attempt at a fright knights wave

[@jkb2016]

3:08 They were impulse buys, yet not featured in (most*) consumer catalogs (also 6004), like the smallest, square-boxed sets usually were. *the Polish 1995 catalog had the last page dedicated to these impulses, but the respective sets weren't featured on the theme pages.

[@CreepingDeath_]

Had the 6007 set back when I was a kid. The bat lord is long gone sadly, but I still have the black dragon at least.

[@boscokam23]

I’ve been waiting for a remake to be released over my life seriously ! Why do they not just refurbish the set…

[@BrickstonLego]

I love this sub theme. I had the fire breathing fortress but gave it to my nephews a few years ago never to be seen again. Doh. I made a Halloween MOC on my channel if you wanna give it 90 seconds of your time. Keep up the great work

[@franlpk9587]

I had the Batlord Castle for my first communion and the Witch Castle for childrens day from my mom. I loved them both. I know they are not great but I remember them fondly

[@DavidF485]

Like others have said, there's an updated Basil figure rumored for the next non-licensed CMF! I think you spoke it into existence!

[@Goldfyre]

I just found out it looks so good!

[@jackb3555]

I managed to get my hands on basil with his catapult as well as the dragon transport cart, theyre sooooooo good

[@Godslegotable]

Very happy i was able to get the updated basil cant wait to build him a castle lol

[@venenomecca5855]

imagine a GWP fright knights with Castle ruins

[@TinyRobotED-tm9rs]

The fright knights are cool

[@lapserdak123]

As a kid in the 90s I had 6004, 6007, 6027, and 6037... and maybe 6028/6029. I loved that series! And say what you want about Witch's Magic Manor but back then I wanted that set pretty badly 😆Especially for that dropping boulder and hidden skeleton 😅 Thx for that video, nostalgia hit hard 🙌

[@OldLegoGuy]

I like the video! I could never talk for 9 minutes ;)

[@rio1408]

Basil the bat lord is so cool

[@stenoqbayza1922]

Childhood dream

[@gunaymanca1687]

i would really like to see any lore about lake Wellwart in your lego world🙂 cool video btw.

[@Goldfyre]

Thanks! i have a few ideas for it but i need to flesh them out :)

[@0ct0san]

Fright knights at fredy

[@DiveShadow]

I got the big castle as a gift part of bulk Lego in like 2003 or so. I am so bummed I can rebuild almost everything but I don't think I have Basil at all

[@hanzocloud]

There’s a new fright knight in minifigs series 25! But there is also a GOAT! Which will overshadow the batlord

[@robonaught]

How I got introduced to Fright Knights: Lego Racers (and how much of a pain Basil was) There was a US Lego Mania magazine which had a small story in it which had a little more detail about Basil and Willa which said Basil was once a knight of unknown origin (I like to think he's an ex-Dragon Master), he was lost or something and ended up at the castle to shelter from a storm, gets terrified by several things in the castle including a swarm of bats and a skeleton touching him before Willa appeared and used her magic to turn him into the Bat Lord. Most of the story is told in Basil's POV as he's remembering what happened so it does leave you wondering how much control/influence does Willa have over Basil. Is he really brainwashed/under Willa's spell as her puppet leader or does he actually like what Willa has turned him into and leads the Fright Knights out of his own free will with him and Willa both having equal control? There's definitely a sense of ambiguity. Lego Legacy Heroes Unboxed went with a sort of mish mash of the US and European stories as there Basil and Willa are enemies with Willa being evil and Basil is good (as this was the actual case in the European story) but its mentioned Willa had mind controlled Basil in the past. Oh and in that game there is this thing about Willa and Majisto were once dating. The game was out before the whole thing about them being cousins so it either wasn't established as canon yet or the game can be seen as a different universe where they're not related.

[@BlueBeetle1939]

That's the set I had as a kid!

[@DemiDemiGlace]

They were in Lego Racer game which is great

[@ZoomReverseFlash]

The small sets are a FEATURE, not a mistake, so that people would be able to get Basil and his dragon without buying the big sets. And the "worst castle ever" has FIVE minifigs (plus dragon and skeleton), while allowing for imagination to build up the interiors (for example, mixing it with the promotional WIlla's lab set, or using your own additions for the manor's interior). I WISH today's Lego castle sets were as good as those "worst" sets.

[@maxmiller5619]

Being a massive Lego Castle collector from the mid-to-late 80's through 90s, Fright Knights is when it lost me. I was down with the wizard and dragon, that worked for me, but dragon hot air balloons and dragon wing helicopters were just a step too far. I could totally do fantasy themes, but this just got too goofy, resembling things my toddler cousins would make with Lego. I couldn't get behind it. And yet, I distinctly remember Basil's helmet being the coolest helmet I'd ever seen and having to have one. He stood out as awesome and the witch by herself was pretty cool too, but the sets just really lacked. I'd really altered my focus away from Castle during Fright Knights and onto Adventures, Aquanauts (which I still think is among the most underrated themes ever), and eventually, Ninja came out (original Ninja, not Ninjago) and I got all of wave one.

[@scorpionwins6378]

I have witch's wingship and it's a fun and interesting build! Fright knights was a very unique sub theme.

[@Goldfyre]

Easily one of the most unique sub themes they ever did.

[@holybaguette-qp4kd]

Please put your remakes on Lego ideas Try and remake the medieval line I would love to see my cousin playing with the stuff we did when we were young

[@jameshamaker9321]

make your own version of it and maybe add a fright knights faction to an army build.

[@ceegronlee]

Love how we got a modern Basil in CMF 25!

[@Goldfyre]

the timing was hilarious with this video. I think we heard about the leak for the new basil like the day after i uploaded this

[@German_reichtangle]

Lego should bring back Lego castle and start to make more sets

[@CryInJulyYT]

Thanks for manifesting the new basil !! Already have pulled three ! Now buying bulk of original soldiers to make a full fright Knight faction for my new table build vs ? Idk what faction should they battle you guys tell me also the red drags are going to be Allies for the frights just fyi when suggesting factions !

[@MurderousMuirdris]

i found a black dragon with weird tail and gold prints, googled it to see where it was from found it was from orient expedition but also from that theme was the set where the dragon was from but it used basils helmet in dark gray 7419 dragon fortress is the set

[@Nightlordbuilds]

How dare anyone mock the greatest castle theme of all time.

[@Goldfyre]

BASIL, MY LIEGE!

[@SandyPirs2]

batlord- legend

[@Hot_SpicyGrill]

I have my frights knights be the neutral Basil and Willow is evil. Their goal is just to be scary and spooky like Halloween world from night mare before Christmas. They are necromancer who use skulls in jars to power war machines, them the dwarfs and forest men are the only factions to use mechs. The mech are all powered by dead bodies like a warhammer 40k dreadnought.

[@nk3682]

Funny you say 1996-2004 was bad era for LEGO, as kid I always thought it was the golden age lol. Didn't grow up then just liked them in the encyclopedia's you'd buy from school book fairs that would come with minifig or something.

[@manscapedgrinch1427]

Im really wondering how likely it is that we'll get a new Willa figure in the CMF line

[@logansmith2703]

I think modern Lego needs more BURPS and LURPS personally. Nowadays while the sets are very detailed there's just WAY too many pieces in them driving their price up.

[@Goldfyre]

They no doubt have their place in modern sets. Vader's castle from a few years ago uses them well

[@snapbaxtoytalk]

This might be the Mandela effect, but I'm sure the Witch was called Hubble Bubble in my country 🤔

[@Tyron-yy9yy]

honestly basil stabbed willa in the back because her sets doomed this theme, think of it: the manor and the dragonship are all her fault

[@muffin3959]

Causally predicts the Basil revamp

[@Goldfyre]

lmao it was literally like two days before it leaked

[@muffin3959]

@@Goldfyre suspicious

[@CastleBricks]

The Knight/Night Lord’s Castle, should have been called "Knight/Night Lord’s Chapel/Cathedral" 🤔😊 🦇🎃

[@floorbremen7893]

Yes a 1000 times yes

[@almightycinder]

It's possible they're supposed to be German since Basil's headpiece looks an awful lot like Kaiser Wilhelm II. His mustache is too close for it to not be a coincidence.

[@Goldfyre]

That's actually a really great point

[@TBornes]

I have 4 of the sets if you want to purches them😊

[@nr-dx4zz]

Omfg i had that castle as a jit

[@Goldfyre]

lmao

[@nr-dx4zz]

Fucking core memory unlocked

[@kunu1990]

Would definitely like a remake set as a gwp item, like mentioned such a great theme held back by the situation LEGO was in financially

[@RB-ll8qc]

This whole video feels like it is made by someone who really dislikes 90s legos style. I would argue that sets today have too many peices because half the parts are 1×1 sized.

[@Goldfyre]

I definitely am not a fan of 90's lego but i appreciate it for what it is.

[@williardwonken9040]

90s legos are the best by a mile second only to 80s legos ... cant really relate to the author here

[@Goldfyre]

totally fair. I'm of course very biased towards both late 00's lego and modern lego myself.

[@Autisticguywithacamera]

I missed out on Fright Knights, but I wish I had bought a few. Lego needs to remake this theme since they haven't made any magic-based castle sets in years.

[@sobik2433]

I hated them when they were releas in 1997! After great Lion knights wit perfect casrtle from 1995 LEGO gave us this chaotic and ugly things! I was soooo disappointed that I still remeber till now this feeleing ;) Asspecialy castle and other construcion were poorly designed just like pirates from 1996. IN 1996 lego had it dark time. Some idiots started to force very simple, made of big pices construction. And stickers every were ex lights and gril on cars in city. When I was 4 and parents gave me firs Lego car I was soo happy that EVERYTHING is made of small pices! This is idea of LEGO to BUILD something from pices with your imagination.