While some may wonder why a random chicken figure has wandered into 11377 The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith, true fans will appreciate the LEGO in-joke.
LEGO Icons returns to Middle-earth once again this summer, with 11377 The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith expanding the theme’s brick-built Tolkien world. Clocking in at 8,278 pieces, the massive model is packed with details and Easter eggs, but the inclusion of one seemingly-random element may have some builders scratching their heads.
While assembling 11377 The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith’s minifigure-scale outer walls, fans will come across a chicken figure with which to populate that section of the set. While many may dismiss the poultry piece out of hand, the LEGO Icons team has included it on purpose as a way of tying into much deeper The Lord of the Rings lore.
During a recent livestream event for the set, project lead François Zapf popped up in a trailer for an upcoming Secrets of our Sets documentary based around 11377 The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith and pointed out the relevance of that chicken figure.
“In the movie, for a split second, you can see a chicken,” François chuckled. “We found it really funny if we were to include it in the model. We decided to call it ‘Amon Hen.’”
That name might not mean much to casual fans, but those with a deeper knowledge of Tolkien’s work will know that it refers to a prominent hill and ancient Gondorian watchtower on the western banks of the Anduin River.
Its name translates as ‘Hill of the Eye’ and the location also features the Seat of Seeing, where Frodo Baggins experiences visions that lead him to leave the Fellowship. Amon Hen also appeared in the sixth and final level of the LEGO The Lord of the Rings video game back in 2012, but has yet to receive a physical LEGO set.
Builders will be able to check out Amon Hen and 11377 The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith’s other secrets when the set is released for Insiders first on June 1, 2026, followed by wider availability from June 4. The LEGO Icons set is priced at £579.99 / €649.99 / $649.99 and comes with 40893 The Lord of the Rings: Grond as a GWP from June 1-7 (while stocks last).
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