The worst-kept secret in all of LEGO collecting in 2013 has been that the highly-successful LEGO Ninjago theme would be returning with all-new sets in January 2014! Teaser artwork had been released that showed Sensei Wu with a cyborg eye, so it’s been pretty commonly accepted that there was a LEGO Ninjago Cyborg theme in 2014–and now that appears to be confirmed! The first first 2013 LEGO Ninjago minifigure has leaked onto ebay, where he’s now available for sale early–it’s LEGO Ninjago General Cryptor the Cyborg Ninja!

I was a little wary of the idea of mixing the ninja theme of the Ninjago LEGO sets with high-tech cyborgs, but if this leaked LEGO Ninjago 2014 General Cryptor minifigure is any indication, Ninjago fans are in for some really cool sets next year.

While the previous LEGO Ninjago villains have all been fantasy-based creatures like snake men and skeletons and such, in 2014 LEGO is taking aim at a futuristic, science fiction-based group of enemies for our heroes to tangle with instead!

Once you pull off the General Cryptor Ninjago minifigure’s mask, you can get a much better view of his robotic face and cyborg right eye! If the other enemy ninjas that Lloyd and the rest of the Ninjago team have to tackle in next year’s 2014 LEGO Ninjago sets are anything like Cryptor, they’re going to be in for a real fight!

This General Cryptor Ninjago minifigure will be part of the wave of LEGO 2014 Ninjago sets not scheduled to hit stores until December 2013/January 2014. General Cryptor is rumored to be included with two sets in the winter: LEGO Ninjago Fighter Kai 70721 and LEGO Ninjago Ninja Copter 70724. No other details regarding those two sets are currently available, other than the fact that the General Cryptor minifigure will supposedly be packed in with both of them.

I’ll post more on the LEGO Ninjago 2014 sets and minifigures as details become available, and you can ‘Like’ Bricks and Bloks on Facebook to have LEGO news, updates and photos beamed straight to your Facebook Newsfeed.