In 2025, LEGO gave us exactly one Serpent Knight in the Medieval Horse Knights Castle 31168, and Castle fans have wanted an entire faction of Serpent Knights ever since.
So a few months later, when the parts appeared on LEGO’s Pick a Brick platform, I grabbed torsos, legs, and a couple of shields to see what kind of army I could build. The set has since retired and the parts have disappeared from Pick a Brick, but they’re still widely available on BrickLink.
My Serpent Knights are a mysterious bunch. Most hide part of their faces behind bandanas, which works particularly well with the purple and black color scheme.
LEGO has already explored snake-themed characters extensively in Ninjago, so I borrowed some parts from that theme. They also give the faction the same East Asian-inspired quality that Ninjago has.
The original torsos and legs are all black, with diamond-shaped armour rivets running between thin dark purple stripes and a pointed, scale-like collar around the neck. I stuck to those colours throughout the faction. The original shield and plume introduce some yellow, but I deliberately kept it off the minifigure builds themselves. The yellow heads already provide enough contrast.
I approached this faction a little differently from my Wolfpack. The Wolfpack are a ragtag bunch of bandits, so a mismatched appearance suits them. The Serpent Knights, on the other hand, needed to look like a proper army. I still wanted each character to have their own identity, though.
And since they’re Serpent Knights, I leaned into the natural world and used real snake species to define the characters. I deliberately chose existing snake names and adapted their characteristics to the personalities and fighting styles of the knights. The Black Mamba, for example, is fast and elusive, while the Spitting Cobra specializes in ranged attacks. It’s a little bit of real-world natural history mixed with medieval fantasy.
The original torsos and legs form the foundation of most of these builds. From there, I added parts from my collection and a few accessories from my shop, Minifig Realms, to give each character a distinct personality and purpose.
Here’s what I came up with.
Black Mamba
Fast, elusive, and deadly. The Black Mamba prefers to stay out of sight, slipping silently into the undergrowth long before anyone notices. But corner one, and you’ll find out just how quickly it can strike.
Armed with a dagger for quiet kills and a sword for when things get messy, this is one knight you don’t want sneaking up behind you.
I find that the best parts for a minifig build come from other themes. This braided hairpiece from the Editions F1 theme, for example, reminded me of a nest of snakes and turned out to be a perfect fit for the faction.
- Hair: Lewis Hamilton
- Armor: Ninjago, Arin
- Torso and Legs: Medieval Horse Knight Castle 31168, Serpent Knight
- Accessories: Minifig Realms Dagger Sheath
Spitting Cobra
A scout and skirmisher, the Spitting Cobra keeps its enemies at a distance. Its brick-built serpent bow fires venomous arrows, making it particularly dangerous on the battlefield.
The bow is a simple but effective combination of two black snake head pieces, connected by a lightsaber hilt. It’s a nice way to create a weapon that fits the faction’s theme.
I also swapped the original black arms for dark purple ones. It’s a small change, but it adds a bit more color and helps distinguish the Spitting Cobra from the other knights.
- Hair: Hungarian Horntail Dragon 76406, Harry Potter
- Mask: Ninja bandana
- Torso and Legs: Medieval Horse Knight Castle 31168, Serpent Knight
- Arms: Dark Purple
- Accessories: Minfig Realms Modular Ranger Cape
Sidewinder
A master of the blade, the Sidewinder relies on speed, agility, and superior swordsmanship. Its unpredictable movements make it hard for opponents to anticipate the next strike.
Once again, an unusual hairpiece made its way into the build. This one comes from a LEGO Creator 3-in-1 set, and its unusual shape reminded me of moving snakes. Perfect for a Serpent Knight!
I also swapped the arms for dark purple ones.
- Hair: Haunted Mansion 31167, Vampire
- Torso and Legs: Medieval Horse Knight Castle 31168, Serpent Knight
- Arms: Dark Purple
- Accessories: Minifig Realms One-Shoulder Mantle
Black Taipan
The Black Taipan commands the Serpent Knight army. A seasoned tactician and formidable presence, he ensures that every knight knows their place and every battle has a plan.
The heavy body armor from Ninjago features a snake on each shoulder.
- Armor: Ninjago, Rivett
- Torso and Legs: Medieval Horse Knight Castle 31168, Serpent Knight
- Accessories: Minifig Realms Hip Sheath
HOrned Viper
A battle-hardened veteran, the Horned Viper has the scars to prove his experience. His worn cloak tells you he’s seen more than his fair share of battles, and he’s not about to back down from another.
Once again, a Ninjago part takes center stage in the build, although this one isn’t snake-related. The Oni mask was one of those impulse buys in my Pick a Brick order. I was shopping for something else, threw it in my cart without really knowing what it was, and only later discovered just how well it would work here.
Paired with the hood, it creates a fantastic look. This is probably my favorite minifig of the entire faction.
- Mask: Ninjago, Oni General
- Torso and Legs: Medieval Horse Knight Castle 31168, Serpent Knight
- Arms: Dark Purple Grey
- Accessories: Minifig Realms Hood, Battleworn Cloak with Sheath, and Single Sword Sheath
Serpent King
The Serpent King rules through patience, carefully negotiated treaties, and the occasional bit of fine print. He’s probably already planned for whatever you’re about to try.
The king’s helmet is the matching part to the body armor on the Black Taipan.
- Helmet: Ninjago, Rivett
- Torso and Legs: Medieval Horse Knight Castle 31168, Serpent Knight
- Accessories: Minifig Realms Wraparound Cloak
Snake Guard
Disciplined, silent, and always on the move. The Snake Guard are the Serpent King’s personal protectors, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings and making sure nobody gets too close to the throne.
Since these are the rank-and-file soldiers of the faction, I used the torso from the Tax Collector to distinguish them from the higher-ranking knights. I avoided using the matching legs, though, as the blue would have introduced a color that doesn’t fit the faction. Instead, I went with plain black legs and added fabric purple skirts to give them a more layered look.
- Torso: Medieval Town Square 10332, Tax Collector
- Accessory: Minifig Realms Skirt and Dagger Sheath Skirt
The Whole Look
Here are 360-degree spins of each minifig so you can see them from every angle:
Building Your Own Serpent Knights
I’m pretty happy with how this faction turned out. Starting with just one official Serpent Knight, I built an entire army of characters that look like they belong together, but each has its own personality and role.
I’ve seen other fan-made Serpent Knight factions inspired by dark elves and Persian warriors, so there are plenty of directions you could take this concept. I went with an East Asian-inspired aesthetic, partly because LEGO’s Ninjago theme already has so many great snake-themed parts to borrow from.
One last tip: the mask used for the Horned Viper and the wavy Vampire hair are currently available on LEGO’s Pick a Brick. Once those sets retire, you’ll have to buy them on marketplaces like BrickLink.