So, you’re running around Isla Nublar and realizing that half the stuff is locked behind glass, electricity, or literal piles of dino poop. It’s frustrating. You see a shiny gold brick or a minikit just out of reach, and the character you’re playing as just shrugs. Honestly, the lego jurassic world game characters roster is massive—over 100 if you count the DLCs—but most of them are just "reskins" of the same basic abilities. You don't need all of them to beat the story, but you definitely need a specific handful if you’re a completionist aiming for that 100% trophy.
The game covers all four movies (up to the first Jurassic World), and the character selection reflects that. You’ve got the legends like Alan Grant and Ian Malcolm, but then you’ve got random ACU troopers and park workers who, surprisingly, end up being more useful for certain puzzles than the stars of the show.
The Absolute Essentials for Free Play
When you finish the main story levels, you’re basically just getting started. To crack open the secrets in Free Play, you need a diverse "toolkit" of characters.
Ellie Degler (or any version of Ellie Sattler) is probably the most used character in the game. Why? Because she’s the only one who can dive into those giant piles of dinosaur droppings to find items. It's gross, yeah, but essential. She also has the botanical ability to grow plants, which acts as a ladder or a platform to reach higher areas. If you aren't playing as Ellie, you're missing half the game's secrets.
Then there's Owen Grady. He’s the "Swiss Army Knife" of the Jurassic World era characters. He can camouflage himself to sneak past security cameras or dinosaurs that would otherwise attack you. Plus, he can track items using a magnifying glass and has a combat knife for specific cutting interactions. He’s basically the modern-day equivalent of Alan Grant but with better stealth.
Speaking of Alan Grant, he’s your go-to for anything involving digging. You'll see those dirt patches with glowing paw prints; Alan uses his raptor claw to dig up skeleton pieces or key items. He can also build those skeleton structures faster than almost anyone else.
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The Tech and Security Specialists
You’re going to run into a lot of locked doors. Like, a lot.
- Lex Murphy: She’s your primary "hacker." She can use the computer terminals to solve mini-games and open doors. More importantly, she has a high-pitched scream that can shatter glass. This is a recurring mechanic throughout the Lego series, but in the context of lego jurassic world game characters, Lex is your earliest and easiest access to this skill.
- Nick Van Owen: From The Lost World, Nick is the guy you need for bolt cutters. If there's a heavy padlock on a gate, Nick is the one who snips it. He also carries a crowbar, which is a separate mechanic for prying open crates.
- Barry: Remember Omar Sy’s character from the first Jurassic World? In the game, he carries an EMP launcher. This is vital for powering up blue generators or disabling electrical grids that block your path. Without an EMP character, you'll find yourself stuck behind blue-sparking fences constantly.
What About the Dinosaurs?
It’s easy to forget that the dinosaurs are actually playable lego jurassic world game characters too. This isn't just a gimmick; you actually need to switch to them to progress in the hub worlds and certain levels.
The Velociraptor is the one you’ll use the most. They can pull orange handles (the ones that look like levers), follow scent trails, and jump incredibly high. If you play the "Raptor Squad" levels, you’ll realize how much the game relies on their agility.
The Dilophosaurus is another heavy hitter for completionists. Its spit can dissolve black "corroded" LEGO bricks. You’ll see these blocks blocking off caves or hidden rooms. No human character can break these; you have to switch to a Dilo, aim, and melt them away.
Then you have the big guys. The T. rex and the Indominus Rex are the only ones capable of breaking "strength" objects, which are usually large, cracked LEGO walls. The Indominus has an extra perk: it can camouflage just like Owen Grady, which is terrifying if you think about it too long. For the smaller cracked walls, a Pachycephalosaurus (the head-butt dino) is required to charge into them.
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Surprising Characters You Might Overlook
Sometimes the most "boring" characters are the ones that save you a trip back to the character select screen.
Dennis Nedry is actually useful because he can throw soda cans at targets. It’s a ranged attack, but it also triggers specific "Nedry" switches. Jophery Brown—the guy from the very first scene of the first movie who gets eaten by the raptor—is the only character in the early game who has a shock prod to fix blue electrical panels.
If you’re playing the Jurassic Park III levels, Paul Kirby and Amanda Kirby seem like filler characters, but they have specialized equipment. Paul has a grappling hook, which is necessary for pulling down objects with a hook point.
Unlocking the Roster: How to Get Them Fast
Getting your hands on these lego jurassic world game characters isn't always about finishing levels.
- Character Studs: Most characters appear as floating icons in the hub world after you finish their respective movie chapters. You have to walk up to them and buy them with studs.
- Gold Bricks: Some characters only unlock once you’ve reached a certain Gold Brick threshold.
- The Customizer: Don't ignore the DNA lab in the Jurassic World Innovation Center or the Enclosure on Isla Sorna. You can actually create your own human and dinosaur characters. This is actually a sneaky way to "cheat" the system—if you create a custom dinosaur with Velociraptor abilities but the size of a T. rex, you can sometimes bypass puzzles in weird ways.
Common Misconceptions About the Character List
A lot of people think that because there are 100+ slots, there are 100+ unique abilities. That’s just not true. Honestly, most characters are "clones." For example, Sarah Harding has almost the exact same skill set as Ellie Sattler (diving in droppings and taking photos).
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Another thing: you don't need to find every "Amber Brick" to unlock the basic dinosaurs. You get the basic versions of the raptor, trike, and rex just by playing the story. The Amber Bricks just give you the ability to customize them and play as different species versions, like the Gallimimus or the Pteranodon.
Tactical Advice for 100% Completion
If you're going for the Platinum or the full 1000 Gamerscore, your first priority shouldn't be hunting for every character. It should be getting the Red Bricks for "Stud Multipliers." Once you have a 2x or 4x multiplier, buying the expensive characters like the Indominus Rex or John Hammond becomes trivial.
Once you have the studs, prioritize unlocking a character for each "Ability Class." You only need one "Screamer" (Lex), one "Hacker" (Dennis Nedry or Lex), one "Mechanic" (Jophery or any technician), and one "Diver" (Ellie or Sarah).
Immediate Next Steps for Players:
- Check your map: Look for the character icons on Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna. If you see a character icon that isn't transparent, you can go there and purchase them immediately.
- Prioritize the "Small" Dinosaurs: Unlock the Compsognathus (Compy) early. There are several "Compy Pipes" in the game that lead to secret areas, and you literally cannot enter them without being a tiny dinosaur.
- Focus on the "Photo" spots: Using characters like Sarah Harding or Billy Brennan to take photos at designated spots earns you easy Gold Bricks, which speeds up your overall progress.
- Use the Jurassic World Hub: Use the map terminals to fast-travel. It saves an immense amount of time when you’re trying to track down a specific character unlock in a different movie era.
The game is a blast, but it’s a grind if you don't know who does what. Stick to the specialists mentioned above, and you’ll stop hitting those "Character Required" roadblocks every five minutes.