There are classic LEGO themes that no-one forgets, like Space, Castle and Pirates – but some themes come and go, seemingly forgotten by the fan community. Here are some that didn’t have staying power, but were still fun additions to the brick world.
The LEGO Group has explored lots of themes over its expansive history. With the creation of the minifigure in 1978, the first official themes as fans know them today were created. Described as a ‘system within the System’, the first classic ranges were Town, Castle and Space.
If you were to ask a LEGO fan what their favourite theme is, several popular brand come up again and again, such asStar Wars, Harry Potter, City and Technic. However, given that there have been almost 50 years of LEGO themes, it can be easy to forget the most short-lived or less popular examples. After all, not every theme can be popular simultaneously and it’s up to the LEGO Group to tastefully retire declining themes.
Join Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine for fans, for an exploration of some of the shortest-lived, often forgotten LEGO themes…
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Winning the prize for the LEGO Group’s shortest lived theme is Avatar: The Last Airbender. This theme was released in 2006 to coincide with the popular Nickelodeon TV animated series of the same name. As it only comprised two sets, it is easy to forget about LEGO Avatar: The Last Airbender. The sets were released simultaneously with LEGO Spongebob SquarePants as part of a wider Nickelodeon licencing agreement. The Spongebob sets proved more popular and so LEGO Avatar: The Last Airbender didn’t have any additional sets.
Only two LEGO Avatar: The Last Airbender sets were released – 3828 Air Temple and 3829 Fire Nation Ship. Alongside Aang (who appears in both sets) fans can also collect Sokka, Katara, Prince Zuko and Fire Nation Firebenders.
Ninja (Castle)
Castle is one of the LEGO Group’s original themes and has gone through several iterations and subthemes over the years. Spanning 1998 and 1999, Ninja was a sub-theme of LEGO Castle focused on feudal Japan. As the name implies, the sets heavily featured Ninja and samurai minifigures.
Several Ninjas sets were released in 1998 and 1999, from the 24 piece 1184 Ninja Blaster all the way to the 687 piece 6093 Flying Ninja Fortress.
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Alien Conquest
LEGO Space went through several iterations over its lifetime, starting as Classic Space in 1978 and ending as a standalone theme with Space: Galaxy Squad in 2013. Whilst Galaxy Squad stands out as LEGO Space’s final subtheme, the penultimate subtheme, Alien Conquest is often forgotten about. Its debatable how much it is even part of Space, as it’s Earth-bound rather than based out there among the stars,
Lasting only one 2011 release wave, LEGO Alien Conquest consisted of only seven sets and two polybags. Originally there were plans for a second wave of Alien Conquest sets but it was cancelled in favour of Galaxy Squad.
Scooby-Doo
LEGO Scooby-Doo is a retired LEGO theme based on the franchise of the same name. Released in August 2015, the sets feature all of the main characters including, Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Velma and Daphne. In the five sets released, like 5902 The Mystery Machine and 75903 Haunted Lighthouse, the Mystery Gang feature alongside the usual villains like The Headless Horseman, Swamp Monster, and Lighthouse Keeper. What makes LEGO Scooby-Doo often overlooked is how short lived it was, as there was only one year of models.
Unitron (Space)
In 1994, Unitron took over the mantle of ‘good guys’ in space from the previous space subtheme – Space Police II. The main opposition of Unitron was Spyrius, who featured in catalogue images attacking Unitron builds. Unfortunately for Unitron fans, the subtheme was short lived, retiring in 1995 with only five sets being released. Moreover, in Europe only 6991 Monorail Transport Base was ever released. These factors make Unitron one of the lmost easily forgotten LEGO Space collections.