Blocks takes a trip back in time and visits the historical LEGO themes that fans have known and loved over the years, including Castle, Pirates, Western and Vikings.
The minifigure has gone everywhere from space to the jungle and, very often in LEGO City, to jail. But one of its most popular destinations is back in time, whether it be a hundred years ago or a thousand. Fans have a special appreciation for historical LEGO themes, where minifigures can pick up a sword and honourably charge into battle.
With how popular the historical themes are among fans, it’s surprising that there have only ever been four true historical themes. The likes of Romans and cavepeople have had a few appearances in the Collectible Minifigures line, but they haven’t been part of full waves of sets. That honour falls to knights, pirates, cowboys and Vikings. Join Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine, on a trip through time and learn about the four historical LEGO themes.
LEGO Castle
LEGO Castle holds the distinction of being the first historical LEGO theme, debuting in 1978 with what is now one of the most iconic sets of the era, 375 Castle. From these humble beginnings Castle would go on to become one of the most beloved LEGO themes, gradually expanding its library to include larger castles as well as plenty of other sets to fill out the LEGO medieval world. After decades of reboots and remakes, a true Castle theme hasn’t been on shelves since 2013, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been any medieval sets at all. The likes of 21325 Medieval Blacksmith and 10305 Lion Knight’s Castle serve as reminders of Castle’s intense popularity and its place as one of the most influential themes in the history of the LEGO Group.
LEGO Pirates
In 1989, LEGO Pirates became the first theme to be added beyond the original three from 1978, and its arrival marked a new era for LEGO sets. Pirate minifigures were the first to have faces with printing other than the classic smiley face while also being the first to switch out the usual hands and legs for hooks and peglegs. These new figures went on adventures across the Caribbean, using sets like 6285 Black Seas Barracuda as their home base as they plundered and pillaged. Much like Castle, Pirates hasn’t seen a proper release in some time — since 2015 to be exact — but has had a few releases, such as 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay and 10320 Eldorado Fortress to satisfy fans’ cravings for new LEGO Pirates.
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LEGO Western
Simply put, LEGO Western never reached the extreme heights of popularity achieved by its cousins Castle and Pirates. The theme launched in 1996 and promptly released its last batch of sets the following year. Roughly 20 sets fall under the theme, including a few throwback releases that arrived in the early 2000s. The theme featured sets such as 6765 Gold City Junction and 6761 Bandit’s Secret Hide-Out, letting fans build up a respectable collection of LEGO cowboy minifigures. Some of the figures from LEGO Western are among the few minifigures to have noses — a product of the era in which they released. The theme holds the unfortunate distinction of being the only one on this list not to receive some form of revival in recent years, leaving LEGO Western to be seemingly lost to history.
LEGO Vikings
The mid-2000s saw the arrival of the most recent (and currently last) historical LEGO theme — LEGO Vikings. The theme joined the LEGO catalogue in 2005, but much like Western, was never able to catch on like Castle and Pirates did. The theme only ever managed seven sets and released the final few in 2006. However, unlike Western, Vikings has been making a bit of a comeback in the 2020s. 31132 Viking Ship and the Midgard Serpent and 21343 Viking Village have brought LEGO Vikings back to shelves with some incredible models. 31132 is even an indirect remake of one of the original LEGO Viking sets, 7018 Viking Ship challenges the Midgard Serpent, showing that the short-lived theme is far from forgotten.
Do you have a favourite of the historical LEGO themes? Let Blocks know on any of our social media channels.