Sub‑themes | Accessory sets, Contraction, Fire vs. Ice, Legend Beasts, Outlands, Speedorz and Tribe Packs |
---|---|
Subject | Anthropomorphic animals, Fantasy and Warrior animals |
Licensed from | The Lego Group |
Availability | 2013–2015 |
Total sets | 136 [1] |
TV series | Legends of Chima |
Official website |
Lego Legends of Chima (stylized as LEGO Legends of Chima) was a Lego theme that was introduced in 2013 and discontinued in 2015. The product line was based on the storyline of Legends of Chima , a 3D animated television series, which was produced to coincide with the Lego theme. The storyline was set in the fictional realm of "Chima", a fantasy world inhabited by various warring tribes of anthropomorphic animals that battle to collect a substance called "Chi". Alongside the television series and several shorts based on Lego Legends of Chima. The theme also produced a range of associated media, including theme park attractions, video games, and publications.
The product line focused on Chima, a fantasy world inhabited by eight warrior tribes of animals that battle for an energy source called "Chi". The toy line was driven by the storyline of the animated television series Legends of Chima , which follows two former childhood friends, Laval from the Lion tribe and Cragger from the Crocodile tribe, who become bitter enemies. [2] [3] [4] The two main characters lead the battle among the eight tribes, which threatens the once-peaceful land of Chima. [5]
Lego Legends of Chima was developed to appeal to children and was designed to replace the Lego Ninjago theme, but was phased out to introduce other children's themes such as Nexo Knights . [6] By contrast, Lego Ninjago continued production for over ten years. [7]
Legends of Chima was developed as a franchise to promote the Chima universe with the aim of launching across multiple platforms, consisting of the television series, online content, construction sets and video games. [8]
In December 2014, Lego designer Samuel Thomas Johnson explained that the product line and the television series were closely aligned from the start and that the vehicles in the show were designed to match the models. He commented, "I'm lucky to have a talented guy on my team who has been drawing Lego models for years so I can give him a model and say 'can you do me some concept art for that?' and he'll have it done in an hour."... "We have a model, take tons of photos and videos, then do concept art; that's our starting point. It helps because trying to explain how bat wings are supposed to work in text doesn't make sense at all." He elaborated further on the creative process for the toy line by stating, "We make functions and try to fit them in with animals and what animals do. If a vehicle doesn't have the traits of the animal it is meant to resemble, it doesn't make a lot of sense." [9]
In 2021, The co-creator of Lego Ninjago Tommy Andreasen revealed the unseen concept art for the Legends of Chima on Twitter, detailing what the theme could have been had it taken a different path. Tommy Andreasen explained, "This is a concept film was made to explain Legends of Chima's ending internally. The search for the Fire Wings was intended to be a six-episode arc which would also have introduced Florax, Flinx's mother, chief botanist of Chima, but plans were revised." [10]
Legends of Chima launched on 26 December 2012. [11] The Chima franchise aimed to follow in the success of the Lego Ninjago theme. Soren Torp Laursen, President of Lego Systems commented, "Building upon our success with developing rich and immersive original storylines, most notable the recent Ninjago phenomenon, we're excited to launch a whole new world in Lego Legends of Chima to spark any child's imagination and invite them to the world of Lego building." [12]
The playsets were released from January 2013 and included a larger range of products than previous themes. The product range included construction toy sets, racing vehicles and a board game. The toy line also offered a battle play function that was similar to the Lego Ninjago spinner toys, which involved placing Lego minifigures on a spinning base. The vehicles included a Speedorz range, which were vehicles built from Lego bricks and powered by a ripcord to provide children with a racing challenge. Legends of Chima was created as a big-bang project that aimed to drive growth in the Lego toy line. In December 2012, a Lego spokesman predicted that Legends of Chima would top sales of Ninjago by as much as 30%. [2]
To promote the Legends of Chima product line, four windows of Hamley's in Regent Street, London were taken over by a window display from Boxing Day 2012 to 8 February 2013. The window display featured two 2.9-metre models of Chima's two main characters, Laval the Lion and Cragger the Crocodile, and a 3D recreation of Mount Cavora. [13]
In 2013, a Lego Chima Challenge roadshow toured the UK to engage children in the Chima product range. The roadshow launched at Chessington World of Adventures on 1 April 2013 and ran for seven months until October 2013. [11] The challenge involved thousands of children competing to the top of a leaderboard using Lego Chima Speedorz. The top 14 children were invited to a finale at Chessington World of Adventures where they competed to become the UK Lego Chima champion. [14] Senior Brand Manager, Sally-Anne Weekes stated, "Animals are a universally popular theme and something that we haven't had in the Lego portfolio for several years. Legends of Chima fills this gap and where better to showcase it than with the tribes' real-life counterparts?" [11]
The Legends of Chima product line was based on the storyline of its accompanying animated television series that made its debut in 2013. It was produced by M2Film in Denmark and launched on Cartoon Network. Legends of Chima is set in a fantasy world that is inhabited by eight warring tribes of anthropomorphic animals. The associated Lego construction toys were launched to coincide with the U.S. premiere of the series in July 2013. [15]
According to BrickLink, The Lego Group released 136 playsets and promotional polybags as part of the Lego Legends of Chima theme. [1] The product line was eventually discontinued by 2015. [16] The toy sets were designed to resemble their associated animal tribes, such as incorporating gold colour and physical lion features into the vehicles and buildings related to the Lion tribe. [6]
In February 2013, the Lego Chima product line included Chima Starter sets, a range of action sets that included Ring of Fire and Boulder Bowling and construction sets, such as the Razcal Glider, Eris Eagle Interceptor and Cragger's Command Ship. In March 2013, the theme released the Ice Tower, Nest Dive and Jungle Gates action sets, which included a Lego minifigure, a Speedorz, two Chi weapons, five cards, six Chi crystals, and an orb-holding obstacle. The 2013 summer release included Skunk Attack, Eglor's Twin Bike, Gorzan's Gorilla Striker and The Lion Chi Temple set, which included seven minifigures. The product range also included constructible action figures that resembled the Lego Hero Factory product line. [17]
In 2014, Lego Legends of Chima released two waves of playsets to coincide with the second and third seasons of the Legends of Chima television series that aired in March and August 2014. The first wave focused on Legend Beasts construction sets featuring one minifigure from the Lion, Eagle, Crocodile, Gorilla and Wolf tribes. [3] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] Several Speedorz sets were released in March 2014, including Web Dash, a Speedorz with six legs. A second wave released in the summer of 2014 focused on themes of fire and ice and the introduction of the Scorpion tribe. The second wave included Vardy's Ice Vulture Glider, Sir Fangar's Saber-Tooth Walker, Laval's Fire Lion, Maula's Ice Mammoth Stomper and Flying Phoenix Fire Temple, a set that converted from a building to a flying vehicle. [23]
The product line was accompanied by a series of animated short films that was released on YouTube.
# | Title | Release date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | A Crash Course In Flying [24] | June 4, 2013 | Lego Legends of Chima web series |
2 | Tale of the Tribe Stone [25] | June 4, 2013 | |
3 | Like Father Like Son [26] | June 4, 2013 | |
4 | Speed Dating [27] | June 4, 2013 | |
5 | Razar King of Profit [28] | June 14, 2013 | |
6 | Plovar the Destroyer [29] | June 14, 2013 | |
7 | Air Head Flight Test [30] | October 24, 2013 | |
8 | Lennox the Brave [31] | June 20, 2013 | |
9 | Vibe and the Mellow Head Dude [32] | June 20, 2013 | |
10 | Crocodile Evolution [33] | June 20, 2013 | |
11 | Hy-Bear Active [34] | October 21, 2014 | |
12 | Animal Instinct [35] | October 21, 2014 | |
13 | Eris vs Black Cloud [36] | April 23, 2014 | |
14 | A Force of Nature [37] | October 21, 2014 | |
15 | Outlandish Tale [38] | October 21, 2014 | |
16 | The Cloud and the Shadow [39] | March 5, 2014 | |
17 | The Rumble in the Jungle [40] | October 21, 2014 | |
18 | The ShadoWind Chronicles [41] | March 5, 2014 | |
19 | 20 Royal Getaway [42] | March 5, 2014 | |
20 | A Plovar Makeover [43] | March 5, 2014 | |
21 | The Black Valious [44] | March 6, 2014 | |
22 | The Eggs Terminator [45] | March 6, 2014 | |
23 | The Flyin' Lion [46] | March 6, 2014 | |
24 | The Web and the Sting [47] | August 13, 2014 | |
25 | Haunted Lair [48] | May 27, 2014 | |
26 | Game of Legends [49] | May 27, 2014 | |
27 | Horn to be Wild [50] | August 13, 2014 | |
28 | Unfinished Business [51] | May 27, 2014 | |
29 | Whatever Happened to the Wind Shadow [52] | August 13, 2014 | |
30 | Dream Dreamless [53] | May 27, 2014 | |
31 | Big Boys Big Toys [54] | August 13, 2014 | |
32 | Completely Ridiculous Tale [55] | May 27, 2014 | |
33 | The Panther [56] | May 30, 2015 | |
34 | Nap time is Over! [57] | May 30, 2015 | |
35 | The Good News Bear [58] | July 15, 2015 | |
36 | The 9th Phoenix [59] | May 30, 2015 | |
37 | Big Boys Big Toys [54] | August 13, 2014 |
In 2013, three games based on Legends of Chima were released. Legends of Chima: Speedorz was made available on the Lego website and for iOS on January 3, 2013. It is a racing game that involves collecting Lego studs and battling animals. [60] Lego Legends of Chima: Laval's Journey was released on June 25, 2013, for PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS and released on August 31, 2013, for Nintendo DS. [61] A MMORPG titled Lego Legends of Chima Online was released on PC and MAC browsers by WB Games Montreal. The game involved building an outpost, venturing across the land of Chima to complete quests and customising weapons. It was released in the third quarter of 2013 and shut down on June 1, 2015. [62] Chima is also one of several themes featured in the 2015 Lego Dimensions game, which included Laval, Eris, and Cragger as playable characters.
A mobile game titled LEGO Chima: Tribe Fighters was developed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for iOS and released on 12 February 2015. [63]
In March 2013, Legoland Florida announced the introduction of a themed area of the park based on Legends of Chima. The expansion included an interactive water ride called Quest for CHI, Speedorz Arena and a 4D film titled The LEGO Chima 4D Movie Xperience. [64] On 27 March 2019, it was replaced by a themed area named Lego Movie World. [65]
On 24 May 2014, Legoland California launched the Legends of Chima Water Park, which featured several themed attractions including, Lion Temple Wave Pool, Cragger's Swamp water play area, Eglor's Build-A-Boat, Rhino Beach and Speedorz Arena. The water park also featured a 40-foot tall "floating" Mt. Cavora in the Lion Temple Wave Pool. [66]
In 2013, a monthly magazine aimed at children aged 7–11 was launched and published by Immediate Media. The first issue was published on 6 November 2013. [67]
A Legends of Chima Character Encyclopedia was published by Dorling Kindersley, which provides facts about the history, characters, tribes, vehicles and weapons in the theme. [68]
In 2013, The Lego Group reported that Lego City, Lego Duplo, Lego Technic, Lego Creator, Lego Friends and Lego Legends of Chima had contributed to an increase in sales in 2013 by 11 percent, and stated, "Lego Legends of Chima is a rich and engaging universe that children can explore in many ways. Not only by building and playing with Lego sets, but also in the digital world using apps, exploring content on LEGO.com, via videos and online games. The theme is a great example of how we bridge physical and digital play." [69]
On 25 November 2013, Business Insider listed the Lion Chi Temple as one of the "9 Hot Toys That Every Kid Wants This Year", describing it as, "one of the more extravagant locations in the show and toys in the series." [70]
In 2014, Lego Legends of Chima was awarded "Toy of the Year" and also "Boy Toy of the Year" by the Toy Association. [71]
This article lists notable events and releases in the history of the Lego Group.
Lego Adventurers was a Lego theme based on an early 20th century 'explorer' concept. It centred around the main character named Johnny Thunder and a team of explorers who go on adventures. Unlike other Lego themes, which take place in a fictional "Lego Universe", most of the Adventurers sets took places in real-world locations, such as Egypt, the Amazon rainforest, the Himalayas, India, and China. The only fictional sub-theme took place on an island where prehistoric creatures still lived. The theme was first introduced in 1998. The product line was discontinued in 2003 and replaced with the Lego Pharaoh's Quest theme in 2011.
The Lego Castle theme is a segment of the broader Lego product line that encapsulates a medieval world concept, prominently featuring knights and castles. Launched initially in Europe in 1979 and later introduced to North America in 1981, the theme enjoyed continuous support until 1999. It was one of the original three LEGOLAND themes along with Town and Space, with each of the three themes representing the 'Past' (Castle), 'Present' (Town) and 'Future' (Space).
Lego Wild West was a Lego theme based on the Old West period of the United States. It was in production for only two years, from 1996 to 1997.
Lego Ninja was a theme and product range of the construction toy Lego. Launched in 1998, the collection was its own theme. It had many elements of the ninja warriors from feudal Japan. The majority of the sets were released in 1998 and 1999; however, three small sets of minifigures were released in 2000 as part of the "Mini Heroes Collection." After this, the theme was discontinued, and was effectively replaced by the "Knights Castle" theme in 2000.
Lego Atlantis was a product range of the construction toy Lego, themed around the underwater world of Atlantis. The range was launched in early 2010 and discontinued by the end of 2011. The toy sets included models of buildable underwater vehicles, as well as "heroic diver" and "shark warrior" minifigures. A ride based on the range was operated at Legoland Windsor Resort.
Lego Minifigures are a 2010 Lego theme based on a set of collectible Lego minifigures. Each figure is an original character with new clothing and facial designs, and many contain previously unseen accessories. Each series usually contains 16 different minifigures; however, some series contain as few as 9 minifigures, while others contain up to 22. Since 2021, the number of different minifigures for a series is set to 12. In 2023, the Disney 100-anniversary series came out, bringing the total number of figures to 18, although it was once again reduced to 12 with the second Marvel series. This series also introduced paper boxes, instead of the plastic bags, making it no longer possible to feel up the pieces for each figure.
Lego Ninjago is a Lego theme that was created in 2011 and a flagship brand of The Lego Group. It is the first theme to be based on ninjas since the discontinuation of the Lego Ninja theme in 2000. It was produced to coincide with the animated television series Ninjago, which was superseded in 2023 by a new series titled Ninjago: Dragons Rising.
Lego Pharaoh's Quest was a Lego theme that was first introduced in 2011. It uses elements from the previous Lego Adventurers theme. The Lego Pharaoh's Quest theme was discontinued by the end of 2012.
Lego Friends is a product range of Lego construction toys designed primarily for girls that was launched in 2012. It introduced "mini-doll" figures, which are about the same size as traditional Lego minifigures but are more detailed and realistic. The original cast consisted of Andrea, Olivia, Stephanie, Mia and Emma. The theme was relaunched in January 2023 to focus on a more diverse cast of characters: Aliya, Nova, Zac, Liann, Paisley, Leo, Autumn and Olly.
Legends of Chima is an animated science-fantasy television series created by Tommy Andreasen and produced by The Lego Group. It was created to coincide with the Lego Legends of Chima line of construction toys. It centers on the fictional world of Chima, a place inhabited by warring tribes of anthropomorphic animals. The series was broadcast on Cartoon Network in the United States. It began with two episodes that aired on January 16, 2013, with the Season 1 finale airing on December 5, 2013. On March 15, 2014, Season 2 premiered on Cartoon Network and ended on April 19 of the same year. Season 3 aired on August 9 and ended on November 22, 2014.
Lego Ultra Agents was a Lego theme that was first introduced in June 2014 after the discontinued Lego Agents theme. The theme was inspired by James Bond as well as various spy movies. The theme was considered to be a development or upgrade from the 2008 Lego Agents theme. The theme's 14 toy sets were released in three waves and were accompanied by a free app. Lego Ultra Agents was discontinued by the end of 2015.
Nexo Knights is a 3D animated television series that aired on Cartoon Network and premiered in 2015. It was produced by the Lego Group to coincide with the Lego theme of the same name. The series is based on a fantasy castle concept. Four seasons were produced for a total of 40 episodes. The fourth season finished airing in 2017. In 2018, the Lego Group discontinued the Nexo Knights theme, which also resulted in the cancellation of the series.
Lego Agents was a Lego theme that was first introduced in June 2008 after the discontinued Lego Alpha Team theme. The theme was inspired by James Bond as well as various spy movies. The 13 toy sets in the theme's release were split into three waves. In 2009, the theme was re-branded as Lego Agents 2.0. It was discontinued by the end of 2009 and replaced with the Lego Ultra Agents theme in 2014.
Lego Hidden Side was a Lego theme that was first introduced in August 2019. It took place in the fictional city of "Newbury" and linked Lego playsets to an app of the same name, which was used to hunt, capture and collect ghosts via augmented reality. The series came on the market in 2019 and, after the discontinued Lego Dimensions and Nexo Knights series, represented another attempt by The Lego Group to link digital and real game worlds. It was accompanied by the Lego Hidden Side webisode series and a television special, which was released on the Lego YouTube channel, and on Cartoon Network. The product line was discontinued by the end of 2020.
The Lego Movie is a Lego product line based on the 2014 film of the same name. It was licensed from The Lego Group, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Warner Animation Group. The theme was first introduced on 26 December 2013 in the United Kingdom and 30 December in the United States to coincide with the release of the film, along with The Lego Movie Videogame. Further sets were produced to coincide with the release of the second film in The Lego Movie franchise, titled The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. The product line was discontinued by 31 December 2019.
The Lego Ninjago Movie was a product line based on The Lego Ninjago Movie, the third film of The Lego Movie franchise. It was licensed from The Lego Group, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Warner Animation Group. The theme was introduced on 1 August 2017 as part of a licensing and merchandising programme associated with the film. Alongside the release of the Lego sets, the programme included the release of several promotional short films and The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game. The product line was discontinued by 31 December 2019.
Lego Monster Fighters was a Lego theme based on Universal Studios Monsters from the horror fiction genre. The Monster Fighters fight against the Lord Vampyre's monsters while collecting the moonstones. The story takes place in the Monster Realm and it's similar to The Monster Squad film. The theme was first introduced in May 2012. It was eventually discontinued by the end of December 2014. The theme also produced a range of associated media, including theme park attractions, several shorts, video game, app and publications.