Lego Minifigures (theme)

Last updated

Minifigures
LEGO Minifigures logo.svg
SubjectCollectible minifigures
Licensed from The Lego Group
Availability5 March 2010 (2010-03-05)–present
Total sets703 minifigures (45 series)
CharactersVarious, including characters from sports, history, popular culture, and more.
Official website

Lego Minifigures (stylized as 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.

Contents

Overview

Lego Shark Suit Guy (series 15) Lego Shark 4.jpg
Lego Shark Suit Guy (series 15)

The series consists of a number of individually themed collectible Lego minifigures based on movies, sports, history, and popular culture. [1] The figures are sold individually in sealed, unmarked packets, giving customers a random chance at obtaining any particular figurine. While considered a novel approach by some, it has raised controversy amongst enthusiasts and collectors, increasing the amount of difficulty in obtaining a complete collection. [2] Purchases from many retailers make no guarantees regarding the contents of a particular packet. Despite attempts to obfuscate the contents of these packets, the bags of Series 1 and 2 have a second figurine-specific barcode on the rear of the packet, next to the EAN/UPC product barcode (which is unique to each series). This allowed customers to identify individual figures within the packet, significantly decreasing the amount of money and effort required to obtain a complete collection, and eliminating the possibility of unintentionally receiving duplicates. [3] There were also apps for both iPhone and Android devices that utilized these barcodes. [4]

Lego has eliminated the figurine-specific barcodes on all Series 3 and 4 packets and replaced them with a braille-like system of dots embossed in the lower seal of the bag. In theory, this will allow customers to continue identifying the figure enclosed within. [5] [6] Later series do not have any markings to indicate their contents.

On average a new series has been released every four months. Release dates sometimes vary between countries.

In September 2021, Matthew Ashton, The Lego Group's Vice President of Design announced the Collectible Minifigures alongside City, Friends, Creator, Lego Classic, Technic, Speed Champions, Monkie Kid, Ninjago and DOTS (Formerly) themes will continue until at least 2023. [7]

Development

During the development process of the Lego Minifigures theme, Lego designers Tara Wike explained the concept of the Lego Minifigures theme. Tara Wike explained, "Here’s a good example… I’ll go to Austin and say, ‘let’s do an elephant girl’, and he'll doodle that up and we'll go brief the sculptors. And it's usually not just out of thin air, we’ve done some other animal helmets before, so we’ve got some experience with that. We'll have a rough wish, but we know that we'll have limitations, and we go to the sculptors and they come back with their proposal, and we always have a mould engineer sitting in on our weekly design meeting so that they can flag things right away. But our sculptors are actually very good at knowing what we can get in and out of a mould." [8] Creative Lead Astrid Graabæk explained, "We design both for kids and adults in this theme. We look at what kids from five year olds and up find exciting, that also sparks their imagination and trigger play for them. At the same time, we also look at what is exciting for adults, and especially AFOLs. Are there new elements, character choices, or colour changes we think would be exciting? We launch three times a year and it’s a variety of classic launches (numbered series) and also these external IP such as Looney Tunes which is the current one out now." [9]

Collectible Minifigures

According to BrickLink, The Lego Group has released 739 Collectible Minifigures. [10]

No.Set NumberSeries NameFirst Release DateNo. of MinifiguresNotes
108683Series 15 March 201016
208684Series 22 September 201016
308803Series 314 January 201116
408804Series 41 April 201116
508805Series 522 August 201116
608827Series 6December 201116
708831Series 7May 201216
808909Team GB Olympic SeriesJuly 20129Released exclusively in the UK and based on Team GB to commemorate the London 2012 Summer Olympics
908833Series 8September 201216
1071000Series 97 October 201216
1171001Series 106 February 201317Contains Mr. Gold (Only 5000 Produced)
1271002Series 1130 June 201316
1371004The Lego Movie SeriesJanuary 201416Based on The Lego Movie
1471005The Lego Simpsons Series 1May 201416Based on The Simpsons
1571007Series 12 [11] [12] [13] August 201416
1671008Series 13December 201416
1771009The Lego Simpsons Series 2April 201516Based on The Simpsons
1871010Series 14August 201516Branded as a Monsters Series
1971011Series 155 December 201516
2071012The Lego Disney Series 1 [14] 1 May 201618Based on Disney Characters
2171014DFB Series [15] May 201616Exclusively in Europe. Based on DFB - The Mannschaft (Germany National Football Team)
2271013Series 161 September 201616
2371017The Lego Batman Movie Series 1 [16] 1 January 201720Based on The Lego Batman Movie
2471018Series 171 May 201716
2571019The Lego Ninjago Movie Series [17] 1 August 201720Based on The Lego Ninjago Movie
2671020The Lego Batman Movie Series 2 [18] 1 January 201820Based on The Lego Batman Movie
2771021Series 181 April 201817Party-themed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Lego minifigure
2871022The Lego Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts Series 1 [19] 1 August 201822Based on Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchises
2971023The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part Series1 February 201920Based on The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
3071024The Lego Disney Series 2 [20] [21] 1 May 201918Based on Disney Characters
3171025Series 19 [22] [23] 1 September 201916
3271026The Lego DC Super Heroes Series [24] January 202016Based on DC Super Heroes
3371027Series 2019 April 202016
3471028The Lego Harry Potter Series 2 [25] 1 September 202016Based on Harry Potter franchise
3571029Series 21 [26] 1 January 202112
3671030The Lego Looney Tunes Series [27] [28] [29] 26 April 202112Based on Looney Tunes franchise
3771031Marvel Collectible Minifigure Series 1 [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] 1 September 202112Based on Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise
3871032Series 221 January 202212
3971033The Lego Muppets Series [35] [36] [37] 1 May 202212Based on Jim Henson's Muppets franchise
4071034Series 23 [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] 1 September 202212
4171037Series 24 [47] 1 January 202312
4271038The Lego Disney 100 Minifigure Series [48] [49] [50] [51] 1 May 202318Based on Disney Characters
4371039Marvel Collectible Minifigure Series 2 [52] [53] [54] [55] [56] [57] [58] [59] 1 September 202312Based on Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise
4471045Series 251 January 202412
4571046Series 261 May 202412 Science fiction theme
4671047Dungeons & Dragons1 September 202412Based on Dungeons & Dragons franchise
4771048Series 271 January 202512
4871049F1 Collectible Race Cars1 May 2025 (delayed internationally to 1 June 2025)12Based on Formula One franchise
4971050Spider-Man Across The SpiderVerse1 September 202512Based on the Spider-Man Animated Movies

Online games

LEGO Minifigures Online

On 29 August 2013, Funcom officially announced a massively multiplayer online game based on the Minifigures theme, in which there are several worlds the player can travel to and fight enemies, as well as dungeons based on the setting. The game used traditional click-to-move mechanics, allowing younger users to jump into the action. However, for advanced users, there were special abilities activated using the number pad. It was going to be free-to-play, but you could unlock Minifigures by purchasing one and entering a code, however they could also be obtained in-game. It was released in late 2014 for iOS, Android, and PC as either a download client or in-browser on the LEGO website. [60]

Funcom announced that LEGO Minifigures Online would be closing on 30 September 2016. Starting 6 June 2016, new players will be unable to join the game and the in-game chat will be disabled. Existing players would still be able to play up until 30 September 2016. [61]

Other merchandise

In 2022, the Lego Minifigures brand also produced a Plush Toy Collection. [62]

Awards and nominations

In 2022, Lego Marvel Series Collectible Minifigures (set number: 71031) was awarded "Toy of the Year" and "Collectible of the Year" by the Toy Association. [63]

In September 2022, The Muppets (set number: 71033) was awarded "Toy of the Year" and "Collectible of the Year" by the Toy Association. [64]

References

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  4. "Mini Collector". 30 August 2010. Archived from the original on 3 October 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  5. "Dot codes for US Series 3". fbtb.net. 19 November 2010.
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