Parent theme | Lego Castle |
---|---|
Subject | Ninja |
Availability | 1998–2000 |
Total sets | 29 |
Lego Ninja (stylized as 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. [1] 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.
The Ninja theme was released as a sub-theme of the Lego Castle theme, which from 1984 had started to develop into specific factions. Lego Ninja immediately followed the Fright Knights theme, which had been in production from 1997 to 1998. In contrast to Fright Knights, Lego Ninja took its influence from a more realistic starting point and was set in mountainous Japan with medieval buildings. [2]
A total of 29 toy sets were released as part of the Ninja theme, which centred on three distinctive groups; the ninja, the samurai and the robbers. [3] The toy sets featured a variety of buildings and vehicles, including fortresses and boats. The ninja crest was yellow with a black wingless dragon. The Samurai had blue banners bearing a golden fan. The robber's crest was a red, black and silver bull's head. The ninja minifigures were designed in a variety of colours, including black, red, grey, green and white and featured grey shoulder plates. In contrast, the samurai were dressed in black, blue and silver, and the robbers were dressed in red and green. [2]
Number | Name | Year | Pieces | Minifigs |
---|---|---|---|---|
1099 | Ninja Blaster | 1999 | 24 | 1 |
1184 | Cart | 1999 | 24 | 1 |
1185 | Raft | 1999 | 25 | 1 |
1186 | Cart | 1999 | 25 | 1 |
1187 | Glider | 1999 | 23 | 1 |
1269 | White Ninja | 1999 | 23 | 1 |
3016 | Master and Heavy Gun | 1998 | 24 | 1 |
3017 | Ninpo Water Spider | 1998 | 25 | 1 |
3018 | LEGO Shogun Go! | 1998 | 25 | 1 |
3019 | Ninpo Big Bat | 1998 | 23 | 1 |
3050 | Shanghai Surprise | 1999 | 104 | 3 |
3051 | Blaze Attack | 1999 | 145 | 2 |
3052 | Ninja Fire Fortress | 1999 | 169 | 3 |
3053 | Emperor's Stronghold | 1999 | 331 | 4 |
3074 | Red Ninja's Dragon Glider | 1999 | 20 | 1 |
3075 | Ninja Master's Boat | 1999 | 21 | 1 |
3076 | White Ninja's Tank | 1999 | 23 | 1 |
3077 | Ninja Shogun's Mini Base | 1999 | 22 | 1 |
3344 | One Minifig Pack - Ninja #1 | 2000 | 9 | 1 |
3345 | Three Minifig Pack - Ninja #2 | 2000 | 21 | 3 |
3346 | Three Minifig Pack - Ninja #3 | 2000 | 22 | 3 |
4805 | Ninja Knights | 1999 | 31 | 5 |
6013 | Samurai Swordsman | 1998 | 13 | 1 |
6033 | Treasure Transport | 1998 | 54 | 3 |
6045 | Ninja Surprise | 1998 | 112 | 3 |
6083 | Samurai Stronghold | 1998 | 198 | 3 |
6088 | Robber's Retreat | 1998 | 277 | 4 |
6089 | Stone Tower Bridge | 1998 | 409 | 5 |
6093 | Flying Ninja Fortress [4] | 1998 | 694 | 9 |
In 2010, Series 1 of the Lego Collectable Minifigures Series contained a ninja minifigure clearly based on the theme. [5] A year later, in early 2011, Lego released the Lego Ninjago theme and associated television series Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu, which took heavy inspiration from the Ninja theme. [6]
Lego Harry Potter is a Lego theme based on the film series of the same name and the eponymous novels by British author J. K. Rowling. It is licensed from Warner Bros. Lego models of important scenes, vehicles and characters were made for the first six films and all of the published books. The first sets appeared in 2001, to coincide with the release of the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Subsequent sets were released alongside the new films, until Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The line then went dormant for three years, with sets being released in 2010 and 2011. In 2018, it was announced that more sets based on the Harry Potter franchise would be released, including new sets based on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and its sequel, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
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 Aquazone was a Lego theme that was launched by The Lego Group in 1995 and discontinued in 1998. It centred on undersea miners and their enemies searching for crystals. It consisted of submarine vehicles and aquatic animals, with minifigures designed for submarine adventures.
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 Aqua Raiders was a Lego theme that was launched by The Lego Group in 2007 and discontinued the same year. The theme focused on a team of divers searching for treasure in the Bermuda Triangle. The product line consisted of seven construction toy sets released in the same year.
Lego Power Miners was a product range of the construction toy Lego, themed around a team of "Power Miners" who, while investigating the cause of a series of severe earthquakes, discover Rock Monsters and Energy Crystals. The theme was originally released in 2009 after the discontinued Lego Rock Raiders theme. The product line was discontinued by the end of 2010.
Lego Avatar: The Last Airbender was a Lego theme based on the Nickelodeon television show Avatar: The Last Airbender created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. It is licensed from Nickelodeon. The theme was first introduced in June 2006. It was eventually discontinued by the end of 2007.
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 Speed Racer was a 2008 Lego theme based on the 2008 film Speed Racer. It consists of four sets which were first released in April 2008. The product line was discontinued by the end of 2009.
Lego Dino was a Lego theme that was first introduced in 2011 after the discontinued Lego Dino Attack/Dino 2010 theme. The theme was inspired by Jurassic Park film as well as various dinosaurs films. It was eventually discontinued by the end of 2012.
Lego Jack Stone was a Lego theme that was first introduced in 2001, designed for children aged 4+. It focused on Jack Stone, the main protagonist of the theme. It was eventually discontinued by the end of 2002 and replaced with the Lego 4+ theme in 2003.
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.
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 and is set in a futuristic kingdom called Knighton, which is home to five young knights. The storyline follows the adventures of the five knights as they defend their home from a court jester named Jestro and his monsters. 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 4+ also known as Lego 4 Juniors was a Lego theme that was first introduced on July 1, 2003, designed for children aged 4+. It is the successor of the Lego Jack Stone theme released in 2001. The 4+ theme consisted of Pirates, City and Spider-Man sub-themes. It was eventually discontinued by December 31, 2005.
Lego Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a Lego theme based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles entertainment franchise first created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The theme was first introduced in 2012 and was discontinued by the end of 2014. Also included sets based on both the 2012 animated series from Nickelodeon and the 2014 film produced by Michael Bay.
Lego Juniors was a product range of the construction toy Lego, designed for children aged 4 to 7 years old. It acted as a transition from the Duplo to the regular Lego System. Lego Juniors initial release was on February 14, 2014, with the tagline Easy to build. It was the successor to the Bricks & More line released in 2009. Unlike its predecessor, Lego Juniors offered specialized bricks to make builds look more realistic while using fewer pieces for an easier build. The product line was discontinued by December 31, 2018 and rebranded as "4+" in 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 and Warner Bros. Animation. The theme was introduced on 22 September 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.