LEGO Theme Evolution: From Classic to Modern Lines
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How LEGO themes evolved from DUPLO and the 1978 minifigure themes Town, Castle and Space, through Star Wars and Harry Potter, to the adult lines Architecture, Icons and Botanicals, with the year each began and the biggest themes in 2026.
LEGO themes grew in three waves. The minifigure arrived in 1978 with Town, Castle and Space, the first themed play worlds. From 1999, film and game licenses such as Star Wars and Harry Potter became some of the biggest themes. And since 2008, lines built for adults, Architecture, the 18+ sets that became Icons, and Botanicals, have turned LEGO into something adults buy for themselves. Here is the timeline, with the year each theme began in our catalog or in a cited source.
Before the minifigure: bricks, DUPLO and Technic
LEGO's first sets were boxes of bricks for free building. DUPLO, with bricks twice the size of standard ones for younger children, followed in 1969. Technic, with beams, gears and axles for working machines, was introduced in 1977. Both are still major lines: our catalog lists 22 DUPLO sets and 38 Technic sets released in 2026.
1978: the minifigure and the first play worlds
The modern minifigure was released in 1978 in Castle, Space and Town sets. Each theme gave builders a world to play in rather than just a model: knights and castles, astronauts and bases, police stations and fire trucks. Town lives on as LEGO City, which our catalog lists from 2005 and which had 52 new sets in 2026. Our catalog lists no new sets under the Castle or Space theme names in 2026.
A current LEGO City train set, the modern descendant of the 1978 Town theme.
1999 onward: licenses
LEGO Star Wars was announced in February 1999 as a tie-in to The Phantom Menace, and Harry Potter followed in 2001, the same year as LEGO's own Bionicle. Licensed themes now include Marvel and DC super heroes, Disney, Minecraft, Super Mario and, from February 27, 2026, Pokémon. In 2026 Star Wars is still LEGO's largest theme in our catalog, with 57 sets released this year.
The Starship Collection Millennium Falcon, an 18+ display model from the theme that began in 1999.
LEGO's own worlds: Ninjago and Friends
Alongside the licenses, LEGO built its own story themes. Ninjago began in 2011 and Friends in 2012, and both are among the biggest themes today: in 2026 our catalog lists 57 Ninjago sets, as many as Star Wars, and 39 Friends sets. Ninjago marked its 15th anniversary in 2026 with The Old Town.
The Old Town, the Ninjago 15th anniversary set released in 2026.
Since 2008: themes for adults
Architecture began in 2008 with landmark models. Sets for adult fans had been sold as Creator Expert; from 2020 LEGO marked its adult sets 18+, and in 2022 the Creator Expert line was renamed LEGO Icons, the home of the modular buildings and display vehicles. LEGO Art, wall pictures built from tiles, began in 2020, and Botanicals, plants and flowers built for display, followed in 2021. In 2026 our catalog lists 21 Icons sets and 24 Botanicals sets released this year.
The biggest themes in 2026
| Theme | Sets released in 2026 | Earliest set in our catalog |
|---|---|---|
| Star Wars | 57 | 1999 |
| Ninjago | 57 | 2011 |
| City | 52 | 2005 |
| Friends | 39 | 2012 |
| Marvel super heroes | 39 | 2002 |
| Technic | 38 | 1977 |
| Minecraft | 31 | 2013 |
| Disney | 29 | 2000 |
| Botanicals | 24 | 2021 |
| DUPLO | 22 | 1969 |
Counted from our catalog in October 2026, including each theme's sub-themes. For every current theme, see our themes hub, and for what is coming next, our 2026 release calendar.
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