Founded in 1932, The LEGO Group has come a long way since its humble beginnings in a small carpenter’s workshop. Since then it has evolved into a modern, global enterprise that is now one of the world’s largest manufacturers of toys and owner of one of the most successful Star Wars licenses of all time.
LEGO Announces Star Wars License
April 1998: LEGO announces its first licensed partnership – Star Wars – and the LEGO collecting world is changed forever.
First LEGO Star Wars Item Revealed
February 1999: In advance of the American International Toy Fair debut of LEGO Star Wars products, the very first item was created – the 1999 VIP Gala Invite.
Initial LEGO Star Wars Sets Arrive
March 1999: Featuring an Original Trilogy wave of only five sets (7110, 7128, 7130, 7140 and 7150), the first LEGO Star Wars products hit shelves.
First Promo Brick Hits
May 1999: With the inaugural Star Wars Celebration event in Denver came the original promotional brick, which was only available between April 30th to May 2nd.
First Prequel Trilogy Sets Arrive
May 1999: To closely align with the cinematic release of The Phantom Menace, the first Prequel Trilogy sets hit shelves.
First Technic Sets Created
August 1999: The first subtheme, Technic, is introduced to the LEGO Star Wars line with 9748 Droid Developer Kit.
LEGO Star Wars Fashion Hits The Cat Walk
September 1999: Timed for the start of the school year, young LEGO fans were able to declare their favorite theme.
LEGO Star Wars Minifigure Packs Released
March 2000: Attempting to get in on the popular action figure market, LEGO releases four sets of minifigure three-packs as a direct to consumer exclusive.
Ultimate Collector Series Revealed
May 2000: With the release of sets 7181 TIE Interceptor and 7191 X-Wing Fighter, the Ultimate Collector Series subtheme is born.
First LEGO Bust Exposed
October 2001: Stepping away from the usual bricks and minifigures combination, LEGO introduces their first Star Wars sculpture to fans.
Sneak Preview Attack Of The Clones Set Made Available
February 2002: With the advance release of a small selection of several Hasbro action figures, LEGO makes 7143 Jedi Starfighter available ahead of the official global release of Attack of the Clones toys in April.
Midnight Madness Sees Attack Of The Clones Sets
April 2002: With the official global product release on April 23rd, the rest of the 2002 sets from the Attack of the Clones collection are made publicly available.
Double-Sided Head Printing Begins
April 2002: Appearing in set 7133 Bounty Hunter Pursuit, Zam Wesell becomes the first LEGO Star Wars minifigure to feature a double-sided head print.
First LEGO Star Wars Movie Debuts
May 2002: Known as The Han Solo Affair and originally shown at Celebration 2, the first animated short of any kind to be produced under approval by LEGO and Lucasfilm went public on May 10th.
LEGO Writing Collection Includes Star Wars Characters
May 2002: Produced by The CDM Company – who were the first third-party LEGO licensee to expand the Star Wars theme – these Star Wars minifigures-adorned pens initially formed part of the LEGO Writing system.
First LEGOLAND Star Wars Event Hosted
June 2002: Held at the Windsor park between June 10 and 14, this small firework and cosplay occasion was the first official LEGOLAND Star Wars tie-in event in the world.
First Star Wars Sets Re-Released
August 2002: By simply renumbering sets 7140 and 7150 to 7142 and 7152, LEGO makes Luke’s X-wing and Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter and Y-wing available again.
First Star Wars Polybag
November 2002: Set 3219 TIE Fighter becomes the first polybag – and introduces a new scale at the same time – in the LEGO Star Wars theme.
Mini-Scale Subtheme Introduced
January 2003: Following on the heels of set 3219, four sets (4484, 4485, 4486 & 4487) are released, officially creating the Mini-Scale subtheme.
First Accurate Skin-Toned Minifigure Included
October 2003: With the release of set 10123 Cloud City, two LEGO Star Wars minifigure milestones occur – first minifig with arm printing and first natural skin-toned minifig.
LEGO Star Wars Set Redesigned
November 2003: Replacing the retired 7130 Snowspeeder (originally released in 1999) is 4500 Rebel Snowspeeder, the first Star Wars set to get a redesign.
Minifigure Skin Tone Corrected
April 2004: Following on from the accurately skin-toned Lando Calrissian, LEGO decided that licensed products should resemble the original characters as closely as possible and phased out the classic yellow Star Wars minifigures.
Original Trilogy Edition Packaging Variations Created
September 2004: Synchronizing its packaging style with the debut DVD release of the Star Wars Trilogy, the first true packaging variation was produced when 4500, 4501, 4502, and 4504 (along with 10131) were reboxed.
Light-up Lightsabers Introduced
February 2005: As a teaser release ahead of the other sets in the wave, set 7263 TIE Fighter featured Darth Vader with the first light-up lightsaber (LULS).
First Ever LEGO Star Wars Video Game Loads Up
March 2005: The first installment in the LEGO Star Wars video game franchise – an adaptation of the Prequel Trilogy – was released on March 29th.
Revenge Of The Sith Sets Available Globally
April 2005: Heralding the arrival of the final Star Wars movie, the Revenge of the Sith collection makes a coordinated arrival on toy store shelves around the world on the first day of the month.
LEGO Marks Celebration 3 With First Event Exclusive
April 2005: Released at Star Wars Celebration – held in Indianapolis, Indiana between April 21 and 24 – this small display scene was the first LEGO Star Wars event exclusive.
Inaugural LEGOLAND Star Wars Days Event
April 2005: The first true LEGO Star Wars Day, held over the June 23/24 weekend, was hosted by the LEGOLAND California park.
The Force Is Magnetic
May 2005: Released at the start of the month are two three-packs of the first LEGO Star Wars magnets, exclusively available through LEGO shop@home and brand stores.
Revenge Of The Brick Gets Debut Airing
May 2005: This, the very first digital LEGO Star Wars movie, is a tongue-in-cheek look at the important events of Revenge of the Sith, aired through Cartoon Network on May 8th.
That’s No Moon, It’s The Biggest LEGO Set Ever!
August 2005: After several months of delays, the release of 10143 Death Star II rewarded the LEGO Star Wars license with the largest LEGO set – at 3441 pieces – in the world.
First License Renewal
February 2006: After seven successful years of LEGO Star Wars products, the license gets renewed for five more years.
Light-up Lightsabers Retired
March 2006: Proving that the light that burns twice as bright (causing the battery to run out after three hours of use) burns half as long, LEGO retired their battery-powered lightsaber-wielding minifigures after a year.
First Fan’s Choice Set Polled
June 2006: In conjunction with the official Star Wars website, LEGO gave fans the ability to select the next direct to consumer/LEGO exclusive set through a poll hosted on starwars.com.
Battlepack Army Builders Introduced
January 2007: First made available in the Winter wave, these small multi-minifigure sets were aimed at fans who wanted to reenact battles on a budget.
Specialized Weapon Molds Introduced
January 2007: arriving with the Winter wave, two new molded weapons replaced the traditional megaphone blasters that had served as the weapon of choice for Rebels, Imperials, bounty hunters and Separatists since 1999.
LEGO Makes The Maker
February 2007: Commemorating the induction of George Lucas into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame on February 10, 2007, LEGO presented him with a specially made bust.
Millennium Falcon Gains Biggest LEGO Set Ever Record
March 2007: Knocking the 10143 Death Star II off the top spot in the category of most bricks in one box, this personal project from Jens Kronvold Frederiksen (the LEGO Star Wars lead designer) arrived.
LEGO Celebrates 30th Anniversary Of Star Wars
May 2007: Running concurrently in the LEGO Club magazine and as a pack-in surprise, LEGO gives away five 14 carat C-3PO minifigures and 10,000 vac-metalled plastic versions of the same minifigure.
LEGO Given The Gentle Giant Treatment
June 2007: In a limited edition co-promo between Lucasfilm and LEGO, Gentle Giant was commissioned to produce a series of five exclusive maquettes that were distributed by shopstarwars.com and Toys “R” Us in the USA.
New Bag Charms Accessories
July 2007: Added to its growing list of accessories, LEGO released an introductory selection of bag charms.
First Silicon Head Mold Arrives
July 2007: Unable to make a plastic element for the tentacles on the new Kit Fisto minifigure, LEGO opt for a single-piece, soft silicon element.
New LEGO Power Functions Propel Motorized AT-AT
September 2007: Updating the previous Imperial Walker, released in 2003, with the new Power Functions motor and battery, 10179 was the first self-propelled System set.
It’s Time For The First LEGO Star Wars Watches
December 2007: With fridges, car keys and desks already adorned with LEGO Star Wars accessories, wrists are given their first chance.
First Set From A Star Wars Video Game Released
January 2008: Hitting shelves eight months ahead of The Force Unleashed, the third-person action-adventure game that featured Darth Vader’s first apprentice, Rogue Shadow was the first set inspired by a Star Wars video game.
LEGO Releases First San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive
July 2008: Launching the new Clone Wars packaging style, LEGO entered the San Diego Comic-Con exclusive market with a collection of Clone Wars sets that was soft-launched at the start of the year.
LEGO Reveals Original Sets
August 2008: Further expanding the scope of the Star Wars theme, LEGO released its first sets (7667 & 7668) under a license that was fully designed in-house.
Clone Wars Sets Hit Shelves
August 2008: With Star Wars fans hyped to find out what adventures the new Clone Wars computer-generated TV series would bring, LEGO released their first (of many) sets created to support the show.
First Brickmaster Subscribers Exclusive
November 2008: Only available in the US, the first exclusive set (20006) distributed through the subscription-based LEGO BrickMaster magazine is included with the final issue of the year.
Midi-Scale Subtheme Added
July 2009: A new subtheme – and an intermediate scale – is born with the release of set 7778 Midi-scale Millennium Falcon.
LEGO Marks Theme’s 10th Anniversary In Chrome
June 2009: Produced to mark the 10th anniversary of the LEGO Star Wars license, specially decorated chrome Darth Vader minifigures were distributed during the summer of 2009 as pack-in promotions and exclusive giveaways.
First Fan Picked Retailer Exclusive Polled
August 2009: Conducted in conjunction with Toys “R” Us in May 2008 and revealed in October, the winning option (7754) reached branches of the toy store chain over the course of the summer of 2009.
First Newspaper Co-Marketing Promotion
September 2015: For the first time since 2005, LEGO sets from a brand new Star Wars movie – The Force Awakens – are released as part of the first Force Friday global product release event.
The Holo-Brick Archives (V1) Launched
September 2009: Conceived and created by LEGO.com content manager Sten Funder Lysdahl, this early website served as a database of currently available sets, and aimed to have a complete LEGO Star Wars product base.
First Ever LEGO Star Wars Book Published
September 2009: Published through DK, LEGO compiled the first (of many) authoritative guide to the LEGO Star Wars theme.
One-Off CubeDude Event Exclusives
July 2010: Specially designed for San Diego Comic-Con in July and Star Wars Celebration in August, two sets of these cubic caricature statues were produced in limited numbers – and have never been repeated.
Empire’s 30th Marked By Special Giveaway Minifigure
August 2010: Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back, LEGO distributes a special Boba Fett minifigure based on Ralph McQuarrie’s concept art of the character.
Advent Calendar Subtheme Introduced
July 2011: Launched as a San Diego Comic-con exclusive, set 7958 became the first member of the Advent Calendar subtheme.
Toy Fair Unveils Ultra Limited Edition Miniland Scale Builds
February 2011: Attendees of the VIP Gala event at the LEGO booth during the International Toy Fair in New York were presented with an exclusive gift box containing Miniland-scale models.
Star Wars Miniland Opened At LEGOLAND California
March 2011: The hugely popular Miniland attraction at LEGOLAND California is expanded to include key environments and scenes from the Sequel and Original Trilogy movies and the Clone Wars animated TV series.
Longest LEGO Set Ever Released
August 2011: The longest LEGO product ever created is set 10221 UCS Super Star Destroyer at a length of 124 cm (nearly 50 inches)!
Hallmark Released First Keepsake Ornaments
October 2011: Adding to their growing line of high-end Star Wars ornaments, Hallmark introduced the first LEGO Star Wars decoration – a 3 1/4 inch tall Darth Vader – to their Keepsake line.
Planetary Subtheme Arrives
January 2012: Three sets (9674, 9675 & 9676) are released as the first wave of the Planetary subtheme.
License Renewed To 2022
February 2012: As Star Wars continues to be the most popular licensed LEGO theme, the contract is again renewed this time for 10 more years.
First Official May The 4th Be With You Celebrated
May 2012: Marking the first official Star Wars Day, LEGO runs their very first May The 4th Be With You in-store/online promotion and starting a tradition that soon begins to trand with other Star Wars licensees.
The Old Republic Collection Produced
July 2012: Tying in with the MMORG game franchise from BioWare, LEGO added two initial sets (9497 & 9500) to The Old Republic collection.
Proto-Microfighter Exclusive At SDCC
July 2012: Adopting a Japanese chibi aesthetic, this first-of-its-kind Sith Infiltrator and shirtless Darth Maul minifigure (5000062) was presented in a special metal tin and sold via a lottery at San Diego Comic-Con.
Guinness Awards First LEGO Star Wars Record
September 2012: Norwegian collector Jon Jessesen is awarded the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of LEGO Star Wars interlocking sets.
The Yoda Chronicles Announced
February 2013: Accompanying the announcement of The Yoda Chronicles animated TV series and sets, LEGO gave out this promotional vignette to those who made it to the Toy Fair 2013 Collector Party in New York.
First UCS Set Redesigned
February 2013: To meet the growing demand for classic Ultimate Collector Series sets, LEGO releases a completely redesigned X-wing Starfighter to a modern market.
Magnets Revamped
April 2013: Having produced the triple-pack of magnets for six years, LEGO changes the format to magnet scenes – a single minifigure with a magnetic background depicting an important Star Wars location.
World’s Largest LEGO Model Unveiled
May 2013: The world’s largest LEGO model is created as a 1:1 representation of an X-wing Starfighter and is also a super-scaled version of set 9493.
Season One Of The Yoda Chronicles Aired
May 2013: Broadcast on Cartoon Network in the US, this was the first full-scale multimedia/toy line crossover developed between Lucasfilm and LEGO.
Microfighter Subtheme Created
December 2013: Foreshadowed by the release of three prototype Microfighter sets over the 2012 convention season, the first wave of the Microfighters subtheme joins the LEGO Star Wars product line up.
First Rebels Sets Introduced
June 2014: Produced to complement the upcoming Rebels animated TV series (aired in October), LEGO released the first two sets (75048 & 75053) in this new collection.
Miniature Diorama Builds Announced For Summer Conventions
April 2015: LEGO announces that the summer’s convention (Star Wars Celebration, San Diego Comic-Con and Fan Expo Toronto) exclusive is to be two small vignettes of iconic Star Wars locations.
Official LEGO Star Wars Magazine Launched
June 2015: The first official LEGO Star Wars Magazine, published by Blue Ocean, launches in Germany and quickly becomes available in many other European countries.
Buildable Figures Subtheme Added
September 2015: The first wave of the Buildable Figures subtheme is released featuring six characters.
First New Sets From A New Movie
September 2015: For the first time since 2005, LEGO sets from a brand new Star Wars movie – The Force Awakens – are released as part of the first Force Friday global product release event.
Dual-Molded Elements Introduced
January 2016: Found in set 75131 Resistance Trooper Battle Pack, the first Star Wars minifigure with a dual-molded element is created.
Rogue One Sets Released
October 2016: Ahead of the December release of the first Star Wars spin-off movie, Rogue One, eight sets (75119, 75120, 75121, 75152, 75153, 75154, 75155 & 75156) hit toy store shelves.
Oldest LEGO Star Wars Set Retired
March 2016: After seven and a half years LEGO retired 10188 Death Star, making it the longest produced set in the history of the Star Wars license.
The Last Jedi Sets Arrive
September 2017: With the global product release of The Last Jedi merchandise, LEGO put out their collection of sets on Force Friday II (September 1st).
All New Sculptures Subtheme Revealed
September 2017: The addition of set 75187 BB-8 to the LEGO Star Wars line is the first set in the Sculptures subtheme.
BrickHeadz Subtheme Created
October 2017: Already established for other LEGO themes, set 41498 Boba Fett & Han Solo in Carbonite becomes the first member of the Star Wars BrickHeadz subtheme.
Buildable Figures Canceled
March 2018: Reportedly due to weak sales and lack of retailer interest, LEGO put an end to the Star Wars buildable figure subtheme.
Solo Sets Hit Retail
April 2018: With the global rollout for Solo: A Star Wars Story products on Force Friday (April 13th), LEGO released the only sets of the Solo collection to date.
LEGO Star Wars Trading Card Game Released
August 2018: The first trading card game based on LEGO Star Wars characters and vehicles is released in Germany, before being rolled out in a number of European languages.
Master Builder Series Subtheme Is Born
October 2018: Aimed at fans who want advanced builds with play and display value, 75222 Betrayal at Cloud City is the first in the Master Builder Series subtheme.
Star Wars Miniland Closure Announced
November 2018: The official press announcement sharing the news that LEGOLAND parks will be removing their highly popular Star Wars Miniland attractions, with deconstruction beginning in January 2020, is released.
LEGO Star Wars Days End
December 2018: To the surprise of many, LEGO ended the eleven-year run of LEGO Star Wars Days by canceling all future events, at all LEGOLAND parks, without explanation.
4+ Subtheme Announced
January 2019: Designed for the younger builder, three sets (75235, 75237 & 75247) become the first in the new 4+, which replaced Juniors, subtheme.
Event Exclusive Busts Revealed
March 2019: Revealed for the first time is the Star Wars Celebration Darth Vader bust, a new style of character representation (that was followed up by a Sith Trooper bust for San Diego Comic-Con in July).
LEGO Star Wars 20th Anniversary Celebrated
April 2019: LEGO Star Wars celebrates its 20th anniversary by releasing a retro line of sets featuring specially printed minifigures.
20th Anniversary Marked With Limited Edition Vignettes
May 2019: Released as part of the annual May The 4th Be With You event and marking the 20th anniversary of the LEGO Star Wars license, this micro-build of the Battle of Hoth is a free gift with purchase between May 3rd and May 5th, 2019.
Adult Collector Subtheme Unmasked
March 2020: Similar to Ultimate Collector Series, a new line of LEGO Star Wars items aimed at the grown-up builder is released, creating the 18+/Adult subtheme.
New Art Theme Unveiled
July 2020: A unique line of sets dubbed the Art subtheme is added to the LEGO Star Wars portfolio. Intended to grab the attention of adult collectors, the debut release included 31200 The Sith.
First LEGO Star Wars Sticker Album Published
August 2020: Brought out by Blue Ocean Entertainment, this first-ever LEGO Star Wars collectible sticker album is initially only available in Germany, Austria and Switzerland before being translated for distribution in Poland, Spain and Portugal.
First Exclusive Lightsaber Prop Replica Model
September 2020: Making a surprise departure from their market value of avoiding making weapons, this replica of Yoda’s lightsaber from Attack of the Clones was included as a gift with purchase on 75290 Mos Eisley Cantina’s first day of sale.
LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special Aired
November 2020: This sequel to the original Star Wars Holiday Special, which only broadcast once in 1978, was aired on the Disney+ streaming platform on the same date as the original.
Diorama Series Added To Adult Collector Subtheme
May 2022: extending the Adult Collector subtheme further, three scenic diorama display sets from the Original Trilogy were released.
