Template:Featured article/2010/02
Pirates was a LEGO System theme introduced in 1989. It was the first completely new theme that appeared after the three initially introduced main themes Town, Castle and Space from 1978. It focussed on the classic idea of caribbean pirates that were pitted against soldiers of colonial empires and would occasionally encounter indigenous people. During its initial run from 1989 to 1997, the theme saw continous releases in every year. While the pirate faction remained largely unchanged, their imperial adversaries were subject to various visual changes.
The theme was the first to feature LEGO versions of firearms and introduced the first minifigures without the standard smiley-faces as well as specific elements for the construction of large sailing ship models, which were one of the outstanding features of Pirates.
Following a long hiatus starting in 1997, the theme was reintroduced in 2009, combining the established look from the past with recent LEGO elements and building styles.
