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Lego Legends of Chima

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Lego Legends of Chima (stylized as 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 Legends of Chima
Sub‑themesAccessory sets, Contraction, Fire vs. Ice, Legend Beasts, Outlands, Speedorz and Tribe Packs
SubjectAnthropomorphic animals, Fantasy and Warrior animals
Licensed fromThe Lego Group
Availability2013–2015
Total sets136[1]
TV seriesLegends of Chima
Official website

Overview

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The product line focused on Chima, a fantasy world inhabited by eight warrior tribes of animals that battle for an energy source called "Chi". The toy line was driven by the storyline of the animated television series Legends of Chima, which follows two former childhood friends, Laval from the Lion tribe and Cragger from the Crocodile tribe, who become bitter enemies.[2][3][4] The two main characters lead the battle among the eight tribes, which threatens the once-peaceful land of Chima.[5]

Development

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Lego Legends of Chima was developed to appeal to children and was designed to replace the Lego Ninjago theme, but was phased out to introduce other children's themes such as Nexo Knights.[6] By contrast, Lego Ninjago continued production for over ten years.[7]

Legends of Chima was developed as a franchise to promote the Chima universe with the aim of launching across multiple platforms, consisting of the television series, online content, construction sets and video games.[8]

In December 2014, Lego designer Samuel Thomas Johnson explained that the product line and the television series were closely aligned from the start and that the vehicles in the show were designed to match the models. He commented, "I'm lucky to have a talented guy on my team who has been drawing Lego models for years so I can give him a model and say 'can you do me some concept art for that?' and he'll have it done in an hour."... "We have a model, take tons of photos and videos, then do concept art; that's our starting point. It helps because trying to explain how bat wings are supposed to work in text doesn't make sense at all." He elaborated further on the creative process for the toy line by stating, "We make functions and try to fit them in with animals and what animals do. If a vehicle doesn't have the traits of the animal it is meant to resemble, it doesn't make a lot of sense."[9]

In 2021, The co-creator of Lego Ninjago Tommy Andreasen revealed the unseen concept art for the Legends of Chima on Twitter, detailing what the theme could have been had it taken a different path. Tommy Andreasen explained, "This is a concept film was made to explain Legends of Chima's ending internally. The search for the Fire Wings was intended to be a six-episode arc which would also have introduced Florax, Flinx's mother, chief botanist of Chima, but plans were revised."[10]

Launch

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Legends of Chima launched on 26 December 2012.[11] The Chima franchise aimed to follow in the success of the Lego Ninjago theme. Soren Torp Laursen, President of Lego Systems commented, "Building upon our success with developing rich and immersive original storylines, most notable the recent Ninjago phenomenon, we're excited to launch a whole new world in Lego Legends of Chima to spark any child's imagination and invite them to the world of Lego building."[12]

The playsets were released from January 2013 and included a larger range of products than previous themes. The product range included construction toy sets, racing vehicles and a board game. The toy line also offered a battle play function that was similar to the Lego Ninjago spinner toys, which involved placing Lego minifigures on a spinning base. The vehicles included a Speedorz range, which were vehicles built from Lego bricks and powered by a ripcord to provide children with a racing challenge. Legends of Chima was created as a big-bang project that aimed to drive growth in the Lego toy line. In December 2012, a Lego spokesman predicted that Legends of Chima would top sales of Ninjago by as much as 30%.[2]

To promote the Legends of Chima product line, four windows of Hamley's in Regent Street, London were taken over by a window display from Boxing Day 2012 to 8 February 2013. The window display featured two 2.9-metre models of Chima's two main characters, Laval the Lion and Cragger the Crocodile, and a 3D recreation of Mount Cavora.[13]

In 2013, a Lego Chima Challenge roadshow toured the UK to engage children in the Chima product range. The roadshow launched at Chessington World of Adventures on 1 April 2013 and ran for seven months until October 2013.[11] The challenge involved thousands of children competing to the top of a leaderboard using Lego Chima Speedorz. The top 14 children were invited to a finale at Chessington World of Adventures where they competed to become the UK Lego Chima champion.[14] Senior Brand Manager, Sally-Anne Weekes stated, "Animals are a universally popular theme and something that we haven't had in the Lego portfolio for several years. Legends of Chima fills this gap and where better to showcase it than with the tribes' real-life counterparts?"[11]

Legends of Chima TV series

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Main article: Legends of Chima

The Legends of Chima product line was based on the storyline of its accompanying animated television series that made its debut in 2013. It was produced by M2Film in Denmark and launched on Cartoon Network. Legends of Chima is set in a fantasy world that is inhabited by eight warring tribes of anthropomorphic animals. The associated Lego construction toys were launched to coincide with the U.S. premiere of the series in July 2013.[15]

Construction sets

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According to BrickLink, The Lego Group released 136 playsets and promotional polybags as part of the Lego Legends of Chima theme.[1] The product line was eventually discontinued by 2015.[16] The toy sets were designed to resemble their associated animal tribes, such as incorporating gold colour and physical lion features into the vehicles and buildings related to the Lion tribe.[6]

In February 2013, the Lego Chima product line included Chima Starter sets, a range of action sets that included Ring of Fire and Boulder Bowling and construction sets, such as the Razcal Glider, Eris Eagle Interceptor and Cragger's Command Ship. In March 2013, the theme released the Ice Tower, Nest Dive and Jungle Gates action sets, which included a Lego minifigure, a Speedorz, two Chi weapons, five cards, six Chi crystals, and an orb-holding obstacle. The 2013 summer release included Skunk Attack, Eglor's Twin Bike, Gorzan's Gorilla Striker and The Lion Chi Temple set, which included seven minifigures. The product range also included constructible action figures that resembled the Lego Hero Factory product line.[17]

In 2014, Lego Legends of Chima released two waves of playsets to coincide with the second and third seasons of the Legends of Chima television series that aired in March and August 2014. The first wave focused on Legend Beasts construction sets featuring one minifigure from the Lion, Eagle, Crocodile, Gorilla and Wolf tribes.[3][18][19][20][21][22] Several Speedorz sets were released in March 2014, including Web Dash, a Speedorz with six legs. A second wave released in the summer of 2014 focused on themes of fire and ice and the introduction of the Scorpion tribe. The second wave included Vardy's Ice Vulture Glider, Sir Fangar's Saber-Tooth Walker, Laval's Fire Lion, Maula's Ice Mammoth Stomper and Flying Phoenix Fire Temple, a set that converted from a building to a flying vehicle.[23]

Web shorts

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The product line was accompanied by a series of animated short films that was released on YouTube.

# Title Release date Notes
1 A Crash Course In Flying[24] June 4, 2013 Lego Legends of Chima web series
2 Tale of the Tribe Stone[25] June 4, 2013
3 Like Father Like Son[26] June 4, 2013
4 Speed Dating[27] June 4, 2013
5 Razar King of Profit[28] June 14, 2013
6 Plovar the Destroyer[29] June 14, 2013
7 Air Head Flight Test[30] October 24, 2013
8 Lennox the Brave[31] June 20, 2013
9 Vibe and the Mellow Head Dude[32] June 20, 2013
10 Crocodile Evolution[33] June 20, 2013
11 Hy-Bear Active[34] October 21, 2014
12 Animal Instinct[35] October 21, 2014
13 Eris vs Black Cloud[36] April 23, 2014
14 A Force of Nature[37] October 21, 2014
15 Outlandish Tale[38] October 21, 2014
16 The Cloud and the Shadow[39] March 5, 2014
17 The Rumble in the Jungle[40] October 21, 2014
18 The ShadoWind Chronicles[41] March 5, 2014
19 20 Royal Getaway[42] March 5, 2014
20 A Plovar Makeover[43] March 5, 2014
21 The Black Valious[44] March 6, 2014
22 The Eggs Terminator[45] March 6, 2014
23 The Flyin' Lion[46] March 6, 2014
24 The Web and the Sting[47] August 13, 2014
25 Haunted Lair[48] May 27, 2014
26 Game of Legends[49] May 27, 2014
27 Horn to be Wild[50] August 13, 2014
28 Unfinished Business[51] May 27, 2014
29 Whatever Happened to the Wind Shadow[52] August 13, 2014
30 Dream Dreamless[53] May 27, 2014
31 Big Boys Big Toys[54] August 13, 2014
32 Completely Ridiculous Tale[55] May 27, 2014
33 The Panther[56] May 30, 2015
34 Nap time is Over![57] May 30, 2015
35 The Good News Bear[58] July 15, 2015
36 The 9th Phoenix[59] May 30, 2015
37 Big Boys Big Toys[54] August 13, 2014

Other media

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Video games

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In 2013, three games based on Legends of Chima were released. Legends of Chima: Speedorz was made available on the Lego website and for iOS on January 3, 2013. It is a racing game that involves collecting Lego studs and battling animals.[60] Lego Legends of Chima: Laval's Journey was released on June 25, 2013, for PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS and released on August 31, 2013, for Nintendo DS.[61] A MMORPG titled Lego Legends of Chima Online was released on PC and MAC browsers by WB Games Montreal. The game involved building an outpost, venturing across the land of Chima to complete quests and customising weapons. It was released in the third quarter of 2013 and shut down on June 1, 2015.[62] Chima is also one of several themes featured in the 2015 Lego Dimensions game, which included Laval, Eris, and Cragger as playable characters.

An mobile game titled LEGO Chima: Tribe Fighters was developed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for iOS and released on 12 February 2015.[63]

Attractions

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In March 2013, Legoland Florida announced the introduction of a themed area of the park based on Legends of Chima. The expansion included an interactive water ride called Quest for CHI, Speedorz Arena and a 4D film titled The LEGO Chima 4D Movie Xperience.[64] On 27 March 2019, it was replaced by a themed area named Lego Movie World.[65]

On 24 May 2014, Legoland California launched the Legends of Chima Water Park, which featured several themed attractions including, Lion Temple Wave Pool, Cragger's Swamp water play area, Eglor's Build-A-Boat, Rhino Beach and Speedorz Arena. The water park also featured a 40-foot tall "floating" Mt. Cavora in the Lion Temple Wave Pool.[66]

Publications

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In 2013, a monthly magazine aimed at children aged 7–11 was launched and published by Immediate Media. The first issue was published on 6 November 2013.[67]

A Legends of Chima Character Encyclopedia was published by Dorling Kindersley, which provides facts about the history, characters, tribes, vehicles and weapons in the theme.[68]

Reception

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In 2013, The Lego Group reported that Lego City, Lego Duplo, Lego Technic, Lego Creator, Lego Friends and Lego Legends of Chima had contributed to an increase in sales in 2013 by 11 percent, and stated, "Lego Legends of Chima is a rich and engaging universe that children can explore in many ways. Not only by building and playing with Lego sets, but also in the digital world using apps, exploring content on LEGO.com, via videos and online games. The theme is a great example of how we bridge physical and digital play."[69]

On 25 November 2013, Business Insider listed the Lion Chi Temple as one of the "9 Hot Toys That Every Kid Wants This Year", describing it as, "one of the more extravagant locations in the show and toys in the series."[70]

Awards and nominations

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In 2014, Lego Legends of Chima was awarded "Toy of the Year" and also "Boy Toy of the Year" by the Toy Association.[71]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Bamford, Vince (1 December 2012). "Lego Legends of Chima toys to better Ninjago sales". The Grocer. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  2. ^ a b Farshtey, Gregory; Lipkowitz, Daniel; Hugo, Simon (2020-10-01). LEGO Minifigure A Visual History New Edition. Dorling Kindersley Limited. p. 176. ISBN 978-0-241-50202-0.
  3. ^ Dolan, Hannah (2020-10-13). LEGO Minifigure Handbook. Dorling Kindersley Limited. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-241-45823-5.
  4. ^ "Legends of Chima - TV Review". www.commonsensemedia.org. 2013-06-28. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  5. ^ a b Maciorowski, Ed; Maciorowski, Jeff (2016-11-07). The Collectible LEGO Minifigure: Values, Investments, Profits, Fun Facts, Collector Tips. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-4402-4705-7.
  6. ^ "Ten years of LEGO NINJAGO!". Brickset.com. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  7. ^ "3 Lego Chima Games for 2013". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  8. ^ "Samuel Thomas Johnson reveals how he got his dream job as a LEGO designer". ToyNews. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  9. ^ "LEGO Legends of Chima concept art showcases early designs for the in-house theme". Brick Fanatics. 20 December 2021.
  10. ^ a b c "LEGO Will Launch Its Legends of Chima Challenge Roadshow-Made-in-China.com". resources.made-in-china.com. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  11. ^ "LEGO Legends of Chima Races onto Shelves In 2013". PR Newswire. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  12. ^ "Lego's largest ever Hamley's window display for Chima". Toy World Magazine. 2013-01-02. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  13. ^ "Lego Chima holds final". Toy World Magazine | The business magazine with a passion for toys. 2013-11-08. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  14. ^ Zahed, Ramin (2013-07-03). "'LEGO Legends of Chima' Roars on Cartoon Network". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  15. ^ "Legends of Chima LEGO Sets". BrickEconomy. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  16. ^ "Toy Fair 2013—LEGO Legends of Chima". Purple Pawn | Game News Across the Board. 2013-02-25. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  17. ^ Dolan, Hannah (2020-10-13). LEGO Minifigure Handbook. Dorling Kindersley Limited. p. 150. ISBN 978-0-241-45823-5.
  18. ^ Farshtey, Gregory; Lipkowitz, Daniel; Hugo, Simon (2020-10-01). LEGO Minifigure A Visual History New Edition. Dorling Kindersley Limited. p. 201. ISBN 978-0-241-50202-0.
  19. ^ Farshtey, Gregory; Lipkowitz, Daniel; Hugo, Simon (2020-10-01). LEGO Minifigure A Visual History New Edition. Dorling Kindersley Limited. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-241-50202-0.
  20. ^ Dolan, Hannah (2020-10-13). LEGO Minifigure Handbook. Dorling Kindersley Limited. p. 153. ISBN 978-0-241-45823-5.
  21. ^ Dolan, Hannah (2020-10-13). LEGO Minifigure Handbook. Dorling Kindersley Limited. p. 166. ISBN 978-0-241-45823-5.
  22. ^ "Toy Fair 2014—Lego Legends of Chima". Purple Pawn | Game News Across the Board. 2014-02-25. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  23. ^ A Crash Course In Flying. June 4, 2013 – via YouTube.
  24. ^ Tale of the Tribe Stone. June 4, 2013 – via YouTube.
  25. ^ Like Father Like Son. June 4, 2013 – via YouTube.
  26. ^ Speed Dating. June 4, 2013 – via YouTube.
  27. ^ Razar King of Profit. June 14, 2013 – via YouTube.
  28. ^ Plovar the Destroyer. June 14, 2013 – via YouTube.
  29. ^ Air Head Flight Test. October 24, 2013 – via YouTube.
  30. ^ Lennox the Brave. June 20, 2013 – via YouTube.
  31. ^ Vibe and the Mellow Head Dude. June 20, 2013 – via YouTube.
  32. ^ Crocodile Evolution. June 20, 2013 – via YouTube.
  33. ^ Hy-Bear Active. October 21, 2014 – via YouTube.
  34. ^ Animal Instinct. October 21, 2014 – via YouTube.
  35. ^ Eris vs Black Cloud. April 23, 2014 – via YouTube.
  36. ^ A Force of Nature. October 21, 2014 – via YouTube.
  37. ^ Outlandish Tale. October 21, 2014 – via YouTube.
  38. ^ The Cloud and the Shadow. March 5, 2014 – via YouTube.
  39. ^ The Rumble in the Jungle. October 21, 2014 – via YouTube.
  40. ^ The ShadoWind Chronicles. March 5, 2014 – via YouTube.
  41. ^ 20 Royal Getaway. March 5, 2014 – via YouTube.
  42. ^ A Plovar Makeover. March 5, 2014 – via YouTube.
  43. ^ The Black Valious. March 6, 2014 – via YouTube.
  44. ^ The Eggs Terminator. March 6, 2014 – via YouTube.
  45. ^ The Flyin' Lion. March 6, 2014 – via YouTube.
  46. ^ The Web and the Sting. August 13, 2014 – via YouTube.
  47. ^ Haunted Lair. May 27, 2014 – via YouTube.
  48. ^ Game of Legends. May 27, 2014 – via YouTube.
  49. ^ Horn to be Wild. August 13, 2014 – via YouTube.
  50. ^ Unfinished Business. May 27, 2014 – via YouTube.
  51. ^ Whatever Happened to the Wind Shadow. August 13, 2014 – via YouTube.
  52. ^ Dream Dreamless. May 27, 2014 – via YouTube.
  53. ^ a b Big Boys Big Toys. August 13, 2014 – via YouTube.
  54. ^ Completely Ridiculous Tale. May 27, 2014 – via YouTube.
  55. ^ The Panther. May 30, 2015 – via YouTube.
  56. ^ Nap time is Over!. May 30, 2015 – via YouTube.
  57. ^ The Good News Bear. July 15, 2015 – via YouTube.
  58. ^ The 9th Phoenix. May 30, 2015 – via YouTube.
  59. ^ Ryan Winslett (2 January 2013). "Lego Legends Of Chima Games Coming In 2013". Cinema Blend. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  60. ^ Thomas East. "Lego: Legends Of Chima coming to 3DS and DS in the summer". Official Nintendo Magazine. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  61. ^ "LEGO Game Devs Build Their Own Universe". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 2013-01-05. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  62. ^ "LEGO Chima: Tribe Fighters arrives in Google Play Store". AndroidCommunity.com. March 9, 2015.
  63. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (2013-03-19). "Cartoon Network, Legoland Plan 'Chima' Park Expansion". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  64. ^ "Behind-the-scenes at the world's first Lego Movie World, at Legoland Florida". Blooloop. 2019-02-19. Retrieved 2021-08-30.
  65. ^ "LEGOLAND California Resort is Moving Mountains in Order to Open New LEGO Legends of Chima Water Park on Memorial Day Weekend!". PR Newswire. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  66. ^ "Immediate Media Co to launch preteen children's magazine Lego Legends of Chima". www.immediate.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  67. ^ DK (2014-08-01). LEGO Legends of Chima Character Encyclopedia. Dorling Kindersley Limited. ISBN 978-0-241-01291-8.
  68. ^ "LEGO Group posts 11 per cent sales increase for 2013". ToyNews. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  69. ^ Cooperstein, Paige. "9 Hot Toys That Every Kid Wants This Year". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  70. ^ "2014 Toy of the Year Awards nominees revealed". ToyNews. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
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