The latest fan-designed LEGO set to hit shelves has been revealed as 21369 The X-Files, but just how different is the finished version from the original LEGO Ideas submission?
Brent Waller’s recreation of the iconic sci-fi series won last year’s 90s Throwback Challenge and will finally arrive on shelves this August.
However, as always with LEGO Ideas sets, there are several major differences between the original design and the final product.
The biggest change is arguably the minifigure line-up. Waller’s original submission featured seven characters from the show, while the finished set includes eight.
The original design included Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, the Grey Alien, the Jersey Devil, Assistant Director Walter Skinner, the Syndicate Leader and Eugene Tooms. The final set keeps Mulder, Scully, Walter Skinner and the Grey Alien, but replaces Eugene Tooms and the Jersey Devil with Alex Krycek, Mr. X and the Flukeman.
The Grey Alien has also been updated, featuring a different head and shorter articulated legs, while the Syndicate Leader has been renamed Carl Busch. The character is more commonly known as the Cigarette Smoking Man, but the LEGO Group avoids direct depictions and references to tobacco, as seen with previous sets such as 10330 McLaren MP4/4 & Ayrton Senna.
The new name allows the LEGO Group to represent the character more accurately than calling him the Syndicate Leader, but still without directly using his most recognisable nickname.
Although Tooms and the Jersey Devil are both memorable fan-favourite monsters, they only appear in a handful of episodes due to The X-Files’ famous ‘monster of the week’ format. Replacing them with Alex Krycek and Mr. X gives the set more focus on the show’s wider storyline, as both characters play major roles throughout Seasons 2 to 4.
However, the LEGO Group still included one iconic standalone creature, with the Flukeman from Season 2 making the cut. The mutant sewer creature is one of the show’s most recognisable monsters and makes for a much more distinctive minifigure.
The other major difference is the size of the build. Waller’s original design featured 2,020 pieces, while the final set has been reduced to 1,478, cutting 542 pieces from the model.
That reduction results in a smaller version of Mulder’s office, shrinking it from roughly three minifigures tall to two. The original design captured the chaotic nature of Mulder’s workspace, with evidence, posters and documents covering the walls, while the finished version presents a more structured version of the same idea.
Another major change is how the final office section is constructed. The roof section, which includes the trees and UFO scene above Mulder’s office, can be removed to reveal more of the interior, while the desk compartment itself can slide out from the main build. This gives builders easier access to the details inside and makes the finished model more interactive than the original submission.
Several details have been simplified. The hatch where Eugene Tooms appeared in the original design has become a standard door, the sprawling evidence board has been reduced to a single newspaper clipping, and the classic space astronaut poster has been replaced with a more generic astronaut design.
Mulder’s desk is also smaller and no longer features a nameplate, while the single chair opposite has been replaced by two. Despite those changes, the office still retains the same overall feel, with trophies, shelves and smaller details helping capture the spirit of the original submission.
Above the office, the UFO scene has also been redesigned. The thick tractor beam pieces from Waller’s submission have been replaced by sleeker translucent elements, while the UFO itself has been reduced in size. The surrounding trees have also been slightly scaled back, and Mulder and Scully’s torches now look more accurate rather than oversized.
The final noticeable difference is the plaque on the front of the display. The original submission featured The X-Files logo, while the finished set uses the show’s iconic phrase ‘I Want to Believe’, helping it fit alongside other diorama sets.
Overall, the majority of changes come down to making the model smaller and more practical for retail, but the essence of Waller’s original design remains intact.
21369 The X-Files launches on August 1 for LEGO Insiders before a wider release on August 4 for £179.99 / $199.99 / €199.99. All purchases will also include the free gift-with-purchase 40896 The X-Files: Scully’s Lab until August 10, or while stocks last.
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