Here’s how the LEGO Group is celebrating NINJAGO’s 10th anniversary

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the LEGO NINJAGO theme, and the LEGO Group is celebrating with new sets, limited edition minifigures, and merchandise and clothing collaborations.

Since its launch in 2011, the NINJAGO theme has soared to incredible heights, spawning a TV show with 13 seasons, a theatrical movie, multiple mini-movies, video games, apps, magazines, graphic novels, merchandise, hotel rooms, a theme park ride and – of course – hundreds of LEGO sets.

Joining those on February 1 is 71741 NINJAGO City Gardens, a 5,685-piece expansion to 70620 NINJAGO City and 70657 NINJAGO City Docks. While its predecessors were anchored to The LEGO NINJAGO Movie, this new addition is based on the TV series, and is subsequently crammed with references across all 13 seasons.

It’s one of a dozen NINJAGO Legacy sets launching in 2021, nine of which are already available at LEGO.com. And as you’ll know if you’ve picked up one of those sets – including 71735 Tournament of Elements or 71737 X-1 Ninja Charger – the LEGO Group has also marked the 10th anniversary by bundling in limited edition minifigures. Seven golden ninja are scattered across the January wave, 71741 NINJAGO City Gardens, and two more mystery sets arriving in June.

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The NINJAGO 2021 love-in doesn’t end there, though, as the LEGO Group is also teaming up with clothing brands for special anniversary merchandise collections. The first of those, with British fashion label HYPE, was unveiled earlier this week, and is available to VIP members at LEGO.com from today. More are apparently on the way in future, but we don’t have any concrete details on those yet.

‘’It has been an amazing journey to see a product range turn into something that kids have enjoyed for 10 years,” says Michael Svane Knap, Design Manager at the LEGO Group, who’s been working on the LEGO NINJAGO product line since 2013.

“Some have grown up with LEGO NINJAGO and are now expressing their gratitude and telling us how they have learned lifelong skills. In my opinion, that is the best thing about LEGO NINJAGO. Kids learn about friendship, confidence and much more. And, of course, that ninjas are cool!’’

Veteran LEGO NINJAGO fans will know that the theme was originally slated to end after the second season in 2012. However, its unprecedented success caused the LEGO Group to rethink that decision, and extend the theme seemingly indefinitely.

“It just shows an incredible commitment from our fans that we are still going strong 10 years later,” says Tommy Andreasen, Senior Manager for Entertainment Development at the LEGO Group, who has worked on the LEGO NINJAGO product line and show from the very beginning.

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Author Profile

Chris Wharfe
I like to think of myself as a journalist first, LEGO fan second, but we all know that’s not really the case. Journalism does run through my veins, though, like some kind of weird literary blood – the sort that will no doubt one day lead to a stress-induced heart malfunction. It’s like smoking, only worse. Thankfully, I get to write about LEGO until then.

Chris Wharfe

I like to think of myself as a journalist first, LEGO fan second, but we all know that’s not really the case. Journalism does run through my veins, though, like some kind of weird literary blood – the sort that will no doubt one day lead to a stress-induced heart malfunction. It’s like smoking, only worse. Thankfully, I get to write about LEGO until then.

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