Everything You Want to Know About LEGO Pirates
Best of BrickNerd: Weekend Highlight (in celebration of our “pi-RATS & BUG-aneers” contest)— Article originally published June 8, 2021.
Ahoy, me hearties! Are you ready to set sail on an adventure through the history of classic LEGO Pirates? This immensely popular theme has undergone various renditions since its origins in 1989, but continues to attract numerous scallywags young and old.
To understand this fantastic swashbuckling theme, let’s jump into a deep exploration of what made the “Classic” Pirates one of the most beloved and still loved product lines. Come with us on a treasure hunt through history, because it is time for LEGO Pirates 101 to begin!
LEGO Pirates 101
An early promotional ad for LEGO Pirates in 1989. Image taken from 1989 edition of the LEGO Builder’s Club Brick Kicks Magazine.
We’ll focus specifically on the classic releases, sometimes referred to as Pirates I, which spanned from 1989 until 2002, with an additional dive by BrickNerd contributor Geneva D into the lasting impact it’s had on the community and a whole host of gorgeous pirate MOCs.
Promotional Pirate Poster given as a free gift to LEGO Builders CLub Members. Featuring Eldorado Fortress and Black Seas Barracuda.
The Story
One of the elements that has made the LEGO Pirates theme so full of character over the years is… the characters! Many of the seafarers and the landlubbers of the theme have a surprisingly rich backstory, with almost as much personality as the unique and elaborate prints that adorn the pirate minifigures. In fact, the minifigures are so unique largely due to LEGO Pirates being the first theme to truly deviate from the “standard grin” minifigure head, along with significantly more sophisticated printing throughout the theme and numerous new accessories (specifically chrome coins and new weapons such as flintlocks, cannons, and cutlasses).
All of these things would help to differentiate unique and individual characters. However, there are contradictions and variations stemming from different regions of release, various forms of LEGO Media, and even just straight contradictions from LEGO themselves.
To find out about the characters, there are a few major sources of information:
The LEGO sets themselves included descriptions on the boxes
Box description from the US release of 6285 - Black Seas Barracuda, with details on Captain Red Beard. Image via user Boomchil on eurobricks
The Golden Medallion/Sovereign, a comic book published for the initial 1989 release of LEGO Pirates
The English cover of The Golden Medallion. Currious about the contents? User Jodawill discusses the book on Eurobricks
The comic book was also called ‘The Golden Sovereign’ in some countries. Image via LEGO.
A series of illustrated books published by Ladybird from the early years of classic pirates
The four Ladybird books, image via Frontbeast on eurobricks. More information found in this eurobricks thread.
Cassete cover of the first “Radio Drama” image via hoerspielland.de For more information on the radio dramas, including translations, users TalonCard and Runamuck on the eurobricks forum have you covered.
A series of “radio dramas” from Germany that told additional stories after the events of the comic
Various descriptions in both the LEGO Magazines and Shop at Home Catalogues
The initial LEGO Mania Magazine, one of the renditions of the LEGO CLub magazine, featuring substantial amounts of information on the Islanders as well as other Pirates.
The Crew
So we’ll try to keep things simple and straight here while breaking down some of the recurring curs and frequent foes!
Captain Roger Redbeard
Also known as Captain Roger or Captain Red Beard
Image via Bricklink and The Golden Medallion
The suave pirate captain has quite the list of names, probably due to the fact that he’s been around for quite some time. The captain appeared multiple times in the original wave of pirate sets all the way through the final “Classic” Pirate set in 2002. He has captained the Black Seas Barracuda (twice), the Cross Bone Clipper, the Red Beard Runner (twice), and the Skull’s Eye Schooner.
Along with appearing in sets since the origin of LEGO Pirates, a more “humanized” version of Redbeard appeared in the comic The Golden Medallion, fitting most of the standard pirate stereotypes both in style and action, which would carry over into all representations of the captain. To see some of the “depth” that LEGO put into creating the backstories for some of the pirates, according to the LEGO Magazine, the captain has the following favorites:
Favorite Book: “Treasure Island”
Favorite Hobby: Coin Collecting
Favorite Movie: Hook
Favorite Cartoon Character: Yosemite Sam
Governor Broadside
Also known simply as The Governor
Image via Bricklink and The Golden Medallion
The original adversary of the pirates. He sports a fashionable blue coat, regal hat, and is the leader of the Imperial Soldiers. Appearing alongside Captain Red Beard in The Golden Medallion, he is said to “love good food and a little peace and quiet” but is depicted as a snooty and pompous leader at times, and even corrupt, giving some ambiguity to who could be traditionally seen as the “good guy” of the series.
Governor Broadside would command the Caribbean Clipper and fortify the Eldorado Fortress in his only two appearances as a minifigure. While there are other instances of characters being named Governor Broadside, they are supposedly all in error and should rather be attributed to the next foe of the pirates.
Admiral Woodhouse
Image via Bricklink and LEGO Racers
Admiral Woodhouse is the second head of the Imperials, this time after they have shifted to the red outfits under the name Imperial Guards. While similar in appearance to Governor Broadside, other than the color of the uniform, they have been explicitly defined as different characters in certain catalogues even though LEGO seems to confuse the two of them time and time again. In the description for the Imperial Flagship (6271) it states the ship is captained by Broadside, yet the set features the minifigure of Admiral Woodhouse.
He and his fleet reside in the beautiful Imperial Trading Post (Port Royal), and can also be found in the Imperial Outpost. Admiral Woodhouse has been featured heavily outside of the physical sets as well, appearing in both the LEGO Chess and LEGO Racers video games, making him possibly the most recognized adversary of the pirates.
The Admiral
Both images via LEGO Mania Magazine
Not to be confused with Admiral Woodhouse, The Admiral is the third main adversary of the Pirates as the leader of the Conquistadors or the Imperial Armada. Unlike the other imperial leaders, The Admiral doesn’t seem to have an official name. The LEGO Magazine held a competition to choose his official name as Don Diego de LEGO, Cannonball Cordoba, or a fill-in-the-blank section to come up with your own. However, the results of the contest were never officially released and neither of these names comes up frequently after the competition.
He has been referred to as “Sergeant Speedy” in the May/June 1996 issue of Bricks N’ Pieces LEGO Club Magazine but this was not widespread. According to the March/April issue of LEGO Mania Magazine, “Everyone calls him ‘the Admiral’ because no one knows what his name is." He was marooned on a desert island when he was a baby and found by some Islanders. Ever since then he’s been a sailor. The Admiral wears his super shiny armor everywhere, even in the tub. It just takes him awhile to scrub the rust stains off of his neck. His favorite tub toy is #6289 Red Beard’s Runner. ‘I like to practice sinking his ship.’”
We also know some of the Admiral’s favorites:
Favorite Food: A “galleon” of rocky road ice cream
Favorite Basketball Player: David “the Admiral” Robinson
Favorite Football Team: The Buccaneers
Favorite Song: Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Even with those highly insightful answers, he’s quite the mysterious adversary.
King Kahuka
Image via Bricklink, LEGO Magazine, and LEGO Racers
The king of the Islanders, the tropical adversaries of the Pirates. His lavish headgear, tooth necklace, and plant loincloth are very distinctive, but much of his remembrance is based on his substantial appearance in LEGO Racers He has two sons in the royal family named Thu and Kotu that appear alongside him in 6262 - King Kahuka’s Throne. He is said to have been the one to have raised The Admiral, and the two will often team up to fight the pirates.
Juan de Martinet
Image via Bricklink and The Gold Medallion
Governor Broadside’s second in command. Though his minifigure is not as lavish as the Governor’s, he is likely the “Officer” in 6276 - Eldorado Fortress and other sets, with the three corner hat and yellow epaulette, standing out among the smiling faces of the soldiers with his red beard (not to be confused with the pirate) even though he is often depicted in the comics with black hair.
Anne
Also known as Lady Anne Anchor
Image via Bricklink and Adventure on Shark Island
Information on the early pirate women is relatively scarce, especially as there are a number of female characters in the comic books, Ladybird books, and German radio plays. To make matters worse, there is not a lot of differentiation in the minifigure renditions of these female pirates. Much of what is taken as canon appears in the current 21322 - Pirates of Barracuda Bay instruction book, which gives a bio of the current crew in terms of their relationship to the past sets. Anne is the name frequently mentioned in the Ladybird books and has the closest resemblance to the physical minifigure.
Skully
Image via Bricklink and LEGO Shop at Home entry for 6248 - Volcano Island
The skeleton featured in a number of pirate sets. While skeletons appeared in many pirate sets, the name seems to have appeared towards the end in sets such as 6281 - Pirate’s Perilous Pitfall and 6254 - Rocky Reef.
Image from one of the Ladybird Pirate books showcasing short bios of the Dark Shark’s (AKA Black Seas Barracuda). Note the similarities to The Golden Medallion in style and design. Image via Brickipedia
Many of the other figures in the pirate crew have had names, even in their minor roles. Captain Ironhook, Boatswain Will, Rummy, Tattoo McGoo, and Black Jack Hawkins are a few of the names that show up in various places of LEGO Pirate merchandise. Some of these can easily be attributed to specific minifigures, but others are more “generic” names used in the stories that could be attributed to any of the common pirate or imperial figures found throughout the sets.
Critters and Creatures
Well blow me down, there’s critters all around! The pirate line would not be as loved without the inclusion of all the new animal molds that were introduced with the sets. These heavily sculpted parts gave more than just minifigure heroes to play with, and are an integral part to the theme’s environment.
All of the following animal molds would find continued success outside of the Pirate’s line as well, likely due to the popularity of the animal figures. Just like the human characters, these animals appeared in a multitude of different forms as well, adding to their characters. The following are some of the names and descriptions given to the animals specifically for the Pirate sets.
Spinozo the Monkey
Image from the September/October 1995 issue of the LEGO Mania Magazine and Bricklink
Popsy or Squawks the Parrot
Read more about the amazing parrot here!
Image via The Golden Medallion and Bricklink
Fierce Alligators
Or crocodiles, they’re listed as both.
Image from the US 1997 Holliday Shop at Home Catalogue.
Man-Eating Sharks
Image via The Golden Medallion and Bricklink
These animals really helped create a wonderful environment that came alive with a bit of imagination. LEGO obviously saw the potential for all of these molds, as all of these animals would continue to appear across themes for many years afterwards.
The Fantastic Fleet
What would pirates be without their boats? Throughout the history of the pirates line, the main draw probably has to be the majestic sailing ships. Both the crews of the Pirates and their adversaries would receive spectacular ships to battle each other, creating some of the most iconic LEGO sets ever produced. Here’s a breakdown of the major fleet, attempting to find the various names of the different ships, as just like the figures, many regions had unique names. So weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen to set sail on one of these amazing ships!
Pirate Ships:
6285 - Black Seas Barracuda (1989) rerelease as 10040 (2002) also known as Dark Shark
Image via lego.brickinstructions.com
6286 - Skull’s Eye Schooner (1993) also known as Dark Shark II or Black Skull
image via lego.brickinstructions.com
6268 - Renegade Runner (1993)
Image via lego.brickinstructions.com
6289 - Red Beard Runner (1996) rereleased as 6290 (2001) also known as Pirates Battleship
Image via lego.brickinstructions.com
6250 - Cross Bone Clipper (1997)
Image via lego.brickinstructions.com
Countless rafts and rowboats
One such example 6261 - Raft Raiders. Image via lego.brickinstructions.com
Imperial Ships:
6274 - Caribbean Clipper (1989) also known as Governor’s Ship “Sea Hawk”
image via lego.brickinstructions.com
6271 - Imperial Flagship (1992) also known as the Sea Lion
Image via lego.brickinstructions.com
6280 - Armada Flagship (1996) rerelease (2001) also known as Spaniard Ship or the Santa Cruz
Image via lego.brickinstructions.com
Various small boats (rowboats)
One such example, 6245 - Harbor Sentry. Image via lego.brickinstructions.com
Merchant Ships:
6277 - Imperial Trading Post (1992) also known as Port Royal featured the only official Merchant Ship released during classic Pirates
Image via lego.brickinstructions.com
Islander Boats:
6256 - Islander Catamaran (1994)
image via lego.brickinstructions.com
Numerous canoes
6278 - Enchanted Isle includes a good example of an Islander vessle, as well as another rendition of a small Pirate’s ship. Image via lego.brickinstructions.com
Boat Parts
It’s not just the sets that make these ships so beloved. While it’s no doubt a ship such as the Skulls Eye Schooner is an amazing display piece, part of the love comes from the ship “system” LEGO designed for the line. While some of the parts have changed since the original line, many realistic boat parts are available to MOC because of these original Pirate ships.
Curious about some of the new parts introduced for the pirate line? Here’s a list of some of the key ship pieces we have thanks to these beautiful boats:
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Six different hull pieces in a variety of different color combinations (examples of the large size of the bow, stern, and middle)
Numerous different shapes, patterns, and designs of cloth sails (in fact, these were some of the first pieces made of cloth to ever appear in sets!) and later cloth flags.
The LEGO anchor
Actual working compasses
Multiple forms and colors of rigging
Multiple forms of mast pieces such as this version
Decorative elements for buildings and ships, such as new doors and window shutters
Multiple smaller boats in the form of rowboats and canoes
New lengths and thicknesses of string, certain lengths of string with studs, and nets
Various forms of cannons, including the apparently dangerous firing cannons
Trap doors (also originated in 6769 - Fort Legoredo)
Top leaf holders (known more for their use in palm trees) were utilized in a variety of colors for various lamps and other decorative items
And, for all the tropical islands and historic ports, the Pirate line also brought us rope bridges, numerous printed and raised baseplates, and palm trees! Aye, there’s a lot to be thankful for.
The Modern LEGO Pirate Community
No article about LEGO Pirates would be complete without talking about the AFOL communities and prominent MOCs that have helped preserve the theme as one of the best LEGO has ever produced. So where can you find your crew?
Pirate Communities
Classic-pirates.com is the face of Eurobricks’ pirate forums, and it’s a hub for a significant pirate community. In the forum you can find a wealth of additional information, including tutorials, MOCs, set discussions and reviews. The Classic Pirate Flickr group is home to many pirate creations and a little bit of discussion, and there’s also a Facebook group. (Fun fact: Though it doesn’t cater specifically to pirate fans, the French forum BrickPirate was started by a LEGO pirate fan and retains some fun pirate branding.)
Pirate Role-Playing-Games
Brethren of the Brick Seas (on Eurobricks forums) launched at the beginning of 2016. In classic RPG style, Brethren of the Brick Seas offers players a choice between four factions (bluecoats, greencoats, redcoats and pirates). Besides a wealth of lore and a welcoming player base, Brethren of the Brick Seas also has a detailed gameplay system, where you can register your creations for in-game doubloons. You can even send your ships out on trade routes and raids and await the outcome. (Fun fact: There was also a very short-lived pirate RPG on Flickr a few years ago, which started with the premise of having players shipwrecked together on a desert island!)
Pirate Builds
There are two sides to pirate building. You could build jungles, islands, harbors, or all kinds of other scenes which maybe include some kind of scaled-down, simplified ship or maybe not. But you can also build model ships out of LEGO and fill a special niche. Rigging, hull, masts, decks—patient detail is the name of the game in model building!
The following gallery is a curated list of a few great LEGO pirate MOCs that fall into either one of these categories. It’s not meant to be exhaustive, but if you know of a build that ought to make the list, please drop us a note!
VOC Frigate 'De Ruyter - Koen Zwanenburg
This frigate by Koen Swanenburg combines detailed model building with wonderful presentation!
Port Rogue - Rogue Bricks
A tremendous collaborative effort, Port Rogue has a wealth of details to inspire and awe you!
The Specter - Sebeus I
This ship is a case study in how good prefab hulls can look!
Port Royal is Attacked - TheBrickAvenger
Pirates of the Carribean has inspired many LEGO MOCs; this one does a great job capturing the look of a port town.
Tropical Shores - Grant Davis and Eli Wilsea
This massive island, a collaboration betweenGrant Davis and Eli Wilsea, is every pirate’s dream! (see also the Skara Kikos series)
Treasure Island, the Attack - Letranger Absurde
Treasure Island is the classic buccaneer’s yarn and Letranger Absurde brought one of its most exciting scenes to the bricks.
Black Flag - Jonas Kramm
Jonas Kramm’s beautiful water technique really sets this build apart.
Turbulent Sea -Kloou
Another ship that uses prefab hulls to great effect!
Flying Dutchman and Whirlpool - by Andrew Bricks, image credits Joakim Hamstad
Another Pirates of the Caribbean inspired MOC, this time by Norwegian builder Andrew Bricks.
Questions - Caleb W.
Caleb W.’s jungle MOC uses several innovative texture techniques that guaranteed it a spot on this list.
The Secrets of the Abyss - W. Navarre
This ship and kraken were inspired by a seed part—see if you can guess what that was!
Flying Dutchman
This masterpiece took Sebeus I almost six years to complete!
Pirates a Go-go - Stephan Gofers)
Not many ships get to sail over such vibrant coral!
French Frigate Minerve - Bonaparte
This meticulously rigged frigate is a good example of the model-building side of LEGO pirate MOCing.
To Pirate Another Day - Tim Schwalfenberg
This MOC from Tim Schwalfenberg is a little unorthodox, but very piratey!
Pirates... - Garmadon
A micro pirate ship that still uses model-building techniques, such as hand-cut sails and threads for rigging.
Attack of the Dark Bluish Grey Pearl - Simon Hundsbichler
Simon Hundsbichler’s MOC is full of textures and parts-intensive techniques!
White Myst -Sean and Steph Mayo
A finely crafted micro ship from Sean and Steph Mayo.
English Warship "Revenge" - Maydayartist
An incredibly meticulous model!
Washing Tub Raid - Lego Fjotten
This MOC features bright colors and a classic pirates style.
Diligente - 32 Gun Frigate - Jens Fischer
Jens Fischer is a master at digital ship building.
Le Fleuron - Captain Green Hair
A meticulously rigged ship with high levels of details!
Tiny Trailblazers: Captain - Geneva
And finally, where would we be without a baby pirate?
The Legacy of LEGO Pirates
With such a substantial community, it’s pretty clear that the Classic Pirates theme had a lasting impact on many aspects of the hobby to this day. While LEGO Pirates has come back twice so far, in 2009 and 2015, the theme has managed to spread even further. Early on, pirates made their way out of their normal line in the LEGO Studios release 1411 - Pirate’s Treasure Hunt, a promotional polybag of Captain Redbeard on a film set. Even to this day, we are still receiving “Classic” pirate sets with one of the recent and most popular LEGO Ideas sets in 21322 - Pirates of Barracuda Bay.
Maybe just a bit of influence from Classic Pirates. Image via Bricklink
But even outside of an official pirates theme, our swashbuckling seafarers have come back in many other forms. Classic pirate influence has even extended into another immensely popular theme: LEGO Ninjago. (Read my whole breakdown and history of the Ninjago theme here.) The theme has featured multiple instances of iconography inspired by the vintage sets, including the current season “The Island” drawing heavily on the original Islanders theme in sets such as 71747 - The Keepers’ Village. More standard “pirate” style can be found in the Skybound or Sky Pirates season from 2016.
Some classic Islander influence in Skybound as well (note the banners hanging on the structure) and other Pirate influence in 70604 - Tiger Widow Island. Image via Bricklink
Some of the more recent Creator sets, 31109 - Pirate Ship and 31084 - Pirate Roller Coaster, draw direct inspiration from the wide range of minifigure-scale pirate sets before it. Pirates have also frequently popped up within various series of Collectable Minifigures, providing pirate figures even when there are no pirate sets available. For the 60th anniversary of the LEGO brick, 40290 - 60 Years of the LEGO Brick was released featuring four small scale builds of iconic LEGO sets, one of which is the Classic Pirate ship, the Black Seas Barracuda.
The structures surrounding the roller coaster have clear influence from 6276 - Eldorado Fortress and 6285 - Black Seas Barracuda. Image via Bricklink
Outside of their original themes, LEGO Pirates have also found significant success in the form of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean theme which has provided various additional ships, minifigures, and settings all fit to the traditional pirate imagery.
Liscensed Pirates are still Pirates. Image via pirates.fandom.com
Furthermore, pirates have extended past just traditional sets, having appeared frequently in DUPLO, both in original LEGO theming and in Disney’s Jake and the Never Land Pirates themes. If DUPLO is too young, don’t fret, as 4 Juniors (a continuation of the Jack Stone line) released a variety of pirate themed sets as well, featuring the larger scale figures. They even managed to include renditions of some of LEGO’s iconic pirates, such as Captain Redbeard appearing in 7075 - Captain Redbeard’s Pirate Ship.
Still a pretty nice ship keeping with the Pirates iconography, even if it is designed for the larger 4 Juniors figures. Image via Bricklink
Even further removed from physical sets is the influence that LEGO Pirates has had on LEGOLAND parks. While much of the park style is based on later runs of pirate sets, there are various promotional builds and gear featuring emblems and references to the classic line as well.
LEGOLAND California’s Pirate Reef ride. While clearly inspired by the later line of Pirate sets, the choice of blue and white sails alongside red and white sails definitely harkens back to 6274 - Caribbean Clipper and 6285 - Black Seas Barracuda. Image via latimes.com.
Off to the Sunset
Well shiver me timbers, that’s a lot of pirates! And this is just the tip of the iceberg too. Classic Pirates will live on in the hearts of fans and the amazing MOCs that stem from the creativity and ingenuity of all that choose to sail the seven seas, or at least imagine doing so. And who knows, LEGO may see the popularity of the recent Classic Pirates-inspired sets and continue making more innovative and inspiring sets featuring those that sail under the Jolly Roger!
If this article didn’t have enough pirates for you, well, take the adventure home! Use these tips from The LEGO Builder’s Club Brick Kicks Magazine to stay in that Pirate-y mood.
Are you a fan of Classic LEGO Pirates? Do you prefer the story and the sets LEGO has come up with, or do you create your own? Any odd names or lore that you know? Tell us in the comments!
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