LEGO remains one of the most widely acclaimed building toys on the planet. The iconic blocks are equally played with and enjoyed by both children and adults. Its toy sets encompass everything, from specific movie themes to vehicles and skyscrapers, but we rarely see anything military-related from the company.
The LEGO Group does not make realistic military weapons or vehicles such as tanks and helicopters. That is why weapons are allowed in themes such as Star Wars as it is not based on real weapons but is based on fantasy. LEGO does not want its brand connected with war and conflict.
Despite rigorous competition in the said area, LEGO does not seem to have any goals of releasing military sets in the market soon. So, what is the reason LEGO refrains from making military-based toy sets? Let’s read about this in detail!
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Military-Related LEGO Sets And Themes; A Historical Outlook
LEGO, a toy manufacturing company, is a household name and massively popular among children. Its versatility made it unexceptionally appealing- you can create almost anything with LEGO and unleash your creativity.
Over the years, LEGO has released different sets with specific themes- to name a few; we have star wars, firefighters, dungeons and dragons and much more. While you may come across various spaceships and weaponry as swords from the toy-making company, you would have never seen military-related LEGO sets.
LEGO has been vocal about its strict policy of not creating sets that feature realistic war vehicles, especially those used currently. However, before conforming to this no-military sets ideology, the company’s journey went through many stages.
Presence Of Weaponry in LEGO Company History
Around the 1930s and 40s, LEGO mainly focused on making wooden toys and kept on manufacturing them until 1960. And apparently, it was fine back then and acceptable to create wooden toy guns, and so did LEGO.
Once the largest and most popular toy-making company purchased a plastic molding machine, it decided to manufacture a plastic version of a rapid-firing pistol gun in the year 1949.
In addition to this, we also see other historical military sets launched by LEGO, but they are so dated that they are seldom associated with the ‘modern’ military.
But, overall, LEGO has always been clear on its stance on toys and weapons and advocates non-violent and ‘harmless’ building sets for children.
Did LEGO Ever Produce War Toys?
We find one fine example of a toy weapon in the history of LEGO- a self-loading rapid-firing pistol whose plastic version was released in 1949. Along it, ammunition packages (cylindrical plastic bullets) were also sold.
It is, without a doubt, an exceptional case for LEGO, as this toy pistol was the only contemporary ‘war toy’ that the company ever produced.
As mentioned earlier, the pistol model was released as a wooden toy in 1945, and then the plastic version hit the market some years later. The latter had, in comparison, a more complicated mechanism that enabled it to be rapid firing and self-loading.
Reasons Why LEGO Avoids ‘Realistic’ Military Sets
Despite the huge market competition, LEGO stood firm over its policy of no-war toys for children, and there are some solid reasons behind it. Let’s briefly discuss them all!
The Aftermath Of World War II
World War II had a huge impact on the changing view of the LEGO Company over military-related toys. Before this, it was not a big deal for the company, and they made stuff like guns- even if not fully invested, LEGO was partially okay with introducing military theme sets before world war two. However, later, we witness a very blunt protest from the biggest toy manufacturer against making weaponry.
Kids Shouldn’t Be Encouraged To ‘Play War’
After the world wars, there was a massive shift in views regarding war and violence. And one of the ideas that emerged during the post-war era was that military and violence were not something to take lightly and should never be encouraged as subject matter for children’s play sets or other toys. It became the sole motto for LEGO that they embrace to date.
Backlash And Criticism
LEGO also came under hot water for endorsing military-related sets and themes. When the company was first introduced in the United States in 1962, the company’s advertising clearly rejected military-based themes- the biggest reason at the time was increasing chaos in the population due to the Vietnam War.
LEGO also avoided including dull green colors to make it more difficult for the children to build military vehicles. Rather, the company promotes a child’s natural creativity and free thinking in building what he wants.
LEGO’s Long-Standing Policy
Since World War II, the LEGO group has maintained its strict policy of avoiding manufacturing and endorsing realistic weaponry.
In a 2010 LEGO report, the company commented that its primary aim is ‘not to create realistic weapons and military equipment that kids can instantly recognize and to refrain from frightening or violent situations when communicating about LEGO products. The company does not want to glorify conflicts, unethical and harmful behavior.’
Why Did LEGO Pull The Technic V-22 Osprey From The Market?
On July 21, 2020, LEGO announced the cancellation of its upcoming LEGO Technic V-22 Osprey. Set number 42113 was an officially licensed model of the bell and Boeing V-22 tilt-rotator aircraft, which is used by the US Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Japanese self-defense forces.
The reason was the harsh criticism and protests that the company faced from the German peace society (an anti-war group). According to the group, the V-22 Osprey was involved in conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria and Mali. So, technically, LEGO was called out for turning against its own words and non-violence policy which led the company to withdraw the model from the market.
Custom Military Sets From LEGO Bricks
Despite LEGO canceling its V-22 Osprey, it couldn’t stop the LEGO enthusiasts from creating their own military versions. Let’s take the example of Dan Siskind, also formerly known as the ‘master builder’- one of the top LEGO designers and model assemblers. His company Brickmania takes the iconic bricks and creates custom military building kits- themed on different eras and wars.
Other notable companies that assemble military sets for their adult LEGO fans include The Brick Armory and Battle Brick Customs.
Final Thoughts
Despite some controversy and criticism, LEGO has maintained its long-standing policy of avoiding realistic military sets for children. This is driven by a desire to promote non-violent building activities and discourage glorifying war and violence.
Although it did produce one toy gun back in 1949, this was an exceptional case that largely reflected the shifting attitudes towards war and violence in the post-war era. Overall, LEGO remains committed to promoting peace, creativity, and free-thinking for children everywhere.