The new LEGO Friends theme certainly gathered plenty of attention not just from the target audience of little girls, but also from parents, feminists, the media, and adult LEGO fans. It seems like LEGO Friends has been successful so far with both children and parents, feminists quieted down, and adult LEGO fans appreciate the new line for the unique colors and accessories. 🙂
But what to do with those unconventional skinny-curvy-non-LEGO-ish Friends figurines? Just give the problem to some of the most skilled and fearless LEGO customizers and you will see LEGO Friends in a completely new light! WARNING! if you likely faint at the sight of severed body-parts (even if they are only plastic) skip this post! It is not going to be pretty! 😈
➡ ANATOMY OF THE LEGO FRIENDS FIGURES
The LEGO Friends figures come in four parts, similar to regular LEGO minifigures: leg-assembly, torso-assembly, head and headgear. The head is similar in size to regular LEGO minifigure head, but with a pointy chin. The connection post on the torso is much smaller than on a regular LEGO minifigures (it is the same size as a LEGO lightsaber-blade). Other differences are that on LEGO Friends the legs cannot move freely from each other, and the hands are not movable separately from the arms. The hair pieces are interchangeable with regular LEGO minifigure headgear.
Experimenting with LEGO Friends by Brandon Bannerman
➡ WORKING ON THE IMMOVABLE HANDS ISSUE
The LEGO Friends figures’ hands are not movable separately from their arms, therefore they can only hold tools and accessories in just one way. Quite limiting from a LEGO fan’s perspective. Flickr member Brandon Bannerman (Catsy) solved this problem with a beautiful and seamless design. He says: “I glued a paper-clip into a regular LEGO minifig hand, parallel to how the peg usually sticks out so that the angle of the wrist would be preserved. They’re inside the Friends figure’s arms by friction. I’m very pleased with both the length of the arm and the gaps between the hands and the arms (which are only slightly larger than the usual seams). Once the arms are painted, the gaps largely disappear in the illusion of being sleeve-cuffs.”
LEGO Friends arms customization by Brandon Bannerman
➡ WORKING ON THE IMMOVABLE LEGS ISSUE
One other major issue with the LEGO Friends figures is that the legs cannot move separately – thereby severely limiting the poseability of the figures. Below you can see Flickr member Lisa (DarkDragon) trying to work around this problem. She says: “I split up the Friends figure’s legs and modified them to fit on standard minifig hips. Obviously I needed to majorly modified the hips too (the top only, not where the legs connect). It needs a little more refinement to be perfect, but I think this works well and honestly I can’t understand why LEGO didn’t create them this way in the first place.”
LEGO Friends legs customization by DarkDragon
➡ WORKING ON THE LEGO FRIENDS FASHION ISSUE
Why only girly outfits? Our LEGO Friends not only feel home at the suburbs of Heartlake City in flowery dresses, but also on the front-lines of any tough occupation. Below you will find Andrea meeting up with her old friends. The creator of these excellently painted LEGO Friends figures is Mike the Builder. You have to agree with me; his painting skills are astonishing! (Especially if you remember how tiny these figures actually are!)
Custom painted LEGO Friends by Mike the Builder
Here is a close-up of one of Mike’s custom painted LEGO Friends figures:
Custom painted LEGO Friends close-up by Mike the Builder
Now, watch out with these girls! After all they have been going through at the hands of LEGO customizers to make them more LEGO-ish, they may do their own experiment on LEGO minifigures to get them into better shape!
LEGO Friends science lab by Rob Bender
If you are a LEGO customizer and would like to share your own ideas and experiments with LEGO Friends, let us know in the comment section below. And if you want to learn more about LEGO Friends, check here:
- LEGO Friends vs. Regular LEGO Minifigs Comparison
- LEGO Friends Looking Good with Any Style! (video)
- LEGO Friends – LEGO’s Billion Dollar Girl (Bloomberg article)
- Dear LEGO… My Opinion on LEGO Friends
- LEGO Friends Press Release, Video & More!
- LEGO Friends Available Now! (to get your own test-subjects) 🙄
One side of me says oh dear! the other, this is excellent! The arm/hand modification is increadible! The legs are almost there! And that paint-job is just WOW!
Wow! THese guys have steady hands! Love the trooper girls!
Seriously impressive! I will have to get myself some Friends! I see a lot of potential! 😀
A W S O M E !!!
Maxx, what do your girls think? 😉
They have been fans since I first showed these figs and sets.
I bought a few figs from the states (could not wait, LOL).
The love them, they fit into the small gap between LEGO figs and the Polly pocket kinda figs girls love.
I think LEGO has made a new fan base with these, the best thing they have done is make them minifig compatible.
So the girls can still use their “normal” LEGO and use it with their friends.
Pure genius I think.
Maxx, yes, they are very cute! And it’s amazing how sweet they look with most regular LEGO headgear! My regular LEGO guys convinced me to collect them. 😉
The only ones I don’t like so much are the parents. Daddy looks like a geek who hasn’t slept for weeks, and mommy is too mommy-ish. 😐
Hey, this isn’t possible! Lego Friends stifle the imagination!
It’s true! I read it on the internets!
Seriously though, these all look great!
Greg, lol! That’s too funny! 😆
Chopping and changing or “modifying” is not in keeping with the ethos or spirit of lego, but then I’m just a purist and only work with what Lego has given me.
Nick, both purists and customizers are very welcome here. Same hobby, different angle. 🙂
BTW, I have heard that when you apply for a job as a LEGO designer, one of the questions they ask you is “Are you comfortable with cutting LEGO?” The right answer is “yes”. 😉
Wow, I didn’t know that. It makes sense I guess. If I’m ever lucky enough to be asked I know what to say. Thanks.
Nick, yes, unless LEGO designers are allowed to modify current elements and create new ones, we would never have the variety of parts available we have now and would still be stuck with only basic bricks. 😡
I am a purist, with the only “non purist” tings I have doe was cutting of a few LEGO elements. However, the paint job on the friends figures when I first saw them was so amazing that I may rethink my purist position. They remind me some what of EXO-FORCE, and I would love for LEGO to make Friends figures that looked like that. I know I would go out of my way to purchase just the figs.
Jacob, yes, it seems like customizers really took a liking of LEGO Friends. In fact, Mike the Builder just sold most of his regular LEGO minifigures so he can get some more Friends to paint. Also, he has been selling the figures he painted so far. 😉
I just got some Friends for myself this week. They look so big on Internet pictures, but they are in fact very tiny. And cute as hell. 😛
Once you see in real life how small these figures are you will be even more amazed by the skills of these customizers. If you feel the inclination I would suggest you get some Friends and unleash your creativity! 😀
I wonder how the Friends heads will look on a normal minifigure body…
Quad, the Friends heads are not compatible with regular minifigure torsos. They overall size is about the same, but the shape is very different; it is tapered towards the chin. Also, the hole for the neck is much smaller (the neck is the size of a ligth-saber blade) and not nearly as deep. It would need some major modification for it to fit on a regular LEGO torso. 8)
These look way cooler than Lego Friends! I want them all. Kick ass!
I’m gonna take the Lego Friends and use them to make figures of the girls from Ikki Tousen!! Kanu Unchou would look awesome in Lego!! 😀
nice! 😀 i’m diggin’ this new series and the modifications you all have done look pretty cool! 😀 some customized Star Trek characters would be cool! 😀
Lego Conan O’Brien is doomed in the last pic.
LOL! 😆
Very Funny! 😆
Ro-bo-tech! Ro-bo-tech! Well, Lego may not be cool enough to make Robotech sets, even though it would be a perfect fit with all the articulated pieces these days, but I’m glad somebody brought them together, Friends or otherwise. A little surprised you went with Max’s color scheme for the girl instead of Miriya’s, but it looks great! A nice nod to Skull Squadron on the left. (Yes, you may have been thinking the original Macross, but I’m showing my bias).
Rick, yeah, Robotech would be quite nice in LEGO! 😀
Rick Hunter bet me to it, but I was going to ask if Mike the Builder’s girls were Veritech pilots. Pretty awesome!
LEGO MINIFIGS ARE BETER THEN THOSE STUPID LEGO FRENDS CUSTOMIZE MINIFIGS BUT NOT DUM OID MINI DOL FIGURES
LEGO Friends actually have many fans. I collect the figures myself as they are very cute. There is no need to put down anything or anybody. Enjoy the minifigs you like, and let others enjoy the ones they like. Choice is a good thing. 😉
If I told my brother about the comment he left here he would probably look at me blankly and say, “No…” 😀
Sorry my reply was meant to be by me. Lego Trooper 91 was signed in.
Using a minifig-neck-sized drill, I “expanded” one of my mini-doll neck holes a little. I am now using Andrea’s head in a minifig. Very little stress to the exterior of the head, and fairly seamless.
awesome that looks amazing!
wow those minifigures look way cooler.
Yes girl Lego minifigures need to get a curve in their torso.
So ya, Lego minifigs need to get in sexier shape. 😉
Hi,
I think you are onto a winner with these mods tho I think they need the ‘bottoms’ of the original Lego minifigs! They can’t sit properly on anything (especially if you expect them to stay put). I would suggest a single plug/hole (pardon the pun), so they can securely sit.
Also I would love lego to bring out more varieties of the friends too. Especially the men! My 4yo boy, loves the friends sets; he just loves the houses with all the furniture (even a TV! And toilet etc), he loves the vet, the animals …. Just not all the colour choices! however, I think that the Friends minifigs would make great customised characters as there are more options especially for the shoes!!
You definitely should show Lego all your suggestions or go to the Lego ideas site with these, I would definitely vote them in!
Sara, thanks for sharing that! I agree that it would be great if the Friends figures could actually get attached to a stud when sitting down! I’m not sure why LEGO missed that. As far as boy/men Friends figures, I think LEGO is listening as in the 2015 sets they have started adding more male characters. Which is great! Unfortunately on LEGO Ideas we can’t make suggestions for new elements or redesigns of old elements. It is a good idea to leave LEGO feedback though as they do listen. It can be done through filling out their regular surveys, calling customer service, and leaving product reviews on their website. 🙂