I recently came across a couple of really interesting videos on the YouTube channel of just2good. He is known for being a very reliable resource of upcoming LEGO sets, but he occasionally also talks about other LEGO related subjects. In the videos I wanted to show you today, just2good features LEGO sets and themes that were never released. Some of these sets were canceled just before production, while others didn’t even make it past the concept stage. It’s interesting to note however that even when a set or theme is scraped, the characters, stories, or part of the design can end up getting recycled into later releases. 🙂
In the video-player below I have included both videos from just2good discussing the topic of unreleased LEGO sets. I have also added a list of sets mentioned by him for your convenience.
The #3868 LEGO Games Phineas and Ferb set was based on the Disney Channel television series, and was scheduled for release sometime in 2012. Building instructions are available online (just search for the set number), but there are no instructions on how to play the game.
The LEGO Ninjago Serpentine Train was featured in the LEGO Ninjago Masters of Spinjitzu TV series, but the actual set didn’t go past the prototype stage.
The prohibition era LEGO town was a an abandoned LEGO theme concept from the 1980s. The theme was probably canceled due to the topic of gangsters and alcohol prohibition, but the buildings do look really good.
The #1375 LEGO Spider Man Wrestling Scene supposed to get released under the LEGO Studios line in 2002, but it never made it to production. You can read more about it here.
The LEGO Seatron theme would have been under the LEGO Space category, featuring an alien planet with underwater astronauts. Notice that awesome monorail!
The #3867 LEGO Games Maya Mystica set was scheduled for 2012, but was never released. However the #3920 LEGO Games The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is quite similar.
The next sets featured in the first video are from the LEGO Castle line in the 1980s and 1990s, including a couple of medieval village scenes, a castle, a fortress, and dwarf mine. There is a nice discussion about these sets with more pictures on the LEGO Classic Castle forum.
The LEGO CYBOTS theme is particularly interesting because it introduces the first ball-joints, and the developed story itself lived on in other themes. The CYBOTS were robots sent into deep mines to extract energy crystals. Some of the robots malfunctioned and rebelled against their human masters, claiming the debts of the planet as their own – quite similar to LEGO Rock Raiders and LEGO Power Miners stories. You can read more about this theme from the designer himself on his blog.
The #6500 LEGO Holiday Village scheduled for release in 1996 was spread out on some nice big LEGO City baseplates, and included a shop, pizzeria, snack bar, and some vehicles. It would have been a perfect starter set for a LEGO City with plenty of room for expansion.
The last canceled theme featured in the first video is LEGO Europa. It contains 18th century European towns, forts, bridges, transportation and of course people, as well as colonial scenes.
The first sets featured in the second video is from the second wave of the LEGO Alien Conquest theme. I remember really looking forward to these, as LEGO Alien Conquest has been one of my favorite LEGO themes, conceived by my favorite LEGO designer, Mark Stafford.
The LEGO Super Heroes constraction figures line may have included a Wolvarine character, according to some concept art shared in the video.
Star Wars is one of the largest and longest standing LEGO themes, so it makes sense that it would have lots of LEGO designers working on various concepts at all times, with many of these ideas never becoming official LEGO sets. A number of them are mentioned, including a Geonosian arena.
Looks like LEGO also had plans for at least one LEGO Top Gear set, but the only thing that was ever released is one LEGO Top Gear minifig keychain, and some videos for the Speed Champions sets.
The next set featured in the video is the LEGO Star Wars Yavin IV. I absolutely love this set! Buildings in LEGO Star Wars sets are so rare, and most of them are no more than simply a suggestion of a building rather than an actual solid structure. This one looks so good! Too bad it never made it as an actual LEGO set. You can read more about it in this discussion at Eurobricks.
The #380 (Europe) / #571 (USA) LEGO Town Hospital set from 1979 would have been the first hospital in the LEGO Town line. Strangely, hospitals are very rare in LEGO sets, but the newly released crutches and wheelchair seem to indicate that we may be seeing a hospital, or at least a clinic, soon. See more in this Brickset forum discussion.
Three LEGO Legends of Chima Speedorz sets were announced in 2014, but were never released; the #70152 LEGO Legends of Chima Lava Breakout, the #70153 LEGO Legends of Chima Fang Trap, and #70154 LEGO Legends of Chima Frozen Fortress.
There is a LEGO World Racers set that was apparently planned, but never released. The sets in this theme were numbered as Race #1 – #9, but #7 is missing. This is the only evidence that this set may have existed at some point in the planning process, but was later canceled.
The #21015 LEGO Architecture Earnes House was listed as an upcoming set for 2012, but the set number was later re-assigned to the #21015 LEGO Architecture Leaning Tower of Pisa. Whether this was a mistake, or a cancellation of a set is not clear.
The last unreleased set featured in the second video from the original LEGO Bionicle line is the Sand Tarakava. According to just2good some prototypes made it to the hands of collectors.
Interesting, isn’t it? Besides the sets mentioned here, I also remember reading about some rumored LEGO Lord of the Rings sets that never saw the light of day. And I’m sure that are a lot more unreleased sets and themes we never even hear about. Also, some sets only get released in a certain country or region, or at a specific event, which makes them very desirable for collectors.
So what do you think? Do you wish any of these unreleased sets and themes got released? Which ones? Are there any other sets you have heard about that was canceled? Feel free to share in the comment section below! 😉
And you might also like to check out the following related post:
Huh. I never knew all of that. It looks interesting, I may have to check out the video.
Definitely worth watching the videos as the info is very interesting, and includes more than just my summary of the canceled sets and themes. 🙂
How many of these sets can you still find instructions for? I love the space monorail they never made, as well as the prohibition town.
Most of these sets and themes never made it past the concept or prototype stage, so instructions were never produced. The only sets we can find instructions for are the ones that were actually planned but then canceled – which are very few.
LEGO Star Wars Yavin IV! I am throwing money at the screen….
They could release that now and I bet it would be popular as heck.
Tell me about it! That set looks so awesome! 😀
Standard Red Futuron Astronauts there as placeholders…
I was looking forward to the Eames House – designed by husband & wife American designers Charles and Ray Eames. 🙁
Yes, it was surprising that the set was not released. It is not clear what happened there.
That monorail would have been absolutely awesome and *could* have reduced prices somewhat. Its the one line as a kid I always wanted but was totally out of price range at the time. Given they now sell for a fortune 🙁
The good thing is there is someone who has released instructions on how to make your own monorail track that works which opens up a lot more possibilities…
Lol I wish seatron was released. That would have been a cool theme.
The Hospital set pictured DID come out, I remember getting it. In fact, my brother and I had nearly every set in that picture (house, police station, fire station, hospital, Exxon tanker)
You might be thinking of the #363/#555 LEGO City Hospital set that was released in 1975/1976: http://alpha.bricklink.com/pages/clone/catalogitem.page?S=363-1#T=P, and http://alpha.bricklink.com/pages/clone/catalogitem.page?S=555-1#T=P. The one pictures in the article was never released. They are quite similar though, so it’s easy to mix them up. 🙂
It’s possible, it’s been almost 30 years since I’ve seen the set. I just remember having a hospital. (I got the hospital, bro got fire station for Xmas one year. SCORE!)
That’s an awesome score for a couple of kids 30 years ago! 😀
It’s also somewhat similar to 6364, although that’s smaller.
https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=6364-1#T=P
Yes, that’s also a possibility.
I was on here trying to look on info about some sort of 1980s cancelled LEGO theme that Chima was supposedly rose from those ashes
Somebody said this on the message boards that sparked my interest on the subject
“Well maby or maby not its way to erly to tell but not that likely.
Because chima was made from the ashas of sea tron a cansled 1980s LEGO theam it was so cool
but LEGO caned it at the last minit er some thing it really cool you can find some really cool pics of it
on google it inpresof fore its time ;D” – Crafters2001
Found it here, https://community.lego.com/t5/LEGENDS-OF-CHIMA/will-LEGO-use-chima-s-concept-again/m-p/14398785#M99349
Is this true that Chima was made from the ashes of a cancelled 1980’s LEGO theme that was canceled in the last minute?
SeaTron was definitely a real LEGO theme, and it is also true that it was canceled. However as far as I know there is no connection between SeaTron and Chima. SeaTron was an underwater space theme, in line with the other Tron sets (like Black Tron, M-Tron, UniTron, etc.) I can see absolutely no resemblance between SeaTron’s settings, story, and characters with Chima, so I’m not sure whey the person you quoted said that. I wouldn’t trust someone with such horrible spelling skills. Appears to be a little kid. Chima is usually compared to Fabuland because of the animal characters, and Ninjago because of the fantasy setting and the vehicles. Hope this helps some. 🙂
Hi I’m looking for free Lego sets from Lego Greymoor on sale
Nicole, LEGO never made any sets for Greymoor. If you’re looking for free LEGO for custom projects, your best bet is to ask friends and family if any of their kinds no longer want their own collection. And for LEGO deals, check the clearance section of your local toy shops. Although LEGO is a very popular hobby, sometimes some sets go on sale.