| Other names | Lego Western |
|---|---|
| Sub‑themes | Indians,Cowboys |
| Subject | Cowboys and Indians |
| Licensed from | The Lego Group |
| Availability | 1996–1997 |
| Total sets | 16[1] |
Lego Wild West (orWestern and stylized asLEGO Wild West) is a discontinuedLego theme based on theOld West period of the United States. It was in production for only two years, from 1996 to 1997.
Inspired by theSpaghetti Westerns of the 1960s and 1970s, theWild West theme was one of the first themes to appear in Lego sets. Toy sets such as Wild West Scene (365), released in 1975, and Western Train (726), released in 1976 were early examples of this experimentation. However, it was not until 1996 that a complete Lego product range emerged based on a Western theme.[2]
The Wild West sets were introduced in the late summer of 1996. In Europe, the theme was released in August 1996 and in North America it was released in September 1996. The Indians sets came out in 1997. After that, the Wild West sets were discontinued. In 2002, three Wild West sets (Sheriff's Lock-up, Fort Legoredo, and Rapid River Village) were re-released.[1]
A total of 16 toy sets were released from 1996 to 1997 as part of the Wild West theme.[1] Variousminifigures were introduced, includingwranglers,sheriffs,US Cavalry, bandits andIndians.[3]
The first wave of sets centred on a battle between cowboys, bandits and the US Cavalry at Legoredo Town. Several toy sets focused on the town sheriff, including Sheriff's Lock-up and Sheriff's Showdown. The larger sets of the series were Bandits' Secret Hideout and Fort Legoredo.[2]
| Reference | Name | Released | Minifigures | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6712 | Sheriff's Showdown | 1996 | Sheriff, Black Bart | 1997 in North America |
| 6716 | Weapons Wagon | 1996 | Soldier | 1997 in North America |
| 6755/6764 | Sheriff's Lock-up | 1996 | Wrangler, Sheriff, Flatfoot Thompson, Dewey Cheatum | Re-released in 2001 |
| 6761 | Bandits' Secret Hideout | 1996 | Flatfoot Thompson, Black Bart, Dewey Cheatum, Soldiers (Two) | |
| 6762/6769 | Fort Legoredo | 1996 | Soldiers (Six), Flatfoot Thompson, Black Bart, Dewey Cheatum, Wrangler | Re-released in 2001 |
| 6765 | Gold City Junction | 1996 | Banker, Soldier, Black Bart, Wrangler, Sheriff, Saloon Chief |
In 1997, the theme released toy sets that centred on theFirst Nations people living in Rapid River Village, which featured a river, twotipi, atotem pole, acanoe and horses.[2]
| Reference | Name | Released | Minifigures | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6706 | Frontier Patrol | 1997 | Soldiers (Three) | |
| 6790/6791 | Bandit's Wheel Gun | 1997 | Black Bart | |
| 6799 | Showdown Canyon | 1997 | Wrangler, Sheriff, Flatfoot Thompson, Black Bart | |
| 2845 | Indian Chief | 1997 | Indian Mystic | |
| 2846 | Indian Kayak | 1997 | Indian Warrior | |
| 6709 | Tribal Chief | 1997 | Indian Chief | |
| 6718 | Rain Dance Ridge | 1997 | Indian Mystic, Indian Warrior | |
| 6746 | Chief's Tepee | 1997 | Indian Warriors (Two), Indian Chief | |
| 6748 | Boulder Cliff Canyon | 1997 | Indian Warriors (Five), Indian Mystic | |
| 6763/6766 | Rapid River Village | 1997 | Indian Warrior (Five), Indian Chief, Wrangler | Re-released in 2001 |
In 1973, LEGOREDO Town was introduced toLegoland Billund Resort. The themed area of the park was expanded from an Indian camp that had existed since the opening of the park in 1968. LEGOREDO Town featured a variety of Wild West themed Lego constructions, including a figure ofSitting Bull and the heads of four US presidents atMount Rushmore. The attractions of the themed land include LEGOLDMINE, where visitors pan for gold,Lego Canoe and a rollercoaster named theFlying Eagle.[4]
The Wild West sets were the first to include toyrevolvers andrifles, which were later used in theAdventurers sets. Although theCastle,Space andPirate themes had included a variety of weaponry, such ascrossbows, lasers and swords, handguns in contemporary themes had never been featured. The Wild West theme was also the first theme to include plastic snakes. The sets also marked the first instance where the perpetual smile on the minifigure heads was replaced with various other facial expressions.[2]
In 2018, Bandit's Wheelgun (set number: 6791), Gold City Junction (set number: 6765), Covered Wagon (set number: 6716) and Fort Legoredo (set number: 6769) were listed in the "Top 10 Western LEGO Sets" by Lego fansiteBricksFanz.[5]
