Parts Is Parts

Ever bought a set for the animals? Guilty as charged. Why not use them for something unintended? Since 1979, LEGO has created hundreds of animals, ranging from a cat to a dragon, a mammoth to a shark, and everything in between. Lets explore the history of LEGO Animals, and take a peak at some wacky builds that incorporate them!

This Little Piggy Went To Market

The first animals originated in the DUPLO farm subtheme, releasing in 1979. Behold, this beautiful pig. That blank face, those cool dead eyes. Relatable.

I think this poor porker woke up on the wrong side of the barn!

Five years later, our favorite little plastic people acquired their first animal companions. Knights could now ride horses into battle! And wagons actually had something to pull them.

1984 really upgraded castle, horses made a HUGE difference!

No More Monkeying Around

It didn’t take long for the LEGO designers to make a new breakthrough in LEGO animal tech, now using multiple separate elements to add extra movement and features we didn’t imagine! 1989 introduced the Pirate theme! And we all know, no pirate ship is complete without a Monkey or a Shark!

I think the monkey is my favorite element, you just can’t beat it!

Since then, LEGO Animals have been in every set imaginable, and will continue to sneak their way into our hearts. Lets look at some builds!

Utilizing Animals For A Different Porpoise

Hatsume Miku is one of the most recognized brand mascots of all time(well, if u live on the internet like myself). A Finnish LEGO Master, Tino P Tino Poutianen utianen, crafted her likeness using some dolphins for her signature twintails.

Miku has a thing with leeks, i dont get it, but it had to be included here.

Don’t Forget About Elephants

I love the elephant from Adventurers, its a fantastic creature. Turns out, it’s ears make a great flipper for a skeletal whale! Jonas Kramm always makes great builds, I’d recommend you check his stuff out for inspiration, every piece becomes something else in his creative hands!

The whole scene looks amazing, notice the dinosaur tail elements used to make the majority of the whale!

And speaking of elephants, loafbuilds built a creepy robot/cyborg thing, using the elephant head for, well, a head.

Loaf’s build inspired my own Elephant head build! Mostly using Galidor & Alpha Team pieces, as is tradition.

Something Fishy…

Anthony Wilson built this amazing underwater research base, with NPU in every corner! Take a peak in the far right of the build. Using pieces from both Galidor and Bionicle, a crab, an Atlantis Squid Warrior head, and Smaug elements, he made a coral structure that feels almost real!

Feels right at home at the bottom of the ocean!

And Beyond!

Cal Calin n is a master vehicle MOCer, and frequently uses unusual pieces. Here are two of my favorite builds of theirs, using basilisk elements for engines.

Karf Oohlu is one of the craziest and prolific users of animal elements out there! He makes so many builds, I’ve added a gallery full of nightmares inspiration!

Here is my Potted Plant, aka slug flowers. I used Bionicle slugs for the pedals, but that’s for another article. Dinosaur tails also make excellent plant stems.

Don’t lick it, bright colors usually indicate toxins!

Animal pieces are unique elements that can be used in unexpected ways. They can really make your next build stand out among the rest!

Best of BrickNerd - Article originally published August 10, 2023.

Have you ever used a LEGO animal element for something completely different? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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