Minifig

"What is an elbow anyway? I've never seen one. And why are we all yellow?"

- Nubby Stevens, LEGO Island

Minifigure, often shortened to simply Minifig, is the main species of the LEGO Universe.

Origin
The planet of Minifig origin is the LEGO Planet, and the origins of the Minifig species is just as debatable as those of the LEGO Planet. Some believe The First Builders engineered the Minifigs into species using pure imagination, granting Minifigs their creative sparks. With recent space explorations and discoveries of Minifigs civilizations on other planets such as Ashlar, it is also debatable whether or not Minifigs originated on only LEGO Planet.

Others believe that the Minifig species evolved slowly over time from a primate species such as monkeys; this point of view was referenced in the movie One: A Space Odyssey.

It is believed that, on LEGO Planet, Minifigs originated in Denmark during the Ice Age. The earliest Minifigs, dubbed "LEGO Figures", were a radically different species from the Minifigs today. The LEGO Figures were much taller, stiffer in appearance, had ears, and developed elbows upon entering maternity. Their hands were also a different shape; they could grip most objects, but while certain tools such as binoculars were not invented yet, the anatomy of LEGO Figures' hands prevented them from holding such tools.

However, as years passed, the LEGO Figures gradually evolved into present-day Minifigs, becoming much shorter and more flexible. The earliest of these Minifigs were primitive and are often referred to as "cavemen". Eventually, Minifigs formed many different civilizations and cultures. Legohenge was one of the earliest known Minifig-built structures, but interestingly was built on Ashlar.

Populating the Planet
The LEGO Figures did not travel much, as it was too much for their stiff legs. However, after the transition to Minifigs, stronger and more flexible legs allowed the Minifig species to spread.

From Denmark, groups of Minifigs traveled all over the planet. Some Minifigs traveled south to populate Africa; other Minifigs traveled into the east to live in Asia. Some of these early Asians traveled even further east, crossing an ice bridge to North America, and early eskimo and Native American populations were formed. From there, some Minifigs traveled even further, to the south and populating the Caribbean and South America, forming the tribes of King Kahuka and Achu.

Modern Era
In a relatively short span of time, the Minifig species lived on every continent of the LEGO Planet except Antarctica. Even so, as Minifig technology develops, Minifigs stretch even further across the planet, inhabiting even the oceans. In more modern times, Minifigs have built cities and countries all over the world, such as LEGOLAND or LEGO City, and has even colonized on other planets and solar systems.

Many cultures continued to evolve and change with technology. However, at the same time, cultures would remain intact when Minifigs wished to preserve the customs of their ancestors. Therefore, while LEGO Town may have modern technology, the Tropical Sea uses technology of the 1800s and medieval kingdoms remain intact and active. This explains why knights, pirates, vikings, modern Minifigs, and space explorers all coexist on LEGO Planet.

Minifigs on Other Planets
The LEGOLAND Space exploration began in 1978 and is considered one of the first Minifig space explorations from LEGO Planet. Much to the surprise of Minifigs, as knowledge of the LEGO Universe expands, planets and solar systems have been discovered to be the home of Minifig civilizations for centuries. Like LEGO Planet, the cultures of these Minifigs are preserved on various planets, from the medieval world of Ashlar to the seventies-style Goferbro. In addition, there are even some Minifigs with little knowledge of LEGO Planet, such as Major White. Famed mechanic Bernie Von Beam claims that Legohenge, an ancient structure on Ashlar, is actually the first Minifig-built structure.

It is believed that long ago, two explorers named Doc Overbuild and Baron Typhonus went on a space expedition to locate the last essence of pure imagination in the universe. The actual date is unknown, but judging from their steampunk-style radios, it may have been in the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. Along the way, they were joined by notorious space pirate Hael Storm and famous warrior knight Duke Exeter, further suggesting that there were Minifig civilizations on other planets even before the first LEGO Planet space expedition.

These recent discoveries make it even more difficult to determine the true origins of Minifigs. The First Builders seem to be the most likely explanation, though evidence of cavemen also supports the theory of evolution. One thing, however, is certain: Minifig is a very diverse species with many culture and civilizations.

Biology
A Minifigure's essence is known as the creative spark, alternatively called the "creation spark". Exactly what is the creative spark is not yet determined, though it is believed to be a mixture of imagination and ideas, two fundamental forces in the building world of LEGO Universe. It is their creative spark which gives the Minifigs their abilities to build nearly anything. Most importantly, the creative spark is what keeps a Minifig alive. If the creative spark is extinguished, the Minifig dies.

A Minifig's stature is rather blocky, with a torso in the shape of a thin trapezoidal prism. Minifigs have two arms and walk on two bipedal legs, but all these limbs lack joints such as elbows and knees, and their feet are indistinguishable from their lower legs. Minifigs also have claw-like hands, which grip onto nearly anything in the LEGO Universe with ease.

Minifigs have cylindrical heads with two eyes and a mouth. Minifig eyes come in a variety of colors, the most common being black and without pupils, and recessive traits being white eyes with black pupils or black eyes with white pupils; in rare occasions, the eye will have a color other than black or white. Interestingly, despite the lack of a visible nose and ears, the Minifig is capable of smell and hearing. Not all Minifigs are without noses; most Native Americans have visible noses, and Minifig skeletons have holes were the nose would be, suggesting that it exists but is not visible on most Minifigs. Minifig heads also sport facial hair and a variety of hairstyles.

For the most part, Minifigs are completely organic, with flesh, bone, and plastic; however, in recent times, mechanical implants are becoming more common. If the creative spark is intact, the skeleton alone is capable of surviving, as seen in cases such as Captain Click. Minifig bodies can be preserved after death through mummification or cryogenics.

Minifigs tend to have a variety of skin colors. The most common skin color is yellow. However, Minifigs of other galaxies, such as A Galaxy Far, Far Away, feature a more peach tone to their skin. Hues of red-brown and brown Minifig skin have also been seen. White skin has only been seen on a Minifig Vampire, and decaying Minifigs tend to have a greenish hue to their skin as shown with "It".

A very little-known secret about Minifig biology is that Minifigs can deconstruct themselves into nine parts: the head, the torso, the arms, the hands, the hip, and the legs. However, very few Minifigs are savvy to this practice, and most Minifigs do not attempt it. Most of the Minifigs who use this trait are citizens of LEGO Island or members of the LEGO Team; however not many professionals in this field have been seen anywhere else. Those who are not professionals should not attempt this. Ignorance while deconstructing can result in deadly and often fatal injuries.