Mixels was a LEGO theme that ran from March 2014 to October 2016, as the main toy merchandise for the Mixels franchise. Consisting of characters constructed from LEGO bricks, the theme emphasized combination models between sets.

History

Conception

Main article: Prototypes

At some point prior to 2013, a theme known as Monsters was being conceptualized within LEGO. Consisting of small, brick-built creatures with a combining gimmick, executives from Cartoon Network were intrigued by the concept and suggested that the theme could be called "Mixels", which began the creation of the franchise as a joint effort.^[1][2]

Design process

After Mixels was coined, full development on the theme began. The first three series were largely developed by LEGO designers Andy Seenan and Astrid Graabæk - who was "key to getting this project off the ground". Flain was reportedly the first Mixel designed.^[3]

A key element of Mixels is the small tow-ball elements that allow for ball-jointed articulation, often used for articulated limbs. These were developed in tandem with sister theme Legends of Chima, which also released sets in 2014 utilizing these elements.^[4] Various elements were designed for the theme to give character to Mixels models, such as teeth and printed eyes. An example of this is a white mini-figure head with a printed pupil, introduced with Slumbo.^[3] A variety of Mixels sets contain exclusive pieces in the form of piece recolors and one-time prints. A notable example is Volectro, which contains an exclusive bush piece, an item that has caused the set to increase in value in aftermarket sites such as BrickLink.^[5]

When designing a series of Mixels, the designers would conceptualize "lots of different characters and models" consisting of a variety of different tribes and Mixels, many of which were scrapped.^[2][6] Designers utilized unconventional elements to create expression in Mixels sets, such as eyebrows or a moustache using banana elements, an example of this being Forx.^[7] Designers named Mixels characters based off their elements and personality conveyed by their design.^[3] Mixels names intend to be humorous - Tuth being named after designer Gemma Anderson's pronunciation of "tooth" with a Welsh accent.^[8]

While similar LEGO themes focusing on buildable figures - such as BIONICLE - featured combiner models built from several sets, Mixels sets were designed with combination models in mind, namely their Max models consisting of all three Mixels from a tribe. Designer Gemma Anderson wrote that "I would consider what the tribe theme is and then work out what the max[sic] could be, at the same time wondering how I can use certain parts from the Max in the 3 small Mixels."^[7] Mixels such as Hydro were designed with elements such as wheels in mind for Max models.^[9] Another example of this is the Klinkers, who each contain gear pieces that are used in the Max model to create an arm-swinging function.^[3]

Although Mixels set releases were limited to smaller models, concept models for larger playsets and vehicles that could have been explored in a hypothetical fourth year were created by various designers, such as one of King Nixel's Airship that was used as a base for its artwork.^[10]

Release

Mixels sets debuted in March 2014 with the first wave of sets. Running until 2016, each set was priced at $4.99, making the theme one of the more affordable lines in LEGO's portfolio.

Features

Each Mixels set contains between forty-five and seventy-four pieces, consisting of the parts necessary to construct the depicted Mixel, in addition to extra small pieces. Certain Mixels sets, such as Gurggle and Tiketz, contain props of objects from the show such as Cubits and Cookironis. Included in each set is the building instructions, which contain advertisements for other Mixels sets.

One Mixel in each tribe will contain a model of a Nixel, which are built with a small piece count. The design of Nixels altered as the theme progressed, receiving a redesign in 2015. Nixels models released in 2015 are designed to easily combine together with the model of King Nixel released with Wuzzo, creating a much larger model of the character.

Packaging

Mixels are packaged in polybags - commonly used for smaller LEGO sets. Each bag depicts a render of a Mixel's model in front of a Mixel Land background, with their cartoon artwork depicted in the top-right corner of the packaging. Additionally, the bag contains a small window in the shape of a Cubit, showing a number of pieces included in the set. The back of the bag showcases all of the Mixels sets available in a series, as well as the depicted Mixel's Max model.

From Series 4 onwards, the packaging received a slight update. While prior waves had a ring pattern surrounding the Mixel's render, a curved stripe matching a Mixel's colors is used instead. Backgrounds depicting Mixel Land are replaced with background artwork from the series tailored to each Mixel's tribe. From this wave on, the bags were produced with small slits at the top, allowing them to be easily opened.

Sets of thirty polybags were packaged in display boxes, with the primary tribe of the series having four complete sets and the remaining two tribes having three complete sets.^[11]

Promotion

Mixels was primarily promoted through the animated Mixels series on Cartoon Network. The series premiered ahead of the theme's launch on February 12, 2014, featuring characters from the first wave of sets. Included in each set's instructions are codes to be redeemed in Calling All Mixels and Mixels Rush, two mobile games which serve as advertisements for both the television series and LEGO theme. Additionally, both LEGO and Cartoon Network's Mixels Websites served as promotions for the theme, with online advertisements leaing back to these websites.

Various real-world events promoted the theme. From 2013 to 2015, the theme had a presence at San Diego Comic-Con International, featuring a glimpse at three of the following year's models - and additionally in 2014 and 2015's case, advertisements for that year's releases.^[12][13][14] Toy Fairs held in London, Nuremberg, and New York featured previews at all Mixels releases in a given year. Although fairs held in London forbade photography, descriptions of upcoming Mixels were reported on.^[15] The fairs in Nuremberg featured set names and photography was allowed, which acted as official reveals of upcoming Mixels series.^[16] Fairs held in New York were attended by a wider audience, providing more clear photography of Mixels sets.^[17][18][19] LEGO KidsFest events held in 2014 featured exhibits related to Mixels, featuring builds related to the theme and activities where attendees could use parts from Mixels sets to build their own models.^[20] The London Eye Mixels Launch Event was held on March 1, 2014 to coincide with the launch of the first wave of sets.^[21][22]

LEGO's Mixels website acted as a central hub for the theme, advertised on the packaging of sets as well as in commercials ran on various television networks. The website featured information on products, descriptions of Mixels characters, web games featuring the characters, videos such as commercials, episodes and stopmotions, and a gallery where users could submit their own Mixels creations. The site also hosted downloadable instructions for Mix, Max and Murp models made up of different sets, as well as inspiration images for potential combinations.

Online game Poptropica featured several events promoting Mixels. Coinciding with the theme's launch, the game featured several in-game abilities for players to use based on certain Mixels sets, such as Krader.^[23] The game would later feature promotions for Series 4 and 6.^[24][25][26]

List of sets

2014

March wave (Series 1)

• 41500 Flain
• 41501 Vulk
• 41502 Zorch
• 41503 Krader
• 41504 Seismo
• 41505 Shuff
• 41506 Teslo
• 41507 Zaptor
• 41508 Volectro

June wave (Series 2)

• 41509 Slumbo
• 41510 Lunk
• 41511 Flurr
• 41512 Chomly
• 41513 Gobba
• 41514 Jawg
• 41515 Kraw
• 41516 Tentro
• 41517 Balk

September wave (Series 3)

• 41518 Glomp
• 41519 Glurt
• 41520 Torts                          
• 41521 Footi
• 41522 Scorpi
• 41523 Hoogi
• 41524 Mesmo
• 41525 Magnifo
• 41526 Wizwuz

2015

February wave (Series 4)

• 41527 Rokit
• 41528 Niksput
• 41529 Nurp-Naut
• 41530 Meltus
• 41531 Flamzer
• 41532 Burnard
• 41533 Globert
• 41534 Vampos
• 41535 Boogly

June wave (Series 5)

• 41536 Gox
• 41537 Jinky
• 41538 Kamzo
• 41539 Krog
• 41540 Chilbo
• 41541 Snoof
• 41542 Spugg
• 41543 Turg
• 41544 Tungster

October wave (Series 6)

• 41545 Kramm
• 41546 Forx
• 41547 Wuzzo
• 41548 Dribbal
• 41549 Gurggle
• 41550 Slusho
• 41551 Snax
• 41552 Berp
• 41553 Vaka-Waka

2016

February wave (Series 7)

• 41554 Kuffs
• 41555 Busto
• 41556 Tiketz
• 41557 Camillot
• 41558 Mixadel
• 41559 Paladum
• 41560 Jamzy
• 41561 Tapsy
• 41562 Trumpsy

June wave (Series 8)

• 41563 Splasho
• 41564 Aquad
• 41565 Hydro
• 41566 Sharx
• 41567 Skulzy
• 41568 Lewt
• 41569 Surgeo
• 41570 Skrubz
• 41571 Tuth

October wave (Series 9)

• 41572 Gobbol
• 41573 Sweepz
• 41574 Compax
• 41575 Cobrax
• 41576 Spinza
• 41577 Mysto
• 41578 Screeno
• 41579 Camsta
• 41580 Myke

Stopmotions

With each wave, LEGO released stop-motion animations on YouTube and their own website to promote each new series. Each stopmotion (excluding Series 7-9 stopmotions) is focused around a Mix, Max or Murp that has instructions available online.

List of stopmotions

No. in series	Title	Original US airdate	Description
1	Infernites MAX!	3/27/14	Zorch, Vulk and Flain find a group of four plowers and react with delight! But who will get the last plower?!
2	Electroids MAX!	3/27/14	The three Electroids are fending off a huge swarm of pestering Nixels. Will Zaptor, Teslo, and Volectro be able to fend off the Nixels before it's too late?
3	Cragsters MAX!	3/27/14	Shuff, Seismo, and Krader are out having fun smashing rocks. But one boulder is unbreakable, how will our industrious Cragsters smash it open?
4	Jawg & Lunk Murp	6/20/14	Lunk and Slumbo are trying to rest, but Jawg has a stick and wants to play fetch! Watch what happens when Lunk finally throws the stick for him but Jawg returns with a cubit!
5	Kraw & Flurr Mix!	6/27/14	HAMLOGNE SANDWICH! Flurr and Kraw use a Cubit to get the last hamlogne sandwich, will they mix fast enough before Chomly chomps it?
6	Gobba & Tentro Mix!	11/17/14	Balk, Gobba and Tentro are having a diving contest! Will Balk and Tenro’s mix will impress the Nixel judges?
7	Glorp Corp Max	11/17/14	Glomp, Glurt and Torts from the Glorp Corp need to MAX to help Footi out with the pestering Nixels. Will they fix it with a mix it?
8	Scorpi & Torts Mix	12/8/14	Watch newest Mixel's mini clip as Scorpi and Torts have fun!
9	Wiztastics Max!	1/9/15	Magnifo is ready to demonstrate the most spectacular show ever seen on Planet Mixel but the Nixels are playing tricks on him. Will the Wiztastics Max fix it or will the Nixels steal the show?
10	Niksput and Burnard Mix	5/24/15	Watch as Niksput attempts to basketboard – skate boarding while trying to shoot a basketball through a hoop! Will Burnard need to help Niksput make the basket, or will he make it by himself?
11	Snoof and Tungster Mix!	7/27/15	From LEGO Mixels Series 5 - Tungster is licking a tasty popsicle-tree perched on the side of a frozen cliff. Snoof shows up at the base of the cliff and wants some too! Unfortunately, Snoof cannot climb up the icy, slippery cliff to reach the popsicle-tree. Watch as Snoof and Tungster mix to find a solution!
12	Junkyard Go-Kart Murp	8/24/15	Jinky and Kamzo are at the junkyard building a go-kart! They think square wheels would work the best on the go-kart. Chilbo points out that the go-kart would not be able to move with square wheels, and tries to replace them. Watch as Jinky, Kamzo and Chilbo argue over the go-kart wheels, and what happens when a cubit gets involved!
13	Lixers Max in the Kitchen!	9/2/15	Mixels - Series 5 - The Lixers are getting hungry and decide to bake a delicious cake! Once the Lixers pull the cake out of the oven, they notice that the area is a total mess. Dirty dishes, dough, and bits of frosting are all over the place! Watch as the Lixers combine to a max to clean the kitchen!
14	The Weldos MAX at Work!	10/13/15	The Weldos are at the construction site and need to break down a building! Unfortunately, they are too slow! The Weldos want to finish the project by the time work is over. Watch as the Weldos MAX come up with a solution!
15	The Munchos MAX are out to Lunch!	10/29/15	The Munchos are very hungry and are enjoying eating a large pizza, however; they can’t eat the whole thing separately! Watch as the Munchos MAX to see if they can finish the pizza!
16	Wild Cookeroni Chase in Downtown Mixopolis!	3/15/16	A cookeroni on the run resulted in a dramatic high-speed chase, which put all of Mixopolis into a frenzy yesterday afternoon. The incident happened when Paladum the flying horse collided with a Nixel, and dropped the cookeroni on Kuffs’ police helmet. Reportedly nobody was injured during the chase.
17	The Music Prank	4/19/16	It's show time for the Mixies at the downtown stage and everyone is waiting for them to start. When Tiketz arrives, Trumpsy decides to prank him, playing a siren noise as he runs around. Next up, Busto gets the prank treatment from Tapsy, sounding like a bass drum as he waddles. But the jig is up when Kuffs suddenly appears and busts Trumpsy red-handed! Booo-hooo…
18	Attempted Bank Robbery	6/23/16	Late last night, three pirates snuck into Mixopolis and attempted to rob the city’s bank; but they didn’t get far. Three local doctors, who were hiding inside the bank vault, gave the pirates such a scare that it is highly unlikely those pirates will return to the city any time soon.
19	Strange Medix Mixels experiment creates new Mixels Max	8/10/16	Surgeo, Skrubz, and Tuth, the three Medix Mixels, attempt to bring to life an entirely new Mixels Max. All they need are some parts from the three Mixopolis City Fire Department (MCFD) Mixels and Skrubz' defibrillator. But will the experiment work? And what Max will result from it?
20	Nindjas vs. Trashoz	20/10/16	The three Mixels Nindjas get ready for their daily exercise. Enter three curious Trashoz Mixels who are all too eager to take out the trash, and things are bound to get a little messy.
21	Nindja in an Epic Ice Sculpture Fail	12/1/16	Chop, chop, chop – Mixels Nindja Spinza's attempt to carve a beautiful ice sculpture ends an epic fail.

Reception

Mixels was a commercial success for LEGO. From March to October 2014, over 1 million sets were sold in the United Kingdom, according to Vice President of Cartoon Network Enterprises, Johanne Broadfield.^[27] Circana (previously known as The NPD Group) - a market research group - reported the theme as a "Top 10 New Property Listing".^[28] Despite the commercial success, Series 9 was not sold in certain countries - such as Germany - indicating a potential decline in sales following 2014.

Initial reveal

Immediate reactions to the theme's reveal in 2013 were mixed. A commenter on Brickset's report of the theme's reveal commented "I can see this going the way of Galidor or Ben 10", two unsuccessful LEGO themes with a similar focus on buildable characters. Another commenter praised the comparison between the set designs and depicted cartoon artwork, writing "the LEGO builds accurately reflect the pathetic design of the cartoons". Other comments were more positive, one writing that the sets were "Hilariously adorable and cartoony". A common consensus was praise towards the new pieces, such as the ball-joints and Volectro's hair. One user noted the potential of the new joints, claiming "those new tiny ball joints should be a boon to mech builders".^[29][30] Mesonak of the TTV Channel, a LEGO fan-site, highlighted the potential of Mixels to "introduce some revolutionary things" in reference to the new parts, noting the theme's potential and writing "Depending on how far they take this, we could have mini-scale constraction figures".^[31]

Critical response

Upon release, Mixels received praise for its affordability, parts usage, and character. Writing for LEGO review and news website Brickset, reviewer Huw stated "they capture the very essence of everything that's good about LEGO in a small and perfectly formed package" while reviewing the first wave of the theme. He praised the character of the sets, writing that "they ooze character and personality"^[32] Jay of blog website Jay's Brick Blog wrote praise of the theme's focus on combining models. He described "each Mixel character bag as a miniature puzzle, where the object is to innovate with the pieces you’re supplied in", highlighting the creativity of the theme and writing that "there’s no denying that as a LEGO toy, the Mixels represent fantastic value and replayability".^[33]

Jada of blog website Unique Young Mum praised the accessibility of the theme for a younger audience, writing that she believed "the Mixels could also be great for children who are beginning to get into LEGO®, or for children who have not tried LEGO® yet and want to see if they would enjoy it". She also highlighted the pricing of the theme.^[34]

Other responses to the theme were mixed. Mesonak of LEGO fan-site The TTV Channel stated after examining the Infernites that "[he] was not impressed enough to buy any more".^[35] Later series were subject to a more negative response. CapnRex101 wrote for Brickset "there is room for improvement" while reviewing Series 4, writing that only the Infernites cousins "maintain the standard set by previous series".^[36] Christian of blog website Little Brick Root wrote that "Lego seems to be struggling to find their footing design wise" while reviewing Series 4, though would also write "[he is] willing to overlook it for all the new and rare colors in these sets".^[37]

Controversy

Upon release, Turg's description on LEGO's website for Mixels described the character as a "part back-of-the-bus window-licker". Considered an offensive slang term in the United Kingdom, mental health charities criticized LEGO for using the term. Following this, the company issued an apology and removed the term from the website.^[38]

Awards and Nominations

At the London Toy Fair's "Best New Toy Awards" for 2014, Mixels won an award in the "Pocket Money" category.^[39] The theme was also a finalist for Toy of the Year in both 2014 and 2015.^[40][41]

Legacy

Mixels popularized the usage of miniature ball-joint pieces that are essential to small brick-built designs in modern LEGO sets. These joints have been colloquially referred to as "Mixel-joints" in various LEGO fan communities. Since the theme's conclusion, an expanded palette of miniature ball-joint parts have been introduced. These pieces are actively used in sets such as mechs, but have uses in solidifying larger builds.^[42][43] Builds resembling Mixels sets have appeared in products following the conclusion of the theme. Creator set "Modular Winter Vacation" contains an alternate build that strongly resembles Chomly.

Oversized, brick-built versions of three Mixels sets were designed as gifts for various LEGO designers. Designer Andy Seenan received a giant version of Chomly as a gift for his tenth anniversary of working at The LEGO Group.^[44] A giant version of Dribbal was designed by Niek van Slagmaat, along with a giant model of Tuth as a gift to designer Gemma Anderson.^[45]

Despite not appearing in the film proper, the Cubit tile print exclusive to Gurggle would be used in a live-action prop for The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. Additionally, the character Chocolate Bar was a recycled design of a scrapped concept model for the theme.^[46] The Nixel models included in Mixels sets would be referenced in the 2024 LEGO Monkie Kid set "Megapolis City". A sticker placed within the set resembles a Nixel face print modified to resemble a monkey.^[47] The 2024 film Piece by Piece features Tapsy's exclusive "The Mixies" print as a background prop.

As a regular reviewer of Mixels sets, fan-site Brickset would regularly host fan-run competitions centered around the theme. These competitions lasted until 2016, concluding with a final competition to mark the end of the theme.^[48]

Mixels product boxes containing complete series of sets are archived within LEGO's product vaults in Denmark.^[49]

Trivia

• Mixels is one of the only LEGO themes to have sets without minifigures.
• The Series 1 preview seen at San Diego Comic-Con International used boxes over the polybags that the series eventually used.
• Out of all the possible LEGO color schemes, pink was the only one to not be represented in any form for the theme. Rokit was originally set to have pink used for his brain, but this was later changed into his current mechanical brain.^[3]
• To promote the theme, giant versions of select bags were made and put on display on store windows. For Series 2, giant bags were made for Kraw and Slumbo, Glomp and Magnifo for Series 3, Krog and Tungster for Series 5, Kramm and Dribbal for Series 6, and Kuffs and Jamzy for Series 7.^[50]

Gallery

Main article: Mixels (theme)/Gallery

Sources and References

External links

• Official website (Archive)
• Mixels on LEGO Shop (Archive)
• Mixels on LEGO.com Message Boards (Archive)
• Mixels on LEGO.com Videos (Archive)
• Mixels on Brickipedia (Archive)

v · d Mixels Universe
Franchise	Merchandise LEGO Toys (Series 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9) LEGO Mixels: Meet the Mixels LEGO Mixels: Let's Mix! LEGO Mixels: Ready, Steady, Paste! LEGO Mixels: Stick and Mix! LEGO Mixels: Activity Book Mixels: 2015 Wall Calendar Mixels: 2016 Wall Calendar Mixels (VCD)
TV series	Season 1 Season 2 Cartoon Network Boomerang Boing Arutz HaYeladim HBO Go HBO Max Teletoon+ Atomic Cartoons eMation Animation Studio Big Star Entertainment Saerom Animation
Games	Calling All Mixels Mixels Rush Mixels Mania Who's In The Mix Mix Your Neighbor Infernites Game Cragsters Game Electroids Game Frosticons Game Fang Gang Game Flexers Game Glorp Corp Game Spikels Game Wiztastics Game Hibernum Créations Heavy Boat
Events	San Diego Comic-Con International London Eye Mixels Launch Event Toy Fair LEGO KidsFest South by Southwest Nixels Takeover LEGO Day LEGO Days Cartoon Network LEGO
LEGO Club Magazine Pages	More Mixels On The March! Make a Mixel... Make a Story! Competition Glomp's Gooey, Sneezy Cold! Mixels in SPAAAAACE!! Puzzle Mixed-Up Maze! Mixels Convention Craze Mixel Maker! Spring Into Action! Mixed Up Punchlines! Make Some Mixel Magic! Defeat King Nixel! Trick or Treat! Make-Your-Own Mixels: The Game! Schoolhouse Mix-Up! Mixopolis Music Mix-Up! Nixels' New Adventure! The Great Mixel Mix-Up! The Mixopolis Times
Online Content	Mixels Websites The Wonderful World of Mixels Breaking News
Development Content	Crew Prototypes Concept Art Unused Content
Fan-made Content	Bootlegs Brickset Competitions Mixels Reanimated Collab Mixels Unite (Soundtrack)
History and Story	Timeline Mixels Story Guide