Take To High Seas With Six Of The Coolest LEGO Pirate Sets
LEGO pirates and their sailing ships have been part of the lineup for decades. Let’s take a look at a few of the best, starting with the original Black Seas set.
Pirates is one of the classic LEGO themes. It first appeared in 1989 and was, for me at least, a pretty core part of my childhood LEGO experience. There are tons of classics, and despite not getting many recent sets, the theme has stuck around. After all, everyone loves pirates. You’ve got some really classic sets and ships that came out within this theme.
Today, I want to take a look at a few of the best. Note: I’m only looking at “pirate” theme sets. This does not include the licensed sets from Pirates of the Caribbean, as they are technically their own thing. With that said, let Christopher Walken dance us in…
#6 – LEGO Pirates Black Seas Barracuda (6285-1)
Coming out in 1989 with the first wave of LEGO pirates, this was a super cool ship. There was a lot going on here, from some fairly complex (for 1980s LEGO) rigging to a lot of great play features and mini-figs. This was the first big LEGO set that I built as a kid, so I’ve got a real soft spot for it. (Sadly, it didn’t last long; my baby sister wrecked it, and I’m not still bitter about it.)
Even today, this ship holds up pretty well, with some nice details and the old ship base plates doing a lot of work. It’s a cool build and really does sell itself as a pirate ship. It got a reissue in 2002, which is pretty rare. The Barracuda remains, for me, the gold standard of LEGO ships.
#5 – Eldorado Fortress (6276-1)
Of course, the pirate theme is not just about LEGO pirates; it also includes those who fight them. Cue the Eldorado Fortress. This was the base for the pirate-hunting Imperial Soldiers. Now, I love me some castles, but I also love forts (adding a few cannons does not make a castle any less cool). I think this is a really great-looking one that really captures the colonial Caribbean fort look.
This baby also has a lot of nice play features: jails, swiveling cannons, cranes, and more! It really makes good use of the raised baseplate that I talked a lot about when we looked at LEGO castles. This set is another real classic and served as the counterpart to the Barracuda.
#4 – Imperial Trading Post (6227-1)
Coming out a few years later, in 1992, we have the Imperial Trading Post. This is kind of the Eldorado Fortress but bigger. You’ve got the same hill base plate with a smaller fort on it, but we’ve now added more docks and a small ship. This set actually went together with the Eldorado pretty well to build up a bit of a town. It also had some alternate builds you could make to switch things up a bit.
This is another really cool looking set that is very evocative. The Imperials here are clearly more based on the British, while the Eldorado is more French. This lets you build up a couple of opposing forces of Imperials. As someone who loved the Napoleonic wars, I think the minifigs you got in these sets were some of the best you could get from LEGO.
#3 – Enchanted Island (6278-1)
1994 saw a third faction introduced into the theme. The Islanders are Polynesian-based, which is a bit of a departure from the Caribbean look of the rest of the theme. And if we are being honest, their portrayal is a little… questionable. I’m not sure they would make a set like this these days. At the time, however, it was exacting to get a new faction, and it was a very colorful set.
This one makes good use of different baseplates (great for reuse) and the bigger molded boat bits. It was a pretty fun little play set, but it is likely best left in the past. Maybe vote for this IDEAS set to build an updated take.
#2 – LEGO Pirate Imperial Flagship (10210-1)
Next, we are jumping way ahead to 2010 for the Imperial Flagship. The years between this and 1994 mostly saw some reissues as well as a few sets I don’t really think make this list. But the Imperial Flagship certainly does. This is a very modern return to pirates. The set, the design, and the part count have all gone up in quality. At just over 1600 pieces, it has around twice that of early ships and looks it.
This ship has 9 mini-figs, a bristling cannon deck, and tons of details and play features. It’s really cool looking. Still, it does feel like we’ve improved a little since early ships, with a much less complex rigging setup. Overall, this is still a great-looking ship.
#1 – Eldorado Fortress (10320-1)
Sadly, the pirate theme has been a little dead (man’s chest?) lately. After the Imperial Flagship, we only got several Pirates of the Caribbean sets and a few other, mostly lackluster sets. And then, after 2015… nothing. Eight years later, however, in 2023, we got the absolutely stellar Eldorado Fortress 2 eclectic boogaloo.
Now, you could argue that technically, this isn’t in the pirate theme since it’s an Icon set (LEGO doesn’t officially count it). But I mean… come on. Everyone else out there does count it as part of the theme, and it’s clearly a throwback.
This set is a throwback to the earlier fort of the same name, with many nods and the same details. However, it is aimed at adults, with a much larger part count and a more difficult build. It’s really great and classic-looking. Sadly, it went out of production at the end of last year (and I may not forgive myself for skipping it). With it gone, there are no pirate sets for sale right now.
… Or Are There? Bonus 7th LEGO Pirates Set!
The LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Pirate Ship, while again not being an official part of the theme, is pretty dang close. This set lets you build a Pirate Ship (you don’t say!), a tavern, or a Skull Island. While they aren’t the most amazinglooking builds, in part due to having to be a 3-in-1, they all look pretty decent, and it is a pirate set you can get. For now, it can tide you over, and hopefully, we don’t have to wait another 8 years for a cool release. It even comes with a shark.
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