LEGO introduced the LEGO Pirates theme in 1989.
The theme brought pirates, Imperial Soldiers, ships, forts, treasure, and island settings into LEGO’s system of play. It was notable for giving builders a complete adventure world rather than concentrating on a single vehicle or building type.
LEGO Pirates also expanded the visual language of minifigures. Early characters featured printed facial details such as beards, eye patches, and moustaches, while the sets introduced distinctive accessories including cutlasses, muskets, parrots, and treasure chests.
The theme is sometimes dated to 1989 or described through individual set releases from that year. Its first wave included the Black Seas Barracuda and several smaller pirate and Imperial sets, establishing characters and factions that returned in later versions of the theme.