LEGO Pirates was the first LEGO theme to feature pirate ships, treasure hunts and Captain Redbeard.
The theme debuted in 1989 and expanded LEGO play beyond land-based settings. Its sets included sailing ships, rowboats, forts, islands, cannons and buried treasure. The conflict between pirates and soldiers gave children two opposing sides for storytelling and model-building.
Captain Redbeard became the best-known pirate character. He was originally identified by a distinctive red beard and appeared in several pirate releases, although LEGO later used other pirate captains and crews. The soldiers were associated with different uniforms and fortifications across successive product waves.
Pirates is often confused with LEGO Islanders, a later pirate-related faction within the wider theme. Islanders introduced Polynesian-inspired characters and settings, but they were not the original LEGO pirate theme. The 1989 launch is also notable because it helped make large LEGO sailing ships a recurring part of the company's product history.