LEGO Vikings introduced Viking minifigures and longships as a dedicated LEGO theme in 2005.
The LEGO Vikings theme was released in 2005 and drew on familiar Viking imagery: longships, warriors, shields, helmets and mythical creatures. Its sets combined historical inspiration with fantasy battles, including encounters with dragons, giant snakes and other monsters.
The theme is distinct from LEGO Castle, which focuses primarily on medieval European knights and kingdoms, and from later Viking-themed sets released under other product lines. Because LEGO often revisits historical subjects, the word “Vikings” alone can refer informally to several different releases, but the dedicated 2005 theme is officially known as Vikings.
The sets were notable for their action-oriented designs and large creature models. They also used specialised printed shields and minifigure accessories to give the faction a stronger identity than ordinary historical LEGO figures.