What constitutes a minifig?

[Brainbox]

I... don't really care.

No, I just go off my gut instinct. Droids, giant trolls, even the jellies, I class as minifigs. That's because it's what they're intended to be, even if they're not true minifgs. I mean, they're definitely not 'not minifig' are they?

How about we class the grey area as abnormal minifigs?

[captaintau]

How about we class the grey area as abnormal minifigs?

Now there's a thought.

- Minifigs that are "classic" minifigs that are obviously and undoubtedly minifigs

- "Abnormal minifigs" that are everything that anyone thinks could be a minifig but others may dispute. Ranges from Battle Droids and Astromechs to Hailfires and monkeys

[MoonCheese]

Probably people have different ideas of where the line between minifig and non-minifig is. Every time I try to define the line, I think of something that ends up on the "wrong" side in my opinion. Like I could say anything designed to represent a sentient being is a minifig, which excludes stuff like horses, but there are still ambiguities. Are robots sentient? What about dragons? I would say yes to both but I don't really think of the dragon as a minifig (maybe because it's so big). If castle skellies are controlled, are they sentient? I'd still class them as minifigs.

[JINZONINGEN73]

I consider a Lego minifig to be at least SOMEWHAT humanoid, and not above a certain height.

I wouldn't consider a hailfire droid a minifig, but I would a battle droid.

I'd LIKE to not call jelly aliens and battle droids minifigs, but unfortunately they aren't "figurines" either, as there's moving parts.

In the world of action figures, I'm under the impression that a figurine that doesn't move is a figurine.

A figurine that DOES move is an action figure.

Even more, "minifig" isn't even saying action figure or figurine, as the rest of the word has been cut off... so yeah, even a non-moving minifig would still be a minifig.

Now, do I consider something like a death star mouse droid (beepbeep beebeepbeep) a minifig just because it's in minifig scale?

... ... ...no, that'd be pushing it perhaps. A Gonk droid, maybe.

I think a better context to phrase this question in is simply, "What's a really shitty Lego minifig product, and what is not?"

Classic human minifigs... not shitty.

Trade Union droids... kinda' shitty.

Jelly aliens... SUPER shitty.

And then mouse droids... shitty, but understandably so.

I mean think about it, you have "kid" minifigs whose legs don't move. Does that make them not minifigs still?

[blueandwhite]

I've read this thread over and I still think that a minifig is a figure that is comprised of one or more parts that were designed specifically to create a figure and not an object. Droid and skeleton torsos, arms and legs, minifig heads, torsos, arms, and legs were all fashioned to represent a figure first and foremost. R2D2 and other droids have legs and a torso that were designed for the purpose of making that particular figure. While these bricks may be used in other ways (so can alot of traditional minifig elements), the original intent was to create something that could not be adequately represented using conventional bricks.

I find Sinner's definition better than LEGO's so I'm sticking by my guns on this one. If a figure is made with parts that were designed for that purpose, that figure is a minifigure (conforming to conventional minifig scale of course). A figure that is scratch-built using conventional bricks is a brick-built figure. The thing is, there is nothing wrong with a brick built solution. Heck, where possible a brick built solution is a wonderful alternative to spending a small fortune on a new mold.

Edited April 21, 2008 by blueandwhite

[Brainbox]

I wouldn't consider a hailfire droid a minifig, but I would a battle droid.

I agree with that. The size of the Hailfire rather excludes it from the figure category. It's not classed as anything close to a 'figure' in the films, and probably wouldn't be anywhere else. But then I start to ruin my own suggestion...

I've read this thread over and I still think that a minifig is a figure that is comprised of one or more parts that were designed specifically to create a figure and not an object.

I like the 'figure not an object' bit. If something is clearly an 'object' it is not a figure. But then how do you actually define 'figure' and 'object'?

[captaintau]

Size-wise, I refer again to trolls.

[Brainbox]

Size-wise, I refer again to trolls.

Well, how tall are they compared to a standard minfig? I don't actually have any, so I can't see.

But they're alive, which allows them to be classed in a figure section. I'm not saying that things like droids (ie that aren't alive) can't be classed as figs, just that these can.

[Sir Dano]

Well, how tall are they compared to a standard minfig?

Stand a minifig with dwarf legs on top of a minifig with normal legs, and thats roughly the same height as a Giant Troll.

[Brainbox]

Stand a minifig with dwarf legs on top of a minifig with normal legs, and thats roughly the same height as a Giant Troll.

Thanks.

Well then, they're not much bigger than a standard minifig are they? I'd class one as a minfig/abnormal minifig.

[Sir Dano]

I pulled out some bricks to do a proper measurement. A Giant Troll is 7 tricks High.

[yellost]

loool, look at us, philosophising over what is and isn't a minifig... It's like wondering what is and isn't alive but on a minifig scale

My definition of a minifig would be anything representing a minimally sentient being and not overtly complicated in build (that is, a head, a one-piece body, two arms and legs as needed but not much more).

So I don't count most of the big brick-built droids (spider droids, vulture and hailfire) but I do all the little ones (pit droid and little EF mechs) and, of course, the HP Troll and new giant trolls... And those creatures from the Orient Expedition, too.

Another thing is about the animals : do they count as minifigs? In my mind, I'd say they're in a subcategorie of minifigs, but there are now quite a few animals that are mostly brick-built, so it's getting rather fuzzy... though, then my definition could help make the line, with that "not overtly complicated build" part... which would exclude all the aquaa raiders creatures but not the dewback... But then, what about the viking dragons?

Vertigo Head Spinner ON

[Brainbox]

Okay, so we've narrowed categorisation down to:

Minifigs

Abnormal minifigs

Not minifigs

Minifig animals

Not-minifig animals

Big brickbuilt droids

Little brickbuilt droids

Something with a "not overcomplicated build"

The grey area

So, nice and clear then

[captaintau]

Okay, so we've narrowed categorisation down to:

Minifigs

Abnormal minifigs

Not minifigs

Minifig animals

Not-minifig animals

Big brickbuilt droids

Little brickbuilt droids

Something with a "not overcomplicated build"

The grey area

So, nice and clear then

Yes, nice one Brainbox.

What's the difference between a human minifig and monkey minifig, other than one representing a human and the other a primate? Same "arms" and hands, even.

[Brainbox]

What's the difference between a human minifig and monkey minifig, other than one representing a human and the other a primate? Same "arms" and hands, even.

Um... one's a human and one's a monkey? No, that's basically it. It's a minifig animal I guess.

[Athos]

How about we define them as something of [approximate classic minifigure] scale which are intended to depict something with [at least, a rudimentary] consciousness?

So, who's ever going to buy a set with NO minifigures (not counting UCS)?

Me!

Me!

Oooh, oooh, pick me!

Pick me!

Over here!

Over here!

Uh, uh, uh, uh!

Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Meeeeeeeeeeeeee!

And those are just the bigger ones, I've picked up...

Steve

[blueandwhite]

I like the 'figure not an object' bit. If something is clearly an 'object' it is not a figure. But then how do you actually define 'figure' and 'object'?

I'm totally loving this discussion. It reminds me of my university days in philosophy class .

I guess before one can define "minifigure" one needs to define "figure". I mean, if consciousness is part of the definition, does a statue or a skeleton qualify? Is there a distinction between the old skeletons which were generally depicted as being inanimate and the new skeletons which are depicted as being living (or at least undead) beings? Here's an interesting thought: is the representation of a representation still a figure? In other words, is a LEGO statue a minifig? A statue of an individual is the representation of that individual. That form is typically a representation of his or her figure (not always). A LEGO figure as a statue is the representation of a human being as the representation of a statue of a human being. Does this still qualify as a figure?

Now, personally I'm of the opinion that a 'figure' is simply the representation of a lifeform (organic or inorganic). The representation may be a representation of a representation so long as the figure is understood to originally represent that lifeform (this covers skeles and statues). That being said, I draw a distinction between brick-built figures that are constructed from pre-exiting parts and those built from unique elements that were molded with the original intention of creating a fig (droid arms & legs, minifig torsos, dwarf legs etc.). Of course, this is still all based on the assumption that these parts were originally intended as minifig parts. It of course becomes more complex when a part for a minifig is used in a new or unexpected way that challenges this thinking.

At the end of the day, this is something that is simply too complex for a perfect definition. Heck, a clear-cut definition would probably be less interesting anyhow.

[Batbrick]

Of course this is too hard to define, but I'll pitch in.

A minifig to me is:

Of course the standard fig, whether meant ot be a stature or not.

A skeleton or dead minifig, is still a minifig, as the term does not require the thing be "alive".

Robots in similar stature and height to a minifig, with probably atleast one moving part, are to me minifigs.

The thing is, to me anyway, that minifigs that are clearly not typical minifigs (like Jellies or Battle Droids) have specialised parts for that minifig. If it is a brick built thing of a similar height, I'll probably not call it a minifig, as it lacks specialised minifig elements. Similarly, just because I slap a minifig head on a tiny robot, neither makes it a minifig, to me it is a brickbuilt robot with a mf head.

So for me, Droids, Standard mfs, Jellies and Skeletons as minifigs? Yes. Bo'marr Brain monks, Hailfire droids, sharks and brickbuilt stuff? No.

I won't get into the animal argument yet, but I believe it is up to interpretation, but generally I would say a similar size is needed, like a monkey, but not an elephant.

Batbrick Away!