LEGO Minifigure Design variations

While nearly all minifigure heads, torsos, arms, hands and legs are the same size and shape, some sets have included figures that deviate from the standard. Minifigures built from special, uniquely molded pieces were first introduced in Life on Mars. Martians are composed of five tools: two pair of double arms, a mechanical torso, a conjoined leg piece, and a head. This configuration is also used for many Star Wars Droids; Battle Droids follow the same pattern, while Super Battle Droids feature a head fixed to a torso, General Grevious has space for four arms, and IG-88 has a head constructed of other Lego pieces. Other droids, such as Droidekas, Spider Droids and Pit Droids, are constructed entirely from standard Lego pieces, yet are still generally considered minifigures. R2-D2 and other astromech droids are constructed from unique parts, with a separate top, body and legs. The robots of Exo-Force and Bionicle miniatures have a design similar to the Star Wars Battle Droids, but with separate legs, movable hands, and a head affixed to a small torso.

Hagrid, the half-giant character from the Harry Potter series, uses a larger minifigure body, with only the head being separable. Minifigures have also featured unique head sculpts that differ from the traditional cylindrical shape; the first was Jar Jar Binks, included in a Star Wars set in 1999, followed by Yoda, C-3PO and Harry Potter goblin figures. Traditional accessories, such as hats and helmets, cannot be placed on these non-standard heads. Some minifigures, such as Wookies, Gamorrean Guards, Ewoks, and SpongeBob, have head pieces that fit like standard heads, but also cover part of the torso, similar to the ghost figures, except that these figures use short or standard legs instead of a brick. Collectors refer to this piece, and figures that use it, as sandwich boards, as it resembles the wearable sign of the same name.

Some minifigures created to resemble female characters, particularly in Castle and Pirate sets, use large sloped bricks instead of legs, to resemble dresses or skirts. However, these sloped bricks are taller than standard minifigure legs, making some characters seem awkward when placed next to taller females. Skeletons, usually found in Castle and Pirate sets, use the standard minifigure head, but unique torsos, arms, and legs designed to resemble a skeletal structure which was redesigned in 2007; although different, these figure parts are still detachable. Ghost figures have a full-body cape which attaches to the head of the minifigure, and a solid brick-like torso instead of legs. Shorter legs, without joints at the hip, are sometimes used to create minifigures which are shorter in stature than standard figures. Such pieces were first created for Star Wars sets but have since been used elsewhere, although primarily in licensed sets. Yoda, young Boba Fett, and Ewoks in Star Wars, goblins and Dobby in Harry Potter, The Penguin in Batman, both SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs in the LEGO SpongeBob SquarePants set, and the Dwarves from the Castle 2007 set all use this shorter piece in the place of standard legs. Additionally, Pirate minifigures sometimes include peg legs and hooks for hands, such as the Aquasharks and Aquraiders from Aquazone and characters in the Adventurers and Orient Expedition sets, most notably the villainous Baron character.

Other variations of the standard minifigure produced for Star Wars sets included the light-up lightsaber (LULS) minifigures. These figures were released as a part of the more expensive Star Wars Episode III sets in 2005. These figures look like standard minifigures, but to facilitate internal electronics, their parts cannot be removed; the only exception to this is the headgear, the left hand and arm, and each of the legs from the hips. When the head is pressed down, an LED illuminates the lightsaber blade. These figures rely on battery power for their special feature. The batteries last three hours and are not intended to be replaced, although replacement is possible. Many fans, especially children, were amenable to this innovation. Others however, particularly adult collectors, found these figures contentious, considering them to be an unwelcome gimmick. The fact that in two cases unique characters were produced solely as LUL minifigs, with no standard version available to collectors, was also an unpopular decision. Following the initial release of these figures LEGO announced no more were to be produced, due to their unpopularity and more expensive production. One set, the 7261 Clone Turbo Tank, which featured an LUL version of Jedi Knight Mace Windu, was even reissued with a standard version of the minifig and an extra Clone Trooper figure to make up the cost of the set.
Yet another variation on the minifigure is the magnet figure, used in such sets as Star Wars, Batman, and City. These figures include magnets in their legs, which allow them to stick to metal surfaces. Magnet figures are nearly indistinguishable from stand figures in appearance. Unlike the LUL figures, only the torso and the hips of magnet minifigures are inseparable.
A variety of clothing and accessories has been produced for minifigures, including caps, hats, and helmets. In Lego Star Wars sets, Clone Troopers and Stormtroopers have uniquely sculpted helmets, adapting the original character designs to the minifigure format. Rock Raiders have green helmets, while Astronauts feature standard helmets in an assortment of colors. Exo-Force minifigures feature anime-style hair, as does the Nightwing minifigure from the Batman Arkham Asylum set.
The most extreme design variation was a minifigure produced in an edition of five of the Star Wars character C-3PO, cast in 14-carat gold.