The LEGO minifigure is celebrating its fortieth anniversary in 2018. We therefore invited Brickset readers to submit their favourite minifigure in preparation for a poll that would determine the most popular minifigure ever produced.

Your response was absolutely overwhelming and it quickly became apparent that we would need to divide the poll into categories before continuing. The final poll, containing the highest ranking figures from four separate categories, was published a couple of weeks ago and we are now ready to reveal the results...

Captain Redbeard is the winner! These results raise a few interesting questions and considerations.

What are the likely factors in choosing a favourite minifigure?

Choosing your favourite minifigure is incredibly difficult. More than 10,000 different figures have been produced since 1978 and numerous factors can be taken into consideration when deciding upon your favourite of them. These factors include:

How detailed is the minifigure?

Does the minifigure include any interesting pieces?

Do you prefer minifigures which depict original characters or those from existing properties?

Do you feel a personal connection with a certain minifigure, perhaps because it was among the first in your collection or you enjoyed playing with it as a child?

Where applicable, how effectively does the minifigure depict a particular character?

Where applicable, are you particularly interested in a certain character and does that affect your opinion of the associated minifigure?

Why is Captain Redbeard the most popular minifigure?

A range of different minifigures were produced between 1978 and 1988, although they all included the same smiling head and standard components were used consistently during this period. However, the Pirates theme, which began in 1989, brought about the introduction of heads that featured facial hair, varying expressions and even some new components to depict peg legs and hook hands.

Captain Redbeard epitomises this era in the development of the modern minifigure which is probably a factor in his popularity. Not only does the figure include some impressive facial hair, a hook hand and a peg leg but the designs on his torso are remarkably intricate. The success of this minifigure is apparent as similar designs have appeared on several occasions, most recently in 70413 The Brick Bounty from 2015.

Why did the red Classic Spaceman rank so highly?

Classic Space is held in high esteem by many LEGO fans and the theme exerted an indelible influence upon modern products, despite its age. The popularity of the Classic Spaceman was therefore unsurprising and can probably be attributed to the theme from which it originates, as well as the vast range of play opportunities offered by a character exploring space.

However, I was surprised by the apparent importance of the spacesuit's colour! Almost everybody who nominated a Classic Spaceman minifigure made reference to a particular colour, presumably because certain colours were naturally associated with different kinds of characters. The red spaceman proved to be the most popular by a considerable margin but white was also nominated by several people.

Why are Star Wars minifigures so popular?

More minifigures were nominated from Star Wars than from any other LEGO theme, hence we decided to reserve places for three Star Wars minifigures in the final poll. The popularity of the Star Wars universe definitely played a part in the nomination of so many Star Wars minifigures and might also have contributed to the high ranking of Boba Fett from 75060 Slave I, especially since Boba Fett is such a beloved character.

The popularity of a character is not the only decisive factor though. For instance, Queen Amidala received well over 300 votes in the final poll, despite taking inspiration from a relatively unpopular character within the Star Wars universe. That minifigure, like Boba Fett, is exceptionally detailed and matches its onscreen counterpart almost exactly so represents everything that one might hope for in a successful Star Wars minifigure.

Why did Johnny Thunder beat Indiana Jones?

Johnny Thunder, as well as the entire Adventurers theme, certainly took inspiration from Indiana Jones. However, LEGO's character ranked above the famous archaeologist in this poll, albeit only by a margin of 98 votes. The two minifigures share numerous characteristics so it is surprising that the popularity of the Indiana Jones films did not prove decisive here.

Instead, I think the enormous popularity of the Adventurers theme may have placed an important role. While Indiana Jones is based upon a licensed property which is potentially restrictive, Johnny Thunder belongs to an original LEGO theme so might hold greater appeal for some people. Nostalgia could also be a factor in this instance and that is definitely a consideration which can be taken into account when choosing a favourite minifigure.

Are you surprised by these results and have you identified any points of discussion based upon them? Let us know in the comments.

Many thanks for your participation in this poll!