Lego Exo-Force

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LEGO Exo-Force is a LEGO toy line based on the popular mecha genre from Japanese manga and anime. Mecha fans have long used LEGO bricks to build both imaginative new designs and their interpretations of classic mecha, but Exo-Force is the first time LEGO has dedicated a whole toy line to this theme.

Contents 1 Story 2 Characters 2.1 Humans 2.2 Robots 3 Comics 4 Books 4.1 Chapter Books 4.2 Other 5 TV Episodes 6 Toys 6.1 2006 Sets 6.2 2007 Sets 6.3 Combined Models 6.4 Key Chains 6.5 Magnets 6.6 Promotional Sets 7 Influences 8 Criticism 9 Trivia 10 External links

[edit] Story

On Sentai Mountain, there was a peaceful civilization where advanced robots and the ancient way of life went hand in hand. The robots were supervised by the first of their kind: a golden robot named Meca One, who encouraged his brethren to keep working. But one day, something about Meca One changed and he led the robots to turn upon the humans. Fights between the humans and robots broke out, unleashing uncontrollable energies that split the mountain in two. The humans eventually overcame the robots, and cast them into the gorge.

The humans built bridges to link the two halves of the mountain. Some humans, like Sensei Keiken, feared the robots might come back someday so he began to build armored battle machines for defense. But before the humans' preparations were complete, the robot legions, armed with battle machines of their own, caught the humans by surprise and quickly took over the southern half of the mountain. More powerful than ever, they have just one aim: to completely drive humanity from Sentai Mountain. Sensei Keiken hurriedly recruited new pilots to man the battle machines and Exo-Force was born! Only the courage and skill of the Exo-Force pilots can defeat the robots and save the humans.

The story of Exo-Force centers around the conflict between humans and machines. The story features the training and battles of brave young pilots using battle machines and teamwork to overcome overwhelming odds against an army of evil robots.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Humans

Name	Profile
Hikaru	Age: 18. Hikaru (pronounced Hik-ARR-oo) is serious, silent, and wants to win. He is highly skilled and prefers to work solo, but must learn to count on his teammates. He worked on a robot ranch as a robot buster. He tested new machines and reported failures. It was risky work, but he was good at it!
Takeshi	Age: 19. Takeshi (pronounced Takk-esh-ee) is strong, a fierce fighter and little crazy. It is tough to talk him into ever leaving the machine and taking a rest. He takes a lot of chances and often charges into situations which is a shortcoming that Keiken fears may lead to his undoing. He worked as a miner alongside some of the very robots that are now rebelling. He was separated from his family whom are being held prisoner by the robots. No mention of this family is made in practically the whole comics and movies.
Ryo	Age: 18. Ryo (pronounced ree-oh) is an engineer that talks and moves fast. He was previously employed in a northern factory and is now part of battle machine design team. He is a whiz with any kind of tool or circuit and specializes in repairs on the run.
Ha-Ya-To	Age: 18. Ha-Ya-To (said quickly-HaYaTo) is adventurous, a joker, and loves to fly. He's at his happiest and most comfortable in the air, even if it means putting himself in harm's way. Ha-Ya-To fights the war as if it was an arcade game.
Keiken	As Exo-Force's sensei, Keiken (Kai-Ken) is the stern parental figure to the Exo-Force team members, training them for battle and helping them to be their best. Keiken once worked as an engineer, specializing in robotics. He was one of the lead designers of the mining robots that are now rebelling.

[edit] Robots

Name	Profile
Meca One	Meca One is cold, ruthless, and arrogant. As the first robot to rebel against the humans, Meca One is now the leader of the revolution. While it realizes humans created robots, it believes that the robots deserve to rule because they are smarter and more powerful. It also hates the fact that it was created by such obviously inferior beings. Meca One sees itself as the ultimate robot and its own survival is of paramount importance.
Devastator	Devastators are sly, cunning, and cruel. These silver robots are believed to be more advanced models, but so far none have been captured intact for study. Devastators have been known to go out of their way to cause damage to civilian dwellings, or to pursue wounded battle machines long distances just to finish them off. Exo-Force pilots have reported seeing Devastators in a variety of colors.
Iron Drone	Iron Drones are strong and durable. As the foot soldiers for the robot army, they are very good at following orders, but terrible at improvising in an unexpected situation or devising any kind of strategy.

[edit] Comics

The Exo-Force story is told through a series of online comics on the official website. Twenty-six episodes are planned for Exo-Force's first year, and a new comic is released approximately every two weeks. Below is a list of the titles and release date of each episode.

[edit] Books

[edit] Chapter Books

#	Name	Release Date
0	The First Battle [1]	November 15, 2005
1	Stealth Hunter Vs. Fire Vulture [2]	January 5, 2006
2	Takeshi And Hikaru Continue The Battle [3]	January 18,2006
3	Hikaru's Mission [4]	February 1, 2006
4	A Fierce Fight [5]	February 16, 2006
5	Ryo's Experiment [6]	March 2, 2006
6	Training Day [7]	March 16, 2006
7	Dark Storm Rising [8]	March 29, 2006
8	Assault On The Gate [9]	April 12, 2006
9	The Blaze Of Battle [10]	April 26, 2006
10	A Desperate Plan [11]	May 10, 2006
11	The Rescue [12]	May 24, 2006
12	All-Out Attack [13]	June 12, 2006
13	Assault On Robot H.Q. [14]	June 22, 2006
14	Uplink Alone [15]	July 4, 2006
15	Mobile Defense Tank In Action [16]	July 18, 2006
16	Into The Mountain [17]	August 1, 2006
17	Bridge Walker vs. White Lightning [18]	August 16, 2006
18	Beginning Of The End [19]	August 29, 2006
19	Secret Strike [20]	September 12, 2006
20	The Fall Of Takeshi [21]	September 26, 2006
21	Battle In The Sky [22]	October 10, 2006
22	Origin Of Exo-Force [23]	October 24, 2006
23	Sensei's Secret [24]	November 7, 2006
24	Eyes Of The Enemy [25]	November 26, 2006
25	The Final Battle [26]	December 5, 2006
#	Name	Release Date
1	Escape From Sentai Mountain	September 1, 2006
2	Attack Of The Robots	December 1, 2006
3	Search For The Golden City	March, 2007

[edit] Other

Name	Release Date
Play-Along Sticker Storybook	September 1, 2006
Collector's Guide	March 1, 2007

[edit] TV Episodes

LEGO developed a series of long-format commercials composed of 5 two-minute episodes that aired on Nickelodeon and NickToons during late January 2006. The five episodes can be seen at the official website. The full-length Exo-Force video can be found at Ghost Digital Production House's website (the Danish studio responsible for Exo-Force animation). [27]

Title	Airdate
Legend of Sentai Mountain	January 23, 2006
Best of Human Exo-Force!	January 24, 2006
Harsh Training of Exo-Force?!	January 25, 2006
Failure of Exo-Force!	January 26, 2006
War Starts...!	January 27, 2006

[edit] Toys

The following list of LEGO Exo-Force sets includes all known official names found on packaging or in the official LEGO website and magazine. Note there are several battle machines and alternative models that have not been given official names by LEGO.

[edit] 2006 Sets

7700 Stealth Hunter [28] -Protected by a prototype stealth coating that makes it invisible to sensors, the Stealth Hunter uses its ultra-light exo-glider wings to fly undetected behind enemy lines and take out the robot targets using its dual-blade electro-sword and high-precision laser rifle. It has 8 cm (3") of intractium armor.

• Unit Designation: A.01 龍翼 (Dragon Wing)
• Minifig: Hikaru
• Alternative Model: Stealth Wasp [29]

7701 Grand Titan [30] - The Grand Titan is heavily armored with 20 cm (8") of intractium armor. It is equipped with an electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) "Fang" pincer and a rotating laser cannon.

• Unit Designation: L.01 龍牙 (Dragon Fang)
• Minifig: Takeshi
• Alternative Model: Titan Tracker

7702 Thunder Fury [31] - Surprisingly fast given its size and 20 cm (8") of tenatium armor, the Thunder Fury's titanium razorblade powersaw (v2.0) and automatic high-density laser cannon make it a major threat to the humans of Sentai Mountain.

• Unit Designation: TF.7702
• Minifig: Devastator (Red)
• Alternative Model: Fire Fury

7703 Fire Vulture [32] - The Fire Vulture is part of the air arm of the Robot rebellion. It has 10 cm (4") of tenatium armor and flies using a hyper-turbine jet engine mounted on its back. It is armed with a powerful long-range flamethrower and electro-vulture claws that can tear enemy armor to bits.

• Unit Designation: FV.7703
• Minifig: Devastator (Blue)
• Alternative Model: Hover Hawk

7704 Sonic Phantom [33] - Powered by four nuclear engines, the Sonic Phantom is perfect at making quick, dangerous air raids with its wide-angle laser cannons, twin rotating laser guns, and missile launcher.

• Unit Designation: SP.7704
• Minifig: Devastator (Green)
• Alternative Model: Speeder Phantom

7705 Gate Assault [34] - The humans must stop the robots from taking the First Gate. Ha-Ya-To pilots the Gate Defender micro battle machine to defend against the robots' Sentry II micro battle machine and R-1 Robot Rammer (a reconditioned mining vehicle).

• Gate Defender Unit Designation: A.02 鷹 (Falcon)
• Sentry II Unit Designation: 7705
• Minifigs: Ha-Ya-To, Human Soldier, 3 Iron Drones
• Alternative Models: Swift, Blockade Bulldozer

7706 Mobile Defense Tank [35] - Armed with machine laser cannons and an energy disc launcher, this tracked vehicle is designed to battle the robots on even the roughest terrain.

• Unit Designation: AT.02 登山車 (Climb Mountain Vehicle)
• Minifigs: Ryo, Human Soldier
• Alternative Model: Advance Tactical Unit

7707 Striking Venom [36] - A massive mobile battle station, Striking Venom can carry and recharge robots in battle. Its shovels are used for digging in and hiding to surprise it enemies.

• Unit Designation: SV.7707
• Minifigs: Meca One, 6 Iron Drones, Devastator (upper body only)
• Alternative Model: Frontline Barricade

7708 Uplink [37] - In addition to being a battle machine, the Uplink is designed to be a "medic" for other battle machines. It contains a wide-array of built-in maintenance equipment which can get a damaged battle machine up and running rapidly.

• Unit Designation: AT.01 虎 (Tiger)
• Minifig: Ryo
• Alternative Model: Link Transporter

7709 Sentai Fortress [38] - The robot army is attacking Sentai Fortress! Meca One pilots his personal battle machine, and is accompanied by two Iron Drones and a mini Venom Walker. To counter-attack, Hikaru pilots a full-sized blue battle machine, the Silent Strike.

• Silent Strike Unit Designation: A.04 天王 (Sky King)
• Minifigs: Keiken, Hikaru, Takeshi, Ryo, Ha-Ya-To, Meca One, 2 Iron Drones
• Alternative Models: Sentai Tower

7711 Sentry [39] - The mass-produced Sentries attack in large numbers to overwhelm opponents. The robots fully expect that most Sentries sent into battle won't come back, and they don't care – they'll just make more.

• Unit Designation: 7711
• Minifig: Iron Drone
• Alternative Model: Laser Sentry

7712 Supernova [40] - Powered by the sun, Supernova uses its solar-powered laser staff and double-barreled laser cannon to defeat the robots.

• Unit Designation: L.02 炎王 (Flame King)
• Minifig: Takeshi
• Alternative Model: Nova Crawler

7713 Bridge Walker vs. White Lightning [41] - Ha-Ya-To pilots the White Lightning to take on Meca One's Bridge Walker

• White Lightning Unit Designation: A.03 白雷 (White Thunder)
• Bridge Walker Unit Designation: BW.7713
• Minifigs: Ha-Ya-To, Meca One, 2 Devastators
• Alternative Models: Fire Eagle, Raven Attacker

[edit] 2007 Sets

8100 Cyclone Defender [42] - With plenty of firepower and a rotating defensive shield, the Cyclone Defender provides the humans with an edge in battle.

• Unit Designation: AT.10 虎 (Tiger)
• Minifig: Ryo
• Alternative Model: None

8101 Claw Crusher [43] - Armed with rotating laser cannons and gigantic ripping claws, these mini battle machines are a great threat in close combat.

• Unit Designation: None
• Minifig: Devastator
• Alternative Model: None

8102 Blade Titan [44] - This massively armored battle machine carries an arsenal of heavy-duty weapons and a double-bladed assault shield that expands and rotates.

• Unit Designation: L.10 銳刃 (Sharp Blade)
• Minifig: Takeshi
• Alternative Model: None

8103 Sky Guardian [45] - This multi-winged, jet-powered battle machine is the fastest and most agile opponent the robots have ever faced. What the Sky Guardian’s long-range launching energy sphere doesn’t take care of, its massive armor-slicing sword will!

• Unit Designation: A.10 音速 (Sound Speed)
• Minifig: Hikaru
• Alternative Model: None

8104 Shadow Crawler [46] - No cliff is too high to climb for the Shadow Crawler, the robots’ most dangerous and sinister new creation. With its energy disc shooter, laser cannons and missiles, this stealthy three-legged battle machine is a major threat to the EXO-FORCE team. The skeleton in its prison pod is proof enough of that!

• Unit Designation: None
• Minifig: Devastator (Green)
• Alternative Model: None

8105 Iron Condor [47] - With a metallic screech, swarms of Iron Condors dive to attack the heroes of EXO-FORCE! Equipped with massive mechanical wings and supersonic speed, these fast and fearless robot battle machines are programmed to conquer the Golden City at any cost. Watch out for their razor-sharp talons and firing missile!

• Unit Designation: None
• Minifig: Devastator (Red)
• Alternative Model: None

[edit] Combined Models

One of the features of the Exo-Force toy line is that two battle machines can be combined to make a super battle machine.

• Mountain Warrior (7700 and 7701) [48]
• Raging Storm (7702 and 7703) [49]
• Robot Reaper 1.0 (7700 and 7703) [50]
• Blazing Hunter (7700 and 7703) [51] [52]

[edit] Key Chains

• Takeshi
• Hikaru

[edit] Magnets

• Takeshi [53]
• Hikaru
• Ryo
• Ha-ya-to

[edit] Promotional Sets

These promotional sets were released in Europe and are not part of the main toy line

• 5965 Robot Walker - Robot [54]
• 5966 Flyer - Hikaru [55]
• 5967 Walker - Takeshi [56]

[edit] Influences

Exo-Force was likely influenced by the visual style of Mobile Suit Gundam, Macross/Robotech and similar anime and manga franchises, which feature mecha in combat against one another.

[edit] Criticism

While popular, Exo-Force has had its fair share of criticism. Long-time LEGO fans have been quick to complain about the heavy use of deadly weaponry, but other fans point out LEGO has alreadly done this for years with other themes such as in the popular Lego Star Wars products. Those fluent in the Japanese language have objected to words used that make no sense or are incorrectly romanized, such as Sentai (Sendai) and Ha-Ya-To (Hayato). Exo-Force has drawn criticism for being pseudo-anime, or a cheap attempt on LEGO to "cash in" on the growing popularity of anime and manga. The mecha have also received criticism for their hindside appearance, and the fact that some pieces fall off easily, even without rough play.

[edit] Trivia

• Exo-Force members hair colors are the same as the original four Knights armor in Knights Kingdom. Hikaru/Jayko:Blue. Takeshi/Rascus:Green. Ha-ya-to/Santis:Red. Ryo/Danju: Purple.
• Originally, Takeshi was going to Pilot Uplink, and there wasn't going to be any Ryo or Ha-ya-to, just Takeshi and Hikaru.
• The orange minifig with black hair in 7705 Gate Assault and 7706 Mobile Defense Tank was originally named Genki in prototype designs of the sets, but this name was dropped for the final product in favor of making him a generic human soldier.
• Japanese names in Exo-Force translated into English mean:
  • Hikaru (光) - Light, shining
  • Takeshi (武) - Military, warrior, chivalry
  • Ryo (亮) - Bright, clear
  • Ha-Ya-To (隼人) - Literally means "falcon person"
  • Keiken (経験) - Experience
  • Sentai (戦隊) - Literally "battle squad" (i.e. task force)
  • Tenchi (天地) - Heaven & earth

• The catch phrase for Exo-Force is "Time to Power Up!" This phrase was likely chosen because one of the special features of the 2006 Exo-Force line is a special light brick that is included in several of the larger Exo-Force sets.
• Possibly in an attempt to combat sales of the line, the Japanese division of Mega Bloks recently announced a forthcoming line of models based on the popular Gundam anime.
• Lego had commissioned Shoji Kawamori to design a combined model of the Grand Titan and Stealth Hunter for display at promotional events. The combo-unit was called VAN-Force; it featured custom decals, which were given away with purchase of two Exo-Force sets in Japan. In Kawamori's Macross fashion, the unit transformed between three modes; Flight, an intermediate mode where the cockpit is visible, and finally a robot mode where the cockpit is hidden and the unit gains a head. According to Exo-Force writer, Greg Farshtey, Lego does not have the rights to reproduce the VAN-Force design for sale in stores. [57]
• Exo-Force is currently the third most popular Lego theme after Star Wars and Bionicle.

[edit] External links

• Official Exo-Force website
• BZP Forum Exo-Force topic