LEGO Minifigures Series 26 Space: Galaxy Squad explained

One LEGO Minifigures 71046 Series 26 Space character connects to a LEGO theme you may have forgotten, so here’s everything you need to know about Galaxy Squad.

Despite being one of the most recent dedicated LEGO Space themes, Galaxy Squad’s short lifespan in 2013 means that it has not been as widely remembered as the likes of Blacktron, Ice Planet and M-Tron. Though some reading this may remember the theme fondly, it certainly hasn’t been revisited quite as often as the older LEGO Space themes in recent sets. It has been referenced here and there, mostly in LEGO Minifigures series, though it has yet to receive something similar to 10497 Galaxy Explorer.

Thankfully, the next LEGO Minifigures series coming to shelves – 71046 Series 26 Space – appears to feature another callback to the more recent chapter in the LEGO Group’s space collection. The Alien Beetlezoid’s nature and design are more applicable than most minifigures to the core components of LEGO Galaxy Squad but with a somewhat unfamiliar colour scheme.

Should this be a celebratory minifigure for the theme, it wouldn’t be surprising as the new series appears to be paying homage to the entirety of LEGO Space, though the Alien Beetlezoid’s connection to Galaxy Squad isn’t quite as direct as the Blacktron Mutant to Blacktron II for instance.

A modern take on LEGO Space

Across 10 full sets and two polybags in 2013, LEGO Galaxy Squad’s one-year legacy could be paying off with the new Alien Beetlezoid. The models all depicted a battle between insectoid aliens and technologically advanced minifigures split into teams.

Adding insectoid aliens as prominently as Galaxy Squad did was something never-before-seen in a LEGO theme, adapting what was featured in 2011’s LEGO Alien Conquest with an inspired, but different take on LEGO Space.

The appearance of the insectoid minifigures and vehicles was different to anything else featured in a LEGO Space theme too, including distinct hints of hexagonal designs. It’s a shape that is at its core unusual for the LEGO building systems and something that is not easy to create but captured so subtly by these alien creatures. They look odd enough to be alien without being terrifying and that seems to be the point.

Colour-coordinated combatants

Aside from the insectoid invaders, LEGO Galaxy Squad’s most notable design feature was the colour-coordinated minifigures and vehicles, split into four teams. The green team is skilled in defence and features heavy artillery, different to the orange team which focuses on providing the most firepower, as highlighted in 70705 Bug Obliterator.

The red team is all about speed and features the smallest and fewest vehicles overall. The blue team rounds out the groups with a major focus on technology and the biggest vehicles in the theme. It’s a simple concept that worked well in execution, though the red team were undoubtedly underrepresented compared to the rest of the Galaxy Squad crew. On that crew were minifigures and robots alike, working in tandem to defend their home, offering some unique moulded heads.

Aside from the changes in colour scheme, the vehicles had a similar appearance that is identifiable as being on the same side. The insects were similar but more colour-coordinated overall, all featuring the same colour scheme in minifigures and vehicles alike. This design decision contrasted them with the Galaxy Squad as it was more challenging to tell the insectoids apart, though in a hive these may just have been the drones acting on the whims of a higher power.

Galaxy Squad backstory

Surprisingly, LEGO Galaxy Squad is confirmed by a LEGO Club magazine to take place shortly after Monster Fighters and is directly tied to the adventures of Dr. Rodney Rathbone and his team. The surge of energy released by destroying the Moonstones released a beacon of light that attracted the insectoid invaders to the LEGO world.

Thankfully, the Galaxy Squad were coincidentally ready to fend them off. Nothing on the box art suggests that aliens ever made it to the planet’s surface, suggesting that the Galaxy Squad were waiting in space to combat these invaders.

While you won’t find nearly as many LEGO Galaxy Squad displays compared to that of Blacktron and Ice Planet at conventions, the 2013 theme has an interesting story to tell seemingly inspired by Starship Troopers and a similar battle against alien insects.

Friend or foe?

There’s no doubt that the Alien Beetlezoid in 71046 Series 26 Space does not use the same colour scheme as the insectoid invaders from Galaxy Squad, but look closely and you’ll see some similar components of their design. The segmented exoskeleton plating, specialised moulded head and hints of hexagons all align with the insectoids featured in Galaxy Squad.

There’s not a speck of green or red in this design, but the bugs in Galaxy Squad sparsely featured two more colours used to trap minifigures and hatch more fighters in the transparent casing – purple and pink. While it has yet to be seen whether the Alien Beetlezoid in 71046 Series 26 Space is a friend or foe, this may be the leader of the invaders that we’ve been waiting over a decade to see. The back of their elongated head is transparent too.

Alternatively, it could be a friend rather than a foe and more of a bystander in the battle. That’s a decision for you to make starting May 1, when the series launches and you can get your hands on this minifigure as well as the other 11 space-centric characters.

You can download the Brick Search app in advance to prepare to find your favourite minifigures despite the blind boxes. The Brick Search team is working hard to verify that 71046 Series 26 Space’s blind box codes are scannable, as they have been previously.

You can find out more about 71046 Series 26 Space and its inspiration by checking out our deep dives into the Ice Planet 2002, Blacktron II and M-Tron subthemes.

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