Lego Collectible Minifigures by Nationality

[Lyichir]

I also have to raise issues with some of your criteria, since most of it seems rather arbitrary. For instance, take the Vampire and Monster, which you have classified as Romanian and German, respectively. Is this technically accurate to the characters they represent? Yes. But that's not the be-all and end-all of the fig's inspiration. You could just as easily classify them as English (since they both come from English literature), or American (since the depictions are largely based on the ones from the golden age of Hollywood). Yes, there are some where the national origin is unambiguous, like the American Football Player or the Egyptian Pharaoh. But trying to assign a nationality to all of them is arbitrary and not very useful. The Gorilla Suit Guy could be from ANYWHERE, since it's clearly a guy in a costume and not a real gorilla. The surgeon is not necessarily from India, since he's a modern surgeon and not an ancient one (although many people of Indian descent do go into medicine). Santa Claus is a worldwide icon, and even though his earliest depictions lived in Finland, the modern depiction, which the minifig resembles, lives at the North Pole! And since so many of the figs have no clear nationality (especially "City" themed ones like the skaters, mechanics, and so forth) and you have forced one on them anyway, any statistics which could be gleaned from this are meaningless.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Oh, I don't know. I think trying to compile a list of nationalities for the figures is fun. Having said that, I agree that assigning a nationality to EVERY figure is going to get arbitrary, particularly where it's a universal occupation (i.e., the nurse). So I don't mind what he did back on the first page by highlighting figures which are indisputably a certain nationality (although even some of those I disagree with).

I do need to concur that the Lumberjack is stereotypically Canadian. His hat is Canadian colors and has a beaver on it (a very "northern" animal associated with Canada). Certainly he could be American, so I'd leave his nationality blank, but he definitely has a "Canadian" vibe to him (which was my mixed American-Canadian household's reaction when he came out of a Christmas stocking in 2011).

I'd set this as the rule: characters who are either historical (the Roman, Greek, Conquistador, etc.) or wearing a specific nationality's garb (the Native Americans, the Maraca Man, the Bavarian Boy) definitely get a designation. The rest are up for grabs, including Santa.

I should point out that there's an honest-to-gosh American Football league in Italy. It was the subject of a John Grisham novel. Canada has one too, but us Yanks tend to look at that with unfortunate amusement. So even the Series 8 Football player is arguably ambiguous.

[Itaria No Shintaku]

I also have to raise issues with some of your criteria, since most of it seems rather arbitrary. For instance, take the Vampire and Monster, which you have classified as Romanian and German, respectively. Is this technically accurate to the characters they represent? Yes. But that's not the be-all and end-all of the fig's inspiration. You could just as easily classify them as English (since they both come from English literature), or American (since the depictions are largely based on the ones from the golden age of Hollywood). Yes, there are some where the national origin is unambiguous, like the American Football Player or the Egyptian Pharaoh. But trying to assign a nationality to all of them is arbitrary and not very useful. The Gorilla Suit Guy could be from ANYWHERE, since it's clearly a guy in a costume and not a real gorilla. The surgeon is not necessarily from India, since he's a modern surgeon and not an ancient one (although many people of Indian descent do go into medicine). Santa Claus is a worldwide icon, and even though his earliest depictions lived in Finland, the modern depiction, which the minifig resembles, lives at the North Pole! And since so many of the figs have no clear nationality (especially "City" themed ones like the skaters, mechanics, and so forth) and you have forced one on them anyway, any statistics which could be gleaned from this are meaningless.

I politely disagree with above for many reasons like "If Santa was from North Pole why does Finland still receives letters for Santa from all the countries in the world, unlike Canada/Greenland which are closer to the North Pole?" or like "stakers are pretty american, then other countries imported the trend." or like "Then since Hollywood made a movie over everything, so has every character to become american?"

In many cases I wrote clearly "Homage" intending that the particoular minifigure has no nationality (most Hollywood starlets are NOT american, even if playing in american movies, but the Hollywood Starlet in S9 is a clear reference to Marylin), and I wrote a full premise stating that some of them were tricky.

But if people start to say "A vampire is not Romanian", "Santa is not Finnish", "Nurse are not Swiss" or even "Football players are not from USA", well I guess yes, this topic is meaningless.

But it isn't because it started to be meaningless, but because people can say whatever they want.

I could say, for instance: Viking can be from Iceland, or Sweden, instead of Norway.

Or, really, I could say "Native american are not straightly from US. Many lived in Canada and Mexico too (Street Fighter's Thunder Hawk character is in fact a native american from Northern Mexico).

Or that Lady Liberty is French, since they build it.

Or that the Revolutionary Soldier is not there were no US before the Revolution, so I could state that American Revolutionary Soldier can come from the Netherlands, or England, or France.

I can state whatever I like to, but that's just fantasy.

The Lederhosen guy with clearly seems to be German, actually could be very Austrian. And so on.

Actually since Nations are something arbitrary and in continous change, this list HAS to be arbitrary.

I don't see why it should be a negative thing. I did this for fun, if you want to, do your own list.

I just don't get it why if here one does attach 4 pieces in a row everybody goes at him like "excellent MOC!" "wow you're great" and if you say "hey guys that's 4 pieces randomly attached" you get all like "booo, you're discouraging, how harsh etc etc" but when it comes to you writing something down for fun you got a lot of futile criticism.

Sorry, just my 2p.

[pillpod]

Itaria, I hope I didn't come off negative in my previous posts. It seemed like you were completely set on the choices you made for each for each minifigurs; any input from anyone else was pointless because it had no bearing on you changing your mind, or even considering it.

Again, I'm still confused about the chicken suit guy and gorilla.

[Itaria No Shintaku]

Itaria, I hope I didn't come off negative in my previous posts. It seemed like you were completely set on the choices you made for each for each minifigurs; any input from anyone else was pointless because it had no bearing on you changing your mind, or even considering it.

Again, I'm still confused about the chicken suit guy and gorilla.,

Actually I changed the Robot from CZE to USA due to Isaac Asimov's contribute, as I was noticed to it was really more fitting.

Before, it was to CZE because Czech invented the world "Robot".

[hjmediastudios]

Classifying all the sci-fi figs as being Britons seems a wee bit suspect... The classic alien seems more inspired by 50's American B movies than anything else, and the Alien Avenger, et al. don't have any nationality. Calling the Spaceman and his female companion Russian is also a stretch- there's not really any indication they're inspired by the characters you claim. And the sailor seems to me to be more British... American sailors tend to wear dark blue sailor suits or (on duty) a bizarre blue camouflage pattern.

[Itaria No Shintaku]

Classifying all the sci-fi figs as being Britons seems a wee bit suspect... The classic alien seems more inspired by 50's American B movies than anything else, and the Alien Avenger, et al. don't have any nationality. Calling the Spaceman and his female companion Russian is also a stretch- there's not really any indication they're inspired by the characters you claim. And the sailor seems to me to be more British... American sailors tend to wear dark blue sailor suits or (on duty) a bizarre blue camouflage pattern.

I hate when it happens...

The classic alien seems more inspired by 50's American B movies than anything else,

First noticable classic aliens are from Wells' books, decades before Hollywood 50 B movies.

FYI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_alien

Calling the Spaceman and his female companion Russian is also a stretch- there's not really any indication they're inspired by the characters you claim

This is why I stated that was an homage, actually there are no real spacemen belonging to just one country, so I just gave it to the first ones who really were spacemen / spacewomen after all.

I already explained not all characters could be found a nationality, so someone are homages. In this case, anything BUT UKR and RUS would have been very forced.

And the sailor seems to me to be more British... American sailors tend to wear dark blue sailor suits or (on duty) a bizarre blue camouflage pattern.

Really? You will amaze yourself typing "US NAVY SAILOR" into google images...

Click here http://lmgtfy.com/?q=us+navy+sailor

I kindly ask everyone here to avoid pointless arguments if you say something and you know you are wrong, just for the pleasure of trolling me.

Thanks.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

I don't think anyone here is trolling you. You've made a fun little list, and that's fine, but your criteria for assigning nationalities to some of the figures is largely subjective. Most of the figures don't have an inherent nationality, so people are going to come to their own subjective conclusions about where the figures are from. Outside of some specified figures, there is no "right" or "wrong" criterion to which country these figures are from.

Besides, Lego is intended to be fun and universal, which is why minifigures are a generic yellow color. They're not caucasian flesh-toned because people worldwide play with Lego, so the company wants minis to look like everybody. Projecting a nationality onto figures--while a fun project--risks defeating that.

[Itaria No Shintaku]

I don't think anyone here is trolling you. You've made a fun little list, and that's fine, but your criteria for assigning nationalities to some of the figures is largely subjective. Most of the figures don't have an inherent nationality, so people are going to come to their own subjective conclusions about where the figures are from.

I'm not saying that, just I can't see why people come here and say at me poinltess (or factless) stuff like arguing on the color of the us sailors (while if you just type us sailors in google you SEE they're white), or criticizing the nationality of Santa... or placing very fantasious theories on who fathered the gray aliens and so on.

Just that.

See, it seems to be deliberately said to mock me or discredit my list.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Oh, come on. Look, I was the first person to bring up Santa, and it wasn't to mock or discredit you, but to ask a specific question about your choice of country. (Remember, there's a difference between "critique" and "criticize.") You identified Santa as Finnish; I expressed surprise at the choice, because there's rational arguments that Santa could be classified as American, Canadian, or Turkish. Honestly, I'd never heard of Santa being Finnish before, which may be a Western hemisphere bias. (Look, here's an article where the Immigration Minister of Canada affirms that Santa is Canadian.) Then again, I suspect that every culture is going to make claim to Santa being "theirs" even though, historically, he's from the area which is now Turkey.

Listen, this is the internet. You're going to run into as many opinions as you will people. Try to accept that people might see things differently without taking it personally.

[pillpod]

I agree with ReslpsaLoquitor. There's no mocking going on. If we have a question or don't agree, should we not post?

I disagreed with all of the animal suit figures, but you haven't really given a reason for your inconsistency. There's a chicken, gorilla, rabbit, and lizard. One goes to the country with the most of that animal, one to a country with a fast food industry, one that invented the character, and the other is godzilla I guess.

Why didn't you just choose one of those and run with it? For example, give the gorilla to the guy who invented king kong. Just seems like you went in a bunch of directions for no reason.

[Wardancer]

On addition to what pillpod wrote, that the criteria for linking a fig to an origin need to be clarified if possible, the list fails completely when it comes to types that are composites.

The gorilla is a gorilla suit, therefore it can be linked to gorillas (in various origins) and to gorilla suits (in various origins).

Santa has different features: colour, shape, cultural function. Who ist to decide which feature is the one defining his national identity. If you go by color, you end up with the Coca Cola Company. If you go by cultural meaning, well, this opens it to an endless debate. I would say, Santas Color makes 80% of what he is because that is why children recognize him.

Identifying and isolating one single national identity does not even work with real people, how on earth is it supposed to work with cultural types that evolved over centuries and nations?

Is Volkswagen a German car?

Well of course, because it is a German word.

But what if Americans use it?

But what if 51 % of the car is built in a factory in Poland, assembled in Austria?

What if that special car was designed in South Korea for the needs of an Asian market and is not even sold in Germany?

So the question "Is Volkswagen a German car?" does not really make sense.

Edited April 7, 2013 by Wardancer

[Itaria No Shintaku]

So the question "Is Volkswagen a German car?" does not really make sense.

Following your reasonment, americans as people do not exist.

[Wardancer]

No, Americans don't exist as something that you can objectively and absolutely measure or trace back as you are trying in this thread.

Ask someone what national identity he has, and s/he will answer something like: "Well, I was born in the USA, but my mother is from Mexico and my father is half jewish with a double citizenship and my greatgrandfather came from the Netherlands."

"Americans" just exist as a construct, they only exist if you define them by a fixed set of criteria, something we are still looking for here.

[Itaria No Shintaku]

List is updated.

Edited April 7, 2013 by Itaria No Shintaku

[Itaria No Shintaku]

Hello.

Many have tried to classify minifigures for many criteria. Today I collected and classified them for nationality.

Some of them have been tricky, but here's my results.

I highlitghted the ones who are less disputable.

S1

Tribal Hunter - USA

Cheerleader - USA

Caveman- HRV (first Neanderthal was found in Croatia)

Clown - LAT (Coco the Clown)

Zombie - HAI

Skater - USA

Robot - ITA(First design of a Robot by Leonardo da Vinci)

Demolition Dummy - USA

Magician - HUN (Houdini)

Wrestler - MEX (Blue Demon)

Nurse - SWI (Florence Nightingale)

Spaceman - RUS (Yuri Gagarin)

Forestman - UK (Robin Hood)

Deep Sea Diver - FRA (Jacques Cousteau)

Cowboy - USA

Ninja - JAP

S2

Spartan Warrior - GRE

Life Guard - USA (Pamela Anderson)

Witch - USA (Wicked Witch of the West)

Pop Star - USA (Madonna)

Weight Lifter - TUR (Naim Süleymanoğlu)

Ringmaster - UK (G.C. Lockhart)

Explorer - UK (H.M. Stanley)

Karate Master - JAP

Surfer - USA

Pharaoh - EGY

Vampire - ROM

Traffic Cop - USA (Frank Poncherello)

Mime - FRA (Marcel Marceau)

Skier - SWE (Ingemar Stenmark)

Disco Dude - USA

Maraca Man - MEX

S3

Hula Dancer - USA

Race Car Driver - DEU (Michael Schumacher)

Tribal Chief - USA

Samurai Warrior - JAP

Tennis Player - DEU (Steffi Graf)

Sumo Wrestler - JAP

Baseball Player - USA (Babe Ruth)

Fisherman - CHI (Greatest in Fishing Industry)

Elf - UK (for JRR Tolkien)

Rapper - USA

Space Alien - UK (for HG Wells)

Gorilla Suit Guy - USA (Charles Gemora)

Mummy - EGY

Snowboarder - USA (Lindsey Jacobellis)

Space Villain - USA (from Hollywood Industry)

Pilot - USA (Charles Lindbergh)

S4

Artist - ESP (Pablo Picasso)

Crazy Scientist - USA (Dr. Strangelove)

Hazmat Guy - UKR (from Chernobyl)

Hockey Player - CAN

Ice Skater - USA (Michelle Kwan)

Kimono Girl - JAP

Lawn Gnome - NED (Wil Hugen)

The Monster - DEU (Although Mary Shelley wasn't German, the Monster was)

Musketeer - FRA

Punk Rocker - UK (Wattie Buchan)

Sailor - USA

Street Skater - USA

Soccer Player - ARG (Diego Maradona)

Surfer Girl - USA

Viking - NOR

Werewolf - UK

S5

Boxer - USA (Sugar Ray Robinson)

Cave Woman - HRV

Detective - UK (Sherlock Holmes)

Egyptian Queen - EGY (Cleopatra)

Evil Dwarf - UK (for JRR Tolkien)

Fitness Instructor - USA (J.S. Missett)

Gangster - USA (Al Capone)

Gladiator - ITA

Graduate - ITA (University of Bologna is the anciest university)

Lizard Man - JAP (for Godzilla)

Lumberjack - CAN

Ice Fisherman - DEN (for Greenland is part of Denmark)

Royal Guard - UK

Small Clown - USA (for Laurel and Hardy)

Snowboarder Guy - USA (Shaun White)

Zookeeper - USA (Dian Fossey)

S6

Bandit - USA

Butcher - UK (Inventors of Butcher's guild)

Classic Alien - UK (for HG Wells)

Clockwork Robot - USA (Robert the Robot)

Genie - SAU

Flamenco Dancer - ESP

Highland Battler - UK

Intergalactic Girl - RUS (fValentina Tereshkova)

Lady Liberty - USA (although disputed with FRA)

Leprechaun - IRL

Mechanic - USA (James Dean)

Minotaur - GRE

Roman Soldier - ITA

Skater Girl - USA

Surgeon - IND (Inventors of surgery)

Sleepyhead - USA (for Teddy Bear)

S7

Aztec Warrior - MEX

Bagpiper - UK

Bride - ITA (Inventors of Weddings)

Bunny Suit Guy - DEU (Inventors of Easter Bunny)

Computer Programmer - USA (Bill Gates)

Daredevil - USA (Evel Knievel)

Evil Knight - UK

Galaxy Patrol - USA (Warhammer 40K)

Grandma Visitor - FRA (Inventors of the Red Riding Hood Tale)

Hippie - USA (Woodstock)

Jungle Boy - CON (Tarzan's country - Disputed)

Ocean King - GRE

Rocker Girl - USA (Cindy Lauper)

Swimming Champion - DEU (Kornelia Ender / Kristin Otto)

Tennis Ace - USA (Pancho Gonzales)

Viking Woman - NOR

S8

Thespian - UK (William Shakespeare)

Lederhosen Guy - DEU (disputed with AUT)

Conquistador - ESP (Hernan Cortes)

Cowgirl - USA

Diver - RUS (Inventors of that kind of Diving Suit)

DJ - CAN (Reginald Fessenden)

Evil Robot - USA (Robbie the Robot)

Alien Villainess - UK (for HG Wells)

Fairy - ITA (creators of Winged Fairies)

Football Player - USA (Peyton Manning)

Pirate Captain - UK (Captain Hook)

Red Cheerleader - USA

Santa - FIN (Country who receives more letters for Santa at Christmas, Country holding Santa's House)

Downhill Skier - AUT (Annemarie Moser-Proll)

Businessman - UK

Vampire Bat - ROM

S9

Alien Avenger - USA (Warhammer 40K)

Mr. Good and Evil - UK (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde)

Chicken Suit Guy - USA (Ted Giannoulas)

Heroic Knight - UK

Waiter - FRA

Roman Emperor - ITA

Cyclops - GRE

Mermaid - GRE

Policeman - USA

Fortune Teller - ROM

Judge - UK

Plumber - ITA (Mario)

Battle Mech - JAP (Gundam)

Hollywood Starlet - USA (Marylin Monroe)

Forest Maiden - UK (Lady Marion)

Roller Derby Girl - USA

S10

Librarian - USA (Amy Farrah Fowler)

Medusa - GRE

Roman Commander - ITA

Warrior Woman - GRE

Tomahawk Warrior - USA

Skydiver - ITA (inventors of Parachute)

Bumblebee Girl - JAP (Mitsubachi Maya no Boken)

Grandpa - JAP (oldest man in history is Japanese)

Paintballer - USA

Sea Captain - FRA (Captain Nemo)

Sad Mime - ITA (Pierrot)

Revolutionary Soldier - USA

Baseball Fielder - USA

Trendsetter - USA (Paris Hilton)

Decorator - UK (creators of Decorator's guild)

Motorcycle Mechanic - USA (Jack Kerouac)

TOTAL:

1) USA (58)

2) UK (26)

3) ITA (10)

4) JAP (9)

5) GRE (8)

6 DEU (6)

6) FRA (6)

8) EGY (3)

9) ROM (3)

9) CAN (3)

9) MEX (3)

9) ESP (3)

HRV, UKR, NOR, RUS (2)

HAI, HUN, FIN, SWI, SWE, AUT, LAT, NED, ARG, DEN, SAU, IRL, IND, CHI (1)

CRITERIA:

If that's inspired from a certain character, there are no doubts.

If that's a sport, the most winning champion of that sport is probably the person most giving prominence.

If that's a job, the most famous person in that job. If no clearly famous person are known, the nationality of who invented that profession.

If none of the above, the first person known doing it.

Edited April 7, 2013 by Itaria No Shintaku

[TrumpetKing]

We had a few famous woman nurses in the United States if that helps. I believe one's name was Elizabeth Blackwell...

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Not to belabor this, but if the criteria for Santa is that his house is in a certain country...then you should know that there's a Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, USA. Santa's Wikipedia article says that at least by 2,006, France received the most letters for Santa. It says that Finland got letters from the most countries, but not the greatest number of letters.

[Itaria No Shintaku]

Not to belabor this, but if the criteria for Santa is that his house is in a certain country...then you should know that there's a Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, USA. Santa's Wikipedia article says that at least by 2,006, France received the most letters for Santa. It says that Finland got letters from the most countries, but not the greatest number of letters.

So this says that there are more kids in France believing in Santa than in other countries, and more kids in the world believing that Santa is Finnish.

So you confirm what I said.

Thanks

We had a few famous woman nurses in the United States if that helps. I believe one's name was Elizabeth Blackwell...

1 sec research on google says Elizabeth Blackwell was not american but british.

1 sec more research tells me that still the nurse order was created by Florence Nightingale.

I don't want to sound rude, but why don't you do your research before stating stuff?

I find it highly offensive that I take 4 hours of researches to make a post, and then random people come at me saying random stuff that could be avoided if googled in 1 sec.

[L@go]

I'm a bit curious as to how you managed to make Florence Nightingale Swiss, though?

On another note, I noticed that you changed the skier from Swiss to Swedish. While the origin of Alpine skiing as we know it might be - as the name implies - the Alps, you originally stated that the Swiss invented skiing. Which they clearly didn't. So that's a good correction :)

Edited April 9, 2013 by L@go

[Itaria No Shintaku]

I'm a bit curious as to how you managed to make Florence Nightingale Swiss, though?

My mistake.Corrected.

On another note, I noticed that you changed the skier from Swiss to Swedish. While the origin of Alpine skiing as we know it might be - as the name implies - the Alps, you originally stated that the Swiss invented skiing. Which they clearly didn't. So that's a good correction :)

I put it for the most winning skier, who is swedish!

[L@go]

I put it for the most winning skier, who is swedish!

I know. So for that reason and the fact that skiing is a Nordic invention, it's a good choice.

[TrumpetKing]

1 sec research on google says Elizabeth Blackwell was not american but british.

1 sec more research tells me that still the nurse order was created by Florence Nightingale.

I don't want to sound rude, but why don't you do your research before stating stuff?

I find it highly offensive that I take 4 hours of researches to make a post, and then random people come at me saying random stuff that could be avoided if googled in 1 sec.

This is beginning to get out of hand. It is highly offensive to the other members of the Eurobricks community when we try to help you and make suggestions to improve the criteria on your list. But when you just find every possible way to prove us wrong and say "do your research before you say it", that's offensive. We are just attempting to help, and if you don't like our ideas, please do not be rude and snotty towards them. Your criteria should follow a simple, common pattern for each figure, I think. However, I think all this thread will lead to is arguments over which figure belongs where.

[Yooha]

I guess this whole conversation start to move away from LEGO's original purpose: FUN!

Even thought I found many of these explanations about some nationality of these figures (who invented, who won the most) arbitrary, why not just leave someone, who spent so many time with this research happy with his findings? There shouldn't be any 'must's in this topic "you should have followed a more simple pattern". If someone thinks that a skier is Swedish to HIM, than it's okay for me. I never wanted to tack some nationality on every minifig, but if this makes someone happy, why not.

But this only my opinion.

[Itaria No Shintaku]

This is beginning to get out of hand. It is highly offensive to the other members of the Eurobricks community when we try to help you and make suggestions to improve the criteria on your list. But when you just find every possible way to prove us wrong and say "do your research before you say it", that's offensive. We are just attempting to help, and if you don't like our ideas, please do not be rude and snotty towards them. Your criteria should follow a simple, common pattern for each figure, I think. However, I think all this thread will lead to is arguments over which figure belongs where.

I will try to stay calm in my explanations.

I spent A LOT of hours in researches.

I researched a source for 160 minifigures, taking 1 to 10 minutes per minifigure. This is like 6/7 hours for you.

I stated, and not just once, that Florence Nightingale is widely considered as the first of the modern nurses.

This is also clearly written in Florence Nighingale wikipedia page.

But it's a so common thing that I already knew that BEFORE going on wikipedia.

Bytheway, say you spent 6/7 hours on a research, and one who knows nothing about your topic gives you a suggestion.

Wouldn't that get you mad?

Plus, that suggestion was wrong twice, since you tried to suggest someone who was not suggestable, and you messed her nationality...

It's like you see a fireworker watering a fire and you go at him saying "have you tried with coca cola?".

It's highly offensive and presumptuos suggesting something without having knowledge of what you're saying to one who spent a lot of time researching and studying.

I beg pardon if I overreacted, I admit I have a pet peeve for people correcting/suggesting wrong changes to people who clearly know more than them.