Mindstorms Star Wars joined LEGO's robotics to the Star Wars universe with two kits, 9748 Droid Developer Kit in 1999 and 9754 Dark Side Developer Kit in 2000. Builders made droids and machines from the films and programmed how they moved, and the best known build is a version of R2-D2 from the first kit.
1999 LEGO Sets
1999 was a landmark year with the launch of LEGO Star Wars, the company’s first licensed theme, debuting alongside The Phantom Menace. This partnership with Lucasfilm transformed LEGO’s strategy and ushered in the era of licensed themes. New original lines included Rock Raiders, Slizers (Throwbots), and Adventurers: Jungle, while LEGO Education was formally established from LEGO Dacta. Several older themes—Cyberslam, TechPlay, UFO, Insectoids, Znap, and Model Team—were retired, marking a clear generational shift toward modern play concepts and digital engagement.