With the introduction of the Castle Ninja subtheme which left it's traditional European setting and visited medieval Japan in the 16th century and featured Samurai and Ninjas.
2000 LEGO Sets
The year 2000 marked a significant transition for LEGO, as the company balanced new innovations with major milestones. One of the most notable events was the retirement of Jens Nygaard Knudsen, the legendary set designer and inventor of the LEGO minifigure. His contributions shaped LEGO’s modern identity, and his departure signaled the end of an era.