The Belville theme which was introduced in 1994 and later discontinued in 2009 was created to appeal primarily to girls. While the sets revolved around the concept of the LEGO system it featured doll-like figures known as Belville Figures instead of regular LEGO minifigures. The Belville Figures featured multiple joints to make play more like normal doll play and were larger than minifigures. The Belville theme was the predecessor to LEGO Friends.
2007 LEGO Sets
2007 introduced the Modular Buildings series with Café Corner (10182) and Market Street (10190), defining a new era of advanced architectural builds. LEGO Star Wars celebrated its 30th anniversary, commemorated by a limited 14-karat gold C-3PO minifigure. New or refreshed themes included Aqua Raiders, Mars Mission, and a modernized Castle line, while Knights’ Kingdom II and the 9V Train system were retired. DUPLO added Thomas & Friends, extending LEGO’s preschool range.