Pirates was a LEGO theme introduced in 1989, running until 1997 and focused on the classic idea of Caribbean pirates that were pitted against soldiers of colonial empires. As the series progressed through the years, more factions were introduced and the older ones were phased out of production. The Pirates were one of the first two original factions in the theme to be introduced.
2009 LEGO Sets
2009 celebrated the 10th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars and the 50th anniversary of the LEGO brick. New themes included Space Police III, Power Miners, and a revival of Pirates, while Agents 2.0 continued the high-tech spy concept. LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 refined its robotics platform with enhanced sensors and programmability. The year also saw the conclusion of the original Batman line, Exo-Force, Mars Mission, and Belville, as LEGO phased out older themes in favor of new directions.