The truth is out there with LEGO® Ideas The X-Files

Do you want to believe? The new LEGO® Ideas The X-Files set is a fan-inspired celebration of the iconic TV series following agents Mulder and Scully. It may have been a 10-year journey to get here, but it was worth it.

We’ve spoken with Fan designer Brent Waller and Chris McVeigh (LEGO® Design Master) to learn more about the process. Brent submitted The X-Files set to LEGO® Ideas, the platform where fan creativity can become official LEGO® sets; his design won the ‘90s Nostalgia Contest – earning a place in the LEGO® Ideas lineup. But first, let’s deep dive into what makes this series so unique.

The TV show that changed everything

Back in 1993, a new kind of TV show arrived. The X-Files followed two FBI agents investigating cases that couldn’t be explained by conventional science: UFO sightings, government cover-ups, shapeshifters, monsters and conspiracies that went all the way to the top. It was, in the words of its own opening titles, a place where "the truth is out there."

“I was always interested in stories of the paranormal and the unexplained from an early age. Sitting in my parents’ lounge room as a 13-year-old in 1993, in a small town in Queensland (Australia), seeing a TV ad for The X-Files and I was hooked from that moment on,” Brent says.

Besides combining Cold War anxiety with genuine horror and wit, The X-Files gave us one of the most compelling partnerships in television history. Scully and Mulder (the sceptic and the believer) became a new kind of TV duo: intellectual, combustible and impossible not to root for. The show ran for nine seasons, released two movies and eventually returned for a two-season revival. Without it, some of your favourite TV series might not even exist.

Inside Mulder’s office

The heart of this set (and of The X-Files itself) is Fox Mulder’s basement office. Cluttered and dimly lit, this space was full of case files, UFO models, tapes, rolled maps and pencils lodged in the ceiling (a running gag throughout the series). And, of course, the poster. The "I Want to Believe" poster, featuring a blurry UFO over the words that became a generation's shorthand for hope, paranoia and the desire for something more.

Brent’s recreation of the office is packed with authentic details and getting it right was a labour of love.

“It just came down to breaking down each little newspaper, rolled-up maps, piles of tapes or books, recreating them as accurately as possible individually and then bringing them together in the scene," Brent says.

“One of the things I did was seek out detailed pictures of Mulder’s office. My goal was to make it as accurate as possible as in Seasons 3 and 4. This meant changing the (fan-submitted) model slightly so that it was properly minifigure scale, which then allowed me to pack the model with details and references that create the chaos of Mulder’s cluttered office,” Chris explains.

The set is also packed with Easter eggs, nods to specific episodes and moments. We’ll leave that for you to discover.

Is that a flying UFO?

Yes, it is! Sitting atop Mulder’s office, on a transparent display pole that makes it appear to hover, is a triangular UFO above a moody forest clearing.

“I didn't want to do a traditional saucer-shaped UFO, so I looked at the triangular ARV (Alien Reproduction Vehicle) from the second episode,” Brent explains.

“I came up with a few fun techniques to achieve the shape of the UFO. Flexible spike elements sit between the upper panels to create the edges of the pyramid and golden rings help hold the entire thing together,” Chris says.

The forest scene can be displayed separately as a standalone piece of UFO-themed décor or the entire build, measuring over 12 inches (30 cm) high, can be shown together as one striking display.

Wait, there’s more!

No, The X-Files set could not be complete without its characters and this one truly delivers. The set comes with eight minifigures: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Walter Skinner (the long-suffering FBI Assistant Director), the enigmatic informant Mr. X, double agent Alex Krycek, Carl Busch, a grey alien and The Flukeman (one of the show’s most unsettling monsters-of-the-week).

"Seeing all my favourite characters from the show as LEGO Minifigures in this cool display piece really captures the essence of the show that just oozes spooky '90s atmosphere," Brent says.

The truth is finally out there

It took ten years, a viral moment, a photo from Gillian Anderson and 15,500 fan votes to get here. The LEGO® Ideas The X-Files (21369) is a 1,478-piece reference-packed ‘90s nostalgia set, built by a fan for fans.

Ten years, a viral moment, 15,500 votes… this is the proof that some things are worth waiting for.