Exploriens was a subtheme of Space introduced in 1996 and discontinued in 1997.
Description[]
The logo of the Exploriens as seen on their vehicles and uniforms.
Returning to the clean white and transparent blue cockpits of Futuron (as well as their civilian role), Exploriens sets are known for their use of large, open structures and special image elements (e.g., foil-holograph stickers for view screens). The Exploriens searched for fossils in the form of flat plates that contained triple images: one in white, for the naked eye; one in blue, for viewing under transparent red scanners; and one in red, for viewing under transparent blue scanners.
Exploriens was the second Space theme to include a robot Minifigure, and was also the second Space theme to include a female minifigure, a robot named Ann Droid. Popular Exploriens vehicles include 6938 Scorpion Detector and their largest spaceship, the 6982 Explorien Starship. The base was 6958 Android Base (1996). A mini-base, 6899 Nebula Outpost, was also included. The theme was short-lived, with almost all of the sets and merchandise being released in 1996. The only product released the following year was 1130 LEGO Explorien T-Shirt.
Background[]
Exploriens fighting the Spyrius in a comic from LEGO Mania Magazine
The eponymous Exploriens were a group of civilian space explorers. From their vehicles having a consistent theme of being equipped with decoding panels, tri-color alien artifacts, and various renewable/interstellar power sources, the Exploriens appear to be tasked with the pursuit of alien life in the deepest regions of outer space, far away from Earth and any usable fuel sources outside of solar and potentially alien sources.
Their design consists of a relatively small main base, a smaller outpost, a massive starship, and various vehicles all containing some form of terrestrial mobility indicating that both planetary observation and excavation were their main activities. In addition, the presence of Ann Droid among them suggests either a limited capacity to employ civilians, a limited quantity of civilians specialized in Explorien tasks, or a set of tasks too dangerous and/or distant to employ many civilians.
As though they appear to be few in numbers, the background of the 6938 manual shows a very large floating spacecraft with what appears to be a fully populated city enclosed in a glass dome, suggesting that the Exploriens are but a group of explorers in an advanced human society (possibly taking place in, or coming from the future) simply doing their job to explore what is in their surroundings. Also in the background of every manual is a wormhole or black hole of some type either sucking in matter or expelling it, suggesting that they might have accidentally traveled very far from the remainder of human civilization.
Sets[]
| Image | # | Set | Number of pieces | Minifigures | Price | Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 08544 | Rose Art Floor Puzzle, Exploriens | 1996 | |||
 | 1737 | Scorpion Detector | 197 | 2 Exploriens | $20.00 | 1996 |
 | 1858 | Droid Scout | 21 | Ann Droid | 1996 | |
 | 4103787 | Exploriens Poster 1996 | 1 | 1996 | ||
 | 5129 | Exploriens Accessories | 25 | $4.25 | 1996 | |
 | 6815 | Hovertron | 28 | Nova Hunter | $3.50 | 1996 |
 | 6854 | Alien Fossilizer | 51 | 1 | $6.75 | 1996 |
 | 6856 | Planetary Decoder | 79 | 1 | $7.99 | 1996 |
 | 6899 | Nebula Outpost | 146 | 2 | $15.00 | 1996 |
 | 6938 | Scorpion Detector | 197 | Explorien x2 | $24.00 | 1996 |
 | 6958 | Android Base | 267 | 3 | $40.00 | 1996 |
 | 6982 | Explorien Starship | 652 | Explorien, Explorien, Nova Hunter, Ann Droid | $79.99 | 1996 |
Minfigures[]
 |  |  |  |  |
| With breathing apparatus | Without breathing apparatus | Nova Hunter | Ann Droid | Ann Droid with helmet |
Notes[]
- In LEGO Racers, one of the racetracks on the 1st and 4th circuits is an Exploriens-themed track named "Magma Moon Marathon", and the starter parts for building the player's car include Exploriens parts. Ann Droid and Nova Hunter are both CPU opponents.
- In LEGO Universe, one of the kits exclusive to Crux Prime is the "Explorien Bot" kit, which consists of Ann Droid's legs, torso (with printings on both the front and back) and 1x1 round yellow transparent "light" hat that changes walking animations to a robotic style. The pants are awarded in a Crux Prime achievement.
