Lego Exo-Force was a Lego theme that was launched in 2006 and discontinued in 2008. It focused on a team of elite pilots that used robotic mechanical machines (mecha) to protect their home against attacking robots. The backstory for the toy sets was detailed in associated media, including an online comic and a series of story books. Overview Exo-Force was the first Lego theme to focus on robotic mechanical machines controlled by humans (mecha). This concept often referenced Japanese manga and anime. Previous Lego Space themes had included elements of this, such as Spyrius in 1994 and Roboforce in 1997, but Exo-Force was the first theme to be driven by a detailed storyline. The toy line was produced in waves from 2006 to 2008 and was accompanied by a series of story books and 40 issues of the Exo-Force online comic, which was released between November 2005 and March 2008. Exo-Force centred on a group of elite human pilots that were tasked with defending their home from drone machines that were under the control of a robot named Meca One. Each member of the group piloted unique mecha weapons to battle the robots and then travelled to the enemy base to rescue their leader. Development The concept for Exo-Force was developed at a time following a period of financial problems for The Lego Group in the early 2000s. As part of the financial recovery, the company aimed to create original themes that would appeal to children and adults. Due to the rising public interest in Japanese anime during this period, which was driven by shows like Dragon Ball Z, Pokémon, and Yu-Gi-Oh, The Lego Group made the decision to create an original anime-inspired theme. Release The Exo-Force theme launched in 2006 with the first wave of toy sets. The first wave of sets sold well enough in the first year to continue the theme with a second and third wave. However, after three years Exo-Force was discontinued and the storyline was never completed. Lego Community Development Manager Jan Beyer explained, "Regarding the low sales of the Exo-Force line, the decision was made to stop the line at the end of 2008. The sales were good in 2006 but in 2007 the sales did not meet the expectations and the expectation was that even an expensive marketing campaign could not get the sales to the expected level." Story On Sentai Mountain,