Bluecoat Soldier 2 - Lopsided Smile

The 2015 Bluecoat soldier revives one of LEGO Pirates’ foundational factions. Imperial-style blue uniforms first appeared opposite the pirates in the late 1980s, giving the theme an organized authority against which eyepatched outlaws could rebel. This modern soldier keeps the blue-and-white color language but adds facial personality, cleaner printing, and the refined accessories expected decades later. The lopsided smile is a tiny but revealing change: early troops often functioned as near-anonymous army builders, while later minifigures increasingly receive individual expressions. Displayed beside an original-era soldier, the figure shows how LEGO can preserve a faction’s visual identity while making the person inside it less generic.