Lego wasn’t always focused on major IPs, however the company began teetering on the verge of bankruptcy in the 80s and 90s so money ran dry to create novel sets, which only exacerbated the cycle of decline. The only factor that prevented a complete collapse was the partnership with Star Wars which single-handedly saved the company, and pushed Lego to adopt an IP centered approach.

The company did have several independent IP such as Chima, Ninjago, Atlantis, and Bionicle, but the company was aquired by private equity firms in the early 2010 and those IP were tossed in the trash as children were no longer seen as an effective target market. Now, the company primarily targets individuals in the 21-35 age bracket, and seeing as that group enjoys Star Wars, Harry Potter, and so on, the company goes all in on those IP.