What LEGO Pokemon sets could we see in 2026 and beyond?
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LEGO’s bombshell announcement that it had snagged the license to produce Pokemon sets in 2026 has set both fandoms on fire. It’s hands down one of LEGO’s biggest licensing win since Star Wars, Disney and Nintendo, and predictably, it has both LEGO and Pokemon fans worried about the confluence of both their interests.
It’s going to be a bit of a wait for LEGO Pokemon sets, as we currently only know that they’re “coming in 2026”, so there’s no better time than to speculate what could be coming our way.
With Pokemon being the biggest media property in the world (yes, bigger than Disney or Star Wars), this is obviously huge, and with 2026 being Pokemon’s 30th anniversary, expectations are incredibly high over what LEGO will do with the license.
This is of course exacerbated by there being lots of fan-made designs and MOCs of LEGO Pokemon, but also Mega Brands’ longstanding history with Pokemon that has yielded plenty of great Pokemon Mega Bloks sets.
Here are my predictions of what I’d love to see from LEGO Pokemon sets, based on how LEGO segments their current portfolio. With this being such a big hit not just with kids and adults, and there being heavy commercial expectations for this to be a smash-hit right out the door, I think we’re going to see a mixed approach to LEGO Pokemon with products across every single price-point.
My main concern with the launch is that LEGO is quite slow and methodical when it comes to launching new themes, and I think it would be a mistake for LEGO’s traditional incremental approach to releasing sets.
For example, new themes only get small number of sets. LEGO Animal Crossing only launched with 5 sets, LEGO Fortnite launched with 4, and the highly anticipated Legend of Zelda only launched with the Great Deku Tree, and it’s been silence ever since. We can also see this pattern being repeated in LEGO Icons, where 10302 Optimus Prime launched in 2022, and we had to wait 2 whole years for the next LEGO Transformers set, 10338 Bumblebee to be released.
I really hope LEGO aren’t as conservative and timid, and instead go aggressively all-out with LEGO Pokemon when the sets are released in 2026. A big bang launch like LEGO Formula 1 which saw multiple sets release across different price-points and age ranges, would be ideal and really demonstrate that LEGO is serious about the license, and I hope LEGO also sustain excitement with Pokemon through a more rapid release cycle to keep Pokemon fans engaged.
Here’s what I think we’re likely to get from LEGO.
Small-sized Buildable Pokemon
This is the area where LEGO can truly shine. Over the years, they have gotten REALLY good with creature-building, most evident in the LEGO Creator 3-in-1 theme. Creator creatures have really demonstrated that LEGO can do a lot, with very few bricks. Even sets at the US$19.99 / AU$29.99 pricepoint look realistic enough, and with enough new and specialised elements for more organic shapes, this is an area where we’re likely going to see the most bang for our bucks.
These would be great for younger builders, and also those on a budget, while still delivering on the promise of LEGO Pokemon.
LEGO Pokemon Brickheadz
LEGO Brickheadz now seem exclusively dedicated for licensed characters, offering fan-favourite characters at one of LEGO’s lowest price points. As LEGO Store / LEGO.com exclusives, these are still fairly popular, and the blocky builds have plenty of fans, even if they’re not the most vocal or visible online.
Some of the most popular Pokemon like Pikachu, Charizard, and even humans like Ash and Misty are almost shoe-ins for the eventual LEGO Pokemon line. I can also see 3-stage evolution packs for starters like a Squirtle, Wartortle and Blastoise Brickheadz pack as a distinct possibility as well, and love em or hate em, Brickheadz are pretty crucial for LEGO fans shopping on a budget.
Mini Pokemon character Packs
Remember these LEGO Super Mario buildable characters that first came in blind bags, and then blind boxes? These were Polybag-sized and priced sets that I’d love to see make a return as even more budget-friendly alternatives for younger LEGO and Pokemon fans.
Remember LEGO Mixels? These adorable little builds were released in 2014 as part of a collaboration between Cartoon Network and LEGO, and came in these little plastic bags. Despite being small sub-100 piece models, these were really neat builds, and LEGO managed to crank out a lot of unique creature-based designs way back in 2014.
I would LOVE for LEGO to revisit this format but with Pokemon instead, and while they’re at it, finally give us non-grey Mixel ball joints.
Large-Scale Pokemon Icons Sets
This is all but a certainty, and with LEGO and Pokemon realising that there are thousands of cashed up adults just eager to part with their hard-earned money to relive the nostalgia of their childhood, 18+ / LEGO Icons will surely be a huge part of the eventual LEGO Pokemon theme.
This is where modern LEGO truly shines, where LEGO’s design team can really push the limits of building design. I can see large and detailed models of some of the most popular Pokemon (Pikachu and Charizard surely), in the same vein as 43247 Young Simba the Lion King or 71411 The Mighty Bowser, but here’s hoping we also get smaller models like Pokeballs, or a Pokedex.
I don’t think we’re quite ready for life-sized Bricker Builds-scale models… but I’m really excited to see LEGO Icons Pokemon sets, and also other fresh and innovative models. A diorama of the Sky Pillar with Rayquaza wrapped around it would be *chef kiss*.
LEGO Pokemon Collectible Minifigures / Blind Boxes
What I would absolutely LOVE is a Pokemon LEGO Collectible series. Sarah (aka @just2good) has showcased what a LEGO Collectible series with Pokemon translated into minifigure form could potentially look like, and that would definitely be very cool.
I also think that a Series based on NPCs or characters from the video games/anime could also be more interesting, especially if they’re paired with small, minifigure-scale Pokemon would also be terrific.
Imagine Brock with Vulpix, Misty with Togepi, or even NPCs like a Fisherman with a Magikarp, or Youngster Joey with a Rattata (one that’s in the top percentage of all Rattata, mind you), or Gym Leaders like Lt. Surge with a Magnemite would be a commercial best-seller for sure.
And since these are blind boxes… taking a leaf out of Pokemon TCG… Imagine if LEGO produced SHINY versions of the Pokemon for these blind boxes that would be significantly rarer than the usual versions, giving these a “chase” element, similar to the TCG.
It would cause a lot of grief for completionists, and I would be equally pissed about this, but I think it’s a very clever way to adapt the Shiny mechanic, and also make LEGO Collectible Minifigures a bit more interesting, if super-rare Shinies are included.
LEGO Pokemon Minifigure-Scale Playsets
The big one for me, and what most LEGO and Pokemon fans want, are ultimately Minifigure-scale Pokemon playsets. The dream is of course for LEGO Pokemon sets with minifigures of the main characters, but also moulded minifigure-scale Pokemon (or at least close!) to go along with them.
These would be the dream for LEGO and Pokemon fans, and something that Mega Bloks couldn’t quite nail with their sets and designs. The lesser-known Keeppley brand, which has officially licensed Pokemon sets that are only sold in Asia is probably the closest to getting the aesthetic right with their designs.
I do own a couple of Keeppley sets (for science), and I find their execution to be great, and I really hope we see LEGO sets in the same vein.
The big question mark is of course, whether LEGO has the resources to commit to creating new moulds for Pokemon. Of course, I don’t think it’s realistic for 1025 new Pokemon moulds, but I do think that the Pokemon license and business case is strong enough to attempt this.
Seeing how Nintendo fans have a visceral reaction to LEGO Super Mario sets, and the lack of Mario minifigures, I am confident that LEGO have read the room right and will deliver what both LEGO and Pokemon fans really want.
And before you go, “oh Jay, LEGO aren’t going to do that, it’s way too expensive”, I invite you to check out what LEGO have done for Gabby’s Dollhouse. For a license like Pokemon, I’m sure they can get away with far far more.
Imagine a Pokemon Centre, Gyms, or different environments/biomes to catch or battle Pokemon.
What do you think we’ll get from LEGO’s collaboration with Pokemon?
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