The first official LEGO Pokémon sets have been revealed and have already found themselves at the heart of a new controversy. With how popular both Pokémon and the LEGO franchise, a collaboration between these two collectible giants seemed inevitable. The result, however, is largely expected, but somewhat disappointing, as these sets continue two divisive trends in their respective franchises that could ultimately hold the collaboration back from reaching its full potential.
There are 5 LEGOs Pokémon sets in total, including Pikachu, Eevee, the starting trio of Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise, the Kanto Gym Badge Collection and a Mini Pokemon Center. The latter two of these sets are only available as a free gift with purchases from the Pokemon Center website and to LEGO Insiders as a reward, respectively. While these sets are good, focusing all the attention on Gen 1 combined with LEGO's high prices is a bit underwhelming.
If the LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon is any indication, I'm sure your best bet is to buy this LEGO Pokemon set and do it now
LEGO's new Pokemon sets were just revealed, and if you're on the fence about one of them, the LEGO Millennium Falcon set is why you should buy it now.
The new LEGO Pokemon sets once again show the franchise's Gen 1 bias
A common criticism against Pokémon series in recent years has had a skewed focus towards the Gen 1 games and the Kanto region. The 2018s Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee was the second time the original games were remade, and many of the new regional variants, Mega Evolutions, and Gigantamax forms from recent generations have also heavily favored Gen 1 animals. It's understandable that Game Freak and The Pokemon Company would want to capitalize on nostalgia for the franchise's roots, but some fans feel that this emphasis has been overdone and takes the spotlight away from popular mons from later generations.
Later generation Pokémon that could be perfect for LEGO sets
-
Rayquaza
-
Garchomp
-
Golurk
-
Aegislash
-
Zygarde
-
Picket fence
One of the most glaring problems with Pokemon chosen to receive LEGO sets is the rounded, soft nature of the creatures, making it difficult to translate the blocky design of LEGO in a way that does their models justice. The result makes Pikachu and Eevee look away, which is odd when there are animals in the franchise that could work within the confines of LEGO's angular blocks to see more of the model. Inorganic-looking mons like Golurk, Aegislash, and Stakataka are the perfect fit for LEGO's signature aesthetic, and Zygarde Complete's massive humanoid form wouldn't be out of place as a LEGO set either. Breaking away from Gen 1 would allow LEGO to incorporate more block-friendly animals into this collaboration.
The LEGO Pokemon Leaked Wave 2 set can help alleviate this problem
-
Squirtle's Training Buggy Adventure
-
Charmander's wild encounter with Geodude
-
Pikachu's Training House
-
Cubone vs Gengar's Ghost Challenge
-
Jolteon vs Charizard
-
Scorbunny Evolution
-
Stadium bus
-
Eevee Evolution
-
Dojo House with Riolu
-
Mewtwo Lab
Looking at the leaked second wave of LEGO Pokémon sets slated for summer 2026 release, there are some non-Gen 1 mons getting representation. The Scorbunny Evolution set means the Galar starter and its evolutions will get a dedicated set in the future, and the Dojo House with Riolu set also brings Gen 4 Fighting-type representation. Two non-Gen 1 sets isn't much in the grand scheme of this collaboration, but it's still better than nothing and could lead to more later gen sets in the future.
LEGO's expensive prices may hinder the availability of these Pokémon sets
As Pokémons overemphasis on Gen 1, one of the most common complaints with LEGO is the increasingly expensive prices of its new sets. As LEGO sets become more expensive, the barrier to entry for casual collectors becomes higher, and IP collaborations like this with Pokémon becomes difficult for anyone who is not a dedicated LEGO collector to participate in. LEGO Pokémon Eevee is the cheapest set at $59.99, while LEGO Pokémon Pikachu is much more expensive at $199.99. The most expensive set of this collaboration is LEGO Pokémon Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise cost $649.99, making it one of the most expensive LEGO sets ever released.
To make matters worse, many of these LEGOs Pokémon sets are being scalped on eBay for insane prices. Collectors unlucky enough to miss out on pre-orders for their desired set may end up having to shell out even more than the already expensive MSRP for these sets via third-party sellers. Even if Pokémon is no stranger to limited product releases and scaled items, it's a disappointing trend that takes the wind out of the sails of what should be one of the most exciting LEGO releases of the year.
