LEGO just revealed its first-ever Pokémon minifigures, and fans are split
LEGO officially revealed its first-ever Pokémon minifigures, Red, Professor Oak, a generic Picnicker, and Pikachu and Eevee figures, inside a giant buildable Poké Ball set. It’s a milestone fans have wanted for years. So why are so many of them unhappy? Here’s the reveal, and the divided reaction.
It’s a moment Pokémon and LEGO fans have waited years for: the first-ever official LEGO Pokémon minifigures are finally here. And they arrive inside a genuinely impressive giant, buildable Poké Ball.
But in classic internet fashion, the long-awaited reveal has fans split right down the middle. Here’s everything LEGO just unveiled, and why the reaction is more complicated than pure hype.
What LEGO actually revealed
Let’s start with the star of the show.
LEGO and The Pokémon Company officially revealed the Iconic Trainer Moments Poké Ball (set 72154), a massive 2,368-piece build shaped like a giant Poké Ball that opens up to reveal a detailed diorama inside, including a recreation of Professor Oak’s laboratory and a battle scene.
The headline feature is the minifigures. For the very first time, LEGO Pokémon sets include proper minifigs, three of them: the iconic Trainer Red, Professor Oak, and a Picnicker (a classic Trainer type from the games). They’re joined by molded figures of Pikachu and Eevee. The set launches October 1, 2026, with pre-orders live now, priced around $260.
LEGO also revealed an Up-Scaled Red Minifigure (a large, buildable version of Red for about $80), plus new Arcanine, Rayquaza, and Munchlax display sets, all part of LEGO’s big Pokémon push celebrating the franchise’s 30th anniversary.
Wait, “who is this guy?”
Here’s a fun bit of confusion worth clearing up.
When the images spread online, one figure had people scratching their heads, the trainer in the green cap. “Who is this guy?” became a common reaction. And honestly? That’s the whole problem.
That figure is a Picnicker, a generic Trainer class from the games (think of the random campers and hikers you battle on the routes). He’s not a specific, beloved character, he’s a nobody. Which is exactly why fans are confused, and a little annoyed. When you’re making your very first, historic batch of Pokémon minifigures, sticking a faceless generic trainer in there instead of an actual fan-favorite feels like a strange call (more on that below).
Why fans are actually divided
Here’s where the reveal gets interesting, because it’s not all celebration.
Despite the excitement of finally getting Pokémon minifigures, a big chunk of the fanbase isn’t fully sold, and the criticism falls into a few camps:
The designs. Some fans think the minifig faces and proportions look a little “off,” and the Up-Scaled Red build in particular has drawn mockery for its oddly oversized hat, with fans calling it “wonky.”
The price. At around $260 for the Poké Ball set, this is not cheap, continuing a trend of LEGO’s Pokémon sets carrying steep price tags. Some fans feel priced out.
The “display-over-play” direction. A vocal group argues LEGO is leaning too hard into expensive adult display pieces. As one fan put it, “This isn’t made for Pokémon fans who like LEGO; it’s made for LEGO fans who like LEGO.”
The character choices. This is the big one. Fans are baffled that the set pairs Red with a generic Picnicker instead of his legendary rival, Blue (a.k.a. Gary). Including Pikachu and Eevee but skipping Red’s iconic rival, in favor of a random camper, feels like a real miss to longtime players.
But plenty of fans love it, too
Here’s the other side, because the reaction isn’t all negative.
For all the griping, a lot of fans are genuinely thrilled. The Poké Ball set specifically has won praise, with some calling it the “first good Pokémon LEGO set”, a big compliment given how divisive the earlier, minifig-less display sets were. The clever opening-Poké-Ball design, the Professor Oak’s-lab diorama, and the sheer novelty of finally having buildable Pokémon trainers have real appeal.
And there’s a broader point in LEGO’s favor: unlike LEGO’s Super Mario line, which made fans wait years for a proper buildable Mario minifigure, LEGO delivered Pokémon minifigures in the theme’s very first year. For fans who’ve wanted this crossover forever, that’s a genuine win, even if the execution isn’t perfect.
LEGO Pokémon minifigures: what it comes down to
The arrival of LEGO’s first-ever Pokémon minifigures, Red, Professor Oak, and a Picnicker, alongside Pikachu and Eevee, is a genuine milestone for a crossover fans have dreamed about for decades. Wrapped inside a striking, openable Poké Ball, it’s an undeniably cool centerpiece for the franchise’s 30th-anniversary year.
But it’s also a perfect snapshot of modern LEGO fandom: a beloved, long-awaited product landing to a chorus of both delight and complaint, over prices, proportions, and priorities. Whether you see it as a dream come true or overpriced “displayslop” probably depends on what you wanted from LEGO Pokémon in the first place. Either way, the trainers have finally arrived, and everyone’s got an opinion.
Well, everyone except the poor Picnicker. Nobody knows who he is.
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Article compiled and edited by Derek Gibbs (entertainment editor) and the Clownfish TV newsroom.
Hat Tips:
LEGO Group and The Pokémon Company International (official press release) (July 7, 2026), the primary source, verified for the reveal (the Iconic Trainer Moments Poké Ball set 72154 with roughly 2,368 pieces, the first-ever LEGO Pokémon minifigures of Red, Professor Oak, and a Picnicker plus Pikachu and Eevee figures, the openable Poké Ball with Professor Oak’s lab and battle-scene diorama, the Up-Scaled Red Minifigure, the Arcanine/Rayquaza/Munchlax sets, the October 1 and August 1 launch dates, pre-orders opening July 7, and the ~$260 pricing tied to Pokémon’s 30th anniversary)
Dexerto and 9to5Toys (July 2026), verified for the leak-to-reveal timeline (leaker Lite and Brick Tap surfacing the images July 6 ahead of LEGO’s official July 7 confirmation) and the divided fan reaction (criticism of the Up-Scaled Red’s design and hat, the “displayslop” and “made for LEGO fans who like LEGO” complaints, and the pricing concerns)
Nintendo Life and Jay’s Brick Blog (July 2026), verified for the additional fan reaction (praise for the Poké Ball set as the “first good Pokémon LEGO set,” the complaint about including a generic Picnicker rather than Red’s rival Blue/Gary, the comparison to LEGO Super Mario making fans wait years for a buildable