Behind the Bricks: How LEGO® Pokémon™ Sets Came to Be

30 years ago, Pokémon captured our collective imagination. It introduced us to fantastical characters and Trainers on an adventure to unravel the mysteries of the Pokémon world. Today, these creatures have evolved and leveled up to a whole new stage never seen (or built) before – into LEGO® Pokémon™ sets. But how did this transformation happen, and who are the masterminds behind it?

Trainers, join us on an exclusive adventure behind-the-bricks with the brilliant LEGO designers who brought these iconic Pokémon to life!

From Eevee’s irresistible charm and the early Trainer memories of Pikachu bursting from a Poké Ball to the battle-ready trio with Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise, we’ll share secrets, clever building techniques and wild design challenges the designers faced before we all could catch and build them all!

Designer spotlight: Ilia Gotlib – The mind behind Eevee

First up, meet Ilia Gotlib, the creative mind behind the brick-built cuteness of Eevee! With over a decade at the LEGO Group, Ilia has transitioned from engineer to Associate Design Lead on the LEGO® Pokémon™ theme. His impressive portfolio includes beloved themes like LEGO | Disney, LEGO Friends, THE LEGO MOVIE 2™ and LEGO Ideas. Basically, if it’s fun, Ilia probably had a hand in it!

Capturing Eevee’s charm

Eevee isn’t just adorable, it’s a true fan favorite, which is why Ilia knew from the start that Eevee was a must-have for the LEGO® Pokémon™ lineup. “The brief for this model was to build Eevee as accurately as possible and bring in playful poseability to reflect the nature of the character,” he explains. Sounds simple? Think again. Every Pokémon fan and LEGO builder knows turning a round, cute Pokémon into a brick masterpiece is a real Trainer challenge.

“Pokémon are very organic-looking, which can be super challenging but equally exciting when building them with LEGO bricks,” Ilia says. The challenge lies in transforming Eevee’s soft, rounded features into a model made of rigid bricks. As any builder can attest, creating organic shapes with LEGO bricks can feel like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole! To tackle this, Ilia and his team focused on getting Eevee’s face just right, especially those big, bright, adorable eyes. “The scale was largely informed by Eevee’s face, in particular its eyes and mouth,” he explains. The team tried various combinations to get the look just right, and in the end, everything just clicked.

From ears to tail

The sharp, pointy ears of Eevee underwent many feedback loops to accurately portray their distinctive shape, and Ilia and his team worked hard to achieve the correct proportions of the different body segments, such as the tail, head and legs.

But the fun didn’t stop there! Ilia and his team even invented two new curved LEGO elements just for Eevee. “We were lucky enough to develop two new bow elements that are used on the sides of Eevee’s head to create a smooth transition from the head to the body,” he shares.

Designer spotlight: Siddharth Muthyala – Designing Pikachu and Poké Ball

Next up, we have Siddhart Muthyala. A creative genius who helped bring Pikachu to life in brick form. With 16 years as a LEGO Designer, he boasts an impressive portfolio that includes LEGO Legends of Chima™, LEGO MINDSTORMS®, LEGO Life of George, LEGO Fusion and many more. A designer who was the perfect fit for designing the iconic Pikachu!

The joy of play

When Siddhart designs, he considers one certain thing as the most important part: PLAY! “Play is the most important aspect of a LEGO experience for me, and I always think about what brings delight and joy, and how I can bring that to life,” he explains. So, when it came to designing Pikachu, capturing that spark and making it fun to build and pose were top priorities.

“Pikachu is arguably the most recognized Pokémon of all time,” he says (and who’s going to argue with that?). Siddharth’s passion for playfulness shines through every aspect of the design.

Bringing Pikachu to life in brick form

Sharp-eyed Trainers and builders will notice: getting Pikachu’s proportions just right is no easy feat. “For example, the way we’ve had to achieve the position and angle of the iconic Pikachu ears, we’ve had to add rings and spacers to get the right position while still being a good system build,” Siddharth explains. That’s some serious engineering!

To achieve the perfect LEGO Pikachu, Siddarth used advanced SNOT (Studs Not On Top) techniques. A method that involves attaching LEGO bricks at angles, so the studs face sideways, not up, allowing for those smooth signature curves and rounded shapes that fans recognize and adore. "Pikachu is round, curved and cute – not easy to do in LEGO bricks that are hard, square and sharp,” he notes. It took real creativity and lots of engineering finesse to capture Pikachu’s essence and keep the build sturdy.

Pikachu’s signature features

Pikachu’s signature features are instantly recognizable. But how did Siddharth and the team recreate these iconic features in LEGO bricks? And did they face any challenges along the way?

We’ve already talked about those iconic ears, but another signature part that turned out to be a real tease was Pikachu’s lightning-bolt tail. As the tail needed to be both strong and slim at the same time, the designers were put to the test to achieve the perfect look. And to add an extra layer of fun (and even more challenges), the team chose to make a special feature to the tail: “We also designed it so it can be changed from a male Pikachu to a female Pikachu”, so every fan gets to customize their own Pikachu’s personality.

And we must certainly not forget those wide, bright eyes and distinct red cheeks! “The eyes and cheeks for Pikachu being in the right position and angle have been critical to make sure that we have captured the iconic visual of Pikachu,” says Siddharth. It’s the kind of build that both looks fantastic and buzzes with Pikachu’s electric spirit!

Designer spotlight: Peter Carmichael – Building a battle-ready LEGO® Pokémon™ Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise

Last but not least, it’s time to put the spotlight on the fantastic LEGO® Pokémon™ trio! Featuring Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise, it’s practically the trio of any Trainer’s dreams! Designed by Peter Carmichael, who joined the LEGO Group in 2023 after previously having worked as a chef and a UX designer. A great opportunity for a designer who’s still considerably early in his design career. Let’s dive in and see how it all came together!

Creating a cohesive set

For this set, the goal was to accurately represent the Pokémon as seen in the video games. “When we start a new design project, we are given a product brief. This lets us know what the goal of the overall project is,” Peter explains.

But where does the creative journey begin? To that, Peter says: “Personally, I use references to start imagining how I will build some of the most unique parts”. Once inspiration hits, it’s time for a ‘proof of concept’ that sets the tone for the entire model. If a small piece works, the rest starts to evolve around it. For this set, Venusaur’s eyes became the key reference point, setting the scale for the entire team.

Innovative building techniques

Each LEGO® Pokémon™ in this trio brought its own challenge. Venusaur’s head and jaw shape required a thoughtful approach, Charizard and his long, curved neck needed extra elevation to soar above the rest, and Blastoise’s complex shell required lots of experimentation before it was battle-ready. “We always try our best to innovate and push the boundaries of the LEGO system when designing a new product. This LEGO set is no exception,” Peter says.

A unified experience

With three wildly different LEGO® Pokémon™ creatures, Peter ensured that each design truly felt like they belonged together. “The main goal of this LEGO set is that while each Pokémon and their environment is so different in shape and color, they all feel like they are part of the same world,” Peter explains. To make this vision a reality, Peter used similar elements and design motifs throughout each model, creating a visual language that unites the trio and allows fans to instantly recognize their connection.

With the trio now standing proudly, Peter reflects on the journey and shares, “Designing this LEGO set was one of the biggest honors I have experienced at the LEGO Group. Even though I have only been working as a LEGO Designer for about three years, it was amazing to be trusted to design such an iconic display piece for one of the most impactful new themes we have introduced”.

So, whether you’ve been on a Trainer journey since the very beginning more than 30 years ago, or you’re just getting started, the LEGO® Pokémon™ sets let you experience the thrill of catching and building them all! Each of the three sets captures a combination of clever design and passion, uniting two worlds in a click, where Trainers can build endless LEGO® Pokémon™ adventures.