LEGO Pokémon is easily one of the most exciting new themes arriving in 2026, and it’s a big win for LEGO to finally land one of the world’s most popular entertainment franchises.
Brick-built Pokémon will soon start appearing on store shelves, although the theme is launching fairly modestly at first. The initial wave includes three retail sets releasing on 27 February 2026, which coincides with the annual celebration of Pokémon Day. All three sets appear to be aimed primarily at adult fans and collectors. To kick things off, we’ll start with 72151 Eevee, the smallest and most affordable set in the first wave.
From the outset, it’s clear that the LEGO Pokémon theme is leaning more toward display models rather than traditional playsets. The first wave includes large-scale builds of the fully evolved starter trio, Venusaur, Blastoise, and Charizard, alongside two of the franchise’s most recognisable mascots, Eevee and Pikachu.
While Pikachu is still the face of the Pokémon franchise, Eevee has become one of the series’ most beloved characters. Its cute design and the ability to evolve into multiple forms, often called “Eeveelutions”, have made it hugely popular with fans and a staple across Pokémon merchandise.
Among the first sets released, 72151 Eevee feels like a great entry point into the theme. It strikes a nice balance between price, size, and display value, making it appealing for both collectors and casual fans who want a Pokémon model on their shelf.
The instruction manual is also nicely presented. Alongside the build instructions, it includes a few fun details such as Eevee’s original Pokédex entry and a LEGO-style “spec sheet”, which adds a bit of extra character to the set.
Building Eevee
Building Eevee is a straightforward process and very beginner-friendly. The set is divided into six numbered bags, and the building techniques will feel familiar if you’ve built LEGO animals before, similar to models from the Creator line or display sets like the LEGO Icons Golden Retriever Puppy 11384.
There’s also a fun little Easter egg hidden inside the build. Inside Eevee’s head is a small cluster of multi-coloured tiles that represent the colours of Eevee’s different evolutions, Sylveon, Flareon, Jolteon, Vaporeon, Glaceon, Leafeon, Umbreon and Espeon. It’s a clever nod to one of Eevee’s defining traits and a nice detail for fans.
Design and Display
Once finished, Eevee looks fantastic. The model stands about 19 cm tall, which makes it a great size for display without taking up too much space. It’s big enough to have some presence on a desk or shelf, while still feeling like a compact display piece.
One of the best aspects of the set is that there are no stickers. All the details are printed, which is great to see on a model of this size. The face is especially well done, using three printed elements and curved slopes to capture Eevee’s expressive look.
The head is attached using a ball joint, which allows it to tilt and rotate into different poses. Eevee’s ears can also swivel, adding a bit more personality and giving you some flexibility when displaying the model.
Sculpting and Details
From the side, the designers have done a great job capturing Eevee’s fluffy fur collar. The layered pieces give it plenty of volume and texture, which works really well since the collar is one of Eevee’s most recognisable features.
The tail is another highlight. It has the correct brush-like shape, and the designers managed to recreate the tapered cone form nicely using LEGO elements. Pokémon fans might also notice a subtle detail here: the tan tip of the tail has the jagged pattern that indicates a male Eevee, whereas female Eevee have a more rounded tail pattern.
The tail is mounted on a ball joint so it can be posed in different directions, which also feels like a small nod to Eevee’s signature move, Tail Whip. The grey ball joint is a little visible, but that’s hard to avoid since these joints are only produced in a limited number of colours due to the strength required for the part.
Another nice surprise is that Eevee’s feet are printed. The model would still look good without this detail, but it’s great that LEGO included it. Even the pink paw pads on the underside of Eevee’s feet are printed, which might seem like a small touch but is actually an important part of Eevee’s design.
Final Thoughts
Overall, 72151 Eevee is a strong introduction to the LEGO Pokémon theme and sets a promising tone for future releases. Eevee is an obvious choice for the first wave thanks to its popularity, but LEGO has clearly put real effort into getting the design right. The result is a charming display model that captures Eevee’s look and personality really well in brick form.
Special thanks to Tribeca and LEGO for the review content
