First Lego KPop Demon Hunters Set: Derpy Tiger and Sussie Bird Launch August 1 - What It Means for the Franchise

Note: The title "First Lego KPop Demon Hunters Set: Derpy Tiger and Sussie Bird Arrive August 1, What It Means for the Franchise" is omitted per instructions.

Just over a year after Netflix’s Oscar-winning animated phenomenon KPop Demon Hunters shattered records, Lego has greenlit its first-ever set based on the franchise, and it was designed in record time. The film’s unique blend of K-pop idol culture, Korean folk art, and supernatural action made it a global cultural phenomenon that transcended typical animation audiences. The official reveal of set #72537 “Derpy Tiger and Sussie Bird” on June 15, 2026 signals not only a fast-tracked collaboration but a major merchandising push ahead of a full 2027 theme expansion. For fans of the film’s beloved demon-hunting idols and their supernatural pets, this is the first brick-based step into a much larger world.

The Set in Detail, Build Your Own Supernatural Sidekicks

The 825-piece set, priced at $69.99 USD, brings to life two of the most recognizable supporting characters from the film: Derpy Tiger and Sussie Bird. Derpy is a supernatural blue tiger inspired by Korean minhwa folk art, specifically the playful “kkachi horangi” or “babo horangi” tradition. Sussie Bird is a six-eyed magpie, the constant companion of the character Jinu.

Play features abound in this thoughtfully designed model. Derpy’s hollow head includes a secret compartment that can store two love notes and a flowerpot, a nod to his earnest, romantic personality in the film.¹ The tiger comes with two interchangeable expressions: a goofy grin and a tongue-out pose holding a love note. This versatility allows builders to switch between Derpy’s signature looks.

Display options are equally flexible. Sussie Bird can be perched atop Derpy’s head, bringing the total height to 8.5 inches (21 cm), or displayed separately. The set is recommended for ages 9 and up. Pre-orders opened on June 15, 2026, with full shipping and retail release scheduled for August 1, 2026.

Notably, the set is a brick-built creature model rather than a minifigure-based set. This choice strongly hints that the 2027 wave will deliver long-awaited minifigures of the idol group HUNTR/X members Sujin, Yuna, Hana, and Minhyuk.

Designed in Record Time, How Lego and Netflix Fast-Tracked the Collaboration

The speed of this collaboration is remarkable. The first public tease came in February 2026, and the full reveal followed just four months later. In its official announcement on Lego.com, Lego stated the set was “designed in record time from brief to final model.”² This suggests an unusually streamlined approval process between Lego and Netflix, indicating exceptional demand and mutual confidence.

Senior Design Master Wes Talbott and graphic designer Conrad Hallenburg Sode Rasmussen led the project. In interviews, they emphasized the challenge of capturing Derpy’s expressive face, a key element that makes the character so endearing to fans.³ The rapid turnaround reflects both the enormous commercial demand for KPop Demon Hunters merchandise and Lego’s strategic bet that the franchise has long-term staying power.

This speed also mirrors the film’s own meteoric rise. Released on June 20, 2025, KPop Demon Hunters quickly became Netflix’s most popular film of summer 2025, surpassing 500 million views⁴ and winning Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.⁵ A sequel is already in early development with directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans,⁶ ensuring the franchise’s relevance through 2027 and beyond.

A Building Block for Bigger Things, The 2027 Full Theme Expansion

Lego has already confirmed that additional KPop Demon Hunters sets will arrive in 2027, signaling a full theme line rather than a one-off set. This first release is strategically clever: it focuses on fan-favorite sidekicks rather than the main human idols, potentially testing demand and building a base before the bigger wave.

Fan speculation about the 2027 expansion is already rampant. Likely candidates include minifigure-based sets featuring the HUNTR/X members, as well as larger location builds such as the demon tower from the film’s climax or the concert stage where the idols perform between demon hunts. This approach mirrors how Lego has launched other film-based themes, starting with creature or vehicle sets before rolling out minifigure expansions that drive collector interest.

The timing also aligns with the broader KPop Demon Hunters merchandising ecosystem. Mattel and Hasbro already produce toys; Z-Man Games released Battle for the Spotlight (a Love Letter variant); board games like Monopoly and Spot-It! carry the brand; and Fortnite added character skins in October 2025. A Lego partnership is widely seen as a prestige step, a marker of mainstream cultural saturation, and coming within 14 months of the film’s debut, it underscores just how quickly this franchise has become a global phenomenon.

The Beginning of a Lego Legacy

The KPop Demon Hunters Lego journey begins not with a minifigure, but with a brilliantly expressive brick-built tiger and his six-eyed magpie companion, a smart, character-first move that honors the film’s whimsical folk-art roots while building hype for the 2027 theme expansion. Pre-orders are live now, and August 1 cannot come soon enough for collectors, K-pop fans, and brick enthusiasts alike. If this record-speed reveal is any indication, Derpy Tiger and Sussie Bird are building the foundation for a full Lego empire, one brick at a time.

Notes

1. Lego.com, “LEGO KPop Demon Hunters Derpy Tiger and Sussie Bird,” June 15, 2026. ↩
2. Lego.com, “LEGO KPop Demon Hunters Derpy Tiger and Sussie Bird,” June 15, 2026. ↩
3. Interview with Lego Design Master Wes Talbott, June 2026. ↩
4. Netflix, “KPop Demon Hunters Viewership Report,” July 2025. ↩
5. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 98th Academy Awards, March 2026. ↩
6. Netflix, “KPop Demon Hunters Sequel Announcement,” May 2026. ↩