Who is Labubu's Father? The Answer Will Surprise You

Your kid has been asking for a Labubu. Maybe they've been begging for one for weeks. Or maybe you just spotted the grinning, toothy little creature dangling from someone's handbag and thought — what on earth is that, and why does my child need it immediately? Either way, you're here, and the first question on your lips is probably: where did this thing even come from?

The answer is genuinely fascinating — and it starts not in a toy factory, but with a lonely seven-year-old boy and a pile of picture books.

Labubu was created by Kasing Lung, a Hong Kong-born artist raised in Utrecht, Netherlands. That childhood move turned out to be the spark for everything. When he arrived in the Netherlands at age seven, Lung quickly fell in love with Nordic fairy tales — especially those about elves. Cut off by the language barrier, picture books became his window into a new world — and drawing became his way of making sense of it all.

He later studied and worked in Belgium, where he became the first Chinese artist to receive the national Illustration Award. That's a genuinely impressive detail to casually drop at the school gate.

So what does a Hong Kong kid raised on Dutch picture books and Nordic elf legends eventually create? A mischievous, sharp-toothed, big-eared little creature that takes over the world, apparently.

Labubu was part of Lung's story series The Monsters, which was influenced by Nordic folklore and mythology he enjoyed during his childhood. Labubu was introduced in 2015, with figurines initially produced by the company How2Work.

Here's the thing that might surprise you most: before they became highly sought-after collectibles, Labubus were storybook characters — a playful tribe of female elves described as kind-hearted and eager to help, though their good intentions can sometimes lead to chaos. Mischievous but well-meaning. Sound like anyone you know?

The toy gained wider recognition in 2019 following a collaboration with Pop Mart, the Chinese toy giant. This partnership boosted Labubu's popularity among collectors enormously. Before that, it was a niche art toy with a cult following. After? Well, you know how this story ends — there are now over 300 versions of Labubu and counting.

Labubu isn't an only child. She's part of a whole tribe — The Monsters — and each character has their own personality. Here's a quick cheat sheet so you can keep up when your kid starts explaining the lore:

• Zimomo — the leader of The Monsters and arguably the most powerful. Has a tail, which is how you tell them apart from Labubu.
• Labubu — the star of the show. Kind-hearted, slightly chaotic, and unmistakable with those nine sharp little teeth.
• Tycoco — a shy skeleton who happens to be Labubu's boyfriend, and Labubu often playfully teases him. (Skeleton boyfriend. Totally normal.)
• Mokoko — looks similar to Labubu but can be spotted by their heart-shaped nose.
• Pato — one of the original crew from the early picture books.
• Spooky — does exactly what it says on the tin.
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Kasing Lung's vision was always for each character to have equal standing. As he put it: "There's no such thing as a main character in The Monsters land. All the characters are main characters and they each have their own story." Labubu just happened to go viral first.

Knowing a bit of backstory makes the whole thing more magical, and kids absolutely love this kind of thing. Here are a few gems:

• The name was chosen carefully. Kasing Lung picked "Labubu" because it's catchy and unique — as he explained, if you type "Labubu" into Google, you'll find exactly what you're looking for. Name her "Johnny," and you'd have a very different problem.
• She started as a book character. Labubu appeared in illustrated storybooks years before she became a toy. The three original Monsters books — The Story of Puca (2015), Pato and the Girl (2016), and Milo's Requiem (2017) — are where it all began.
• Celebrities are obsessed too. Labubu dolls have been spotted on the bags of Dua Lipa, Rihanna, and BLACKPINK's Lisa — it was Lisa's posts in early 2024 that really sent the global frenzy into overdrive.
• The blind box is the whole point. Labubus are sold in sealed boxes — you don't know which version you'll get until you open it. The chance of landing a rare "secret" figure is part of what makes collecting so addictive. Parents, consider yourselves warned.

If your child isn't already begging for every version of Labubu ever made, this will seal the deal. In November 2025, Sony Pictures acquired rights to develop a film based on Labubu, with Paul King announced as director. If the name Paul King rings a bell, it should — he's the director behind both Paddington films. That's a genuinely exciting combination: the warm, charming storytelling of Paddington, applied to a toothy little monster from a Nordic fairy tale. We're already in.

So next time your kid points at a furry, gap-toothed creature dangling from someone's bag and says "that's Labubu" — you'll actually know what to say. She's the creation of a Hong Kong artist who grew up on Nordic fairy tales in the Netherlands, drew her into existence through three picture books, and accidentally gave the world one of its most unlikely cultural phenomena.

Not bad for a little monster.