Okay, we need to talk.
My DMs, my store emails, even comments on my personal Instagram, they've all been flooded with the same question for weeks: Labubu are they haunted?
It started as a trickle, then became a flood. People are either genuinely spooked by their new vinyl friend or they're actively seeking out a "cursed" one. So let's just get this out of the way right now.
No. Your Labubu is not haunted. It is not possessed. It is not a vessel for Pazuzu, an ancient Mesopotamian demon king of the wind. It's a piece of vinyl, lovingly designed by an artist named Kasing Lung, and produced by Pop Mart.
But the fact that we're even having this conversation is fascinating. It's a perfect storm of a viral meme, an uncanny design, and the internet's love for a good ghost story. As someone who lives and breathes these little monsters, I've been watching this whole dark labubu phenomenon with a mix of amusement and, honestly, a little frustration.
How a Cute Monster Got a Demonic Reputation
This whole thing exploded on TikTok. If you haven't seen the videos, they usually go something like this: someone unboxes a Labubu, often from The Monsters Mischief series. The camera zooms in on its toothy grin and wide, staring eyes. The caption reads "Why does it look evil?" or "I think my Labubu is haunted."
Then came the Pazuzu connection.
Someone, somewhere, pointed out that Labubu's pointy ears and mischievous smile kinda-sorta-if-you-squint-really-hard resemble the iconography of Pazuzu. This is the same demon, by the way, that was famously featured in The Exorcist. It was a joke. A meme. But the internet did what it does best: it ran with it, stripping all context and nuance until it became "fact."
Suddenly, Labubu wasn't a playful forest spirit from Kasing Lung's imaginative world. It was a demonic idol. I've seen people claim their Labubu moved on its own, that it watches them, that they feel a "dark energy" from it.
The thing is, the "dark" figures people point to are almost always from specific series designed to be, well, mischievous. The Monsters Mischief series is literally about them causing a bit of playful trouble. The little devil Labubu, with its tiny horns and pitchfork? It's a costume! It's playing dress-up! It's not a literal spawn of hell. But on a grainy, creepily-soundtracked TikTok, I can see how people get there.
This whole situation completely misunderstands the character. If you want to know what Labubu is really about, it's worth reading up on the real Labubu meaning. The lore is about adventure and friendship in a magical forest, not demonic possession.
A Seller's Log: The "Haunted" Tax is Real
From my perspective as a store owner, this trend has had some very real, and very weird, consequences.
First, the price gouging. It's absurd. A standard, non-secret figure from a blind box series typically retails for around $15-$18. Before this trend, you could find most common figures from older series on secondary markets for less than retail.
Not anymore.
I've watched the Labubu Mischief Devil figure, a common figure, mind you, get listed on eBay and Mercari for $40, $50, even $60 with "HAUNTED" or "PAZUZU" in the title. And people are buying them. They're paying a "haunted tax" for a story, not a product. It's wild. The demand for anything that looks remotely like a dark labubu has created a bubble fueled entirely by a ghost story.
Second, it's a breeding ground for fakes. Scammers are not dumb. They see a viral trend, they see people desperate for a specific "creepy" looking toy, and they flood the market with cheap knock-offs. The paint jobs are terrible, the vinyl feels cheap and sometimes oily, and the boxes are flimsy. But if you're a newcomer who just saw a TikTok and needs a haunted doll, you're the perfect target.
I had a customer email me last week in a panic. She'd bought a "Pazuzu Labubu" from a sketchy-looking site for $75 because it was sold out everywhere else. She sent me pictures. It was one of the worst fakes I've ever seen. The teeth were painted on crooked. The ears were asymmetrical. It was a mess. We spent a good half hour comparing it to the photos in my guide to spotting fake Labubu just to confirm. She was heartbroken, not because it wasn't haunted, but because she'd been ripped off.
This is the real-world damage of a silly meme. It preys on hype and excitement, and it leaves new fans with a bad taste in their mouths and a hole in their wallets.
Real Talk: My Honest Take on the "Dark Labubu" Craze
Look, I'm just gonna say it. The whole "haunted Labubu" thing is dumb.
It's disrespectful to the artist, Kasing Lung, who poured his heart and soul into creating a rich, imaginative world for these characters. He's an incredibly talented artist with a unique vision, and seeing his work reduced to a cheap horror meme is genuinely frustrating. This isn't just a rabbit with teeth; it's a character with a story, and learning about Kasing Lung's journey gives you a much deeper appreciation for the toy in your hand.
The trend also hurts the collecting community. It attracts speculators who don't care about the art, only about flipping a "cursed" toy for a quick buck. It drives up prices for everyone, making it harder for genuine fans to complete their collections. And it spreads a ton of misinformation that we, the sellers and long-time collectors, constantly have to correct.
My advice? If you love a Labubu design because you think it looks cool, edgy, or even a little creepy, awesome! Buy it. Appreciate the aesthetic. That's what art toys are all about. The Mischief series is one of my personal favorites because it's so expressive and fun.
But if you're about to drop $100 on a common figure because a 15-second video told you it was possessed... Please don't. You're getting scammed. The only spirit inhabiting that toy is the spirit of capitalism.
Why We Want Our Toys to Be CreepySo why did this catch on so hard? I think it's because Labubu's design is genuinely brilliant.
It walks a perfect line in the uncanny valley. The giant, dark eyes are soulful but also a little vacant. The big, toothy grin is joyful but can also be read as menacing. It's a monster, but a cute one. That slight edge, that hint of something unsettling, is what makes the design so compelling. It's the same reason people are drawn to characters like Gloomy Bear or the stories of haunted dolls like Annabelle and Robert. We love the thrill of a cute thing that might be a little dangerous.
Kasing Lung nailed that duality. His monsters aren't just one-note cute. They have personality. They can be happy, sad, angry, or mischievous. The "dark labubu" interpretation just cranks the "mischievous" dial up to "malevolent."
It's also not a new concept in the designer toy world. Artists like Skullpanda have built their entire brand on a much darker, more gothic aesthetic. The figures from Coarse often have a deep sense of melancholy and drama. Art toys are a medium for exploring the full spectrum of emotion, not just sunshine and rainbows. The difference is, those are the artist's intent. The Labubu-as-a-demon trend is a fan-fiction narrative projected onto the art, and it's one that completely misses the point.
So, no, your Labubu isn't haunted. It's not evil. It's not a gateway for ancient demons.
It's a piece of art. It's a character in a story. It's a ridiculously cute little monster with a toothy grin that's meant to make you smile, not run in fear. The creepiness you might feel is a feature, not a bug, it's a testament to a design so good it can be interpreted in multiple ways.
If you're curious to see the full range of Labubu's "emotions" and decide for yourself just how "dark" they really are, you can always check out the LABUBU collection we carry. You'll find everything from sweet-looking Macarons to playful Zimomos. I promise, none of them will require an exorcism. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a new shipment to unpack, and I'm hoping for a secret, not because it's cursed, but because the hunt is half the fun.
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