Okay, we need to talk. If you've been on TikTok, Instagram, or anywhere on the internet in the last few months, you've probably seen it. The videos with the spooky music. The AI-generated images of a demonic-looking rabbit creature. The Reddit threads titled with some variation of a labubu scary story.
It's everywhere. The idea that this cute, toothy little elf is somehow a vessel for something sinister. The search for the creepy labubu doll has exploded.
As the owner of PopNya and someone who has handled literally thousands of these figures, I feel like I need to step in and offer a reality check. Because honestly? This whole scary labubu phenomenon is a wild misunderstanding of what these toys are all about. It's a classic case of internet lore spiraling out of control, and it kind of misses the entire point of Kasing Lung's beautiful, weird little world.
So, let's get into it. Where did this all come from, what's the labubu doll real story, and should you actually be afraid of that little guy on your shelf?
The Internet's Latest Boogeyman: How Labubu Got a Spooky Rep
This whole thing seemed to pop up overnight. One minute, Labubu is a beloved character within the designer toy scene; the next, it's the star of a thousand campfire tales. Most of the labubu creepy story content you see online can be traced back to a few sources.
First, you have the AI-generated images. People are feeding prompts like "labubu terror" into Midjourney and getting back these hyper-realistic, often gruesome images of Labubu with glowing red eyes, dripping fangs, and a generally nightmarish vibe. They look convincing. But they are 100% fake. They are not real products. They are digital phantoms created to get clicks.
Then you have the TikToks and YouTube shorts. Someone takes a regular Labubu, often the white Macaron figure, which has a bit of a ghostly look, and sets it to some creepy, distorted audio. They might add a filter or use a shaky cam. Suddenly, a perfectly innocent vinyl toy feels menacing. It's a classic filmmaking trick. The context, not the doll itself, is what's creating the fear. I've seen people misspell it as scary la boo boo in comments, which just shows how far the telephone game has gone.
And of course, you have the creepypasta-style stories. Reddit's r/nosleep and similar forums are filled with fictional horror stories. It was only a matter of time before a popular toy like Labubu became the subject of one. These are creative writing exercises, not factual accounts. A scary labubu story is just that, a story.
I get it, though. Labubu isn't your typical cuddly character. It has prominent, sharp-looking teeth and big, expressive eyes. For someone unfamiliar with the world of designer toys, where quirky and slightly unsettling designs are celebrated, the toothy grin can be a little jarring. But that's where the artist's intent comes in.
The Real Story: It's Mischief, Not Malice
To understand Labubu, you have to understand its creator, Kasing Lung. Before Labubu was a Pop Mart sensation, it was a character in his storybooks, living in a world of whimsical elves and monsters. I highly recommend reading up on Kasing Lung's journey as the Labubu creator to get the full picture.
Labubu is an elf. A mischievous, curious, and sometimes grumpy little elf who happens to have monster-like teeth and wears a rabbit suit. The teeth aren't meant to be terrifying; they're part of its monster-like nature. Think of the characters from Where the Wild Things Are. They look like monsters, but they're not evil. They represent a wild, untamed spirit.
That's Labubu. It embodies a sense of playful chaos and curiosity. It's the little monster that might hide your keys but would never haunt your house. The recent internet narrative that paints Labubu as demonic completely misses this nuance. It's a fundamental misreading of the character, and frankly, a bit of a disservice to the artist's vision. We've actually written before about the real meaning of Labubu and why it's not demonic, and it's a point worth repeating. The character is about embracing the weird, the imperfect, and the monstrous within all of us in a joyful way.
Real "Creepy" Labubus vs. The Fakes You See Online
Now, here's where my experience as a seller comes in handy. While the demonic Labubu is fake, there are official releases that lean into a spookier, more monstrous aesthetic. If you're someone who is drawn to the creepy labubu vibe, it's important to know what's real and what's not.
The Real Deal (Official Releases with a Spooky Vibe):
- The Monsters Mischief Series: This is probably the holy grail for collectors who like the "scary" look. Released a few years back, this series featured Labubu and friends dressed as classic Halloween monsters, a vampire, a little devil, a skeleton. These are long sold out at retail and command high prices on the secondary market. I saw the Skeleton Zimomo from this series sell for nearly $200 just last week, way up from its original ~$15 retail price.
- Zimomo: This is a big one people get wrong. Zimomo is NOT Labubu. It's Labubu's friend, a bigger, more traditionally monstrous character with a huge, toothy mouth that's permanently open. Many of the "scarier" figures people see are actually Zimomo. If you like the monster aesthetic, searching for Zimomo is your best bet.
- Specific Artist Collaborations: Occasionally, Kasing Lung will collaborate with other artists for special editions that have a darker theme. These are usually limited-run vinyl art pieces, not blind box figures, and they can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
The Fakes and Fan-Mades (Buyer Beware):
- AI Art: As I mentioned, if it looks hyper-realistic and terrifying, it's almost certainly AI. Don't waste your time trying to find it for sale. It doesn't exist.
- "Horror" Customs on Etsy/Aliexpress: This is a minefield. You'll find sellers who take Labubu figures (often fakes to begin with) and repaint them with blood, gore, or blacked-out eyes. While some customizers are incredibly talented artists, many are just trying to cash in on the trend with low-quality paint jobs on bootleg figures. The quality is a total gamble. If you're considering a custom, I'd strongly suggest you first learn how to spot a fake Labubu. An official figure has a certain weight, clean lines, and specific markings that knock-offs just can't replicate.
One detail I've noticed from handling thousands of these: the vinyl on a genuine Pop Mart Labubu has a very specific matte-but-smooth feel. The fakes often feel either too glossy, almost sticky, or chalky and cheap. It's a subtle difference, but once you've felt it, you can't miss it.
Real Talk: My Honest Take on the "Scary Labubu" Trend
Look, I'm a business owner. The fact that "Labubu" is a trending search term is, on one level, great. It brings new eyes to the hobby and to our store. I've had more people than ever asking about our LABUBU collection in the past few months.
But I'd be lying if I said the trend doesn't bother me.
I had a customer email us last week in a genuine panic. She had bought The Monsters Camping series for her daughter and then saw a TikTok about a scary labubu doll that "moves on its own." She was seriously asking if she needed to get rid of them. I had to spend twenty minutes explaining that it's all just internet fiction, that they are just pieces of vinyl, and that the character's story is one of fun and adventure.
This is the downside. It creates unnecessary fear and completely warps the artist's original, positive intent. It turns a piece of art into a cheap jump-scare prop.
The only thing truly scary about Labubu is how quickly your collection can grow from one blind box to an entire shelf, or how terrifying the aftermarket prices for a rare secret figure can get. That's the real labubu terror for a collector's wallet.
So, You Actually Want a Spooky-Looking Labubu?If you've read all this and you're still thinking, "Okay, but I like the creepy aesthetic," I get it! The monster theme is cool. Here's how to lean into that vibe with official, high-quality figures instead of chasing ghosts and fakes.
1. Seek out Zimomo. Seriously. This is your best bet. The character design is inherently more monstrous and will give you that toothy look you're after. 2. Hunt for "The Monsters" sub-series. Any series with "The Monsters" in the title (like Camping, Fruits, Toys, etc.) is part of Kasing Lung's original character line and often features more monster-like designs than, say, the super-cute Macaron or Flower Fairy series. 3. Look at colorways. Sometimes, it's not the sculpt but the color that gives a figure a spooky feel. "Soy" from The Monsters Macaron series is an all-white figure that many find ghostly. The black "Sesame" version has a similar effect. Knowing the official LABUBU names can help you track down these specific figures on secondary markets. 4. Explore other Pop Mart artists. If you love the slightly-spooky-but-still-cute vibe, check out artists like Skullpanda or Pucky. Skullpanda, in particular, has a darker, more gothic aesthetic that might be exactly what you're looking for.
At the end of the day, Labubu is a canvas. The internet has decided to paint it as a horror icon for now, but that's just one interpretation, and a very recent one at that. For the thousands of collectors who have been here for years, Labubu is a friend. A weird, toothy, mischievous little elf that reminds us to embrace our own quirks.
The spooky trend will likely fade, just like all internet trends do. But the charm of Kasing Lung's world and the joy of unboxing a new little monster will stick around. So please, don't let a made-up labubu creepy story scare you away from a genuinely wonderful corner of the art world.
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