Every collector remembers the moment Labubu went from niche art toy to global phenomenon — the sold-out drops, the celebrity bag charms, the resale prices that made headlines. But hype culture never stands still, and in 2026 the most interesting question in the hobby is no longer "how do I get a Labubu?" It's "who's next?"
Toy makers have rushed into the blind box format en masse since the Labubu craze peaked, and a handful of characters have broken away from the pack. Here's who collectors and trend watchers are betting on this year — and what their rise tells you about where the hobby is going.
Crybaby: The Celebrity Co-Sign
Pop Mart's Crybaby — the perpetually pouting, big-teared character by Thai artist Molly — had its breakout moment the same way Labubu did: a superstar co-sign. When Lisa of BLACKPINK started carrying Crybaby as a luxury bag charm, the character exploded, and a Powerpuff Girls collaboration pushed it fully mainstream with global sell-outs. If history repeats, celebrity-driven characters tend to hold value longest in their earliest series — the ones released before the mainstream noticed.
Nommi, WAKUKU, and the Innovation Wave
Two other names dominate the "next Labubu" conversation. Nommi went viral for its "three-state eye" gimmick — rotatable eyes that switch between three expressions, turning the figure into an interactive fidget as much as a display piece. WAKUKU is coming from the opposite direction: streetwear attitude, bold colors, and a hypebeast aesthetic that has made it one of the fastest-growing blind box lines of 2026, especially among Gen Z and male collectors — a demographic the hobby historically underserved.
The pattern worth noticing: the new generation of hit characters wins on interactivity or identity, not just cuteness. A figure that does something, or says something about who you are, spreads on social media in a way a static sculpt can't.
The Plush Wave: BabyThree, HACIPUPU, and Friends
Meanwhile, the biggest structural shift of 2026 is material: plush is eating vinyl's lunch. Labubu itself proved the crossover appeal of vinyl-face plush, and the characters riding that wave hardest right now are the ones we restock most often at DidaPop:
- BabyThree — arguably the closest thing to a Labubu-scale trajectory right now, with expressive faces, constant series drops, and a counterfeit problem that (like Labubu's) signals real demand. Its new The Show Begins 400% shows the brand moving into large statement formats — exactly the move Pop Mart made as Labubu matured. New to the character? Start with our complete BabyThree collector's guide.
- HACIPUPU — the puppy-eyed underdog whose Take Me Home pendant series keeps selling through because it doubles as a wearable bag charm — the exact use case that made Labubu a fashion item, not just a toy.
- Dark-horse plush lines like JIIMO's Dark Fairy Tale series — moodier, more artistic plush that appeals to collectors already fatigued by relentless pastel cuteness.
How to Collect the "Next Big Thing" Without Getting Burned
Chasing hype has a cost — ask anyone who paid triple retail for a figure the week before a restock. A few rules we've learned watching the Labubu cycle:
- Buy early series at retail, not late series at resale. The value (financial and sentimental) concentrates in what you bought before the peak.
- Collect what you actually like. If the character never moons, you still own something you love. That's the only guaranteed return in this hobby.
- Verify authenticity obsessively. Rising characters attract counterfeiters within months. Our BabyThree fake-spotting guide shows exactly what to check.
Whoever ends up wearing the crown in 2027, one thing is certain: the blind box format itself is the real winner — and there has never been a more interesting time to be pulling boxes. Browse the full lineup of rising characters at DidaPop, restocked weekly.