Artist Futura is becoming a creative collaborator of LEGO Ninjago. For the 15th anniversary of LEGO Ninjago, he designed his own character, the 'Ninja of the Futura', plus his own versions of Nya and Kai. The first reveal follows on September 18 at a fan event in Seoul.
Tonje Thileson
LEGO Ninjago turns fifteen this year and has grown into one of the lasting lines within the LEGO universe, with its own world of ninjas, elemental powers and recurring characters such as Kai, Nya, Jay and Cole. For the anniversary, LEGO Ninjago is deliberately seeking out artists from outside its own design studio, with Futura as the first name to be revealed.
Futura, born Leonard Hilton McGurr, emerged from New York's graffiti scene in the 1970s. Over the decades he built a recognisable visual language: fluid spray shapes, hazy fields of colour and floating, futuristic figures. His work now moves between painting, sculpture and product design, and ranges from galleries to collaborations with brands around the world. Within the sneaker world he's mainly known for that same loose, recognisable linework in earlier collaborations with, among others, Nike and Crocs, but this marks his first project for LEGO Ninjago.
Tools instead of weapons
The silhouette of the Ninja of the Futura is notably elongated, with a pointed mask and sharp, oval eyes, details that echo Futura's recurring character Pointman: an elongated, futuristic figure with sharp edges and extended limbs that has appeared in his work for decades. Rather than weapons, the character carries tools in its backpack, a deliberate choice that puts knowledge and wisdom above raw combat strength. On the design process, Futura himself says: there are two parts to creating this character. What they look like and, more importantly, who they are. Alongside the Ninja of the Futura, he also created his own versions of fan-favourite characters Nya and Kai, two established names within the LEGO Ninjago storyline.
It isn't the first time an established artist has applied their visual language to an existing character or product, but for LEGO Ninjago it's a notable step: the line is bringing in someone from Futura's world, more often found in art galleries or on sneakers than on a toy box.
Paolo Prendin
The public first sees the characters on Friday, September 18, 2026, at the LEGO Ninjago: Legends DuskFall fan event at I Park Mall in Yongsan, Seoul. Specific set numbers, release dates or prices aren't known yet, so whether and when the characters will appear as a standalone figure or set remains unclear.
LEGO Ninjago will likely share more details around or after the fan event in Seoul, so it's worth keeping an eye on announcements over the coming weeks. Why not follow us on Instagram to stay up to date?
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