LEGO Disney Young Simba is so puppet-like, it makes for a spooky build experience

One month on from LEGO Disney 43247 Young Simba the Lion King‘s release, parts of the build experience have been less than picture-perfect for some fans.

Made up of 1,445 pieces, 43247 Young Simba the Lion King is a much more in-depth build experience than his smaller twin, 43243 Simba the Lion King Cub. Both released on June 1 for £114.99 / $129.99 / €129.99 and £17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99. The wide difference in price of course means you get a lot more detail in the larger LEGO Disney set, with over 1,000 more pieces to create every authentic detail of Simba as a cub, as seen in the animated Lion King movie.

We noted in our review how incredibly lifelike 43247 Young Simba the Lion King is – almost too lifelike, in some cases. Even the inside of the LEGO set is constructed much like a puppet, borrowing techniques for even more convincing details, but also resulting in some chilling build techniques.

One builder on the LEGO subreddit shared an image of needing to force a rod through Simba’s otherwise adorable eye, writing: “Anyone else get a little freaked out by stabbing Simba in the eye?”

Dozens of people agreed, with one person pointing out that this is actually a common technique in puppetry, used to allow for more precise positioning of an eyeball in a puppet – or, in this case, a LEGO set.

When we had 43247 Young Simba the Lion King for review, there were quite a few instances where the gradual process of adding limbs and features to Simba made for a slightly nightmarish experience. However, it’s made all the more satisfying when the end result comes together. The LEGO Disney set is undoubtedly an impressively lifelike build, from the bushy end of his tail to to the tufts of LEGO fur on the top of his head.

If you’ve been waiting for an excuse to add 43247 Young Simba the Lion King and see the sometimes-unsettling build experience for yourself, now is your moment. John Lewis has the LEGO Disney set for just £91.99, down from its usual RRP of £114.99. That will save you £23 overall, or a 20% discount on 43247 Young Simba the Lion King.

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