LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos review

LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos offers an idyllic homage to legendary animated icons, but not all characters are recreated equally.

43226 Disney Duos sounds great on paper – brick-built caricatures of iconic animated characters in one affordable package, including some stories debuting in LEGO. However, it’s unfortunately not quite perfect and the shortcomings become inevitably easy to spot.

Featuring characters from Beauty and the Beast, Moana, Pocahontas and Finding Nemo, 43226 Disney Duos is still noteworthy for trying something new and hopefully, this isn’t the last of this concept.

— LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos set details —

Theme: LEGO Disney Set name: 43226 Disney Duos Release date: June 1, 2023

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Price: £42.99 / $44.99 / €47.99 Pieces: 553

LEGO: Available now

— Where to buy LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos

43226 Disney Duos is available now at LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores for £42.99 / $44.99 / €47.99. Check below for the latest prices from first- and third-party retailers.

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— LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos build —

43226 Disney Duos might not be entirely new territory for the LEGO Group following 43179 Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse Buildable Characters, but the 2023 model is much more affordable than that now-retired set and in all honesty, it executes the concept a lot better.

Offering bite-sized builds of iconic characters makes them infinitely more displayable and forces the designers to use some creative techniques to properly depict the pairs. The full cast of characters in 43226 Disney Duos consists of  Lumiere and Cogsworth from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Pua and Hei Hei from Moana, Nemo and Squirt from Finding Nemo and Meeko and Percy from Pocahontas.

Some of the characters are undoubtedly going to be more iconic than others, and there’s no question that some have better builds too. However, with some time you can easily tell who is who from these builds and that seems to be the point of this set – recognisability. The models are a mix of sizes and complexity, with Lumiere arguably being the best of the lot.

All of the figures are fun and easy to build with cute poses that sell their personality accordingly. This is also the first appearance of Finding Nemo in LEGO and that’s sure to be a selling point for some Disney enthusiasts. It’s a good start for LEGO Finding Nemo, but there’s room for more, whether it be through further duos or not.

Unfortunately, Meeko doesn’t quite do enough to give off the feeling of the character and Pua faces a similar problem, mostly because of their eyes. Neither design fits its character, and their use here is confusing at best. There are so many other prints in this set that it seems strange to not put the full effort into recreating these characters with more accurate eyes. After all, these aren’t BrickHeadz.

The figures can be taken off their bases and posed around as you wish. A printed piece marking the 100th anniversary of Disney can be removed too, and its inclusion is greatly appreciated as it’s a nice bonus in an already amazing set. Note that posing options for the figures are limited as these seem to be intended mostly for display. While Cogsworth’s pendulum is prone to slipping out of its frame they are otherwise exceedingly sturdy and can be moved around with little to no issue.

— LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos price —

At £42.99 / $44.99 / €47.99, 43226 Disney Duos is undoubtedly worth the money and stands as a rare kind of set that could and should be the start of a new collection.

It’s surprising to see small brick-built Disney characters take this long to come to fruition but thankfully, they’re one of the most affordable LEGO Disney 100th anniversary sets and well worth picking up.

— LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos pictures —

— LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos pros and cons —

43226 Disney Duos is excellent, though not perfect. While the eye print usage for some characters is confusing, the hilarious and accurate expressions paired with interesting builds as well as an affordable and reasonable asking price makes 43226 Disney Duos one to look out for.

Disney enthusiasts looking to get just one or two models to celebrate the anniversary should still seriously consider 43226 Disney Duos for how expertly it recreates the characters, not to mention being the first and so far only appearance of LEGO Finding Nemo.

43226 Disney Duos seems like a one-of-a-kind set, but hopefully that’s not the case for long as there is so much potential to explore with further characters. Not only is 43226 Disney Duos an incredible set, but it also sparks excitement for what else might come of this format.

Disney 43226 Disney Duos prosDisney 43226 Disney Duos cons
New characters for LEGONot all figures are made equal
Affordable and good valueConfusing eye print usage
Displayable and a beautiful homage to Disney

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your LEGO using our affiliate links.

— Alternatives to LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos

They’re not for everyone due to their uniform design but by far the best current alternative to 3226 Disney Duos is the newest range of LEGO Disney BrickHeadz.

This includes 40619 EVE & WALL•E, 40620 Cruella & Maleficent, 40621 Moana & Merida and 40622 Disney 100th Celebration. They’re similarly-sized, but admittedly more expensive per character. However, they’re sure to look just as good on display and are equally recognisable.

— LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos FAQs —

How long does it take to build LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos?

In total, the four pairs in 43226 Disney Duos take one hour to build. It’s not split equally, but that’s about 15 minutes give or take per duo.

How many pieces are in LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos?

LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos contains 553 pieces, which together make up eight characters from across Disney history.

How big is LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos?

Displayed together, 43226 Disney Duos’ four pairs are 40cm deep, 33cm wide and 8cm tall. Most of the pairs are similarly sized, but the Finding Nemo duo is widest at 15cm and the Pocahontas are deepest at 10cm.

How much does LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos cost?

43226 Disney Duos costs £42.99 / $44.99 / €47.99 and is available from June 1, 2023.

Who is included in LEGO Disney 43226 Disney Duos?

43226 Disney Duos includes Lumiere and Cogsworth from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Pua and Hei Hei from Moana, Nemo and Squirt from Finding Nemo and Meeko and Percy from Pocahontas.

Author Profile

Jack Yates
Jack Yates
LEGO has been a part of my life ever since I was young. It all started when my brother passed down 7657 AT-ST to me. It’s guided me through my early years, through school and eventually through my degree in journalism. I still have all my collection proudly on display, including my many NINJAGO sets, my favourite of all the LEGO Group’s themes. Outside of Brick Fanatics I am an avid gamer and enjoy a good game of Dungeons & Dragons.

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Jack Yates

LEGO has been a part of my life ever since I was young. It all started when my brother passed down 7657 AT-ST to me. It’s guided me through my early years, through school and eventually through my degree in journalism. I still have all my collection proudly on display, including my many NINJAGO sets, my favourite of all the LEGO Group’s themes. Outside of Brick Fanatics I am an avid gamer and enjoy a good game of Dungeons & Dragons.

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