Comparing LEGO Shrek, Donkey & Puss in Boots to their movie counterparts

Just how well do the brick-built characters in LEGO 72423 Shrek, Donkey & Puss in Boots stack up next to their big screen animated counterparts?

The LEGO Group and Universal officially revealed their latest partnership today, with a pair of upcoming sets based on DreamWorks Animation’s beloved Shrek. The fantasy franchise will be celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and 72423 Shrek, Donkey & Puss in Boots and 40923 Shrek, Donkey & Gingy Figures are said to be ‘just the beginning’ for the new collaboration, but how well do the movie characters translate into brick-built versions of themselves?

Let’s take a closer initial look at 72423 Shrek, Donkey & Puss in Boots to see if the LEGO Shrek set manages to capture the look and scale of the lovable ogre and his comedy animal counterparts, as recreated in brick form.

Shrek

The first-ever buildable figure of Mike Myers’ Shrek stands over 24cm tall and features a moveable head, arms, hands and fingers, but it appears as if the barrel-chested ogre’s legs are static, even when removed from his swamp display base.

The overall shape of the character in 72423 Shrek, Donkey & Puss in Boots looks to be pretty much spot-on, down to his brick-built clothing and boots, but Shrek’s face isn’t quite as good a match, despite what look to be distinctive stickered eyes and a printed mouth.

Donkey

Faring much better is Donkey, as voiced in the Shrek franchise by Eddie Murphy. The blocky take on the character boasts a moveable head and tail, poseable ears and opening mouth and comes off relatively well compared to his brick-built ogre companion.

In addition to what appear to be printed eyes, the 72423 Shrek, Donkey & Puss in Boots animal figure can hold the included blue flower with red thorns accessory between his distinctive buck teeth, allowing him to recreate the arrow-in-the-butt scene from the first Shrek film.

Puss in Boots

Of all the LEGO Shrek characters confirmed to date, 72423 Shrek, Donkey & Puss in Boots’ only minifigure is the most accurate of the three animated movie models. Antonio Banderas’ ginger swashbuckling cat boasts a custom moulded head and hat, dual-moulded legs, and a black cloak and rapier accessory.

While the Puss in Boots minifigure certainly looks the part, the scale of the character is way off when compared to the Shrek and Donkey buildable figures in the LEGO Shrek set. Still, that seems like a small price to pay for the inclusion of the feisty feline and fans of the franchise will no doubt be more than satisfied with the first-ever minifigure of the character.

Both 72423 Shrek, Donkey & Puss in Boots and 40923 Shrek, Donkey & Gingy Figures will be available to purchase from June 1, 2026 and can be pre-ordered in advance from LEGO.com right now.

Featured image: Universal Pictures

LEGO Shrek 2026 sets

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