One of the sets that got the green light last November by the LEGO Ideas review panel, La Catrina by yop1172, has now become an official LEGO set. The LEGO Ideas La Catrina (21372), as it is called, has also received a welcome splash of color, making this modern icon of Mexican culture a whole lot less gloomy. The original fan design has a slightly gloomier approach with a muted palette, but LEGO has brightened things up to better reflect the spirit of Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead.
Fun fact: Originally, she wasn’t called La Catrina at all. José Guadalupe Posada named her La Calavera Garbancera (“The Garbanzo Skeleton”), a satirical jab at Mexicans who abandoned their Indigenous roots in favor of European fashion and customs. The word catrín was Mexican slang for a fashionable, upper-class dandy. Later, muralist Diego Rivera expanded Posada’s sketch into the elegant full-body figure we recognize today and popularized the name La Catrina.
Made for builders aged 18 and up, the LEGO Ideas La Catrina uses 1,212 pieces to let you create your own Day of the Dead centerpiece. Standing over 43 cm (17 in.) tall, it is designed as a display model rather than something you stash away once the build is complete.
The skeletal figure is dressed in an elegant outfit adorned with brick-built marigolds and printed sugar skulls, both of which are closely associated with Día de los Muertos celebrations. She stands atop a decorative base surrounded by more marigolds and a brick-built monarch butterfly, while a second butterfly can be placed in her hand. The head and arms are poseable too, letting you change her posture whenever you feel like refreshing the display.
Whether you put her on display during Día de los Muertos or leave her on a shelf all year round, she certainly makes for a striking conversation piece. More importantly, she serves as a reminder that the holiday is not about mourning, but about celebrating and remembering loved ones who have passed on.
The LEGO Ideas La Catrina (21372) will be available from LEGO.com starting August 1, 2026, for US$139.99.
Images: LEGO.