Shiver me timbers! The docile and lovable not-a-cat Hello Kitty has gone pirate—literally. Takara Tomy has turned the world’s most beloved (not) cat into a pop-up pirate. Like the classic Pop-Up Pirate toy from Tomy, Kitty sits inside a barrel with slots around the sides. Players take turns inserting plastic swords into the slots. At some random slot, the mechanism triggers and ejects the pirate—or in this case, Skipper Kitty—out of the barrel. Whoever causes it to pop “loses” (or wins, depending on house rules).
This version trades pirate grunge for Kitty sweetness [JP]. Kitty wears a pink bandana topped with a red ribbon, a black vest over a red striped top, a yellow waist piece, and a blue bottom. She also sports a heart-shaped eyepatch.
The colorful plastic “swords” come in yellow, blue, pink, and white. The barrel is Hello Kitty red with “POPUP HELLO KITTY” branding.
The Takara Tomy Pop-Up Hello Kitty drops March 14, 2026, in Japan for 2,970 yen [JP] (about US$19).
Images: Takara Tomy [JP].
