SUBSCRIBE

  • Subscribe for updates

    Enter your email address here to receive updates about new posts from Jay's Brick Blog - straight to your inbox!

    Join 5,307 other subscribers
    • Search
    Facebook
    Instagram
    Twitter
    TikTok

    Next generation of LEGO Friends will arrive in 2023 with 8 new main characters, and all-new sets!

    October 27, 2022 | 49

    After celebrating 10 years of LEGO Friends, the time has come to expand and reimagine the LEGO Friends universe and Heartlake City with a fresh new cast of 8 characters that are more relatable, diverse, inclusive and better reflect modern day kids.

    Introducing Aliya, Autumn, Leo, Zac, Liann, Olly, Paisley and Nova, who will be the main characters of this new generation of LEGO Friends, and will star in the new sets releasing in January 2023, as well a new animated TV series that will kick off in February 2023.

    Here’s the full list of LEGO Friends sets released in the first half of 2023

    LEGO have also revealed 5 new LEGO Friends sets that will become available from January 2023 onwards, along with a new look box design that loses the LEGO Friends curved-edge box design in favour of more typical rectangular box designs.

    • 41724 Paisley’s House
    • 41727 Dog Rescue Center
    • 41728 Heartlake Downtown Diner
    • 41730 Autumn’s House
    • 41731 Heartlake International School

    If you just want to see the new sets, scroll all the way down to the new 2023 LEGO Friends sets section or click on this jump link to head straight there!

    Before you panic about breaking the news to your LEGO Friends superfans at home, the original five girls, Mia, Olivia, Stephanie, Emma and Andrea will not be gone for good – they’ll have grown up and won’t be kids any more, but they still have very important roles to play in the new Friends universe.

    For example, Mia is Autumn’s mum, and will make an appearance in one of the new sets 41730 Autumn’s House. LEGO Friends Marketing Director Costas Syrmos also teased a surprise role for Stephanie in the future, so I’m really looking forward to seeing more of the OG 5 in this new universe.

    Diversity and representation is at the core of the new LEGO Friends lineup. According to research from the LEGO® Play Well Study 2022, which polled over 30,000 parents and 24,000 children aged 5-12, 3 out of 4 children feel that there aren’t enough toys that represent them.

    Expect to see plenty of interesting and diverse character, with additions such as new skin tones, cultures, physical and non-visible disabilities and neurodiversity throughout the sets and cartoon.

    The new sets and series will feature characters with limb difference, Downs Syndrome, anxiety, vitiligo, and a dog with a wheelchair. The new friends also explore and work to overcome modern challenges that they face, passions, obstacles, and differences, all while trying to create friendships.

    Meet the new LEGO Friends characters

    And here are more detailed character bios:

    Aliya

    Aliya read her first chapter book when she was only five years old… and after reading it on her own, she immediately flipped to the front page and began reading it again, out loud, for her friends to listen to the story. The only thing bigger than Aliya’s brain is her sweet and gentle heart. But as kind as she is to her friends and family, Aliya is sometimes tough on herself; as the child of two successful parents, she feels the pressure of high expectations. Luckily, even though she spends a lot of time studying or reading, Aliya still squeezes in adventures with her best friend Autumn. Aliya is seen as a leader among her friends and in her school, but her desire to help people can sometimes go overboard, and she’s been known to completely take over group projects, ending up doing everything herself so it comes out ‘perfect.’ Sometimes her friends can talk her down and convince her to take a breather and let others help her, and other times… she crashes hard. Slowly Aliya is learning to use her courage not just to be a good leader, but also to admit she needs her friends as much as they say they need her.

    Autumn

    If Autumn had it her way, her bedroom would be outside in a multi-story treehouse rather than indoors. Although her and her family live just a quick bike ride out of town, Autumn spends most of her time on the ranch, doing chores, hanging out with the animals, and exploring the deeper darker woods at the edge of their furthest fields. Despite only being born with a limb difference, Autumn never met a challenge she didn’t want to take on—whether it’s climbing a cliffside for the sweetest blackberries in the state or teaching her best friend Aliya how to climb a pine tree, the only thing that makes Autumn nervous is when her mom asks if she’s finished her homework yet. Although she is a bit of a daredevil and generally sees rules as just ‘suggestions,’ Autumn takes her work on the ranch seriously, and is devoted to animals as well as protecting the planet. Because Autumn spends so much time with animals, she can get a little annoyed with the drama of people, and needs alone time to decompress, especially if she has to make an important decision. Her best friend Aliya understands this need and some of the best times they’ve had as friends is completely silent moments in nature, enjoying the peace and each other’s affectionate company.   

    Leo

    New city, new house, new friends and newly renovated kitchen (courtesy of his two architect parents), Leo is experiencing a lot of things for the first time! Growing up, Leo found comfort in the family kitchen, especially at his grandmother’s side, learning how to make his favourite dishes and practicing recipes until the flavours were just right. As the oldest sibling, Leo is familiar with caring for people and diffusing arguments, but when it comes to his peers, he is anxious to avoid confrontation in order to keep up the good vibes of the group, even at his own expense. When he first arrived in Heartlake City, he worried whether his passion for the culinary arts would be seen as cool, or cringe among the other students. That uncertainty pushes him to connect with his friends via their shared love of the beach; surfing, paddleboarding, and kicking a soccer ball around on the sand with his teammates from the Heartlake High soccer team. Slowly but surely, Leo is getting more comfortable with letting people see this other side of him, especially because everyone is OBSESSED with the beach snacks, he brings every week! Leo may not know it yet, but his warmth and caring personality have already gained him close friends who see the real him.

    Liann

    Anyone who says Liann is disorganized just doesn’t understand her organization style! Sure she couldn’t find her blue lightning sneakers for two months… that just gave her a reason to break in her new red lava ones! Liann is one of the few people who can match Autumn’s boundless energy – and you can usually find her at the skatepark. The only time she slows down is when she is hyper focused on a drawing. Although she has aspirations of becoming a comic artist one day, first, Liann has to figure out how to stick with a project for longer than fifteen minutes. Because she’s easily distracted and zones out as soon as she gets bored, she can get herself into trouble occasionally, and her impulsive streak sometimes causes problems for not just her, but her friends too. Liann’s optimistic enthusiasm however means she’s quick to get into a mess, but even quicker to apologize and make things right. She’s always ready to have fun and do something new, and her bad moods never last longer than a moment. Liann is a sparkling, joyful mood maker that nearly everyone in school wants to be friends with.

    Zac

    Zac was destined for the spotlight. He’s smart, he’s cute, he’s athletic, he’s funny, a great dancer and even a decent singer during karaoke nights! He’s talented at martial arts, has won a couple motocross races, the list goes on and on and on. With so much success, you’d think a guy like Zac might be a little bit of a show-off… and you’d be right! Thankfully, although everything comes easy to Zac, he’s happy to share the spotlight with his friends, he always makes sure everyone at the party is having a great time and is genuinely excited to meet new people and learn more about them. Zac is as clever as he is cool and has been known to ace a test without even studying (much to Aliya’s annoyance), but lately, the competition in Heartlake City has been getting tougher, and soon Zac will have to practice the one skill he’s terrible at: dealing with failure! But with good friends like Liann, who joins him when he plays pranks, and Aliya, who always hears him out in the rare moments he’s frustrated, Zac is confident soon enough he’ll be the best at being humble, in addition to everything else he’s the best at!

    Paisley

    It’s not that Paisley doesn’t have a lot on her mind…it’s more that she doesn’t even know how to begin to express herself! Big crowds and noisy rooms have always made Paisley feel anxious, and although her confidence is growing, she often doubts if she’ll ever be able to boldly rule the stage like Zac or jump headfirst into an adventure like Autumn. Despite being a lady of few words, Paisley has many talents. Her stunningly beautiful voice surprises everyone who hears her, and as a classically trained multi-instrumentalist, Paisley has recorded hours of amazing music that no one will hear. Music is deeply important to Paisley as her late mother was a recording artist in the 90s; singing and playing music is a way of remembering and connecting with her mom. When Olly encourages her to share her music with a wider audience, Paisley is excited, but she’ll have to work hard on her insecurity and self-consciousness first. A kind and soothing friend, Paisley often can tell someone is having a bad day before they say anything, and her perceptive personality means people often come to her to talk out difficult feelings. 

    Nova

    Online, Nova is super popular. Her streaming channel has over five hundred thousand followers, her online handle in the gaming community is well-known, and she gets tons of likes and comments on pretty much everything she posts. In real life, well…Nova is a bit of a loner. She’d rather watch super scary thriller horror films instead of whatever popular sitcom everyone else is talking about in school, and her dead-pan sense of humour and overall blunt personality means she comes off as rude or mean to people who don’t know her well. In reality, Nova is much softer on the inside than her prickly exterior, and she is a thoughtful person, and very eager to help, especially if it’s a problem involving any techy stuff.  Nova yearns for deep, close friendships, but has a hard time opening up to people, and because she can sometimes be a little too honest, more than once she’s hurt the feelings of someone she was trying to get to know better. But the best thing about Nova, like a true gamer that will replay the same difficult boss level over and over until they win, Nova is willing to try and try again to become friends with people who will care about her and all her geeky passions.

    Olly

    Whether it’s setting up the Heartlake High fashion show, organizing a bake sale for the equestrian team, or video editing a clip for Isaac’s Grocery website, Olly is always the hardest working person in the room. His charm and charisma matched with his gorgeous outfits make him a memorable person in Heartlake City, and he often has an influence on the biggest and best events. Growing up in a working-class family, Olly was not able to afford designer brands or private classes, but there is nothing in the world that can stop Olly when he sets his mind to something. With a few online videos, he taught himself to sew, design t-shirts, how to edit film and photos, and in just a few years Olly has transformed from kid with a dream to young man with a (detailed and color-coded) plan! Sometimes however, his willingness to help can turn into meddling in his friends’ interests—but Olly means well, and simply sees the potential in everything. His persuasive personality means he usually gets his way, but friends like Zak and Aliya keep him on his toes, as those two are even more headstrong than himself! Between his up-and-coming YouTube channel, and his growing fashion finesse, Olly believes one day he can turn Heartlake City into a global fashion hub.

    New LEGO Friends 2023 Sets

    Here’s a look at the new LEGO Friends 2023 sets revealed as part of the relaunch. These new sets will be released on 1 January 2023, and as you can see, there’s been a change in the colour scheme, with less purple, and more of a gender-neutral teal, as well as more conventional square boxes.

    • 41724 Paisley’s House
    • 41727 Dog Rescue Center
    • 41728 Heartlake Downtown Diner
    • 41730 Autumn’s House
    • 41731 Heartlake International School

    41724 Paisley’s House

    This is Paisley’s house, which is a 4+ set and also comes with Paisley’s dad and sister. So good to see microdolls make a return as well.

    41727 Dog Rescue Center

    This is 41727 Dog Rescue Center and it has a dog in a wheelchair which is super adorable!

    41728 Heartlake Downtown Diner

    If you remember the first wave of Friends sets in 2012, you might remember 3061 City Park Cafe. 41728 Heartlake Downtown Diner is an homage to it, and features a similar retro layout, with some fun new flourishes like an arcade, and jukebox for dancing.

    There’s also a window to grab a sandwich as you skate through, with new character Charlie with his cool new blue hair

    41730 Autumn’s House

    Mia makes a return here, in 41730 Autumn’s House which features her daughter Autumn who was born with a limb difference. Hude kudos to LEGO for producing a main character minidoll in this form, which will be so important for girls with limb differences and want to see themselves represented in toys.

    41731 Heartlake International School

    And last but not least, the big set of the wave in 41731 Heartlake International School, where the new characters meet each other. There’s plenty of fun details here such as plenty of food, sushi and even smoothies.

    It’s a really rich set with a lot going on, and the International School aspect is meant to signify that everyone is welcome, and it reflects different cultures present in Heartlake City.

    This is super exciting and I think is a refreshing new change for Friends! I will be sad to see less of the original core group, but the diversity and fresh new stories that can be told with a new cast should be exciting, and when the TV series premieres, we should be able to learn more about the new generation Heartlake City.

    What do you think of the new generation of LEGO Friends? Let me know in the comments!

    To get the latest LEGO news and LEGO Reviews straight in your inbox, subscribe via email, or you can also follow on Google News, or socials on Facebook, Instagram (@jayong28), Twitter or subscribe to the Jay’s Brick Blog Youtube channel.

    Subscribe to receive updates on new posts and reviews!

    News
    2023
    heartlake city
    lego 2023
    lego friends

    49 responses to “Next generation of LEGO Friends will arrive in 2023 with 8 new main characters, and all-new sets!”

    1. ansa says:
      April 4, 2023 at 12:54 AM

      I’m sooooo happy i have been jumping from joy in my room. I grew up with og lego friends and love them but this so cool and i absolutely love that they still kept the originals like this. And I’m so happy that they made like so many different kind of people.

      Reply
    2. Ren says:
      April 2, 2023 at 4:04 PM

      Absolutely disgusted with this.

      Reply
      • ansa says:
        April 4, 2023 at 12:56 AM

        It makes you disgusted that they are finally making characters that kids (and adults) can relate to??

        Reply
      • Mahdiyya Vawda says:
        August 24, 2023 at 6:28 AM

        Dislike!
        Why on earth would you be disgusted
        As a person with vitiligo I think it’s good
        That lego friends is now more diverse!

        Reply
    3. Sawyer says:
      January 2, 2023 at 3:43 AM

      Wow. I’m so excited for the new Lego Friends group, and your work is incredible Jay!

      Reply
    4. Unknown says:
      December 24, 2022 at 1:20 AM

      It’s kinda sad because I always loved the OG lego friends and I’m also not a big fan of change but I will get used to it I guess :/

      Reply
    5. Meredith says:
      December 13, 2022 at 3:30 AM

      OMG! I am so excited about this reboot! My 15-year-old had many of the older sets that my 7-year-old is now playing with, along with all of her newer sets. While they never played Lego at the same time, the release of the Friends’ houses overlapped, and those are my 7-year-old’s favorites; those never get dismantled to make room for more LOL!
      Liann sounds just like my younger daughter, so I’m happy to see that even disabilities that are not visible physically are represented. It will thrill her to know there is one like her.
      Thank you, Lego!

      Reply
    6. Retha says:
      December 1, 2022 at 11:45 PM

      I wish Lego – and other companies – would start with more common differences when they try to get representational, rather than rare ones.
      During my lifetime, I never met anyone with vitiligo, and only two missing a hand or arm. But I met plenty of youths who feel self-conscious because they are taller/ fatter/ shorter than their friends, or have a pimple outbreak when their friends are still clear-skinned. Where are the fatter, shorter, taller, or more pimple-faced friends?
      But I do appreciate that they represent different personalities in a representational way. For example, Nova, except for her huge online following sounds a bit like me (I am autistic).

      Reply
      • Blank says:
        January 23, 2023 at 6:23 PM

        Yes I agree that they should add common insecurities and if their going to be making a series in a style similar to girls on a mission then they should but imagine the costs and how hard it would be to produce different heights or sized in the mini dolls it would also only be usable on that specific doll because it wouldn’t fit any others but I do think that having a acne outbreak is doable and it could have been a great idea but don’t forget that if you don’t see something a lot and don’t find it common doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist

        Reply
    7. Retha Faurie says:
      December 1, 2022 at 11:33 PM

      I’ll leave more or less the same comment in more than one place, in the hope that Lego sees it. I find it unusual that when companies try to make representative and diverse characters, their minds immediately skip to rarer diversities, rather than more common ones.
      I see a girl missing a hand here, and they mention vitiligo. In all my life, I met nobody with vitiligo, and only two missing a hand or arm (one with a birth defect, the other an adult who had an accident with machinery). How about kids who feel self-conscious because they are taller/ shorter/ fatter than their friends, or have a terrible pimple outbreak while their friends are still clear-skinned?

      Reply
    8. Rowan and Malaya says:
      November 15, 2022 at 3:22 AM

      We LOVE the new Lego Friends are so excited for next year for the sets!

      Reply
    9. Vernice says:
      November 5, 2022 at 2:49 PM

      I will miss the original 5 characters, as a friend’s fan I’m really disappointed. Eventough it’s a great move to change all the cast, but I will still miss the old ones. That’s really childhood memories. Not going to but any of the lego friends.

      Reply
    10. Vesta says:
      October 31, 2022 at 5:19 AM

      It’s all well and good for those who enjoy Lego Friends but what about us who collect Lego City? What new and reinvigorated designs have they developed for us?

      Reply
    11. Elizabeth says:
      October 30, 2022 at 11:10 AM

      Is there a way to pre-order the sets??

      Reply
    12. Sofi says:
      October 30, 2022 at 6:10 AM

      Love i cant wait for it i need to viy this Love it the oets are so cute also the charactars are sooo pretty cant wait Good job lego

      Reply
    13. SWHEM says:
      October 29, 2022 at 1:57 AM

      What the hell! More woke nonsense!

      Well done Lego for ruining the franchise!

      Reply
    14. That gender-fluid lesbian says:
      October 28, 2022 at 9:03 PM

      When I found out that they were changing the lego friends franchise, I thought to my self ‘I hope the original friends will show up somehow, if they were the new characters’ parents that would be cool.’ I have now read this and cannot wait for 2023. Although it’s sad to say goodbye to the old characters, lego friends is just getting better and better, who knows, maybe lego can use this reboot to introduce more queer characters, and characters who aren’t girls it boys. Overall I think that this was a change for the better.

      Reply
      • That gender-fluid lesbian says:
        October 28, 2022 at 9:04 PM

        Or not it when it says girls it boys

        Reply
      • Håkan says:
        October 28, 2022 at 11:59 PM

        At least their interests are pretty gender-non-conformist…

        Reply
      • Jay says:
        November 3, 2022 at 11:47 AM

        Yup, the original characters are really important to the theme, and the designers obviously have strong connections with them. I can’t wait to see where else they show up – they’ve been teasing quite a bit of what we can expect from them!

        It’s so refreshing to be able to see a different side of them as well as adults.

        Reply
    15. Reader says:
      October 28, 2022 at 9:31 AM

      I like the idea of the old Friends being all grown up now. For younger kids still collecting, they can see this as a way of achieving your dreams. For parents, it could be a way of bridging a generational gap – just like the characters in Friends.

      I’m probably reading too much into this, but I do appreciate such continuity.

      Reply
      • Jay says:
        November 3, 2022 at 11:49 AM

        Not at all, I think it’s quite clever and future-proofs the theme quite a bit. For young girls and boys who grew up with Friends, when they become parents themselves, they might be drawn back to the new sets and see themselves represented too.

        Reply
    16. Håkan says:
      October 28, 2022 at 9:07 AM

      Hmm, Liann reminds me a bit of Claudia Kishi from The Babysitters’ Club series…

      Otherwise, the sets look pretty good, I guess, and I’m always for new dog molds and hairpieces on pure principle..

      Reply
      • Jay says:
        November 3, 2022 at 11:50 AM

        Oh yeah, I can see a little bit of that. Will be interesting to see how she’s characterised in the series and in sets!

        The new dog moulds are really fun, mostly because they’ve given the pets much more expressive faces!

        Reply
    17. Peter says:
      October 28, 2022 at 2:16 AM

      I love the look of these new characters! Looks like we’ll be getting a few new hairstyles too, which is always good!
      The only thing I don’t like is how Lego seems to have made their eyes larger, making them look more cartoony than little people. As a Lego mini doll collector, I like it when a mini doll looks as realistic as possible.
      But hopefully these new characters will give us a more diverse range of outfits for them….
      we just need a Lego collectable mini doll series now….

      Reply
    18. Joe B. says:
      October 28, 2022 at 12:02 AM

      I have mixed feelings about this, but that’s more about me. I think the new stuff is great. More diverse and modern characters and I really like the colors I see on the new sets, although it sure looks like a lot of stickers (my kids hold the unpopular opinion that Lego sets need MORE stickers). My problem is dealing with my 11-year-old daughters outgrowing “kid’s toys” (and me dealing with seeing my kids not be kids anymore). They still like Lego, but one thinks she’s all grown up and prefers Expert (botanicals) and Architecture now, and the other is still very much a child, but prefers dragons and Technic and just joined a Lego robotics club at school. They used to love Friends, especially the fairgrounds sets and the Girls on a Mission show, but I knew they were losing interest so I got them only 1 set each last Christmas and neither one has even opened the box. The last Friends set I got was the 10th anniversary Treehouse and I completely I bought it for myself, mostly because I liked it but partly as a memory of my kids playing with their Friends sets. (Now if Elves were ever re-booted, I could completely see them regaining interest in that.)

      Reply
      • a guy named austin says:
        October 29, 2022 at 4:21 AM

        I WANT LEGO ELVES TO BE REBOOTED TOO!!!!!

        Reply
      • Jay says:
        November 3, 2022 at 11:52 AM

        Haha the sticker comment is fun, but so relatable. Kids play with stickers all the time, so have a very different outlook than us adults.

        I think that’s a natural progression of things, and I’m glad to hear that she’s drawn towards the Botanicals and Architecture.

        1000% yes to Elves. Still one of the best fantasy LEGO series ever!

        Reply
    19. Andrew says:
      October 27, 2022 at 7:47 PM

      Soon the grandchildren will have grown out of Friends, and that will be a shame. I love these sets. So much joy and energy in their execution. I guess the only reservation is how they will come up with something new for each wave – some of these have been done several times before and may not necessarily appeal to existing fans.

      Love the idea of the original Friends still making appearances in new roles. Will miss the old logo though.

      Reply
      • Jay says:
        November 3, 2022 at 11:53 AM

        I’m dreading that for my daughter too, but hopefully I still have a few more years while she’s in the main target demographic!

        The thing with having rehashed designs is that there are always new fans, consumers getting introduced to LEGO sets, so while say, a school or diner might be old news to us, it’s completely new to them.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Welcome!

    Hello and welcome to Jay's Brick Blog. In here, you'll find independent LEGO set reviews, commentary on LEGO trends & news, bargain hunting tips and an inside look into the life of an average LEGO fan. Find out more about me here

  • Subscribe for updates

    Enter your email address here to receive updates about new posts from Jay's Brick Blog - straight to your inbox!

    Join 5,307 other subscribers

  • Buy LEGO

  • Follow me on Instagram @jayong28

  • Follow on Facebook

    Jay's Brick Blog updated their profile picture.

    1 week ago

    Jay's Brick Blog
    Jay's Brick Blog ... See MoreSee Less

    Photo

    View on Facebook
    · Share

    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

  • Recent Posts

  • Categories

  • Archives

    • Branding and website design and build by Canvas Group