What is Pazuzu? Why are Labubu dolls being linked to a demon?

Indian Express

12-07-2025

Just when you thought your social media feed was shrugging off the clutches of the viral Labubu dolls, there's a new revelation: the cute bag charms may have a demonic connection. Labubus are being linked to Pazuzu, the Mesopotamian king of wind demons, who, according to Britannica, is the son of Hanpa and brother to Humbaba (Huwawa). Videos circulating on social media have netizens freaking out over strange activity observed after bringing home the viral toy, from flickering lights to eerie noises heard late in the night.
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The lore goes that Pazuzu helped humans ward off other demons, and, thus, representations of his face served as popular apotropaic amulets in the 1st millennium BCE in the Middle East.
Pazuzu's body is similar to those of other Mesopotamian demons, but his head is distinct from all others. It is a rectangular shape, with capric horns, massive eyebrows over deep-set round eyes, a canine jaw that displays teeth and tongue, a long two-pronged beard marked out by horizontal lines, and protruding ears.
That's where the chilling similarity with Labubus arise. The Internet is busy drawing parallels between the Mesopotamian demon and Labubus, the quirky, wide-eyed collectible figurines created by Hong Kong-based toy brand POP MART, in collaboration with artist Kasing Lung.
Labubu dolls are not conventionally 'cute'. Their wide eyes, mischievous grin, and slightly eerie vibe speak directly to Gen Z's love for the offbeat and peculiar — emotions that encapsulate their energy. And the Pazuzu's head is the earliest known example of Mesopotamian iconography blending multiple animal and human features, with the earlier iconography adding only one animal body part, such as a lion's head, on a human body.
bUt 𝕨𝕙𝕪 𝕕𝕠 𝕞𝕪 𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 𝕗𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕚 𝕤𝕖𝕥 𝕙𝕚𝕞 𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟?
L̴A̴b̴U̴b̴U̴ ̴x̴ ̴P̴a̴Z̴u̴Z̴u̴ ̴c̴O̴L̴L̴A̴B̴ ̴L̴E̴A̴K̴E̴D̴.̴.̴.̴ 👁👹
tHeY sAy iF u pUt 3 lAbUbUs iN a tRiAnGlE 🔺
a cHiLd lAuGhS iN yOuR wAlLs 😬
yOuR tOoThBrUsH gOeS mIsSiNg
aNd a bUnNy eAr… pic.twitter.com/EYr0qJW2X0
— LabubuMisfits (@LabubuMisfits) July 2, 2025
Jokes about supernatural activity surrounding Labubus have gained attention, with netizens expressing distress and concern over children collecting and playing with these dolls. However, all links are just speculation and conjecture, with no concrete evidence pointing towards any real connection.
Britannica further states that the earliest archaeological evidence of Pazuzu—found in the grave of a royal woman entombed in Nimrud (near present-day Mosul, Iraq)—dates to 8th century BCE. Images of Pazuzu have been found throughout the ancient Middle East, dating to the 1st millennium BCE, including the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and late Babylonian periods.
Pazuzu's iconography has puzzled researchers because of its sudden and fully realised appearance in the archaeological record, displaying no apparent evolutionary stages. The lack of any earlier identifiable representations renders it impossible to pinpoint the exact geographic origins of the imagery, though it most likely developed in either Egypt or Mesopotamia.
While Pazuzu's head is sometimes depicted alone, it is often paired with the faces of other Mesopotamian demons or gods. Some Pazuzu amulets have images inscribed on their backs of deities who were considered permanent allies of humans, such as Ugallu and Lulal. Archaeologists conjecture that these pairings were meant to ensure Pazuzu's power remained directed away from human targets and to protect the wearer from danger.