LEGO uses a combination of classic yellow and several realistic "flesh" tones for minifigures. The choice of color generally depends on whether the set is an in-house, non-licensed theme or part of a licensed intellectual property (IP).
Classic Yellow
The vast majority of minifigures in LEGO's own themes (like City, Castle, Space, Ninjago, and Collectible Minifigures) use a neutral yellow for their skin color.
Purpose: LEGO originally chose yellow in the 1970s to be ethnically neutral, allowing children from all backgrounds to imagine themselves as the character without specific ethnic association.
Realistic "Flesh" Tones
In 2003, LEGO introduced naturalistic skin tones for licensed products to more closely resemble the real-life actors and characters they were based on.
Usage: These colors are used in licensed themes such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, Marvel, DC Super Heroes, and Indiana Jones.
Color Names: The current range of human skin tones includes:
Light Nougat (the most dominant "white" skin tone)
Nougat
Medium Nougat
Reddish
Brown
Medium Brown (introduced 2022)
Medium Tan (Warm Tan, introduced 2022)
Sienna Brown (introduced 2024)
Umber Brown (introduced 2024)
Other Themes and Exceptions
DUPLO & Friends: Figures in the DUPLO (since the 1980s) and Friends (since 2012) themes have also used a variety of realistic skin tones, often with a wider range of diversity than some licensed themes.
Other Colors: Non-human characters (aliens, monsters, droids, etc.) have been produced in numerous other colors including black, brown (retired and replaced by reddish brown), sand green, dark azure, and various transparent colors.