Wylde Pak


Wylde Pak is an American animated television series created by Paul Watling and Kyle Marshall for Nickelodeon. Inspired by Watling and Marshall's personal family lives, the series revolves around half-siblings, Lily Pak and Jack Wylde, and their daily exploits as they adjust to their newly formed Korean American family. Set in the fictional town of Canyon Valley, the two often interact with fellow family members—father William Wylde, mother Min-Ju Pak, and grandmother Halmoni—and other residents around the town.
The series stars the voices of Nikki Castillo, Benjamin Plessala, Jee Young Han, Ben Pronsky, and Jean Yoon. It is the second original production following Rock Paper Scissors to originate from the Nickelodeon Intergalactic Shorts Program that was launched in 2019, and was first announced in March 2025 with a 26-episode order. Watling, Marshall, Seonna Hong and Conrad Vernon were attached as executive producers. It is produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio and animated by Jam Filled Entertainment.
The series' first episode was released on YouTube on May 1, 2025, with the series officially premiering on Nickelodeon on June 6, 2025.

Premise

Wylde Pak follows half-siblings Lily Pak and Jack Wylde as they navigate their evolving family dynamics, friendships, and hijinks within their newly formed Korean American family.

Characters

Main

  • Lily Pak is a competitive and fun-loving 11-year-old girl and the half-sister of Jack. She likes to play games and hang out with her friends, including Anusha, Debs, and her half-brother Jack. She makes up part of the "L.A.D." friend group, where she excels at creativity.
  • Jack Wylde is an adventurous 13-year-old boy and the half-brother of Lily who moves into Canyon Valley for the summer.
  • William "Will" Wylde is the father of Lily and Jack who shares Lily's fun-loving personality.
  • Min-Ju "Min" Pak is the energetic mother of Lily and the stepmother of Jack.
  • Halmoni is the mother of Min, and the grandmother of Lily and Jack, who has a caring, yet stubborn, personality.

    Recurring

  • Alice Kelly is a famous documentarian traveling across the world who is Jack's biological mother. A nomad, she took Jack around the world before moving him to Canyon Valley for his own safety.
  • Chuck is the Wylde family's carefree and eccentric neighbor who always seems to "know a guy". He was a theater kid in his childhood.
  • Anusha is Lily's best friend. She makes up part of the "L.A.D." friend group, where she excels in strategy.
  • Debs is Lily's best friend. She makes up part of the "L.A.D." friend group, where she excels in strength.
  • Beef is Jack and Lily's friend. He is the son of T-Bone and Patty, who run a gauntlet at their house to gauge visitors' physical strength.
  • Ellie is an eccentric seven-year-old girl who lives next door to the Wylde-Pak family. As the leader of a club revolving around ravens, she brings members around on investigations to Canyon Valley's mysterious individuals.

    Episodes

Production

Announcement

In March 2025, Nickelodeon announced that a new animated comedy television series, Wylde Pak, had been picked up for a season of 26 episodes. It is the second original television series following Rock Paper Scissors to originate from their initial Nickelodeon [Animated Shorts Program|Nickelodeon Intergalactic Shorts Program] that was launched in 2019. Nikki Castillo, Benjamin Plessala, Ben Pronsky, Jee Young Han, Jean Yoon were announced to lead the voice cast. The series, created by Paul Watling and Kyle Marshall and inspired by their family lives, follows the everyday life of a newly formed multi-generational Korean American family. It is produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio, and executive produced by Watling, Marshall, Seonna Hong and Conrad Vernon.

Conception

Watling and Marshall conceived an early version of Wylde Pak during their regular meetups at a Little Dom's restaurant. This version featured the characters, Lily and Jack, but had an added science fiction element. The pair wound up pitching the concept to Nickelodeon, whom responded well, particularly to Lily and Jack. The science fiction element was eventually dropped, and the two looked to their family lives as inspirations for what the show could be. A seven-minute pilot was produced as part of the Nickelodeon Intergalactic Shorts Program that was launched in 2019. According to Marshall, development was intense and the short looked and felt different from the final series, but the characters and family dynamics were identical.
Watling and Hong's marriage and the former's newfound role as a step-father to Hong's daughter served as the direct inspiration for the Wylde Pak's premise. Watling described his family life as poignant, as he himself grew up a step-child. Around the time the series was being conceived, Marshall also became a father. Watling, Marshall, and Hong's mission was the create a show that depicts a relatable and unsanitized picture of familial relationship. Hong noted that diversity and representation were an important part of the show. As the central family is multi-generational and culturally blended, several less common family dynamics tackled in animation had to be nailed down. As the series' target audience is children, episodes are mainly framed through the point of view of main characters, Lily and Jack. Other influences on the show include The Amazing World of Gumball, Freaks and Geeks, and My Neighbors the Yamadas ''.''

Animation and music

Wylde Pak is animated by Jam Filled Entertainment and its design was developed by art director, Ji Soo Kim. The creators sought for the series' style to reflect the messiness of familial relationships. The backgrounds consist of messier linework and no perfect angles. The characters are animated using Toon Boom Harmony and Jam Filled created a boiling outline which moves subtly in each frame. According to Marshall, the directing and boarding teams also influenced the series' look: "The compositions and backgrounds are dynamic and wonky, but what really makes it unique is the way our teams handle expressions and posing. Those boards influenced everyone down the line, from design and color to animation". The musical trio LIONCHLD created and composed the theme song and musical score.

Release

Wylde Pak's first episode was released on YouTube on May 1, 2025, with the series officially premiering on Nickelodeon on June 6, 2025. The show was added to Paramount+ in Australia on September 3, 2025, with five additional episode segments: "Where There's a Will, There's a Way", "Lost in the Sauce", "Follow the Sprinkles", "Canyon Valley V. Dirk", and the half-hour "Journey to the Otter Side".

Accolades