LEGO DREAMZzz 71500 Nightmare Shark Submarine review

LEGO DREAMZzz fans may have strange feelings of déjà vu with 71500 Nightmare Shark Submarine, a set that revisits a recent concept all too soon.

The largest of the LEGO DREAMZzz sets released in June 2025, 71500 Nightmare Shark Submarine offers up a brick-built shark that can be enhanced and turned into a shark submarine or reassembled as a hammerhead shark battleship. While the latest LEGO DREAMZzz set attempts to offer something new to fans of the theme, making the various models soon reveals that what we’re looking at here is essentially a spiritual successor to 2023's 71469 Nightmare Shark Ship.

71500 Nightmare Shark Submarine

Release: Jun 1, 2025

Retiring: Jul 31, 2026

Price: £129.99 / $149.99 / €139.99

Pieces: 1,413

Minifigures: 5

Dropping in 2023 as part of the first wave of LEGO DREAMZzz sets, 71469 Nightmare Shark Ship represented the crown jewel of the theme at the time, and you can check out our full review of the build right here.

Fast forward two years and there’s a distinct sense that 71500 Nightmare Shark Submarine is retreading familiar ground with a very similar large-scale aquatic predator model. There are a handful of what amount to cosmetic differences between the two LEGO DREAMZzz sets, but those looking for something truly unique may be slightly disappointed with this release.

The initial shark build delivers exactly what you might expect from such a creation, complete with an opening tooth-filled maw that also features dual missile shooters. A small area behind the shark’s head provides a place for minifigures to pilot the craft, as well as twin trans-pink blades forming the creature’s lethal tail. This section of 71500 Nightmare Shark Submarine is also where you’ll be applying the first of 23 stickers, with both sides of the brick-built beast proudly displaying the word ‘5H4RK’, alongside several digitised skull insignia.

The middle of the shark’s body is constructed from more trans-pink elements that represent its ribcage, with the interior section doubling as a minifigure prison. Side wing fin blasters and a small container with hearts rounds out this part of the basic LEGO DREAMZzz build, with the main model taking up the most of your construction time.

Attention now turns to a number of enhancements that evolve the shark into a fully-fledged shark submarine. The body of the beast gains a command deck area on top, which boasts a pink and white brain periscope, multiple stickered tile panels, magenta hoses, an adjustable radar dish and two detachable mini flying aircraft, all of which offer up some decent play potential.

The shark submarine is completed with the addition of two huge engines attached to the rear of the LEGO DREAMZzz creature, both of which also function as rotating stud shooters. The shark’s head gains further enhancements, giving the brick-built behemoth an even more formidable appearance.

However, it’s 71500 Nightmare Shark Submarine’s alternate build that’s more likely to be of interest to LEGO DREAMZzz fans. The hammerhead shark battleship manages to make the creature seem even more dangerous by adding a solid T-shaped head to its body and sinister eye slits.

The command deck is rebuilt and becomes even more packed, with huge exhaust vents and landing spaces for a pair of rebuilt mini aircraft. Bolstering the hammerhead shark battleship is a third trans-pink blade on its tail, two massive stud-shooting cannons that can be rotated and a Cyber Brain creature complete with wriggling tentacles.

71500 Nightmare Shark Submarine includes a total of five minifigures, three of which are exclusive to the set. A familiar version of Mateo with a goo gun and Z-Blob figure make reappearances, as does the Dreamer minifigure and three identical Cyberlings. LEGO DREAMZzz fans gain a variant of Logan that gives the character a more human look, and boasts a new double-sided head, printed torso and legs, plus a dual-moulded hat with ears.

Dream chaser Astrid was introduced in last year’s 71478 The Never Witch’s Midnight Raven, but has been given a makeover in 71500 Nightmare Shark Submarine. In addition to the minifigure’s visual styling, the character gains an impressive new dual-moulded hair and headdress element, as well as a gold wheelchair.

The primary reason why a number of LEGO DREAMZzz fans will be picking up 71500 Nightmare Shark Submarine though is for the Dreamsmasher minifigure. Some may have suspected that the mysterious new character’s introduction in Season 3 of the animated series and his appearance in this set could have suggested that the Dream King had possibly returned.

While that’s not the case, Dreamsmasher does at least deliver a worthy addition to the LEGO DREAMZzz minifigure line-up. His new helmet element features a striking digitised yellow skull design, with the character’s printed torso and legs complemented by a dayglo yellow cape.

Dreamsmasher may be one of only a few reasons to pick up 71500 Nightmare Shark Submarine, but the fact that the minifigure is locked behind such a high priced set for now is slightly disappointing. Ultimately, the LEGO DREAMZzz model itself feels more like a slightly updated version of 71469 Nightmare Shark Ship, instead of being an imaginative new take on a villainous fantasy vehicle.

Our honest opinion: Revisiting old ground conceptually, 71500 is more of a disappointing remake than what could have been the most impressive release in the latest LEGO DREAMZzz wave.

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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