The Water Dragon looks the part — coiling body, swooshable wings, great color work — but LEGO® charged $80 for a set that fights you on value the whole way. A B- love score buried under an F on price.
Is the price fair?D+$80 was too much to ask for this one in 2021, and the market agreed.
Will you love it?B-Fun creature build with a Ninjago soul — you'll like it, just not love it.
Holds its value?C-Retirement didn't move the needle; this one drifts more than it climbs.
True ValueD+
$94
Street price
$81
Parts value
86%
Ratio
The parts alone are worth about 86% of the street price — the basis for this D+ price read.
What you get
Plain bricks
$30
Printed & detailcalc
$3
Functional piecescalc
$14
Figures (×5)
$35
Premium you pay
Premium over parts
$13
FairParts are worth about 86% of the price — close to what the set is worth.
The Full Take
The Water Dragon is a legit-looking creature build with a sinuous body, expressive head design, and color blocking that photographs well — this is a set you'll enjoy putting together and probably like having around. The five minifigs cover the core Ninjago cast, which kids and fans will appreciate, though none of them are rare or particularly exciting on their own. The problem is $79.99 for 737 pieces in 2021 was a tough ask, and the market has never rewarded this one for it — secondary prices have drifted rather than climbed, and retirement didn't spark the bump some hoped for. As a build it earns the B- love grade: fun, thematic, satisfying enough. As a purchase at full retail it earned the F on price, and that math hasn't gotten better with time. If you find it discounted, the calculus flips; at or above MSRP, you're overpaying for a set that was already overpriced when it launched.
