LEGO Pokémon Eevee 72151 Set is one of those sets that looks ‘just right’ from the moment you look at it. It’s instantly recognizable as the Pokémon we all know and love; the fur details of this set looks layered rather than flat, and both the wagging tail and movements of joints adds life into the set so it doesn’t feel like a static display. The eyes and mouth are done very well too, they capture Eevee’s personality accurately. Overall, visually, this might actually be the best-looking of the three Pokémon LEGO builds released thus far. Considering it’s also the cheapest of the lineup, that says a lot about how I feel regarding the other two sets… but that’s another topic.
That said, even if it’s the best-looking for the price, I still don’t think the price itself is justified.
The Price Problem
Where things start to feel off is the pricing. At $59.99, Eevee sits right in the middle of the LEGO price range, which feels hard to justify for a build of this size (roughly 21 × 19 cm / 8.5 × 7.5 in). Yes, the piece count is high at 587 pieces, and the price-per-piece doesn’t look bad on paper. But looking at images of the actual model, you’d imagine that many of those pieces are small and repetitive. For something this compact, and honestly kinda plain in terms of overall shaping, it surprised me how many parts it uses, especially when the set doesn’t include any featured accessories or side builds beyond the character itself.
When you compare Eevee to other LEGO animal-style sets in the $20–$30 range, the value gap becomes very obvious. Other LEGO sets like Cornish Pixie (also a licensed set), Playful Puppy Dog 3-in-1, or even Little Eatie T-Rex all cost significantly less while offering more variety. They come with more features such as accessories, transformation options, or play features that make them feel more complete. These LEGO sets land somewhere between $25 and $30, which makes the $59.99 price point for Eevee feel excessive.
Side note: The Cornish Pixie (#76461) includes a liquid-ink effect accessory that feels like it would fit perfectly as a LEGO Dark-type Pokémon attack feature. (More on attack-based play features in ‘Recommendations’ section)
Design Choices
In terms of design choices, Eevee doesn’t use any unique molded elements for its facial features, such as the eyes — unlike LEGO Pikachu (#72152), which uses dedicated buildable eye elements. Instead, those details are printed. The printing itself is done well, looks accurate, and, as mentioned earlier, is instantly recognizable as Eevee. Still, it does make the set feel a little less special than it could have been if more of Eevee’s face were built using LEGO elements rather than relying on printed pieces.
I honestly feel that it would not be too difficult for someone to recreate a very similar Eevee figure using dark brown, light brown, and black LEGO bricks with printed eyes, nose and mouth. Also, the front of the head shape resembles an AirPods case so closely that it almost feels like a replica. That said, I still think the simplicity does work visually, and as a whole, Eevee looks cleaner and more appealing than the LEGO Pikachu.
Missed Opportunities (and Reccomendations)
I can’t help but feel there were missed opportunities when it comes to play features in this set. LEGO Pokémon could lean much harder into signature attacks or type-based actions. Eevee’s card includes moves like Growl and Wild Kick, and both would’ve translated really well into simple mechanisms, a moving mouth for Growl, or a leg mechanism that allows a proper high-kick pose. Even just one of those would’ve added a lot more character to the build.
Oh, and an exclusive LEGO Pokémon card included with the set would’ve been an amazing addition too, similar to how LEGO One Piece sets include little bounty posters. It would’ve especially been interesting if the build itself had cards with attacks that the model could physically replicate. Not to mention, this could’ve easily pulled in the massive Pokémon card-collecting community as well.
Now, onto the elephant in the room that needs to be addressed: this set highlights an ongoing issue with the LEGO Pokémon lineup as a whole ( though it’s far less severe here than in the other two sets released so far.)
These sets feel like they’re being priced primarily for adults, not kids. The three sets released so far add up to a surprisingly high total (Average set price of about $300), and that’s honestly wild.
A more exciting direction would’ve been affordable Pokémon packs, small collectible minifigure mystery packs for $4.99, or bundled sets under $30, just like LEGO’s Minifigure Series. Imagine a Series 1 focused on Kanto Pokémon, followed later by Series 2 focused on Johto Pokémon, Series 3 focused on Hoenn Pokémon, and so on, just like how the Minifigures line is now on Series 28. Each wave could pull from different generations, giving fans something new to collect over time rather than locking everything behind large display sets.
That kind of long-term, wave-based approach would leverage Pokémon’s global fanbase far more effectively and give fans an accessible way into LEGO Pokémon.
Side note: LEGO could also include human characters such as trainers, Gym Leaders, Professors, and iconic villains from the cards, TV series, and games. This would avoid conflicts with minifigure scaling while giving LEGO more flexibility in what they can release.
Pokémon became huge because it was accessible. The anime was easy to understand and aired across major channels worldwide. The cards were cheap, widely available, and had simple rules that anyone could grasp. All of that built a culture around collecting, trading, and playing. With LEGO Pokémon heading in a much more premium direction, that accessibility, the thing that made Pokémon Pokémon just isn’t there. Kids anticipating this line would’ve been genuinely disappointed with the direction LEGO Pokémon has taken so far.
Concluding thoughts for LEGO Pokémon Eevee 72151 Set
I know this Eevee preview may have turned into a LEGO Pokémon rant, but that comes from genuine excitement and passion for both LEGO and Pokémon. I really want this collaboration to succeed. While the lineup so far hasn’t quite met my expectations, it’s still early days, and I’m hopeful the LEGO Pokémon line will find its footing.
At the end of the day, the Eevee (#72151) set is still the strongest entry in the current three-set lineup. It isn’t perfect, but it’s a great-looking model for what it is. It’s charming, expressive, and it’s clear LEGO understood the character from a design standpoint. Even so, as the cheapest set in the Pokémon lineup, it still feels a little overpriced for what it offers.
If you’d like more colorful animated character done in LEGO than Eevee, make sure to check out our LEGO Heihei Chicken (from Moana) 43272 Set Review
