As a millenial, I grew up during what I consider the golden era of cartoons – the 1990’s. Some of my favorites included Rugrats, The Angry Beavers, Hey Arnold!, and Rocko’s Modern Life. But, just as the 90’s came to a close, Nickelodeon dropped another certified classic on my young, impressionable mind. I knew there was something special about SpongeBob SquarePants from the very first episode, and now, more than 25 years later (wow, I feel old), it’s one of the most popular children’s cartoons of all time, and is still going strong with over 300 episodes.
LEGO SpongeBob SquarePants: Bikini Bottom (available now exclusively from the LEGO Store) is the first new SpongeBob-themed set since 2012, and the first designed for adults with an 18+ age rating. It includes plenty of references and gags from the series, making it an excellent set for longtime fans to put together.
Set: #11386Ages: 18+Pieces: 1,794Dimensions: 10″ (H) x 22″ (W) x 6″ (D)Price: $219.99
The original set featuring the iconic homes and denizens of Bikini Bottom released in 2006, composed of just 579 pieces, and included a rather horrifying Squidward minifigure. Now, 20 years later, the set is much larger and has been completely reimagined for an older audience. At 1,794 pieces, more than three times the number of the original, this is also the largest LEGO SpongeBob SquarePants set released by far.
The contents of the massive box are split across 14 bags. This is the second set I’ve built that uses LEGO’s new eco-friendly packaging, which replaces the transparent polyethylene bags with paper bags, an initiative that began back in 2021. While I appreciate the positive environmental impact these new bags promise, I’ve found that they are prone to having small pieces get stuck in the seams. If you’re building a set that includes these new bags, be sure to double-check each one if you’re potentially missing a piece.
One aspect I really like about this set is just how good the minifigs look. Each one has been redesigned from the previous iterations, with more accurate colors and improved moldings. SpongeBob, in particular, looks great. The color is spot-on, and he finally has a proper pair of printed pants instead of looking like he’s standing on a pair of brown stilts. SpongeBob also comes with his trusty jellyfish net.
Patrick’s minifig received a substantial redesign compared to his originals as his head and stomach are now one large piece that fit over the torso like a sort-of reverse cape that more accurately depicts his food-loving physique. He even comes with one of his favorite junk foods – a Neopolitan ice cream cone.
Squidward got the biggest glow-up compared to his original minifig. Although later iterations fixed this by giving him a proper head mold, the version included in this set features a more accurate face, improved coloring, and little tentacles printed on the feet.
While not minifigs per se, the set also comes with a buildable DoodleBob (complete with the Magic Pencil) and a buildable Gary the Snail, although it hasn’t changed much from early LEGO iterations aside from having better coloring. He still doesn’t have eyes, though.
This set is divided into two instruction books, with the first book covering Patrick and Squidward’s houses, and the second book dedicated entirely to SpongeBob’s famous “Pineapple Under the Sea,” which employs some unique tactics to get its shape – more on that later. There are also a number of smaller builds to round out the scenery, including the crooked Bikini Bottom sign, a Boatmobile, SpongeBob’s Bubblestand, and small diorama of the Jellyfish Fields, with a small rotating platter to make the jellyfish swim around.
Patrick’s house doesn’t take long to put together, as all of its contents fit in a single bag. After all, it is just a large rock covering a hole in the ground. Thankfully, LEGO didn’t just stop there. The lid of Patrick’s house can be opened to reveal all of his sand furniture, including his chair, lamp, rug, and CRT TV. It even includes a space for him to “sleep” under the lid.
Squidward’s house, split across six bags, is a little more involved to assemble as it’s comprised of four floors: the bottom floor which features his clarinet and music sheet; the second floor with his canopy bed; and the third floor bathroom, complete with his toilet, shower, and bubble bath. There’s also a shower curtain with what appears to be a silhouette of SpongeBob hiding behind it – a reference to the episode “Squid’s Day Off,” where Squidward becomes paranoid after leaving SpongeBob in charge of the Krusty Krab. Finally, the top floor of the house features Squidward’s tanning bed that he frequently sets up in front of his house, along with a mirror and a flower-topped cocktail drink.
The interior of the house repurposes some LEGO pieces in interesting ways, such as a pink-colored crown as a sea anemone plant and an upside down cupcake piece as the lampshades for Squidward’s nightstands.
LEGO absolutely nailed the exterior of Squidward’s house. The dark blue pieces look fantastic, and the chunky geometry of the large nose, ears, and thick brow come through great. The window “eyes” are also a unique printed piece, of which this set has a surprising amount. I was pleased to find only two small sticker sheets overall.
The highlight of this set is undoubtedly SpongeBob’s pineapple house, though, which comes together across the remaining seven bags. The bottom floor features plenty of references to the show, including a hidden Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy Easter egg inside the TV set, the shellphone, the photo of Gary on the wall, and even SpongeBob’s “friends” Penny, Chip, and Used Napkin.
Upstairs, SpongeBob’s bedroom includes his bed, complete with ladder and diving board, of course, as well as his alarm clock and Gary’s dessert in the corner. Don’t worry, he’s gonna finish it, and he’s gonna like it!
The designers at LEGO took a very interesting approach to recreate the rounded nature of the pineapple’s exterior and its criss-crossed diamond pattern. Each one of the pinapple panels is attached to a rigid internal frame built out of Technics pieces, allowing them to sit on an angle and pivot a bit to create the rounded look. Individual panels are attached to the exterior, leaving a small gap around the edges to make the diamond pattern. While they don’t fit together perfectly, the overall shape and finished house looks fantastic.
Finally bringing all three houses together to recreate the Bikini Bottom landscape is a blast. Each of the bases can be connected to save space, or you can display them all freely. There’s so much character to this set with endless scenes that can be recreated that it’s a must-have for SpongeBob SquarePants fans.
LEGO SpongeBob SquarePants: Bikini Bottom, Set #11386, retails for $219.99 and is composed of 1,794 pieces. It is available to purchase exclusively from the LEGO Store.
Matthew Adler has written for IGN since 2019 covering all things gaming, tech, tabletop games, and more. You can follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.
