The LEGO Aquazone theme was a popular, multi-faction, discontinued product line that ran from 1995 to 1999. It focused on a futuristic, underwater world where different groups of divers and villains battled for control of valuable "hydro-crystals" at the bottom of the ocean.
Theme Overview and Storyline
The world of Aquazone was divided into several sub-themes, each representing a different faction with a unique color scheme and motivation:
Aquanauts (1995): The first faction; they were the "good guy" explorers and scientists in bright blue and black who discovered the hydro-crystals and sought to study them peacefully.
Aquasharks (1995): The villainous faction in black and gray, led by the minifigure "Shark", who wanted to steal the crystals for their own power.
Aquacessories (1996): Small, supplemental sets for the other themes.
Aquaraiders I (1997): A single, neutral faction that focused solely on mining the crystals.
Hydronauts (1998): The final "good guy" faction, a more advanced team focused on deep-sea missions.
Aquasharks II / Stingrays (1998-1999): The final villain faction with new designs and color schemes.
Key Product Features
Hydro-Crystals: These were small, often transparent or trans-neon green "gem" pieces that were the collectible focus of the theme.
Minifigures: The divers featured unique helmet designs with visors and breathing apparatus, often with detailed torso printing.
Vehicles: The sets included a wide range of submarines and underwater vehicles, many with a modular design, robot arms, or cargo bays to hold the crystals.
Animals: The sets were known for including various new and rare sea animal molds.
Notable Discontinued Sets
These sets are no longer available new from retailers but can be found on the secondary market.
Aquanaut's Base (Set number: 6195): The flagship set for the first "good guy" faction, it featured an extensive underwater research facility and dock.
Aquashark's Citadel (Set number: 6196): The main villain base for the original Aquasharks, it included a large ship/base and several vehicles.
Command Sub (Set number: 6198): The largest set for the Hydronauts faction, a large submarine with modular features and a separate mini-sub.
Crystal Explorer Sub (Set number: 6175): A popular, early Aquanauts set featuring a core sub design.
Successor Themes
For fans of the underwater theme, LEGO later released:
Divers (1997): A more realistic, non-sci-fi theme focused on present-day exploration.
Aqua Raiders (2007): A standalone theme focused on fighting sea monsters for treasure.
Atlantis (2010-2011): A theme where divers explored the lost city and battled sea creatures.
LEGO City Deep Sea Explorers (Current): The modern, realistic exploration theme that is widely available today.