What BIONICLE Means to Me

Entry posted by Toa Nidhiki05 September 5, 2012

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Just recently my parents noted I still had Bionicle sets in my room. A relatively small place, I barely have any room to have more than 6 or 7 out at a time, but that has gotten my thinking about Bionicle as a whole. What is it about Bionicle that has kept me a fan for over 11 years, much longer than any toyline?

I remember my first set well - Toa Tahu, given to me in 2001 by my best friend. From there, something about Bionicle grabbed me - perhaps it was the sense of adventure, materialized in the Mata Nui Adventure Game, perhaps the greatest marketing game for a toy ever. The concept was so mysterious, so adventurous - six heroes, vastly different beings with amazing power and no memory of their past, come together and go on a quest to find powerful masks to face the pure evil of Makuta. Looking back, the brilliance of this is that the masks were barely used at all in the battle - the adventures the Toa went through to find them granted them wisdom and knowledge, better tools than any mask. And by working together, they defeated the evil of Makuta.

By 2002 I had all the Toa (Tahu, Onua, Pohatu, Kopaka, Gali, and Lewa), Turaga Matau, and a Nui-Rama. In a twist that the fantastic, amazing ending of the Adventure Game hinted, a different evil was to come. The Bohrok, threatened to destroy the world I had explored in the Adventure Game. This magical land was threatened with pure destruction and, through the brilliant animations and comics, the Toa ultimately won again. And I remained a fan, buying four of the Bohrok as well as Exo-Toa and Boxor. The Toa Nuva were just as good, and were just as mysterious - I bought four of them as well. As the story progressed, the island threatened destruction again - not from the Bohrok, this time, but from the Toa themselves. As their unity fell, so did their guard, and they barely prevented the Bohrok from reawakening. Later, the Rahkshi (of which I owned all six), Makuta, and Takanuva sets followed what could have been the penultimate storyline - the novice Toa, avenging the death of his friend Jaller, defeats Makuta, who seemingly dies. The movie offered a fitting end, a hope of a brighter world without the evil of Makuta.

But it didn't end there - the fantasy elements became overpowered by sci-fi. Metru-Nui offered a fascinating change from Mata Nui, which was primitive in comparison. And the evil was just as present - a monstrous plant aiming to destroy the city and a faceless evil behind it. Vakama, Nokama, Whenua, Nuju, Matau, and Onewa became great characters, quickly establishing a solid story and overcoming adversity to defeat the plant and, ultimately, Makuta. 2005 was somewhat a letdown in comparison but offered excellent lessons on morality and leadership. From there, the adventure and mystery continued to Voya Nui, Mahri Nui, Karda Nui, and Bara Magna - all offering excellent comics and amazing novels from Greg Farshtey. And I managed to stay interested all these years. Why?

Well, Bionicle is more than a toy - it is my childhood. It represented a consistent interest - I had fascinations in space, astronauts, and weather, which all faded away. Yet Bionicle never did. It offered something few toy lines could - a story, a meaning. A purpose behind the toy. The story managed to offer twists and turns, and are still incredibly enjoyable in hindsight. Greg Farshtey managed to turn basic action figures into epic characters, with realistic actions, thoughts, and motives. LEGO managed to put out action figures that offered a satisfying build and a great amount of play. And the movies, games, and promotions managed to keep the interest alive with interactive features and rewards. All these melded into a single, cohesive entity that provided the perfect avenue for creativity. I can certainly say that I would not be nearly as active online without Bionicle, as I joined this forum because of it. I would not be into writing without the amazing stories Mr. Farshtey wrote for years - consistently entertaining and filled with heart and emotion. I would rush out to buy the latest book, knowing it would be fantastic and anticipating the twists he added. Truly an amazing feat for a toy line about biomechanical beings. Without his writing, I doubt I would have gotten into writing in any form - such an impact is the mark of a good writer, when they can show others the fun of writing and do it in a way that is fun, exciting, and wholesome.

Eleven years after 2001, I'm not ashamed to say I remain a fan and that I always will be. It isn't embarrassing to have toys out, because the meaning behind them is so rooted in what the series has given me and how it has affected me. It is important for us,as fans, to realize the future of Bionicle lies with us - it may come back, it may not. But even if it doesn't, we can keep it alive, for ourselves and future generations. Bionicle transcends just being a toyline - it reaches into the desire for adventure, for a story of good and evil, for a tale of action and, yes, even learning. Bionicle succeeds at all of these levels, and such a success is something we need to share with the world, not hide.

-TN05