What Would You Like the Role of the Villagers to Be in B15?

[Banana Gunz]

One thing that has noticeably changed between Bionicle Gen1 and Gen 2 is the role of the villagers/matoran. In this reboot, I get the impression that the villagers will have a less important role and that the story will be focused around the toa's adventures. In the old Bionicle, the matoran were largely what came first for the toa; their safety and well-being was especially important (seen most probably in 2004).

 

Whether the role of the villagers in the reboot ends up how my impression of it currently is, my question is whether you would want the villagers to have the same level of importance as in the old story. Would you want them to be individual and important with their own little stories and adventures like the matoran, or less important and there for setting more than story, and the story centering and being exclusively followed by the toa? (This can have good impacts too, like more character development for them because of more time being spent with them, and a more central set of heroes and stream-lined plot that doesn't get distracted by outside details. Both have good reasons and are relevant.)

 

So which role would you like to see for them the most in the reboot?

[Click]

It's still really hard to make judgments at this point, given that Lego has given us next to nothing on the Protectors (which is really frustrating), but based on the comics, I see them taking a side role. They could be the Toa's informants, helping them to find the masks after the Toa save them from the Skull Spiders. We haven't seen any references to multiple Protectors per element (also a shame), so maybe they're just Okoto's castaways and men of the island (I just finished Treasure Island ).

[bonesiii]

It's pretty unlikely the heroes would suddenly not care as much about the villagers' well-being.

 

Beyond that, I don't know what to expect. I, too, get the sense there's something different about it. But we really don't have enough to go on yet.

[Regitnui]

Judging by those same comics, Protectors seem to have a special duty; protecting the elemental masks. The villagers may all wear the same masks as the protector sets, but in-universe protectors are some combination of (for example) Jaller and Turaga Vakama.

Edited November 24, 2014 by Regitnui

[Sergei Rahkmaninoff]

I'm fine with most of them as background, but I'd really like a Chronicler with plenty of characterization.

[Banana Gunz]

It's pretty unlikely the heroes would suddenly not care as much about the villagers' well-being.

 

Beyond that, I don't know what to expect. I, too, get the sense there's something different about it. But we really don't have enough to go on yet.

 

I see what you mean. This type of topic is a little early in the game considering how little we've seen of the story, but I do feel it's relevant in that we've seen less of the Protectors/villagers. They don't get fancy names, masks, characters, or anything that we can see so far. The video we got seems to focus more on the quest for the masks, and the villages/villagers just being more of setting than directly being the central duty of the toa.

 

I'm absolutely sure they are a huge duty of the toa and their well-being is important, but simply less so than before? The main idea is their role in canon. I'm a bit sad if they're gonna get cut out. If anything I suppose, they can get some more attention in the later years.

 

(I'm just imagining a Taku-like villager running up to Tahu with a tablet begging him to sign it in his nerdiest voice and then WHAM Tahu just smacks him cross the face with his fire sword. "Puny villagers. 'Aint nobody got time for that!")

[IcarusBen]

I imagine the Protectors are only going to be for this first wave, while we'll be getting more unique sets later on. We've got three years, or six waves, of Bionicle to get through. If each wave has the same amount of sets, that's 78 sets. I'm sure somewhere along the line, we'll get unique small sets.

[Sir Kohran]

In the old Bionicle, the matoran were largely what came first for the toa; their safety and well-being was especially important (seen most probably in 2004).

 

2004 was the last year Matoran played an important role in the central story, with the main characters starting out as Matoran and the six other missing ones at the start. In 2006 and the following two years Matoran only existed to fill the 'six small sets' role and the focus was entirely on the six Toa characters and eventually Mata Nui and his companions. Greg did bring a lot of the 'classic' Matoran back into the story in his serials, but not in a way that involved them in the central plotline.

 

I think it's a shame Matoran lost so much attention; the Mata Nui section's cast of Matoran characters and the depiction of their culture in the MNOLG played a major role in making the early years as appealing and memorable as they are.

Edited November 25, 2014 by Sir Kohran

[fishers64]

I just can't seem to get past the idea that they are cute little guys who would hug on to the Toa's legs and beg the Toa in question to save them. 

 

But I wouldn't want them to be that way. I'd rather see them attacking and kicking some serious Skull spider tail, like the good ol' MNOG Matoran. Possibly be a bit more sensibly apprehensive about the new Toa in town. 

[Doctor Makuta]

Them fulfilling a range of roles would be nice would be nice, rather than the stereotypical roles they fulfilled in Gen1, closer to the Agori society. More of a warrior element as well to them rather than just letting someone defend them. Also a spiritual element to their society might be nice.

Edited November 27, 2014 by -The Doctor-

[Toa Malachives]

It's still really hard to make judgments at this point, given that Lego has given us next to nothing on the Protectors (which is really frustrating), but based on the comics, I see them taking a side role. They could be the Toa's informants, helping them to find the masks after the Toa save them from the Skull Spiders. We haven't seen any references to multiple Protectors per element (also a shame), so maybe they're just Okoto's castaways and men of the island (I just finished Treasure Island ).

Don't they have entire villages?

[Iblis]

 

It's still really hard to make judgments at this point, given that Lego has given us next to nothing on the Protectors (which is really frustrating), but based on the comics, I see them taking a side role. They could be the Toa's informants, helping them to find the masks after the Toa save them from the Skull Spiders. We haven't seen any references to multiple Protectors per element (also a shame), so maybe they're just Okoto's castaways and men of the island (I just finished Treasure Island ).

Don't they have entire villages?

 

 

Well yes, there are villages filled with villagers. Each of one of six elements; I think it's pretty safe to say there are only a few Protectors, but that they are basically the same as villagers; they might take a 'Turaga(-ish) role' but it's as a rank not a different form/stage.

But we still don't know that much about them yet...

[Regitnui]

On the updated Bionicle.com website, they say something about Protector being an inherited position from father to son, so that implies that the species name is something different. This fita with my theory of Protectors being in charge of the village's elemental mask, and now that the Toa have claimed it, hand over their weapons to the Toa and semi-retire from the position.

[Akavakaku]

I won't be too disappointed if the Protectors don't get names or character traits, since... well, I've already worked out headcanon names and roles for all of them. :/

[Dralcax]

I'm a little disappointed with all the villagers being the same for each element, I miss the individuality and character the Matoran had. However, it's pretty great that they can defend themselves as opposed to just being there for the Toa to save.

[Sir Kohran]

I'm a little disappointed with all the villagers being the same for each element, I miss the individuality and character the Matoran had. However, it's pretty great that they can defend themselves as opposed to just being there for the Toa to save.

 

The 'G1' Matoran are sometimes depicted as all looking the same. There's a crowd of Jalas in one of the 2002 comics, and the Matoran crowds in MOL are also clones (making the main characters with their unique designs look a bit conspicuous). Even the first two villages (Ta and Ga-Koro) seen in the MNOLG had lots of clones, and individual designs for each Matoran didn't show up until Po-Koro and the villages after that.

 

And the original Matoran were often capable of defending themselves against Rahi and even Bohrok, though there wasn't much they could do against Rahkshi.

[Toa Azarius]

I would hope that the Villager would play a similar role to the matoran, and IRL villagers. (Trading, Hunting, Etc.)

[bonesiii]

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