Bionicle Guru

Nice find. I know it wasn't important to be very detailed at that stage, but it is comforting to know as I look at those storyboards that my level of drawing BIONICLE characters back in 2001-2002 would have sufficed (or daresay better) for the plotting of the scenes of MNOG!

1 hour ago, chuckschwa said:

Do the Nuva symbols, or the knowledge of them, ever show up in media taking place before their appearance on Mata Nui? Like, do the Toa Metru encounter a Nuva cube or legend while encountering the Bohrok?

Someone else can feel free to correct me, but I'm fairly certain the Nuva cube and symbols didn't show up in other BIONICLE media at a chronological point prior to the Toa Mata becoming the Nuva. Remember, when the Toa imprisoned the Bahrag and became Toa Nuva, simultaneously on the surface of the island, their Suvas in each Koro lit up with energies of the Nuva and when they settled, the Nuva symbol, newly forged, was present. Therefore, without foreknowledge of the event, it was easy for the Turaga and Matoran to put two and two together that the symbols that conveniently appeared after all the Bohrok Krana died over each Toa's Suva belonged to the Toa Nuva and represent them.

What nobody expected, however, was that the symbols themselves anchored the Toa Nuva's elemental power while in the Suva. I wonder how this worked after the Bohrok finally cleared off the island of Mata Nui. The Nuva managed to free the Bahrag by undoing the seal they made with their elemental powers, so no need to sacrifice their symbols. But with the Suva gone, what happened? Perhaps I should assume during the migration back to Metru Nui, the Turaga took the Nuva symbols and installed them in new, safe places in the various Metrus? Did that mean the Nuva had to spend their (short?) trip to Metru Nui powerless? Then again, I guess they had Takanuva to watch their backs.

Here is a radical idea. To "finish off" the original BIONICLE story, just ignore everything in an online serial posted after the conclusion of the Final Battle between Mata Nui and Makuta. Start from when Tahu told everyone, "My friends...it is time to begin." It's been so long since the serials were left in limbo, it'd be crazy to ask Greg (or even another author) to pick up those stories and finish them. I say, keep it simple and start from scratch, so no one has to worry who's in an alternate dimension, who's planning to betray who and who's entering an unlikely alliance and resurrecting you-know-who and yadda yadda yadda.

The core of BIONICLE was with the Toa and their Matoran allies. To find out what happened to The Shadowed One, the Order of Mata Nui, or whatever, let us pretend none of that stuff post-BIONICLE Stars happened.

And if you think I am being obtuse, look at what happened to Star Wars, what with the "continuation" of the original Star Wars trilogy in the run-up to the release of "The Force Awakens". Bye-bye old Expanded Universe. And there were plenty of finished and unfinished story concepts that will never be "officially" continued or acknowledged. With BIONICLE, there are only a few unfinished serials, so I'm willing to accept their loss. The only arbiters that matter in this decision would be GregF and LEGO, of course.

There's also Latin alphabet used in the BIONICLE comic from 2008 where the Toa Nuva enter the Codrex and discover the flying vehicles. Prominently written on the floor in front of the vehicle are the inscribed letters that spell "AXALARA T9". Again, I assume this is artistic license meant to make the meaning clear to the reader (gotta sell those toys, and little Timmy won't be able to tell Grandma what set to buy for his birthday if the text is in the Matoran alphabet and this just happens to be little Timmy's first exposure to BIONICLE).

I assumed back in 2002 when that comic came out that the presence of the Toa Nuva carving in that cave was part of "takedown brainstorming" session wherein the Kal took whatever information they had on the Nuva and compiled it to organize their plan to awakening the Bahrag and releasing the Bohrok swarms once again. After all, the previous pages indicate several days (or maybe even a couple of weeks) have passed since their transformation into Nuva. It's still very fresh for them (hence the sparring match that goes out of control), but they are already aware of reconstruction efforts in the Koro with the aid of reprogrammed Bohrok and Bohrok Va. In all that time, the Kal had been awake, but being the intelligent foes that they were, they probably spent time in the Bahrag lair studying the cube, communicating with Krana that had been used by the Toa to open the doors to the Exo-Toa, and moving to the surface. In the comic, we see the culmination of their plotting, and in a final flourish, Tahnok Kal electrocutes the name of his merry band over the carvings of their plans.

That's just a rough theory I have, though I'm sure arguments could be made that if several days have passed since the Nuva surfaced, any enterprising Matoran could've stopped in that cave to commemorate the sight of the heroes of Mata Nui transformed. After all, Po-Matoran are excellent carvers, and other Matoran (judging by the handiwork in the Wahis) aren't slouches either.

4 hours ago, chuckschwa said:

Fun fact, they were supposed to be Glow-In-Dark milky white!

Besides the teaser video, if you look at the combiner build instructions in the back you can see Onua's brainstalk is not dark-green like it is printed in the rest of the manual. Incidentally, the Lewa prototype had a green axle rod instead of the typical black axle.

I guess they weren't translucent enough, or perhaps since the brain stalk is notorious for snapping into the Toa head very securely the material did not meet Lego's standards?

That video is...something else, I'll tell ya. Hard to conclude what the original intent was by having a clear or milky-white eye stem, since the prototypes shown all have Hau Kanohi. But that scan of the Kaita instructions give further credence to this concept. Wow, and all these years, I thought the clear eye stem on the pages was just a printing mistake (no green ink), not a hold-over from the prototype stage.

Makes me wonder about other curious parts shown, like the third ball for Pohatu's parts diagram, but the actual set contained only two balls, one for each shoulder. And in the Mania Magazine that summer, there were instructions for a Fikou tree spider that you could build from Pohatu and Onua, but the instructions called for three ball pieces, and between both sets, there were only two. Very interesting find, thanks for pointing it out! And yes, I would've liked the milky/glow-in-the-dark version of Onua's eyes a lot better than the dark green!

Re-watching "Mask of Light", the Irish-tinged accent to Lewa's tree-speak is a little ridiculous. Lewa was a brash, more punk kind of Toa. Whereas Kopaka would be aloof and solitary due to his constantly-working intellect and caution, Lewa often went solo because he assumed he could handle anything that came his way, an impetuous youth who thinks he has figured out the world. For him personally, I would like to hear a bit of disdain or sarcasm in his voice and mannerisms, including treespeak. As for the Le-Matoran population at large, I imagine they would definitely speak with a more carefree, friendly tone. Sort of like "surfer speak", but omitting the terms and slang that tie it to the west coast of the USA.

Ice was depicted really well from the get-go in BIONICLE. Just look at Carlos D'Anda's artwork of Kopaka back in the first issue of the BIONICLE comic! Before that, I never really conceptualized how ice could be an offensive weapon. Later textual and video depictions only furthered my admiration for it.

I would say, therefore, ice is my favorite element to reflect my personality, but I think it has changed a lot since I first discovered BIONICLE as an aloof pre-teen. I voted for Stone, since it reminds me of the kind dependability and good-natureness of Pohatu. Later stone Toa like Hewkii seemed to wield the power of stone almost too destructively. Pohatu seemed to balance its use well, a notable example being where he literally pushed up a wall of stone to turn back a horde of invading Tahnok to Po-Wahi (BIONICLE #6: Into the Nest).

As someone who was with BIONICLE from the start in 2001 and who still has strong memories of that time (I was 12 years old), I think I am qualified to chime in.

There is a lot of context to this time period that will of course vary from person to person, but I speak as a United States, small-town citizen who was already a LEGO Maniac of many years by the time BIONICLE appeared on the scene.

First of all, remember BIONICLE released in Europe first. All the Toa and Turaga were widely available at the start of 2001, while people in the USA and Canada had to wait until July 2001. Regardless, if you were like me and got some 2001 LEGO sets (like Life on Mars) for Christmas in 2000, you undoubtedly saw BIONICLE advertised in the catalogs included in the box. These were not teaser images; these were the original six CGI images of the Toa. No words or descriptions were given other than their names and "BIONICLE", so it was very enigmatic from even a casual perspective. I had seen the Throwbots in 1999 and Roboriders in 2000, though, and they were equally-enigmatic, but once you bought the set, the mystery wore off really quickly and it just became a strange addition to your collection. This would not be the case with BIONICLE!

So, in the USA, in lieu of sets, we were hooked on the story first. The BIONICLE website was live in early 2001, so you could learn about the whole original legend, the Toa, the Makuta, and more without owning a single set. Plus, there was a music page for making sounds inspired by BIONICLE and the island of Mata Nui. Finally, there was the much-lauded third component, the Mata Nui Online Game. Unlike the worlds of the Throwbots and Roboriders, you could actually enter and explore the world of BIONICLE...whatever that was. And as you did, more mysteries presented themselves. It was like exploring a new place when on vacation. It seems like around every corner, some new and exciting could pop up to engage you.

Of course, LEGO did allow for a trickle of actual BIONICLE sets to the USA before July. In March, LEGO Mania Club members could buy Tahu and Vakama for $10. That made BIONICLE truly real for me, building and holding the characters I had only glimpsed in animated form online. Then in May, the same club made all six Turaga sets available, which I also got, duplicate of Vakama be darned!

A bigger feature in May, however, was the release of the first BIONICLE DC comic, #1: The Coming of the Toa, wherein we all finally got a firsthand look at the Toa personalities as expressed by themselves in their quest for the masks. It introduced us primarily to Kopaka and Pohatu, as well as Tohunga Matoro and Turaga Nuju. But it really was all about Kopaka, and he was so...cool, he is still my favorite BIONICLE character today.

So you see, by July 2001, I (and likely many others) had slowly been introduced to the world of BIONICLE by increasing degrees of promotion, marketing, and product. It was a wonderful strategy, because by July, I was giddy with anticipation to obtain the other six Toa, the Rahi, and (eventually) the Tohunga. I entered the Build Your BIONICLE website contest and practically taught myself HTML coding over the summer in order to compete! Anything I found with BIONICLE on it, I got. And as the story rolled on through the comics and the MNOG, I became so invested in the storyline that there was no way I wouldn't see it through to the end.

The 2001 BIONICLE line was special not just because it was the first, but because LEGO (through marketing and promotion) worked hard to make it feel special, like a major series of events. I'm not saying LEGO stopped doing that in BIONICLE's subsequent years, but by the reality of having already introduced the world, a lot of work was lifted off their shoulders so they could focus more on promoting new characters (i.e. sets) instead of the world in which they inhabited. But you only cared about the characters because they "existed" in a unique and fascinating world that, before you could buy the sets, invited you into it. So because of that, 2001 is very special!

@Binkmeister alluded to a the idea of a high-end art book meant to show off and celebrate the behind-the-scenes artwork and models that lead to BIONICLE's creation and development in its early years back in a blog post he wrote in 2009! Back then, that idea was rather immature, but eleven years and a failed reboot later, I think the 20th anniversary of the theme is a perfect time to do so! I hope he is still out there, somehow connected to his LEGO colleagues, and can help make it happen.

I, too, expect that outside of a fancy book, the only LEGO-related commemoration may be a small GWP (gift with purchase) item or set that comes only at Shop@Home or at the LEGO Stores. I hope it's more than a 2x4 tile keychain. I envision perhaps a new series of minifigure torsos with the original six Toa Kanohi printed on each one, or perhaps even a small vignette model of brick-based homages to a character or two. Maybe a 2001 Rahi set redesign and miniaturized? Regardless, it's going to be small. No second reboot of the theme, though I suspect for all we know still four months out from 2021, anything is possible.

I'd only change Pohatu's Kaukau to be an actual translucent brown. Yes, I know they probably tried it back then and it didn't work out, but almost 20 years on, I think it could be down in a way to more closely match Pohatu's brown coloration and still be transparent. Otherwise, I wouldn't change any of the other standard Kaukau mask colors. I have always had a desire, though, to acquire the trans-yellow Kaukau misprint in order to give my post-Quest for the Masks Gali a Golden Kanohi that actually allows her to "see" out of. That solid gold Kaukau from the Krana packs is just atrocious; the silver one doubly so.

As far as eye colors go, I was never a fan of Onua's (and other Onu-Koronan) eyes being that dark green color. It never shone as well when light passed through it. Maybe trans-violet would've worked? A very light violet?

Now to find a sealed version of this type of Huki! That will be the real clincher, I think, concerning how widespread this little oddity was in that corner of Eastern Europe.

Like others, I too hope the other five McToran will show up in this boxed form from Lithuania or the Kalingrad enclave.

This topic made my unexpected visit to BZPower way worth the longer stay! At first, I just read Shadow Emperor's document to get the main breakdown, but the blog Mister_N is writing adds some nice flavor to the research as well.

Being a real detail-oriented person (and kid, back when I first got hooked on BIONICLE in 2001), I remember lots of these "cut" details from the original BIONICLE website and the MNOLG. In fact, my early play and story-telling experiences with my first BIONICLE sets (Tahu, Kopaka, Onua, the six Turaga, and Hafu from the PowerPack) ventured coincidentally into these same liminal spaces the "official" BIONICLE story ended up discarding or altering. I distinctly recall aligning my perceptions of the Toa personalities based on their "ages", per the original biographies on the BIONICLE website and even writing a short story wherein Kopaka uncovers a secret cult of Makuta-worshipping Tohunga (only because they were wearing infected masks, which I created by using clear Elmer's Glue and sand on black Kanohi). How interesting to read 19 years later that there were ideas generated for a "seventh tribe" of evil-worshipping Matoran!

I think my play experiences back then, as well as the behind-the-scenes facts uncovered and expounded on by Mister_N and company, reveal the ultimate secret behind BIONICLE's enduring appeal. Even with all that stuff cut out, forgotten, or retconned, there was still so much detail created for BIONICLE from the beginning that combined with the toys, LEGO birthed something that really was alive. I write "was alive", not "felt real", because that reflects the truth about BIONICLE in 2020. As a viable toyline and storyline, it is finished. But one can never discount that while it was extant, it didn't merely occupy space in one's mind like knowing how to tie your shoes or a shopping list. It was a living character that affected the lives of thousands of people, some who still celebrate it today. Don't we do that for cherished places, people, pets, or even histories? 

It would be a dream come true to have an official book published by LEGO next year that goes into detail on BIONICLE's creation, with official word from the people who conceived it in the first place. But perhaps it is still too soon. I was "old" as far as the target audience is concerned when BIONICLE launched in 2001--I was already 12 years old, so that means I'm on the old side for a BIONICLE fan. And I'm only 31 now. That means most fans from that long ago are probably still in their mid to late 20s. A potent age for remembering one's youth, but one also busy with careers, getting married, and having kids. Perhaps once the bulk of BIONICLE's first fandom is in its late 30s to early 40s (which means I'll be getting closer to 50. Yikes!), there will be such a loud demand for nostalgic BIONICLE content that LEGO will finally get Thompson, Faber, and Swinnerton (and hopefully GregF, too) together to author and document the "making of" BIONICLE officially. In the meantime, these fan-driven efforts are wonderful, and will do nicely until the day our collective buying power (and voice in the AFOLdom) is too great to ignore!

Only came back to look up the original BZPower review of Brutaka (which I finally built yesterday) and got sucked into the forums via a story on the frontpage about a boxed Lithuanian Huki! Looks like since the last time I was here, my profile picture was eaten and my blog was renamed. I had to fix all that, and I guess drop some posts along the way.

You all have poor taste or joined too late, since no one yet has mentioned this epic parody of the entire BIONICLE storyline called "BORNICLE". It was started in 2003 and basically was a juvenile send-up of the BIONICLE comics, novels, corporate tie-ins, flash videos, and (eventually) DVD movies. It was a gem on the Comedies forum and many old-timers truly lament its loss to this day. If only I could remember who wrote it...

In all seriousness, xccj is right in that any of the literature forums were PACKED. The front page was always cycling, so if you wanted to stay in people's minds, you had to be more than a decent story-teller; you had to be prolific! I remember "Maku and Makuta Get Married" and the works of lavaside_rahi or whatever their name was. I even remember that "Takua and Jaller Work at McDonald's" one due to its explosion on the scene. There were a lot of sitcom-style comedies featuring BIONICLE characters and boy, did the quality vary wildly!

As the Comedy subforum was looked down upon by the more bourgeoisie authors in Epics, I rarely ventured there. While Epics I tried to read were generally better-written and less silly, many leaned too far into cringe territory and often became self-insertion fantasy fulfillment for the mind behind it. BZPower fanfiction (including my own) is probably what turned me away from the overall world of fanfiction before going off to college, and as result, I began to develop my own "writer's voice". I guess in retrospect, that was a good thing.

Pretty sure I bought PMship twice in the pre-2010 days. Being a somewhat conniving teenager, I really only did it for the proto boosts. I think I was one boost away from achieving Outstanding BZPower Citizen status (which I thought I deserved! C'mon, I gave you people BORNICLE for years!), so I bought it one last time. This was all before the blog became a part of the perks, too.

I also own this. It came with the board game. A nice little piece of lore.

I have the board game, too, and was going through it recently. The guidebook also repeats the Toa and Turaga bios seen in Quest for the Masks. I am also fairly certain the biographies for the Toa and Turaga were also posted on BIONICLE.com back in 2001. Since I didn't own the board game nor the card game back then, the website and the mini-CD-ROMs were my first exposure to the story, and I became engrossed by it mainly due to the "god-like" descriptions of the Toa and their temperaments.

Basically, out of all of this, the stuff about Turaga Matau was most intriguing. Of course, the ability to fly is the most "out-there", but I can't help but think there was also a little bit of (accidental?) foreshadowing by mentioning the close friendship between Vakama and Matau. I guess after one is brought back from the brink of Hordika-ness, you'd become very close with the one responsible for helping with that!

Here's my idea: we all know how film and music often have "deleted scenes" or alternate takes. Things that almost made it in, but due to time, budget, or some other constraint, couldn't be in the final product. Perhaps the Gifts With Purchase could be "deleted concepts" that the Lego set designers originally hoped or planned to include with a set, but by the final iteration, had to excise it for whatever reason. I suppose these gifts could range anywhere from just a minifigure all the way up to a small vignette or vehicle, depending on what set it was associated with.

I can't think of any examples off the top of my head, but I do know there are stories from Lego product designers regarding certain sets and things they wanted to add, but it would have made the set too big for the price point, or would have delayed production.

Say whattt? Wow, Greg Farshety still comments on the BIONICLE mythos? Is he drip-feeding the public some random factoids from the story bibles, or are these just his off-the-cuff theories and extrapolations? I personally liked the idea that the "Great Beings" and their unrevealed nature was just Lego's cheeky way of hiding the human presence in the story. I.E., we the "builders" who created this universe, this "biological chronicle", if you will!

I'm hesitant to post here, primarily because I'm someone who comes to this topic as a "G1" fan who never did get into this second generation.  That is due to me being quite a bit older now than I was when Bionicle began back in the day and I recognise that I'm at an age now where I naturally wouldn't be drawn quite as much to a toy line like Bionicle!  I also have been very infrequently active on BZPower these last ten or so years, so not sure if my voice deserves to be heard!

 

Nevertheless, just wanted to make one statement regarding the popularity of the original Bionicle line...I've seen a couple comments along the lines of G1 Bionicle being more popular because it had so many more years(10 I think?) to build up its lore and story, giving it a weight and gravitas and granting it a longer period of time to build a fan base.  That longer time period is granted, but please remember that Bionicle was much loved even from the very first days of its launch, even before the sets were released - those of us who were around back then remember the hardcore fascination and debate over all things Bionicle...from the very beginning.  The story behind Bionicle was beautifully spun, being masterfully presented in the MNOLG and the comics(I can still remember the chills running down my arms as I read the very first comic out of the Lego magazine!!)  Bionicle in its earliest incarnation had a weight and a wonderful epic quality about it that quickly conjured up a rather obsessed fan base!  So G1 Bionicle had a great beginning that drew in people who remain fans to this day.  Did G2 have this same quality to it?  I'm unsure, as I honestly haven't followed it closely.  But I just wanted to throw in my two cents here, to remind some of you exactly why G1 aficionados are as passionate as we are.  It's not just because it's a toy line that lasted for ten years.  It's because it was a story that was beautifully told.  (Well.  Most of the time. )

 

Pardon this long post - I really do feel a bit of an intruder, having posted so little in these past years!!  Thanks for reading.  

 

-IT

I feel the same way as the venerable Israeli Toa. Nice to see a familiar name after so many years!

Basically, I was optimistic when news first broke in 2014 at BIONICLE's return. I posted as much my sentiments here, but I was privately reserved, for I sensed things were not going to be executed in the proper fashion. As IT mentioned, from before even the first BIONICLE sets were released, this captivating, mysterious world was created and foisted upon us by the Lego BIONICLE team. It began with the website, which included the legendary MNOG, but also a tie-in site with Universal Music Group. There was a whole website dedicated to crafting music for BIONICLE. Music! For a toyline! This was even before the PowerPack with Hafu and the Chrome Hau hit store shelves, too.

While Europe got the feel the power from the start of 2001, us North Americans had to wait until July. But man, did Lego keep us pumped. In March, Lego Club members could get there hands on Tahu and Vakama. The first comic came out in May, and Carlos D'Anda's art...whoa. What toyline gets that kind of artistic treatment? In a free comic book, no less?! Then, another Lego Club offer let us obtain the full set of Turaga, and then in late July, the sets finally arrived. Lego knew we were hyped. The summer S@H catalog proudly proclaimed "BIONICLE Has Arrived!" And how.

This new BIONICLE did none of that. Strange, befitting the huge legacy created by the first iteration. Oh sure, we got animations again (no game), and thanks to social media, nice art and promo updates. But, there were no comics. No music. No great lore to dive into. For old timers like myself, we already knew the names of the Toa and what they stood for. Okoto did not really get the detailed, cartographic treatment Mata Nui did (remember that map inside the liner notes from the BIONICLE Music CD-ROM?) and many characters did not even get names!

It's obvious from the set design and the behind-the-scenes reveals from Lego that hard work and enthusiasm went into the making of this new BIONICLE. But it is also obvious that in spite of that, it could have been more, but maybe the people working on it weren't really pushed into making it so. I've spoken to set designers, including one who worked on this new BIONICLE line. They are proud of their work, and it shows (I own the new version of Tahu). But I also noticed that the set designers don't run the big show, and in other themes, I learned they can (and have been) "throttled back", so to speak, in order to fulfill the plan or mandate for a given theme. That does not originate with them or their immediate supervisors. That comes from corporate and marketing. Maybe this new BIONICLE seems the lesser for it because it was always intended as such, but in keeping with Lego's rule of "only the best is good enough", they still made it best it could possibly be...within the limitations or "goals" already laid out for the team.

So, BIONICLE goes to sleep once more. I'll probably watch the rest of the Netflix series. It was...interesting (I still have a soft spot for the BIONICLE movies of 2003-2009), so now that I know it is over, I should check out the whole thing. But I was a child of the first BIONICLE generation, and this second one's quick death guarantees I shall forever remain so. Perhaps I am too old and too out of touch with the BZPower members today, so forgive me if I seem too lost in "nostalgia". But I stand by my memories of the actual things Lego BIONICLE gave us back in the heady days of 2001 and 2002.

Well, I'm glad he's gotten his side of the story out there now for us all to appreciate! I suppose once the Lego House opens in Bilund next year, some of his work and contributions will be on display alongside Christian Faber's stuff on the origins of BIONICLE, the "toy that saved the company".

Very interesting to note how he was solely involved in the first three years of the story. His departure can now concretely explain a lot of the thematic break between BIONICLE from 2001-2003 and the BIONICLE of the Metru Nui era and the Mask of Life era. Whether that is good or bad will continue to be debated, but it is good to note nonetheless. I'm just glad he was able to create Kopaka per Lego's orders. As an aside, from working in a corporation myself, I found it hilarious how the Lego executives thought the Easter Island and Maori-culture theme would translate to big earnings in the untapped East Asian markets. Typical corporate reaction! Always thinking about the money; but considering how dire Lego's financial situation was becoming at the time, I'm glad somebody was thinking about it.

Just about every set I wanted I've obtained, so it comes down to collectibles. The 24k solid gold Hau is up there, but the ones that exist had holes in the sides to fit a necklace through, and I do not dig that. The platinum Avohkii would be pretty freaking sweet to have, but strangely, the thing I wanted most was any of the White Metal or Sterling Silver Krana Kal. I'm not sure why I covet them so. Maybe because they seemed relatively easy to obtain? I know that is a stretch of the word "easy", but geez, back in 2003, it seemed for a while that every week, BZPower was reporting someone finding one (or two, and sometimes even three) WMKK in a store where Bohrok Kal were sold. I though I could find one for sure, so not succeeding still keeps me up at night (haha). But it was never meant to be, I suppose.

Well, I'm relieved to see Kopaka is not going the Matoro route and facing his destiny before next year's roll-out. The emphasis on him by placing him in what should be a larger set is long overdue. I always wanted Kopaka to be more in the limelight. Poor guy couldn't even get the Jetrax T6 all to himself thanks to Antroz.

I would much rather see a core group of characters evolve and have character growth, something Old Bionicle sorely missed.

Did I imagine following a completely different BIONICLE myth? The Toa Nuva definitely could be considered the "core group" of the first BIONICLE line. They were the main heroes from 2001 through 2003, and then they return to the foreground in 2008 after consistently coming up in the books and web serials in the two years prior to that. Granted, things went quite askew with the translocation to Bara Magna in 2009 and the truncated ending to the story in 2010 (not to mention the Metru Nui and Voya/Mahri Nui hiati), but it was never lost on me that they were undoubtedly the central characters of that universe, as far as we, the consumers, were concerned.

And character growth? Everybody likes to remember pre-2008, the Toa Nuva were just a squabbling, dysfunctional family that only got together when absolutely necessary and then parting ways, fussin' and a-feudin' in no time. But that is a poor, almost revisionist way to portray them. That is really only true of them from their transformation to Nuva in late 2002 to the end of the Mask of Light movie in Fall of 2003. You can summarize their development as follows.

• 2001: We are introduced to the Toa Mata, memories wiped (great stand-ins for the audience) who just discovered Mata Nui, its inhabitants, and their mission. While unsure of their past, they feel the power within them, and embark on their own quests. Some form alliances (Kopaka and Pohatu; Gali and Lewa), but in the quest for the masks, they understand and easily give into the urge to go it alone, often to their own detriment (i.e. Lewa gets infected). After finding them all and confronting Makuta and his guardians, they get a literal lesson in the power of unity through the Kaita and the simultaneous use of their powers against Makuta himself. Triumphant, they stand united to protect all Koro and Matoran.
• 2002: As a team, they investigate the Bohrok. Together, they stave them off, but upon understanding the need to collect the Krana, split up into small groups. They still run into problems (i.e. Lewa is Krana'd!), but help from each other saves them and is appreciated. At this stage, the Toa genuinely appreciate working and fighting with each other. Only after the Exo-Toa discovery and transformation into Toa Nuva is when we see the seeds of division. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, and the Toa get a taste of that once they realize their new forms allow them to defend just their respective Koro without the need of other Toa. Coupled with the fact that the team's leader was already a natural hothead, that arrogance will spread easily through the group, enflaming dormant annoyances between them. Comic #9, "Divided We Fall" featured the results of that, as well as hinting at the consequences for their actions
• 2003: Separate, the Toa Nuva are blindsided by the Bohrok-Kal. Powerless, they begrudgingly unite to track down the Kal and stop them from freeing the Bahrag. During this time, there is no reconcilliation, no discussion on the fact that, hey, maybe we need to stick together like we used to and stop bickering over unimportant boasts. It is important to note that this quest is actually pretty selfish. Sure, stopping the Kal will stop another Bohrok invasion of the island, but the Toa really just want their powers back for their sake, on their terms. I'm sure the Turaga the whole time were seeing echoes of their own experiences as Toa Metru during this time. Regardless, once they get their powers back, the Nuva are back to their isolationist ways. This is where we find them when another unexpected threat rises up, the return of Makuta and his Rahkshi. Again, we see in the comics and the movie that the Toa Nuva are not seeing the whole "unity" concept as worthwhile, but aside from the search for a Seventh Toa, the events of Mask of Light serve to finally make the Toa face the truth; that they need to work together again, or they will never achieve their destiny. That's why Tahu had to be the one this time to be infected. As their leader, he was the greatest proponent of keeping to your own village. But after being cured, he sees the light (pun? lol) and the other Toa* follow suit.

So, in summary, in the first three years, we get a bunch of clueless, but powerful heroes who discover how to work together, but as they gain more power through Kanohi and protodermis, they eventually get all big-headed and decide to go their own ways. But events on the island force them to face the fact that unity is their strength. They may still have their gripes with each other, but they are a team; a family.

I won't insult anybody's BIONICLE knowledge any further by recapping 2006 and 2008, but I do want to point out a few important events in the character development of the Nuva. In light of what happened in 2003, we see the Nuva in early 2006 heading to Voya Nui and running into the Piraka. This is a big moment for them, and I'm sad it was only told in the book, but it is a great example of how the Toa Nuva had changed from early 2003. They work together very well against the Piraka, combining powers and making strategies to counter the fearsome ex-Dark Hunters, but unfortunately, they are simply outmatched. The Piraka embody division, greed, and arrogance, and they literally tear the Nuva apart. It's sad to see Onua make his last stand, observing his fallen comrades around him, before falling before the Piraka as well. But that is how it should be. It's a lesson to us in the real world that sometimes, even when you have a great team, it just may not be as strong or ruthless as another group of individuals. You may not always succeed, even with the help of your friends and family, but you don't forsake those bonds. Like Tahu said long ago (it seems), "when wisdom and valor fail, all that remains is faith. And that can overcome all."

Finally, when we see the Nuva in the flesh (or plastic) in 2008, all those lessons have congealed to make for some very familiar, but developed characters. Kopaka is still a thinker and a bit aloof, but he recognizes and appreciates Pohatu's friendship with him. They are an odd couple, but neither would have it any other way. Tahu knows when to charge head-long into battle, and when to stop and think. Lewa is still carefree and humorous, but he doesn't let that blind him anymore to danger lurking in the shadows or just around the corner. He is wary, Tahu is pragmatic, and Kopaka is a friend. Greg Farshtey did a really nice job in the novels that year getting inside the Toa Nuvas' heads, showing how much they had changed, even though we as readers had not really spent a lot of consistent time with them in several years. The comics echoed this as well, and we even got backstory into where the Toa came from and a flashback to their early days training with Hydraxon. It allowed us to appreciate how far the Mata had come and make a full circle to their story. Through their duty, the Toa Nuva found unity. And with those two virtues combined, they discovered their destiny. I can't think how BIONICLE could've worked without them and what they went through over the years.

I'd continue with my thoughts on how such development can proceed (or has/has not proceeded already) in this new BIONICLE story, but I've already gone off-topic long enough, heheh.

*Some Toa, like Gali and Onua, always seemed to be more level-headed and understood the need to work together. But it seems neither had the capacity to convince the other Toa of this. One has to assume they were merely outvoted by the rest, or found it easier to not resist and add more contention to the mix, though Gali can clearly be seen to protest many times (Comic #9, Mask of Light: The Movie).

I've been out of the S&T game for a while, but my awareness of the summer wave of BIONICLE sets and the subject of this topic brought me back to check out. I've read through the topic, and I think I am of the camp that the Skull Warriors are indeed reanimated corpses, made from a various amalgam of parts. Historically, Lego has never favored more "darker" explanations, like the one posited that the Skull Warriors are undead Toa characters from ancient times. Too morally sticky and complex for this new, reductionist BIONICLE. Besides, there is no hard proof that BIONICLE this time is limiting itself to "good" characters with three stages of life (Matoran, Toa, Turaga) being the only inhabitants of the island. Too many unknowns.

Taking that into consideration, however, brings me to my first realization. Lego has no reason to really delve into the backstory of the Skull Warriors. Again, considering the reductionist perspective of this new BIONICLE, it seems too deep to pin down exactly what the Skull Warriors are. Someone earlier mentioned the skull warriors from Ninjago never being fully explained in spite of mostly being humanoid in appearance. I have a feeling such might be the case again here. It just doesn't "feel" like what new BIONICLE does. The books, as shown by the preview from the one mentioned by BZP news, clearly are giving some necessary depth (i.e. names for the members of the protector race), but they may be few and far between, and regardless, will still be limited in scope since they are aimed for younger readers. I'm not denying the chance that new BIONICLE, as conceived by Lego, can surprise us, but it just doesn't seem like the modus operandi this time around.

Finally, I have a question. Where do the Skull Spiders fit in all this? Are they re-animated forms of Rahi-like life, too, and if so, what makes them subservient to this Kulta and Lord of Skull Spiders (gah, I wish they would publickly use actual names. I'd settle for Lucasian nomenclature like "Evilus" or "Skullox" at this point)? What is the hiearchy? Perhaps the warriors are made partly from skull spider parts, too?

My best friend, who to this day is like a brother to me, bonded with me initially over our shared enjoyment of BIONICLE back in 2001. We avidly collected the sets for two years, and then he lost interest whereas I kept following the comics, movie, and other media. He was (and still is) fascinated by and collects Lego sets, so BIONICLE still comes up periodically in our discussions. Nothing like how we used to talk about it back in middle school, though!

I recently brought up that fact to my girlfriend (who is my best friend's sister-in-law), and even gave her a quick run-down of how I fell in love with the story and the sets back when I was 12. She found it interesting, so I'm not going to push it and say I obssessed over it for ten years after that! So, outside of family, those are the only people I ever really discussed and talked about BIONICLE with (outside of all you fellow BZPers, of course).

Ooo boy. I had so many theories back in the day. Mainly, they were trying to reconcile the enigmatic "You dared to oppose your brothers!" line that the Bahrag shouted at the Toa just before they were trapped in a protodermis cage. I was desperately trying to find what was the "Toa-Bohrok" connection. One such theory came about after getting the Toa Inika and noticing how similar Nuparu's Mask of Flight was to a Krana Vu (?), which gave the Bohrok the ability to fly. The Krana Ca and the Kanohi Hau also bore a resemblance in shape, appearance, and power, so I figured there had to be a link involving something the Bahrag produced. Some became Krana, and others were "transformed" into inanimate Kanohi. The Inika's masks looked more like Krana because they were partially "alive" and therefore more like their Krana cousins. Naturally, I couldn't quite account for how the mask makers in Ta-metru originally came about their craft if Kanohi originally came from a Krana-ancestor. And two years later, we discovered the truth about the Toa-Bohrok relationship. But it was a fine idea at the time, so calling it outlandish now is only a moniker from retrospection.