What is "the Bionicle?"

[Sir Keksalot]

Okay, so you know how at the end of the movies and JtO, the narration closes with "for that it the way of the Bionicle?" What exactly does "Bionicle" mean in the universe of Bionicle? Is is a concept? The Matoran word for the thing that the species of the Bionicle universe are? I've never understood this, and it's perplexed me since I was a kid.

[Taria Pakari]

Product placement? :v

 

But seriously, I'm not too sure myself. I don't think it's something they ever explained in the story.

[Rahkshi Lalonde]

The Bionicle?

 

rlly tho it's just referring to the story i think o:

[Pohaturon]

It stands for Biological Chronicle, and is the in-universe theory behind "life" basically being the events of the world recording themselves. Chronicles are usually textual retellings of either legends or historical events. All of Bionicle is basically framed a being one great legend, and we are viewing said legend as it were a past event through the "Biological Chronicle", which is basically the lives of the characters central to said legend.

 

[Sir Keksalot]

It stands for Biological Chronicle, and is the in-universe theory behind "life" basically being the events of the world recording themselves. Chronicles are usually textual retellings of either legends or historical events. All of Bionicle is basically framed a being one great legend, and we are viewing said legend as it were a past event through the "Biological Chronicle", which is basically the lives of the characters central to said legend.

 

Well, ain't that the most meta thing I've ever read in my life.

[Lenny7092]

I am not sure if the word "Bionicle", spoken by the Turaga and Izotor, is canon in their language(s) or not, but I do think that it is the name of the legend about Toa's heroism. It's like the people writing a book with the story, similar to the Odessy.

[Clyce]

I am not sure if the word "Bionicle", spoken by the Turaga and Izotor, is canon in their language(s) or not, but I do think that it is the name of the legend about Toa's heroism. It's like the people writing a book with the story, similar to the Odessy.

That is an interesting point, as the word Bionicle, as described by Pohaturon,

 

It stands for Biological Chronicle, and is the in-universe theory behind "life" basically being the events of the world recording themselves. Chronicles are usually textual retellings of either legends or historical events. All of Bionicle is basically framed a being one great legend, and we are viewing said legend as it were a past event through the "Biological Chronicle", which is basically the lives of the characters central to said legend.

 

is based off the english language. However, the matoran language is based off of the Maori language. It is also mentioned in one of the guides that when the words turaga, matoran/tohunga, rahi, or toa are used, they are actually from the b matoran language itself and all other words are translated into english (or whuch ever language it's being read in).

[Toa of Gallifrey]

I understood that since Bionicle is Biological Chronicle, that means that said chronicle is the story of the inhabitants of the Matoran Universe and the quest to awaken the Great Spirit Robot, with the allegory of the inhabitants being cells in an organism. This is supported by the fact that the MU movies end on this note while TLR didn't. The allegory doesn't quite work for G2 since it was never made clear whether it was even a biological chronicle, thus I find the ending of JtO with Ekimu declaring it the legend of the Bionicle to be a bit clunky and just there for nostalgia. Of course, it could just be a happy coincidence that the MU movies ended on that note 

[MrSciFiGuy]

I take it away as them referring to it as "The Biomechanical Chronicle", a series of tales of heroes and villains, saving the world. Stories around the campfire, legends to pass on.

[Takametru007]

For G1 at least, I think the Biological Chronicle is referring to the story of Mata-Nui himself. In the grand scope of G1, it is Mata-Nui who ends up saving the day, and the whole story really does revolve around him. Thus, when Mata-Nui's story was over, so was BIONICLE.

[Toa Imrukii]

BIONICLE is the Story of the Matoran in short of their tongue. Their Biological-Chronicle. From the Great Spirit, to now and everything in between.

 

As for the Glarian and Agori, the story is Inclusive of them too, harkening back to a Time Before Time for even the Matoran Universe itself. Back all the way to the Gret beings, their Chronicles of Biological Nature too.

 

As for G2, my headcanon is that it is based on some unfortold story of how they got to Okoto and the Toa's journey on the the Okotan's Homeland. Following the Toa's Biological-Chronicle in that Universe as well as the Okotan's.

[Zidonaro]

Cancellation.

[Banana Gunz]

I can only point up to all of everyone elses definitions and ideas, but for me it's always been this little tradition where it's the only thing that breaks the fourth wall. I imagine the Turaga telling the story to someone, like to a group of matoran by a campfire but it never really happened. It's sort of like a little thing outside of the Bionicle universe looking in since throughout the story we're always experiencing things with and through the characters, so having an outsider say that feels like it connects the universe back to us, since we're also outsiders. That's one thing I've always loved about Bionicle, because even though there are no humans in the story it's always so subtly connected to the real world and the reader. That's what I feel G2 lacked the most: this meta feeling of being an actual part of this story, of there always being more to the tale since we are a part of it.

[Tuuli]

The legend of the bionicle is a tale of six heroes falling from the heavens to battle evil and save the island from a dark future.

[Toa of Gallifrey]

Cancellation.

Being bonkle is suffering. offmodelkopakathatlookslikedarthvaderfromgatheringofthetoa.jpg