this is not a drill!!!!! (new tahu cmf full reveal!)

[kawaii kitty]

this looks great, i'll be picking up one of these up as soon as it's out!

[Nato G]

It may not be a drill, but it's likely to be AI, unfortunately. 

It was pointed out on one of the Discord servers I'm in that the "text" on the top left of the box is indecipherable gibberish that doesn't even resemble real words, which is very characteristic of AI manipulation. It calls the validity of the whole image into question. 

 

[TERIDAX941]

4 hours ago, Nato G said:

It may not be a drill, but it's likely to be AI, unfortunately. 

It was pointed out on one of the Discord servers I'm in that the "text" on the top left of the box is indecipherable gibberish that doesn't even resemble real words, which is very characteristic of AI manipulation. It calls the validity of the whole image into question. 

Some have said that, and others have claimed that it's an edited watermark. Personally I'm hopeful, the minifigs themselves look very good. If it is AI, it's a pretty convincing one.

[InfinityStuffBionicle]

considering the mask looks quite similar to previous AI fake images of said Tahu Minifigure, I'm quite suspicious. If this is real, I hope they don't make an all-minifigure G3 based on this.

[TERIDAX941]

1 minute ago, InfinityStuffBionicle said:

If this is real, I hope they don't make an all-minifigure G3 based on this.

Why not out of curiosity? 

If not an official G3, I wouldn't mind a legacy line (similar to Ninjago legacy) where they recreate scenes from G1 using minifigs, with various landscapes and locations using system.

[kawaii kitty]

5 hours ago, TERIDAX941 said:

If it is AI, it's a pretty convincing one.

This. it's too consistent to be ai.

9 hours ago, Nato G said:

It may not be a drill, but it's likely to be AI, unfortunately. 

ttv has announced this. i don't think they would risk their credibility if they weren't sure.

[Nato G]

7 hours ago, TERIDAX941 said:

Some have said that, and others have claimed that it's an edited watermark. 

I've seen that explanation, but it just... doesn't make sense to me. Why not crop it out? Or paint over it? It would have been less work, and doesn't call the image's legitimacy into question. I don't understand why any legitimate leaker would deliberately and unnecessarily undermine their own credibility by introducing clear signs of AI manipulation into an image. 

2 hours ago, kawaii kitty said:

ttv has announced this. i don't think they would risk their credibility if they weren't sure.

Gonna be honest, I wasn't aware that TTV had credibility. I've only ever heard bad things about them. 

[RedPandalorian]

The text looks exactly like when I use generative erase over text. The leaker might be using the generative erase tool to hide some details about the box, such as the text that might have been in that top corner. At the same time, I might just be too hopeful. Either way, I'm excited about the Tahu Minifigure, and I believe this leak is real.

[Taria Pakari]

Fake leaks were bad enough in the 2000s and in this day and age with AI being the plague that it is, things like this are even less trustworthy.

[InfinityStuffBionicle]

20 hours ago, TERIDAX941 said:

Why not out of curiosity? 

If not an official G3, I wouldn't mind a legacy line (similar to Ninjago legacy) where they recreate scenes from G1 using minifigs, with various landscapes and locations using system.

It would kind of defeat some of the purpose, bionicle's success was largely generated from it being different from just Lego, and I've made a lot of MOCs lately, I just haven't posted most of them, so a version of Bionicle without most constraction pieces would be unhelpful to me. I probably wouldn't even buy any sets if there wasn't useful pieces (I almost never make system mocs)

Edited February 28 by InfinityStuffBionicle

[Cheesy Mac n Cheese]

On 2/28/2026 at 9:17 AM, InfinityStuffBionicle said:

It would kind of defeat some of the purpose, bionicle's success was largely generated from it being different from just Lego, and I've made a lot of MOCs lately, I just haven't posted most of them, so a version of Bionicle without most constraction pieces would be unhelpful to me. I probably wouldn't even buy any sets if there wasn't useful pieces (I almost never make system mocs)

Honestly, I don't know why people would be okay with non-constraction Bionicle. I mean, yes, we had it from 2005-2007, but alongside constraction Bionicle. I might even generalize it to "non-Technic Bionicle." The CCBS version did not sell well because it ironically limited character potential.

[Lorentz]

On 2/27/2026 at 3:56 PM, RedPandalorian said:

generative erase over text

Why would you ever use AI to do a worse job than this? Takes 2 seconds in MS Paint.

 

Edited March 8 by Lorentz

[kawaii kitty]

10 hours ago, Lorentz said:

Takes 2 seconds in MS Paint.

 

it's dumb, but there's a lot of people who have just replaced all that with ai. 

[InfinityStuffBionicle]

10 hours ago, Lorentz said:

Why would you ever use AI to do a worse job than this? Takes 2 seconds in MS Paint.

 

I'm under the impression that those who use AI for art-related tasks are fairly avoidant of putting effort into things.

[Master Inika]

So, assuming this is real... are we going to buy them?

I'm really torn. Lego has imitated all the other big companies of my childhood and burned through a lot of the goodwill they had with me for the past few years. I don't remember the last time I bought a single expensive Lego set but I still get the collectible minifigures sometimes. It would be pretty easy for me to buy a few packs a week until I get Tahu. But it feels weird with it not being the company where Bob Thompson or Greg Farshtey work at anymore.

[TERIDAX941]

9 hours ago, Master Inika said:

are we going to buy them?

I'm planning on getting him. I have a spot I've been saving for him the instant I heard the rumors that it was in the upcoming CMF lineup! I would love a complete set of 6 (might have to wait for custom figs for that though) but you never know, maybe they'll release 1 in each upcoming CMF series, similar to how they've ties other series together (various Roman figs, the animal costume figs, etc)

[kawaii kitty]

i'm most probably going to get the figure, and at least a month early from the full release. for whatever reason, california gets lego way ahead of shecdule. first new set i've bought in the better part of a decade, feel strange.

[Taria Pakari]

Wouldn't be worth gambling on a single figure when I'm more likely to get a bunch I don't want.

[TERIDAX941]

13 minutes ago, Taria Pakari said:

Wouldn't be worth gambling on a single figure when I'm more likely to get a bunch I don't want.

There's a couple of apps that you can use to scan the barcode on the box to show what's on the inside, I've tried one myself and it's very accurate!

[Lorentz]

On 3/8/2026 at 10:58 AM, InfinityStuffBionicle said:

I'm under the impression that those who use AI for art-related tasks are fairly avoidant of putting effort into things.

What effort? It probably takes more to type "blur the text in the top-left corner" than it is just to open MS paint and cover it up

[InfinityStuffBionicle]

2 hours ago, Lorentz said:

What effort? It probably takes more to type "blur the text in the top-left corner" than it is just to open MS paint and cover it up

well, if people use AI for a majority of tasks, then they might not apply logic to such things. Considering the some avid supporters of AI can become convinced the AI is sentient, or even more ridiculous claims, they're hardly the most well-thought-out lot of people.

[kawaii kitty]

2 hours ago, Lorentz said:

probably takes more to type "blur the text in the top-left corner" than it is just to open MS paint and cover it up

you don't understand these people, they ask chat gpt why their fridge stinks.

[InfinityStuffBionicle]

I just heard Lego was taking down posts of the miramax trilogy off YouTube, which makes this more plausible, because Lego would want to make it clear that they still own the franchise. At this point, between this and the takedowns and what happened to masks of power, they might ACTUALLY be planning to make G3.

[Nato G]

On 3/21/2026 at 4:14 AM, InfinityStuffBionicle said:

I just heard Lego was taking down posts of the miramax trilogy off YouTube

This has been on and off every six months or so for a while now. From what sleuths in the community have managed to piece together, it's not actually Lego doing it.

The email addresses are dodgy, and the claimants are usually listed as just "Lego", not the official name "The LEGO Group". Also, it's Mirimax themselves who hold the distribution rights to the trilogy, so any legitimate copyright claims should come from them. (Similar to how it's Universal who enforce copyright for The Legend Reborn). 

There's no clear idea yet on who's doing it, or why, but I wouldn't read too much into it when it comes to guessing what Lego's up to. 

[JAG18]

I don't know if everyone already saw this, but the minifigures have officially been revealed and "Bionicle Cosplayer" is one of them (available May 1).

[Chronicler06]

To repeat what I said over on Discord...

Oh, so it's not really Tahu. It's just a cosplayer wearing a very convincing costume. And since his other hand is holding a canister of the original set, that guy must be a huge fan of Tahu.

[InfinityStuffBionicle]

I find the timing of them revealing this somewhat unsettling

[TERIDAX941]

Just now, InfinityStuffBionicle said:

I find the timing of them revealing this somewhat unsettling

I understand completely, however multiple lego reviewers on youtube have already reviewed all of the minifigs in this CMF collection, so it has been confirmed to be real.

[InfinityStuffBionicle]

34 minutes ago, TERIDAX941 said:

I understand completely, however multiple lego reviewers on youtube have already reviewed all of the minifigs in this CMF collection, so it has been confirmed to be real.

I hadn't seen that, thanks for the information.

[Cheesy Mac n Cheese]

I work retail and we have a place for these minifig packs in the toy aisle, MAYBE I can somehow get one…

(then again, the peg has been empty for months and we never seem to get them in)

[Master Inika]

I'm trying not to be cynical and be glad there's going to be an official Bionicle product available in stores again.

[JAG18]

Imagine some kid who was born after Bionicle ended (maybe even after Gen 2 ended) randomly pulling this and being like, "What's a Bionicle?"  Maybe they'll go down the rabbit hole only to hit the Wall of History and instead of reading the serials or books they'll settle for watching Bionicle animations on YT and brain rot content on Tiktok.  

If anyone does become a hardcore fan from this, then they can join us in waiting for the next nostalgia bait designed to squeeze out more money from AFOLs which is all Lego seems to want to do with the theme (I mean, I'll probably try and get this figure, so I guess it worked on me).  

I know it's just business, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.  

[Master Inika]

12 hours ago, JAG18 said:

Imagine some kid who was born after Bionicle ended (maybe even after Gen 2 ended) randomly pulling this and being like, "What's a Bionicle?"  Maybe they'll go down the rabbit hole only to hit the Wall of History and instead of reading the serials or books they'll settle for watching Bionicle animations on YT and brain rot content on Tiktok.  

If anyone does become a hardcore fan from this, then they can join us in waiting for the next nostalgia bait designed to squeeze out more money from AFOLs which is all Lego seems to want to do with the theme (I mean, I'll probably try and get this figure, so I guess it worked on me).  

I know it's just business, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.  

I don't think this blind bag leading a child to BIONICLE YouTube (specifically some of the high-quality fan animations, like Vrahno or The Mangai Project) would be a bad thing. I don't see "official" content vs. fan content as having to be an either/or. There's great stories told in both of them, and it's good for BIONICLE's long-run viability and reputation for us to be making our own stuff to supplement the canon material. I have no idea what BIONICLE TikTok is like, though.

I'm crossing my fingers this becomes a regular thing. I haven't regularly bought CMF in years, but I'm going to buy tons of these. I definitely think LEGO could make at least six waves, one for each of the Toa Mata, plus maaaybe Takanuva. Even to someone who has no idea what BIONICLE is, it might still look like a cool, unique tribal cyborg warrior. Each of the original Mata masks has so much personality, too. The Hau looks bold and protective, the Kaukau looks maternal, the Miru looks playful, etc. I wouldn't expect anything past 2001, though. Tahu vs. Kopaka each have a totally unique aesthetic and their masks look like their own distinct personalities, but Tahu vs. Jaller Inika, not so much. As much as I personally would love a Matoro Mahri minifig, even I have to admit, divorced from the greatest context of the story, the toy itself looks a little off-putting and weird.

[JAG18]

9 hours ago, Master Inika said:

I don't think this blind bag leading a child to BIONICLE YouTube (specifically some of the high-quality fan animations, like Vrahno or The Mangai Project) would be a bad thing. I don't see "official" content vs. fan content as having to be an either/or. There's great stories told in both of them, and it's good for BIONICLE's long-run viability and reputation for us to be making our own stuff to supplement the canon material. I have no idea what BIONICLE TikTok is like, though.

I'm crossing my fingers this becomes a regular thing. I haven't regularly bought CMF in years, but I'm going to buy tons of these. I definitely think LEGO could make at least six waves, one for each of the Toa Mata, plus maaaybe Takanuva. Even to someone who has no idea what BIONICLE is, it might still look like a cool, unique tribal cyborg warrior. Each of the original Mata masks has so much personality, too. The Hau looks bold and protective, the Kaukau looks maternal, the Miru looks playful, etc. I wouldn't expect anything past 2001, though. Tahu vs. Kopaka each have a totally unique aesthetic and their masks look like their own distinct personalities, but Tahu vs. Jaller Inika, not so much. As much as I personally would love a Matoro Mahri minifig, even I have to admit, divorced from the greatest context of the story, the toy itself looks a little off-putting and weird.

I'll admit, I'm probably gatekeeping too hard.  I'm just thinking of how many modern "Ben 10" fans haven't watched an episode in years and just watch the popular breakdowns of them.  Or the trifecta of books no one has read (Blood Meridian, All Our Tomorrows, I Have No Mouth...) but have legions of fans who just watched viral videos about them.  But then, I was fine with SW fans back in the 2000s who only played the games or only collected the comics but didn't watch all (or any) of the movies.  Considering how Bionicle's been dormant, we can use all the fans we can get.  

Not to mention, at least some of the online Bionicle content is story based.  If you watch/listen to a 8-12 hour video about Bionicle lore, then you probably know has much as most fans now or then.  

I'm not as optimistic as you, but I also hope we get at least a couple more of these minifigures (probably Kopaka or Lewa).  It's just Tahu's our Pikachu, the face of the brand.  When you need nostalgia, that's who you drag out.  If anything, we might just get more Tahu cameos/products in the next few years.  

[Liopleurodon]

Very excited to see this, hope that maybe the other Toa Mata or other Bionicle characters could one day be made into minifigs! 

[Stroxx]

A full wave would be nice, because it's been too long, but I'm also okay with Tahu cameos. At least I'll have his Olda version in some way or form (missed the Olda's except Gali).

[TERIDAX941]

Found Tahu at Walmart! 

[Cheesy Mac n Cheese]

45 minutes ago, TERIDAX941 said:

Found Tahu at Walmart! 

Is there any code printed on the packaging that might indicate the contents?

[TERIDAX941]

Just now, Cheesy Mac n Cheese said:

Is there any code printed on the packaging that might indicate the contents?

Yes, each box has a QR code that you can scan with a minifig finder app (I use Minifig Scan) and it will reveal the contents. It has had a 100% success rate for me whenever I scan and open the packages.

[Cheesy Mac n Cheese]

4 hours ago, TERIDAX941 said:

Yes, each box has a QR code that you can scan with a minifig finder app (I use Minifig Scan) and it will reveal the contents. It has had a 100% success rate for me whenever I scan and open the packages.

Couldn’t find any at WLmart, what section ate they in?