BIONICLE

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Revision as of 17:01, 15 December 2009 by 78.105.209.151 (talk) (→‎The End)
Bionicle
BIONICLE Logo 01-1-.png
Years:

2001-2010

Subtheme of:

Technic

Related themes:

Technic, Slizer/Throwbot, RoboRiders, Ben 10

BIONICLE was a storyline and series of sets sold by The LEGO Company from 2001 to 2010. The name "BIONICLE" is short for Biological Chronicle. (A common misconception is that it stands for Biomechanical Chronicle.) The story centers around bio-mechanical characters such as Toa, which are generally large, powerful beings that usually serve good, though that is not a given. Also, the story stresses the Three Virtues: "Unity, Duty, and Destiny."

History

1997 — 2001

Another version of the Bionicle Logo

The LEGO Company was doing badly during the late 1990s, and decided that a LEGO theme with a factor of storyline would appeal to children. Their first attempt to do so was the Star Wars line, which became an instant success, but the required royalty payments to Lucasfilm cost LEGO dearly. The company decided that they needed an original story, created by the LEGO group itself and focusing mainly on boys ages 8-12.[1]

Many ideas were postulated by LEGO design staff. Its final choice was to base the new story on the Throwbot (or "Slizers" in Europe) and RoboRiders themes. They were designed with Technic pieces, but contained innovative ball-and socket joints, never before used by LEGO. More importantly, they hinted at parts of storylines, the RoboRiders especially. The planned line would feature more original pieces, as well as some reused parts from previous lines.

The line was originally titled "Bone-Heads of Voodoo Island."[2] Its first year was intended to end with the Great Spirit awakening, leaving very few possibilities for storyline afterwards, but the storyline was changed to last seven years without the Great Spirit awakening, and two years following that. A major influence was Bob Thompson, the leader of the BIONICLE story team, who changed the names of the six main protagonists from Axe, Blade, Flame, Kick, Hook, and Claw to Lewa, Kopaka, Tahu, Pohatu, Gali, and Onua.[3] The name was also changed to "BIONICLE."

The story eventually began to come together. The six canister sets would be the Toa, who protected the Matoran villagers and Turaga elders from the evil Makuta and his Rahi minions. To do so, they first had to overcome a series of challenges to retrieve the Kanohi masks. The setting was the island of Mata Nui.

In 2001, BIONICLE was released and became a smash hit in both Europe and the United States. No other themes at the time came close to the amount of profits generated by BIONICLE. The sets were accompanied by a series of comics, truck tours, a contest to build a BIONICLE website, as well as computer and video games.

The Matoran villagers were available exclusively at McDonald's restaurants, and contained the first BIONICLE projectiles: bamboo disks (essentially the same as the collectible disks possessed by the Throwbots). The Turaga elders were packaged in small boxes, while the Toa were sold in plastic canisters similar to those of the Throwbots. Kanohi packs contained random assortments of the Kanohi Masks of Power, which were collectible during the first three years of BIONICLE.

A notable fact about this year is that the Maori people, angered at LEGO's lack of respect for some of their words, sued the LEGO Company and won.[4] As a result, many characters' names were changed (i.e., Maku was changed to Macku, Huki to Hewkii, etc.).

2001 Sets

Combiner sets/Other sets

2002

The Bohrok, insectoid creatures controlled by the brainlike Krana, were introduced at the end of 2001's Mata Nui Online Game. The sets had working gear systems which could open a transparent headplate and launch the Krana at their foes. They were also capable of rolling into a ball. The Bohrok were accompanied by the smaller Bohrok Va, similar in size to the Turaga.

The larger sets of that year were larger than the previous year's Rahi, and had more complex TECHNIC gear systems than any other BIONICLE sets at that time. Included were the Boxor vehicle and the Exo-Toa armored suit, which could fit one of the Toa inside it. The twin Bohrok queens, Cahdok and Gahdok, also made their debut.

At the end of the year, upgraded versions of the original Toa were released. These Toa Nuva had armor, unlike the former versions of themselves, and had larger weapons that could be placed on the hands or feet. They possessed the same integral structure as the original Toa.

2002 Sets

Combiner sets/Other sets

2003

As with the Bohrok, the Bohrok-Kal sets were introduced at the end of the year before their official release. They had the same designs as the Bohrok, but with recolored parts and new weapons. As a promotion, LEGO hid 5,000 collector's-item White Metal Krana-Kal (the Krana for the Bohrok-Kal) in random Bohrok-Kal sets, as well as 72 Sterling Silver Krana-Kal. As with the previous years, the collectible items (Krana-Kal for 2003) were in random packages.

In the second half of 2003, shortly before the release of the Bionicle: Mask of Light film, the nest series of canister sets, the Rahkshi, were released. They had twelve points of articulation, more than any other set at the time, and included never-before-seen functions such as articulation of the legs and hip rotation. They also introduced a new collectible: the sluglike Kraata.

Other sets released that year were revamps of the Matoran, as well as a number of canister sets including the Makuta an the first BIONICLE vehicle, the Ussanui, which also contained a Toa with the element of Light — Takanuva. They were all featured in the BIONICLE movie, which was one of the ten most popular direct-to-video movies of 2003.[5]

2003 Sets

Combiner sets/Other sets

Early 2004

The Toa Metru were sold in the early part of the year, with new masks (that actually are their Noble Kanohi in Great form, suggesting in time the Toa Nuva will turn into Turaga and their masks would also transform into a Nuva Noble form) and new body shapes. Adapting the Rahkshi leg bending design and improving it, the Toa Metru's whole leg was built upon ball-and-socket design, with a new double-sided hipjoint holding onto the ball hip and the ball piece of the bottom leg section. Along with that, each design was designed to be almost independent from the other, with small modifications including height adjustment and neck position. Along with neck positions were actual head pieces designed for the purpose of movement on the head, a technique which evolved from the Rahkshi design, and was used on later sets right up to present time. Though they hadn't yet adapted the arm bending technique to today's standards yet, they had progressed further than the Toa and Toa Nuva arms which hadn't flexed at all. Matoran sets were also introduced, which a backstory for each which suggested one of them was a traitor and had sold them all out to a mysterious 4-legged being and a giant brute. Each backstory for the Matoran suggested they were jealous of the new Toa Metru originally when they were but Matoran themselves, and each also had a reason to betray the other. In a funny twist of real life, when BIONICLE novel and comic writer was looking for a traitor, he looked back at the Mata Nui Online Game Comet Ball Trader who sold infected Koli balls to Matoran, gave him a name, and ended up using him as an example. Along with that, he wrote a backstory in a later novel to suggest how come he joined with Makuta. During the first half of the year, we were face with two obstacles, the Morbuzakh and the Vahki, which made sure EVERY citizen worked at their job and also made sure they weren't breaking the law. Since at the time the Toa Metru were not working and were actually doing somewhat illegal tactics according to Vahki law, including breaking into the Fire pits and the Great Furnace, as well as keeping six other Matoran from working, they were public enemy #1. After the Morbuzakh was defeated, and the Six Great Disks were found, they decided to go to the Coliseum and show proof they were indeed Toa. But unfortunately for the Toa Metru, the leader was not who they suspected it was. It was also announced there would be a sequel to BIONICLE: Mask of Light in the fall, named BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui.

Summer 2004

We were officially introduced to Turaga Dume in this story arc, as well as Nidhiki and Krekka, 2 new Rahi named Nivawk and Kikanalo, Toa Lhikan, and also the introduction of the third group of evil we had met ever, called the Dark Hunters. This arc also introduced many story elements, including the existence of a Brotherhood of Makuta, of an Order of Mata Nui, and various other elements to the story. Also in the story we were introduced to a much younger, but still evil, Makuta. Disguised as Dume, Makuta saw the Toa Metru as a threat to his plans, along with the Toa who had given them their power, Toa Lhikan. He had hatched a plan to put all Matoran into pods to put them in deep sleep for many years until they had their memories wiped, where he would then reawaken them all and then introduce himself as their new leader. To finish the task, he had hired Vakama to craft and forge the Kanohi Mask of Time, the Vahi. Also sold in this year was the feared Vahki, with different powers and a multi-pose option, between a bi-ped and a quad-ped design. Within the same year, we had gotten our first taste as to why they had hidden the truth from the Matoran, for they didn't want them to come back to a city with the evils of it. But the next year REALLY showed them why they didn't want them to go back yet, and how far the Toa Metru would have gone to save the Matoran.

Included in the Vahki later sales were Gold Vahi and Disks of Time, around the same time as the movie's release.

2004 Sets

Combiner sets/Other sets

2005

Continuing the story arc of the toa Metru, they have returned to metru nui to bring the remaning Matoran. But when they arrive they are ambushed by a new rahi called the Visorak. The visorak then capture the toa with their spider like powers and mutate them into The toa Hordika

2005 Sets

Combiner sets/Other sets

2006

Mata Nui is dying. These four words almost rocked the BIONICLE world so much, the Toa Nuva set off INSTANTLY to find the fabled Mask of Life, the Ignika. Along the way, they met and were defeated by the first half of the year's Canister sets, the Piraka. These six beings, rogues from the Dark Hunters, quit and left to search Makuta's old lair on Mata Nui, where they found his armor and an eerie green mist. Instantly, they knew they had to go to Voya Nui, the island which held the Mask of Life, and recover it. It was a great profit, and they knew they could get more money from it than The Shadowed One himself even had. As they went, they used Toa canisters left over from the days of the Toa Mata, and set sail for the island of Voya Nui. But during their encounter with

File:Vezok.jpg
Vezok

Makuta's lair, they also met the Mana-Ko, and unleashed a tool of such power, it split Vezok into two beings, Vezok and Vezon. The sets all featured light-up eyes, rubber faces and spines, and a brand new tool called the Zamor Launcher. Also featured were brand new parts including the special right arm that allowed them to use their tools correctly and fold them under the arm to use the other end. Also sold at this time were the Voya Nui Matoran sets, and Zamor packs filled with bronze, silver and gold Zamor.

During this time, the novels told of the journey of the Brave Matoran to Voya Nui. Their names were Jaller, Hahli, Kongu, Hewkii, Nuparu and Matoro. Also traveling partially was Toa Takanuva, who had agreed to follow them only because he felt it was safer if he went along with them. Following them along the way was the Ignika, psychically tracking them as they journeyed into Karzahni's realm, where no Light could penetrate. Takanuva woefully waved goodbye to them as they went forward without him, and he went back to Metru Nui. Once inside, Karzahni gave them new Kanohi and took their old ones, except Kongu used a Suletu (Mask of Telepathy) he found along the way instead. Once there, they met a Matoran of Light who told them of the World that Feeds the World, a mystic place where he came from. Karzahni had thought this Matoran died before, but he was really hiding in relatively peaceful areas, and he built a new set of Toa Canisters. The Matoran from Metru Nui rushed into them and escaped, all the while Karzahni had decided that there was far more to the world than his realm and Artakha, so he must destroy it himself. Along the way, the Matoran were hit with Lightning from the Red Star, which energized them with Toa power and lightning, giving them the name Toa Inika (Inika means energy from a star). These sets were introduced and advertised through their strobe-light tools which glowed either red, blue or green, depending on which tool you had. Each head was designed with a rubber mask, and could not accept any other mask. This presented some problems for some builders who wished to use the new masks on custom characters but wanted the original eye color of that character, not the green they had. The journey went on for the Ignika as these Toa saved the Matoran from the Piraka and stopped them from obtaining the mask. Other sets sold in the Summer of 06 include Vezon and Fenrakk, a combiner set called Vezon and Kardas, Axonn, Brutaka, Umbra and finally 3 more playsets designed with these new figures. Also introduced was the character Botar, who was a servant of the Order of Mata Nui who had taken all law-breaking citizens to The Pit, including Brutaka. Unfortunately for everyone else, Brutaka would soon be heard from again... as well as six new powerful beings that never stepped foot on dry land since the day they got there...

Trivia

  • BIONICLE's traditional logo did not appear during the course of 2006 or 2007.

2006 Sets

Combiner sets/Other sets

2007

Ancient evils who ruled distant lands in the world of Metru Nui, the lands underneath the domed sky, were the evil Barraki. They had gained so much power, they almost challenged Mata Nui's own rule. But Makuta and several other beings challenged the Barraki, capturing their lands for themselves and were about to imprison the Barraki. However, the Order of Mata Nui's own servant, Botar, took them from within Makuta's sight, and took them to a place nobody knew existed. Except for the residents.

The Barraki sets were sold, and the first thing that occurred was the controversy of Pridak's red coloring on the white body. He was depicted as a Shark, and most parents thought the red was blood, which made sense from the point that he was indeed a shark. However, various media reported that the coloring wasn't blood, it was just the color scheme chosen. Also sold at this point were four smaller sets, 2 Matoran and 2 Rahi named Hydruka. Another great controversy was the introduction of Sea Squids in the Barraki sets. This new addition displeased many fans and players, as the squids were easy to break and hardly able to function/launch. Around this time, the Ignika had fallen into the mutating waters of the Pit, and also the areas around Mahri Nui were poisoned with this water. Mahri Nui had fallen off of Voya Nui, and unluckily landed on The Pit, attached by a Stone Cord which kept Voya Nui from drifting away from it. At this point, the Toa Inika's journey was to go under the waves and recover the Ignika. Later on we find the mask is actually breaking up from the mutation in the water. Also sold at this point was the feared Nocturn, a Lieutenant of Ehlek's army.

In summer of 2007, the Toa Mahri began selling and being advertised on the BIONICLEstory.com website, with minigames released alongside Story Serials written by Greg Farshtey, and a Toa Nuva Blog written by Gali Nuva to chronicle the journey in preparations of the reawakening of Mata Nui. Also involved in this story was Makuta's own fight with Karzahni, clearly mutated by the waters of The Pit. Also sold at this point was Karzahni with two Matoran and a trap, Hydraxon the Pit Jailor, Maxilos and Spinax, Lesovikk, Gadunka and three more playsets. When the year ended, various previews and Comic #10 showed that Voya Nui sank into the water when the Mahri shot the Stone Cord after taking all the Matoran from Mahri Nui to Voya Nui, destroying Mahri Nui in the process. Also, we witness the death and rebirth of the Great Spirit himself, Mata Nui. Alas, the price for his life was that of Toa Matoro. The year ends sadly as he is mourned by his friends and allies, and honored for the task he took to save Mata Nui's life.

2007 Sets

Combiner sets/Other sets

2008

2008 features the return of old favorites: The Toa Nuva. This time, however, they are released in their Adaptive Armor forms, which gives them new weapons and masks shapes, and they are sent to Karda Nui. They are evidently split into two teams in the storyline. Alongside the Toa, 2008 also features the Makuta and Av-Matoran. The canister sets for Winter 2008 are placed under the call-sign "Phantoka" and introduces new projectiles: Midak Skyblaster for Toa and Tridax Pod for Makuta. Summer 2008 will feature the other three Toa as they do their tasks in Karda Nui.In summer 2008 will feature the Mistika, with the other three Toa Nuva, and the rest of the Makuta. They all feature Nyrah Ghostblasters, and have hit stores. In the end, Mata Nui has risen, but Makuta's spirit is in Mata Nui's body. The Kanohi Ignika has Mata Nui's spirit in it and is going to Bara Magna.

2008 Sets

Combiner sets/Other sets

2009

This year, Bionicle starts a new start in Bara Magna. A planet that has been destroyed, and still capable of supporting life. However, there are no large masses of water, but very few oasis. There are 6 tribes: sand, fire, water, ice, earth, and jungle. Agori villagers make up the tribes while Glatorian aid them in combat and protect them. Glatorian do not have control over their elemental powers, but they each carry a Thornax Launcher. The Skrall tribe is the corrupt tribe, as they fight other Glatorian in the arena for what they want. Tuma, the last member of the leader class, is the main villian on Bara Magna who threatens to take over the entire planet. The Skrall tribe targets Vulcanus, the fire tribe because it is free from Glatorian. Malum, the previous fire Glatorian was exiled from the tribe due to crimes in the arena. Bone Hunters are also villians that should be looked out for. The new story for 2009 includes several new characters, including:

In the summer, it appears that Mata Nui is on Bara Magna. In the fall, BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn will come out. It does not possess the number 4 added to its title due to the fact that it is not being produced by the same company that made the first three films. Mata Nui joins Ackar, Kiina, and Gresh on a quest to destroy the Skrall, and they succeed.

2009 Sets

Combiner sets/Other sets

2010

Each set includes a golden piece to add to Tahu as extra armor. In 2010, Tahu, Takanuva, and a few others will come to Bara Magna, to help Mata Nui (Great Spirit). These are the last Bionicle sets to be released.

2010 Sets Bionicle Stars

The End

The Bionicle Saga as a whole will end in 2010, with the final sets being that of the Bionicle Stars , stated Jan Faltum, Global BIONICLE Director in his letter. According to him, a newer, more flexible buildable figure property created by the same people who were responsible for BIONICLE, will be created to replace BIONICLE. The BIONICLE Story will still be updated by long-time BIONICLE writer Greg Farshtey in Bioniclestory.com

Source

References

  1. ↑ The History of LEGO BIONICLE at BZPower.com
  2. ↑ Bionicle: The Early Years at Papercutz blog archive
  3. ↑ Bob Thompson at Bionicle Sector 01 Wiki
  4. ↑ Tohunga#Matoran at Bionicle Sector 01 Wiki
  5. ↑ BIONICLE: Mask of Light (movie) on The Bionicle Wiki

External Links


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