Tough to say when it really started, as I can remember having them at virtually any point in time. If I had to guess though, it’d be around 07. My older brother definitely owned Ehlek, and I believe I had Hahli. Of course, my whole family loved the Lego Catalogues, so I saw a lot of the sets through that. During 08 I got Krika, Gali, and Takanuva. I’m not sure if I was the owner, but we also had Tanma, Solek, Gavla, and Radiak. 09 brought Mata Nui and Atticus for me and Stronius for my brother. 10 was just Tahu.
Obviously I still did things throughout the years via yard sales and friends houses. At some point I acquired Nuju Metru and later Iruni. My friend, who had three older brothers, had loads of Bionicles. I don’t think they cared at all for the story beyond the comics in magazines, but they had many sets. Mata, Metru, Hagah, Inika, Marhi, Phantoka, and all manner of titans and vehicles.
Starting to really get into the story though, started through watching the movies on YouTube. Soon after finding the TTV top tens and watching those religiously. I specifically remember thinking they hired Phweffie just because of her accent. Eventually, watching TTV got me into the story, and then serious MOCing. Slowly making my way to the message boards.
In conclusion, just like Lego, Bionicle has been ever present.
I got a random present from my grandparents when I was in the hospital. the random present was my first Bionicle and it was Barraki Carapar!
From that moment I was in love with the toys!
technically my brother had 2 voyatoran and Jaller Inika for as long as I remember, but I was really introduced through books at my school library (Chronicles #1, Adventures #1, Adventures #7 and the Lego book). then shortly after G2 started, I got Lewa Mata and Turaga Onewa.
Saw a commercial for the Mask of Light movie on TV or a VHS/DVD preview ad, or both. Though regardless of which I saw it on first, I was hooked by the trailer and was very excited for the movie to make it to Family Video to rent it. Been a fan ever since.
Saw a VHS commercial for the Mask of Light back in 2003. Funnily enough, I wasn’t really interested in it, I thought it was “for the big kids” (I was 5 back then), I also didn’t know that Bionicle was a toyline. But then my parents bought me a copy of the movie and I instantly loved it. I remember being surprised to see the Lego logo at the beginning, and then, after finishing the movie, I found out there are actual Bionicle toys. Needless to say, I was the happiest kid on the planet in that very moment.
I don’t actually remember how I was introduced to Bionicle. I remember getting McDonald’s toys and seeing pictures of Jaller with a light-up sword in the Lego magazine back when the Inika were first coming out, so I must have been somewhere around 3 years old then, and I probably got Jaller Mahri when I was 4. This series has been part of my life for longer than I realized.
I honestly don’t remember what I was exposed to first, the sets or the books, though I’d guess the sets if I had to pick one, so I’ll tell that story.
My first encounter with Bionicle was in late 2005; I was 5 at the time. My school always threw a Christmas fair just before break started, and it was basically just a huge yard sale in the gym. A way for people to get rid of old toys they didn’t play with anymore. For whatever reason, I wound up coming home with Panrahk, the brown Rahkshi. I was seriously into Knights’ Kingdom around the time, so I guess my parents just figured another Lego action figure couldn’t hurt. And they were right, I loved it. Or at least I assume I did, because my life became inondated with Bionicle shortly thereafter.
Since I enjoyed the toy, my mother wound up picking up Bionicle Adventures 2, Trial by Fire, shortly afterward, so I could learn the story behind the toys, and after that, I was hooked. I had no clue what was going on, but I knew I was loving every second of it. From there I got Visorak Boggarak for Christmas, Toa Hordika Onewa and Matau for the following Easter, Toa Inika Jaller for my next birthday, and so on and so forth until I became the ravenous set collector and lore expert/junkie I am today.
I’m pretty sure you and I are around the same age then, because I was around three when the Inika came out (although somehow I still have at least three of them)
like six of them because we kept getting happi meals with Huki while in Holland.
I got addicted.
Then I returned to the states and realized they released BIONICLE in bigger toys(!!!) and decided to buy some more sets. My brother @ToaKylerak got Tahu and some Bohrok a year or so before me though for his birthday. Anyways 2004 I bought my first sets and the rest is history.
To make a long story short, I put a whole bag of jelly beans
I grew up knowing it from the magazines & comics just as it came out in 2001. My brother and I got Tahu and Kopaka respectively at ToysRUs, as well as Kongu, Huki and Hali in McDonald’s Happy Meals. Inside of that year we also got the other 4 Toa, every Turaga except Vakama, and Nui Rama.
I have known Bionicle since 2002, when I got my first set, a Nuhvok. (black Bohrok)
At first, I only knew the theme from TV commercials and Lego catalogs.
Unfortunately, the first impression was not successful, the nuhvok I received did not hold my attention for long, and I got bored with it very quickly. After that, my attitude to Bionicle was similar to that of a lot of people in the AFOL community these days. Then, at Christmas 2004, I received my 2nd set of my life, a keerakh (white Vahki), which made me somewhat enthusiastic about the line.
The final push came in 2007, when a classmate of mine from 3rd grade invited me over, and he showed me all the content on Bionicle.com on his PC.
Needless to say, the Barrakis left a strong enough impression on me that I bought the entire Miramax trilogy with my Mom that same year (WOS was the first one I watched, don’t ask me why…) and then, just as I started 4th grade, the Toa Mahri figures hit the stores, and from then on, there was no doubt that it will be the most defining and inspiring theme of my childhood.
When I was younger, my brother and I would frequent our cousins’ house. There, they had a decent collection of Legos and Bionicles in particular. My brother and I loved playing with them. We would fight over who got to play with the big one (I would later learn this was Roodaka). My brother’s first set was Toa Inika Jaller and mine was Hewkii. From then on, he got every toa of fire, air, and water. I got stone, earth, and ice. I’m still partial to those elements even today
