Gathered Friends,
Anyone who remembers what LEGO sets looked like in the 90s will surely remember how inventive the LEGO Technic sets released at that time were. The series, which is currently associated with replicas of vehicles known from everyday life, and which is not even considered by many to be a full-fledged LEGO series, in 1998 was about creative solutions that laid the foundations for such iconic ideas as Slizers, Robo Riders, Technic replicas of LEGO Star Wars droids, and finally the legendary BIONICLE - a series that grew to such proportions that, with the right approach to its development, it had the potential to become another, alongside Warhammer, Transformers, Gundam and similar universes, another powerful brand based on collecting figures, which would regularly receive dedicated series of comics, books, games, TV series, and even Hollywood films.
It could be said that due to its huge popularity, BIONICLE was a bridge connecting communities focused around system sets and LEGO Technic fans. The uniqueness of this series consisted of the Technic build of the characters, more mature plot, the mysterious atmosphere, numerous secrets that stimulated the imagination and encouraged fans to create various theories, the collector’s aspect related to the Kanohi Mask recolors and finally the fact that it was a world so vast that each of us could build and place our own heroes and villains in it.
Although the bridge built by the BIONICLE series was later supported by other series such as Hero Factory, the second generation of BIONICLE, or the buildable figures from the Legends of Chima and Star Wars series, they failed to sustain the weight of expectations and with the cancellation of the last series of figures based on the CCBS system, the said bridge ceased to exist.
So I decided that with BIONICLE’s 25th anniversary approaching in 2026, it’s time for someone to design a set to celebrate not only this legendary series, but what it stood for.
That idea gave rise to the project you’re looking at. I decided to construct a diorama that would be a combination of these two extremes: System design and Technic design.
I knew that the most important thing in the whole project would be to design two characters: Toa and Matoran. They had to be made of at least 85% Technic elements, as Technic build is one of the key aspects of BIONICLE’s uniqueness and identity.
The first decision I had to make was to choose an element. I thought that the main 6 elements, especially fire, were too cliched, while the other elements had no representation in official sets. So I went back to 2001 and remembered that it was the only year in which the colors purple and turquoise appeared. Since the latter is currently experiencing its second youth, I decided to build a Toa and a Matoran representing the element of Green. After all, nature has always played an important role in the BIONICLE world.
I wanted my Toa to refer in some way to all the classic Toa builds. So he had to combine the severity of the Toa Mata, the slender figure of the Toa Metru, and the height and articulation that characterized the Toa Inika.
Designing it turned out to be significantly more difficult than the Matoran, as I wanted it to have a functional gearbox, and the lack of armor elements known from G1 significantly hindered my task of coming up with a neat-looking torso and forced me to increase the scale of the build.
Ultimately, the problem was solved by a new type of small Technic panels, which fortunately were produced in a lime variant.
Designing slender-looking limbs was much more difficult, as encasing them with flat liftarms did not provide sufficient structural cohesion and the whole thing fell apart during play with the figure. The fact that no Bionicle limb is produced anymore did not help.
Ultimately, the problem was solved by the 92907 Technic connector, which, thanks to its shape, is able to hold the structure on both sides.
The biggest problem was of course the thing that constitutes the identity of each BIONICLE hero - the mask. No Kanohi are on the list of items remaining in production and there is no chance that any of the classic masks will be brought back for a single LEGO Ideas set. So I decided to design Noble versions of two G1 masks that only appeared in the Great form. I chose Pakari and Arthron. To make them look as solid as the traditional masks, I made them from smooth System bricks, which resulted in slightly awkward heads, which nevertheless do a good job of imitating the G1 style and blending in quite well with the rest of the build.
But for those who don’t like the masks of my design, as a bonus, I also designed alternative heads compatible with all Kanohi from 2001-02, so anyone who has any mask that fits on studs, preferably in lime, turquoise or at least black, can put them on my figures.
With the Matoran I took a slightly different approach - I asked myself: What would a new generation of Matoran look like if they were supported by the technology and cultural influence of the native inhabitants of Spherus Magna, a few decades after the loose ends of BIONICLE story have been resolved?
I imagined the Matoran evolving into new, more agile forms. I knew I wanted them to have bendable knees and elbows, but I wanted to keep the distinctive shape of the 2003 Matoran feet so that my Matoran wouldn’t stray too far from the classic sets in terms of design. After all, in a series with such a well-written storyline, it’s crucial to respect the heritage of the series and maintain its continuity rather than trying to overwrite it. My Matoran was meant to be the next link in the evolution of his race, not a some kind of its reboot.
Ultimately, I think he turned out pretty well. He has an upright posture similar to the 2004 Matoran, but he retains a bit of his island character, and in some ways, he’s more poseable than the 2015 Protectors.
In the case of the diorama, in order to save money, instead of my preferred rectangular base, taking inspiration from the Tallneck from the Horizon Zero Dawn game set, I decided to go with an oval shape. I topped the diorama with tropical vegetation strongly referring to the first three years of BIONICLE story, whose plot took place on a paradise island. I constructed tall palm trees that bend thanks to the use of a long hose as a core, and I covered the ground with lush wild vegetation interspersed with sand and stones, thanks to which the whole thing is colorful and does not merge with the heroes also maintained in shades of green.
I wanted the diorama to be universal enough for a potential buyer to use it also as a background for adventures, the heroes of which would be minifigures from other series such as Star Wars, Dreamzzz, Castle or Dungeons and Dragons. Thanks to this, the set can also attract the attention of people unfamiliar with BIONICLE.
The figures themselves, in terms of articulation, are no worse than any old LEGO BIONICLE sets and can be played with individually. These are not strictly exhibition MOCs. In addition, thanks to the use of consistent colors and a large number of small bricks (unlike classic sets that focused on size over complexity), Toa and Matoran can be combined into hundreds of combiners of your own design, like Rahi or Titans.
My project, as a whole, presents a symbiosis of biology and mechanics, where the natural aspect is represented by system elements constituting the ground, flora and the entire environment, while what is related to technology is expressed by Technic bricks.
I hope that it is a worthy representation of the legacy left to us by the first generation of BIONICLE, as well as a proper tribute to the many years of work of Christian Faber, Greg Farshtey and others involved in the development of this universe. And of course, that it fits well with what the fans themselves, who keep the BIONICE series alive to this day, expect from an anniversary set.
Link to the project:
~Taohe Netrus~
