Prototype Bionicle BARRAKI & MAHRI VS The Final LEGO Sets

[@purplehaze2358]

There's something rather cursed about the fact that, at least at one point, LEGO was considering giving actual hair to a bonkle.

[@kuddlykraken2157]

If I would give them hair, I would make it like they were strands of exposed copper wire or something that would connect to the mask or something, the rest is tied back or dreaded

[@JohnWilliams-wl9px]

For all we know the hair itself wasn’t meant to be separate but just something to add texture. IE if the design got approved the final mask would have facial hair texture attached to it.

[@eonbree8593]

bonkle

[@LucasStraub]

I like the idea of making the "package" part of the set. The first Toas canisters had that part head in the lid and also some axel pins to the extra collared masks. Roboriders also did something similar, and more of a play feature, when combining the sets you had to use the canister lids as the combiner weels.

[@cyanimation1605]

"can you imagine if we had a Bionicle with facial hair?!" Turaga Vakama has left the chat

[@badger273]

6:09 so fun fact (that I believe once again is from Brian Ellis) one of the main reasons they didn't go with these canister designs was because the Bionicle logo was breaking apart, which while very thematic for the part of the story they're in, the higher ups didn't think that that was a good idea for the brand image, so they had to create something more clean and symmetrical Personally I love these boxes, and if nothing else wish we could've gotten like a special edition Toa or something that came in it

[@ordelian7795]

The squid launcher design got changed because the prototype was actually too effective at launching them. Too dangerous for kids and I reckon made it easier to lose the squids.

[@imstupid880]

NOOOO, imagine getting a toy that worked 😭

[@ordelian7795]

@@imstupid880 You did get one that worked. The squid launcher that they made worked perfectly fine.

[@BoisegangGaming]

I think the really neat thing here was Lego trying to get distinct shapes and silhouettes for each set, which after 2001 and 2002 didn’t really exist in previous waves at the toa price point.

[@AquaSheep93]

The second nuparu gives me boxor vibes, which would be nice to nod to his past

[@BenCossyOfficial]

Oh great point, that's fun!

[@Abdul-zz2vn]

The rakshi bodies to form a circular exo suit is a really great concept that definitely should've been explored later on

[@aresnir2725]

13:31 Interesting to note is that his body and limbs built almost exactly as on Tahu Mistika.

[@juhor.7594]

You can notice how the last Nuparu concept has an asymmetrical shield. This is because the designer envisioned it as something between a sword and a shield. The finished piece was made symmetrical for whatever reason, which makes the original intention less clear.

[@xaayer]

I remember as a kid.being upset reading he had some sort of aquabuster sword or something but the set just had a shield. After the designer's video, I realize that we did get it

[@thedogefox8939]

The reason why was cost. It was more expensive to make 2 unique molds instead of one

[@juhor.7594]

It would make sense, but I think the original design used two of the same asymmetrical piece. As in the larger blade would be on a different side on the top and the bottom. To me it would make more sense to assume that they didn't want to make such a large asymmetrical piece, because a symmetrical one would be easier to use in different contexts.

[@Qweiku]

8:03 It's easy to make, some plastic walls, make a second set of walls inside to live like 1 cm space between them. Isolate the corners, glue things up, pour the water in the short gap. Done.

[@roryrdmb6667]

4:53 I think it might have just been the canister lid itself, which I think would have been really cool to have a lid that has extra functions like the robot ideas or toa mata canisters, so all the toa Mahri have little jet propulsion vehicles

[@imstupid880]

The Mahri/Barraki was one of Lego's best experiments with trying something new, and for all the mistakes they made I think the things that worked were so good they were definitely worth it, I've always been partial to the year because of that and I'm glad Lego did so.

[@Anthony_7500]

3:16, I knew I wasn't crazy when I thought blue kordak ammo existed. I've seen picture before as an old promo image on the old website when I was a kid.

[@charlesaquiler1725]

0:01 for those people who wanted this revamped…now all we need is 3D printed newer Bionicle Pieces that the actual set prototype.

[@chutas]

That giant Nuparu ring torso it's something you'd see in a Hero factory villain

[@Kalhiki]

Interesting to note: Carapar prototype at 9:39 has a different torso armor (same with Mantax's shoulders later on) that only has two pin holes on the horizontal axis. Also 11:59 Kalmah has Pakari bits for shoulder pads. Pretty cool. Gotta love these prototypes. Beardy at the end has a particularly interesting head design. Very octopus like. And I love scuba suit Nuparu. The bubble head is wonderful. I actually used a similar concept for my HF Vapor revamp.

[@shshyie]

Woah, prototype pridak's (12:43) foot looks almost exactly like part of the Destiny weapon, the Touch of Malice, would've been such a cool piece to have but I'm glad we got the final design we did

[@aresnir2725]

4:30 Vey nice to see my render of Kongu Mahri as official image of the set.

[@Bomonga]

12:08 if you look at Kalmah’s shoulders, they are actually modified pakari masks

[@rexchen9764]

the scuba diver concepts seems to be a great idea for Mahri play sets

[@flatheadgg2443]

I totally remember seeing one of those aquarium displays in our local mall, it was like the coolest shit ever they even had real fish in there with lights, moving scenery and everything. They did something like this for every new wave of bonkles, going there every month was like disney land for me. It's really sad how you'll never see stuff like this again today.

[@MatejBeranek]

really intresting prototypes of my favorite year.

[@frank_calvert]

i really wanna see someone make a moc with a center blaster

[@purplehaze2358]

I think the Vezon masks on the shoulders of that second Nuparu prototype ended up inspiring Maxilos's arm design.

[@purplehaze2358]

Damn, prototype kongu looks very similar indeed to Lesovikk.

[@julianosoares6684]

ITS probably a lesovikks prototype not a kongus prototype, o mean besides the color nothing resembles kongu

[@Actualitie]

I really like that scuba suit design! With silver vezok heads and rahkshi parts it would be like an underwater exotoa!

[@juancho650]

I remember the older squidlaunchers, the used them in the animations for that one game and i always tried to recreate them

[@psycoNaughtplaysMCPC]

Damn, these prototypes make me miss classic Bionicle, I wish we could have them make a return with the OG build system

[@dalekman9999]

I love that the domes were the lids from the visorak sets

[@dalekman9999]

Also, that prototype head of ehlek looks almost exactly like the head of Bitil

[@Thinginator]

I've been told that apparently those original squid launcher designs worked so phenomenally well that they were actually too good and safety concerns were brought up. The launcher was then redesigned to make the squids launch with less force, resulting in the lackluster design that made it to production.

[@sebastiansmith4980]

I don't know the source of this claim, but if true, I think we all want the forbidden lethal squid launchers now.

[@KingGrimlockOfTheDinobots]

Love your content

[@Senaratheumbrenine]

you should see if there was any prototype stuff for roboriders, since roboriders was what lead into bionicle

[@asteroidrules]

I find it particularly interesting that both of Nuparu Mahri's dropped concepts continued from Nuparu Inika's unusual weapon mounting. Nuparu Inika was the only Toa Inika to not carry his zamor launcher and instead had it mounted on his shoulder, the concepts had a cordak mounted either in the centee of his chest or on the shoulder again. The concept of Kongu having a propulsion device also seems to have been revisited in Lesovikk's set.

[@Wi-Fi-El]

If you want to recreate one of the aquarium tanks with the barraki, you could probably find a cheap fish tank on the second hand market, put some LED strips on the inside of the lid, and fill it with water

[@nehehehgraylois]

The thing Kongu's holding onto was a lid design you are correct, really wish they kept it. The canisters we ended up with are a complete nightmare imo

[@michaelbarker6732]

Woah Elek’s original mask is literally Bitil

[@PenguinGunnerProductions]

idk, from my limited experience in manufacturing, the masks are either 3D printed and sanded or the molds were prototyped, but not final, thus the sandblasted look. Certain companies can pump a plastic injection mold out fast if you need something in hand for product testing or to show off. After final approval, molds are made and sent out for mass production. Though that is a more modern way of doing it, it could have been different 15+ years ago.

[@tyrannicalsaur]

Ehlek’s faceis kinda reminding me of Makuta bitil

[@MCLegoboy]

13:07 This guy has got like, a rancor head. He looks like one the Diseny Era Star Wars aliens. Why is his head so big? Why does he have those wings? Why is he all silver? Was this supposed to be early Hydraxon? Was it supposed to be Gadunka? What is even going on with him?!

[@Senaratheumbrenine]

looked more like a cthulu nudge

[@BenCossyOfficial]

My guess is it was early Karzahni, but that is pure speculation

[@MCLegoboy]

@@BenCossyOfficial Yeah, just make a very creepy and unsettling guy, pure chaos.

[@roryrdmb6667]

3:35 I think it was an error, since the axle that connects the Cordak blaster to matoro’s hand is also blue, instead of red

[@bionabot]

I love that ring piece someone has to 3d print that

[@aakashalam6232]

I feel like the scubba suit is a nice homage to the boxor

[@purplehaze2358]

Yo, they were considering making Takadox LeafyIsHere?

[@lycos94]

the prototype squidlauncher was SO much better imagine putting two of those back to back to make a cool round shield design. I want them so bad

[@ericdraven4468]

I think that at 8:40 mask of the left bionickle its prototype of mask from hero factory 2183 Maybe i go wrong, but when i saw this pic i remember hf mask

[@WilliamSullivan-o3j]

I wish we got the canisters with the rock like look

[@TabletopStopmotions]

the second nuparu prototype had a visorak's packaging piece as its dome. Its the top bit of there canisters.

[@eonbree8593]

the creator of some of these (i beleive his name was brian) made a bunch of youtube videos sharing his experience with working with bionicle. it was truely fascinating

[@eonbree8593]

theres a video called "how i designed baraki pridak" by him (Brian ellis). id recomend looking at his vids

[@Joe_Potts]

Shout out to everybody else who's first BIONICLE sets were the 2007 wave! (Kalmah and Pridak here)

[@dansmith8872]

I liked the one with hair.But I think that might be because I am really old and don't have much on top .

[@RizkT511]

The prototype in 1:25 might be a good idea for creating underwater type bohrok

[@DioStandProud]

You mean the blue one that swims?

[@RizkT511]

@@DioStandProud that and combine it with this prototype

[@empatheticrambo4890]

It looks to me like the early story ideas might have been that the Barraki or someone actively put the Toa in test tubes and mutated them! A bit of an echo of the Hordika. I never really noticed that before, it’s blatantly obvious but every year of Toa they have a second year mutation

[@greenforzegaming3049]

i dont see the last one with hair being a prototype. it had the head piece from the new sets so why would a prototype use pieaces from the set its a prototytpe of. is it time traveling?

[@UkumaOokami]

The original squid launchers as seen in the photos were much stronger and worked very well. But Lego changed the design because it was "too powerful"

[@a_literal_brick]

Those hyper-detailed boxes were 100% cut for being too expensive to make. They probably didn't want to put half of the set's budget into the packaging, even though it looked really really cool

[@roryrdmb6667]

2:07 those feet on the nuparu prototype remind me of mantax’s feet

[@KnightedSilverWolf]

thats not Nuparu. ring body and gatling isnt for any character 2:55 ok thats cool the armor looks so much better that canister lid as some underwater craft and the cansister with the metru balls is genius and very cool i would have loved that, i missed on the metru sets and the metru nui lids

[@duvitan_chelly]

0:56 hole in the russian donut - it is Tahu and Takua Sistem that we presented by Lego in 2023 year Hole in the russian donut - is a russian idoim

[@curtismiller7959]

dang I didn't realize the Bionicle designers were willing to destroy and Frankenstein so many parts just for concepts

[@voidaspects9173]

You really should watch Brian Ellis's stuff, he explains so much of your speculation in so much specific detail lmao

[@scarlet-overdrive67]

They could've made proto-kongu's craft out of some panels, barrels, and wheels if they could.

[@matthewgarner7215]

13:21 Maybe they’re just barnacle-like creatures that stuck themselves to his chin.

[@Aranthappyrobot]

Ahhh, that’s where Korgot got it from.

[@pablesm]

12:26 Because of that text under the figure and the weird feet pieces, I think this may be a bootleg product

[@FunAtHomeCollectibles]

Some of those are super strange looking for sure ! Have an awesome day!💥From Fun At Home (Hot Wheels, Lego, Cards, Stamps & collectables)👍

[@psychopony666]

The beard could be some kind of plant.

[@JosefFang]

We could’ve gotten a yellow rahki

[@mateocabaguio4444]

Bro this is clearly from Hero Factory

[@JustA-RandomName]

Oi ben :D

[@КириллТышковский-ю8ц]

Whoah too much russian pictures 🤩

[@YeeMacghyee]

I wager that thing with hair is a super early gadunka. Mainly because of the head scale and shape

[@BenCossyOfficial]

Oh yeah, that makes sense!

[@cpafol]

I haven't watched the entire video yet, but I trust that proper credit was given to the creators of these prototype BIONICLE sets! Specifically to Brian Ellis (@brianellisart) for all the Nuparu prototypes! 😎

[@BenCossyOfficial]

I was under the impression all these pieces were built by multiple set designers, not just Brian, and I havent seen any was of tracing who built what, but if you're able to find the original artists, I'll happily credit them in future :) I'll add Brain's details to the description now so that he is credited in some way.