What Happened to Bionicle

Praise be Mata'Nui! I tackle the monumental task of explaining what happened to such a beloved toy series that made us fall in love with unique lore.
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#bionicle #cartoon #nostalgia #cartoon #toys

[@NegativeLegend]

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[@byzantineboi8345]

Glad to see someone still remembers

[@TheDragonfriday]

I'm surprised you made this also... Bakugan is dead to me, literally I have no one to play with and no game shop has anyone playing it.

[@rexsalazar_2010]

Can you make a video on Generator Rex

[@nickh3205]

You know that if they named LEGO legends of Chima, Thunder Cats instead(and if they had the rights to call them that) it probably would have been around a while linger, though not as long as ninjago(which is still running and has new seasons some how even though their story should have ended a few years ago)

[@returnedtomonkey8886]

Hi. Don't wanna be rude but how old are you?

[@theshadynorwegian6036]

"Maybe we didn't buy enough bionicle" Me: *looks over at my several chests of bionicle* nah, it wasn't that

[@juanma250297]

TheShadynorwegian no, it was the dumb idiots at Lego that want to pander to dumb kids who don’t want anything with lore, just toys they can play with for 15 minutes and throw away once they get bored

[@mosswillow4419]

@@juanma250297gen 2 really did suck... :-:

[@johnfranklin943]

@@mosswillow4419 gen 2 and hero factory gave some decently neat parts that can mesh well w gen 1 stuff to an extent, but wasnt nearly as good as g1 overall. i think the best line was when they did brutaka axonn and other warriors.

[@crowofjudgement4718]

@@mosswillow4419 I do agree. The trailer and the story were the one thing that imo that kept bionicle afloat and it was kinda dumbed down.

[@crimsonmcblack4260]

@@juanma250297 To be fair, their target audience is the dumb kids you hate. Also I think, economic wise, (correct me if im wrong) They aren't exactly out of the woods yet, so it makes sense for them to focus on lines that are making the most money for them at the time. Sure what happened to Bioncle was sad but it was probably inevatable with how popular Ninjago got

[@ltb1345]

Chima didn’t actually fail. Three years is the standard for those kinds of LEGO themes. Ninjago and Bionicle were just insanely successful.

[@bullrun2772]

Yep

[@nightshroud9671]

Though it was pretty mean of LEGO to end it despite a bunch of fans wanting it to continue. Doesn't seem fair Ninjago got to live beyond those 3 years due to fans begging for it to continue but when fans of Chima tried to do it, LEGO just ignored them and ended it anyway. I really harbored quite some bitteress towards LEGO for that.

[@bullrun2772]

@@nightshroud9671 without bionicle there’s no ninjago

[@nightshroud9671]

@@bullrun2772 I know that but I am pointing out how LEGO were pretty much pricks for ending Chima despite many fans wanted it to continue.

[@succubastard1019]

@@nightshroud9671 They couldn't continue iot if it wasn't successful enough to do so, even if a minority of people wanted it so.

[@adriannaranjo4397]

It's honestly disgusting how LEGO has been treating Bionicle, the brand that saved them from Bankruptcy, in recent times

[@UDIBro]

He literally says in the video that bionicles didn't save Lego. Instead it was all the brand deals they had(star wars etc).

[@ironclaw3000user]

@@UDIBro i mean they were selling the prequels.. you know the thing no one liked when it first came out...

[@laszlovarga6953]

As far as I know, Bionicle worked together with the licensed themes to save Lego. (I saw a video about the company's history long ago, so I can be wrong) But yeah, they could make 1-2 sets for annyversary. But hey, maybe next year, when the brand becomes 20 year old.

[@superchristopher]

@@UDIBro It was both. But Bionicle did account for a quarter of Lego's sales on its own for a few years.

[@KingNexusMOCs]

@@UDIBro They weren't able to get the brand deals until Bionicle made them some cash, you know close to bankruptcy and stuff like that, so yes, Bionicle did actually save the company.

[@JPOG7TV]

Here’s an actual explanation on why bionicle failed: LEGO has been known to cancel many themes when they weren’t selling to their standards. There have been some exceptions recently but before that, good luck if your favorite theme got another year. Chima is a good example of this, it was supposed to be Ninjagos replacement after LEGO was going to end it but it didn’t meet expectations and only lasted a few years. Other examples include: Rock Raiders, Atlantis, Alien Invasion, Dino, world racers, etc Bionicle was declining for some time before it’s end in 2010 with understandable reasons such as fans getting older and losing interest, the lore becoming too difficult for new comers to access, the dumbing down on toy builds and functions that the previous years had more of and the pieces becoming fragile. There were plans to continue it but they ultimately decided to cancel it and start something new. Hero factory was LEGOs attempt to revitalize the action figure building theme as they thought that a new approach would improve sales. Hero Factory was designed to be more accessible to people compared to Bionicle since it would be difficult to keep up the story if it had complex lore in it. Also it was the best opportunity to try out a new building system for action figures that had more durable and customizable parts. Hero Factory did mediocre in its first year but later did well enough for some time but internally, LEGO were seeing if their new building system for figures and the sales would justify bringing bionicle back. Also those TV specials weren’t a complete show, they were basically the animated movies for the theme similar to bionicles movies were it was the story at the time in an animated form. That’s when the reboot happened. The reboot is its own separate continuity inspired by its predecessor. LEGO knew that just continuing the old bionicle was going to be difficult since they had left a lot open from the previous storyline so it was just better to start fresh. The reason why Generation 2 got cancelled was again LEGO cancelling themes that don’t meet their high sale expectations. This is entirely their fault though, marketing for the Bionicle reboot was done poorly and not to the same level as they did back in the generation one days. They seemed to rely heavily on old fans to spread the word of bionicle and didn’t bother getting new kids into it with their own advertising. We basically had to sell the kids these days on these toys. Also Bionicle did indeed help to save LEGO back then. The licensed themes had large fees to cover so in the end LEGO didn’t make that much money from them to begin with and needed their own themes to boost revenue and fall back on if the license deals fell through. I suggest if anyone is interested in bionicle and it’s history, there’s channels that discuss it in depth. The Three Virtues and NickonPlanetRipple are probably the best. The former which goes in depth with bionicle lore and other aspects of the theme and the later who talks about LEGO in general so you can understand how the company works.

[@BornToPeeForcedToDrinkIt]

This comment deserves more likes. The point about the license fees is something a lot of people overlook. It's not that Star Wars wasn't a serious cash cow, it's that Lego's contract was so poor in regards to Lego themselves they spent almost as much of the profit they made on paying Lucasfilm back then. Bionicle, however, was in-house, so 100% of profits went to Lego, which was the boost they desperately needed at the time, and helped them recover almost instantly. Plus it helped grow the brand and boost sales figures to strengthen Lego as a company. Now Lego is so big, thanks in no small part to Bionicle as well as subsequent in-house series, their licenses are always fair, if not in Lego's favour. Bionicle's "saving" of Lego may have been brief, but it was timely. Like a life preserver tossed just as their chin was touching the water.

[@cuddlecakes7153]

Thank you for actually explaining

[@aleksanderhilst-olsen2804]

Thats a very long comment there

[@badjuju6430]

Man I'm so nostalgic for bionicle. i know the animation is terrible and hero factory was about as interesting as water but the original bionicle's were kick ass. like it actually had lore. and the toys lets be real were the coolest thing since lego itself. lets face it. if we saw the original bionicle toys on the shelf we would buy it. And web of shadows was the best i will fight you over that.

[@JPOG7TV]

Aleksander Holst-Olsen it would have been much shorter if Negative Legend actually mentioned this information in his video. He clearly didn’t care because he wasn’t invested in it compared to the other franchises he looked at.

[@duchi882]

*"In the first Age, in the first battle there was Lego"* *Doom Guy:* Finally, a worthy opponent

[@davidhong1934]

Isabelle: Our battle will be legendary!

[@SokkaoftheWaterTribe]

Master Chief: I need a weapon

[@DoomguyIsGrinningAtYou.]

Imagine Doomguy seeing the Mata Nui robot for the first time. Your HUGE! That means you have HUGE ROBO GUTS! RIP AND TEAR!!

[@ahnrho]

Doing god's work.

[@memememe7081]

What if they combine to make a lego doomguy?

[@Timboman2000]

Ya, the lore definitely does NOT start with "The Mask of Light", it starts with the "Mata-Nui Online Game" (aka MNOLG) which was a flash based adventure game that that contained the majority of the franchise lore in the early days and was VERY ahead of its' time, receiving semi-regular updates the expanded on the game as time went on (2001-2002), with it ultimately leading up to the events of the Mask of Light movie (2003), which was widely disliked by the community at the time due to it making the previous silent stoic protagonist of the MNOLG, Takua, into an annoying WAY to talkative smart ass.

[@jonduke4748]

MNOG, what a game.

[@ellanimation816]

Somehow I got into bionicle even though I was born in a time where bionicle was long canceled. All hail Mata-Nui

[@YungFusebox]

I spent so much time on that game back in the dial-up Internet days. The lore and tone of that game was way ahead of its time.

[@N8-PT]

It actually starts with Quest for the Toa for the Gameboy Advance, which ends on the same scene the Mata Nui Online Game starts on. Alastair Swinnerton co-wrote it, it’s canon

[@Timboman2000]

@@N8-PT If you're talking about the order of the canon, then yes, you're correct. If you're talking about order of release, MNOLG came first, tho it's likely that development of both overlapped.

[@CyberSurferXD]

Biological Chronicle = Christian Faber, the art director, was dealing with a brain tumor and thought "What the medication fighting my tumor... was literally fighting my tumor" Weird starting point I know, but it built the foundations for the whole series. The Toa, the Bohrok, Makuta, Mata Nui, and even the damn packaging for the toys (no...seriously!) Might've been a weird place to start but it provided the foundations for the franchise and I have to respect how far they ran with it~

[@StarboyXL9]

Bionicle single-handedly kindled my love for deep lore settings. The history of the Bionicle universe is rich with secrets and treasures: Axonn was once a conqueror who ruled over much of the main continent before being recruited for the Hand of Artakha and eventually joining the Order of Mata Nui when the Hand disbanded. Mata Nui wasn't the first "God", that was Tren Krom, who held the position until Mata Nui was ready to take over. The infamous "Bionicle Symbol" is actually a star map of sorts displaying the orbits of Bara Magna, Bota Magna, and Aqua Magna, three planetary bodies that were once one called "Spherus Magna" but was shattered by "The Core War" between the Element Lords, which was fought over Energized Protodermis. The Red Star is actually a space station. The Great Beings built Mata Nui to explore and observe the galaxy. It spent most of its time traveling through space with the purpose of the world inside it being to keep it operating. The Makuta were created as both a species and an order to serve Mata Nui directly, until Teridax took power from Miserax and betrayed Mata Nui, putting him to sleep and causing his body to crash-land on Aqua Magna, causing "The Great Cataclysm".

[@pohretra8485]

"BIONICLE, a portmanteau of "biological chronicle", which makes no sense to me" Most of the story takes place in the Matoran Universe (barring the islands of Mata Nui and Voya Nui, and the planet of Bara Magna), which is the biology of the Great Spirit Robot, Mata Nui. If you consider the Mata Nui robot as a person, then Makuta Teridax's "spell" is a deadly virus that has made the body fall ill (it's even referred to as the "Makuta Virus" in official material). And the protagonists are microorganisms fighting off the illness in order to save this dying body. So the story is a chronicle of the Great Spirit Robot's biology. "Biological Chronicle".

[@arismafiamafiaiskandar5145]

I see, a fellow bionicle rewind viewer.

[@borga6566]

I always thought it was "Bio Mechanical" or something like that, because that immediately made sense to me. Even after hearing what you've said, Bio Mechanical still makes more sense to me lol

[@Biohaloxboxtranfor]

Bara Magna is not in the Matoran Universe, it's a real planet.

[@Luka1180]

@@borga6566 The beings are biomechanical, but the title is not alluding to that, no.

[@Luka1180]

@@Biohaloxboxtranfor More like a moon. Spherus Magna is the planet.

[@davidperezz7248]

Don’t disrespect my religion like that or else.

[@Achillez098]

"I've never owned Bionicles" You sir, officially did not have a childhood

[@StarboyXL9]

Indeed.

[@ahnrho]

Damn.

[@tomparker8282]

Wow its almost like some people were children before 2003...

[@plague6566]

*EXCUSE ME SIR?*

[@tfsomegaguy6203]

People just like different things I guess

[@Obi-Wan_Kenobi]

I have to clarify that Bionicle was a significant factor in saving Bionicle from bankruptcy. It was not the licensed themes, those helped of course but Lego had to give a huge segment of profits from those sales to the lisense owner. They made Bionicle so they could have 100% of the sales profits and it was thus stable supply of revenue that secured Lego's financial future. To say that Bionicle single handedly saved Lego is probably a bit of an overstatement. But to say it was the licence themes that actually single handled saved Lego is an even bigger overstatement.

[@ericgibson3210]

All this talk of deep lore and you barely dipped your toes. The movies are a snowflake in the general vicinity of the tip of an iceberg.

[@lordmawkish1286]

So much this. Upon reading the comics, short stories and novels, as well as Makuta's Guide To The Universe, one could say they know the lore. But the movies alone? I am sorry, that's just a tiny glance of a corner of the full picture.

[@jmaster2855]

Especially since the films are some of the worst pieces of the story/media/lore.

[@Amphibian42]

@@lordmawkish1286 yes but he had literally known nothing before work on the video, that's a nuts amount of time and money investment

[@Draezeth]

@@Amphibian42 Then just don't do a video on it...

[@Amphibian42]

@@Draezeth itwouldbehourslongandnoonebutpeoplewhoalreadyknowwillwatchit

[@Geekus]

Lifelong Bionicle devotee here: please do not judge the saga by the movies. The real story was a conglomerate of the comics, online games & clips, and the books. The movies... nnnnnot so much.

[@goldiekoi935]

I loved that Bionicle game for the wii when I was a kid.

[@SRGIProductions]

The movies were more or less abridged versions of massive story sections.

[@VOLTSmotion]

So anybody gonna tell him that Makuta wasn't Matanui's brother but rather one guy from a species called the Makuta and his real name was actually Terridax

[@joxyver]

VOLTSmotion Since when?

[@VOLTSmotion]

@@joxyver since 2008

[@Shimada.]

@@VOLTSmotion cool

[@theakiwar9118]

Joxyver H The entire villains wave of 2008 are Members of the Makuta species. The Makuta we knew was Makuta Terridax, then there are Antroz, Vampra, Chirox, Mutran, Bitil, Krikka (best boi btw), Gorast, Icarax and Miserix

[@ronanoftheborealvalley4353]

@@theakiwar9118 don't forget that one that didn't rebel and got stuck in jail till Mata nui rusted

[@busyak]

Bionicle has a very small, but incredibly dedicated fanbase. Beyond the incredible preservation efforts from the Biomedia Project and the Wall of History, there is an overwhelming body of amazing new work from fans, mostly focused on the original Mata-Nui storyline. Some highlights would be: Peri's animated films, done perfectly in the style of the Mata Nui Online Game, the definitive work in the original storyline; the restoration of the cancelled Legend of Mata Nui game from 2001 by Litestone; the fanmade Mata Nui Online Game 1.5, which aims to bridge the gap between MNOG1 and the Bohrok Animations; Team Kanohi's Masks of Power, a very ambitious open world RPG set in the original storyline and currently overgoing an overhaul, but playable in an impressive gameplay preview called Trials of the Great Spirit; and the upcoming Quest for Mata Nui, which is to early to speak on yet, but looks promising.

[@taranbrat]

Not to be “that guy” but honestly the best lore came from the games and books/comics in my opinion. The 3rd movie was the only movie I liked to be honest. The toy adds to we’re great, the original ones still give me chills till this day

[@thegifting267]

What did you like about the 3rd movie? A lot of people talk bad about it for some reason.

[@tahunuva4254]

8:28 "for X years, there was no movie. What can we do? How can we survive?" For centuries, the bottom of the deepest sea has been shrouded in mystery, and seuperstition. Some say it's a hostile place, inhabited by the strangest creatures. Others, that it's a prison - for the most dangerous outcasts. Legend has it, that the only way of getting out alive is a mask, a mask they say, that every deep sea creature is willing to fight for, and risk their life to possess. But the only way of ever finding out, is to go there. And see for yourself. 🎵 *Here I am, I am lost in your land and I hope you will be Creeping in my soul* 🎵😆

[@ardrethshadow9338]

Bionicle presents The Barakki, creeps from the deep. (each set sold separately)

[@jaime117d]

W E L C O M E T O T H E P I T

[@coolmanplayz438]

I still listen to cryoshell all these years later too. Did you know they made a remastered version of "Creeping in my soul?" Oh my god it's good.

[@strictlyworse_mk7108]

I think Matoro is hands down my favorite Bionicle as a character.

[@Official_Anonymous]

Mine’s Jaller, which also seems to be the second debatable choice...

[@federerlkonig330]

Matoro-Jesus...

[@Caspianm2]

Mine's always been Axonn. Loved him in Bionicle Legends and LOVE his model.

[@BarbellBinks]

RIP Matoro

[@KanterburyGuardian]

Amen brother

[@yiwoon_cr8s]

I am proud of the fact that Bionicle inspired more story driven merchandises such as Ninjago

[@megasnowey7177]

I was born in 2006 so I never got to experience bionicle g1, but I gotta say ninjago is ehat I consider the real bionicle g2

[@chadmann2724]

Literal cringe comment 💀 Bionicle didn’t invent deep lore and story telling If anything J. R. R. Tolkien did it first and better 💀💀💀

[@RaiJolt2]

Oh hey! A bionicle. Video! (Only covers movies) Me: cries

[@tahunuva4254]

Shoulda covered MNOG. It's arguably the best thing Bionicle put out.

[@deruka7820]

@@tahunuva4254 Also the first thing outside the actual toys and what was packaged with said toys. XD

[@sly260]

inika wasc lit and he did NOt cover it sad

[@RaiJolt2]

I did not realize this comment got so popular lol.

[@MrTino12]

As a kid, my dad bought me bionicle. And the lady at the store gave me a small bag FULL of bionicle masks they had laying around. I was so gosh dang happy. One of the rare positive memories I have of my dad.

[@thenerdbeast7375]

I absolutely LOVED Bionicle, the way it blends sci-fi and fantasy so well. What other series has MAGICAL NATURE-WIELDING ROBOTS?? It was so unique!

[@josiahnunley2910]

*Tribal Mask Wearing, Element Wielding Cyborgs

[@ToastUrbath]

@@josiahnunley2910 Cyborg isn't true, they're made of machine and no flesh. They are robots

[@wendysfreshneverfrozen1853]

@@ToastUrbath no, they have organs and the like. Cyborg

[@alphayun7401]

@@wendysfreshneverfrozen1853 i never saw any organic parts

[@wendysfreshneverfrozen1853]

@@alphayun7401 well that's cause you'd have to have read it to know.

[@Keokithederp]

You're never gonna hear the end of it for doing the movies only. Especially considering they were easily the weakest part of the Bionicle media.

[@ruufiss9922]

Movies always are, lotr, star wars legends, halo, all of the juicy bits of lore come from the hard copies

[@Kirbyman1223]

Oh... You're only going by the movies....ok then

[@alisavandertang3165]

Someone read the comics

[@josefarias5216]

I legit cringed when I saw that, the comics and books where the lore was good

[@TheZamaron]

@@josefarias5216 actually where the lore was mostly told, the movies only told a small pat of the lore, M1 was the aftermath of the Toa Nuva's battles, M2 was a general overview of the Toa Metru's adventures, M3 was their Hordika adventures, and Legend Reborn just set up the start of Mata Nui's adventures on Bara Magna, the comics and novels basically told everything else. Bionicle sadly never got it's main story in movie or TV form, only small pats were told. Would have been awesome if it was like Star Wars and Star Trek where TV and movies were the main source and comics and novels told extra stories.

[@Luka1180]

@@alisavandertang3165 And the books, and the short stories, the online serials, and the fan-written short stories that were made canon, and played the games etc.

[@Skitz6969]

I legit thought I was the only one to read the comics lmao, couldn't find them anywhere in my country, other than thrift stores

[@APinchofBazel]

“They have textures now!” The scales on the Hordika: “Are we a joke to you?”

[@thenerdbeast7375]

You're only going by the movies? *Seriously??*

[@TheFullbladder]

For a lot of people at the time that's pretty much what there was to go on. I had some toys, the original Mata Nui flash game (that I wasn't very good at) and the movies when I was a kid. I had no access to the comics or books. So I can't really blame him for going off those. You want to go full on, go find the Lego Rewind episode on Bionicle by Nick on Planet Ripple. It'll be more what you're after.

[@Aleblood]

@@TheFullbladder Oh dude that game is a huge nostalgia trip for me. Thank you

[@smashorpass2208]

No Voya Nui and Mari Nui, that's sad...

[@PlazDreamweaver]

ikr, a disgrace

[@CarloNassar]

Yeah, that's actually a disappointment. Even I would go deeper than that. Same goes with Hero Factory because I won't argue with him saying that the smaller sets during the first half of Hero Factory were simple but he should've used the largest CCBS figures like Witch Doctor and Black Phantom (maybe Dragonforce as well) or figures that were after Hero Factory because figures were improving by then. (6-7-2020)

[@YassiJoon]

“Quickly! T-pose to establish dominance!” That has me trying to shut myself up at 2 am

[@NickonPlanetRipple]

I mean... I could tell you how the theme made me (and large swaths of the community) feel, but I kind of already did for 80 minutes a couple months back, if you're interested in that. Good luck surviving that troll doll.

[@theskyrax670]

I mean, Bionicle was like one of the 12 things I cared about as a young child

[@heyheyitsjae2475]

Funnily enough, my first thought after this video was "Nick covered it *so much better*"

[@a.j.medialover]

I think my favorite Bionicle launch has to be Piraka. When they first came out in 2006, they felt so new and just overall clever/creative. They had electric lights in their eye-parts that you could turn on, teeth that glowed in the dark and weapons with actual firing shots (instead of just spinning propeller thingies from their backs). I even remember me and my friends instantly buying some of it's characters when they were first launched, however, I did love the series that came after as well - Toa Inika, this time with 4 shots in their firearms (which was one thing I liked better than the Piraka figures that only had 1). I just wish we would have gotten a movie with them.

[@CallMiiBishop]

18:37 "I don't even know if it's China" Proceeds to point to the words "COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: CHINA"

[@Valdyr_Hrafn]

LMAO

[@morganbeverlyhoover1587]

My favorite Bionicle, and my first, was the Inka Toa Hewkii. Loved his sword and unique shooter. To be honest, one of my fave parts of Bionicle was taking them apart and creating new bionicles from them. It was especially fun when you had all the right colors to make ones that were fun to play with an aesthetically pleasing.

[@ShadowRoadX]

A lot more of the story happened in the comics and chapter books, also the main author behind the story writing for the entire franchise dedicated a lot of his time to a lore-pedia style website that complied absolutely everything. The movies were at best attempts to push it to a wider audience, same with the video games. Also did a lot of interaction with the fanbase itself, one of the villains during the prequel saga was actually made from the winning design of a fan-build contest.

[@blitz-frenchman663]

The fact that no movie came out during the 2006-2008 period was a darned shame. The happenings during that period - as covered in the books - were super interesting, and it was probably the point of the series where the writing was at its best.

[@MadameGraveheart]

"But MOM-" "Shall I BRAND YOU A HERETIC?!" My favorite part 😂

[@MrKOLCOO]

Thats how I imagine 40K fans treats their kids XD

[@QuarterCentum]

Bionicle was my favorite toy line and my favorite book series as a kid. I still love it and was crushed when they cancelled it. The movies were never meant to be stand alone, they existed primarily to supplement the books and get more attention to the franchise.

[@shonenbag6478]

I'm glad to see that even 10 years after it's ending, two decades after it's beginning, Bionicle is still alive and kicking... ...unlike Matoro.

[@voivodadracula1936]

It's still too soon

[@superchristopher]

"I'll take it from here"

[@returnedtomonkey8886]

Don't do this to me man. Not with my first bionicle.

[@AdventureBlur]

Boi...

[@Scotttjt]

Oof

[@tornaghmalumenis6834]

My favs are Gali, Kopaka and Matoro. Matoro never had my favourite set but since I got into reading the books last year and recollecting parts of my childood Matoro has a special place in my heart. As in; I literally cried when he awoke Mata Nui.

[@Valtharr]

ah yes, "Bionicles" are some of my favorite characters, along the "Star Treks" and the "Marvels" ... seriously, why does everyone say "Bionicles"? it's called "Biological Chronicle" because it's, for the most part, about the goings-on within the body of Mata Nui. it quite literally _chronicles_ the _biology_ of Mata Nui. "I don't understand why they would just abandon Bionicle like that" Because it started selling badly, they knew they had to pull the plug eventually because of that, and they didn't want to wait until sales were absolutely abysmal, in order to preserve the image of the brand in the eyes of retailers. also, Makuta wasn't Mata Nui's brother. he called himself Mata Nui's brother out of vanity, but they weren't related. mainly because Mata Nui was an onboard AI of a forty million feet tall robot. honestly, I'm pretty disappointed with this video. like, I get it, Bionicle wasn't your thing growing up, you have no connection to it, fine. but if you still want to make a video about it...ask people who know stuff, maybe? there's entire channels on KZbin dedicated to Lego in general, and even Bionicle specifically. maybe ask them about the franchise's history, what people liked about it, etc. all this was, basically, was an abridged summary of the four movies (which in themselves were abridged tellings of some specific story arcs and completely left out others) and then some "oh yeah, there were also some books, comics, and video games." you didn't even mention the Mata Nui Online game, which was arguably the first successful attempt of a major company to use free interactive online content to not just promote their product, but also tell a story. not to mention all the interesting trivia about the franchise, like the fact that the Maori people of New Zealand actually sued Lego over Bionicle. that's stuff a cursory Google search would bring up. like, I could excuse this if Bionicle was just a flash-in-the-pan fad that only lasted a year or two, but this franchise went on for a _decade,_ and spanned multiple forms of media, and you gave the same, if not less attention as some franchises that maybe had two seasons and a few video games. Like, just for comparison, when you made your Force of Will video, that franchise had been going on for _half_ as long as Bionicle went on, yet you spent almost _three times_ the amount of time on it. And again, I get it, FoW is something you're really passionate about, and Bionicle isn't, but if that's a problem, then either find people who _are_ passionate about it, or just don't make the video. Like, Billiam's video on the topic was only half as long, but it still felt like a way more detailed look at the franchise. Like, this isn't a slam against Legend as a person, or anything, I'm just giving constructive criticism. I like these videos, but that also means that I want some more effort put into them, especially on the (admittedly rare) occasion that it's a video about a franchise I personally care about. Not to mention how this must look to Bionicle fans who _aren't_ familiar with Legend's videos, see a video called "What Happened To Bionicle", click on it expecting an at least somewhat in-depth look at a franchise they love, and instead get a rather half-baked product full of mistakes and knowledge gaps that could have been corrected by simply talking to actual fans of the franchise.

[@NegativeLegend]

And it's this specific thing that I knew some people would get upset with. I'm always hesitant to make videos that cover a franchise that's this massive. I know that I won't be able to take into account most everything that the die-hard fans enjoy, and given that I didn't grow up with it that I would be ignorant on most aspects that the fans enjoyed the most. The fact of the matter is that I had to truncate what I covered and cut corners and what I watched because there was no realistic way I could consume all the content you hardcore fans have consumed within a reasonable amount of time. I had to choose a focus and stick with it. If I were to consume the proper amount of media that's been released by Bionicle (including the several hours of KZbin videos from fans), along with balance my schoolwork from college, along with having to maintain the channel and release a video every month, along with making sure I'm not drowning in work and taking a break for the sake of mental health, it would take me upwards of half a year or maybe more assuming I was truly that dedicated. And you'd like to imagine that others in the fanbase would be willing to help summarize things for me, or point me to where I need to look, but the truth is that they don't. I ask. I try to get them to. I want them to make my job easier, but it's surprising how few people are actually willing to help. I have no doubt that there's a select few who are willing to help, but I don't know who those people are. And I had to make sure I'm not just ripping off Billiam's video otherwise what would be the point of watching my video? I'm sorry this video wasn't to your liking, but understand that I did try. I may have failed in your eyes, but I'm constantly working on new videos at all times. And I'm working on them with five classes, family members dying, and forgoing activities that would make me happy purely for the sake of making content for you.

[@hewkii7157]

deep lore in full swing

[@serenityridge5271]

Who hurt you

[@SaiseiTunes]

@@NegativeLegend That's fine. Nothing's going to be perfect, especially with a franchise as absolutely massive as Bionicle. If someone wants to devour the full story, most of the books and comics and movies and whatnot are available online for free. You make the video that you can be proud of. We'll understand in the end.

[@blakchristianbale]

Valtharr because Bionicle isn’t a real word and it’s in-universe usage is totally counterintuitive. Think about it from a non fan’s perspective, you see a line of robot toys - a genre which usually uses the name of the robots themselves as the title (Transformers, Zoids) - and find out its called *Bionic*le, what’s the first thing you’re gonna assume? And frankly I have to think this was intentional on Lego’s part

[@sant25xyz]

Another thing to mention were the story serials that were introduced in 2007 on the Bionicle story website written by Bionicle head writer, Greg Farshtey. Two of my favorite stories were federation of fear and dark mirror.

[@frostace8057]

Me: Oh sweet the Bionicle video has been uploaded. Also me: *Internal Tribalistic Noises*

[@ClaytonMathisVO]

Bionicle and LEGO in general was an important part of my childhood and even today in 2020. Pohatu, Kongu Mahri, Straak and Tarix were my favorite ones.

[@momokwakPL]

This was... SO NOSTALGIC... I've played with Bionicle's since my childhood, I owned the minimum of one of each edition, (excluding Legend Reborn, I have almost all of them). It is really sad for me that such a good toys series died so young... And this reboot... it really isn't the same....

[@CrimsonOptics]

Damn, I wish you covered more Bionicle lore in this, like with the Bohrok and the Rahkshi, as well as the Toa Mahri. Everyone remember that All American Rejects trailer for Bionicle? That shit is super nostalgic for me.

[@jimmyheidt1250]

Favorite bionicle- piraka Bionicle was a big part of my childhood and after years of collecting parts, my kids can enjoy it too.

[@jonasjudge3463]

I always loved the barraki

[@deez1883]

Which one?

[@jonasjudge3463]

@@deez1883 Kamala and nocturn

[@greggeverman5578]

Vezok, Vezon and Hakann.

[@clecanadalawexplained6330]

“Are you trying to make it confusing” Welcome to Bionicle lore.

[@JanSternicki]

I discovered deep lore of bionicle in 2010 (kinda shamefull fact for me because i was born in 1998) i dont have so much nostalgia memories like most of you but i became big fan of bio i am still today, i love how lego transformed story for selling toys into universe with books, comics, online games, MOCs, etc. I think bionicle could become part of DC comics or get animated series which would show full story (in way like seasons of Jojo's bizarre adventure, with 3D in legend reborn quality)

[@heyheyitsjae2475]

One of the Green Lantern comics actually featured a carving of the original Toa on a stone, so they technically are a part of the DC Universe.

[@RaptorsVevo]

My favourite Bionicles were the Rahkshi. I loved how weird and contorted they were, and the arm motion function was solid. Other than them, and maybe the Bohrok for their pecking motion, its hard to compare the rest. They were such a deep rooted part of my childhood that I would not be able to list any more without spending all day writing this comment. I made my first Bionicle on my own at the age of 3, and now I'm 20. holy shit.

[@superchristopher]

Just a critique. But I think the video is better to be called "What happened to Bionicle Animation" as that's the main focus of the video. But its cool you're taking the effort to learn the lore and research.

[@hotuorbit]

My favorite character was Matau. Bionicle was a huge part of my childhood. My younger brother and I watched the movies, bought the toys, read the comics, and made our own stories and creations. It's a shame it was cancelled, as it was an amazing franchise. I took one look at Hero Factory and said, "What the f--- is this s---"?

[@frankunodostres473]

the bionicle community is alive and well in 2020. also, while 2005 was one of the least beloved years in bionicle, the 3rd movie is widely regarded as the best one. interesting to see a casual's POV

[@untapped8776]

I don't know what part of the community you've talked to, but I can definitely tell you Web of Shadows *is not* considered the best Bionicle movie. 😂 All of 2005 is considered sub-par by a majority of the fanbase. The usual ranking of the movies is generally a tie between Mask of Light and Legends of Metru-Nui for the best (Mask of Light most often wins that battle due to its high nostalgia factor) and a very close tie for the worst between Web of Shadows and The Legend Reborn. That being said, if it's your personal favorite I'm not judging! I love every movie! Typically, the community sees most things later in the timeline of Bionicle as generally worse. There was definitely a decline in quality as the series went on, culminating in the reboot (though I personally like the reboot). Regardless, this video has a pretty good assessment, even if it focused a little heavily on the movies, and it is always interesting to see a casual viewpoint.

[@sailorenthusiast]

This video managed to answer two questions that I've had at the back of my mind at once. I can't believe that I forgot that the Lego figure my brother owned was a Bionicle, and that Bionicle being referenced in a Tumblr video didn't jog my memory.

[@Lboogie0711]

This was cool. How about a “what happened to bratz”

[@berrystein9197]

But they are alive. They literally came back in 2018 and have a next release in 2020-2021

[@Lboogie0711]

Berry Stein wow really. I guess a what happened to my scene would be better then

[@berrystein9197]

@@Lboogie0711 totally. They deserve it

[@berrystein9197]

@Pumpkin Soup yeah, the creator of Bratz talked about it. Even certain big bratz Instagram users mentioned a few things about it

[@Lboogie0711]

Berry Stein wow that’s amazing.

[@PinkiemachineStudios]

I loved the water Toa Gali and Nokama, plus Toa Matua. I remember watching all the trailers and commercials, especially Creeps from the Deep and the Toa Mahri story, and the music was amazing and still takes me back in such a surreal way, and I just loved how dark it could be at times, and how cool the Toa were. There wasn’t a particularly large amount of drama going on, and least of all the kind of stereotypical drama that the movies and other LEGO products just love to shove down our throats. The Toa just showed up and did their jobs. And their job is being immortal, biomechanical warriors who stop Makuta at all costs. So cool!

[@TheTrueMorse64]

8:46 also the books which give you way way way more detail on the story that the movies skip out on because they are limited on time. Like there’s an entire book that’s set right after Web of Shadow where Vakama is trying to go after the Mask of Time but gets thrown into an illusion. Also the reason why we didn’t get movies for 4 years was because Lego lost their deal (or their contract ended and didn’t want to renew it or something like that I can’t remember what happened) with the studio that made the last 3 movies so yeah. And a different studio made The Legend Reborn, that’s why it looks different.

[@wisconsinking323]

Wait, so the rumors about the planned ignition movie trilogy are true?!?!........ I'm happy that the rumors are true but at the same time I'm REALLY disappointed I would've LOVED to see the ignition movie trilogy. At least there were a lot of GREAT commercials/promo video with cool songs.

[@TheTrueMorse64]

Jesse Pupp I don’t know about the rumors but that could have been possible, (I can’t remember where exactly I heard it from, I think from the TTV channel) but yeah I totally agree and would have loved to see an ignition trilogy!

[@darthvaderdylan]

also feels like the target audience of the comics vastly differs from the movies

[@nathangrocholski2094]

Bionicles were everything when I was a kid. Bionicle 2 was my favorite movie and I got to the point where I had the entire movie memorized

[@liamc.kongsbaklarsen5661]

Bionicles were a huge part of my childhood, I was downright obsessed with them as a kid lmao My all-time favorite was always Zaktan from the 2006, the 2006 arc was also always my favorite in general, loved the Piraka

[@lvivga2934]

My favourite memory with the bionicle was when i got my first bionicle. I went home from school, than my mother suprised me with a bionicle. I was so happy. I remeber my first bionicle was Toa Nuju from the Metru Nui series. After that I learned so much about the bionicle lore, and than had a bionicle from almost all series. Now I'm 21 but I think (It is sahmefull or not) the story and the world of the bionicle was awsome, and I'm sad because the LEGO cancelled a great thing.

[@gunnarhanson2889]

Bionicle always had a sort of grunge, darker theme to it an exception of the later years and it really bloomed in the early 2000s when grunge and punk rock were big so it fit the overall theme of the time. I wouldn't say we really have a theme at the moment, kids toys and shows are all based off of bright popping colors that can grab kids attention and force brands down their throat instead of just giving them something to enjoy. You could argue that we did the same thing but at least there was heart behind what we consumed.

[@MaMastoast]

You think so? As a kid I was attracted by the mysticism and spiritual culture aspect.. I really liked how the online game fleshed the different socities and how their relationship to the world was.. Not so much a fan of the bad-ass action fiesta the franchise apparently turned into.

[@Icyclean6969]

Anyone else remember that weird underwater phase bionicles went through? Like I remember my parents buying me a bionicle that had a weird like squid shooter and vaguely remember a comic explaining why but when I was a kid bionicles lore was too deep by that point to understand any of it

[@the-NITRON]

yeah bionicle G2 (2015-2016) was WAAAAAYYYY too watered down, to death there must have been hints that this was not only a reboot, but an alternate dimension? since the 6 toa ARE in fact the same original 6 toa, but low and behold, they got amnesia, again, and then finally realized that they had the elements all along, and then returned to, im guessing their own reality. also the story behind LEGO chima is a hilarious tale of CN taking away the 2011 thunderats renewal to support the chima series, and a sad one because lego REALLY wanted Chima to be the successor to Ninjago

[@Alzahar_Negatheron]

Toa Tahu was hands down my favorite. I was super sad when the franchise was canceled, but then rebooted poorly, but then canceled again. I never played with the toys, but I LIVED off the flash games and that one Game Cube game. Additionally, I found some of the books at the library once like 8 years ago, but could never find them again and I was super bummed about it.

[@SyrupyShana]

H-how dare you take Takua’s name in vain!

[@BlazingKai2077]

My favorite was Mata Nui from Bionicle Legend Reborn. He was one of the first Bionicle character I every seen, and He was just so cool and epic! Also Hero factory was similar to Bionicle for their first line of toy series, but change over time and it was a real success.

[@cauebr2275]

honestly, I've never heard about Bionicle until now, but in my country, I bought a lot of hero factory toys but they never broadcast the series, my favorites and firsts were Stringer and Nex (1.0)

[@jamon9507]

Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows is part of the reason I got over my fear of spiders as a kid. Fear turned into curiosity which turned into fascination.

[@CrispusGames]

Wow, my very first Bionicle at 12:20 :O I remember it being more brown though... The "creepy lade" is called Roodaka. She was one of my favorites alongside Keetongu and Axonn. :') I also discovered Bionicle through a friend of mine who had a huge collection of them. We used to build custom creatures together and had lots of fun. I also remember that awesome online game called "Agori Defender" you could play on the Bionicle website. It was so addictive!

[@DijaVlogsGames]

One of the most fascinating things for me as a kid was that they randomly inserted CD-Roms into the packages with extra lore and some trailers and games. I never got one, but I was always excited to check them out at my friends‘.

[@-megawolf-805]

"Even my main man Kopaku is the same!" (13:20) Just poking fun, haha. This is actually a great video.

[@nickhammerschmidt9914]

My favorite was either Vakama or Jaller, because they had so much character growth in comparison to other main characters like Mata Nui or Tahu. My favorite memory was getting my first Phantoka Toa Lewa set back in the day.

[@thenerdbeast7375]

Bionicle was also cancelled due to some controversy about the inspiration it "borrowed" from Maori culture. They didn't really learn anything about the culture, they just borrowed words and names because they sounded pretty. There was actually a lawsuit over this that the Maori won, so Lego was no longer allowed to borrow any names or themes from Maori culture anymore. This combined with lack of sales and the need to reboot the series made Bionicle not really worth Lego's time anymore.

[@adamzazarinno1065]

My first Bionicle was actually a Jaller my grandma got me from the 2007 run and it remains my favorite Bionicle.

[@TheTrueMorse64]

11:29 They canceled Bionicle because it was getting too complicated, not just lore based, but the names of the characters and stuff like that

[@returnedtomonkey8886]

Also joints turned to paper in 2008 which pissed mw to no end.

[@TheiBunny]

I know this is an old comment, but that's not even half of it. The main reason Bionicle was originally discontinued in 2010 was because the sales were dropping and Lego and the people involved with Bionicle didn't want the theme to slowly go out with a whimper because they still saw it as one of, if not their most important IP at the time, and letting it die off like that would basically kill any chance of potentially bringing it back in the future. The whole "quit while you're ahead" philosophy, only with an optimistic goal behind it. (For an example of letting something slowly die out and simultaneously kill off any chance of bringing it back, see how the slow death of G2 and the Star Wars constraction sets killed CCBS completely) Bionicle's return was being conceptualized the entirety of Hero Factory's run, quite possibly even before it was officially canceled. In fact, if it had never been canceled, the "Character and Creature Building System" would have most definitely been integrated into the original line, likely within the same time it was introduced in Hero Factory. If you just look at the sets from the last years of Bionicle, to the first year of Hero Factory and beyond, especially with HF's villains and the Ben 10 sets, there's a linear progression. I don't think Bionicle's return was always intended to be a reboot from the start, but the complexity of the lore behind G1 and how it affected newcomers' accessibility to the franchise was no doubt the main reason for that decision. I don't fully buy into the complexity killing G1 thing so much as the story reached the climax it was building towards for a decade, and for the most part had finished, leaving a natural place to end it, and potentially come back to to tell new stories in the future. Everything 2001-2010 would then be part of the rich history of the Bionicle world, rather than required backstory you have to catch up on to understand wtf is going on. Unfortunately for Bionicle fans, the resurgence of and increasing popularity of Lego's brick-based IPs meant Lego didn't need to have so many eggs in Bionicle's basket anymore (I'm sure the steady decline in HF's popularity contributed too) and Bionicle's return - while the sets were very well designed, having been developed for years - everything else from the story to the marketing and world building were half-baked and half-assed.

[@matiasgenoves7157]

How did this series affect me? I was the loneliest kid ever but it never really hurt me because I had bionicles. I was lucky enough to have parents that could once or twice a year buy me some toys and bionicles were my thing, so they got me (and i still own) like 20 sets. I don't know how but these things had my imagination flying everywhere and I loved every second of it. In hindsight i realized that bionicles gave me the chance to be a lonely but nevertheless happy kid. I'm 21 years old now and that's over. In my teenage years I broke out of my little bubble and became more of a sociable guy. So yeah, I don't wanna be redundant but that's how bionicles affected me: they made the lonely kid the happiest kid.

[@thenorthian3667]

Bionic le was literally my childhood. kept up with all the comics, books, movies, games, website, and wiki page. I owned almost all of them. things got weird but I still loved the rich lore. Sucks it got cancelled right as the story was wrapping up. Greg Farshtey was amazing, hope he's still writing for something.

[@TheTrueMorse64]

5:37 did you not pay attention to the Turaga’s (the priest dude as you call him) names?!

[@BarbellBinks]

My favorite bionicle has to be brutaka. He's widely considered the pinnacle of bionicle figure design, and his character development throughout the books was pretty damn solid for a children's franchise.

[@commonsense5199]

Jala is my favorite Character as a Kid. I'm sad they didn't make a animation movie where he can transform into the new Fire Toa

[@tahunuva4254]

Both him and Takua had their characters "americanised" for the MoL movie :(

[@LordBioKing]

OH do I have news for you. NoahProductions made not one but TWO full length movies about the 2006 and 2007 storylines and they can be found on youtube itself. They are imho much better than the actual movies lego put out.

[@Caspianm2]

The books "Bionicle Legends" were the best example of Bionicle lore I'd ever encountered. They fleshed out the Piraka, the Barraki, etc

[@xendordawnburst9969]

You poor soul... you need to learn more about the Great Spirit, Mata Nui! Might I suggest doing a video focusing on the story in the comics?

[@calebgoodman3028]

Mask of light was about 4 years into the story at the time. It definitely wasn’t even close to the beginning. In fact it was towards the end of the Toa Mata/Nuva’s story arcs before diving into the Toa Metru arcs.

[@vladimirfruitin3118]

When ninjago ends make a what hapened to it,or tenkai knights

[@KnightsofGaming2016]

Tenkai knights? Haven't heard of that in a long time. Missed it so much.

[@ravatosthepro1323]

WE ARE TENKAI!!!!!

[@halfknight2310]

I told my friends that ninjago was still going and they didn’t Believe me. Till I showed them season 9

[@ravatosthepro1323]

@@halfknight2310 they are now airing season 12

[@sant25xyz]

My favorite Toa will always be Tahu. One of my favorite Bionicle memories is when I read comic #13: Rise of the Rahkshi, not only did that comic start the mask of light saga, but it introduced some of the fiercest enemies the Toa had ever faced up to that point, the six Rahkshi or as they were also known: the "sons" of Makuta.

[@Johnny_Shields]

I still have all my bionicles in a bucket in the attic.

[@supray12]

Same

[@TheCursedProsecutor]

The few I owned occupy their own dedicated shelf on the top of my bookcase to be viewed each time I walk into the room, just to remind me how few I ever actually bought.

[@lilmoris1]

I was there, in the great war. The only thing standing between extinction and humanity, was Bionicle... Today all we have is the memories, we dive deep into the lore looking for answers, looking for a way to bring Bionicle back to life and save us once more from this shattered world...

[@QuattroPogjeena]

If you like lore, you’d love the whole Gundam Universal Century. That lore is T H I C C edit: I mean real, real T H I C C

[@UnreliablyGabe]

Lewa and Gresh were my favorites, and I loved going to my public library and reading the graphic novels out of order

[@miletilblight2181]

Oboeshoes wants to know your location

[@andrewgilbertson6534]

Roodaka is the poster child for the phrase "Your son calls me mommy too" and I partly blame her for that being a serious part of that side of me.

[@legodavid9260]

Bionicle is better than Star Wars will ever be. I have spoken.

[@jamesrichardsoniii4801]

And yet you use a line from The Mandalorian.

[@alphayun7401]

what about chima?

[@talongreenlee7704]

Bionicle was a big part of my childhood. It’s sad how it’s been abandoned.

[@gunpla_sk8]

What happened to neopets? I read recently there's a app in the making? Hope it's true

[@WildDancer101]

I was an 8 year old lad when Bionicle started out. Not only did I get some sets of it, but even played computer games and watched flash animations of it. Even when I stopped buying the sets I followed the story. I may be sad that it's over, but I will be glad that it happened.

[@elizabethbrower711]

I loved the these movies and am sad to see that the movies were removed from Netflix I also loved the comics and books hero factory was confusing to me as a child I still miss it still dose anyone know that bionical appears in the LEGO movie

[@alexanderholland1603]

When I was younger I loved Bionicle toys, I never cared for the other stuff like the movies, games, or comic books, just got to build cool robots (at least how I looked at them), and the creative options and compatibility of all the generations. Thanks grandma for getting me and my brothers one every Christmas.

[@Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache]

The closest the West has ever gotten to making our own Super Sentai.

[@buferoto6912]

It’s strange to see the old animation and designs. And still very much like it That aside, I feel you may be my spirit animal.

[@samfish2550]

Hero factory is the franchise that I was personally present for, but I'll admit that the construction aspect was lackluster, but a few did stand out. Namely the Witch Doctor

[@IanMoldovan]

As someone who is still a huge Bionicle fan, my favorite is probably Pohatu. Kopaka was my favorite when I first started reading the comics, because he was the focus of the first comic so it's what I got to know. And to be fair, Kopaka is still really COOL (hehe). I just really enjoy Pohatu's fun energy (also, Mask of Speed is amazing). Now I must continue my random Bionicle research to continue to fail at designing my TTRPG.

[@aidenp8661]

I still play with Bionicles. they were my favorite toy growing up, especially making new ones with the pieces. So here and there I drag them out and mess with them reminiscing of the good old days.