Nothing has made me feel more ancient than Toy Galaxy covering something from my childhood. He-man? '84 Transformers? Voltron? Those were the older kids stuff, my brothers things, hand-me-downs. But Bionicle? The thing I played with on the bus? Stuff that I found in Toy R Us? Unthinkable until now. 😂

It’s so weird to think about Lego ever struggling financially.

Bionicle was one of those things where I only dipped a toe into the shallow end only to discover how deep it goes years after moving on. Loved getting Bionicles in my Happy Meals and I can see it as something I'd get ensnared in if they revamped it.

"Prequel-ing even harder" sounds reasonable to an outsider, but to someone who knows the story, it's absolutely insane with details you can't hope to sell to kids

Bionicle was my jam. It helped me get through bullying, a tough move across the planet, the transition to highschool, and was a wonderful world to escape to. While I am still sad it's gone I am super happy to see it getting some form of love this year and hope they do more in the future.

Man, I was DEEP into the lore of bionicle, especially in the 2005-2009 era. I’m still amazed by how much depth and lore they put into something that was essentially just a toy line. Seeing Mata Nui/Makuta awaken at the end of 2008 blew my 10 year old mind so much.

I went down the rabbit hole of Bionicle to the tune of several hundred dollars….but strictly as a parent. My eldest son loved the line, and spent several years engaged with it. I was happy to Indulge this mainly because in my mind Bionicle was the closest my son would get to playing with something like the beloved Micronauts from my own childhood. It was a great line of toys, and I really wish Lego would consider another revival.

Oh I've been waiting for this one. It is still crazy to me that the Bionicle team hid a giant robot under our noses for nearly 8 years before we noticed it. ALSO, huge shout-out to Greg Farshtey for his commitment to engaging with Bionicle fans on a daily basis during Bionicle's run. He would answer dozens of repetitive fan questions a day on message boards (some of which were mine) and canonize fan suggestions once in a while if they didn't conflict with official story. For Bionicle fans during Gen 1, our relationship with Greg felt almost collaborative at times. Did this directly contribute to the lore bloat? Absolutely, but we can't blame Greg for giving the fans exactly what they asked for. A lot of us were kids who just wanted to see our favorite Toa element show up in story at some point. Thanks for the memories, Greg!

GATHERED FRIENDS! The defining story of my childhood, even more so than Star Wars, and the reason I got into customizing action figures and model kits. Glad you could do justice to such a unique franchise.

Bionicle was what introduced me to LEGO and one of the first sagas with a serialized story that I fell in love with. No joke, it is one of the pillars of my childhood. I love it dearly and the nostalgia is strong with this one

The commercials for these were epic on a scale that had not been done before, and has never been attempted again since.

LETTING YOU ALL KNOW: BIONICLE is getting an anniversary set with Tahu, Takua, and representations of Mata Nui and Makuta. The catch is, it’s a Gift With Purchase for $100 in other sets. So if you want it, you’ll have to get $100 worth of something else.

The Flash game on their site was pretty damn cool. It having cutscenes was pretty wild.

When I was a kid, I always knew Bionicle existed even if I wasn't a fan. Every kid in my school likewise knew what Bionicle was which is a testament to how popular the theme was. I did eventually end up becoming a Bionicle fan in 2008 and (with the benefit of hindsight) would have given anything to be fan during the early days. Some of my first forays into KZfaq were watching the older Bionicle music videos and animations as I yearned to have been able to collect some of those older, amazing sets. You talked about the massive lore being a hinderance to new fans but in my experience, it was less of the existence of so much lore and more that there was no way for new fans to access it. As a kid, I knew there was older content that existed but the problem was I could not locate any of it since Lego removed it all from their official website. Many years later I accessed fan sites and the wiki that collected all the lore to learn about the greater narrative but there was no way I would have been able to discover these website as a kid as I was just figuring out how the internet worked. That's the problem Boinicle had, not the existence of lore but rather that there was no official and easy way for new fans to access the lore. If Lego did something as simple as archiving all the old comics, animations, and serials on their main website, it would have done wonders for growing and retaining Bionicle's fanbase. Thankfully, the modern Lego themes have learned from the mistakes of Bionicle and go to great lengths to make the older content accessible to newer fans. Ninjago's the best example of this as the main story is told in the tv show, a show that's easy to watch on any streaming platform. Lego even uploaded the first seasons on KZfaq in numerous languages so any kid with an internet connection and permission to use the site or the app can access Ninjago and enter the story. Lego has even rereleased older sets for newer fans who were not fans when the sets were initially released, they really care about giving new fans all the entry points and backstory they need to become fans.

Never thought Dan would go into something from the early 2000s until now. It’s Bionicle? My life’s complete now!

Some of the story bits are genuinely fantastic, the way they present this spiritual story of light vs dark and slowly peel back the layers to reveal it was actually a full on sci-fi story with "grounded" (at least, as grounded as magic-science mask robots can be) explanations behind said spiritual elements was really well done. And the mixed media elements were also fantastic (except the movies which are bad in a fun way) as well, with MNOG being the obvious highlight (genius idea to make you play as a side character instead of the main 6 Toa, keeps them feeling like mythical heroes and also really lets them dive into the themes of what it actually means to be a hero that they like to cover).

The coolest thing the Lego brand ever made

For those interested, there IS a five hour recap of the entire Bionicle storyline on KZfaq. I don't fault Dan for not wanting to go into the storyline.

"United in Duty, bound in Destiny. This is the way of the Bionicle."

This does bring a tear to my eye. Thank you for covering Bionicle.

I had the first gen blue one, and it felt like the obvious improvement over the awesome Technic figures. Alas, in 2002, I was shamed by my friend group for still liking Legos at the age of 16. Too kiddie. How the times have changed.

Bionicle was my childhood, I was so into not only the Lore, but I have every single figure in my spare room. I was, and still is to an extend, obsessed with this franchise and I hope it returns someday. Bionicle for life.

I don't think anyone will ever understand how monumental Bionicle really was without being in the thick of it as it was happening. Even looking back, I keep finding new lore that I never knew about

The first Bionicle movie was written by Greg Weisman in the years between Gargoyles and Spectacular Spider-Man.

Totally remember when these first came out, didn't even realize Lego was not doing well when it happened, looking now you'd never guess Lego was ever in trouble 😄👍

Yes finally a big youtube channel talks about it.

Maaaan, I really haven’t bought much in terms of Lego sets since Bionicle and Hero Factory ended…I used to get exiled for new sets from those themes, now I walk down the Lego aisle at Target and just feel…forgotten.☹️

I still have the first set of Toa. I even got the mask packs as a kid to get the golden mask for each.

Bionicle was one of the major parts of my childhood, I was a little young for the franchise when it first started but my parents gave me enough credit to get them for me and I followed it through its entire lifespan and honestly when they cancelled it in 2010(ish) I was heartbroken as a part of my childhood was killed off but looking back now in my 20s even I (who had been too young for the series when it started in 2001) had aged out of it by the end. Still the best story Lego has ever told and remains an influence on me on how I observe and consume fantasy to this day

At last, this is it The episode I’ve been waiting for

Kinda sad that Lego doesn’t care about bionical anymore even if they save them from bankruptcy

I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't have LEGO sets of some sort. And Bionicle was such a huge part of my teenage years that I still occasionally have dreams about new waves of sets coming out. Its always fun, until I wake up and remember that Bionicle hasn't been around for over a decade... Bionicle, Hero Factory, Throwbots, or even something completely new, I would love it if LEGO would make another Technic balljoint based figure line again.

I still remember seeing my first Bionicle at a store as a kid. Little did I know how much money I'd end up spending on them over the years. Still wish Lego would relaunch some of the older kits so we could collect them again, now as adults.

Those Bionicles were awesome. I managed to sell a bunch of the first series at Toys R Us. Even combined two of them.

Woah, never thought I would see Dan talk about something from my generation LOL

I didn’t have any connection to the Bionicle lore, but as an adult LEGO enthusiast I used the Bionicle parts to make Battlemechs. Pretty awesome that it helped save the company!

I have a couple plastic bins full of bionicles in my closet. These were awesome when I was younger. It's crazy to think they came out about twenty years ago. Good times.

It's sad how Bionicle literally saved the company from the jaws of death but now they treat the IP like poison and refused to even let the reboot finish its last year and cancelled it early

I already had a couple of Lego sets when I first encountered Bionicle as a kid but that first chirstmas gift changed everything, I love the line and it story and I was one of those that went deep consuming all the lore and trying to get as many sets as I could. While the line was being released it was the staple of every birthday and christmas for me, and as a matter of fact I write this comment from a room where the several dozens sets I collected are still being displayed.

I dedicate a good portion of my creative life to Bionicle. I am one of those fans who still remembers his first glimpse of Bionicle, having no idea of the lifetime's journey it would take me on. I feel in love with stop motion thanks to the pose-ability of the Toa sets from 2004 onwards (I was 10-11 then), they have, and still do, make for excellent models for animation! My very first video uploaded was, indeed, a stop motion test of the Phantoka sets of early 2008, uploaded shortly before my 15th birthday. In the years I have been on KZfaq, or any other website for that manner, anyone who talks about Bionicle is instantly a friend to me!

Way to open 2023 with one of the best Lego franchise ever! Great job Dan!

I've been thinking about Bionicle and along comes Toy Galaxy covering it. Nice.

Lego without the cooperate licensing was the golden age

My son grew into into more advanced Lego around 2018. By then many Bionicle sets could be found at discount stores. He enjoyed them very much but for a relatively short period of time, about a year. But while he was into them he was crazy about them. I have many fond memories of playing with these sets together with him.

Bionicle was my gateway to lego. Had the whole first wave and a lot of the 2nd. Little disturbing/ cool the containers were designed after his cancer treatment

I wanted Bioncles so badly when I was a teen. I kept asking them for Christmas but never got 'em. I got one at a Lego store in Florida while on vacation but never got the others due to just not having money. Watched some of the shows, but as I got older I started playing Everquest and other online games.

Overjoyed to see you cover one of my favorite pieces of childhood memory. Bionicle will always have a special place in my heart

I got the first two series of basic figures, but never had the bucks for the larger stuff. I also got a book that featured a Bionicle alphabet. It was so nicely designed that a person could train themselves to read it fairly quickly. More Bionicle videos, please!

Oof, Bionicle.. I bought every toa, most of the bigger, technic sets, and as many of the tiny sets and mask packs as I could find (unfortunately not many), from the very beginning of the series to the end of themetro nui era... I still have all of them, in a box in the basement, and the movie dvds, and a couple of the game boy games, and the xbox one too. I also spent an inordinate amount of time on BZPower, the forum where I prowled the MOC section, building more and more original ideas and characters...it actually was the start up page in my browser! I remember fondly trying to piece together the flash minigames, and the cryptic animations on the lego website with the purchase codes... I loved lego since childhood, but my early teen wit bionicle certainly cemented it oh so much

A brief mention of Throwbots and RoboRiders. We had those. Obvious precursors to Bionicle. My brother was really into Bionicle, at about the time I was phasing out, though I have to admit, I was enamored with Cahdok and Gahdok, the red and blue dragon looking figures. They were great.

I have a tote filled with these still. The great thing is that they grew with me for a while. As I got older the parts became a complex set of my own “Toa” so to speak. So even as I got into my teens, the enjoyment of kitbashing allowed me to have fun, even though I was different.

I loved Bionicle as a kid, and Mata Nui being a great entity was in the first chapter, but I had no idea the island was his mask! Mind blown

I miss this lego series. I would have loved to see more of the movies to fill in gaps that the comics filled in between/after them. I actually got in on the throwbots after my long hyetis that started in late 80s/early 90s.

In a time before time, where was a youtube show covering awesome toylines and franchises from the past

It’s not what you’ve got, it’s what you do with it that makes you a hero.

Bioncle was my crack when I was a kid. I loved them and collected just about all of them with the exception of the more expensive sets. It was also the first comic line that I collected since the comics came free with the Lego Club magazines every month. I even bought the movies with my chores cash.

I still have all 6 original Toa, Borock, the village elders, and the reboot Toa. I also have every version of Kopaka and the original Makuta.

I loved bionicle, still got my figures from the first set. The browser point and click game on the Lego website had me hooked. Is that still playable anywhere?

Wanna know what I think Bionicle needs? A movie brought to the big screen at long last with Spiderverse animation!

Gathered friends, listen again to the Legend of the BIONICLE...

To all you BIONICLE lovers... I owned my 1st LEGO set in the early 80s. This was a small pirate set & I'll admit; I never once bought any Bionicle sets. That being said, I am very grateful for all who supported the BIONICLE line and assisted in saving the company from disaster. I still fully support the LEGO brand to this day and often buy their products as an adult for my kids and myself. Even though I missed out on the BIONICLE era, its place in the history of the LEGO Group reflects value both to the company and the fans.

The Bionicle Legos were awesome!!!

“Cool ass robot action figures” hits the nail on the coffin like no other

How far down the rabbit hole? I passed the center of the Earth 3 years in now i'm just yo-yoing up and down. What sticks in my mind is the multimedia blitz the theme had from the beginning. I remember it (or misremember) as being a 'right place, right time' with the internet being common in enough homes and finally fast enough that watching a 30 sec commercial or playing a flash game didn't break the internet. It was also around to birth one of the first online communities. Folks shared their creations. Lego encouraged it with contests and challenges. Everyone speculated on the next batch of sets every few months. Sure it seems obvious now, but at the beginning it was a wild ride.

BIONICLE is what made me pursue writing and it eventually spawned my youtube channel and website where I reviewed every Disney movie over quarantine and review a bunch of action figures. Thank you for sparking my imagination, BIONICLE. Unity, Duty, Destiny!

Who knew that a Happy Meal would be the gateway to an ongoing fascination with a fictional island and its residents. Along with a Lego collection that comprises 80% of the sets produced and the ongoing search for the rest.

I still have the stack of comics somewhere back at my parents place. The artwork was phenomenal and the novels were way cool back then too. My cousins were the ones that got me into them and we would get all our Toa out to fight whenever we saw each other.

Awesome video guys! Thanks for showing Bionicle so much respect! I know you guys mostly cover the history of the brand, but I would LOVE a dive covering more of the lore. That lore is what made me a Bionicle fanatic as a kid. It was so crazy in depth.

Bought all 24 original bionicles in the series and loved em as an action figure enthusiast would

God, Bionicle was such a huge part of my childhood. Hell, it's probably what made me into a collector in the first place; I remember always being frustrated, not being able to find full sets in the small towns I grew up in, and would trade other toys with kids so I get obtain said full sets lol. I watched the crap out of the movies, and while the games weren't _great_ , they were still charming in their own right. Also man, I never woulda guessed the idea for these little dudes were inspired by a man battling his illness, but I guess in retrospect it makes a lot of sense considering, you know, the entirety of the Vizorak arc lol. Literal spider cancer. Never thought about it like that.

Unity, Duty, and Destiny!

I've never got into Bionicle, I'm thankful to hear that it saved Lego from bankruptcy. 🙂

I’m 26 and was a fan since day 1

I remember Lego Pirates, Blacktron and M-Tron, so properties like Bionicle and Ninjago I only learned about from my nephew.

Love this 😊 It reminds me of a part of my childhood. My Mom worked in accounting at a LEGO Factory and I distinctly remember when this came out! She brought home a few of these and I remember being so enthralled with them - it’s such a fond memory.

Great video! I'm really loving how much attention and appreciation Bionicle has been getting recently. I've been a huge Bionicle fan since I was a kid, and the story and lore continue to inspire me.

Loved Bionicle back in the day, glad I'm not the only one who remembered Xevos.

Bionicle was a gem. I miss some of the Toa Nuvas that I had. One day if I can find any I may pick one up. Break it down and rebuild it again. Something about putting it together then playing with it just felt like achievement in itself. I even remember collecting some of the ones that came from McDonalds. Core memory unlocked. Awesome video Secret Galaxy.

Fun factoid: Massachusetts Institute of Technology have used Technic LEGO’s in their robotics lab for prototyping their robots for yeeeaars.

Man, I can remember hunting down the figures that were in McDonald's Happy Meals. Had to go to about seven different locations to get them all.

I had so many cans of these collected with my father, as a child. Looking to get back into them soon, and building my collection again

Shoutouts to the full flash game Lego had up on their website during the early internet years, and the mini-cd-roms that toys shipped with.

Even the packaging is iconic and nostalgic those cool colored cylinders

Thank you, Dan. I've been a fan of the Bionicle theme ever since I can remember. I completely involved myself in all that is Bionicle for the better part of a Decade, involving myself in not only the toys, but all avenues of media. The characters resonated with me, the stories were rich and told with such scope & scale, the stakes were high and everything was done with such detail & care. By the end of it's original run, I was still foaming at the bit for more! It's those toys, my first action figures, that have influenced me to be in the hobby as I am today! There perhaps isn't a franchise that has Influenced me more, but despite it being over, it still resonates with me to this day. You've summarized all the important bits with speed & grace and even managed to throw in a tid-bit or two I was unaware of. So thank you, Dan. You've allowed me to re-visit this franchise and the fondness for it I still hold dear to my heart.

Bionicle was my childhood and I still build with them to this day

Lego Bionicle was and is my inspiration to this day. I was a Hot Wheels kid but change after meeting them.

As a kid who bought Bionicles for those original 10 years. This was a blast to watch.

I love the bionicle franchise! I had all the figures and the comic and the first movie on DVD.

I had that Technic car at 6:40, was bloody amazing

Correction: BIONICLE Heroes was in 2006, covering the Voya Nui Saga

I remember Legos and Bionicles, it was a small gate way to my massive addiction to gunpla

From ages 8 to 12, Bionicle was my entire life

Oh man, I still remember the song in that Bionicle commercial. By the way, who remembers Exo-Force?

It's funny I had several Throwbots (oddly not 1 complete set to at least build the combined ones) but I just was at that right age to completely miss Bionicle

No way you did this! The greatest Lego theme of all time. Plus it’s coming back this year as a gift with purchase! 2005 was a filler year, Metru Nui was only supposed to have one year but because so much went into its development Lego decided to give it a second year. I’m still collecting BIONICLE to this day. The storyline was on an unprecedented scale for Lego and remains its greatest theme and storyline to date. And Pohatu is my favourite Toa Mata/Toa Nuva. Plus the adverts were phenomenal, especially the 4 Minute Retrospective and Mistika: Rise of Mata Nui short films in 2008.

I used to have almost all of these as a kid and I wish Lego would do a rerelease of at least the original line

My first Bionicle was a water villager I got from a McDonalds happy meal as a young child, and from then on it was a wrap. Bionicle is easily one of the major pillars of my youth and I look back at just about all of it with great fondness

Happy to see this channel covering my favorite toyline! Nice work on this!

Bionicle was a once in a lifetime experience, you had to be there at the right time. It was and still is more than the sum if its parts, its true strength comes from all of us, being inspired by this great sandbox that Lego created: we aren't just consumers buying products, we're also storytellers, set designers etc. Lego gave us an incredibly rich canvas and left our imagination run wild. That's its core, more than the great official sets, warriors, creatures, villains, more than its amazing cast, more than all the games and comics, more than experiencing arguably the greatest plot twist I, and many others, will ever see, even more than the touching story from Faber's personal life. All these aspects give new and deeper meaning to Bionicle, which, by the way, was also (mostly) a very cheap and affordable line. I am who I am thanks to Bionicle and the many experiences I had and still have thanks to this toy line.

Dude this channel is such a validating docuseries for fans of toy/low art history.