Tag Archives: Bionicle

Bionicle was a line of sets that grew out of the LEGO Technic line that LEGO produced between 2001 and 2010, succeeded by Hero Factory. Bionicle had an incredibly complex storyline that accompanied the sets, and most of the elements didn’t integrate well with traditional SYSTEM bricks. As a result, long-time adult fans like the contributors here on The Brothers Brick never quite appreciated what Bionicle had to offer, so most of the LEGO models we feature here on The Brothers Brick are built from traditional SYSTEM bricks. Nevertheless, we do appreciate a great Bionicle creation from time to time.

Gazooks! Here come Cahdok and Gahdok!

Years after being discontiniued, Bionicle remains a strong and very much autonomous theme in LEGO fan builds. Unique pieces and almost complete freedom of angles set it apart from most other styles, but was it always so? Jayfa and Andrew Steele bring us back to 2002, a time when Bionicle was still searching for an identity and was for the most part a sub-theme to Technic. The glorious titan set Cahdok and Gahdok was a load of gears, rubber bands, liftarms and most importantly, play features. I do not think this re-imagining has much of those, but it does capture the spirit of the Bohrok queens.

Click to see Cahdok and Gahdok compared to the original set

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The being that rises from the abyss

Out beyond the stars there’s a world of terror, and sometimes it comes closer than you might wish, especially if you live in a Lovecraftian tale. Among the worst terrors of that place is the legendary Cthulhu, imagined in LEGO form by Hongjun Youn. A multitude of Bionicle Kalmah masks gives the perfect tentacled element for otherworldly shaping for the head and torso, while Dino tails fill in for the larger tentacles.

With its uncannily flowing shape, it’s no small wonder losing one’s sanity was the most common reaction to the dread horror.

Glittering with gold, and a beastly shade of blue, Toa Gathu is comin’ for you

The other day I took a visit to LEGOLAND California, where they still have a Bionicle ride, along with statues of some of the Bionicles themselves, and got a pang of nostalgia for the days of old when Bionicle was still an official LEGO theme. Unfortunately, its unlikely the theme will ever be revived. Luckily, as long as the parts still exist, we will always get to enjoy fan made creations from the theme, case in point: Toa Gathu by Mitch Phillips.

I particularly like all of the small details on this figure, such as the brown minifigure backpack as a utility pouch, and the usage of lots of small pieces to achieve a trim, athletic shape for the Bionicles torso. This Bionicle has certainly been hitting the gym, unlike many of the official sets whose legs and arms were quite spindly and thin. Lastly don’t miss the nice usage of a gold LEGO Duplo door piece as the shield.

It’s all about the tasty things in life

Who needs riches when the best part of your day is food? This plump little guy is all about his next meal rather than gold. Sassafras the “Happy-Go-Lucky” dragon is the work of Mitch Henry, who designed him for a dragon building contest hosted by Jayfa, an excellent builder we’ve featured numerous times. This adorable creation caught our eye for its unique character and parts usage. Do you have an idea for a cool dragon? Give the contest a shot!

How to tame your dragon

This LEGO dragon tamer by Jayfa may not be a reference to everyone’s favorite dragon-taming movies by Dreamworks (or the books that preceded them), but it’s nonetheless epic. The tamer himself is a mashup of claw- and tooth-shaped elements that somehow weave together into awesome armor, and there’s no denying that having greaves made of dragon skulls must give you an edge in intimidating the beasts.

But the real masterpiece here is the dragon with its vivid magenta highlights. From the exceptionally clever brick-built eye (made with a white rod element flanked by two yellow minifigure hands) to the armor plating down the neck made of robot arms and teeth, everything works together beautifully to give the creature grace and personality.

Mew gave birth. We named the new Pokémon Mewtwo

Whether Mewtwo or Lukatwo is a good name for a baby is an open parenting debate, but DanielBrickSon‘s LEGO Mewtwo is a powerful and undebatably expertly built. In public perception, this Pokémon has a strange place. Die-hard fans will love it, but people with passing interest in the franchise may be scratching their heads, as it was difficult to obtain in the games and was a plot device in a few episodes of the anime, as opposed as some better known Pokémon (looking at you, Pikachu!), which were proper characters.

Daniel has captured Mewtwo’s curved shapes perfectly, using constraction armor parts and round system elements. The purple stripe and tail deserve some attention, as the curve on the belly appears to be made out of Bionicle masks. The build is mostly Bionicle and constraction based, but includes just enough System bricks like minifig helmets and horn pieces, to smooth out some rough edges. The builder even added some light-up features to make Mewtwo’s psychic attacks even more intimidating.

Awaken your mind with the Goddess of Inspiration

I’m always thoroughly intrigued by the build process and parts when a LEGO build does not have its signature sharp edges and squared-off parts. This build by mocworld bears a lot of resemblance to the operatic performer Diva Plavalaguna from the sci-fi movie Fifth Element. I never knew there were so many translucent light blue or cyan pieces in the LEGO arsenal of parts. The few that stood out to me include the head construct and the dress piece of which both are Bionicle parts. What impressed me the most was the head, which is actually made up of two separate pieces to form the headpiece and the crown-like feature.

Vortexx, the beckoning Bionicle nightmare

Vortexx 2.0 is a stunning display of craftsmanship by Andrew Steele. It follows his amazing mighty Talos we featured recently. I get major Transformers Beast Wars Waspinator vibes from this model, but with a deadly serious twist instead of comedic incompetence.

Thanks to a beautiful blend of minifigure blasters, horns, robot arms, armor, chains, and a prize trophy stash of Atlantis treasure keys, this model jumps off the screen. This is actually my favorite shot of the model; the dim lighting and beckoning pose add to the feeling of emotion dripping off this hyper-detailed Bionicle/System creation.

Are you worthy of gazing upon the mighty Talos?

Worthy or not, you definitely should gaze upon Andrew Steele‘s Talos (and guards), because they are amazing creations. The builder doesn’t provide much explanation as to who they are — besides, perhaps, the character from Greek mythology — but we can imagine Talos being an evil overlord, judging by his skull-decorated throne. The figures are impressive on their own, but setting them in a bit of scenery, even if minimalistic, brings the build to the next level.

Click here to gain audience with Talos!

A futuristic female explorer and her faithful dog-bot

Contests can be excellent sources of inspiration. That may be the case for Kingmarshy, who is competing in the 2018 Bio-Cup. The tournament is centered around Technic and Constraction creations, and this entry was submitted for the 3rd round. The round is themed “The Future” and this is subthemed under “Utopia”.

There’s a lot of really great parts usage in this fun little build. The ribbed hose for the skirt is one example, and the Throwbot Technic gearbox pieces are also a great addition. My personal favorite part is the design of “GD-801” the robo-dog. The harpoon gun tail and retro wheels for shoulders really give him the perfect sci-fi look.

Pangohihi powerizer, the beautiful black ray

I came into The Brothers Brick contributor gig knowing I would be challenged to find and write about LEGO creations outside of my comfort zone. What I didn’t expect was how quickly I would fall down the deep rabbit hole of Bionicle creations, and I keep finding myself drawn to Logey Bear’s works, many of which have been featured on TBB in the past (my favorite being Captain Falcon of Nintendo F-Zero fame). His latest model is an oceanic delight, a Bionicle-Galidor hybrid model that barely registered to me as LEGO at first glance. The key component of this radical ray is the pair of “powerizer legs” comprising the front of the beast. The spinal ridge straight through to the tail is also a slick, organic touch.

A different breed of bird

The United States’ Independence Day celebration may have been last month, but this feathery model from the crafty Sergei Rahkmaninoff is a high-flying patriotic tribute any time of the year. Like some of the other Bionicle models featured on TBB recently, this big bird was built as an entry for the 2018 Bio-Cup contest being held on Flickr.

We’ve featured birds of prey on TBB in the past, but you’ve never seen one with as dazzling a color scheme or innovative parts usage as this. The Hero Factory shoulder armor for the eagle’s beefy upper legs is impeccable, and the red-and-white striped wings are cleverly constructed with overlapping slopes and teeth pieces. I feel like freedom is about to claw my eyes out.