This elegant LEGO horned dragon by Aiden Rexroad appears to have a fluid, sinewy shape thanks to the ball joints of Bionicle, something that’s difficult to achieve with traditional System elements. A pair of large claws turned upside down gives the distinctive horn on the dragon’s nose, which lends a lot of uniqueness to this build. Meanwhile, Aiden has turned to Destiny’s Bounty from Ninjago to repurpose the cloth sails as wings.
Bionicle? Sure, it was great. But not the Toa – the bigger Titan sets were where it was at! There’s been a glut of builds from the Mahri Nui subtheme surfacing lately, and Mitch Phillips has contributed this awesome re-imagining of Maxilos and Spinax. I recognize a lot of the pieces from the original set here, which is always nice to see in re-dos like this. Of course, Maxilos (the… I was going to say human one; bi-pedal one, I guess?) has his mask, but he’s also clearly been hitting the gym. Dude has been getting ripped since being taken off the shelves!
The dog-like Spinax has also bulked out a bit. So much so that the original headpiece is big enough to be used as the upper legs, as well as the head. I love meta parts use like that! The yellow cables on its back are probably my favourite addition though. With the added lighting, they give off a very cool cyborg feel. I see only one problem with this build: it makes my copy of Maxilos and Spinax look like mere Matoran…
I’ve really been enjoying all the recent builds revolving around the LEGO Bionicle novel Prisoners of the Pit. And one of the best of the bunch is by constraction expert Patrick Biggs, rehashing the Toa Hahli set of 2007. What a truly remarkable figure, clad in dark blue and sporting some excellent lime green highlights. The shaping of the limbs here is exquisite, intricately blending Bionicle and System pieces together into a perfect harmony. I also appreciate the detail put into the Toa’s breathing apparatus and scuba tanks, while still utilizing the mask of the original set. But the real standout feature of this figure has got to be its spiny wing-like fins. Falling somewhere between lionfish and angel, the array feels like the perfect application of pearl silver weapon parts first found in the Toa Nuva sets of yore. And speaking of weapons, that massive trident is quite the impressive armament as well!
LEGO brings Bionicle back! Or, sort of. The new 40581 Tahu and Takua GWP (gift with purchase) set is coming to LEGO’s online shop on January 27th, and will be available with any purchase of the US $100, £90, or €100. And even if you are not a fan of the theme, we bet you’ve noticed that the new edition of arguably LEGO’s most iconic characters doesn’t look exactly how we remember them from 20 years ago. To help all the fans understand the new designs better, the set designers Nick Vás and George Gilliatt share on Twitter some pretty cool details and pictures right from their work desk.
There are some who will argue that Bionicle is the greatest thing LEGO ever did. I certainly had a few in my childhood, but I would counter that one of LEGO’s best ideas of the early 21st century was the portable X-pod line. If you can’t decide, then do like Ben and combine the two into a seriously cool warrior. It was all inspired by a realisation that many of the Technic panels in this year’s 42134 Monster Truck Megalodon are the same medium blue as the X-pod covers in 4339 Aqua Pod from 2005, which coincidentally had a shark as its main model. Sharks, therefore, are a common theme in this model – from the teeth on the torso to the tails coming off each leg. Even its name, Hybodus, is an ancient prehistoric shark. So naturally, the shoulder-mounted missile pods would make it fit right in with the underwater Toa Mahri line from 2007!
This model hit the feed and gripped the mind of every Bionicle fan that saw it. Builder Sandro Quattrini took brick-built figures to the next level with this fresh take on that iconic Toa face, sans Kanohi. The builder’s take on this warrior’s body varies slightly in their recreation of classic figure-building pieces but pays proper homage to the original nonetheless. Nice parts usage abounds throughout the design as Sandro adorns a brick-built Bionicle with the remains of the Jungle Dragon. Surviving the Ninjago apocalypse can be pretty brutal but not so much for the Toa.
There is an app that, if you were inclined to download it, enables you to start your day with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. No matter what time zone he happens to be in, the app will alert you that he has arisen with his own soothing recorded voice. I’m certain your day will then diverge greatly after that. But I’m sure in some alternate universe there is such an app for Dwayne “The Croc” Johnson as seen here built in LEGO by Axelford2. You can wake up to The Croc’s soothing bellowing as he jockeys for the perfect mate. You, on the other hand, may have to employ other methods to find yours. Because crocodiles aren’t scary enough, this one is bipedal and completely jacked with muscles. There really is no chance for mating at the crocodile watering hole when this big brute is around.
I can’t be the only one who was disappointed with the LEGO Bionicle representation in 11021: 90 Years of Play. Thankfully, Mathijs Dubbeldam has provided an excellent example of seven Toa Nuva using current parts. These figures don’t sacrifice any movement possessed by their counterparts from 2002, relying heavily on the Mixel ball joint. And the sculpting of the Bionicle masks in this scale is exceptional! Each Toa feels unique and recognizable by their face alone. But the real victory here is Mathijs’s glorious weapons crafting. Relying heavily on the Ninjago parts library, each of the septet is properly equipped and ready for battle. The display stand is the icing on this ball-jointed cake, pairing a proper biome with each member of the troupe.
This fearsome LEGO beast comes from the mind of WoomyWorld. Lurking in the depths of the cavernous underground, it waits for the unsuspecting wanderer lost in the dark. The construction of this beastie and its scene bear great care in the details. The head is well sculpted, featuring a variety of fun pieces, including some minifig arms to frame upper cheeks. Many Bionicle pieces make up the limbs and body, including the connector joints making up the beast’s vertebrae. With its glowing red eyes, this is no creature I’d want to encounter while exploring caves! The size of it is mammoth, a scale illustrated by the tiny brick-built figure brandishing a sword. Will the ancient creature feast on the foolish or reward the wise? Only time will answer the question and only the wise will find the solution; the foolish will make for a light snack.
This LEGO build by Vohdoff of a laborer ferrying a whimsical feline beast shows that even in a fantasy realm, cats are still royalty. I suspect the cat in question here may draw some of its inspiration from Japanese Kitsune with their many tails. Whatever its origins, though, this creature is gorgeously sculpted from mostly Bionicle elements. Meanwhile, the servant also has an otherworldly visage, and a magnificent gold collar to match the cat’s eyes.
LEGO builder Aaron Van Cleave tells us that this is Kualus, Toa Hagah of Ice and wears the Kanohi Mask of Rahi Control. Consider yourselves informed! I like the overall shape of this character, the sword, shield and the doodads going on in the chest area. Its feather plume is also not without its charms but my favorite detail has to be the black hawk companion. It would fit in perfectly on the hood of a 1979 Trans-Am!
If my Instagram stream is any indicator, anyone with a plunging neckline or pimples to pop can be an internet influencer. But it takes a special kind of genius to be as influential as LEGO builder Eero Okkonen. With his amazing characters, he has most certainly influenced dozens of other builders, all without resorting to even a hint of cleavage. Here we see Hemogoblin, who hauls oxygen along the Aorta Highway on his badass dirtbike. Oh, and it turns out he lives inside each of us and is actually helpful. So, yeah. To see this genius at work, check out our Eero Okkonen archives; the guy is super-prolific and you won’t be disappointed. As for me, I haven’t built anything in a while and have to resort to cheap, lurid gimmicks to hold any shred of influence I may still have. Time for me to put on a skimpy top, pop some zits and watch the profits roll in!
