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.

A Ship from Another Dimension

There exists a small but vocal contingent of the adult fan community who look down upon Bionicle and its descendent Hero Factory, claiming that the pieces are juvenile, not useful, and altogether too different to mix with traditional bricks. I’ve never understood this train of thought. LEGO is about imagination, and the ability to successfully incorporate unusual elements into a model is generally viewed as positive. Besides, there are just so many cool things that can be done with Bionicle pieces, completely aside from building large poseable action figures.

Take, for instance, this wicked cool spaceship by Ricardo Soà. Incorporating both traditional bricks and pieces of Bionicle heritage, it’s menacing and awesome in a way that is fresh and new. It’s a welcome change of pace for a community which frequently sees the same styles again and again.

And since we’ve not featured Ricardo here before, it’s worth taking a peek at some of his other killer spacecraft.

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Cheeky Rafiki

Vlad Lisin ([Rhymes_Shelter]) once again wows us with an incredibly realistic Bionicle creation, this time depicting the characterful Rafiki from Lion King.

It’s the Beard that Makes the Pirate

While this pirate model by Dylan Mievis (sparkytron) is top-notch all around, it’s the face and beard that really sell it. There are good parts usages, and then there are ones that are crazy and perfect, and using the large constraction fig head from Chima’s Laval for a pirate face is absolutely in the brilliant category.

The Demon in the Night

Micah B.’s (Arkov) beastly villain is a fantastic creature. Titled the Mortal-Foe, it’s a great example of how good posing and careful parts usage can make a model come alive. There aren’t many more parts on display here than in the typical Bionicle/Hero-Factory set, and yet Micah’s fey being displays a great deal more personality and life (and death) than most official sets.

Polly wants a cracker

Vlad Lisin‘s Bionicle parrot has all the right parts in the right place, making it one of the most realistic Bionicle creations I’ve seen. The use of the Belville witch’s hat for the beak is sheer brilliance.

Wall-E’s angry older brother?

Although not nearly as cute as Wall-E, I did have to chuckle to myself when I saw what Simon had just posted. Despite the similarities, I think The Murdertrain by Exxtrooper would look more at home as a level boss in Contra than rolling around a desolate Earth in everyone’s favourite Pixar flick.

Brute – Bionicle and System never looked so good.

Seamlessly integrating System elements with Bionicle/Hero Factory elements is something I have been struggling to master for quite a while. This is apparently not such a struggle for Ian Barreto (~Ian) as evidenced by his Brute.

Ian says this was inspired by the Igor suit from Iron Man 3, which is apparent…but I prefer Ian’s.

Looking Pretty in White and Gold

I always enjoy a good hybrid of Bionicle and System pieces, and Patrick Biggs (DViddy) always does an admirable job, as exemplified in this gorgeous Sailor Scout Hahli Husky figurine. Standing tall at an impressive 13 inches, the detailing around the torso is especially nice.

Zero Suit Samus in LEGO

Eero Okkonen (Pate-keetongu) captured the smooth curves of Samus in her Zero Suit. You can read more about the thought process behind this creation on the builder’s blog: Cyclopic Bricks.

The Blue Beast of Bionicle

Builder Patrick Biggs (DViddy) says this was is meant to be a representation of a fellow fan, but whatever it is, it’s pretty awesome. The blue and yellow make a snappy color scheme, and I love the integration of System and Bionicle elements in a nearly seamless fashion.

A wyvern by any other name.

TBB fixture Mike Nieves (retinence) returns to the Brothership with a commissioned piece he calls “Ninjago Golden Dragon“. The model is a true fusion of Hero Factory, Bionicle, System and Technic parts that is amplified by a striking gold color scheme which the builder aptly describes as “tough to use”. Although this photo doesn’t provide the best angle to observe them, the details on the sides of the legs are amazing. Mike is one of those rare builders who combines talent, consistency and an ability to maintain an easily recognizable style of building without repeating himself. It’s nice to see builders like Mike and Tyler (just to name a few) getting commissioned work, there is nothing like getting paid to do something you you have a passion for.

At the end of days, only this will remain

This Bionicle bug by Monsterbrick is as terrifying picture of what will haunt the ruins of humanity after the apocalypse. This build is a perfect example of how much can be accomplished with just a few pieces–I doubt there are more than 35 pieces in this model, yet it’s strikingly well crafted.