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3* AccidentalInnuendo:
4** The word "toa" is slang for "toilet" in Swedish.
5** Krika has it worse, being also Caribbean Spanish slang for the female reproductive organ…
6* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
7** The Order of Mata Nui was created specifically to allow them to do things that the Toa's moral code would forbid. That hasn't stopped some of their more morally gray missions from pushing them into KnightTemplar territory for some.
8** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h50_D560BkE This video]] theorizes that, before his character, Mata Nui's character, and the entire universe were heavily retooled by BIONICLE's extension, Makuta was originally intended to be a noble TragicHero and WellIntentionedExtremist who cared for his brother and wanted to bring him peace -- and the Mask of Shadows corrupted him, twisting his thoughts and making him believe that Mata Nui could only find peace in slumber, away from the risks of ruling as the Great Spirit.
9--->'''Makuta:''' Sleep spares him pain. Awake, he suffers.
10*** Alternatively, it could be that Makuta Teridax ''is'' a WellIntentionedExtremist in canon: he did only decide to take over the universe after the Matoran Civil War and seeing that Mata Nui did not respond.
11** Vakama's out-of-nowhere recklessness during ''Web of Shadows''. Is it just an OutOfCharacterMoment brought on by ExecutiveMeddling, or did it stem from the belief that had he been a more resolute and decisive Toa, [[MyGreatestFailure Lhikan would still be alive and the Great Cataclysm wouldn't have happened]], causing him to misguidedly overcompensate? The novels lean into the latter direction, showing Vakama's gradual descent into recklessness the longer it takes the Toa to return to Metru Nui right up to the point they're captured.
12** Is Nidhiki a purely selfish traitor who acted out of opportunism and desire for glory or was his acts more out of self-perservation? After his betrayal did he ever regret his actions? Furthermore, did he ever care for his team-mates (including Lhikan), or did he always dislike them and see them below him?
13** Does Velika [[spoiler: truly care about the Voya Nui Resistance Team and the other friends he made while disguised as a Matoran (such as Nuparu), or are they just expendable pawns to him? His interactions with them do indeed suggest he cares about them to some degree, and he helped defeat the Piraka when they had taken over Voya Nui, but perhaps he simply saw the Piraka as unworthy of power and too rebellious for their own good.]]
14** Word of Greg denied that the characters of the Matoran Universe are capable of romance. However, certain scenes between various characters make it hard to tell if they're meant to be ShipTease or platonic friendship.
15** At what point during ''Time Trap'' did Vakama figure out that he was in an illusion? His internal narration doesn't give much away, but since he knows (or at least suspects) he's dealing with a telepath, that's not really saying much.
16* AngstWhatAngst:
17** Considering that multiple species have been enslaved and tortured in his former body for a period of time, Mata Nui remained a pretty together guy.
18** Almost everybody on Bara Magna seems pretty together after going through a six-way civil war and an EarthShatteringKaboom. Granted, it's been nearly 100,000 years since it happened. Surviving in the harsh desert world seems to take precedence over angsting over what happened, or at the very least they've moved past the angsting phase since then. Some materials hint that occasionally people do miss the good old days, but Spherus Magna breeds nothing if not practicality, and 100,000 years is a long time even for these beings.
19* AnticlimaxBoss: The ''Voya Nui Online Game'' ends with a three-stage fight. First, [[WolfpackBoss five of the six Piraka all at once]]. Second, Vezon, who fights alone but [[ThatOneBoss is plenty strong to make up for it]]. And third is... Zaktan, all by himself, who is not only on the weaker end of the Piraka and doesn't have the others to back him up, but waited to attack you until ''after'' you grabbed the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Mask of Life]].
20* AssPull:
21** Takanuva's [[BackFromTheDead revival]] at the end of ''Mask of Light''. Apparently, a beam of light on his mask is enough to restore him. This is not explained in the movie, [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment and it's never brought up again]].
22** The later bits of the story were often built around this trope, as the writer openly admitted that his preferred way of writing was [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants never planning ahead]]. See for instance: [[spoiler:Velika having been a Great Being in disguise all along. Tuyet being alive and her corpse belonging to her AlternateUniverse-self. Ancient's reveal of having been a mole from the Order of Mata Nui all this time which was rendered pointless due to the Shadowed One killing him for completely unrelated reasons. Or the conclusion to ''Brothers in Arms'' in which the characters are sucked in by a random dimensional portal.]]
23* AudienceAlienatingEnding: Due to being CutShort the main storyline of the heroes finally defeating [[BigBad Makuata]] had a rushed conclusion focusing on just a fraction of core characters across the franchise's nearly 10 year run, whose toyline was seen as subpar for the series' last, ending on an AndTheAdventureContinues note. While this diminished the otherwise decently received GrandFinale, what truly soured the ending to the fandom was the massive amount of characters and side plots/material that had become their bread and butter being dropped or hanging unresolved. Author Greg Farshtey tired to fix this by writing followup stories on his free time, but once professional obligations forced him to abandon them it made things worse by [[KudzuPlot creating a more unresolved storyline than they wrapped up]].
24* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt:
25** Carlos D'Anda did the illustrations for the first nine BIONICLE comics, plus a few more shorter promotional comics for the Matoran and Bohrok, and he set the standard so high that no other comic artist for the rest of BIONICLE's ten-year-long run was able to meet it. Seriously, [[https://dcomixologyssl.sslcs.cdngc.net/i/2022/36096/30865b578aa254eebe56e7a472d44ddc.jpg?h=be966dc4eb9404bb962fac7639cb7972 just look at the second page of the first comic]]. Look at that incredible attention to detail; all those minute cracks and imperfections in Kopaka's armor made him look less like a plastic toy and more like a legendary warrior. He was also one of the few comic artists to adapt slight stylistic touch-ups to the characters, giving them some needed bulk, better proportions, and convincing poses. Now imagine that same attention to detail for ''nine comic books straight''. If first impressions are most important, then D'Anda ''nailed'' the first impressions of BIONICLE.
26** Christian Zanier was the only artist who most will agree managed to rise up to D'Anda, at least with regards to attention to detail. Not only were his characters near-perfect representations of the toys yet still lifelike, he also created pretty solid designs for random background creatures which looked LEGO-like and convincing as biomechanical beings at the same time: compare [[http://biosector01.com/wiki/images/b/bc/HT_Takea.png his take on the mutated Takea sharks]] to [[http://biosector01.com/wiki/images/e/ee/Takea_Set.PNG the actual model of a normal one]]. Sadly, he never became a regular artist, and his occasional over-reliance on copy-pasted line-art and [[GISSyndrome using badly filtered photos as backgrounds]] wasn't to everyone's liking.
27** Advance Copenhagen's artwork of the Mata Nui robot, [[http://biosector01.com/wiki/images/7/79/BIONICLE_2001-2010.jpg shortly after his rising]] and [[http://biosector01.com/wiki/images/1/11/CGI_Robot_Showdown.png during the final confrontation with Makuta]]. For such a grand and important moment in BIONICLE history, Advance perfectly captured its magnificence, awe, and scale.
28** Leigh Gallagher's work on the comic lasted only a year (2008 for those who don't know), but what a pretty year it was.
29* AwesomeEgo:
30** Fan-favorite Toa-hero Matau. He never stops talking himself (and the other Toa Metru) up, and also tends to prove that he can deliver.
31** Makuta Teridax loves hyping himself up as a force of nature, and at one point the narration states that he doesn't need to add any level of threat to his voice because his very existence is a threat. [[spoiler:Considering the scope of his Plan and the fact that it ''worked'', it's hard to argue this]].
32* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[AwesomeMusic/{{BIONICLE}} Has its own page.]]
33* BaseBreakingCharacter:
34** Ask around, and you'll find that Vezon is either one of the coolest villains in the franchise or an annoying character who overstayed his welcome.
35** The BIONICLE Stars are an interesting case. Few will dispute their quality, given that they use the much-loathed Av-Matoran build, but others will argue that it was interesting to see characters redone in a different system and there is also dispute on how grateful the fandom should be since it took a lot to even convince LEGO to release sets for 2010 rather than just outright canceling the series. Then of course there's the dispute on which characters should have been represented, particularly in the case of Gresh and Skrall.
36** The Toa Nuva, iconic as they are, haven't been viewed as favorably by some fans looking back. The main points of criticism are the less interesting weapons and the rather oversized "organic"-themed masks and details that didn't match the established aesthetic and personalities of the Toa Mata. Others still consider them some of the best designs the franchise has to offer.
37** How you feel about the Toa Hordika depends largely on how you feel about the 2005 story arc as a whole and the narrative developments made in that year. Mutated "feral" Toa that lacked conventional Kanohi didn't warm up to some fans, but others liked them for the same reasons on the grounds that they are different from the norm.
38* BadassDecay:
39** The Piraka are a mild case. For the most part, the Piraka utterly curbstomped the Toa Nuva[[note]]Makuta later explicitly stated that they won through sheer luck[[/note]], but they're significantly easier to deal with for the Toa Inika, though still challenging foes. Zaktan gets hit with this the worst with his (admittedly unique) defeat at Nuparu's hands and his ButtMonkey status during the Toa Hagah serial.
40** The Skrall in the battle at the end of ''The Legend Reborn,'' where they go from being literally undefeated by a Glatorian to being taken out left and right in a few hits. WordOfGod justifies this by saying that 1) they were scared out of their minds by this giant made out of bugs that suddenly appeared, 2) the Glatorian, not being in the arena, have an excuse to employ all of those [[CombatPragmatist dirty tricks]] that they've learned over the years, and 3) ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem / HandWave. Also, the Glatorian had the element of surprise, plus a handful of them now had ElementalPowers.
41* BrokenBase:
42** The canonization vs. non-canonization debate can get pretty heated, to the point of nearly having a FlameWar.
43** Vakama's FaceHeelTurn in ''Web of Shadows''. Unnecessary character assassination of an interesting protagonist just for the sake of conflict, or an interesting and logical twist after so much {{Wangst}} in ''Legends of Metru Nui'', one that ultimately [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap saved the character in many people's eyes]]? Fans can't agree on the subject ''at all.''
44*** The 2005 story arc as a whole is quite divisive amongst fans. Was it [[AdaptationalExpansion an interesting expansion on the 2004 story that further developed the Toa before they became Turaga]], or [[SeasonalRot unnecessary filler that added nothing to the previous arc]] that also included the above mentioned FaceHeelTurn to a character with the least reason to do so? The only thing fans seem to agree on is that [[EnsembleDarkhorse Roodaka and Keetongu were some of the more memorable characters from that arc]], and that ''Time Trap'' is one of the best ''BIONICLE'' novels.
45** Stuart Sayger‘s art for the Bionicle comics from 2006-07 is quite divisive between those who enjoy the unique and stylistic approach to the characters, and those who think his art style was ugly to look at and inconsistent from the past comic's artwork.
46** Set wise, the 2009 titan "Toa Mata Nui" is widely polarizing. Some see it as one of the worst sets ever designed, criticizing it as an inferior version of the 2008 Takanuva build with unnecessary pistons on the chest, and an ugly color scheme. Others, meanwhile, see it as a great set that fully encompasses Mata Nui’s status as a great being and improved said Takanuva set by making it more structurally sound. The one thing both sides agree on is that it was nice to have the Mask of Life in gold.
47** By far the most polarizing topic among fans is which era was the best:
48*** Some say the [[FirstInstallmentWins classic years on the island of Mata Nui]] (2001-2003) were the best for its more simplistic and easier to follow storytelling and unique location and atmosphere, while others see it as a bad case of EarlyInstallmentWeirdness with sets that didn’t age well and a repetitive [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks story structure with little variation]].
49*** The Metru Nui saga (2004-2005) is often criticized by some for [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks straying far from the original years’ tropical island setting in favor of a metropolis island]], disliked the DarkerAndEdgier tone and felt it overstayed its welcome, especially in 2005. Yet it’s also seen as the toy lines’ GrowingTheBeard for others with improved articulation in sets and appreciate the lore around the Toa and Matoran.
50*** The years surrounding the [[spoiler:death and rise of Mata Nui]] (2006-2008) is either lauded as the best years since the first 3 years with higher stakes, a great subversion of an expected story and wonderfully creative sets, or a downgrade from past years with nonstop {{Wangst}}, [[FanDislikedExplanation plot points that shouldn’t have happened or been explained]] and the rise of mediocre clone builds and flimsy pieces?
51*** The Bara Magna arc (2009-2010) suffers the most. Some fans felt it was a breath of fresh air that the series needed, believing the gladiator-style environment was a perfect opportunity to expand on the lore of [=Bionicle=] after 8 years of staying on the same story that wrapped everything up nicely. Other fans criticize the decision to change everything up after so many years of an ongoing story that it felt too different from what came before and ended the series on a rushed and lackluster note. The fact that these changes happened when the toy line was on its last leg doesn’t help either.
52*** While overall not as well regarded as the original run the Toys/Bionicle2015 reboot has a share of staunch fans who defend the short lived attempt at a second generation. The atmosphere while not as detailed as the original line was closer in spirit to the 2001-2003 years, and the sets were a welcome return of gear functions. Other fans critiqued the shallow world building, childish tone, a smoother aesthetic design that lacked the original line's sheer level of greebling, and the pricier sets. Combine this with the debate of just ''how much'' should the 2015 reboot tie back into the original line thanks to some [[AbortedArc clues regarding the Kanohi Vahi]] in the reboot's story, and the fandom still remains divided over it.
53*** Meanwhile, there are still other fans who love all the eras equally and just want to enjoy a good story, dang it.
54* CantUnHearIt:
55** Most seem to concur that Christopher Gaze and Creator/LeeTockar are the definitive voices for Vakama and Teridax respectively. Most readings of the books and comic dubs base their performances on them.
56** ''Many'' fan projects that have voice acting often have Tahu's actor imitate Creator/ScottMcNeil's portrayal from ''Mask of Light''.
57* CharacterPerceptionEvolution: Toa Vakama was mocked for his [[{{Wangst}} constant failures and self doubt]] in the second film and for becoming a brash, passive-aggressive hothead in the third, then briefly being brainwashed into [[FaceHeelTurn going evil]]. Franchise author Greg Farshtey also heavily criticized Vakama's movie portrayal, and many fans followed suit. Over a decade later, fans realized Vakama's portrayal as a ClassicalAntiHero made him arguably the franchise's most developed character, struggling with realistic hardships in a world of larger-than-life heroes and villains. This was bolstered by Farshtey's attempts to expand on Vakama's character and inner thoughts in the books, making his arc feel more gradual as opposed to the abrupt personality swings seen in the films. His stint as a villain is still divisive, but his redemption showed an interesting contrast compared to other rogue Toa, like Nidhiki or Tuyet.
58* CommonKnowledge: The infamous "Māori controversy" early in ''BIONICLE'''s life has been subject to a ''ton'' of exaggeration and myth, with the most common version of the story claiming that Toys/{{Lego}} was sued by Māori activists over use of their language (some claiming that it was sparked by [[DisneyOwnsThisTrope LEGO's attempts to trademark certain Māori terms]]), and that the many Māori-inspired names were changed out of a legal victory by said activists. In actuality, [[https://www.wired.com/2002/11/lego-site-irks-maori-sympathizer/ there was never any legal action on either side]][[note]]Needless to say that ''language'' isn't something native speakers can claim copyright over[[/note]]. The activists only sent a letter of complaint, which regarded LEGO's use of certain terms as being culturally insensitive, primarily the use of "tohunga" -- a culturally revered term to describe priests and healers[[note]]The Māori have a particular sensitivity over the term "tohunga" due to a history of forced suppression of the role in New Zealand's history, most infamously with the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tohunga_Suppression_Act_1907 Tohunga Suppression Act of 1907]], which many have criticized as a forced attempt of cultural assimilation[[/note]] -- to describe the resident {{hobbits}}, marked additionally by the series about to receive its first video game, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen originally titled]] ''BIONICLE: Tales of the Tohunga''[[note]]Contrary to what the Māori activists believed at the time of complaint, LEGO had not intended to trademark the collective title or the term "tohunga", merely "BIONICLE" as it was obviously their property[[/note]]. This was all the pressure LEGO needed to do renaming (namely retconning "Tohunga" out and putting "Matoran" as the forefront descriptor, with the upcoming game being renamed to ''Quest for the Toa''), and the whole affair was resolved quietly and fairly amicably. In fact, a few Māori words are still present in the ''BIONICLE'' universe (most notably "Toa" itself, which in Māori means "warrior" and is used fully appropriately).
59* CompleteMonster: See [[Monster/{{Bionicle}} here]].
60* ContestedSequel:
61** Some like ''Web of Shadows'' for being DarkerAndEdgier (and for elevating [[EnsembleDarkhorse Matau]] from a ButtMonkey to a [[CharacterDevelopment selfless warrior]]), others dislike it for Vakama's unnecessary FaceHeelTurn.
62** ''Mata Nui Online Game'' is often regarded as one of the best, if not the best, games in the franchise as well as throughout the whole Franchise/{{LEGO}} company. The sequel though, ''MNOG II'' did not live up to it. Mostly due to its many GoodBadBugs, slow and repetitive game-play involving LevelGrinding for the Kohlii tournaments, and the rushed ending that would not make sense to [[ContinuityLockout anyone who has not seen the]] ''[[ContinuityLockout Mask of Light]]'' [[ContinuityLockout movie]].
63* ContinuityLockOut: Like you wouldn't believe. There are novels, comics, web serials, and movies from which some novels are adapted from that BIONICLE's story is spread across. At the least, several fan-made media compendiums like [[https://biomediaproject.com/bmp/ BioMedia Project]] and [[https://wallofhistory.com/ Wall of History]] make it fairly easy to ArchiveBinge.
64* CrackPairing:
65** Onewa and Krahka, given the sheer rage Onewa has when she gets trapped in the Zone of Shadows.
66** Teridax and Matoro has a minor presence on tumblr thanks to a tumblr shitpost.
67* DesignatedVillain: Turaga Dume and the Vahki get struck with this in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=540_iF8Iz58 Vahki animations]]. The shorts all portray Dume's rule over Metru Nui as some kind of Orwellian oppressive government with the Vahki serving as brutal secret police. The main source material instead shows Dume as a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold well-intentioned but stubborn ruler]]. Similarly, the Vahki are mindless robotic law enforcers who haven't really independently done anything that villainous in the main story-line. [[spoiler:Makuta WAS impersonating Dume at the time, but regardless he didn't mistreat most of the Matoran using the power granted by impersonating ''Dume'' until actually kidnapping them.]]
68* EnsembleDarkHorse:
69** The Matoran of the Chronicler's Company (Kapura, Macku, Tamaru, Kopeke, Hafu, and Taipu) are all fairly well-liked despite their limited storyline presence and only three of them actually getting sets, with a common FandomSpecificPlot being their potential transformations into Toa.
70** Amongst clone sets, the Rahkshi are easily the most popular, as well as some of the most popular mooks in the series for being genuinely intimidating as well as introducing jointed limbs in the sets.
71** Speaking of the Visorak Era, Keetongu as well, thanks to his memorably unique design and rare color scheme (a character that's actually ''yellow''!)
72** For yet another ''Web of Shadows'' character, there's Roodaka, who's well-liked for adding a unique female presence beyond the token blue Toa, and also because, well... [[MsFanservice just guess]].
73** Lariska is by far the most popular Dark Hunter due to being a badass ActionGirl with a cool chill attitude. It helps that she is among the few characters in the series with more humane elements to her. Her popularity is impressive when considered she appears only in five stories. She didn't even have a set.
74** Brutaka is easily one of the most well-received characters. Set-wise, he has an intimidating and cool design that catches the eye. Story-wise, he's loved for his overwhelming power, deadpan humor, and being a FallenHero that gets an awesome fight with Axonn at the climax of the Voya Nui arc. This was noticed by the creators, as he showed up in several web serials, made a HeelFaceTurn, and even took on Teridax briefly in another awesome fight.
75** Among the Makuta, Mutran is quite popular due to his very amusing and world-building serial "The Mutran Chronicles," showing off his eccentric nature.
76** Krika is another fan-favorite Makuta as well, largely due to him being one of the few villains in the series with sympathetic aspects to his character, but also due to his wickedly creepy set desgin. Many fans wish he had survived and been redeemed instead of being killed off at the end of the Karda Nui arc.
77** The Vorox for a multitude of reasons; their unique look and use of tan after years of absence of brown, [[BewareMyStingerTail their memetic quote]], and to a lesser extent their role in the story. This extends somewhat to the Zesk as well, who were easily the most unique set to use the Av-Matoran build on account of their four-legged posture and tail.
78* EvenBetterSequel: While ''Toys/{{Bionicle}} 2: Legends of Metru Nui'' undeniably has its flaws, it was far better-written and executed, not to mention [[AnimationBump far better looking]] than its predecessor and is far above most MerchandiseDriven direct-to DVD childrens' movies. It depicted a crucial time in the franchise's history and lived up to the importance of the moment. The third and fourth films, on the other hand, fall more into the realms of ContestedSequel and {{Sequelitis}}, respectively.
79* EvilIsCool: With all the varied villains in Toys/{{Bionicle}}, it's not hard to find cases of this trope.
80** The Makuta, for effectively being borderline [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]]. Not just the original Makuta, but most of the species too.
81** The Piraka for being a FauxAffablyEvil group of superpowered badasses with personality, after previous villains had either been swarms of {{Mook}}s or lacked personality.
82** The Barraki for being monstrous marine BadassNormal characters in comparison to the Piraka that still managed to be just as much of a threat.
83** The first six Rahkshi for their utter domination of the Toa Nuva in their early appearances, and their demonic yet elegant appearance.
84** Brutaka in the Voya Nui arc. Easily the most powerful and deadly villain during the arc, with a cool design and a deeper backstory in comparison to the Piraka.
85** Tuma, before the [[VillainDecay decay]] [[BadassDecay hit him]]. Think Brutaka in terms of appearance, but instead of pursuing an object, he's making a multi-layered plan to ensure the survival of the Skrall and conquer Bara Magna.
86* FanNickname:
87** "Fauxrok" or "Fohrok" for the fake Bohrok.
88** "Kratana" for the Krana/Kraata hybrids.
89** "Olda" for the Toa Nuva pre-transformation, before "Mata" was established as their team name.
90** Nearly every wave of Matoran sets had a nickname that fans used. For example, "[=McToran=]" for the original Tohunga; "[=MoLtoran=]" for the ''Mask of Light'' Matoran; "Metruan" or "Metrutoran" for the Metru Nui Matoran; "Voyatoran" and "Doomtoran" for the Voya Nui Matoran; "Mahritoran" for the Mahri Nui Matoran; and "Kardatoran" or "Avtoran" for the Karda Nui Matoran.
91** "Keetorange" for the color officially known as Flame Yellowish Orange introduced into LEGO in 2005, due to its prominent use on Keetongu.
92** Lime Plastic Syndrome, the tendency for the joints of lime parts from '07 to crumble frustratingly easily. Its name stems from [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Gold Plastic Syndrome]], an equally infamous (yet more persistent) toy plague. One podcast named themselves after this.
93** WordOfGod is that [[http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/32222-bionicle-2010/&do=findComment&comment=616588 Zirahk]] was proposed as a name for the Rahkshi of Heat-Vision, so some fans have used that name in lieu of the generic species title. Alternatively, as a reference to SPIRIT's Public Service Announcements (specifically, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuF9cw-1PbA Burn Stuff PSA]]), other fans have taken to calling the Rahkshi of Heat-Vision "Creator/SamuelLJackson".
94** "Umarak" is often used for The Shadowed One after the second generation of BIONICLE, as the character of Umarak is known as the Hunter of Shadows.
95** "''Mistake-a''" from fans who felt the Mistika wave of canister sets from 2008 were a misstep design wise.
96** "Yaoi Hands" for Axonn, due to his [[https://biosector01.com/w/images/bs01/c/c4/8733_Axonn.jpg gigantic fingers]] and the HoYay between him and Brutaka.
97* FandomEnragingMisconception:
98** [[IAmNotShazam The characters are not "Bionicles"]].
99** May Mata Nui help you if you confuse this franchise with Toys/HeroFactory... or even worse, Franchise/{{Transformers}}.
100** Whatever you do, do not insist that BIONICLE [[NoTrueScotsman isn't a legitimate LEGO theme or is a betrayal of LEGO's core values.]]
101* FandomRivalry:
102** Mainly with the rest of LEGO fandom, the AFOL community in particular who feel the theme doesn't fit in with the spirit or aesthetic of LEGO. It tends to flare up during fan polls or tourneys over the best overall theme that inevitably get flooded with votes from BIONICLE fans. It's all largely one-sided, though, as BIONICLE fans generally appreciate the other themes. Unfortunately, this occurrence would turn sour upon the fan ballot to decide which classic LEGO theme would get a high-end collectors' set for LEGO's [[MilestoneCelebration 90th Anniversary]], [[https://jaysbrickblog.com/news/how-did-bionicle-win-the-lego-ideas-fan-vote-an-interview-with-bzpower-admin-tufi-piyufi/ with BIONICLE amassing the highest number of votes]] and going up against Toys/ClassicLEGOSpace, Toys/LEGOPirates, and Toys/LEGOCastle in the finals. Several YouTubers would insist that BIONICLE should not win for the above reasoning, citing the failure of [[Toys/Bionicle2015 G2]] in particular. This naturally incurred the wrath of BIONICLE's {{fandom}}, who, as mentioned elsewhere on this page, are growing desperate for the line's legacy to have some actual recognition, especially after G2's aforementioned demise and [[https://ideas.lego.com/projects/9a9b428b-108e-43bd-8b9e-3fdc7e8ec54a the proposed 20th-anniversary Ideas set]] getting passed up for approval. Ultimately, the controversy died down by the time Castle and Space were announced as the winners, and the fandom has largely accepted the 90 Years of Play mini-Tahu and the gift-with-purchase Tahu and Takua as an acceptable ConsolationPrize.
103** The BIONICLE fanbase has developed a complicated relationship with ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}'', which appears to be a more conventional take on the base concept of an {{Elemental|Powers}} SuperTeam in a {{Science|Fantasy}} FantasyKitchenSink. While there's plenty of fans of both, A number of BIONICLE fans are disgruntled with ''Ninjago'''s greater longevity and multimedia preseance despite (or because of) it appearing more overtly child-friendly and "toyetic" compared to BIONICLE's atmospheric visuals and oftentimes darker themes.
104* FauxSymbolism: The pathway leading to the resting place of the Mask of Life is exactly [[NumerologicalMotif 777]] Stairs. It means nothing.
105* {{Fanon}}:
106** Less gender-restrictive reenvisioning of the mythos like to interpret Tamaru as male-to-female UsefulNotes/{{transgender}}.
107** Due to the nature of several characters being a ToylessToylineCharacter, multiple depictions of them vary but also have some general common traits:
108*** While several [=MOCists=] have their own interpretations of Lariska's appearance, one recurring trend is to interpret her as a combiner model of Nidhiki and Krekka, owing to her role in the former's {{backstory}} and having been stated to have blue-and-green armor with a robot arm.
109*** If you come across a MOC of Dume in his Toa form, chances are that he'll either have a warhammer as his Toa Tool or some form of rifle.
110*** Thanks to some now defunct and discontinued polls that ran on fansites, Toa Naho is generally agreed to wear a Kanohi Huna. Also because of some WordOfDante, it's common to see depictions of Naho wielding a bow as her primary weapon.
111*** Toa Orde is often shown in both artwork and [=MOCs=] as wearing a Kanohi Sanok.
112** On Website/{{Tumblr}}, the idea that Kraata are a larval stage of Makuta is a rather common head-canon (though there's absolutely no evidence for this in-universe, and would seem to contradict what we know).
113* FightSceneFailure: The first movies follow strict violence guidelines, which forbid the characters from using their "tools" (LEGO still shied away from using the word "weapon" at the time) for their intended purpose. Thus we get scenes like Tahu storming onto a Rahkshi, flipping in the air above it, flashing his Magma Swords, planting them into the ground, and sending small lines of fire around the Rahkshi, making it... annoyed at the hot air? This was phased out later, and the fourth movie had tons of genuine physical combat, although the characters would take awkward, second-long pauses after every swipe, and in one shot, a villain chasing one of the heroes simply vanished when the camera panned to the side.
114* FirstInstallmentWins: The Toa Mata/Nuva are still the most iconic and well-remembered Toa to this day, to the extent that they've also made the most reappearances since their debut.
115* FriendlyFandoms:
116** With other LEGO themes like ''Toys/RockRaiders'', ''Toys/LEGOExoForce'', the line's spiritual predecessor ''Toys/{{Slizer}}'', and {{spiritual successor}} ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}'', natch. But also with other adventure stories like ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' and ''Series/DoctorWho''.
117** Also, oddly enough, with [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Bronies]] due to uncanny similarities with the two stories especially regarding the power of teamwork and both having a villain with a shadow theme.
118** Bionicle fans get along pretty well with fans of ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'', considering Bionicle's borrowing from Polynesian culture. It helps that the film's island is called 'Moto Nui' and that Tamatoa and Te Ka both have very Bionicle-esque designs.
119** Many fans see ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' as a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Bionicle'', since it shares a similar premise of entire worlds living on giant robots.
120** While getting them mixed up is a sore spot, ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' fans are often also fans of ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'', the other premiere MerchandiseDriven epic about MechanicalLifeforms.
121** ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' and ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' have seen a significant overlap developing between their communities, primarily because of how both communities engage in making their own creations and how deep the lore for both franchises goes. It's not uncommon to see ''Bionicle''-themed minatures or ''Warhammer''-themed [=MOCs=] among the many fan creations both communities put out.
122* GeniusBonus: If you've spent any significant amount of time studying UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}}, you might notice that [[ArcWords "Unity", "Duty" and "Destiny"]] are three of the primary meanings of the word ''dharma'' -- a word that's notoriously difficult to concisely translate into English. Depending on the context, ''dharma'' can be understood to mean "One's ultimate place in the world, as dictated by the universe itself", "One's moral obligation to find one's place in the world and fulfill one's destiny", and "The underlying direction of the universe, which binds all living beings together in one common purpose".
123* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The franchise really caught on in Russia, where they have a ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' themed bar and even a few beverages themed to the characters.
124* HardToAdaptWork: ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' is infamous for being both ''[[ArchivePanic really big]]'' and ''[[GenreBusting really unconventional]]'', two things that makes adaptations a Herculean task. Because the franchise as is stands as a hugely diverse multimedia project with a unique ConstructedWorld and continuity of varying levels of accessibility and relevance, pretty much any attempts to simplify the story requires ''a lot'' to be cut, and determining what exactly to preserve in terms of story and [[{{Worldbuilding}} its pretty esoteric mythos]] has given many creators problems throughout the years. The animated movies were especially known for suffering a lot from [[CompressedAdaptation over-compression]] and [[ContinuityLockout dependence on story elements that aren't fully coherent outside of their original context]], in addition to having to neuter certain aspects like [[{{Bowdlerise}} the level of violence]] and [[ShowAccuracyToyAccuracy accuracy to toy designs]]. Even the Miramax movies faced an uphill battle to get where they did -- LEGO turned down scripts from multiple studios as everyone else [[HumanFocusedAdaptation tried to add in humans into the mix]].
125* HarsherInHindsight: Greg Farshtey's then-wife Jackina voiced the female characters in the story podcasts and was the namesake of the character Kiina. These fun pieces of trivia became harsher in light of the news that Jackina and Greg have since divorced.
126* HilariousInHindsight:
127** It's amazing how similar the fan-created [[SailorEarth Voriki]] was to future events.
128** Axonn and Brutaka. The former is an ax-wielding hero with a ruthless side, the latter an EvilFormerFriend of his with the power to teleport objects across tremendous distances, wing-looking things on his back, and a huge double-bladed sword. [[Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon Sound familiar?]]
129** Fans had a field day when it turned out that the island in ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'' was called "Moto Nui." (Although they're spelled differently, the pronunciation is nearly identical.) Not only that but in both cases [[spoiler: an island also turns out to be the slumbering body of their setting's god.]]
130** Greg Farshtey's justification for the strict NoHuggingNoKissing in the Matoran Universe is that its inhabitants have NoBiologicalSex, and therefore no capacity for {{romance}}. Several years later, there was the debut of 'WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', another ScienceFantasy franchise featuring AmbiguousRobots with NoBiologicalSex that heavily features romantic elements.
131* IAmNotShazam: Again, '''''The characters are not "Bionicles."''''' While it is generally acceptable to use "Toys/{{Bionicle}}" as a catch-all term for any character (especially when talking about the sets), the term "Bionicle" is actually a combination of the words "Biological" and "Chronicle". [[WordSaladTitle Though to be fair, it took a]] ''[[WordSaladTitle long]]'' [[WordSaladTitle time for the actual meaning of that title to make sense.]]
132* IKnewIt: The fact that [[spoiler:the Matoran lived ''inside'' Mata Nui]] was a long discussed-rumor before finally being confirmed at the end of the Matoran saga.
133* ItsTheSameNowItSucks:
134** The Bohrok-Kal, at least set-wise (their role in the story was better-received), due to being six {{Palette Swap}}s of the Bohrok sets, which were in turn Palette Swaps of each other, thus being six more sets that were identical in everything but the color and shield design to six sets that were ''already'' identical in everything but the color and shield design.
135** The Mata Nui {{Story Arc}}s tended to fall into this trap with the Rahi, Bohrok, and Bohrok-Kal. [[RecycledScript The island of Mata Nui is in danger, and the Toa need to collect masks of power so they can go underground and defeat the villains (through working together!).]]
136*** Specifically, there's also the fact that in the first two examples Takua goes exploring Mata Nui and helping its residents, and that Le-Koro is being taken over by the villains (Nui-Rama in 2001, Bohrok in 2002) with Lewa's mind being taken over by the villains, Onua having to save him, and Kongu and Tamaru escaping the disaster and being helped by Takua to save the village.
137** A complicated set-based example that began in 2007. On one hand, the PaletteSwap trend of the past six years was ended. On the other hand, the Piraka and Inika build from the previous years became the standard pieces for the rest of the run, and then 2008 introduced the Av-Matoran build that was used for the Agori and the Stars. This led, of course, to the fandom declaring that LEGO's set designers were being lazy and just reusing the same designs over and over.
138** The Vahki suffered this for much of the same reasons as the Bohrok-Kal due to sharing a similar build structure to the then-well received Rahkshi, which ended up causing some people to call them a rehash. Unlike the Bohrok-Kal, the Vahki only had a minimal impact on the story and due to their robotic nature didn't have much personality either. There's a bit of ValuesResonance regarding the Vahki in hindsight, however, as it is now becoming understood that the Vahki [[FridgeBrilliance are an allegory for secret police]].
139* ItWasHisSled:
140** Takua is the Seventh Toa.
141** Teridax isn't the only Makuta. For that matter, that he has a name other than "Makuta".
142** The Matoran Universe is actually a giant robot.
143* JustHereForGodzilla: Given the line's lack of mainstream recognition as mentioned under ObscurePopularity, fans ''will'' come in droves if they even catch a whiff of a ShoutOut to the line in anything, no matter how tiny or throw away the reference is. WebVideo/MothersBasement observed that a good amount of comments for one of his videos were all claiming to have watched it simply because they saw Mata Nui, who Thew put in the video's thumbnail.
144* LGBTFanbase: Surprisingly, ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' gained a following of transgender women around the start of TheNewTwenties, most of whom grew up with the brand before their transition. It also helps that many of the sets for female characters had gender-neutral body proportions and appearances, and that the one female character that did have an obviously female appearance is a member of a species where even the males share the same body proportions and anatomy as the females.
145* MagnificentBastard:
146** Axonn is a powerful warrior of the Order of Mata Nui who once conquered a vast swathe of the Matoran universe with his own two hands and brilliant mind before joining the Order out of a desire for a higher purpose. Working with his close friend Brutaka in quelling villainous uprisings over the years, Axonn works against Brutaka when the latter betrays him, with Axonn uniting a group of Matoran into a resistance force against Brutaka and the Piraka. Successfully causing havoc throughout the Piraka ranks before beating Brutaka himself with quick thinking, Axonn later teams with Brutaka once more to unite entire islands of warlords with the Order to combat the rising threat of the Makuta and overcomes a mental trap and illusion set by Teridax himself, always showing himself to be an honorable, yet unflappable, force of power and will.
147** Brutaka was once a member of the Order of Mata Nui before growing disillusioned and striking out his own, manipulating the treacherous Piraka into hunting down the Mask of Life for him while plotting to betray them. Though taken down a peg when the Piraka betray him first and he is beaten by Axonn, Brutaka comes back better than ever, escaping the underwater prison of the Pit and taking time to foil one of Makuta Teridax's schemes out of sheer disgust at the latter's evil. Reenlisting with the Order, Brutaka forms the "Federation of Fear" by recruiting a bevy of villains to his side that he uses to pull off a daring mission while keeping them all in line and using their unique capabilities to succeed. After assisting Axonn in recruiting dangerous warlords to the side of the Order, Brutaka uses his connection to Antidermis to thwart any attempt to kill Teridax and doom the Matoran universe, instead helping partners in utilizing a less destructive method that ultimately plays a key role in undoing Teridax and saving the universe.
148** Toa Helryx was the very first Toa and the founder of the Order of Mata Nui, having grown ruthless and jaded towards the evils of the Matoran Universe and seeking to create a secretive society expressly designed for dishing out extreme forms of justice to those undeserving of mercy. Via the Order and her own personal interference, Helryx has been behind a near-insurmountable number of events, from training and inspiring fellow Toa to creating the legendary prison "the Pit", all while striking key blows against growing villains to keep many at bay. Upon deciding to step out of the shadows, Helryx recruits evil beings galore to her cause yet keeps many under her thumb, turns [[WildCard Vezon]] into a stooge, and sends him on a suicide mission, and decimates several Makuta strongholds with very little unforeseen circumstances. Though as shocked as the rest of the universe when Teridax attains godhood, Helryx takes advantage of imprisonment inside Teridax's mind to form a plan to kill the mad god even if it dooms the Matoran universe, and nearly succeeds in her plan before outside interference, proving once and for all that Helryx will do what she always has: [[IDidWhatIHadToDo "Whatever is necessary."]]
149** [[spoiler: The Matoran Velika spends much of the story as apparently nothing but a notably clever bystander to the greater powers of the Makuta and Toa, however, upon Teridax's defeat, reveals himself to in fact be a power-hungry Great Being in disguise. Having played several minor events to his will, Velika decides to make his move on the reformed Spherus Magna, striking out and killing several of the most powerful beings in the universe in brutal ways so he can instill fear in the populace from an unseen threat, then swoop in as their savior and attain power above all. Plotting to even play the Toa to his tune before ridding himself of them, Velika takes advantage of a large gathering of beings on his hit list to forego any greater plans and simply bomb their location in the hopes to wipe them all out in one fell swoop, promising to then move on and complete his domination while no one ever suspects himself as the true culprit.]]
150* MemeticBadass:
151** Mantax, as of SPIRIT's Mantax Facts P.S.A. video.
152** Onua has gained some popularity in this department.
153** Thanks to the fact that he was the only Toa Mahri to be given ''two'' guns instead of some variation on [[SwordAndGun a gun and some other weapon]], Kongu is commonly interpreted as being a trigger-happy GunNut obsessed with firearms and whose solution to every problem is to go GunsAkimbo and [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer shoot everything that moves]]. It's not uncommon to see jokes about how ''any'' villain, antagonist, or significant threat in the canon would have been solved if they just let Kongu shoot it a bunch.
154** It seems that the makers of ''The Legend Reborn'' were trying to [[InvokedTrope invoke]] this with Tarix, especially with his NonchalantDodge. It's taken further in a deleted scene where Tarix jumps into a crowd of Bone Hunters, fights his way through, and emerges without a scratch, then tosses aside his weapons to stare down and punch out a Skrall. He's arguably also this in-universe, as is the now-deceased Certavus.
155** Makuta has gotten a lot of respect in some circles for being [[spoiler: one of few {{Evil Overlord}}s whose EvilPlan actually worked.]]
156** The humanoid form of Mata Nui, when he finally awakens, is widely regarded by fans as one of the most awe-inspiring and overpowered figures in all fiction. Considering that he's a [[PhysicalGod living God]] whose face is bigger than ''the entire island that bears his name'', it's somewhat hard to argue with them there.
157** [[https://biosector01.com/wiki/Set:6934 Good Guy]], a non-canon bonus set for Scandinavian magazines who is lauded as one of the most powerful characters of the series, despite the very obviously simplistic design of the character, who's gotten a fandom that worships him as a god on the same level as Mata Nui.
158** The line's ObscurePopularity and the resulting FountainOfMemes has turned it into one of these. Look at any memes made not too long after G2's cancellation and you'll find a lot about how extensive knowledge of the lore and having a vast collection of the sets makes you a god amongst men.
159* MemeticLoser:
160** If the fandom is to be believed, then Tuma is a total wimp who does nothing but screams that he is "THE MIGHTY TUMA" while getting the crap beaten out of him, ignoring all of his appearances outside of ''The Legend Reborn'' where he is much more threatening and competent.
161** For a toy example, there's the [[ScrappyMechanic lime green parts]], infamous for shattering when looked at too hard, let alone trying to use them for building. To a lesser extent, any set made from 2008-2010 due to their brittle sockets.
162* MemeticMutation: See Memes.{{Toys}}.
163* MoralEventHorizon:
164** Ahkmou selling infected Kolhii balls to Po-Matoran in Po-Koro, leading to the outbreak of a virus.
165** Teridax takes a leap over the horizon by sending Mata Nui into a slumber and absorbing Nidhiki, Krekka, and Nivawk.
166** Nidhiki crosses it in ''Legends of Metru Nui'' when he drops Vakama toward the smelting pits even though Lhikan had surrendered.
167** Roodaka crossed it when she left a fellow member of her species for dead on the Mountain. Interestingly, this seems to be a Rite of Passage-type thing for her species.
168** The Piraka as a whole cross it by enslaving the Voya Nui Matoran. Several of them, however, have their own candidates for when they crossed it individually.
169*** Reidak, Avak, and Vezok crossed it by releasing the [[{{Kaiju}} Kanohi Dragon]] onto Metru-Nui.
170*** Hakann crossed it by putting a hole in Vezok's Toa canister, fully intending on letting him drown.
171*** Zaktan crossed it by doing... [[NothingIsScarier whatever he did]] to a Toa of Plasma.
172** The Skrall, or at least Tuma, cross it by the raid on Atero.
173** Annona crossed it by sending the entire Iron Tribe to extinction by feeding on their dreams.
174** The Shadowed One lives, breathes and has taken permanent residence over the horizon for a long, long time. From ordering assassinations to stealing treasures, conquering lands, killing every Dark-Hunter who shows the slightest bit of opposition or weakness to him, and in one case, capturing the lifelong friend of a Dark-Hunter without said Hunter's knowledge in order to manipulate him into joining.
175** Tridax placed himself over it by creating an army out of the alternate counterparts of Takanuva whom he had brainwashed, thus dooming many alternate realities [[PointOfDivergence because of his absence]].
176** Really, Mutran's pure [[{{Sadist}} sadism]] in his experimentations qualify him as irredeemable. His first jump over the line however was him leaving his living rock on Xia to grow into the Mountain, which devours the Xians when they climb it for their RiteOfPassage.
177** Karzahni, who instead of fixing Matoran properly as he was supposed to, gave them shoddy repairs and forced them to remain on his island, an infamous EldritchLocation that is ''Bionicle'''s answer to {{Hell}}, and not giving the slightest damn about what [[AndIMustScream horrific fates]] they end up enduring.
178** Metus sold out his and the other tribes to the Skrall, which would mean massacres and pillaging for all tribes, and enslavement for all of the survivors.
179** Takadox for [[MindRape hypnotizing]] and leaving Jaller, Hahli, and Nuparu for dead on the island of Artidax, where the whole Visorak horde has already gathered, and where the volcano was on the verge of erupting.
180** Strakk crossed it by trying to kill his opponent in the arena, when he was only supposed to defeat them in a fair fight. Strakk doubly so because Ackar had already won the match, and Strakk only had the chance to kill him [[DirtyCoward because Ackar had his back turned]], and due to Malum trying to do this to Strakk himself. Malum avoids this due to the redeeming qualities he has regarding his care for his pack of Vorox.
181** Nektann crossed it by allying himself and his Skakdi legions with Makuta after he took over the Matoran Universe. It's also considered to be one for him InUniverse by other Skakdi warlords, who brand him a "Piraka" for this.
182** The Elemental Lords all collectively crossed it by beginning the Core War and having Glatorian fight each other for control over energized protodermis, which resulted in the destruction to Spherus Magna. Their appearance in ''Riddle of the Great Beings'' confirm this, as none of them show any remorse for the war and are still fighting it against each other in the Valley of the Maze.
183** Toa Tuyet's counterpart in the [[AlternateUniverse Toa Empire universe]] crosses it by killing Lhikan and subjugating the Matoran Universe to totalitarian rule, with the Toa acting as her enforcers.
184** [[spoiler:Velika]] crosses it by slowly killing off the most powerful beings of the Matoran Universe in order to more easily conquer Spherus Magna, starting with [[EldritchAbomination.
185* MyRealDaddy:
186** Greg Farshtey might've been the writer for most of the storyline, but there is a large portion of the fanbase touting concept designer and co-creator Christian Faber as the true mastermind behind ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'''s success. It helps that Faber regularly posted concept art that shows very interesting WhatCouldHaveBeen scenarios or early designs that would eventually shape the series' aesthetics.
187** In addition to Christian Faber; the three other people credited as a co-creator of ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' are Bob Thompson, who created the original story pitch of "Doo Heads of Voo Doo Island", Martin Riber Anderson, a LEGO toy designer who worked on the physical toys, and Alastair Swinnerton, who wrote the story bible. Many of the early story concepts including the Great Spirit Robot and the names of various characters were created by Alastair Swinnerton and then visually refined by Faber. Swinnerton in particular has an endearing story of how his first paycheck in 1999 from LEGO went towards buying what he calls the "[[https://alastairswinnerton.com/2019/12/05/a-lesser-known-bionicle-anniversary/ Bionicle Fridge]]" in his home. Of these four, Christian Faber was the only one to work on the line for its entirety from start to cancellation and onto the following Hero Factory line, while also providing a brief advisory role in the creation of G2 before he left working with Advance Copenhagen & LEGO to start his own freelance company.
188** As for the first three movies, ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' fans are quick to point out the collaboration of screenplay writer Henry Gilroy who would go on to later work on ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' and ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' as an underappreciated contributor to the ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' franchise.
189* {{Narm}}:
190** ''BIONICLE: The Game'' had some pretty dreadful dialogue all-around, but this line in particular really stands out:
191--->'''Tahu''': *Picks up a [[PuppeteerParasite Krana]]* "[[DullSurprise Whoa. What's it doing to my mind?]]"
192** The fact that Tahu is voiced by Creator/TravisWillingham only makes it more hilarious.
193* ObscurePopularity: ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' was popular enough that it helped save LEGO as a company, went on for ten straight years, covered almost any type of medium even outside the main toyline, including books, comics, video games and four movies, even received an (admittedly less successful) reboot in 2015... But looking at what most people seem to think about it, the mainstream only seems to remember it as "that LEGO thing with the colored robots", with a lot of people not even being aware of the greater plot, or any of the sets past the first movie.
194* PanderingToTheBase: Just the sheer number of AscendedFanon cases made by the author is enough to get on a significant amount of people's nerves.
195* PopCultureHoliday: Starting in 2019, August 10 is celebrated by ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' fans as "[=810NICLE=] Day". The [=BIONICLEsector01=] wiki even commissioned past ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' comic artists to draw new character artwork in observance of the "holiday", including [[https://twitter.com/AskBS01/status/1160189054203285508 Stuart Sayger's Lesovikk]], [[https://twitter.com/AskBS01/status/1160235611959119872 Randy Elliot's Makuta]], and [[https://twitter.com/AskBS01/status/1292823012119662593 Leigh Gallagher's Trinuma]]. Project Litestone Studios also released the first build of the ''VideoGame/{{BIONICLE}}: The Legend of Mata Nui REBUILT'' GameMod on this day.
196* PresumedFlop: Many fans assume that ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' was [[CutShort prematurely cut]] due to poor sales, with the specific assumption being that the planned three-year arc started by 2009's introduction to Bara Magna was slashed due to the Bara Magna sets being a major flop. In truth, while they did sell worse than the prior year, they weren't ''that'' much worse, and managed to safely turn a profit. The actual reasoning for ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'''s early ending was the fact that sales had long been on the decline in general, and Creator/{{Lego}} deduced that nine years into the line, it wasn't likely that the trend would be reversed. Fearing that it was a matter of time before ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' would end up becoming an ''actual'' flop and [[FranchiseKiller damage their brand]], they just told the creators to WrapItUp to do their best to end ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' on a premature, but at least somewhat positive and satisfactory note.
197* TheProblemWithLicensedGames:
198** ''BIONICLE: The Game'' was of debatable quality in terms of gameplay, and it arguably handled the lore worse than ''Heroes'' did; the latter game simply decided to ignore the lore in favor of gameplay (not to mention the galleries in the console versions detailing characters and items from the story to show that, apart from a few errors, yes, [[ShownTheirWork they did their research]]), while in the former, the game seemed to actually be ''trying'', but ended up cannibalizing it. It's like a a translation that has {{Dub Induced Plotline Change}}s, except they didn't even need to translate. Also, sweet mother of Karzahni in a gravy boat was the voice acting ''atrocious''. Seriously, the only redeeming factor about it was the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic soundtrack]], which was filled to the brim with masterpieces, and for that, you can just look on Website/YouTube.
199** The GBA version didn't fare much better, either: most of the Toa and Toa Nuva sprites are the same (except re-colored), there are only five voice samples in the entire game and they're all ''male'' ([[VocalDissonance even for Gali]]), the controls are awful, the view is terrible, and it's insanely difficult. Again, its only redeeming quality is the highly underrated soundtrack.
200* QuestionableCasting: In ''The Legend Reborn'', Metus is David Leisure -- from the sitcom ''Series/EmptyNest'' and the fictional (and dishonest) spokesman, "Joe Isuzu", from Isuzu car ads in the early 90s. On one hand, this does suit his introduced role as a Glatorian recruiter very well. [[spoiler:Less so his role as the BigBad, though his warning Mata Nui that he's not kidding around is [[SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct done very well]].]]
201%%** Creator/SeanSchemmel’s stint as Makuta Teridax in ''BIONICLE: The Game'' can be quite... jarring for those familiar with his [[Anime/DragonBallZ most iconic role]]. That isn’t to say that Schemmel was a poor fit for the role, given that he’s proven to have [[ManOfAThousandVoices quite a diverse vocal range]].
202* RainbowLens: Many in the fandom's LGBTFanbase have interpreted Av-Matoran, and Takua in particular, as a UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} allegory. They're the only type of Matoran who can be either gender, and can also use their light powers to change their color, essentially choosing their gender presentation.[[note]]Technically, one could argue that ''each element'' is its own "gender", though the Matoran only use the two familiar gendered pronouns, at least in the real-life media using TranslationConvention.[[/note]] Takua lived most of his life believing he was a Ta-Matoran, despite his mask being the wrong color, and feeling that he didn't quite belong. In the ''Mask of Light'' movie, [[spoiler:Jaller's dying words to him are]] "You were always different," after which he accepts his true identity and becomes the Toa of Light.
203* RecurringFanonCharacter: [[SailorEarth Voriki]], the Toa of Energy, was originally created as part of a fan contest. He was never actually accepted into canon, unlike numerous other characters, but is still fondly remembered by the fanbase and often finds his way into fanfics.
204* SacredCow: Franchise/{{LEGO}} is enough of a SacredCow of its own, so Bionicle is the SacredCow ''within'' the SacredCow. Its [[LongRunner sheer history]] and complex MythArc still sets it apart from most other MerchandiseDriven franchises. So don't [[SchmuckBait criticize it online]] if you know what's good for you.
205* SignatureScene:
206** The 2001 commercial for each Toa, but especially Tahu's, showing him rebuilding himself slowly and turning red upon putting his Kanohi on.
207** From the films:
208*** ''Mask of Light'': Jaller's DisneyDeath and Takua becoming Takanuva.
209*** ''Legends of Metru Nui'': Lhikan's death.
210*** ''Web of Shadows'': The mutation scene.
211*** ''The Legend Reborn'': Mata Nui and the Ignika landing on Bara Magna, followed by the creation of Mata Nui's Toa body.
212** 2006 will be remembered for the [[MemeticMutation Piraka Rap... for better or worse.]]
213** For 2007, [[HeroicSacrifice Matoro's sacrifice]] is this undoubtedly.
214** The entire island of Mata Nui breaking apart as the living body of Mata Nui, which was revealed to be the '''entire Matoran universe''', revealed himself.
215** The commercials from 2005-2008 utilizing songs by bands, but especially the ones with songs by Music/{{Cryoshell}}, Music/{{Daughtry}}, and Music/TheAllAmericanRejects.
216* TheScrappy:
217** The toy version of Solek. The Av-Matoran are already disliked, due to their simplistic builds, fragile, specialized pieces, and their odd head proportions, but Solek gets this the worst since his color scheme is white and grey, as opposed to the more vibrant Tanma and Photok (lime and orange respectively), while the Agori, Shadow Matoran, and Stars escape somewhat this due to their more interesting and varied designs and color schemes. Among certain circles, however, he's been elevated to the status of godhood precisely because of his notoriety.
218** Toa Hewkii Mahri's figure is often considered the worst the Piraka/Inika Build had to offer, what with his awkward proportions, gappy armoring, missing hand and clashing parts in posing.
219** Gaardus for being pivotal in the loathed Red Star plotline, a massive jerk who screwed up everything for everyone, and mostly for having [[http://biosector01.com/w/images/bs01/9/9b/CGI_Who_Am_I_Character.png a build]] near-unanimously regarded as the ugliest in the entire franchise. Sadly, this was the final BIONICLE character made available in set form (in Gen 1, anyway).
220* ScrappyMechanic:
221** Toy-wise, any character with lime-green parts during and after the Mahri saga; due to a casting error, lime-green joints often broke even without play (the pieces were not properly set before they cooled, resulting in the plastic being extremely brittle). LEGO tried to solve this with a new batch, but it wasn't completely solved until Phantoka, and even then most people were cautious with lime-green sets. It didn't help that sockets, in general, became very brittle after their redesign in 2008.
222** As mentioned above, sockets from 2008 onwards became terribly brittle, and they tended to break more often than not.
223** Red and blue pins for many are viewed as breaking up the color scheme of sets.
224** The playsets were this due to ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' being a predominantly Technic-based series. The playsets were instead based on the brick system, with their own Minifigures as well. This didn't go well with the fanbase, who were also slowly reaching their adult years and saw the playsets as a weird gimmick at best. It didn't help either that the playsets often depicted their own non-canon story scenes rather than reproduce anything from the story properly. They would be later replaced with vehicles before the entire series was canceled.
225** What later became known as the "Inika Build" was this for the canister toys; prior to the Toa Inikas, each generation of canister sets would have a unique build involving new parts and a mechanical function of some sort. After the Toa Inikas were released, each subsequent set often revolved around the same basic template: a basic skeleton with 13 points of articulation made from an existing set of parts with new limb and chest armor pieces and a new mask and weapon for variation. This only got worse later with the Av-Matoran build for the small sets; a single huge piece for the entire body with another 4 pieces for the other limbs, reducing the smaller sets to basically being disassembled action figures than true LEGO sets.
226* ScrappyWeapon:
227** The Squid Shooters from 2007 were extremely difficult to trigger. Notably, there wasn't even a mechanism within the launchers themselves to shoot the squid; said launchers were essentially oversized grips to hold the squid in place while you yanked back the squids' tails to fling them like rubber bands, running the risk of eventually breaking the tails off. The squids were difficult to fit into the launchers, and priming them loose enough to fire but tight enough to stay in place was a chore. The launchers also had a very loose and soft axle, presumably because they were designed to be able to be launched in your hand alone, which consequently made them prone to falling off the set when not in use.
228** Shooter weapons in general, starting with the Squid Shooters and exacerbated by the Cordak Blasters, became a source of contention. Prior to the squid shooters, the weapons were at least comprised of pieces you'd assemble and had a fairly ingenious way of firing (even the Squid Shooters qualified). Fast forward to the Toa Mahri and the shooters became large and clunky, as well as housing special mechanisms within themselves rather than letting you build them. LEGO later caught onto this and returned to having buildable shooter weapons with the Nynrah Ghost Blasters in late 2008, while the Thornax Launchers of 2009 were even more simplified.
229** Rhotuka spinners were widely disliked for being impossible to aim and requiring an additional piece to launch them.
230* SelfFanservice: [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer Yes, really]]. Despite being biomechanical beings in a world with NoHuggingNoKissing, the more...shapely designs of some of the characters, both male (Axonn) and female (Roodaka), have resulted in some [=MOCs=] created by fans also tending to have more pronounced body types based solely on the creator's preferences. Of course, this also applies to fanart of the characters as well.
231* SoBadItsGood:
232** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYXBIX5S7Hc Piraka Rap]], referred to by many as "the best worst thing" that ever came out of the franchise.
233** [[https://www.brickfanatics.com/lego-classic-tahu-is-the-bionicle-we-needed/ Googly Eyed Tahu.]] A tiny recreation of Tahu using basic pieces and googly eyes, yet the fandom ate it up.
234* SpecialEffectFailure: Ever so noticeable in all four movies. Especially noticeable in ''Legends of Metru Nui'', where every other shot has some sort of animation fault in it. Rather oddly despite this, NoFlowInCGI is regularly averted.
235** ''Mask of Light'':
236*** While dashing into the stadium, Jaller clips through the camera, and you can see the insides of his CGI model in full detail for a moment.
237*** There's an odd bit during the Kolhii match when they forgot to move Hahli forward, so she runs in place.
238*** After the crowd stops shouting "All hail Jaller!", one Matoran in the background, only halfway visible, remains frozen in cheering position. Generally, most characters in all three Miramax movies are left unanimated when they're not the focus of the shot.
239*** Blinking animation is also messed up. At the end of the Kohlii game, Hewkii has his eyes closed when they should be open, and instead of blinking, he opens and closes them quickly. Later, Jaller's eyes are not fully in sync.
240*** The floating mountain slope. As Kopaka braces for the Rahkshi's attack, one of the mountains in the background seems to be made up of only one slope, with the snow magically clinging onto its sides.
241*** During Pohatu's speech in Onu-Koro, a lot of the Onu-Matoran are represented by blocky, detail-lacking pre-render models. When Takua arrives, all of them are replaced with such models. A similar error can be seen earlier during the Rahkshi attack on Ta-Koro, as two Matoran cowering in Guurahk's shadow are represented with pre-render models.
242*** The "tiny Nuju". As the Turaga and Toa are discussing what to do, Turaga Nuju, who should have been animated behind the crowd (thus his apparent size) suddenly pops up in front of Turaga Vakama's layer.
243*** Played with regarding the movements of the villains, which were inspired heavily around the works of Creator/RayHarryhausen.
244** ''Legends of Metru Nui'' was full of faulty, unfinished animation. For starters, lip-sync (or even lip-''movement'') was a rarity. The screen would pixelate at parts, and the movements would suddenly become very choppy. Some of the Kikanalo's texturing [[UnmovingPlaid didn't move in unison with their bodies]], and at one point, the red glowing effect of their eyes shifts to the side. The final scene has noticeable clipping errors, the most obvious being the top of Jaller's head protruding through his solid mask.
245** ''Web of Shadows'' has Visorak spiders clearly walking in air, and never once touching their webs. In a particularly badly animated shot that doesn't even look finished, one of the spiders is floating in the air ''upside down'' and another one is freakishly deformed, as if someone had been playing around with its animation model ([[https://biosector01.com/w/images/bs01/e/e2/WoS_Visorak_Cocoons.png the green and red ones, respectively]]). Other failures include Keetongu being visible from ''behind'' a wall as a tiny spot as he scales the Coliseum, Roodaka's catcher claw passing into her motionless arm (which should be shaking wildly with it), and in one of the [[BulletTime slo-mo shots, as the camera angle changes]], Matau being revealed to be a ''2D'' image.
246** ''The Legend Reborn'':
247*** Being animated by a different company[[note]]At least on the American end. Creator/CGCGInc, who worked on the original trilogy, was still utilized[[/note]], it fared better with sharp-eyed fans. Still, there are issues, like when Kiina's animation model jumps out from ''behind'' her darkened silhouette during the scene in Ackar's hut. More famously, the introduction scene with Mata Nui's [[HumongousMecha giant robot]] body and the ocean is flawed in every aspect: the rendering of the water, the physics, the scale, and the movements and textures of the robot itself are all sub-par and feel like they came from the previous films.
248*** The Skrall squad running in place at the start of the final battle scene.
249*** Berix's poorly and inaccurately animated shadow when he's running in the Hot Springs. It looks ''nothing'' like the animation the next cut implies it to be.
250*** When Mata Nui cuts Kiina and Berix's cage down, it plummets to the ground, lands visibly intact, and kicks up a large cloud of dust. When the dust clears, the cage is almost completely destroyed.
251** Rather oddly in spite of all this, the films frequently avert NoFlowInCGI. Even going so far as to change up designs to accommodate loose cloth and hair-like details.
252* SuspiciouslySimilarSong:
253** In the Mirimax film trilogy, Makuta Teridax's {{leitmotif}} (compiled [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vifzTYzoyBA here]]) seems to be derived from the brass flourish heard when Voldemort is revealed (1:45 of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydlzNv40yZM "The Face of Voldemort"]]) in ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'' and ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets''.
254** In ''Web of Shadows'', Roodaka's {{leitmotif}} (the one heard in the film itself, such as in "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjIpGZ-s6-c Roodaka's Evil Plan]]", rather than [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IueMHs0uSko the unused theme]] on the soundtrack) is almost identical to Emperor Palpatine's leitmotif from ''Franchise/StarWars'' (compiled [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecvpq_b590c here]]).
255** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js5cfUZq_zE main melody]] of ''BIONICLE Heroes'' sounds very much like [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Y0uQLgriA Sicilienne, Op. 78]] by Gabriel Fauré.
256* TearJerker:
257** [[spoiler:Matoro's]] last moments as he sacrifices his life to [[spoiler:reactivate Mata Nui and the Matoran Universe.]]
258** [[spoiler:Lhikan's]] death [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1AQKrQopzk will make you cry all night]].
259** In the first movie [[spoiler: Jaller's DisneyDeath, which leads to Takua becoming Takanuva]].
260-->[[spoiler:'''Jaller:''' (''hands the mask to Takua'') You were always different. (''dies'')]]
261** Vakama's [[spoiler: FaceHeelTurn in ''Web of Shadows'', even if you saw it coming]]. Then listening to Matau's pleas as he's trying to reason with him. All while [[spoiler: Vakama]] repeatedly tries to ''kill'' him.
262** While most of them were unrepentantly evil, it's hard not to feel a little pity for the Makuta in Karda Nui [[spoiler:as the energy storms start up, all because Teridax [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness deemed them dangerous to his new rule]]. [[AxCrazy Gorast]]'s death, in particular, is noteworthy because, unlike the others who try to escape, all she can do [[VillainousBSOD stare into the storms constantly repeating how]] Krika was right, unable to comprehend that the [[UndyingLoyalty one she swore her life to had intentionally led her to her doom]]]].
263*** [[spoiler:Krika especially deserves mention, because he was seemingly on the cusp of becoming an AntiHero or possibly even making a full HeelFaceTurn... and then he gets killed trying to save the life of [[AllForNothing an unbelieving Gorast.]]]]
264*** [[spoiler:Antroz's last words as he defeatedly calls out for [[TheStarscream Bitil]] while he could do nothing else but watch him abandon them (in vain) are especially heartbreaking.]]
265---> "[[spoiler:Bitil]]! Come back here! Don't... don't leave us."
266** Already a sad story at its core, ''The Many Deaths of Toa Tuyet'' delivers an extra gut punch at the end by not only foreshadowing Nidhiki's eventual betrayal but also heavily implying that Lhikan was already well aware of the Air Toa's darker side and was actively trying to save himself from suffering ''another'' betrayal by a friend right on the heels of Tuyet's.
267** "All Our Sins Remembered", the third comic from ''Legends of Bara Magna''. Spherus Magna, the lush and paradisal planet that was originally the home of the Glatorian, Agori, the Great Beings, and Mata Nui himself, is put on the path to destruction when energized Protodermis begins making its way to the planet's core. But instead of working with each other to prevent it, the tribes of Spherus Magna all go to war against each other in an attempt to harness its power -- and by the time the Great Beings figure out what the energized Protodermis entails, its too far along for them to prevent the planet's destruction - necessitating them to construct the Great Spirit Robot with the intent of studying other planets, then returning to reunite Spherus Magna with the knowledge gained. Shortly after Mata Nui leaves, the planet is destroyed and most of its inhabitants are left stranded on two of its three fragments. In a franchise where unity regardless of one's differences is a recurring theme, "All Our Sins Remembered" ends up deconstructing this in what ends up being a rather cynical story by the franchise's standards.
268* ToughActToFollow: The series was Franchise/{{LEGO}}'s first attempt at a story-driven theme, running for nearly a decade and producing one of the most expansive fantasy settings to ever exist, practically saving the company, and thus every story-driven theme has to live up to ''BIONICLE'' and ultimately fails (though certain themes, such as ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}'', ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOMovie'', and ''WesternAnimation/MonkieKid'' have gotten up there).
269* TheyChangedItNowItSucks:
270** The change of settings from Mata Nui (tribal) to Metru Nui (futuristic) alienated a lot of fans, hence why the initial three years are often seen as the series' "golden years".
271** Almost every time a character received a new toy, this was the fandom's reaction, as with the exception of the Toa Nuva they tended to look very different.[[note]]The reboot thoroughly averted this.[[/note]] This applied very heavily to the Phantoka and Mistika Toa sets. The fans' complaining was actually one of the main reasons why set designers shied away from joining forums like Website/BZPower.
272** The fan reaction to Makuta getting another name. The backlash was so strong, that Farshtey refuses to reveal the proper name he created for The Shadowed One, for fear of another outburst.
273** Depending on how you view it, either this trope (in regards to the earlier movies) or [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks its polar opposite]] (in regards to the sets) can apply to the character design in ''The Legend Reborn''. One major criticism of ''The Legend Reborn'' was that the character models were very close to their set counterparts, which critics lambasted as making the film look like it was about a bunch of toys. These same critics have no problem with the fact that ''all other BIONICLE media'', including the comics, animations (including the [[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome much-lauded]] CGI animations by Advance Copenhagen, online games, and videogames (sans ''BIONICLE: The Game''), used the appearances of the sets. In fact, back in their day, the first three films were criticized by many fans for ''not'' keeping true to the set appearances.
274** Surprisingly ''little'' of this when the 2015 sets were leaked, and later revealed officially, especially considering they used [[Toys/HeroFactory Hero]] [[ReplacementScrappy Factory's]] CCBS building system[[note]]Creature & Character Building Set[[/note]] as opposed to the original ''BIONICLE'''s Technic system. Most seemed pretty fine with the designs. Though of course, that doesn't mean there were ''no'' complaints.
275* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
276** Karzahni's first appearance in 2006 ended with him finding out Mata Nui was real, inspiring him to leave his miserly island. His second appearance in 2007 had him follow the Toa Inika underwater, looking like he was going to confront them once more. He never sees the Inika/Mahri again, instead encountering Makuta/Maxilos and immediately challenging him. Makuta [[CurbStompBattle fries his mind with a vision]], leaving Karzahni nothing more than a mindless beast. In case you thought there could still be more to Karzahni after this, he gets unceremoniously KilledOffscreen in his last appearance in a serial.
277** ''BIONICLE Heroes'' had an opportunity to add in a secret boss but never took it. Despite one of the secret levels having Vezon's silhouette, it's just another level where you fight hordes of enemies until time runs out. Quite a few fans felt like the game had missed an opportunity to include a boss fight where you fight Vezon and Kardas either as the final phase of the FinalBoss or as a {{Superboss}}. Alternatively, Makuta Teridax would've made for a decent {{Superboss}} and it wouldn't have been out of place considering that most of ''BIONICLE Heroes'' had various boss fights against antagonists from across the series' history; it also helps that he's been an antagonist in most of the ''BIONICLE'' video games prior to this one. Who better suited to take up the role of {{Superboss}} than the BigBad of the ''entire franchise''? Disappointingly, while Makuta does appear in the Nintendo DS version, it is only as TheUnfought.
278** Despite being the Shadowed One's trusted second-in-command, Ancient was revealed to be TheMole working for the Order of Mata Nui, opening the door to developing the character in an interesting way. Nothing came of this because, shortly after this reveal, he was suddenly and anticlimactically killed by the Shadowed One for completely unrelated reasons.
279* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot:
280** What would you expect from a Legoland California ride bearing the BIONICLE name? An epic romp through a recreation of environments from the stories? Well, you'll have to settle for BIONICLE Blaster, which is essentially a spinning teacup ride with a mechanical appearance and some Toa Nuva statues.
281** The Ignika was sentient before helping to awaken Mata Nui. Afterward, its personality became dormant so that the focus could be on Mata Nui wandering around Bara Magna. Because [[SarcasmMode it obviously wouldn't be the least bit interesting]] to [[SharingABody see Mata Nui and the Ignika interact]] and figure out their origins together. Also, the fact that Mata Nui's body was made of sand thus possibly impervious to injury is never addressed or explored.
282** Many have noted that the Bara Magna story arc had the potential to be fleshed out and explored into more detail had it not come out around the end of Bionicle’s original run.
283** Mata Nui's character arc in 2009's ''The Legend Reborn'' direct to DVD movie has some interesting potential. Having been betrayed by the leader of a rogue faction of nanomachines who were supposed to help regulate his giant mecha body in part because Mata Nui was too busy exploring the cosmos to figure out how to repair the shattered pieces of Spherus Magna as per his designated purpose by the Great Beings, you would think his crash landing onto an alien Mad Max-like culture and being a FishOutOfWater with nothing to his name would have served for some solid character development with him learning to befriend those usually beneath him, which would be especially interesting given that Bara Magna had been set up as the inverse of the Matoran Universe. Instead, Mata Nui is already a NiceGuy and almost immediately finds allies to rather easily unite the tribes against the Skrall, with his former status as a PhysicalGod being used mostly for brief mentions here and there rather than part of his struggle.
284* TransAudienceInterpretation: Given the franchise's popularity with trans and nonbinary people approachng the 2010s, trans interpretations were more or less a given.
285** Tamaru is often interpreted as a trans-woman due to him hating heights despite being a Le-Matoran, and for his color scheme being more blue rather than green.
286** A common interpretation is of seeing Takua as nonbinary. This is due to how his journey of not fitting in with what society expects from him, only to find out he is something else, is something the trans and nonbinary communities can very strongly relate to. Furthermore, as Takanuva, his body resembles more of that of the female Gali Nuva, rather than the male Toa Nuva.
287* UglyCute: The 2022 LEGO Classic [[https://brickset.com/article/73767/first-lego-90th-anniversary-set-official-images! 90 Years of Play set]] resurrects Tahu Mata as a tiny, blocky, googly-eyed statue, who's surprisingly become [[https://www.brickfanatics.com/lego-classic-tahu-is-the-bionicle-we-needed/ an inspiration]] to a toy-starved BIONICLE fandom.
288* UnintentionalUncannyValley: ''Bionicle: The Legend Reborn'' used the actual LEGO toys as its character models with an absolutely minimal amount of tweaking, to make them seem more realistic while still keeping the intended "toy look". One added feature was the rotten-looking teeth and weird lips formed by a ''second'' row of mechanical teeth that slid over the real ones, but their true jaw-line still remained apparent. When they smiled, it looked [[https://biosector01.com/w/images/bs01/e/ea/TLR_Toa_Mata_Nui_and_Click.jpg horrifying]].
289* UnintentionallySympathetic:
290** Greg has stated that Nidhiki didn't have any goodness in him [[https://greg.thegreatarchives.com/2003-2008/page270#post10786 instead doing good only for the sake of his ego rather than pure heroism.]] Some fans read Nidhiki in a sympathetic light due to his harsh upbringing and due to feeling bad for what happened to him. Some even go as far as to say that under different circumstances he would've been able to be a true hero.
291** Krika fits this rather perfectly. Despite Greg never intendeding Krika to be sympathetic, stating [[https://greg.thegreatarchives.com/2008-2010/page13#post491 at least once]] that Krika opposed the Makuta out of pragmatism rather than out of a desire of doing the right thing, [[InformedFlaw fans have argued that this portrayal is at odds with how Krika actually acts in the story]]. As a result, a vast majority of the fanbase see him as a sympathetic AntiVillain and one of the few villains in the series who wasn't purely evil and had redeemable qualities to them, as he opposed the Makuta's actions. It is quite common to read his opposition in that he felt it was wrong. Many fans go as far as to wish he was redeemed.
292* UnpopularPopularCharacter: Matau, who is the ButtMonkey and TheFriendNobodyLikes, but the fans love him for being a GlorySeeker who [[AwesomeEgo constantly talks himself up.]]
293* TheUntwist: Makuta was [[HijackedByGanon the mastermind behind so many evil plots]], that fans quickly grew tired of how often he was revealed to be the BigBad, especially in 2004, which featured a different setting, different heroes, and two new major villains -- one was just a FillerVillain to the BigBad, who was in fact Makuta in disguise. It didn't help that the movie of that year, ''Legends of Metru Nui'', spoiled that at the very beginning and contained like three subsequent "Makuta is the villain" reveals in later scenes, some of which even contradicted each other (at one point Dume is seen relaying information to Makuta ''[[MindScrew despite being Makuta himself in disguise at that point]]''). That being said, the novel ''Time Trap'' {{Retcon}}s this and instead paints a picture of Makuta as being TheChessmaster, and the 2006 storyline makes his BigBad status more subtle, while the 2007 storyline introduces a new set of villains with their own agenda who are acting independently from Makuta. The culmination of his plans in 2008, however, makes all of his previous schemes much more fitting in hindsight.
294%%* ValuesDissonance: Greg Farshtey's justification for the strict NoHuggingNoKissing in the Matoran Universe is that its inhabitants have NoBiologicalSex, and therefore no capacity for {{romance}}. Such reasoning would come under fire in TheNewTens as greater insight on the nature of [[UsefulNotes/{{Asexual}} asexuality]] (namely that asexual ≠ UsefulNotes/{{aromantic}}) became mainstream. Compounding this is the advent of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', a show that revolves around beings with NoBiologicalSex and heavily features romantic elements nonetheless.
295%%-->'''[[WebVideo/LEGORewind Nick Anderson]]:''' We learned that lacking the ability to reproduce, the Matoran didn't know emotions like love! That's a big ol' middle digit to ace people.
296* ValuesResonance:
297** Depending on how you look at it, ''Bionicle'' was ahead of its time. While not loud about it, it's likely that the line's set design and mechanical look helped it present to kids things that wouldn't get actively pushed for in multiple forms of media for quite some time. Using the original Toa Mata line as an example, there's varying body types [[note]]Some of the Toa have the shoulder pieces set parallel, some have them set downward, implying some characters have broader shoulders while others are lean -- this, in turn, translates to the characters bulking up via the Nuva transformation -- including the TokenGirl Gali.[[/note]], including a heavy-set main character who isn't mocked or less important or powerful than his peers (Pohatu). Said body types aren't wildly different for [[TheSmurfettePrinciple the Smurfette on the team]], and in fact, you could easily mistake her for a man if you didn't already know.
298** Early promotional material made it clear that Lewa preferred swinging from trees and gliding through the air specifically because he had difficulty walking, and Onua stayed underground because his eyes were incredibly sensitive and a small amount of light could blind him. All things considered, this is basically teaching children about disabilities, such as mobility problems or vision difficulties.
299** In general, the token female member of the hero teams (usually blue) being just as capable as the five male members they work with sits just as well now as it did back in the 2000s during the series's original heyday.
300* ViewerGenderConfusion:
301** Besides [[MsFanservice Roodaka]], nobody has any TertiarySexualCharacteristics, so we dare you to ID one of the girls without resorting to the color-coding -- and from 2004 onwards, even that's hardly foolproof (Vezok, Takadox, Gorast, Vamprah, etc.).
302** Hell, even Roodaka's not a good example: Her ''entire species'' looks like that, males and females. The first male of her species shown in the comics was simply a green PaletteSwap of Roodaka.
303** This was not the case "Piraka"/Nektann, as the fanbase by then had gotten used to blue villains being male in general and Skakdi always being presented as male in specific.
304* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome:
305** The animations by Advance Copenhagen, often considered the highest-quality animations made for ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'', even surpassing the DirectToVideo films. Special mention goes to the Mata Nui Rising video; it really conveys the sheer scale of such a pivotal moment in the series' lore.
306** While the animation quality itself might not be so great, there's no denying the incredible level of detail put into the character models for ''The Legend Reborn''. With the exception of Mata Nui for obvious reasons, the armor of every Glatorian, Agori, and Skrall is worn down by constant exposure to the elements and covered with cracks reminiscent of Carlos D'Anda's artstyle.
307* VindicatedByHistory: Pohatu was the worst-selling of the Toa Mata. Apparently, kids didn't like brown-colored characters, though the fact that he didn't come with any prominent weapons besides foot extensions and a LEGO boulder hardly helped. Later renditions of the character (along with other stone characters) made a point to give him a "cooler" look and better weapons. Adult fans revisiting the series have since fully embraced Pohatu and expressed appreciation for all the quirks of his design, like his upside-down body piece and the foot extensions as well as his NiceGuy personality.
308* {{Wangst}}: Vakama in ''Legends of Metru Nui''. Oh god, how much he angsts... He's also like this for much of ''Web of Shadows'', but he gets over it by the end of the film.
309* TheWoobie:
310** Krika, of all characters. Yes, a Makuta is now a Woobie. He doesn't agree with the Plan and rebels whenever he can, but only goes along with it because he feels that it's all he can do. After going to Karda Nui, the Pit Mutagen in the swamp locks him into a monstrous form and robs him of so many powers that he needs to absorb heat and energy just to prevent himself from fading away. He specifically notes to Tahu that Makuta hate Toa because they're everything that the Makuta wish that they could be, and when he realizes that Teridax plans to kill them all, he tries to warn his fellow Makuta and gets killed in a truly [[DeaderThanDead horrific way]].
311** The first two Toa of Air introduced, Lewa and Matau. The former constantly has his village destroyed and gets mind-controlled twice, in addition to the nasty situation of having Tren Krom pull a GrandTheftMe on him, while the latter gets brought down HARD in the second year of Adventures when the first part of Metru Nui they revisit is the now-wrecked Le-Metru, and then he gets mutated into an ugly beast, a curse that he, in particular, is quite disturbed by considering how obsessed he is with his looks. Then after all the (admittedly not unearned) vitriol Matau throws Vakama's way, Vakama snaps and pulls a FaceHeelTurn, prompting Matau to feel quite guilty about being so hard on him. And as a Turaga, he gets mind-controlled and forced to help mind-control Lewa and suffers the same destruction of his new home.
312** And Lesovikk, ''another'' Toa of Air. He lost his entire team to Zyglak ''just because he hesitated'', his Turaga went mad and shipped his Matoran friends off to Karzahni, and he spent thousands and thousands of years trying to get them back, failing every time. He was such a FailureKnight that, for the better part of '''100,000 years''', he didn't even consider himself a Toa.
313** As Wangsty as Vakama can come across, there's no denying that he goes through a lot of crap during his time as a Toa, in addition to the universe slapping him across the mask whenever he doubts himself, especially when he gets overconfident and then brought down HARD during the second half of Adventures.
314** Savage, a minor Dark-Hunter who is a Toa Hordika that was never cured and was attacked by his team when they didn't recognize him.
315** Matoro from Inferno onwards. [[spoiler:He offered himself in place of Jaller as a sacrifice when the Ignika tested them, reasoning that the others were craftsmen or warriors, while he was just a translator, so his loss would be the least detrimental. This later foreshadowed his true HeroicSacrifice, which just made it all the sadder because he was indeed much more important, to everyone, than he had thought.]]

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