Some LEGO fans thought it would never happen—some people didn't want it to happen. Yet some continued to hold out hope, and, after a LONG wait, their dreams have finally come true. LEGO is releasing a new Bionicle set!

40581 Bionicle Tahu and Takua, provided to BrickNerd by LEGO

Say hello to 40581 Bionicle Tahu and Takua, the first Bionicle set released in seven years. It will be available starting January 27th with LEGO purchases of around $100. But why is this set being released now? What does this mean for Bionicle fans? And is there more to come or will we have to wait for another seven years for the next Bionicle set?

Bionicle Reborn

Let’s quickly tackle the most blaring observation—this is a Bionicle set made of LEGO System pieces. In that regard, it is more of a tribute set than a full-fledged reboot, but it is a celebration of the Bionicle community and an attempt to recognize the long-lasting effect of the theme.

Greg Farshtey, one of the main writers of the original Bionicle story, says this about the new set in the instruction manual: “This special set is not only a tribute to the Bionicle heroes—it's a thank you to the legions of fans who have kept the spirit of Bionicle alive for more than 20 years.”

But why this set and why now? If you recall back in 2021, we posted about a LEGO Ideas fan vote to create a 90th-anniversary set based on a winning theme. While Bionicle seemed to be performing well in the polls, Castle won out and resulted in the stunningly huge 10305 Lion’s Knight Castle. That was accompanied by 10497 Galaxy Explorer and several smaller throwback Gifts With Purchase sets (GWPs) including the 40567 Forest Hideout and 40580 Blacktron Cruiser.

LEGO’s GWP team actually sparked this Bionicle set, asking the simple question that many others had been asking—Castle and Space got their 90th-anniversary sets, so where is Bionicle!? That began a process and things started falling into place way, and according to the team, it went better than expected because of the passion for Bionicle of some of the team members working on it. We’ll get back to the design team shortly.

LEGO Bionicle 8534 Tahu standing next to 40581 Bionicle Tahu and Takua

In this side-by-side shot of 8534 Tahu and the new GWP set, you can see that the scale and pieces are smaller, but the heart of the original is still there. Yes, it would have been great to have some sort of new molded mask, but a unique print opens up future possibilities to Bionicle builders and collectors alike. The colors and overall shaping along with the selection of some nice pieces really evoke the original. Even made of System bricks, you can tell this set was created with care.

To address the elephant in the room, no this set is not leading into an entire Bionicle reboot. It is a simple one-off tribute to the lasting legacy that Bionicle has not only with fans but internally with designers and LEGO team members. Maybe in the future if the stars align there will be other opportunities to bring Bionicle back for another run, but it is nice to have confirmation that Bionicle still lives in the DNA of modern LEGO constraction sets and in the minds of designers too.

Concepts for Constraction

A few weeks ago, BrickNerd chatted with the two designers of the set, Nico Vás and Niek van Slagmaat. Though they may be more invested in Galidor, their love for Bionicle was palpable. They both shared how they bring their passion for Bionicle into the design of many sets they currently create across many themes.

LEGO designers Nico Vás and Niek van Slagmaat. Image via the LEGO Ambassador Network.

Nico summed up nicely the way the theme finds its way into his design process: “The Bionicle universe was open and inspired you to make your own riffs on those things—that's something I am constantly trying to bring into the things that I work on here.”

Near-final set sketch with hand-drawn details

Tahu Moc by another designer using Sccbs

Along with showing many different concepts for the set, they also talked about the legacy of Bionicle appearing throughout LEGO’s current portfolio. For example, Ninjago has had System mechs for years and recently Marvel action figures and mechs have become popular sets among fans. Both themes have been at the forefront of bringing a surge of new pieces that help build better mechs and action figures.

These sets are built using the SCCBS (System Character and Creature Building System) which is a blueprint of sorts created by Niek using a modular system with a limb and shell system for small-scale mechs. This is similar to the way CCBS was created for Hero Factory as an evolution of Bionicle, making it easier to blend constraction and System.

For example, LEGO Marvel has multiple action figure sets that are really pushing System figures even further than before, perhaps not in terms of lots of new parts, but in what LEGO and builders alike are capable of with system pieces.

Tributes and Tribulations

I think that this System-built Bionicle set is a good tribute—anything is better than nothing! I may have a different view on Bionicle than most hardcore fans because I didn’t follow the story and lore of Bionicle—I was also born after the original sets were released so I just played with them as a kid and still like to build cool figures with the unique pieces.

Looking back, Bionicle has without a doubt left one of the greatest legacies of any LEGO theme. It lives on through countless fans, designers, and sets alike in the community and in the DNA of LEGO mechs and action figures.

Bionicle also lives on in today’s sets in a different way: through easter egg references by the set designers. For example, there are multiple Bionicle logos dotted around the City of Lanterns, last year’s Monkie Kid set, there’s a Tahu mask in the Hidden Side fire truck—and even the Galaxy Explorer has a (very obscure) Bionicle reference!

Although the theme may have ended, many designers love to share their love for the theme in what they design, and I think great appreciation can be taken in that. LEGO may be taking a different direction than the original Bionicle theme, but sometimes change sparks new creativity.

So instead of dwelling on what could have been, I think we should be keen on capitalizing on what we are given and creatively exploring those new avenues… and this System Bionicle set is a perfect example of what that evolution looks like.

DISCLAIMER: This set was provided to BrickNerd by LEGO. Any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.

What do you think of the different Bionicle concepts? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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