Bionicle 2016 Story Discussion & Rumors

[Lyichir]

I think there are ways the G1 and G2 universes could be tied together, even via the Mask of Time, that wouldn't result in either continuity becoming dependent on the other. I mean, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are an "alternate universe" version of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, yet you don't have to know what was different about the original games to understand the new ones. There is just an allusion in a post-game scene to the fact that there's another world where changes in the distant past (specifically, the war that created Mega Evolution never happening) made things happen differently. The Legend of Zelda games also tend to do a good job alluding to other games or even other timelines with other versions of the characters without requiring you to know all the details of what happened in those games/timelines.

I understand that. I wouldn't be opposed to that. But I was referring specifically to the post I replied to which described a crisis-like scenario where the G1 and G2 universes were merged by putting both universe's Masks of Time together. That is exactly the sort of convoluted crap that I had been hoping for the story to AVOID—a terrible crossover scenario that completely and irreparably destroys the independence of both universes by merging them together.

Edited December 30, 2015 by Lyichir

[Aethersprite]

I think an Easter egg like this to connect both universes in some small way is nice fanservice, but I think it should remain as such. It's not excessive, and hopefully Lego doesn't pander it out too much to link both timelines together.

[Zenerius]

Inb4 the Mask of Ultimate Power is the Mask of Time, which broke in half into two pieces when Ekimu attacked Makuta.

Vakama DID use 6 elemental disks to make the Vahi, so....

Edited January 2, 2016 by Zenerius

[Lyichir]

Inb4 the Mask of Ultimate Power is the Mask of Time, which broke in half into two pieces when Ekimu attacked Makuta.

Vakama DID use 6 elemental disks to make the Vahi, so....

Huh. That's actually a much better theory than the many theories I've seen that the MoUP is one half or the other of the Mask of Time (which would imply not only that the mask was originally incomplete but that completing it was forbidden). Still, I don't know how likely it is—the fact that the Protectors even know what the Mask of Time is would seemingly imply that it was forged while Ekimu was still there to guide them. Also, the Temple of Time, which seems designed to house the mask, is allegedly the oldest place on Okoto—if the Mask of Time's creation was so recent, that wouldn't seem to make sense (unless one half of the MoUP went BACK in time when it was shattered).

Edited January 2, 2016 by Lyichir

[Zenerius]

I like the idea of the MoUP going back in time once being broken; I wonder how the Toa will find the other half... The parallels between the MoUP and the Mask of Time seemed too coincidental, so I wonder if we're on to something.

Edited January 2, 2016 by Zenerius

[GK733]

I don't have the book, as I can't bloody get it anywhere for a reasonable price at least so I'm stuck with people describing it. But what I've read puts the theory of MoUP being the Mask of Time into rest.

According to someone who read the revenge of the skullspiders: "It was mostly just stuff about how the whole prophecy came to pass. During the "Festival of Masks" the Ekimu sights the legendary creatures, and takes their appearance as an omen. In response, he puts on the mask of time and uses it to see into the future and see the great cataclysm that destroyed / changed the islands geography and created the six regions, and knowing this event would come to pass he talks the protectors about how they will need to summon the six Toa"

This to me alone tells that the mask of Time has been crafted long ago before the MouP so they certainly aren't the same.

Edited January 2, 2016 by GK733

[Zenerius]

This to me alone tells that the mask of Time has been crafted long ago before the MouP so they certainly aren't the same.

I suppose so, but like we said a piece of the mask might have traveled back in time when Ekimu attacked Makuta.

[ToaDraco]

Some interesting theories for sure. I wouldn't be opposed to a g1-g2 connection via 2 halves of the Vahi but I think they'll just do some hints here and there and let the fans fill in the gaps how they may, which is pretty cool. It's also possible that if the line continues after the 3 year arc, the Vahi might be the next big, important mask. If that means we get a 2-piece mask in set form, half in one year and half the following year, I am all for it!

[Dr_Chronos]

The Bionicle site has updated with some new info. Umarak's page is intriguing:

"Millennia ago, when the Elemental Creatures came into being, the shadows gave birth to a terrible fiend whose sole purpose was to hunt the Creatures, to trap and bind them in darkness and drain them of power. He is known among the Protectors as Umarak, which in their tongue means ‘Shadow Hunter’. They fear him greatly and pray that the Toa will be strong enough to confront him. Should the Hunter ever track down the Elemental Creatures, Okoto’s very foundation will be threatened with destruction."

So "Umarak" means "Shadow Hunter". Nice touch.

Edited January 11, 2016 by Dr_Chronos

[Dorek]

Lol Shadow Hunter. Well played.

Lots of good stuff, look forward to dissecting it all after work =P.

[Fulcrumfan91]

I especially like the creature descriptions. 1- gender neutral. 2-they are forces of nature, but they are peaceful....they're like the purest form of nature. They are not weaponized which I love...I think this is a creative concept for them. Rather than giving the Toa greater abilities (some still do...), the aim seems to be peace of mind, calm, valour, courage...so it's easing their minds...literally getting in touch with Nature. I really like this idea...it also allows for the story/mythology to be expanded upon.

[Shakar]

Umarak is not a creation of Makuta! Hooray!

I love how he's an ancient creature that naturally came into being, like the Creatures themselves. It's slightly similar to how I envisioned him to be- a spirit embodying the darkest side of nature. Probably the closest thing we'll get to a demon in BIONICLE, far more so than G2 Makuta himself actually. This makes him feel like a much more relevant and prominent villain, closer to being Makuta's equivalent rather than a minion of his, much like Karzahni or The Shadowed One in G1.

Theory time:

What if the Beasts are of similar nature and were born like Umarak was? Either they were born the same time as he did (and in the Summer arc he's going to free them), or he's going to create them from his essence, like Makuta's Rahkshi.

Either way, since the Beasts seem to represent natural disasters and Umarak seems to be a nature spirit like the Creatures (except evil), I feel he's linked to both groups, everyone belonging to a common family of nature spirits. That would add another race to Okoto:

-Villagers

-Toa

-Mask Makers

-"Nature Spirits"s

At this point, I'm also wondering if Makuta really did create the Mask of Ultimate Power or if he just managed to summon an evil spirit (that might or not be a cousin of Umarak's) by combining the elements together, which (the spirit) then used the Mask as a medium to physically manifest itself.

[GK733]

Here are some pics from the cache:

http://cache.lego.com/r/www/r/bionicle/content/images/background2016/2560.jpg?l.r=1450340028000

http://cache.lego.com/r/www/r/bionicle/-/media/franchises/bionicle%202014/explore/unity%20story/bio_page1.jpg?l.r2=-248474711

http://cache.lego.com/r/www/r/bionicle/-/media/franchises/bionicle%202014/explore/unity%20story/bio_page2.jpg?l.r2=-1841746957

http://cache.lego.com/r/www/r/bionicle/-/media/franchises/bionicle%202014/explore/unity%20story/bio_page3.jpg?l.r2=1530093787

[Bbrink1996]

The Labyrinth of Control reminds me of the Apeture Science Facility from Portal in that picture. :P

And I like how the Creatures make the Toa greater in combat but don't give them actual new powers. They give them courage and wisdom and I like that. If Umarak is supposed to be the exact opposite of the peaceful Creatures as the new info implies then Umarak is going to be a beast!

[Shakar]

Also, the Toa bios have been tweaked to feel less comedic. No longer is Gali bad at telling jokes, Onua isn't a snoring sleepyhead anymore and Pohatu's overcome his fear of the dark.

But Kopaka's sense of direction is still bad, and that's what matters.

Edited January 11, 2016 by Shakar

[Timeline15]

Oho, I really like Umarak's description. Not only did it give a translation of his name, but it really makes him feel like a force of nature. Plus, the fact that he, the creatures, and the mask of time are all ancient, hints at a deeper history for Okoto before the great cataclysm, which is very welcome, as I thought the initial Makuta vs Ekimu legend seemed a bit lacklustre.

[Aanchir]

Also, the Toa bios have been tweaked to feel less comedic. No longer is Gali bad at telling jokes, Onua isn't a snoring sleepyhead anymore and Pohatu's overcome his fear of the dark.

But Kopaka's sense of direction is still bad, and that's what matters.

I think they're mostly tweaked to be shorter, above all else. After all, Onua's snoring is still mentioned in his product description, so it's not like LEGO is trying to downplay that part of his characterization. To be honest, I kind of dislike a lot of the changes on the updated site. Between the shortened Toa bios and the removal of the separate Story and Okoto sections in favor of a much less detailed "Explore" section, it feels like the amount of actual information on the site has decreased considerably.

[Dorek]

I think they're mostly tweaked to be shorter, above all else. After all, Onua's snoring is still mentioned in his product description, so it's not like LEGO is trying to downplay that part of his characterization. To be honest, I kind of dislike a lot of the changes on the updated site. Between the shortened Toa bios and the removal of the separate Story and Okoto sections in favor of a much less detailed "Explore" section, it feels like the amount of actual information on the site has decreased considerably.

I think part of that is that they're not really handholding leading into the second year, i.e. it's a sequel, so you're expected to have experienced the first year. The descriptions now are barebones to give a refresher for those coming back in, and the minimum for those new.

Of course, I'm sure this will change over time. The initial 2015 site was pretty rough. I'm at least hoping for a Weapons section, since those usually require... elaboration. And there's nothing detailing the best part of 2016, the Shadow Traps!

[Logan McOwen]

The descriptions for the creatures are exceedingly well written.

[Bbrink1996]

So a commercial for the 2016 winter wave has been released. It's really cool in my opinion but it's not in english so i've no idea what the narrator is saying. :/

Edited January 12, 2016 by Bbrink1996

[Toa of Gallifrey]

I'm glad the Creature descriptions are individual and not the same one over and over like it was for the Protectors.

[Quisoves Pugnat]

The descriptions for the creatures are exceedingly well written.

Yeah. Not what one expects to find on a website promoting toys. I do hope that LEGO takes notice of whichever employee is writing them.

[Dorek]

Related: My favorite part of the website update is that Okotoan is officially the adjective form.

[Vinyl Scratch]

So a commercial for the 2016 winter wave has been released. It's really cool in my opinion but it's not in english so i've no idea what the narrator is saying. :/

Love how the bow appears out of thin air. That CGI of Tahu and Ikir uniting was really damn amazing too. Epic.

[Ikaatril]

What if the Beasts are of similar nature and were born like Umarak was? Either they were born the same time as he did (and in the Summer arc he's going to free them), or he's going to create them from his essence, like Makuta's Rahkshi.

Either way, since the Beasts seem to represent natural disasters and Umarak seems to be a nature spirit like the Creatures (except evil), I feel he's linked to both groups, everyone belonging to a common family of nature spirits. That would add another race to Okoto:

-Villagers

-Toa

-Mask Makers

-"Nature Spirits"s

I'm actually curious as to whether the beasts are actually corruptions of the first wave's creatures. I.E. the Toa, instead of battling Umarak, try to talk it out, telling him he doesn't have to destroy the creatures, leading to him agreeing... and taking control of them via the Mask of Control, corrupting them into the beasts; potentially leading to far more destruction than if Umarak had simply destroyed the creatures; while also denying the Toa their unification with the creatures, and giving a reason for Ekimu to step in.