Tahu and Takua | LEGO Bionicle 40581 Early Review 

As a bionicle fan for most of my life, this definitely isn’t a proper return for bionicle, but I’m very happy with this as a tribute to bionicle’s legacy. I definitely want to get my hands on this set although due to how it’s being released I’m not sure if I’ll be able to. I’m just happy to see bionicle acknowledged more than anything

Takua was actually possible to build in 2001 by combining a McDonald's toy and one of the blind mask packs. He is also the main character in a couple video games.

As a long time Bionicle fan, I think this is a nice tribute set. Sure, it’s not using the original build system and Tahu’s design is not nearly as detailed as his original form, however, I think this could be a step in the right direction for the future of Bionicle. In fact, rebooting Bionicle with the Mixels build system could open the door to a lot more possibilities with the theme. Of course we’d have to get custom mask molds, modified tile armor molds, torso molds, hand and weapon molds, etc.; but Lego fans could use bricks from their collection to create more cool designs. Not to mention with Bionicle Titans, you could make some huge characters with the larger ball & socket joint parts for the smaller Toa/Glatorians to face off against (like a Vezon and Kardaz situation from the Ignika wave).

This looks like they took a Bionical and a Mixel and made them do unspeakable things. As a Mixels fan myself, I actually like it. I’ll take any Mixel like thing I can get my hands on

You're absolutely correct about the little easter egg, although it's more closely based on how the legend appeared in the Mata Nui online game

I am a huge Bionicle fan, even with it still being my favorite theme for many years now. I'm certainly delighted to see something substantial again with Bionicle and I'm hoping this means we'll get at least a few more sets of some iconic characters

My heart still aches for Bionicles ever since their discontinuation. Still have my red, black, and blue Rahkshi, I have few others but those three are my childhood.

Oh man, I gotta get this. Bionicle will always have a special place in my heart. We lost my brother when I was about 12, and it was obviously really hard on everyone. One of my cousins took us to Walmart the week after it happened and got us a bunch of Bionicle and the Bionicle movie (Mask of Light) to keep us distracted. Building those sets and disappearing into Mata Nui for a few hours was a great way to pass the time those first few months. I recently got back into LEGO as an adult, and you just reminded me that I need to see if there's still any of these lying around at my parents.

The reason Takua was included was because in the early years of Bionicle he was used as the audience surrogate. He was the player character in the video games Quest for the Toa and The Mata Nui Online Game and in later stories he played the role as the chronicler who would follow the Toa on their adventures and record what he saw, implying the adventures kids would read about the Toa were written and narrated by Takua. This all lead up to the events of Mask of Light (which was originally supposed to be the conclusion of the Bionicle saga) in which Takua graduates from being someone who simply records the Toa's adventures into a full-fledged Toa himself. The specific design of Takua in this set is interesting since it's based on his 2001 design (the throwing disk makes that clear) which was never officially released as a set by Lego but the design was used in various Bionicle media including the aforementioned video games and some guidebooks.

I grew up with BIONICLE. Got every set from both generations, and know the lore by heart. As a tribute to BIONICLE, I can't wait for this set.

This set will be available as a gift with purchase from LEGO.com and official LEGO Brand Stores with orders of City, Monkie Kid, Ninjago, Friends, Classic , DOTS, or Creator 3-in-1 sets exceeding £90, $100 or €100 starting on January 27th.

If they continue the Bionicle line, I really hope they don’t keep making them brick-built or have the printed faces. It doesn’t feel like Bionical when they do that. But alas, this was a great set and I hope to see more of it in the future. (If they even make more Bionical sets).

I like it. It's a nice service for the die-hard fans and a nostalgia trip. I think it's sort of a way to clearly say "we're not bringing it back in full, but this is for all the fans that grew up with Bionicle", like a dedication of sorts

Being a bionicle fan as far back as the original series, this truthfully brings a tear to my eyes. It may not be the reboot I was looking for, but it captures the nostalgia perfectly and gives me something that the younger me couldn't properly appreciate. Here's to hoping they bring back bionicle in its original glory, or at least release the older sets

Recently picked one up, and in all honesty, I got pretty emotional when I had it in my hand. It just made me feel like a little kid again.

I loved that Bionicle movie as a kid lol, super funny to see this set "TAKUUUUUAAA"

Honestly this is a great way to bring back bionicle for a last time Its a mix of both types of sets and it shows just how far lego has come It sure as heck aint propper for a bionicle set But it aint ment to be a full on new set Just a nice knick knack for bionicle fans

Seeing a new Bionicle set after all this time gives me so much childhood joy!

So on one hand, I'm crying over this set even existing, but on the other, you're completely right in it not exactly capturing the feeling of old Bionicle. The thing is though, it's a step forward after years of what felt like nothing, and every step forward brings hope that it could come back, I'm ecstatic.

This was such a good review. I really really appreciate all the effort you put into understanding the history behind the figures. Dude didnt need to see the movie and all that. But you put in the effort and it comes across in the review. Great work!

While I’m not a Bionicle fan at all, as I was more into Hero Factory & other system based sets at the time like Lego Agents, Pharaoh’s Quest, & Atlantis, I’m glad fans of this theme have something to look forward to.

I feel like this is both a tribute to the fans and a market test to see what people think. They may take a look at the feedback and make adjustments before deciding whether or not to relaunch the theme.

Bionicle evolved significantly in its design philosophy throughout its initial 10 year run, not to mention the evolution of constraction sets as a whole. I do wish they had found a way to include some more mechanical detailing, and especially improve the mask, but Lego is generally a lot more smoothed out nowadays than it was 20 years ago. I think it's a very nice tribute, with some excellent easter eggs. I'm just happy that it got some real recognition besides some stickers or prints in various sets (which are great in their own right, of course).

I love this set! I just wish it wasn't a gift with purchase 😭

I won’t lie I would buy an entire line of bionicles styled like that

I love Bionicle as a kid and I still do. While it isn’t what I’d like to hav as a comeback to Bionicle, it still brings a smile to my face that LEGO is at least acknowledging Bionicle after the franchise being pushed aside for many years and seemingly forgotten. I really do hope they do bring it back with updated Bionicle pieces so they don’t crack if you breathe on them.

Man, I really wish this wasn't a gift with purchase set and that I could just buy it by itself.

When I was about 6 or 7, these sets were my favorites. I remember always going to the store to buy a bionicle set. It’s really sad thats LEGO never kept going with the series. But this set just makes me happy. Thank you so much for reviewing this set man, and also trying to bring back an amazing old series to. Amazing video!!

i kind of like the brick build because there wasn't really a way to make backgrounds for Bionicle's, there were no technic pieces that could be used for background purposes. Having it brick built opens up some more options.

I love the foreward by Greg Farstey. Getting him to come back to write it is just the cherry on top (he was the main writer for most of the media works, for those who don't know. He didn't direct the overall story to my knowledge, but he was still the one who put it to page). It's not really a "return" to Bionicle, it's a tribute. And in that light, I think it's beautiful.

As a bionicle fan i like how some research / investigation was took in order for this video to exist / be made also i am thankfull for it as it shows that it picked interest and was not like "yeah lets just review it and whatever", so thanks 😸👍

Personally the set reminds me of some of the scenes in the Comics where the Toa were farther away and more blocky looking and I hope we get more sets like this

I think it's a really neat little shout-out set and it's definitely made with passion, and it's a hell of a lot better than just getting a sticker as an easter egg in a random ninjago set or something, but like you said even as a non-Bionicle fan it's clear that it's lost a lot of the character the original 2001 version had by smoothing away all the detail. It's cool but it's definitely not the triumphant return a lot of people were wanting. I do think a system based Bionicle theme could work, especially with all the new smaller parts we have today, but I'd want something closer to the Lego Ideas project you showed. For what it is though, and as a proper acknowledgement of Bionicle finally, this set is really cool to see and I kinda have to get it just to show some love. Really wish it wasn't a GWP set though

7:42 That's a nice t-shirt you're wearing!!! ;) Love the history and lore even if you did all the research into to make the video I am now more informed about a small portion of Bionicle than I was before.

I'm like 99% sure that this is the guy from Lego Masters season 2. You guys were my favorite team in the whole series!! Still feel very strongly that you guys deserved the win. Bionicle is what got me into Lego when I was young. I grew up with every new iteration and collected the comic books for years. This brick built one is neat, I hope that do all 6 Toa!

I, and my childhood, are so sad that this'll probably be the only Bionicle set like this. I'd buy an entire line of sets like this :(

as a non-bionicle fan myself, i think the set looks very good for display, especially the box, idk what it is about it, but it appeals to me a lot

Just for the record, I am a bionicle fan and form most of my childhood and it made me who I am today. And seeing this new set commemorating the perseverance of the fan trying to get this franchise back is exhilarating and incredible. :P When looking at this set, you have to consider that all of the mold that were used to produce Bionicle set pieces at Lego were destroyed. Plus, they probably didn't want to make it to pricey since most fans attempts to bring Bionicle back on lego ideas had failed mostly because they were way too expansive. So, they did the best they could with what lego pieces they had on hand and the result is wonderful... Thank you Lego!!

wow i cant believe it has been 20 years since bionicle. i loved these as a kid.

It's definitely not quite what the original went for, but it still manages to capture the general spirit of the "constr-action" lines with the focus being articulation, character, and even managing to sneak in a proper play feature. And if that little bonus build is anything to go by, we might be seeing more eventually.

As someone who grew up with Bionicle from the start, I'm really liking this. Shame he isn't a retail release.

As much as I’m not a huge fan of Technic intense sets, they still exist. I would love to see some sort of true return to Bionicle with more Technic and less round normal bricks. We’ve already seen Lego and Lego fans can make some really cool stuff with random pieces, so I’d love to see what they can officially do for Bionicle. Even if the joints don’t squeak horrendously

If they did a cheaper price point focused line of bionicles built just like this but with special molded mask and accessory parts I think that it could be a great way for bionicle to return!

Meh he looks fine. I just like, don't need Bionicle back. I followed it since basically the beginning, and I love those memories. But I don't need new sets.

It might not be what I would have hoped for, this is still really nice though. When I first clicked on this video, I thought you had gotten your hands on something old, but I was pleasantly surprised it is a new product!

Lets be honest. If lego released a polybag with all the mask prints from original bionicle people would buy that like hotcakes and make some crazy mocs of brick built bionicle figures.

Been a Bionicle Fan since the Beginning seeing anything at all related to Bionicle is very welcome it's been a while since I've gotten any lego for myself so definitely gonna grab some. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.

It isnt exactly what I wanted but it makes me happy that LEGO still remembers BIONICLE and wants us to remember too

The movie is based on the second generation of Bionicle. This set is mostly based on the very first generation which is more iconic through "Mata Nui Online game", which is a MYST inspired point and click adventure hosted on the LEGO website back then (still accessible today thanks to fan efforts). As a kid, this game made me fall in love with Bionicle. I haven't had any interest in any generation of Bionicle going forward. I still vividly remember turning the page on a catalogue to see the new Toa, and feeling very upset that I wasn't able to collect them all before it was too late.

Im a millenial grewing up with the first 2 waves of bionicle. It was a BIG thing back then for me. Like a VERY BIG. I still remember the day when the first wave came out.... i stood up 3 hours earlier cuz i was in FULL BELIEVE they will be sold out in 10 minutes. So i had to wait at least 30 minutes before the supermarket opened (Hey, i was a dumb child full of hype, leave me alone) Ofc i was alone there and the shelfs was full of it... no one except me cared. It took me 2.5-3 hours to decide which one will be my first. It was Onua (the black one with the claws). Over time i got all of them.... but man.... i remember this day despite i being over 22 years in the past now. Good old times. So yea.-... this is kinda hype for me. Lots of nostalgic feelings towards it. I want to order something big from Lego, but i wait for this being the GWP. Very excited.

I personally wish Lego incorporated a few Technic gears as texturing. A little quirk of a lot of Bionicles was the mechanical/organic hybrid, so having things like tiny pistons or gears to make Tahu feel more cybernetic would've helped a lot. But, I can't complain since this feels like the only hope of Bionicle actually resurrecting. Maybe if Lego just re-released all the old sets but with bricks and had a centralized webcomic to keep the story in one easily accessible spot, we could see the rest of the story unfold as it should've. The Barra Magna arc was so incredibly rushed due to Bionicle's cancellation, and a re-release would give us the opportunity for the story to unfold at a better pace.

When I was younger bionicle was what got me into Lego and I was totally obsessed with it. I think this is definitely a nice tribute to the theme and it looks pretty good for the obvious limited budget and constraints for a gwp. I feel like a lot of complaints I’ve seen are about the mask but unless they scaled it up a lot I don’t see how they would be able to make a nice looking brick built one and obviously they were never going to make a new mold for a one off set like this.

While Takua was only in one set, the character later becomes known as Takanuva, and shows up in a few more sets under that name, with a different appearance of course.

As a GWP set, this is awesome. I'd be more critical if it was actually Gen 3, but I can't complain about a freebie that does capture some of the charm of the original

I'm a huge Bionicle fan, I am ecstatic about this! Its iconic, its creative and uses new building techniques that weren't there for the original, and as a huge fan of the lore, all the little details of it really show a tremendous amount of heart. As a homage to the series, I don't think I could be happier, especially since they were trying to recreate the old feel with what they currently had

This is definitely a great tribute. I love it and I'm glad lego did it.

As some one who grew up on a good few Bionicle sets growing up. I hope Lego group can make couple of the characters from Bionicle stars toy line. The few characters in Stars are some of the most iconic in the franchise.

I have Bionicle: Mask of Light on VHS. I loved watching it when I was a kid.

I still have my bionicles. They're in a storage shed in a single container. Six Boderocks, six vizaracks, and several others from across the years. Including the first ones. Untouched for many many years.

I pray we someday get a rerelease of the original bionicles. This is awesome.

this as good as it was gonna be with the limitations of a gwp set. the smoother and simplified look is something we've actually seen before in the web animations, so its feels more familiar to those than the original sets. as a die hard fan what i love about the package is it shows an understanding key elements of what made bionicle unique (that bionicle G2 in comparison steralized), which was something i was afraid the lego group lost. buildable robot action figure (the figures) + unique juxtaposition of organic and technology in the iconography (box & lava stand) + and emersive world (the stones & instructions) = bionicle. it gives me confidence of a system styled reboot, as long as they didn't color lock the joints and are allowed room for new molds. the masks are good for gwp, but ideally i'd want something more 3D for a retail set.

“Now that’s a name I have not heard in a long time….. a long time.”

I was a “test kid” in Denmark for the OG bionicle and that very much awoke my love for Lego! I think the set is a bit off at first glance. However, the nostalgia around those two characters are great and the fact that they didn’t just remake bionicle in technic I believe a really good choice. 🤗

Part of me loves this as a showpiece set. I know that there is almost no chance the original molds still exist for the masks, but man do I wish we got just one more from this.

I'm not a bionicle guy either, but I happy to see LEGO bringing revisiting a lot of old set with gwp

I love Bionicle! I was there for the original when it first came out,Mask of Light and so on. While Im very happy that there in some way bringing back Bionicle,this doesn't feel like Bionicle to me,and i mean the look of the figures. Each figure looked so unique and they actually looked very robotic like.

Ik I'll get hate but this is what i always wanted bionicle to be. You loose the action figure-ness by adding alot more and smaller pieces but man the ability to go wild with imagination on every stud on every appendage, you can cram way more detail and customization into a way smaller space, leading to higher fidelity and opening the door to awesome new building techniques and mocs in this new genre of lego!

Bionicles were my childhood. I am so happy to see them back

Takua is actually the original Main character of the Bionicle franchise, being the Protagonist of the Mata Nui Online game that launched the entire Bionicle multimedia franchise. Though his iconic blue mask was only revealed toward the end of the original year of Bionicle.

I think this is a perfect tribute set. Could of asked for more and it is more than expected. I never would have guessed they would have made Takua.

I'm just happy that we're being recognized.

BIYONICKLES! 😲😲😲

I really want them to sell sets like this. Maybe just the larger figs sold solo to keep this exclusive.

I love how the set looks! I grew up on BIONICLE, was close enough to it to recall each year of my childhood by which BIONICLE sets were out at the time. Honestly, it's been so long since LEGO has pulled off a "serious" action-figures theme, and I think more stuff like this would be a good compromise if it were budget-friendly. Thanks for the review!

This isn't the triumph return, BUT this is acceptable and appreciated

honestly my only problem is the mask, if they had just done some sort of smaller mold like the original this would have been a 10/10

I started with hero factory and never got the original Bionicles, but I remember having so much fun combing hero factory pieces with the newer Bionicle sets to make them bigger and cooler. I really hope they bring back the theme because it gives me so much nostalgia.

This is a nostalgia set, its made for the fans who have long since grown old, and it warms my hearth.

Bionicle fans be like Lego doesn't do anything: "Lego doesn't care about bionicle how dare they" Lego makes a tribute: "Lego doesn't care about bionicle how dare they" It's honestly frustrating to me that a group of people expect Lego to bring back old, likely lost molds for a single set because "it's not bionicle if it's brick-built". Lego's endgame with construction was and always has been to integrate it with system. Lego now has the tools they need to do that with new joints and pieces. They don't need a dedicated system like the old post-technic or ccbs pieces anymore. Bionicle taught Lego important lessons on how to operate story-based themes along with how to market stuff in a multimedia manner. Those lessons remain used even today: the success of Ninjago is because of what was learned with bionicle. But Lego is currently massive and financial secure, and Bionicle was born of desperation. I think this is a cute little tribute, and I hope it inspires people to make new things like how the 90 Years of Play Tahu did.

Great review! So great to finally see this set in the flesh. Your criticism about the model appearing to be a little too smooth is exactly my thought from the outside looking in. It simplifies Bionicle to being a small set that strikes me as a juiced-up X-Pod set. I wasn't expecting this version to be as small as it was next to Tahu, that comparison was really helpful! As others have said below, this is a great tribute to the theme, and plenty enough for me, but in my opinion it's also pretty clear that this is likely the only Bionicle set we'll see in the foreseeable future. And there's nothing wrong with that! I just can't wait to get this set for myself and try to part out all the other Toa and Matoran!

Oh boy. I still have a backpack chockfull of bionicle pieces back at my parents house. I remember that the pieces thay would connect the limbs of the toas to the main body are the ones giving away the most due to age and my younger years of playing. I would love to get my hands on this set.

I think what made bionicle so popular was the large amount of lore you could, I always love reading the comic books that came with the Lego magazines.

Am I the only one who loves the fact, that Lego knows that now bionicle is not for kids anymore, and not a fighting toy, but rather a display peace.

Well I have been on the Bionicle subreddit for a while and they are pretty thrilled about this. Most statements I have seen are along the lines of "if they made the whole team I'd buy it" sure most also agree that it's not what they would have wanted but far better than nothing

Takua and Pewku was my favorite set growing up as a kid. I'm from Maryland, and most of us practically worship crabs - so to have a robotic Lego crab of my own was a joy. Kidding aside, I loved the Bionicle sets. It was my whole personality for a good chunk of time between Star Wars movies when I was young. Takua was a Matoran that would eventually inherit the Mask of Life - and became Takanua. I still have my Takanua figure, and it is my favorite mask from the early series.

Really glad you done your research before doing this review, I enjoyed it as big Bionicle fan. I'm also very happy with the model as it is still a GWP with it's limitations. Having prints in a GWP is already a nice bonus.

That price is ridiculous… jeez. I was a huge bionicle fan. I still have almost every set. I got the first 6 still in their containers, Takua with his crab, even the original DVDs from back then… BUT I won’t spend 100 bucks for that :/

Outside of being a huge Bionicle lore nerd, I also just love this set for its simple but effective robot build. It's not huge with too much junk sticking off of it, but it still has knees and elbows and a waist/ab joint. Even if it isn't for a Bionicle G3, I would love to see more buildable figures in this small but highly posable style.

I always hope that Lego will bring back bionicle, but I honestly don't know how they ever could other than just literally making the exact same pieces and sets a second time, and its probably safe to say they'll never do that. Bionicle is so unique that you can't reboot it (as we learned when they tried to lol), it was a one-time lightning in a bottle. That said, I will definitely be buying this set, even if its not really bionicle. Now that I'm an adult with disposable income theres no one to stop me from getting in on the limited time sets

I remember the first time playing with bionicle when I was 4 or 5 when I think bionicle was fading out ,I want to experience the same way as kids from 2001

I had a few Bionicle sets, still have them built! Never a huge fan but definitely had some interesting pieces.

BRB, ordering Tahu original Bionicle on Bricklink. Thanks for the reminder

My biggest gripe is that it's a gift with purchase and not just a set

I actually like the idea of brick built bionicle sets more than the originals. I was never allowed to get them as a kid, and brick built sets have always been my favorite.

This is def a promo shout-out vs. an actual return. BIONICLE was my big lego theme as a kid, it def was definitive for me since I was peak age group for it when it was released. I don't personally want BIONICLE to really return, not if its not going to be treated with the same vigor as G1 or Ninjago, but I still want this promo set. Personally, I wouldn't like an actual line in this style for release because it's kinda clunky, but it has charm as a shout-out.

As a Bionicle fan as a kid, this is a slap in the face.

Wow I remember going to my grandpas home and playing with the older bioncals

Bionicle theme correlates deeply into the lore that being it's pieces and classic shapes if Lego can pull that of with bricks none is lost. Also soo glad Lego is finally paying attention and respect to such a iconic theme/story

Haven't bought Legos in almost a decade. Loved bioncle growing up, definitely buying some Legos in February for that Tahu set.

I’ve never been into Bionicle before, but I honestly want to get this set!