Bionicle 2016 Story Discussion & Rumors

[dviddy]

That would add another race to Okoto:

-Villagers

-Toa

-Mask Makers

-"Nature Spirits"

Besides the more intense magical abilities, have we seen anything to separate the mask makers as different "species" in the fantasy sense from the villagers?

[Dorek]

Besides the more intense magical abilities, have we seen anything to separate the mask makers as different "species" in the fantasy sense from the villagers?

I mean, no real confirmation either way. Beyond Ekimu's short stature, is there anything that necessarily means he's a villager?

Also, to the list of races, there's assorted other creatures (if we're classifying these nature spirits as a race), as well as whatever Skull Warriors originally were (and Skull Slicer, but possibly the same base).

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.

Given that Umarak isn't just some rando but in fact an ancient spirit himself, I'm more thinking the beasts will be something of the same sort, that he needs to go find for himself once he's been thwarted by the Toa in the first wave.

[The Outsider]

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.

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.

Seconded. These sound almost spiritual, which to me brings back some of the mystical feel of early G1.

I'm not sure if I like Ice being considered the purest element, though. In my opinion, unless it's some metaphysical element like light or ether, none should be above the others. Oh well, I guess they need an excuse for that 2-in-1...

And I think the Rahkshi analogy might work better with the Shadow Traps; it even fits Umarak's hidden function!

as well as whatever Skull Warriors originally were (and Skull Slicer, but possibly the same base).

Given that Umarak isn't just some rando but in fact an ancient spirit himself, I'm more thinking the beasts will be something of the same sort, that he needs to go find for himself once he's been thwarted by the Toa in the first wave.

Yeah, they never really explained where they came from, did they?

And I agree with your Creature theory. Though I have another possibility: he creates the Creatures after a power boost (maybe to have much-needed allies; maybe as a way to let go of excess energy and stay in control, unlike Makuta)

I also wonder where Makuta is in all of this. Is he in an uneasy alliance with Umarak or the Toa to get his mask back? Is he on his own? Is he just waiting in the sidelines, letting his enemies wear themselves out before he swoops in and takes the MoCo from the exhausted winner(s)?

[DraikNova]

I'm not sure if I like Ice being considered the purest element, though. In my opinion, unless it's some metaphysical element like light or ether, none should be above the others. Oh well, I guess they need an excuse for that 2-in-1...

I have to agree with you. It's kind of strange to say (what's not pure about fire? It's defined as an oxidation reaction. How exactly do you have impurities there?), and brings to mind yellow snow.

And I agree with your Creature theory. Though I have another possibility: he creates the Creatures after a power boost (maybe to have much-needed allies; maybe as a way to let go of excess energy and stay in control, unlike Makuta)

I don't think spoiler tags are necessary with speculation. Anyway, I like that idea. It's a nice way to subvert the "absorbs too much power and explodes" trope.

[Shakar]

Besides the more intense magical abilities, have we seen anything to separate the mask makers as different "species" in the fantasy sense from the villagers?

I think they're either a special sub-species to the Protectors or another "species" (better write it like this, good idea) entirely. While they could be villagers with an impressive knowledge of magic, they seem so much more powerful than them that I find it hard to believe that it's just a matter of knowledge. They can exist without a physical body, they can speak via telepathy while comatose and can easily defeat someone who is at least as strong as a Toa.

One theory I have is that Ekimu and Makuta belong to the ancestor race to the modern Okotoans (after a terrible disaster wiped their civiliztion away) and, as the last of their folk, the Great Beings equivalents gave them special Masks.

On the Beasts, I wasn't entirely convinced on them being corrupted Creatures but that could explain why they don't have names, create a decent amount of drama and explain why Ekimu feels the need to step in even after the upgrade he gave to the Toa. That would, however, mean that there's one single villain throughout the whole year. One thing I liked during G1's latter half was the wide cast of villains with varied personalities and I've yet to see that in G2. So I'd like if each Beast was a true villain with their own personality like Umarak and Makuta.

[Aanchir]

I think it's quite possible that Ekimu and Makuta are just more powerful Okoto islanders rather than a separate species or race. I mean, there are plenty of human characters in fiction and mythology who are immortal, magical, or super-powered, but still biologically human. Physically, the Mask Makers look extremely similar to other non-Mask-Maker characters like Narmoto, and the myths of Okoto generally seem to treat them as people (albeit highly-revered people) rather than deities or spirits.

In general, I'm kind of glad that Bionicle G2 has refrained from referring to its characters in terms of "species". It just seems like a very technical way to refer to characters, not really befitting of the mythic tone that Bionicle G2 has assumed.

[MakutaOfWar]

So, drained Toa masks. Again.

I see it now, Umarak The Destroyer incapacitates the Toa, Ekimu constructs prosthetic limbs to increase his height, gives his shield and mask a little paint-job, than assembles a melee weapon to use in an epic(sarcasm) 2 second scene where he; SMACKS UMARAK'S MASK OFF. Than makes replacement masks for the Toa. The end.

Wait, has this been done before?

[Tazakk]

So, drained Toa masks. Again.

I see it now, Umarak The Destroyer incapacitates the Toa, Ekimu constructs prosthetic limbs to increase his height, gives his shield and mask a little paint-job, than assembles a melee weapon to use in an epic(sarcasm) 2 second scene where he; SMACKS UMARAK'S MASK OFF. Than makes replacement masks for the Toa. The end.

Wait, has this been done before?

I somehow doubt they'd be too inclined to limit the final battle to a minute in a half when they aren't, you know, restricted by the format of 1:30 animatons.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Tazakk

[DuplexBeGreat]

So, based on the leaked images, I think it's pretty clear that the fan theories about the MoCo turning Umarak into a mindless beast were correct. While I personally was hoping that "the Destroyer" was a more regal/noble version of the Hunter--- like a sort of arrogant villain who believes he should rule to bring about a more "peaceful" world, or something like that--- that is sadly not the case. Instead, we get an Umarak who is on the same level as his new Beasts.

A few details that I wanted to point out--- Ekimu's right arm seems to be black-accented, while his left is gold-accented. I think this means Ekimu's been corrupted in some way, to the point where he has to fight the corruption to remain good.

The Mask that Ekimu is standing on kinda looks like Umarak the Hunter's Mask turned black. As I said in the Set Discussion: I really hope this leads to some sort of "redemption" story where the heroes must calm the rampaging Umarak the Destroyer by returning his Mask to him, turning him "good" and thus giving him our first complex villain story arc of G2!

As for the Corrupted Toa Masks... I'm not going to speculate on those. They turned out to be much less important in 2015 than we expected, so who knows what they'll do this time around.

[Logan McOwen]

Ekimu's right arm seems to be black-accented

I'm pretty his upper arms just have different bone pieces, like Onua's.

[Aethersprite]

So, based on the leaked images, I think it's pretty clear that the fan theories about the MoCo turning Umarak into a mindless beast were correct. While I personally was hoping that "the Destroyer" was a more regal/noble version of the Hunter--- like a sort of arrogant villain who believes he should rule to bring about a more "peaceful" world, or something like that--- that is sadly not the case. Instead, we get an Umarak who is on the same level as his new Beasts.

I doubt/hope that the Mask of Control doesn't turn Umarak into a "mindless beast". Rather, it could be that it's the mask itself that's in control of Umarak's body, i.e. the mask has a life of its own. Kind of like the Ignika creating its own body. Except here it's the mask controlling Umarak, because, you know, Mask of Control.

The Mask that Ekimu is standing on kinda looks like Umarak the Hunter's Mask turned black. As I said in the Set Discussion: I really hope this leads to some sort of "redemption" story where the heroes must calm the rampaging Umarak the Destroyer by returning his Mask to him, turning him "good" and thus giving him our first complex villain story arc of G2!

While I love a good redemption arc for a villain, Umarak's an evil spirit, "borne out of darkness". I highly doubt there's going to be any redeeming going on with him.

[DraikNova]

I kind of hope that Umarak isn't mindless or possessed in his Destroyer form. The contrast between his hulking brute look and a fairly normal (or, for maximum comedy points, pretentious and stuck-up) personality would be a good source of humor.

[Jetrax99]

It's come to my attention that while LEGO would have us believe that Makuta and Umarak are evil, they just aren't. Makuta is jealous and only wants some recognition for his work, and Umarak is simply hunting the creature as he was created to do.

That's hardly "evil" if you ask me.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Jetrax99

[Shakar]

Well, looking at the sets, I think this is what is going on:

-Umarak has managed to succesfully enslave the Creatures, and with Nature's elements running wild Okoto has turned into an apocalyptic wasteland.

-Ekimu creates a stronger body for himself to help the Toa defeat Umarak and free the Creatures.

-Now with Nature's elements and the Mask of Control under his possession, Umarak has turned himself into an incredibly powerful monster.

-To kill the Toa and Ekimu, Umarak creates three/an army of elemental monsters, the Beasts*.

Speculation about the ending:

-The Toa and Ekimu defeat the Beasts, free the Creatures and defeat Umarak.

-Okoto returns to normal.

-Makuta's spirit inside the Mask of Control crafts a new vessel for himself using Umarak's corpse or its leftover energy (his Winter 2017 set).

-Still weak, Makuta flees and vows to take the Mask of Ultimate Power for himself.

* The Beasts have Shadow Traps on their bodies, and the Shadow Traps are Umarak's offsprings. Plus the Beasts share some design cues with Umarak (trans neon green, crystal armour, etc), which implies their source of power is the same as Umarak's.

[Dorek]

I'm still not sure if I'm buying the whole "Makuta is inside the Mask of Control" thing. Not only was it lost (he wasn't even wearing it when he battled Ekimu), it was actually hidden away by the Elemental Creatures, which would be pretty pointless if Makuta was inside it/could still get inside it.

Obviously Makuta could still locate it after they retrieve it from the labyrinth, but I don't think they want him to be a direct part until 2017, so I dunno.

Also, still think these beasts are like Umarak, and born from shadows themselves.

[Quisoves Pugnat]

Makuta is jealous and only wants some recognition for his work,

Makuta is trying to enslave the island. That's a bit more than petty jealously.

Umarak is simply hunting the creature as he was created to do.

Umarak might not be evil, though we don't know that for certain. Regardless, his mission brings him into conflict with the Toa. After all, the cybermen in Doctor Who aren't at all malicious, but their goal is still evil.

[Jetrax99]

Makuta is trying to enslave the island. That's a bit more than petty jealously.

Umarak might not be evil, though we don't know that for certain. Regardless, his mission brings him into conflict with the Toa. After all, the cybermen in Doctor Who aren't at all malicious, but their goal is still evil.

It's been brought up before, but I'm with those who believe the MoUP is sentient and is the driving force behind the whole "enslave the island" deal.

[Vinyl Scratch]

All this talk about the Mask of Control and Makuta enslaving Okoto made me realize something.

And I'm going to go off the rails and speculate.

What if Makuta is not exactly Makuta? Umarak's bio mentions that he was born from the shadows. When he used the Mask of Ultimate Power, Makuta seemed possessed by something. Makuta was gone when he put on the mask, something took over him. So there's absolutely something else out there. Something far more terrible than Makuta lies there. Now, anyone else would say "Well, the Mask of Ultimate Power is alive and is controlling everything behind the scenes." But the Mask isn't alive. There's a difference between the Mask being alive and someone being trapped inside the mask. There's a reason that a Mask can't ever EVER have more than one elemental power. A sacred law. What if the reason for that is that there's something stuck inside the MoUP and Makuta freed that being when he made the Mask? Makuta is still unconscious. The TRUE Makuta. Ekimu's brother. What's left behind is a body possessed by whatever was stuck inside the mask, the "shadows." Controlling the Skull Creatures, giving Umarak orders, and he's in possession of the Mask of Ultimate Power.

TL;DR The Shadow was stuck inside the Mask of Ultimate Power, and Makuta inadvertently released it. The Shadow is the true antagonist of G2, Makuta is just a pawn, same as the Skull Creatures, the Beasts and Umarak.

Now to wait for someone to shoot this theory down easily by something I missed.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Vinyl Scratch

[Dorek]

All this talk about the Mask of Control and Makuta enslaving Okoto made me realize something.

And I'm going to go off the rails and speculate.

What if Makuta is not exactly Makuta? Umarak's bio mentions that he was born from the shadows. When he used the Mask of Ultimate Power, Makuta seemed possessed by something. Makuta was gone when he put on the mask, something took over him. So there's absolutely something else out there. Something far more terrible than Makuta lies there. Now, anyone else would say "Well, the Mask of Ultimate Power is alive and is controlling everything behind the scenes." But the Mask isn't alive. There's a difference between the Mask being alive and someone being trapped inside the mask. There's a reason that a Mask can't ever EVER have more than one elemental power. A sacred law. What if the reason for that is that there's something stuck inside the MoUP and Makuta freed that being when he made the Mask? Makuta is still unconscious. The TRUE Makuta. Ekimu's brother. What's left behind is a body possessed by whatever was stuck inside the mask, the "shadows." Controlling the Skull Creatures, giving Umarak orders, and he's in possession of the Mask of Ultimate Power.

TL;DR The Shadow was stuck inside the Mask of Ultimate Power, and Makuta inadvertently released it. The Shadow is the true antagonist of G2, Makuta is just a pawn, same as the Skull Creatures, the Beasts and Umarak.

Now to wait for someone to shoot this theory down easily by something I missed.

It's kind of six of one, half a dozen of the other, isn't it? Makuta MADE the mask. The mask (and whatever corresponding hypothetical entity we're talking about) didn't exist prior to Makuta making it. So whether something is inside the mask or is the mask itself ends up being more or less the same thing, since they were created at the same time.

But given how we see the elements are much more than just weather formations and mask powers at this point, the rule makes a lot more sense. The reason these creatures exist separately at all is to keep a balance, and is presumably the basis for Ekimu and Makuta's pact. Putting more than one Element (capital E) in a mask upsets the balance of Nature (capital N), and Makuta went and upset the balance of Nature to the sixth degree by doing all of them.

Of course, then there's the pseudo-seventh Element, Shadows, which exists basically as a Yang to Nature's Yin. If there's any sort of twist involving an entity pulling the strings, I think it makes more sense that this being is a manifestation of Shadows, similar to what Umarak is, and has always existed prior to the MoUP being made.

[Tazakk]

The comic from the beginning of the app looks like it might be assembled from assets or even screencaps of Journey to One. Looks like the Labyrinth of Control is on its own islet.

[Voxovan]

The comic from the beginning of the app looks like it might be assembled from assets or even screencaps of Journey to One. Looks like the Labyrinth of Control is on its own islet.

I don't think the comic uses screencaps from Journey to One. The graphics are too "blocky" and have less detail than what we've seen in the poster for the show.

[Bbrink1996]

The comic from the beginning of the app looks like it might be assembled from assets or even screencaps of Journey to One. Looks like the Labyrinth of Control is on its own islet.

Akida can levitate? :O

[One Very Agile Cat]

I don't think the comic uses screencaps from Journey to One. The graphics are too "blocky" and have less detail than what we've seen in the poster for the show.

Yeah, like look at Umarak: his chain link is just a picture of it on a square. Pretty sure these use in-game models.

Which makes me wonder, Tahu and Lewa flew there.... did Pohatu (and everyone else) swim? Is that why he's faceplanted?

Edited January 19, 2016 by One Very Agile Cat

[MrHerofan]

That's pretty cool to have the labyrinth be out on it's own island. I wonder how Umarak gets there, unless he makes a boat made out of shadow traps,

[avatarbrickman]

If Bionicle lasts for more than 2017 I hope to see a new Toa group.