I remember I was in a store that sold Mask Maker VS Skull Grinder in 2021. Boy was I stupid for not buying it when I had that once in a lifetime chance to own the set
Another great upload! The real standout of this one was hearing your own 2015 experience. After not seeing sets on shelves for so long, it really was special to be able to go to a store and pick up a new Bionicle at retail. I'm glad you were able to get Onua even if he was the only one stocked and that he comes with those memories for you! Great as well to see the Protectors getting some attention and the SDCC/ultra rare masks too. They definitely fit the bill for the time travel concept! A great list as well and I'm happy to see Gali in particular ranking so high! The lack of Skull Scorpio appreciation here is pretty shocking though... Clearly the best set of G2
While the rest of the line was lackluster (Protectors being too similar, not many interesting villains), they totally nailed the Toa designs. They did a great job bringing some Bionicle energy to CCBS while also making the builds a bit more complex
The term "toa" was used in G2, just not in the sets themselves as far as I know. I think LEGO was trying to avoid out-of-touch parents getting the wrong sets because they couldn't memorize words from an entirely different language.
My first set from G2 was the protector of earth, when I first saw it I was like "OH SHIT BIONICLE IS FINALLY BACK!!!" As I grew up with G1, I could appreciate it in all its glory.
Ben, the golden skull polybag was released commonly in Eurasian countries. They were quite common and were even sold individually in 2016 to empty the stock.
Although G1 Bionicle always had it's own shrine in my childhood and nostalgia, I do respect G2. The skeleton and armor design of the figures made them a lot user friendly for new combinations and figures
I remember buying Tahu and Lewa basically day of release. As someone who got into the original theme so late that most of my collection had been purchased secondhand, it was an incredibly gratifying experience.
I remember seeing these sets come out through the lego club magazine. It was my first introduction to Bionicle and I thought it was just the coolest thing! But the only set I ever got was the protector of earth, which was eventually torn apart and put into other builds. Man I wish I could've gotten some of the other sets at that time
In regards to that Onua story: The sets selling out isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility. I remember here in Arizona, all the Bionicle sets in the LEGO section at a store here were sold out in less than a week.
2015 is so great. I love the Protectors, the Masters, and most of the villains (basically all but Scorpio and Slicer). What I would give to get that Gali Master trans dark blue mask... I've come out of my Bionicle Dark Ages last October, and Pohatu Master is the second set I got :D (first one was Tahu Mata (I was into Bionicle between 2001 and 2002).
Lord of the skull spiders is one of my favs, idk if he’s wave 1 or 2 because I got him secondhand in 2017 but he’s just so good, the gold spider mask connects well with the trans neon orange rahkshi eyes for a cool head
I actually regret not getting any of the Protectors back then. The only "Protector" that I have is Ekimu from the Mask Maker vs Skull Grinder set. Would've loved to have owned the Jungle Protector. That green is just *chef's kiss* . Oh, and Master Gali set too. She has the best mask design, at least to me personally. Not sure why I didn't pick her up 😕
I'd love to see these made in the g1 style. Also I was looking at the toa mahri boxes I have and remembered they have technic connection points so I'd like to see someone use one in a moc as a fun challenge
While I agree 2015 was a good year, I wasn't a big fan of the Skull faction. Probably the only ones I actually liked were the Skull Warrior and Kulta! Now perhaps I would've liked them more if they had some more lore for their origins, or had actual names (hang on for one sec), but none of them were advertised as being unique, most of their designs were very disproportional or didn't fit, and I didn't even know Kulta had a name till months later because they advertised him as "Skull Grinder!" 2016 did better design-wise, but I didn't see any in the local retail stores! I was fortunate to find Tahu, Ikir and Umarak the Hunter in a Digital Ware's store an hour drive from where I live because my housemate and I were looking to get a new computer for recording and editing our Minecraft Legacy's End series! But that was it!
im really happy that i got a couple sets from the 2015 wave, 4 of the toa, and kulta vs ekimu, such good pieces. personally my fave was kopaka, man he was just so cool.
When I saw Bionicle was coming back, I had to do my part a little and support it. I made sure to pick up both Onua Master of Earth and the Protector of Earth since they went together, and they kind of gave you the best value in terms of price per part ratio, too. Onua's bulky aesthetic and the way he balanced both the silver and gold was great, and I was a fan of giving him the shovels over the hammer, and then Korgot had that blaster in her chest, which reminded me of the Season 2 finale of Legend of Korra, which is admittedly terrible storywise, but looked cool with these engery canons shooting out of the chests of Unavaatu and Korraava. Earth is the best because it rocks! While it was still a limited color pallet, because I stuck with Earth for G2, it did give me plenty of parts to compete in a couple rounds of the Bio-Cup and have some decent looking builds because I wasn't trying to mach together pieces that didn't go together. Okay, now onto the fun part, which is trying to determine what my Top 5 LEGO Star Wars sets were! Actually, it's not that hard. I wasn't really feeling LEGO Star Wars in 2015. I bought sets, but many were a bit later into 2016, and some of them I just don't even care about now. There's only one set I regret not getting at the time, and that's 75082 TIE Advanced Prototype. I never got it because it was mostly just a bunch of gray parts, whatever, however, the Grand Inquisitor looks better than he did in the Obi-Wan series, and even his minifigure is better in this set than the Inquisitor Shuttle. We're even getting the superior version of the Grand Inquisitor back in Tales of the Empire, and I would love to have his minifigure, but it's stupid expensive now. The rest of 2015, eh, most of it are rehashes that do not interest me, stuff from Rebels that is not all that exciting (the show is great, but the sets just never grabbed me save for a couple that will be in the list) and then there's the stuff for The Force Awakens, which is a movie I was mixed about coming out of the theater, and then have had less and less favor for over the years to the point of me actually considering selling off those sets in order to make room for new ones based off things that do interest me. I bought 75099 Rey's Speeder because it was new and not gray, then I bought 75101 Special Forces TIE Fighter and 75102 Poe's X-Wing Starfighter simply because it had been forever since I bought a new version of a TIE Fighter or X-WIng, I was curious to see what improvements had been made, and I bought 75104 Kylo Ren's Command Shuttle because of a Black Friday sale, and it's the only set to come with Kylo Ren with a hood, which is the superior version of his minifigure than that ridiculously oversized helmet of his. However, I don't do anything with any of those sets. They have almost no meaning to me, there are a few interesting minifigs, but that's it, I can very much be a happy Star Wars fan without them since they're not based on a thing I love in Star Wars. 2015 was also the year that the Constraction Figures debuted, but given how bad the price per piece ratios were starting to get in Star Wars, there was no way I was going to pay for them, and given my other collecting habits, I knew that if I got one, I'd have to get them all, and I'd rather have no collection than an incomplete one because then there's not that itch to remedy that. So with all that out of the way, my list of Top 5 Sets is basically includes just the sets I bought that year I have any fondness for. *5. 75078 Imperial Troop Transport* As stupid as Stortroopers in Rebels looked, and as good as the figures may have been in the other Battle Packs, I really appreciate that the vehicle in this set, while small and missing the third door on each side, is still based on an a thing from Rebels, it's not some really out of proportioned walker or something paired with inappropriate figures. It's also great value in terms of price per parts ratio, and it gives the Rebels characters a decent amount of forces to face off against, even with just one copy. *4. 75094 Imperial Shuttle Tydirium* I only really get it for two figures; Trenchcoat Han, and Poncho Leia. The other Rebel figures are great add-ons, and while including Chewbacca was the right call, I hate his redesign. However, the set is really good. The only other playset version of an Imperial Shuttle I have is 7166 from 2001, and I have to say, what a massive improvement. The larger scale is not unwarranted, but not outrageously out of scale either, and the way you can finally extend the wings all the way down into that perfect tri position is great when you look at what they could accomplish in 2001. It can take more of a beating than the original with how it's constructed, and it can still hold all the figures as well as clips to hold extra spring launched missiles and a crate full of thermal detonators. It's a perfect marriage of form and function, and it was even priced accordingly even if one could say it needed to be marked down $10 to really make it perfect. It's mostly just a display model in my collection, but I know it's also a great set, too. *3. 75106 Imperial Assault Carrier* I don't know what the general consensus is on this set, and yes it's a big gray thing a classic Star Wars staple, but I absolutely love it. In conjunction with The Ghost and The Phantom from 2014, this set helps complete the Season 1 Rebels family with Sabine, and it includes her helmet (unlike 75090 Ezra's Speeder Bike), and then you also get Kallus as an enemy, too. The Pilots and Officer are just kind of there, whatever, the Droid's cool so long as you have a good print on the dome, which I don't, so that's not great either. What really makes this set though is the function. This type of ship can actually be seen in Clone Wars, but in Rebels it was retrofitted to become a TIE Fighter Carrier for the Empire, and they included 4 mini scale TIE Fighters that can also hook in underneath! Pull a couple of levers, and they can be deployed! I absolutely love this function. Playset scale sets are generally either a lot larger in order to capture detail, or a lot smaller to become cost effective, but this is a rare instance where minifigs are included in a set with multiple ships where they integrate with one, but are unable to with the others. The 4 included TIE FIghters are essential for this ship to work, and I just love it. Also, the ship kind of looks like a big dinosaur, so that's fun, too. And I'm glad to have also gotten this set back when it came out because I bet some people want it just for its appearance in The Mandalorian and want to retrofit it with Mandalorians, but now have to suffer the Aftermarket. (Continued in reply)
*2. The Series 2 Microfighters* Yeah, I'm cheating and putting six sets in as a single spot, but trust me, if Series 1 was good, Series 2 only got better because now there was a spot to store the minifig's weapon on the vehicle! There's either a clip for storage, or it becomes an additional weapon on the vehicle, it's wonderful! It may seems like a silly prospect, but how many people do you see in Star Wars driving something around while also holding a gun? It would be as if a Jedi were to always have their lightsaber ignited instead of hanging off their hip. And each set is wonderfully exagerated in all the right ways. That may be annoying to some people, but it's a fun quirk of the line, and each set nails the look. 75072 ARC-170 Starfighter Microfighter has lovely printed engines, has wings you can open and close, and a Clone Pilot from the Invasion of Coruscant. 75073 Vulture Droid Microfighter may come with a Battle Droid Pilot when that's not really necessary, but those are not common in my collection so it's neat to have, and on top of that, the Vulture Droid's wings can also rotate to be in standing mode! 75074 Snowspeeder Microfighter is exagerated in just the right ways making it a bit more wide than it would be normally, and there is a nice printed piece to detail the orange stripe in the front that is often a stickered detail, so that's neat. 75075 AT-AT Microfighter is super cute, and while it was remade years later with an improved mixel neck, it's still adorable and probably the best of the Series. 75076 Republic Gunship Microfighter has fantastic proportions, cool 1x1 Republic cog tiles (the 6 toothed variant from Episode III even though the set comes with a Phase I pilot), and the pistol for the pilot actually becomes the rear turret, so that's fantastic set design if you ask me. And finally, 75077 Homing Spider Droid Microfighter is another droid that is piloted by a droid, which isn't really a thing, but they made the bulbous machine even more bulbous with spindlier legs, it's hilarious to me, and it is cool to have an all Dark Orange Battle Droid since I never bought the 2013 sets with them. They'll never outshine the superior Sand Red versions from 4478 Geonosian Fighter that better color match droids from Attack of the Clones, but it does match the Clone Wars Microseries pretty well. *1. 75087 Anakin's Custom Jedi Starfighter* And speaking of the Clone Wars Microseries, it only took 12 years to finally get one, but they finally made the Azure Angel! Now to be honest, this may not actually be my favorite set of the year, I think the Top 3 in my list can all be a Top Spot holder, heck, even the Imperial Shuttle Tydirium is a fantastic set, I gushed a lot about it and I only had it at number 4, but there's something about finally seeing the Azure Angel and the Clone Wars Microseries get some representation in LEGO after all that time. But it's not perfect. For starters, ever since Saesee Tiin's Starfighter, I've never been a fan of the Delta-7 design in LEGO, the ship really doesn't translate well into LEGO, but if anything can make this one work, it's the Azure Angel because it's already supposed to be a modified version of a Delta-7. Sadly, there are stickers, but there is actually a pretty neat sticker that calls back to a symbol on Anakin's Podracer, a detail I would have only recognized because of the LEGO sets from 1999. R4-P22 also has an entire body when the she was another integrated droid in the ship like R4-P17 originally was with Obi-Wan's Delta 7, but I'm also not mad about that, it is nice to see, and there's even an ejector function that works (unlike 7669 Anakin's Jedi Starfighter), meaning she may be able to survive Ventress' attack when they get to Yavin 4. Assage Ventress is a subtle blend between both the original Microseries with her torso print, and the use of a very light lavender print for the tatoos on her head that debuted in the 3D Clone Wars series, and you know what, I don't hate it because they're subtle enough you almost don't even notice them unlike the very hard dark purple used on other versions of her cahracter. There's really only one modification that should have always been present, and that's buying a pearl gold hand to replace Anakin's right hand. So like, everything in this set that's positive has one negative thing that's really not that bad, but it's still shy of perfection, and yet, I'm just so happy to see it exist. Nearly 10 years later, and I'm still waiting for Ventress' Fan-Blade to be made because man. if she wasn't in this set, I'd have expected it to be made. Luckily with her in the set, it feels like a complete deal, but if the Fan-Blade is ever made, they have to Include Anakin in it so you can also recreate him returning and having everyone think that it's Ventress until he lands and Obi-Wan has them all stand down. So should Anakin's Custom Jedi Starfighter really be number 1? Like I said, with each thing it does right, there's another thing to mark it down, but I know that had this been made back in 2003 or 4, I would have played with it nonstop. The fact they made this set showed that the LEGO Star Wars team was listening to fans and even were fans themselves of that Microseries, working with both the existing Canon and the newly established Legends to find a balance that would work, as well as just make a great toy. The only reason why I nitpick these little things so much is because I have a very strong affection for that Microseries, the main build of the set itself is great, so it was never going to be perfect because I just know that ship all too well, and short of buying some other replication than a LEGO version, it would never meet my unreasonably high standards. 75087 Anakin's Custom Jedi Starfighter is a wonderful set that any true Clone Wars fan would and should have gone out to get at the time, and I bet it's also stupidly expensive on the aftermarket because of the importance that Clone Wars Microseries is to fans of a certain age. I hope one day we also get Ventress' Fan-Blade if it's even possible to make.
Looking back they are all great figures. The only one I purchased was Pohatu and I was strongly considering Kopaka. From a collectors point of view I should have gotten all the other Masters as well, because each has this unique personality quite litereally built into them, especially Onua. I do have to say the original Toa Mata and Toa Nuva just are different. Also I guess I need to go look in the basement where they are scattered and perhaps purchase Mata Tahu, Phoatu and Onua together with Borok Kal Tanok, Korak and Galok.
Owned most of these. I think that I would have put skull warrior either somewhere in the top 10 or as an honourable mention, since I think it was one of the best of the skull villains sets, and I had a lot of fun with the set
I was so surprised seeing Bionicle back in stores, my first Master was Tahu (finally, from G1 was my first Toa Pohatu because at the toy store the other ones were sold out), agree but I wasn't interested in any of these Protectors, they just looked weird for me
Wait, 2015 was just yesterday, right? Man, it feels like I just bought all the Masters back in January 2015 T_T Anyway, Onua and especially Gali are incredible sets and characters: cool and lively designs. I actually prefer Gali Master's mask over any other Kaukau from G1, believe me or not. Then, ofc, Ekimu and Kulta was the best set of that year, a "premium" pack with two characters, a classic David vs. Goliath scene plus the coveted Mask of Creation, which is a thing of beauty on its own; all for just 30€!! Imagine all this good for such a fair price (Kulta is slightly above the other 15€ Skull villains, while Ekimu definitely has more pieces and features than any other 10€ Protector). G2 fell short in some aspects, but the sets were almost always better than the average G1 set imho. Thankfully, I got the entire G2 when it was on store shelves: it looks stunning with each set on display.
You chuck the boxes!?!?! THE HORROR!!!!! Jk, I only started saving the boxes recently, lol. I never was able to get into G2 when I was younger. I was pretty much the perfect age for it, being 9 in 2015, but I had played with my older brother's G1 Bionicles for long enough that I had become a bit of a G1 purist, lol. Looking back, I do wish I got more into G2.
My top 5 would be 5. Skull slicer (reasoning I felt inclined to pick a villain and he is who I picked) 4. Protector of earth (reasoning it was the first set i ever got) 3. Ekimu and skull grinder (reasoning in the wise words of syndrome from incredibles “oh come on you gotta admit this is cool”) 2. Kopaka (reasoning he was a good parts pack) 1. Onua (he is my favorite set ever)
I have all the exclusive masks except for Galis, which...has some obvious reasoning as to why given how expensive it is! The gold skull mask was fairly cheap last I found a polybag of it, only about £20-30, and I got mine back in 2015 for £15. I recall seeing around the time this was some kind of Russia-exclusive polybag which is why it was a bit challenging to obtain, but I have no basis for that besides what I read at the time.
about that gold skull mask polybag... from my recollection, it was mainly available in eastern and central europe (not sure through what avenues/stores, though). I bought one in early 2016 and it shipped to me from russia I believe, and most of the listings for it on bricklink now are based on hungary.
The protectors had names??? WTF I never knew this!!! Why not just name them like old bionicle sets with their actual name??? Instead of protector??? Do the skull warrors have actual names too??
I'd take: 5. Onua 4. Gali 3. Protector of Stone 2. Kopaka 1. Pohatu I already have Lewa (second hand) and Lord of Skull Spiders: I always thought the boomerangs Pohatu had were awesome, and he's got a real good color scheme (pieces which I don't have) I have Kopakas' Corrupted Mask from the Skull Warrior, and I like Kopaka overall, plus, the sick weapons (and I have the Uniter of Ice version) Protector of Stone - has good pieces overall, if I were to take Pohatu, this would accompany that well (plus, I would for sure like to have that mask, those are pretty generic (that's a good thing), could be easily used for many characters) Gali - the colours, mask, weapons, overall design (I said Lord of Skull spiders at first (in fifth) as a prats pack, but, that's silly) Onua - I never had any XL kind of character, and the weapon/shoulder pieces are cool, plus, PURPLEEEEE
My only issue with G2 is how generic they made it. No more Toa or Matoran; it's just Masters and Protectors. Not to mention the stories and characters having a noticeable downgrade, and the sets themselves looking too human. The sets themselves are great, don't get me wrong, they just look a little bland.
In those days, I thought Bionicle was one of the worst Lego themes to make the rounds. In these days I realized how much of an idiot I was and how cool they are.
I think it is definitely cool that if you exclude the skull spiders. none of the sets are clones of each other.
I remember I was in a store that sold Mask Maker VS Skull Grinder in 2021. Boy was I stupid for not buying it when I had that once in a lifetime chance to own the set
Another great upload! The real standout of this one was hearing your own 2015 experience. After not seeing sets on shelves for so long, it really was special to be able to go to a store and pick up a new Bionicle at retail. I'm glad you were able to get Onua even if he was the only one stocked and that he comes with those memories for you! Great as well to see the Protectors getting some attention and the SDCC/ultra rare masks too. They definitely fit the bill for the time travel concept! A great list as well and I'm happy to see Gali in particular ranking so high!
The lack of Skull Scorpio appreciation here is pretty shocking though... Clearly the best set of G2
While the rest of the line was lackluster (Protectors being too similar, not many interesting villains), they totally nailed the Toa designs. They did a great job bringing some Bionicle energy to CCBS while also making the builds a bit more complex
The term "toa" was used in G2, just not in the sets themselves as far as I know. I think LEGO was trying to avoid out-of-touch parents getting the wrong sets because they couldn't memorize words from an entirely different language.
My first set from G2 was the protector of earth, when I first saw it I was like "OH SHIT BIONICLE IS FINALLY BACK!!!"
As I grew up with G1, I could appreciate it in all its glory.
Ben, the golden skull polybag was released commonly in Eurasian countries. They were quite common and were even sold individually in 2016 to empty the stock.
Interestingly enough, the only 2015 sets I got back then are your Top 3 recommendations.
Although G1 Bionicle always had it's own shrine in my childhood and nostalgia, I do respect G2.
The skeleton and armor design of the figures made them a lot user friendly for new combinations and figures
I've been patiently waiting for this video, so glad it's finally here!!
Love this! I owned a protector of stone and will confidently say it’s worth it, I now want to go rebuild him and probably will.
I remember buying Tahu and Lewa basically day of release. As someone who got into the original theme so late that most of my collection had been purchased secondhand, it was an incredibly gratifying experience.
I remember seeing these sets come out through the lego club magazine. It was my first introduction to Bionicle and I thought it was just the coolest thing! But the only set I ever got was the protector of earth, which was eventually torn apart and put into other builds. Man I wish I could've gotten some of the other sets at that time
In regards to that Onua story: The sets selling out isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility. I remember here in Arizona, all the Bionicle sets in the LEGO section at a store here were sold out in less than a week.
2015 is so great. I love the Protectors, the Masters, and most of the villains (basically all but Scorpio and Slicer). What I would give to get that Gali Master trans dark blue mask...
I've come out of my Bionicle Dark Ages last October, and Pohatu Master is the second set I got :D (first one was Tahu Mata (I was into Bionicle between 2001 and 2002).
Lord of the skull spiders is one of my favs, idk if he’s wave 1 or 2 because I got him secondhand in 2017 but he’s just so good, the gold spider mask connects well with the trans neon orange rahkshi eyes for a cool head
I actually regret not getting any of the Protectors back then. The only "Protector" that I have is Ekimu from the Mask Maker vs Skull Grinder set. Would've loved to have owned the Jungle Protector. That green is just *chef's kiss* . Oh, and Master Gali set too. She has the best mask design, at least to me personally. Not sure why I didn't pick her up 😕
Definite Poseidon vibes from that mask, always appreciated that mask
I'd love to see these made in the g1 style. Also I was looking at the toa mahri boxes I have and remembered they have technic connection points so I'd like to see someone use one in a moc as a fun challenge
While I agree 2015 was a good year, I wasn't a big fan of the Skull faction. Probably the only ones I actually liked were the Skull Warrior and Kulta! Now perhaps I would've liked them more if they had some more lore for their origins, or had actual names (hang on for one sec), but none of them were advertised as being unique, most of their designs were very disproportional or didn't fit, and I didn't even know Kulta had a name till months later because they advertised him as "Skull Grinder!"
2016 did better design-wise, but I didn't see any in the local retail stores! I was fortunate to find Tahu, Ikir and Umarak the Hunter in a Digital Ware's store an hour drive from where I live because my housemate and I were looking to get a new computer for recording and editing our Minecraft Legacy's End series! But that was it!
i was too young to experience G1, and by the time i learned about G2 it had already finished.
i grew up with hero factory.
im really happy that i got a couple sets from the 2015 wave, 4 of the toa, and kulta vs ekimu, such good pieces. personally my fave was kopaka, man he was just so cool.
Nilkuu is literally the best and bros the only one I’ve never altered other than adding all the extra fang pieces to bros armor - literal perfection
When I saw Bionicle was coming back, I had to do my part a little and support it. I made sure to pick up both Onua Master of Earth and the Protector of Earth since they went together, and they kind of gave you the best value in terms of price per part ratio, too. Onua's bulky aesthetic and the way he balanced both the silver and gold was great, and I was a fan of giving him the shovels over the hammer, and then Korgot had that blaster in her chest, which reminded me of the Season 2 finale of Legend of Korra, which is admittedly terrible storywise, but looked cool with these engery canons shooting out of the chests of Unavaatu and Korraava. Earth is the best because it rocks! While it was still a limited color pallet, because I stuck with Earth for G2, it did give me plenty of parts to compete in a couple rounds of the Bio-Cup and have some decent looking builds because I wasn't trying to mach together pieces that didn't go together.
Okay, now onto the fun part, which is trying to determine what my Top 5 LEGO Star Wars sets were! Actually, it's not that hard. I wasn't really feeling LEGO Star Wars in 2015. I bought sets, but many were a bit later into 2016, and some of them I just don't even care about now. There's only one set I regret not getting at the time, and that's 75082 TIE Advanced Prototype. I never got it because it was mostly just a bunch of gray parts, whatever, however, the Grand Inquisitor looks better than he did in the Obi-Wan series, and even his minifigure is better in this set than the Inquisitor Shuttle. We're even getting the superior version of the Grand Inquisitor back in Tales of the Empire, and I would love to have his minifigure, but it's stupid expensive now.
The rest of 2015, eh, most of it are rehashes that do not interest me, stuff from Rebels that is not all that exciting (the show is great, but the sets just never grabbed me save for a couple that will be in the list) and then there's the stuff for The Force Awakens, which is a movie I was mixed about coming out of the theater, and then have had less and less favor for over the years to the point of me actually considering selling off those sets in order to make room for new ones based off things that do interest me. I bought 75099 Rey's Speeder because it was new and not gray, then I bought 75101 Special Forces TIE Fighter and 75102 Poe's X-Wing Starfighter simply because it had been forever since I bought a new version of a TIE Fighter or X-WIng, I was curious to see what improvements had been made, and I bought 75104 Kylo Ren's Command Shuttle because of a Black Friday sale, and it's the only set to come with Kylo Ren with a hood, which is the superior version of his minifigure than that ridiculously oversized helmet of his. However, I don't do anything with any of those sets. They have almost no meaning to me, there are a few interesting minifigs, but that's it, I can very much be a happy Star Wars fan without them since they're not based on a thing I love in Star Wars.
2015 was also the year that the Constraction Figures debuted, but given how bad the price per piece ratios were starting to get in Star Wars, there was no way I was going to pay for them, and given my other collecting habits, I knew that if I got one, I'd have to get them all, and I'd rather have no collection than an incomplete one because then there's not that itch to remedy that.
So with all that out of the way, my list of Top 5 Sets is basically includes just the sets I bought that year I have any fondness for.
*5. 75078 Imperial Troop Transport*
As stupid as Stortroopers in Rebels looked, and as good as the figures may have been in the other Battle Packs, I really appreciate that the vehicle in this set, while small and missing the third door on each side, is still based on an a thing from Rebels, it's not some really out of proportioned walker or something paired with inappropriate figures. It's also great value in terms of price per parts ratio, and it gives the Rebels characters a decent amount of forces to face off against, even with just one copy.
*4. 75094 Imperial Shuttle Tydirium*
I only really get it for two figures; Trenchcoat Han, and Poncho Leia. The other Rebel figures are great add-ons, and while including Chewbacca was the right call, I hate his redesign. However, the set is really good. The only other playset version of an Imperial Shuttle I have is 7166 from 2001, and I have to say, what a massive improvement. The larger scale is not unwarranted, but not outrageously out of scale either, and the way you can finally extend the wings all the way down into that perfect tri position is great when you look at what they could accomplish in 2001. It can take more of a beating than the original with how it's constructed, and it can still hold all the figures as well as clips to hold extra spring launched missiles and a crate full of thermal detonators. It's a perfect marriage of form and function, and it was even priced accordingly even if one could say it needed to be marked down $10 to really make it perfect. It's mostly just a display model in my collection, but I know it's also a great set, too.
*3. 75106 Imperial Assault Carrier*
I don't know what the general consensus is on this set, and yes it's a big gray thing a classic Star Wars staple, but I absolutely love it. In conjunction with The Ghost and The Phantom from 2014, this set helps complete the Season 1 Rebels family with Sabine, and it includes her helmet (unlike 75090 Ezra's Speeder Bike), and then you also get Kallus as an enemy, too. The Pilots and Officer are just kind of there, whatever, the Droid's cool so long as you have a good print on the dome, which I don't, so that's not great either. What really makes this set though is the function. This type of ship can actually be seen in Clone Wars, but in Rebels it was retrofitted to become a TIE Fighter Carrier for the Empire, and they included 4 mini scale TIE Fighters that can also hook in underneath! Pull a couple of levers, and they can be deployed! I absolutely love this function. Playset scale sets are generally either a lot larger in order to capture detail, or a lot smaller to become cost effective, but this is a rare instance where minifigs are included in a set with multiple ships where they integrate with one, but are unable to with the others. The 4 included TIE FIghters are essential for this ship to work, and I just love it. Also, the ship kind of looks like a big dinosaur, so that's fun, too. And I'm glad to have also gotten this set back when it came out because I bet some people want it just for its appearance in The Mandalorian and want to retrofit it with Mandalorians, but now have to suffer the Aftermarket.
(Continued in reply)
*2. The Series 2 Microfighters*
Yeah, I'm cheating and putting six sets in as a single spot, but trust me, if Series 1 was good, Series 2 only got better because now there was a spot to store the minifig's weapon on the vehicle! There's either a clip for storage, or it becomes an additional weapon on the vehicle, it's wonderful! It may seems like a silly prospect, but how many people do you see in Star Wars driving something around while also holding a gun? It would be as if a Jedi were to always have their lightsaber ignited instead of hanging off their hip. And each set is wonderfully exagerated in all the right ways. That may be annoying to some people, but it's a fun quirk of the line, and each set nails the look. 75072 ARC-170 Starfighter Microfighter has lovely printed engines, has wings you can open and close, and a Clone Pilot from the Invasion of Coruscant. 75073 Vulture Droid Microfighter may come with a Battle Droid Pilot when that's not really necessary, but those are not common in my collection so it's neat to have, and on top of that, the Vulture Droid's wings can also rotate to be in standing mode! 75074 Snowspeeder Microfighter is exagerated in just the right ways making it a bit more wide than it would be normally, and there is a nice printed piece to detail the orange stripe in the front that is often a stickered detail, so that's neat. 75075 AT-AT Microfighter is super cute, and while it was remade years later with an improved mixel neck, it's still adorable and probably the best of the Series. 75076 Republic Gunship Microfighter has fantastic proportions, cool 1x1 Republic cog tiles (the 6 toothed variant from Episode III even though the set comes with a Phase I pilot), and the pistol for the pilot actually becomes the rear turret, so that's fantastic set design if you ask me. And finally, 75077 Homing Spider Droid Microfighter is another droid that is piloted by a droid, which isn't really a thing, but they made the bulbous machine even more bulbous with spindlier legs, it's hilarious to me, and it is cool to have an all Dark Orange Battle Droid since I never bought the 2013 sets with them. They'll never outshine the superior Sand Red versions from 4478 Geonosian Fighter that better color match droids from Attack of the Clones, but it does match the Clone Wars Microseries pretty well.
*1. 75087 Anakin's Custom Jedi Starfighter*
And speaking of the Clone Wars Microseries, it only took 12 years to finally get one, but they finally made the Azure Angel!
Now to be honest, this may not actually be my favorite set of the year, I think the Top 3 in my list can all be a Top Spot holder, heck, even the Imperial Shuttle Tydirium is a fantastic set, I gushed a lot about it and I only had it at number 4, but there's something about finally seeing the Azure Angel and the Clone Wars Microseries get some representation in LEGO after all that time. But it's not perfect. For starters, ever since Saesee Tiin's Starfighter, I've never been a fan of the Delta-7 design in LEGO, the ship really doesn't translate well into LEGO, but if anything can make this one work, it's the Azure Angel because it's already supposed to be a modified version of a Delta-7. Sadly, there are stickers, but there is actually a pretty neat sticker that calls back to a symbol on Anakin's Podracer, a detail I would have only recognized because of the LEGO sets from 1999. R4-P22 also has an entire body when the she was another integrated droid in the ship like R4-P17 originally was with Obi-Wan's Delta 7, but I'm also not mad about that, it is nice to see, and there's even an ejector function that works (unlike 7669 Anakin's Jedi Starfighter), meaning she may be able to survive Ventress' attack when they get to Yavin 4. Assage Ventress is a subtle blend between both the original Microseries with her torso print, and the use of a very light lavender print for the tatoos on her head that debuted in the 3D Clone Wars series, and you know what, I don't hate it because they're subtle enough you almost don't even notice them unlike the very hard dark purple used on other versions of her cahracter. There's really only one modification that should have always been present, and that's buying a pearl gold hand to replace Anakin's right hand. So like, everything in this set that's positive has one negative thing that's really not that bad, but it's still shy of perfection, and yet, I'm just so happy to see it exist. Nearly 10 years later, and I'm still waiting for Ventress' Fan-Blade to be made because man. if she wasn't in this set, I'd have expected it to be made. Luckily with her in the set, it feels like a complete deal, but if the Fan-Blade is ever made, they have to Include Anakin in it so you can also recreate him returning and having everyone think that it's Ventress until he lands and Obi-Wan has them all stand down. So should Anakin's Custom Jedi Starfighter really be number 1? Like I said, with each thing it does right, there's another thing to mark it down, but I know that had this been made back in 2003 or 4, I would have played with it nonstop. The fact they made this set showed that the LEGO Star Wars team was listening to fans and even were fans themselves of that Microseries, working with both the existing Canon and the newly established Legends to find a balance that would work, as well as just make a great toy. The only reason why I nitpick these little things so much is because I have a very strong affection for that Microseries, the main build of the set itself is great, so it was never going to be perfect because I just know that ship all too well, and short of buying some other replication than a LEGO version, it would never meet my unreasonably high standards. 75087 Anakin's Custom Jedi Starfighter is a wonderful set that any true Clone Wars fan would and should have gone out to get at the time, and I bet it's also stupidly expensive on the aftermarket because of the importance that Clone Wars Microseries is to fans of a certain age. I hope one day we also get Ventress' Fan-Blade if it's even possible to make.
Looking back they are all great figures. The only one I purchased was Pohatu and I was strongly considering Kopaka.
From a collectors point of view I should have gotten all the other Masters as well, because each has this unique personality quite litereally built into them, especially Onua.
I do have to say the original Toa Mata and Toa Nuva just are different.
Also I guess I need to go look in the basement where they are scattered and perhaps purchase Mata Tahu, Phoatu and Onua together with Borok Kal Tanok, Korak and Galok.
Owned most of these. I think that I would have put skull warrior either somewhere in the top 10 or as an honourable mention, since I think it was one of the best of the skull villains sets, and I had a lot of fun with the set
I was so surprised seeing Bionicle back in stores, my first Master was Tahu (finally, from G1 was my first Toa Pohatu because at the toy store the other ones were sold out), agree but I wasn't interested in any of these Protectors, they just looked weird for me
Wait, 2015 was just yesterday, right? Man, it feels like I just bought all the Masters back in January 2015 T_T
Anyway, Onua and especially Gali are incredible sets and characters: cool and lively designs. I actually prefer Gali Master's mask over any other Kaukau from G1, believe me or not. Then, ofc, Ekimu and Kulta was the best set of that year, a "premium" pack with two characters, a classic David vs. Goliath scene plus the coveted Mask of Creation, which is a thing of beauty on its own; all for just 30€!! Imagine all this good for such a fair price (Kulta is slightly above the other 15€ Skull villains, while Ekimu definitely has more pieces and features than any other 10€ Protector).
G2 fell short in some aspects, but the sets were almost always better than the average G1 set imho. Thankfully, I got the entire G2 when it was on store shelves: it looks stunning with each set on display.
Pohatu and one of the Skull villains were the only G2 Sets I managed to get.
i personally grew up with bionicle g2 sets
The fact that i own all top 4 sets on this list and no other sets (apart from lord of the skull spiders)
My favorite is the grumpy one by 2nd favorite is skull slicer
this was MY Bionicle, this is there year I got into lego, but I didn't get any of these because money was a bit tight
I do own the transparent Tahu mask. I got it back in the day for about 60€. I'm not sure tho if I want to use it on a moc.
You chuck the boxes!?!?! THE HORROR!!!!! Jk, I only started saving the boxes recently, lol. I never was able to get into G2 when I was younger. I was pretty much the perfect age for it, being 9 in 2015, but I had played with my older brother's G1 Bionicles for long enough that I had become a bit of a G1 purist, lol. Looking back, I do wish I got more into G2.
great top 5!
also what are you're thougts on tahu's gen 2 mask in trans-neon orange from set 5002941 and would you put it in the honorable mentions?
I already have a few, which if why it wasn't present. But it's a brilliant recolour on a fantastic mask. Plus it's a great polybag that it comes in
I actually own a villain pack, but only for the mask stand. If you're interested in the gold skull mask I'd be happy to send it to you.
My top 5 would be
5. Skull slicer (reasoning I felt inclined to pick a villain and he is who I picked)
4. Protector of earth (reasoning it was the first set i ever got)
3. Ekimu and skull grinder (reasoning in the wise words of syndrome from incredibles “oh come on you gotta admit this is cool”)
2. Kopaka (reasoning he was a good parts pack)
1. Onua (he is my favorite set ever)
I have all the exclusive masks except for Galis, which...has some obvious reasoning as to why given how expensive it is! The gold skull mask was fairly cheap last I found a polybag of it, only about £20-30, and I got mine back in 2015 for £15. I recall seeing around the time this was some kind of Russia-exclusive polybag which is why it was a bit challenging to obtain, but I have no basis for that besides what I read at the time.
Yeah it's nice that it's a somewhat affordable polybag, I'll have to pick one up soon :)
about that gold skull mask polybag... from my recollection, it was mainly available in eastern and central europe (not sure through what avenues/stores, though). I bought one in early 2016 and it shipped to me from russia I believe, and most of the listings for it on bricklink now are based on hungary.
Ahh that makes sense cool, thanks for letting me know
The protectors had names??? WTF I never knew this!!! Why not just name them like old bionicle sets with their actual name??? Instead of protector??? Do the skull warrors have actual names too??
I liked the tall shoulder pads of g2 bionicle
I'd take:
5. Onua
4. Gali
3. Protector of Stone
2. Kopaka
1. Pohatu
I already have Lewa (second hand) and Lord of Skull Spiders:
I always thought the boomerangs Pohatu had were awesome, and he's got a real good color scheme (pieces which I don't have)
I have Kopakas' Corrupted Mask from the Skull Warrior, and I like Kopaka overall, plus, the sick weapons (and I have the Uniter of Ice version)
Protector of Stone - has good pieces overall, if I were to take Pohatu, this would accompany that well (plus, I would for sure like to have that mask, those are pretty generic (that's a good thing), could be easily used for many characters)
Gali - the colours, mask, weapons, overall design (I said Lord of Skull spiders at first (in fifth) as a prats pack, but, that's silly)
Onua - I never had any XL kind of character, and the weapon/shoulder pieces are cool, plus, PURPLEEEEE
oh, but Tahu, I'd love to have some of those red body pieces
I won't make any more changes, but, I did not realise this included the skull villains... (I'd definitely consider Kulta vs Ekimu)
The master if ice is #1 for me, but that "might" be because i always prefered Kopaka, Matoro and the others over Tahu and all the others...
I was SO close to putting G2 Kopaka on the list, he's great!
That’s it I’m buying the mask maker and skull grinder set now
Do it king ;)
6:52 idk lewas g2 mask always looked like hes a woman for me
G2 was worthy of bionicle. I hope if comes back.
wait?? they came out in 2015?? i thought they were from like 2019 or something. damn
Every toa except for tahu because I have tahu and I want the rest
5,000$!! I could get 308 AR or an old battle rifle for that mutch!
Im suprised yu dident include any skull senyetred sett. 😢
another video yessir
They ruined the uniqueness of the characters with the uniter wave
Honestly I liked it, it looks like a uniform
My only issue with G2 is how generic they made it. No more Toa or Matoran; it's just Masters and Protectors. Not to mention the stories and characters having a noticeable downgrade, and the sets themselves looking too human. The sets themselves are great, don't get me wrong, they just look a little bland.
I have a mask of creation, maybe i should improve my moc
In those days, I thought Bionicle was one of the worst Lego themes to make the rounds.
In these days I realized how much of an idiot I was and how cool they are.
I have all the top five.
Bro did kopaka dirty💀 even tho he is the best master
WDYM NO SKULL WARRIOR D:
2015 was, without a hint of exaggeration or hyperbole, the best year to be a Bionicle fan as far as I'm concerned.