@@heroranuva8295 also I understand your bitter comment about the movie at the end : Yes the movie is excellent but, for whoever just saw the trilogy and stopped there, I have one thing to say : This isn't your fault, but you've barely scratched the surface. You know nothing.
Commenting while watching: this video cleared up the confusion I had on why the Rahkshi had weird "elemental" powers. Wished the six principles was more prevalent in Gen 1. If only Gen 2 had this level of world building. Ah well. Hope they'll do that if we ever get Gen 3 Bionicle.
I feel like as the series got darker after 2006, the emphasis on virtue began to diminish. Which is unfortunate as I felt it made the early story so hopeful and beautiful
That's a clever comparison with the Toa Hordikas' struggle. While I do believe their Hordika phase shaped their outlook on the principles, I tend to believe the principles already existed since their circular/ sphere design is quite dominant for structures/ artifacts directly linked to Mata Nui: Suva, coliseum array, the codrex, the makoki stone, their curved minimalist Kanohi (compared to the foreign ones in the comics) heck even the great beings coded circular and had their circle labyrinth. So I think the Turaga wanted to carry on their culture/civilization, but I can't fully disclose that since the circle/ curve design also shows in their armor and even the motif on Jaller's Guard shield, which didn't exist on Metru Nui. Furthermore the circle in our world represents something holistic and therefore in a way a bit isolating, sort of like Metru Nui's history of isolation. On this tangent I think it's interesting that the Voya Nui cyphers are hexagonal and linked together, possibly mirroring how they formed a new mixed society/ joined forces - like one needs six different matoran to form a Nui - or on a sadder note how they knew that something was off with the universe (no longer holistic/ perfect) and were close to the event of the unlucky number seven (as stated by Karzahni matoran and in a way proven by the arrival of a seventh Toa) .
Thanks! And yeah, it is also interesting to look at the principles as aspects of Matoran culture that were carried over. You've got some amazing points about the symbology of the circle elements of their culture, and yeah I never really thought of it that way, but the hexagons in Voya Nui do make an interesting contrast given how they have different elements fitting together more!
@@heroranuva8295 Another reason for the exclusive hexagon Cyphers I thought off, may have been that it was created during the six kingdoms, maybe a showoff how they could bend the rules (programming). And even though after the fall all mentions of the Barraki were redacted/ destroyed, the Makuta just didn't know of/bothered for the hidden matoran of Karzahni, and later on Turaga Jovan just didn't see it as a problem.
As a recently reengaged superfan, it’s so nice having RUclipsrs create quality content exploring the deep nuance of Bionicle’s story. Watching your videos and listening to a ton of the old audiobooks really makes it clear just how much Bionicle shaped how I think today.
@@Trollo_Swaggins Honestly I hope so too, there's a lot of potential still here. And since everything else under the sun seems to be getting a reboot, I think Bionicle can have another shot XD
I love the first gen Bionicle. When they were on Mata Nui they were so spiritual and lived simpler lives which is kind of a contrast to their own mechanical nature.
I think your headcanon might actually be canon. While Web of Shadows skips the large amount of time that actually took place. The books, like you said, go into a lot of details about their struggles, and how they overcome them in similar fashions to how the principles are portrayed in the side game. The Toa Nuva even show these principles that the Turaga taught the Matoran. Which I believe is why they were able to fight the other Makuta on even ground. Like the Rahkashi, the Makuta represented the antithisis of the principles of the matoran, but unlike with the Rahkashi. This time they were prepared to deal with the threat, and succeeded.
_I_ think I'm getting some inspiration for my own worldbuilding. Also, I remember your remark in an earlier video about how the BIONICLE novels are essentially zip files compared to other books, and while most of this was in a game, it definitely shows here. There's just so much to unpack from just a few pages, it's insane. Greg Farshtey is (almost) as good an author as Tolkien; change my mind.
Awesome that you're getting inspiration! And yeah, there's always so much packed in there, and its clearly intentional, because its clear that there was meant to be these deeper themes in the movie itself, even if the explicit build up was in the game. Yeah Greg Farshtey, along with the other members of the Bionicle team were truly fantastic storytellers
While watching, I came up with my own interpretation for the symbol of the Principle of Courage. I think that the circle in the middle represents an obstacle or perhaps an objective, like a duty. The straight lines represent the courage/bravery to face said obstacle head-on which ties into how Fear is an opposing force for Courage. This leads into the curved lines, which I think are symbolic of overcoming an obstacle (top curve; like jumping over) and knowing when to avoid/or take a different approach to a problem (bottom curve; like ducking under). It takes courage to take on a challenge and beat it, but it also takes courage to admit that a plan requires a more slow and methodical approach (like Kapura) or that perhaps an obstacle can be outright avoided rather than running recklessly into danger. I think this also ties nicely into the skill of Strength as a representation of not only physical strength but also mental strength in which along with my aforementioned ideas also tie into other Principles or Skills like Willpower and Strategy. I also agree that the curved lines could also be a more focused representation of the Principle of Duty as you would need more concentration to perform acts of courage given a moments notice whilst in danger. Another thought came to mind as I was typing this out is that the lines could also represent a constant movement forward or to "Move Along" - to never stop in your tracks or hesitate which I also think is very fitting to the theme of Courage. Regarding Jaller's "death" (sorry for making this post so long lol), I would surmise that his greatest fear was losing Takua as a friend. He is the captain of the Ta-Koro guard and is tasked with the duty to protect his people after all. I'd imagine that seeing Takua's safety would have provided him with courage to not give in to fear, as there is hope as long as someone is alive to follow their destiny and complete their duty.
That's a really interesting take, the idea that true Courage requires flexibility! And yeah, Jaller's care for Takua was probably such a strong motivator. (and no worries about making it long, I lvoe having interesting dialogues in the comments, tho some of them are so thoughtful it takes a while for me to respond)
I personally think I like best the idea that the Matoran of Mata Nui developed the principles themselves, derived from their surroundings during the thousand years under Makuta's rule - I feel like that does most justice to the distinctive Matoran cultures and personalities that we saw on Mata Nui, but felt like got lost in later years, to let them have come up with it themselves -, but I can't deny that it's really interesting the way that they play into each of the Hordika's respective experiences. Maybe the two aren't contradictory, maybe the Turaga lent their own insights to the Matoran, while giving room for them to decide themselves on what to do with them, which gave rise to the principles system. Absolutely fascinating video! I especially like the explanation behind the final Kolhii match's symbolism; I'd always heard that we got that just because Lego's non-violence rules wouldn't allow for a proper final battle, but after watching this I realise that does absolutely no credit to the level of symbolism going on there. Like you say, it's such a shame that none of that comes through clearly in the movie; I know the point of MoL was that it was written as something of a reward for kids who were already deep in the lore, so that they could have the satisfaction of understanding all the references that a casual viewer wouldn't get; but I think that may have been too much of a deep cut even for most of them!
@@heroranuva8295 maybe some of the other Rahkshi powers could be antithesis of principles of other Matoran types. I mean, we do know that Rahkshi can have the powers of Sleep, Slowness, Darkness, and more
I created an AU that works on exactly this principle. (Element - Principle - Rahkshi) Iron - Malleability - Invulnerability Plantlife - Harmony - Stasis Lightning - Action - Illusion Gravity - Balance - Confusion Plasma - Creativity - Mind Reading Sonics - Honor - Slowness
For all it's flaws, I really enjoyed MNOG2, it was such a fun game. The free-roaming exploration of the Island was so cool, something I've always wanted to do. Sure it was limited and not all the Island was available, but it was still fun.
I was a biiiiig Bionicle fan and collector as a kid, and I got pretty into the story throughout its run. And yet I've never heard of the six principles before watching your video today. Thank you for this breakdown, it lends so much more meaning to the world building of Bionicle. Crazy how when I watched Mask of Light I never got the Rahkshi's powers or where the three virtues came from. I blame being danish and not being able to play (or understand) all the online stuff until much later.
Truly amazing! The Principles are very fascinating and I love this context! The idea they were developed by the Turaga in response to their time as Hordika is a cool angle I love!
I LOVE the concept of the Rahkshi powers being the antithesis of the matorans values, its SO good. I also love your idea of the principles being a result of the Turaga's time as Hordika; i dont really care for 2005's story that much, ut things like this & the idea of the Visorak being the white blood cells of the GSR make me appreciate it a lot more!
(edit): sorry, the original response was meant for a different comment, clicked on yours by mistake. But yeah a lot of thematic aspects really enhance the story
17:26 An idea I'd throw out there, the straight-to-curved lines also seem to resemble hands framing or gripping the dot. Perhaps the symbol means to show courage by seizing the moment and getting hands on.
Knowing absolutely nothing about Bionicle, this was interesting. I do have a couple guesses about some of the symbols, though. Specifically, Duty and Courage. Duty, to me, looks like "Even if the circle isn't there, you know where it should be. You know what you need to do." Courage, to me, looks like "Unwavering conviction, the willpower to push through any obstacle and do what needs to be done, letting nothing stop you." I was sent this video after I had posted a mini-essay on something similar but quite different: the Virtues of the Ultima series (a set of games for home computers of the 80s and 90s). Specifically, I covered mostly my own take on it, as I had come up with slightly different interpretations of some of them. In that series, it starts with the Three Principles: Truth, Love, and Courage. From those three arise the Eight Virtues: Honesty, Compassion, Valor, Justice, Honor, Sacrifice, Spirituality, and Humility. Kind of like in Bionicle here, they're formed by focusing on combinations of the Principles, but they also include ones for all three and for none of them. Truth - Honesty, Love - Compassion, Courage - Valor Truth + Love - Justice, Truth + Courage - Honor, Love + Courage - Sacrifice Truth + Love + Courage - Spirituality, and none - Humility. Most of them are pretty straightforward, but what I thought was interesting was some of the phrasing in the 2-combination ones: Justice is "Applying Truth equally out of Love, for all people deserve Truth without elevating one above another", Honor is "The Courage to make your words the Truth, to always uphold the Truth of your statements even in the face of adversity", and Sacrifice is "The Courage to give of yourself in the name of Love, putting the needs of others above your own". Spirituality, especially my tweak to it, emphasized balance as well as the strive for perfection, and also the unity of all people as one cohesive group. While Humility always seemed to get haphazard justifications in the games, so I came up with it being the recognition in the areas one is lacking so as not to be blinded by pride, as well as being a reminder of the unique nature of individuals and that one is not above others just because their path happens to be more glamorous. === And now, the really, really heavy rambling, where I talk about the books I've been writing, and how the characters within them relate to these Principles/Virtues. Feel free to skip all of this if it gets to be too much. (I know I write a lot, I've literally written over half a million words over the last two years, basically four complete novels and two in-progress ones that are about half-complete so far.) === I was inspired to write it up when I was telling someone how the three main characters of my three story series, while based on myself, each emphasized different aspects of myself. When I tried to put that into words, I realized that each was aligned with a particular Principle, and going deeper noticed that each also had a different 2-combination as a focus. Princess (a pet dragon living with a mage, on the fantasy world of Terra) embodied the pure Love a pet has for their owner, wanting to be loved in return. She also focuses heavily on Sacrifice, as she is constantly giving of herself any time she can to help her owner. Partially due to her low self-esteem, she always worries she isn't "doing enough" for her owner and anyone around her, and in one breakdown, runs away when she thinks she's being a burden, determined to give him the life she thinks he wants, even at the expense of everything she knows and loves. Flopsy (a horse/rabbit hybrid called a Hoofbun, who fights crime with super strength) embodies Courage, always ready and willing to stand up to any challenge. She also focuses deeply on Honor, as her primary motivation for helping others comes from a desire to show the world that her creator was a great man who wanted to make the world a better place, and after his death, it's up to her to carry out his legacy and see it respected. Vayryn (a yinglet, a fictional species created for the webcomic "Out of Placers" by Valsalia) embodies Truth, and makes the effort to be public despite her transformation, never shying away from answering questions and making herself visible even when she wants to hide. She also focuses strongly on Justice, as one of her primary motivations for being public is to pave the way for the path of any other victims of the technology used to transform her, ensuring they will have their rights respected, and that they will not be seen as something to be feared, pitied, hated, or worse. Just because they focus on those aspects doesn't mean they lack the others. Princess, having lived her life in denial of her inner self, struggles with Truth and related virtues, but clearly bristles at any breach of Justice she sees, has no problem fighting with Valor on behalf of her owner and others, and tries to keep her word of Honor when she makes a promise. Flopsy is quick to Sacrifice, as she's a "Living Construct" who has trouble seeing herself as equal to humans, fights for Justice even if mostly due to her sense of Honor, and prefers simple Honesty both for herself and for others. Vayryn was a bit hard to pin down, because she's probably the strongest of all three in Virtue, having the Valor to keep facing the world despite being three feet tall and the only known yinglet on modern-day Earth, Sacrificing her own desires for the sake of the reputations of her boyfriend and the hypothetical future victims, living with Honor and refusing to make any promises she can't keep, having a deep Compassion as she tries to keep her patience when confronted with the confusion, fear, and bigotry from the world, plus even the Spirituality to be something of a leader (Fans of the comic call her "Matriarch", a title that's going to be a lot less "honorific" once more victims start happening and she starts taking charge of the fight for respect) and maintaining Humility by keeping in mind that she's only in the spotlight by pure chance and never letting herself be blinded to her flaws. (Courage falters a bit with every human looming over her and being able to snap her like a twig, and Love can be strained when the world hits her with a bit too long a string of bigotry, like when she was facing eviction while trying to negotiate a business contract and being unable to get a single landlord to take her seriously.) I try not to make any of them "too good", giving them stronger and weaker areas as well as moments where they falter. Times where they don't quite live up to their Virtues, minor or major. This analysis (which I somehow never thought to do in my first two years of writing) actually helps put things into focus, and just yesterday helped me work out a path I like for Flopsy's second book. So to any author, I'd recommend using a belief system, whether the Ultima Virtues, Bionicle Principles, or whatever else you like, as a way to really analyze your characters' motivations any time you get stuck or are having trouble finding clarity. I'd give links to my essay on it and my writing, but if I put a link in a comment, RUclips will delete everything I said for fear I'm scamming or spamming. If you search "Ultima Virtues", you'll probably find lots of other writings, including things from the games themselves, but I'm afraid I haven't posted mine anywhere but FurAffinity (where I also post my writing, as you may have noticed all three main characters are non-humans).
The Swirling symbol for creation is most likely inspired by the Koru design used by the Māori in New Zealand. Bionicle has a strong polynesian inspiration and had borrowed a lot of names and words from the polynesians including the Māori. The Koru has various meanings depending on the variation and combination. But I believe a lone spiral like that one in this video is their symbol for creation, new life, and growth. All of which is connected with the origin of the symbol being a new unfurling fern. This one was what popped out to me the most while watching this video but I wonder now if the other symbols that left us scratching our heads has origins in Māori or polynesian culture too.
Stuff like this that can be put into like lists or charts always make my brain go brrrrr for some reason (which is maybe part of the reason i liked bionicle so much as a kid in the first place lol). I always end up imagining what I would do if I could adapt stories like this into, say, a multi-season tv show, and videos like this always make those ideas run wild. Great stuff!
The symbol for Creation appears to be the same as the Māori Koru symbol, which is their symbol for creation. Based on the unfurling silver fern. This symbol may also have been at least a partial inspiration for the logo Cryoshell uses
Great video on covering the meaning behind the charms of the Primary elements, what they represent as well as what each of the six Rahkshi are oppose to what type of charm. Though I wish that they were more charms that correlated to the secondary elements of the Matoran Universe.
Yeah that would be really interesting if it could be extended to the secondary elements. There have been some fans who've come up with their own fan made Principles for them
Greg Farshtey also implied that the Makuta of the Melding alternate universe had these principles as powers as opposed to the mentioned six Rahkshi powers.
Hey! I love your stuff and I think this is the best video so far! So much depth I didn't realize was in this franchise I grew up with. I think a video like the Piraka for the Rahkshi would be really cool :)
I just couldn't help but believe in this video's explanation about the Six Principles of the Matoran, which even helped as I have come to understand now, to shape the future of the Bionicle Universe, notably the forming of six Matoran destined to be Toa, to save Mata Nui's Life, encourage their people to fight the true evil to the very end, and to one day embrace true freedom from darkness..., as we have all seen on Sphereus Magna come its rebirth...
I even have bit of an interesting question: If Takua was an Av-Matoran all along, and he was Destined to become Takanuva: Toa of Light, then what sort of Principle from Destiny he could have learned to value, which he later taught to his true people?
The symbol for courage always looked like two hands grasping something, perhaps because courage is something that requires holding firm to your values.
I believe that the scattered lore in so many different forms of meda was a small peace of the full cannon. funny that fans would make it their Duty to Unite all the peaces to achieve the Destiny of understanding.🚬
That's a really interesting question, one that I'm honestly not sure about. There is some broader discussion of it though, this person on tumblr did their own attempt at worldbuilding the other element principles, and its pretty cool, check it out if you're curious: www.tumblr.com/geardirector/718455200111820800/i-dont-know-how-far-along-the-principles-video And on doing the secondary elements in general I do actually have a deep dive on them planned! The plan is to do a whole months of videos dedicated to the elements sometime soon, and there will be at least one video dedicated to all the secondaries!
ive always wished they had continued with the rahkshis theme of being antithetical to the values of mata nui, instead of all the weird obscure comic book super powers they were given like "laser vision" and "density control"
For whatever reason I never got a good play experience out of MNOG II... maybe it had something to do with me being on dial up for most of that era, only to get half-way fair satellite internet...🤔 Also this is the first time I've heard of The Six Principles before as well.
Honestly I never got a good full play though back in the day either, it was super glitchy. I was able to visit each village at least once, but could never finish the game. And yeah the Principles were one of those things that slowly emerged if you talked to the right people in each village, you had to piece it together from dialogue, there wasn't like a full exposition on them
The whole concept of Prosperity reminds me of a bit from The Lord of the Rings novels. At their departure from Lothlorien, Galadriel pronounces a...blessing? Judgement? It's a tad unclear. But she says to Gimli that "Though your hands shall flow with gold, gold shall have no power over you."
I don’t suppose that if the Element of Light had a Principle, it’ll be a culmination of the 3 Virtues (Unity, Duty & Destiny) and it’s enemy would naturally be Darkness (Shadow). So if anyone has an idea of what would the Principle be and what kind of Skill would it grant, I’m all ears.
It was still pronounced Jala in the movie, but I'm pretty sure that's because the movie was already deep into production before the Naming Day name change. I personally continue to pronounce it Jaller simply because I feel like that is more in keeping with the spirit of the agreement between Lego and the Maori representatives to not misuse their language.
@@heroranuva8295 The official guides say JAH-luh. True, this doesn't resemble the spelling, but the pronunciation remaining the same is consistent with the other names they changed. Huki=>Hewkii, Maku=>Macku, Puku=>Pewku, etc. The only thing I can think of that changed completely was Tohunga=>Matoran, and that's probably because Tohunga was a particularly sore spot. So, basically, official books published years after the change provide the same pronunciation, and none of the other Matoran with name changes had their pronunciation changed, so JAH-luh it is, but say what you want.
True, I know the guides still list it like that. And with the other pronunciations, even pronouncing them as spelled is so close to the original, Jaller is the only one whose spelling would really suggest a different one. Its probably not a big deal, and I'm definitely not trying to claim mine is the most correct since I don't know exactly what the Maori would prefer. Its probably not that big a deal, cause you're right the biggest one was Tohunga given immense significance of that word. But I'm probably going to continue with pronouncing it Jaller
It was finished! Though, it was also super buggy, and at the time of release, was nearly impossible to play through all the way for many people (including myself)
I think gen2 WAS the "comeback" you mentioned. And it bombed badly imo. Just pissing off OG fans and doing nothing to gain new ones. At least in my view. Which is why i personally like to forget it EVER existed (particularly how they screwed with the Core elemental setup by switching Air to Jungle when there are already Toa of PLANTLIFE as its own SEPERATE element)
I still think it deserves another shot, the idea of the story still has amazing potential. Lego really didn't invest nearly enough into G2. I personally thought some of it was really cool, but they never made the commitment to make it great, particularly in the advertising and writing, and that's why I think it bombed
Do you have evidence that it’s not a yin-yang, or is that your interpretation? Because multiple interpretations can exist, yours can be different from mine without shooting it down. Especially when you consider that the main Three Virtues symbol was explicitly designed based on yin-yang, and the Peace symbol is also clearly based on it, it’s pretty clear that design influence played a part
@@heroranuva8295 I am not saying a part was not played in influence. I am giving a better explanation for it such that there are not two that are simplified down to the same thing, whichever fallacy that may be.
SO one thing I'm curious about, is reproduction in Bionicle. Simply put how do species keep up their numbers? And also masks in relation to Rahi. If they reproduce like we do, then this means their mechanical components may have a genetic level to them like Transformers have "DNA" as "CNA". but then what about masks on Rahi, where do they get those?
Matoran can be created by machines operated by Turaga. But usually instead of creating new beings, the deceased are supposed to patched up on the red star and send back. That doesn't work properly because the teleportation system got damaged and only sends beings up, not down. Rahi population is controlled by the Makuta. They just create more of them if required. The powerless Kanohi the Rahi wear were given to them by the Makuta after their creation.
Something Intresting I noticed is that the Symbol for courage is actually on the Skrall Sword. I had to do a double take, but when I searched up a picture of the piece after the video it was right there smack-dab in the center of the sword. From a character perspective, I guess it makes sense why the Skrall's warrior culture would prize courage over over moral principles, especially in combat as Skrall only get names after a great accomplishment. It makes me think the 6 principles existed as a cultural concept since Spherus Magna. Going with the turaga Idea, I could def see the ideals being used for their viliges after the hordika struggles made them prize certain ones over others.
Good eye! I never noticed this but upon looking at the piece, I can confirm as well. I wonder if this was deliberate on the designer's part or just a coincidence. Seeing as how meticulously crafted the Bionicle lore was, I'd hope this was deliberate but I suppose it will have to be left to interpretation. I love how even after all of these years, we are still finding new and interesting things from Bionicle. Thank you for sharing your discovery!
Coming to _peace_ with one's destiny was the core part of Matoro's story in 2007!
Very true!
matoro was the toa who sacrifced him self for resuracting Mata nui?
@@margok321 Yup
"In his final moments Matoro feels no fear"
in wich comic series was matorus end? @@exzyyd392
The link between the Toa Hordika and the Principles was your headcanon.
I think it might be mine too now because the pieces fit way too good here.
Its good right!
@@heroranuva8295 also I understand your bitter comment about the movie at the end :
Yes the movie is excellent but, for whoever just saw the trilogy and stopped there, I have one thing to say :
This isn't your fault, but you've barely scratched the surface.
You know nothing.
Commenting while watching: this video cleared up the confusion I had on why the Rahkshi had weird "elemental" powers. Wished the six principles was more prevalent in Gen 1. If only Gen 2 had this level of world building. Ah well. Hope they'll do that if we ever get Gen 3 Bionicle.
Yeah, it would’ve been great if they were more prominent. Let’s hope we get a chance at a G3 one day to give them justice
I’m so out of the loop I’ve been calling the Toa Nuva gen 2.
I feel like as the series got darker after 2006, the emphasis on virtue began to diminish. Which is unfortunate as I felt it made the early story so hopeful and beautiful
That's a clever comparison with the Toa Hordikas' struggle. While I do believe their Hordika phase shaped their outlook on the principles, I tend to believe the principles already existed since their circular/ sphere design is quite dominant for structures/ artifacts directly linked to Mata Nui: Suva, coliseum array, the codrex, the makoki stone, their curved minimalist Kanohi (compared to the foreign ones in the comics) heck even the great beings coded circular and had their circle labyrinth. So I think the Turaga wanted to carry on their culture/civilization, but I can't fully disclose that since the circle/ curve design also shows in their armor and even the motif on Jaller's Guard shield, which didn't exist on Metru Nui.
Furthermore the circle in our world represents something holistic and therefore in a way a bit isolating, sort of like Metru Nui's history of isolation.
On this tangent I think it's interesting that the Voya Nui cyphers are hexagonal and linked together, possibly mirroring how they formed a new mixed society/ joined forces - like one needs six different matoran to form a Nui - or on a sadder note how they knew that something was off with the universe (no longer holistic/ perfect) and were close to the event of the unlucky number seven (as stated by Karzahni matoran and in a way proven by the arrival of a seventh Toa) .
Thanks! And yeah, it is also interesting to look at the principles as aspects of Matoran culture that were carried over. You've got some amazing points about the symbology of the circle elements of their culture, and yeah I never really thought of it that way, but the hexagons in Voya Nui do make an interesting contrast given how they have different elements fitting together more!
@@heroranuva8295 Another reason for the exclusive hexagon Cyphers I thought off, may have been that it was created during the six kingdoms, maybe a showoff how they could bend the rules (programming).
And even though after the fall all mentions of the Barraki were redacted/ destroyed, the Makuta just didn't know of/bothered for the hidden matoran of Karzahni, and later on Turaga Jovan just didn't see it as a problem.
Ooo, that could be really cool!
As a recently reengaged superfan, it’s so nice having RUclipsrs create quality content exploring the deep nuance of Bionicle’s story. Watching your videos and listening to a ton of the old audiobooks really makes it clear just how much Bionicle shaped how I think today.
That's awesome you're getting back into it! There seems to be a general revival of the fanbase over past couple of years, and its been great to see!
@@heroranuva8295 I hope it means a potential for a proper revival of the series, regardless of the scale.
@@Trollo_Swaggins Honestly I hope so too, there's a lot of potential still here. And since everything else under the sun seems to be getting a reboot, I think Bionicle can have another shot XD
I love the first gen Bionicle. When they were on Mata Nui they were so spiritual and lived simpler lives which is kind of a contrast to their own mechanical nature.
I think your headcanon might actually be canon. While Web of Shadows skips the large amount of time that actually took place. The books, like you said, go into a lot of details about their struggles, and how they overcome them in similar fashions to how the principles are portrayed in the side game.
The Toa Nuva even show these principles that the Turaga taught the Matoran. Which I believe is why they were able to fight the other Makuta on even ground. Like the Rahkashi, the Makuta represented the antithisis of the principles of the matoran, but unlike with the Rahkashi. This time they were prepared to deal with the threat, and succeeded.
_I_ think I'm getting some inspiration for my own worldbuilding.
Also, I remember your remark in an earlier video about how the BIONICLE novels are essentially zip files compared to other books, and while most of this was in a game, it definitely shows here. There's just so much to unpack from just a few pages, it's insane. Greg Farshtey is (almost) as good an author as Tolkien; change my mind.
Awesome that you're getting inspiration! And yeah, there's always so much packed in there, and its clearly intentional, because its clear that there was meant to be these deeper themes in the movie itself, even if the explicit build up was in the game. Yeah Greg Farshtey, along with the other members of the Bionicle team were truly fantastic storytellers
While watching, I came up with my own interpretation for the symbol of the Principle of Courage.
I think that the circle in the middle represents an obstacle or perhaps an objective, like a duty. The straight lines represent the courage/bravery to face said obstacle head-on which ties into how Fear is an opposing force for Courage. This leads into the curved lines, which I think are symbolic of overcoming an obstacle (top curve; like jumping over) and knowing when to avoid/or take a different approach to a problem (bottom curve; like ducking under). It takes courage to take on a challenge and beat it, but it also takes courage to admit that a plan requires a more slow and methodical approach (like Kapura) or that perhaps an obstacle can be outright avoided rather than running recklessly into danger. I think this also ties nicely into the skill of Strength as a representation of not only physical strength but also mental strength in which along with my aforementioned ideas also tie into other Principles or Skills like Willpower and Strategy.
I also agree that the curved lines could also be a more focused representation of the Principle of Duty as you would need more concentration to perform acts of courage given a moments notice whilst in danger.
Another thought came to mind as I was typing this out is that the lines could also represent a constant movement forward or to "Move Along" - to never stop in your tracks or hesitate which I also think is very fitting to the theme of Courage.
Regarding Jaller's "death" (sorry for making this post so long lol), I would surmise that his greatest fear was losing Takua as a friend. He is the captain of the Ta-Koro guard and is tasked with the duty to protect his people after all. I'd imagine that seeing Takua's safety would have provided him with courage to not give in to fear, as there is hope as long as someone is alive to follow their destiny and complete their duty.
That's a really interesting take, the idea that true Courage requires flexibility! And yeah, Jaller's care for Takua was probably such a strong motivator. (and no worries about making it long, I lvoe having interesting dialogues in the comments, tho some of them are so thoughtful it takes a while for me to respond)
I personally think I like best the idea that the Matoran of Mata Nui developed the principles themselves, derived from their surroundings during the thousand years under Makuta's rule - I feel like that does most justice to the distinctive Matoran cultures and personalities that we saw on Mata Nui, but felt like got lost in later years, to let them have come up with it themselves -, but I can't deny that it's really interesting the way that they play into each of the Hordika's respective experiences. Maybe the two aren't contradictory, maybe the Turaga lent their own insights to the Matoran, while giving room for them to decide themselves on what to do with them, which gave rise to the principles system.
Absolutely fascinating video! I especially like the explanation behind the final Kolhii match's symbolism; I'd always heard that we got that just because Lego's non-violence rules wouldn't allow for a proper final battle, but after watching this I realise that does absolutely no credit to the level of symbolism going on there. Like you say, it's such a shame that none of that comes through clearly in the movie; I know the point of MoL was that it was written as something of a reward for kids who were already deep in the lore, so that they could have the satisfaction of understanding all the references that a casual viewer wouldn't get; but I think that may have been too much of a deep cut even for most of them!
I wish we had this much insight into some of the other Matoran cultures
Yeah it would be great if we could see this for the other elements, or other islands
@@heroranuva8295 maybe some of the other Rahkshi powers could be antithesis of principles of other Matoran types. I mean, we do know that Rahkshi can have the powers of Sleep, Slowness, Darkness, and more
I created an AU that works on exactly this principle.
(Element - Principle - Rahkshi)
Iron - Malleability - Invulnerability
Plantlife - Harmony - Stasis
Lightning - Action - Illusion
Gravity - Balance - Confusion
Plasma - Creativity - Mind Reading
Sonics - Honor - Slowness
Also the lines on the symbol for speed all point in the same direction, signifying them all moving towards the same goal.
Very true!
This is an amazingly great look at an underappreciated part of bionicle lore! This deserves more attention.
Thanks!
Oh boy, a 30 minute video on the six principles was not on my bingo card.
This is why I love your channel. Those have never been analysed or really used in the story and this deserve an analysis. Kudos to your work as always
Thanks, I really appreciate it!
For all it's flaws, I really enjoyed MNOG2, it was such a fun game. The free-roaming exploration of the Island was so cool, something I've always wanted to do. Sure it was limited and not all the Island was available, but it was still fun.
I was a biiiiig Bionicle fan and collector as a kid, and I got pretty into the story throughout its run. And yet I've never heard of the six principles before watching your video today. Thank you for this breakdown, it lends so much more meaning to the world building of Bionicle.
Crazy how when I watched Mask of Light I never got the Rahkshi's powers or where the three virtues came from. I blame being danish and not being able to play (or understand) all the online stuff until much later.
Truly amazing! The Principles are very fascinating and I love this context! The idea they were developed by the Turaga in response to their time as Hordika is a cool angle I love!
This is honestly the first time I’ve heard about these principles, very informative
So cool that it seems even mathematically predetermined to be 7 Toas, from all possible combinations of the 3 Virtues
Yeah, its really cool and interesting!
I LOVE the concept of the Rahkshi powers being the antithesis of the matorans values, its SO good. I also love your idea of the principles being a result of the Turaga's time as Hordika; i dont really care for 2005's story that much, ut things like this & the idea of the Visorak being the white blood cells of the GSR make me appreciate it a lot more!
(edit): sorry, the original response was meant for a different comment, clicked on yours by mistake. But yeah a lot of thematic aspects really enhance the story
17:26 An idea I'd throw out there, the straight-to-curved lines also seem to resemble hands framing or gripping the dot. Perhaps the symbol means to show courage by seizing the moment and getting hands on.
That's a really cool way to look at it!
Knowing absolutely nothing about Bionicle, this was interesting.
I do have a couple guesses about some of the symbols, though. Specifically, Duty and Courage.
Duty, to me, looks like "Even if the circle isn't there, you know where it should be. You know what you need to do."
Courage, to me, looks like "Unwavering conviction, the willpower to push through any obstacle and do what needs to be done, letting nothing stop you."
I was sent this video after I had posted a mini-essay on something similar but quite different: the Virtues of the Ultima series (a set of games for home computers of the 80s and 90s). Specifically, I covered mostly my own take on it, as I had come up with slightly different interpretations of some of them.
In that series, it starts with the Three Principles: Truth, Love, and Courage. From those three arise the Eight Virtues: Honesty, Compassion, Valor, Justice, Honor, Sacrifice, Spirituality, and Humility. Kind of like in Bionicle here, they're formed by focusing on combinations of the Principles, but they also include ones for all three and for none of them.
Truth - Honesty, Love - Compassion, Courage - Valor
Truth + Love - Justice, Truth + Courage - Honor, Love + Courage - Sacrifice
Truth + Love + Courage - Spirituality, and none - Humility.
Most of them are pretty straightforward, but what I thought was interesting was some of the phrasing in the 2-combination ones: Justice is "Applying Truth equally out of Love, for all people deserve Truth without elevating one above another", Honor is "The Courage to make your words the Truth, to always uphold the Truth of your statements even in the face of adversity", and Sacrifice is "The Courage to give of yourself in the name of Love, putting the needs of others above your own".
Spirituality, especially my tweak to it, emphasized balance as well as the strive for perfection, and also the unity of all people as one cohesive group. While Humility always seemed to get haphazard justifications in the games, so I came up with it being the recognition in the areas one is lacking so as not to be blinded by pride, as well as being a reminder of the unique nature of individuals and that one is not above others just because their path happens to be more glamorous.
=== And now, the really, really heavy rambling, where I talk about the books I've been writing, and how the characters within them relate to these Principles/Virtues. Feel free to skip all of this if it gets to be too much. (I know I write a lot, I've literally written over half a million words over the last two years, basically four complete novels and two in-progress ones that are about half-complete so far.) ===
I was inspired to write it up when I was telling someone how the three main characters of my three story series, while based on myself, each emphasized different aspects of myself. When I tried to put that into words, I realized that each was aligned with a particular Principle, and going deeper noticed that each also had a different 2-combination as a focus.
Princess (a pet dragon living with a mage, on the fantasy world of Terra) embodied the pure Love a pet has for their owner, wanting to be loved in return. She also focuses heavily on Sacrifice, as she is constantly giving of herself any time she can to help her owner. Partially due to her low self-esteem, she always worries she isn't "doing enough" for her owner and anyone around her, and in one breakdown, runs away when she thinks she's being a burden, determined to give him the life she thinks he wants, even at the expense of everything she knows and loves.
Flopsy (a horse/rabbit hybrid called a Hoofbun, who fights crime with super strength) embodies Courage, always ready and willing to stand up to any challenge. She also focuses deeply on Honor, as her primary motivation for helping others comes from a desire to show the world that her creator was a great man who wanted to make the world a better place, and after his death, it's up to her to carry out his legacy and see it respected.
Vayryn (a yinglet, a fictional species created for the webcomic "Out of Placers" by Valsalia) embodies Truth, and makes the effort to be public despite her transformation, never shying away from answering questions and making herself visible even when she wants to hide. She also focuses strongly on Justice, as one of her primary motivations for being public is to pave the way for the path of any other victims of the technology used to transform her, ensuring they will have their rights respected, and that they will not be seen as something to be feared, pitied, hated, or worse.
Just because they focus on those aspects doesn't mean they lack the others.
Princess, having lived her life in denial of her inner self, struggles with Truth and related virtues, but clearly bristles at any breach of Justice she sees, has no problem fighting with Valor on behalf of her owner and others, and tries to keep her word of Honor when she makes a promise.
Flopsy is quick to Sacrifice, as she's a "Living Construct" who has trouble seeing herself as equal to humans, fights for Justice even if mostly due to her sense of Honor, and prefers simple Honesty both for herself and for others.
Vayryn was a bit hard to pin down, because she's probably the strongest of all three in Virtue, having the Valor to keep facing the world despite being three feet tall and the only known yinglet on modern-day Earth, Sacrificing her own desires for the sake of the reputations of her boyfriend and the hypothetical future victims, living with Honor and refusing to make any promises she can't keep, having a deep Compassion as she tries to keep her patience when confronted with the confusion, fear, and bigotry from the world, plus even the Spirituality to be something of a leader (Fans of the comic call her "Matriarch", a title that's going to be a lot less "honorific" once more victims start happening and she starts taking charge of the fight for respect) and maintaining Humility by keeping in mind that she's only in the spotlight by pure chance and never letting herself be blinded to her flaws. (Courage falters a bit with every human looming over her and being able to snap her like a twig, and Love can be strained when the world hits her with a bit too long a string of bigotry, like when she was facing eviction while trying to negotiate a business contract and being unable to get a single landlord to take her seriously.)
I try not to make any of them "too good", giving them stronger and weaker areas as well as moments where they falter. Times where they don't quite live up to their Virtues, minor or major. This analysis (which I somehow never thought to do in my first two years of writing) actually helps put things into focus, and just yesterday helped me work out a path I like for Flopsy's second book. So to any author, I'd recommend using a belief system, whether the Ultima Virtues, Bionicle Principles, or whatever else you like, as a way to really analyze your characters' motivations any time you get stuck or are having trouble finding clarity.
I'd give links to my essay on it and my writing, but if I put a link in a comment, RUclips will delete everything I said for fear I'm scamming or spamming. If you search "Ultima Virtues", you'll probably find lots of other writings, including things from the games themselves, but I'm afraid I haven't posted mine anywhere but FurAffinity (where I also post my writing, as you may have noticed all three main characters are non-humans).
Damm! I feel my childhood breaking my heart.
This is so amazing
Thanks!
Great video as always, but the most impressive part is that you redeemed the infamously maligned Kolhii match between Takanuva and Makuta.
Lmao yeah XD Thanks!
The Swirling symbol for creation is most likely inspired by the Koru design used by the Māori in New Zealand. Bionicle has a strong polynesian inspiration and had borrowed a lot of names and words from the polynesians including the Māori. The Koru has various meanings depending on the variation and combination. But I believe a lone spiral like that one in this video is their symbol for creation, new life, and growth. All of which is connected with the origin of the symbol being a new unfurling fern.
This one was what popped out to me the most while watching this video but I wonder now if the other symbols that left us scratching our heads has origins in Māori or polynesian culture too.
Huh, that’s really interesting, I didn’t know about the Koru design
Stuff like this that can be put into like lists or charts always make my brain go brrrrr for some reason (which is maybe part of the reason i liked bionicle so much as a kid in the first place lol). I always end up imagining what I would do if I could adapt stories like this into, say, a multi-season tv show, and videos like this always make those ideas run wild. Great stuff!
It makes my brain go brrrrr too :D
The symbol for Creation appears to be the same as the Māori Koru symbol, which is their symbol for creation. Based on the unfurling silver fern. This symbol may also have been at least a partial inspiration for the logo Cryoshell uses
Great video on covering the meaning behind the charms of the Primary elements, what they represent as well as what each of the six Rahkshi are oppose to what type of charm. Though I wish that they were more charms that correlated to the secondary elements of the Matoran Universe.
Yeah that would be really interesting if it could be extended to the secondary elements. There have been some fans who've come up with their own fan made Principles for them
@@heroranuva8295 Really? Though I can't find any online yet unless you have links to them(though RUclips doesn't allow links anymore).
Greg Farshtey also implied that the Makuta of the Melding alternate universe had these principles as powers as opposed to the mentioned six Rahkshi powers.
Yeah I remember that, it was a really interesting implication of the lore!
Thank you so much for this wonderful analysis, the analogies, the parallels were so wonderful to see!
This is always so heartwarming and inspiring!
Thank you! 😁
You should add some background music (low volume to avoid copyright) in your future videos. Great theory by the way👍
Thanks, yeah I'll probably try to do that
Hey! I love your stuff and I think this is the best video so far! So much depth I didn't realize was in this franchise I grew up with. I think a video like the Piraka for the Rahkshi would be really cool :)
Thanks! Yeah, there's always so much to explore! Yeah, I might do something like that, a closer look at the Rahkshi later down the line
5:31 could also resemble the two moons
I just couldn't help but believe in this video's explanation about the Six Principles of the Matoran, which even helped as I have come to understand now, to shape the future of the Bionicle Universe, notably the forming of six Matoran destined to be Toa, to save Mata Nui's Life, encourage their people to fight the true evil to the very end, and to one day embrace true freedom from darkness..., as we have all seen on Sphereus Magna come its rebirth...
I even have bit of an interesting question: If Takua was an Av-Matoran all along, and he was Destined to become Takanuva: Toa of Light, then what sort of Principle from Destiny he could have learned to value, which he later taught to his true people?
The symbol for courage always looked like two hands grasping something, perhaps because courage is something that requires holding firm to your values.
"wasn't that just some kids toy"
Bruh WAS it? Im not so sure anymore 😂
Bionicle was a kids toy. But it was also so SO much more
I believe that the scattered lore in so many different forms of meda was a small peace of the full cannon. funny that fans would make it their Duty to Unite all the peaces to achieve the Destiny of understanding.🚬
Courage symbol could be the dot remaining steadfast inspite of being outnumbered and flanked by the lines which bend around it as a result
All 3 head canon combine into 1.
The turaga maintained the principles and values of their past to help guide the villagers/toa in the future.
I wonder what principles would the Matoran of other elements have. Do You think You'll ever get into the topic of other elements?
That's a really interesting question, one that I'm honestly not sure about. There is some broader discussion of it though, this person on tumblr did their own attempt at worldbuilding the other element principles, and its pretty cool, check it out if you're curious: www.tumblr.com/geardirector/718455200111820800/i-dont-know-how-far-along-the-principles-video
And on doing the secondary elements in general I do actually have a deep dive on them planned! The plan is to do a whole months of videos dedicated to the elements sometime soon, and there will be at least one video dedicated to all the secondaries!
We need the spreadsheet you used for this video
If you want a list of all the principles, skills, and enemies, you can find them all on BioSector01: biosector01.com/wiki/Principles
ive always wished they had continued with the rahkshis theme of being antithetical to the values of mata nui, instead of all the weird obscure comic book super powers they were given like "laser vision" and "density control"
The moral depravity of laser eyes
HEADCANON ACCEPTED
For whatever reason I never got a good play experience out of MNOG II... maybe it had something to do with me being on dial up for most of that era, only to get half-way fair satellite internet...🤔 Also this is the first time I've heard of The Six Principles before as well.
Honestly I never got a good full play though back in the day either, it was super glitchy. I was able to visit each village at least once, but could never finish the game. And yeah the Principles were one of those things that slowly emerged if you talked to the right people in each village, you had to piece it together from dialogue, there wasn't like a full exposition on them
So the mask of light is essentially like the ultimate uber charge?? Bet
Yes, you completely understand all of Bionicle lore!
@@heroranuva8295 Damn right I do
The whole concept of Prosperity reminds me of a bit from The Lord of the Rings novels. At their departure from Lothlorien, Galadriel pronounces a...blessing? Judgement? It's a tad unclear. But she says to Gimli that "Though your hands shall flow with gold, gold shall have no power over you."
I don’t suppose that if the Element of Light had a Principle, it’ll be a culmination of the 3 Virtues (Unity, Duty & Destiny) and it’s enemy would naturally be Darkness (Shadow). So if anyone has an idea of what would the Principle be and what kind of Skill would it grant, I’m all ears.
Good video, but I want to mention that even though they did change the spelling of his name, "Jaller" is still pronounced "Jala." I know it's strange.
It was still pronounced Jala in the movie, but I'm pretty sure that's because the movie was already deep into production before the Naming Day name change. I personally continue to pronounce it Jaller simply because I feel like that is more in keeping with the spirit of the agreement between Lego and the Maori representatives to not misuse their language.
@@heroranuva8295 The official guides say JAH-luh. True, this doesn't resemble the spelling, but the pronunciation remaining the same is consistent with the other names they changed. Huki=>Hewkii, Maku=>Macku, Puku=>Pewku, etc. The only thing I can think of that changed completely was Tohunga=>Matoran, and that's probably because Tohunga was a particularly sore spot.
So, basically, official books published years after the change provide the same pronunciation, and none of the other Matoran with name changes had their pronunciation changed, so JAH-luh it is, but say what you want.
True, I know the guides still list it like that. And with the other pronunciations, even pronouncing them as spelled is so close to the original, Jaller is the only one whose spelling would really suggest a different one. Its probably not a big deal, and I'm definitely not trying to claim mine is the most correct since I don't know exactly what the Maori would prefer. Its probably not that big a deal, cause you're right the biggest one was Tohunga given immense significance of that word. But I'm probably going to continue with pronouncing it Jaller
I thought MNOG2 was unfinished and cancelled partway through.
It was finished! Though, it was also super buggy, and at the time of release, was nearly impossible to play through all the way for many people (including myself)
I think gen2 WAS the "comeback" you mentioned. And it bombed badly imo. Just pissing off OG fans and doing nothing to gain new ones. At least in my view. Which is why i personally like to forget it EVER existed (particularly how they screwed with the Core elemental setup by switching Air to Jungle when there are already Toa of PLANTLIFE as its own SEPERATE element)
I still think it deserves another shot, the idea of the story still has amazing potential. Lego really didn't invest nearly enough into G2. I personally thought some of it was really cool, but they never made the commitment to make it great, particularly in the advertising and writing, and that's why I think it bombed
Destiny symbol is not a yin-yang. it is how one journey leads to another., One mantle passing on at completion to another.
Do you have evidence that it’s not a yin-yang, or is that your interpretation? Because multiple interpretations can exist, yours can be different from mine without shooting it down. Especially when you consider that the main Three Virtues symbol was explicitly designed based on yin-yang, and the Peace symbol is also clearly based on it, it’s pretty clear that design influence played a part
@@heroranuva8295 I am not saying a part was not played in influence. I am giving a better explanation for it such that there are not two that are simplified down to the same thing, whichever fallacy that may be.
SO one thing I'm curious about, is reproduction in Bionicle. Simply put how do species keep up their numbers? And also masks in relation to Rahi. If they reproduce like we do, then this means their mechanical components may have a genetic level to them like Transformers have "DNA" as "CNA". but then what about masks on Rahi, where do they get those?
Matoran can be created by machines operated by Turaga. But usually instead of creating new beings, the deceased are supposed to patched up on the red star and send back. That doesn't work properly because the teleportation system got damaged and only sends beings up, not down.
Rahi population is controlled by the Makuta. They just create more of them if required. The powerless Kanohi the Rahi wear were given to them by the Makuta after their creation.
@@Makutros Interesting.
Hahli was such a great character, too bad she didn't get much characterization after 2003
Are you ok heroranuva please tell me
The yin-yang symbol is called the taiji
Oh I didn't know that, thanks!
Something Intresting I noticed is that the Symbol for courage is actually on the Skrall Sword. I had to do a double take, but when I searched up a picture of the piece after the video it was right there smack-dab in the center of the sword. From a character perspective, I guess it makes sense why the Skrall's warrior culture would prize courage over over moral principles, especially in combat as Skrall only get names after a great accomplishment. It makes me think the 6 principles existed as a cultural concept since Spherus Magna. Going with the turaga Idea, I could def see the ideals being used for their viliges after the hordika struggles made them prize certain ones over others.
Good eye! I never noticed this but upon looking at the piece, I can confirm as well. I wonder if this was deliberate on the designer's part or just a coincidence. Seeing as how meticulously crafted the Bionicle lore was, I'd hope this was deliberate but I suppose it will have to be left to interpretation. I love how even after all of these years, we are still finding new and interesting things from Bionicle. Thank you for sharing your discovery!
No prob, happy to share. I'm curious if anyone can find anything other obscure lore on old bionicle pieces?