The Toa figure set is an early Bionicle release withdrawn from sale following cultural review, making surviving original-name sets especially scarce.
This Lego Bionicle set represents an important and short-lived moment in the brand’s early history.
When Bionicle was first launched in the early 2000s, many characters, locations, and story elements were named using Māori words and language structures. Shortly after release, concerns were raised about the unauthorised use of Māori language and cultural references in a commercial product. In response, Lego worked with Māori representatives and made the decision to withdraw the affected sets from sale and revise the Bionicle storyline going forward.
As a result, early Bionicle releases featuring original Māori-derived names were produced for a relatively brief period before being discontinued or altered. This has made surviving examples increasingly scarce, particularly in complete and well-preserved condition.
Today, these early Bionicle sets are recognised not only for their innovative design and importance to Lego's history, but also as cultural artefacts reflecting a moment when global toy design intersected with real-world cultural considerations. Their withdrawal from sale has contributed significantly to their collectability and long-term appeal among serious Lego and Bionicle collectors.
This set forms part of The Vault — Planet Retro’s most selective collection of rare, one-off collectible pieces.