LEGO Reviews Bionicle70787

Tahu - Master of Fire

Name: LEGO Tahu - Master of Fire 70787
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 70787
Rating: 4.56 (154 reviews)

68 · MIXED REVIEWSINVESTMENT GRADE: BB201589 pcsHigh agreement · 83%

Expert reviews

2analyzed

Owner ratings

154

Consensus

WAIT FOR SALE

BrickScore

Mixed Reviews

Owners

Synthesized Verdict

"Tahu - Master of Fire is a satisfying revival for dedicated Bionicle fans that earns its Mixed Reviews designation: the iconic character, clever gear function, and visual appeal carry the set, but the hollow legs, loose mask, and above-average price-per-piece keep it from being a clear recommendation for casual buyers."

Tahu - Master of Fire lands in Mixed Reviews territory with a BrickScore of 67.9, reflecting a split between enthusiastic fan reception and more measured assessments of value and construction quality. Owner ratings across 154 reviews average 4.56 out of 5, with LEGO.com buyers giving play experience a strong 4.76, but value for money a more cautious 4.18. Long-time Bionicle fans celebrated the return of the iconic character, while critics pointed to hollow legs, a loose mask mechanism, and a price premium over lower-tier Toa sets as real flaws.

Where they split: The Mixed Reviews tier reflects a real split. Fan-oriented buyers gave near-unanimous 100/100 ratings driven by nostalgia and character attachment. More analytical reviewers consistently flagged the price premium, hollow leg construction, and mask mechanism as meaningful flaws. Owners rate play experience (4.76) notably higher than value for money (4.18), mirroring the critic-vs-fan divide.

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LOVED (6)

01Iconic Bionicle character with strong nostalgia appeal for returning fans
02New gear function that allows arm-swinging action while retaining posability
03Impressive size as the tallest set in the 2015 winter wave
04Dual-use lava swords that combine into a lava surfboard, referencing classic Tahu designs
05Well-distributed gold color scheme with trans-neon orange accents
06Six gold armor shell pieces and a golden mask of fire

CRITICIZED (6)

01Hollow, exposed backs of the lower legs are aesthetically unsatisfying
02Mask is loosely attached and pops off too easily during play
03Priced at $19.99 for 89 pieces (22.5 cents per piece), noticeably more expensive than the smaller Toa at $14.99
04Shoulder armor can interfere with the gear function and knock off the mask
05Head cannot look downward due to the large chin design
06Ball joints visible on upper torso break the cleaner look

What reviewers are saying

"well that really makes a statement compare 89 pieces for this one to the original tow tahoo who came with 33 pieces and was about half as tall as this this is pretty impressive"

JANG's LEGO Reviews

"Five years after being killed off and replaced by the less-than-stellar HERO Factory theme, Bionicle is back in the shops!"

Brickset Reviews

Ecosystem

Original Tahu — The new Tahu is significantly more impressive with 89 pieces versus 33, about twice as tall, with much better build construction, integration of functions, and tremendous posability compared to the original.

2010 Bionicle sets — New CCBS system represents significant difference from older construction method but reviewer feels it is a step backward for innovation and core building experience

70788 Kopaka — Similar shoulder pad construction issues noted on Kopaka by another commenter (Shib); reviewer intends to purchase Kopaka spider lord

70789 (implied other Toa) — Aanchir notes significant design differences show CCBS is flexible; 70789 uses same parts but creates different look

BionicleTier 2Investment Grade

By Reviewer · 2

Avg score

Consensus

WAIT FOR SALE

JANG's LEGO Reviews

Expert Video Source

"well that really makes a statement compare 89 pieces for this one to the original tow tahoo who came with 33 pieces and was about half as tall as this this is pretty impressive"

Key Pros

✓Impressive build especially in body construction
✓Tremendous posability with ball and socket CCBS system
✓New base piece creates excellent slashing mechanics

JUMP TO REVIEW

Brickset Reviews

Editorial Source

WAIT FOR SALE

"Five years after being killed off and replaced by the less-than-stellar HERO Factory theme, Bionicle is back in the shops!"

Key Pros

✓Returns Bionicle after five years away
✓Gearing system works well and arms stay in place
✓Bright red color stands out on shelf

Key Cons

✕Shoulder pads positioned too tall and spoil appearance, not matching box image
✕Superfluous ball joints behind chest plate

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Dimensional Analysis

Investment Layer

Buy now (0)Wait for sale (0)

Value drivers

JANG's LEGO Reviews: Exclusive printed upper chest piece and golden mask variant unique to this set

Exclusivity

JANG's LEGO Reviews: Exclusive printed chest piece and golden mask variant

Brickset Reviews: First-year reboot set; part of first wave of new Bionicle theme

Resale

Brickset Reviews: No explicit resale expectation stated; however, comments indicate some will use as parts pack for customs

Minifigures & Standout Parts

Standout parts (per reviewers)

New base body piece with knob mechanismValue
Creates all the function on the back to enable the slashing arm mechanics, uses four-lobed gears and friction adders
Fire blades with separate elemental charge pieceValue
Based on old TOA Leon design but improved with swappable elemental charge pieces allowing customization for different colors and elements
Blue Technic axle pin
Used to slow down the gear mechanism for better friction control
Bright green skull spider
Unusual color variant not normally seen
Beam A 3M Ball/Cup Ø 10.2
Used to raise shoulder pads off shoulder joint, creating problematic tall positioning
Beam Torso 7X9 Ball Ø10.2
Used for bottom half of body and neck but not arms, creating superfluous ball joints behind chest plate

What Owners Say · summarized from 31 written reviews (LEGO, Amazon, Walmart)

Owners overwhelmingly praise Tahu as a worthy revival of the iconic character with excellent build quality, gear mechanics, and dual weapons, though pricing and occasional joint stiffness are common criticisms.

COMMON PRAISE