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Set 8539 Manas
Bionicle

LEGO® Manas

Manas is a Bionicle set from 2001 with 438 pieces. There are no minifigures, only joints and ball sockets that make up a poseable creature.

Set number
8539
Year
2001
Pieces
438
Minifigures
0
Theme
Bionicle
Different parts
75
What can I build with it?

Parts list 75

As BrickLink list (XML)

Import on BrickLink: Wanted → Upload, upload the file (or paste its content), pick a Wanted List and add the parts.

Spare parts (9)

These extra parts come with the set in case one gets lost.

Description

A creature made of joints

In 2001 Bionicle was a fresh idea: instead of houses and vehicles, you built characters and beasts that move at their joints. Manas is one of those creatures. At 438 pieces it is larger than most figures in the range and has real presence on a shelf. There are no minifigures, because the model itself is the star, and every joint can be moved into a different pose whether you are playing with it or displaying it. Play here is less about scenes with figures than about trying out how the body can move.

Black, greys and white

The four most common colours are black, light grey, dark grey and white. That makes for a calm, technical look in which shape matters more than colour. With only 56 different part types the variety is small, but many pieces appear several times over. That gives the model an even, consistent construction, and once you have worked out a few basic moves, the way it is put together becomes easy to follow. Dark tones also make armour and joints look sturdier, which suits a creature of this size.

Building with connections, not studs

If you mostly know classic brick-on-brick models, this is a different way of building. Axles, pins, ball joints and curved armour pieces slot into one another, and the result can still be changed after it is finished. That suits collectors who like to arrange their figures in different stances, and anyone curious about how a movable body is assembled from many small parts, step by step and joint by joint. Beginners need a little patience the first time they assemble it, but are rewarded with a stable result.

Parts list and reuse

The parts list on this page helps you check a second-hand set, since joint pieces are often the ones that go missing. If you already own Bionicle parts, the “What can I build?” tool shows which sets they add up to. Because the elements are kept in black and grey, they also work for creatures, robots and vehicles of your own design. A single figure becomes a starter stock for new ideas. That saves money and shows how many ideas lie in a well-sorted pile of joint parts.

FAQ

Does Manas come with minifigures?
No, the set has no minifigures. Its 438 pieces build the poseable Bionicle creature on their own.
How many different parts does it contain?
There are 56 different part types, many of them in black, light grey and dark grey.
When was the set released?
Manas came out in 2001 and belongs to the Bionicle theme.

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