2009

2009 was the ninth year of BIONICLE. Marketed as a soft reboot, it moved away from the setting of the Matoran Universe to a new world called Bara Magna (though an online serial continued the story of what was going on in the Matoran Universe). It focused on the Glatorian and their struggles against the Skrall. About halfway through the year, Mata Nui, the Great Spirit exiled from the Matoran Universe at the end of the 2008 story, arrived on Bara Magna and became a main character for the first time (despite having been introduced in BIONICLE's first year).

A new comic series entitled BIONICLE: Glatorian began in 2009 and five comics were released. BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn, the first BIONICLE movie since four years prior, was released in 2009. Besides its novelization, only a single novel was released. Three online story serials and one offline story serial released in Poland-exclusive promotional books told side stories in 2009. The total number of sets released in the year was twenty-seven.

Story
Berix; an Agori of Tajun was searching in the desert of Bara Magna for anything of value--metal, armor, weapons--when he ran into the Bone Hunter Fero and his Rock Steed Skirmix. Fero was prepared to kill Berix and take what he had found when the Glatorian Gresh showed up and launched his Thornax at Fero's hand. Fero prepared to take down Gresh, but he had been traveling with Tarix and Strakk, two other Glatorian. Fero fled and his mount ended up trampling the three Glatorian in the process. Shortly afterwards, a pack of Vorox attacked the four travelers. After a brief battle, ex-Glatorian Malum signaled the Vorox to stand down, apparently having become the alpha male of that pack. Gresh, Strakk, and Tarix departed for Vulcanus, because Gresh had a battle with a Skrall there. Berix went elsewhere.

In Vulcanus, Raanu and Metus were arguing about how the Fire Tribe needed a new fighter after Malum's exile. Metus told Raanu that no one wanted to work for him at that moment, since it would mean fighting a Skrall. A little later, the fight began between Gresh and a Skrall. The battle lasted less than three minutes before Gresh was defeated. Skrall moved in on him, planning to kill him, but Tarix stopped him.

Later, the same Skrall traveled to an unknown location to meet with someone (it is heavily implied that the someone is Berix, since they talk about Tajun and Berix is later found by Tarix in the same location, but this is not confirmed). This mysterious figure told the Skrall that a trade caravan would leave Tajun within a week, and if it could be intercepted and raided by Bone Hunters, Tajun would go hungry, be forced to challenge another tribe for their food and lose (the figure implied that he would ensure Tajun would lose: "If they lose--which they will--"), leaving them easy prey for the Rock Tribe. The Skrall left to tell Tuma.

Tuma ordered the Skrall to reveal the information about the caravan to a captured Agori, and then allow him to escape, where he would be captured by Bone Hunters and reveal all he knew to them in return for freedom. The Bone Hunters would then attack the caravan as the mysterious figure had intended them to, and the Skrall's plan would be set into motion. Tuma ended his orders by saying "But the time is coming, warrior, when we will not need to act through others... Soon, we Skrall will shed our skins like the sand dragons and be revealed for what we are--conquerors, rulers! We will attack...we will win...and Bara Magna will be ours!"

Later at the Atero arena, Tarix, Strakk, and Gresh were preparing for the tournament. On that night Gresh was practicing when Malum showed up with a warning. He was warning about a threat that was gonig to destroy them all. Gresh didn't show fear and would stay and protect. The next morning the tournament began. Strakk and Tarix were the first contestants to battle. Berix, Raanu, and Metus were talking about the battle and were wondering why the skrall were late, so they decided to go outside to see if there coming and saw a whole army of them. They warned the Glatorian about the the invasion and the Agori were evacuated. The Skrall destroyed the arena. Gresh, Tarix, Metus, Raanu, Berix and Strakk discussed how to defeat the Skrall.

The former Glatorian Gelu, who had quit due to the Skrall attack on Atero, was working as an armed guard when he was ambushed by Skrall warriors. He said he thought it would be an easy job, but remembered that there were no easy jobs on Bara Magna. Gelu was trying get to a large rock to hold off the Skrall force when a bright object flew far overhead, allowing him to escape.

Books

 * BIONICLE: Raid on Vulcanus
 * BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn (Book)

Comics

 * BIONICLE: Glatorian
 * Comic 1: Sands of Bara Magna
 * Comic 2: The Fall of Atero
 * Comic 3: A Hero Reborn
 * Comic 4: Before the Storm
 * Comic 5: Valley of Fear

Movies and Animations

 * BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn

Story Serials

 * Riddle of the Great Beings
 * Empire of the Skrall
 * Reign of Shadows
 * The Crossing

Sets Released

 * Agori
 * 8972 Atakus
 * 8973 Raanu
 * 8974 Tarduk
 * 8975 Berix
 * 8976 Metus
 * 8977 Zesk
 * Glatorian
 * 8978 Skrall
 * 8979 Malum
 * 8980 Gresh
 * 8981 Tarix
 * 8982 Strakk
 * 8983 Vorox
 * Titans
 * 8990 Fero and Skirmix
 * Contained an Agori-style set.
 * Malum and Skirmix could combine to make a lizard creature called a "Sand Stalker".
 * 8991 Tuma
 * 8998 Toa Mata Nui
 * Glatorian Legends
 * 8984 Stronius
 * 8985 Ackar
 * 8986 Vastus
 * 8987 Kiina
 * 8988 Gelu
 * 8989 Mata Nui
 * Vehicles
 * 8992 Cendox V1
 * Contained an Agori figure.
 * 8993 Kaxium V3
 * Contained two Agori figures.
 * 8994 Baranus V7
 * Contained an Agori figure.
 * 8995 Thornatus V9
 * Contained a Glatorian figure.
 * 8996 Skopio XV-1
 * Contained a Glatorian figure.
 * Other
 * 20012 Click (Not available in the USA except via BrickMaster)

Trivia

 * The 2009 story takes place over several months, unlike the past three story years which took place in a course of mere days.
 * At the beginning of the 2009 storyline, there is no "evil" on Bara Magna, in that no tribe has done anything outwardly evil yet.