No way to rebuild into Snake Version, 0/10.

The French name of this set was "Rendezvous"

I think of this guy as the most common Bionicle for the sole reason that, in the Year of Our Lord 2022, I found him twice in batches of used LEGO, but have yet to find [insert awesome, big, Bionicle HERE].

This is my snowflake. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My snowflake is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My snowflake, without me, is useless. Without my snowflake, I am useless. I must hold my snowflake true…

I actually have a few of those snowflake pieces that I tried using in a diorama. It wasn't the best, but I'm sure I could try again and come up with something good.

@PurpleDave said:
"This is my snowflake. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My snowflake is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My snowflake, without me, is useless. Without my snowflake, I am useless. I must hold my snowflake true…"

When I hold my snowflake it melts :(

@Randomness said:
"My main question is how ice-themed is this guy, exactly?
Lore is necessary."

Well, on the one hand, he’s got a giant snowflake in the one hand. And on the other hand, he’s got a scimitar in the other hand. A scimitar is a desert weapon. Antarctica is classified as a desert. The answer to your question is, therefore, “Yes.”

Metus was one of those early 2009 BIONICLE sets I looked past and never got. I came to regret that later when he played a larger role in the DVD film "BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn", but not severely enough to buy him now on the aftermarket. Oddly, in early 2009, I was trying to step away from BIONICLE. The 2008 story came to sad, but fitting conclusion. BIONICLE had gone on for so long that I figured it would be many years and many sets before Mata Nui was reunited with the Toa and Matoran within his own realm, not to mention his final showdown with Makuta. And I was deep into college and felt that it was time to "grow up" and force myself to let go of childish things. And yet, I still got Gresh and the Skrall warrior. When an actual Mata Nui set was teased and soon revealed, I snapped out of that malaise and went all-in on Glatorians and Bara Magna!

Metus here was an Agori, which are the smaller of two species of humanoids that live on the wasteland planet of Bara Magna. An aggressive race, the Agori had learned to better use their meager resources and dwindling numbers by proxy duels between the larger race, the Glatorian. Two Glatorian represented each village, with corresponding Agori training them, funding them, and otherwise working as promoters for their village champions. Metus was all over the place, though, and would back various Glatorian from different tribes. He was always keen to spot upcoming talent so he could lease their services to villages in need. The tribes would get a champion who won them water, food, or other resources, and Metus got some money. Super capitalist, that guy.

Greed got the better of him. The invading Skrall army from the north, led by the mighty Tuma, discovered Metus and convinced him to start rigging matches so the villages would be weaker by the time the Skrall invaded in full force. Always one to spot a winner, Metus amorally decided the Skrall were going to win no matter what, so he just as easily supported their warriors in the arena combat as those of Iconox's (the Ice Tribe's home village).

After the fall of Atero to the Skrall, Mata Nui arrived via the Mask of Life and was soon found by the wandering Metus. Sensing a special opportunity, he brought Mata Nui to Vulcanus to see who would interested in buying Mata Nui's "Glatorian" services. However, after intervening in a duel gone sour, Mata Nui demonstrated no interested in playing the Glatorian games. Metus was disappointed, but even though he was witness to Mata Nui's power, decided to stick with the Skrall plan and reported back to them on the newcomer.

Mata Nui and other Glatorian he befriended went on their own adventures (as seen in the DVD movie mentioned earlier), but the Skrall pressed their attack and destroyed the Water Village as well. While warning the Jungle Tribe about the Skrall advance, Mata Nui's new friends, Kiina and Berix, were taken prisoner by the Skrall. Mata Nui staged a daring rescue, battling Tuma himself to free his friends and leading an army of united Glatorian and Agori on Roxtus, the Skrall capital. After this battle, Metus' treachery was laid bare, and for that, Mata Nui punished him by using the power of the Mask of Life to turn Metus into what he truly was at heart: a vile snake.

Metus was last seen slithering off into the wasteland. He was not welcome in the new paradise Mata Nui created after his battle with Makuta. And as much as I loved that snowflake shield, I got it instead with 8988 Gelu. That is a much more impressive set.

@ItisNoe said:
"Wait, is it that little guy who accompanies the big blue girl in the Mata Nui movie?"

No, you're thinking of Berix. He is blue, too, like Kiina the "big blue girl in the Mata Nui movie".

Wow, that shield piece looks awesome.

A shield that exposes the hand of its user? Isn't the purpose of the thing to prevent hits, especially in the middle part? Gotta go back and read Alexander the Great's biography again, maybe I missed that in the innovative warfare section.

Anyway, pleased to Metus.

Yet another Ninjago mech. No Zane minifig though?

What's happened to Huwbot?
Three Bonkle sets in nine days!

Where’s my beloved Clikits?

I loved his shield piece, even if it did expose his fist. I love that they found another use in 8688.

@TheBrickPal: Shouldn't that be "Stormtrooper voice?"

@Randomness: Were you satisfied with @Lego_Lord_Mayorca's post, or do you need @GSR_MataNui to weigh in?

Why does he look like a teenage version of Hero Factory’s Preston Stormer?