LEGO Slizers (Throwbots)

1999

The LEGO Slizers, known as Throwbots in North America, was a short-lived, discontinued product line from 1999 to 2000. It introduced a revolutionary building system that became the direct precursor to the highly successful LEGO Bionicle theme.

Theme Overview and Storyline

The theme took place on a disc-shaped planet named Planet X, where different territories were inhabited by robotic beings representing elements such as fire, ice, water, and rock. The storyline, told through online content and instruction booklets, centered on a battle for a central city where the "master" of the planet resided. A meteor struck the planet, unleashing evil forces and requiring the various Slizers to restore balance.

Key Product Features

Action Figures: The sets were large, buildable action figures made primarily with Technic and early Bionicle parts.

Disk Launchers: The core play feature was a built-in "throwing arm" that could launch collectible, numbered discs, which acted as their weapons in the story.

Gear Functions: Simple gear functions were incorporated into the figures to allow for movement and action.

Motorized Sets: Several larger sets in the second wave included 9V motors to add action features.

The Two Waves

The theme was split into two waves, featuring different characters and locations.

Wave 1 (1999): Elemental Slizers: This wave introduced the core eight elemental Slizers and their respective territories.

Torch, Scuba, Turbo, Jet, Granite, Electro, Power, Judge.

Wave 2 (2000): Advanced/Master Slizers: The second wave included larger, more complex figures, often with new colors and features, battling a final threat.

Blaster, Flare, Millennia, Spark.

Legacy and Related Themes

The Slizers/Throwbots theme was an experimental line that tested a new building system. Its innovative buildable figures and action features led directly to the creation of the hugely successful LEGO Bionicle theme, which launched in 2001 and used a more developed version of the same building system. The Slizers sets are now valuable collector's items in the secondary market.