8531 Pohatu was distributed with the first release of BIONICLE sets. It contained forty-nine pieces including a two-piece LEGO boulder brick for use with his kicking feature.
Pohatu's torso piece appeared upside-down in relation to the other 2001 Toa to move his gear function from moving his arms to his leg, allowing him to kick the boulder.
Pohatu could be combined with 8532 Onua and 8534 Tahu to create Toa Kaita Akamai, or be combined with Onua alone to make a black Fikou spider, though the model uses a third ball piece which is not included in either set. He could also be combined with 8533 Gali to make the Mata Nui Cow, or with Turaga Onewa to build the Dikapi using instructions released on the LEGO Club website.