Toa (Bionicle)
Toa are the heroes of the fictional Bionicle mythos, a storyline of adventure and evil made by the Lego toy company. Each Toa has, and represents, an elemental power.
There have been many Toa over the years. All Toa wear a great Kanohi mask of power on their face, and almost all of them share a desire to do good. They all also possess the ability to create or control a certain element. The traditional elements are fire, ice, air, water, stone, and earth, and there are traditionally six Toa in a team. However, there are exceptions to both rules: to elements, there has been one known Toa each of Light, Gravity, Sonics, and Plasma; to the numerical value, there was once a team of eleven Toa.
A metal-colored armor often denotes an "Elite" Toa, such as Toa Hagah, Toa Nuva or Takanuva.
Powers and Equipment
Toa are best known for their elemental powers, allowing them to have tremendous control over the element they represent. This includes creating the element out of nothing, absorbing it into themselves, and manipulating it in almost any shape or form.
Each Toa is also equipped with a Great Kanohi Mask that grants them an additional power. While a Toa can have multiple masks stored away in a Toa Suva (shrine) that they can switch at will for a variety of powers, most Toa only have one mask that they wear constantly.
Toa are also equipped with personal tools, which are most often swords and other bladed weapons. Since Toa would never use these tools to harm living beings, they are most often used to focus elemental powers. Several tools can be used in alternate modes that help with transportation; for instance, a disk launcher can be used as a jetpack or a double-ended blade could be worn as ice skates.
Toa Kaita
Three Toa can merge into a single being called a "Toa Kaita". Toa Kaita have the combined elemental and mask powers of the individual Toa. However, Toa cannot stay merged for very long, because keeping three personalities in sync can be mentally taxing.
So far, only the Toa Nuva (both before and after their transformation) have been seen to form Toa Kaita:
- Tahu, Pohatu, and Onua combined to form Akamai, Toa Kaita of Valor. Akamai's mask was the Kanohi Aki, the Golden Mask of Valor, which had the powers of Shielding, Speed, and Strength. After they turned into Toa Nuva, they could have formed Akamai Nuva, but never have done so.
- Lewa, Gali, and Kopaka became Wairuha, Toa Kaita of Wisdom, who wore the Kanohi Rua, the Silver Mask of Wisdom, which had the powers of Levitation, Water Breathing and X-Ray Vision. After they turned into Toa Nuva, they merged into Wairuha Nuva to fight the Bohrok-Kal, but the Kal formed a Kaita of their own that defeated Wairuha.
The Toa Metru had the potential to merge into Toa Kaita, but had no idea that they actually could; and as Toa Hordika, they presumably did not have the mental focus that such a fusion required. It is unknown whether the Toa Hagah ever formed Toa Kaita, and it remains to be seen whether the Toa Inika will eventually do so.
According to book and comic writer Greg Farshtey, a six-Toa fusion would be called a "Toa Nui", and its power could rival the Great Spirit Mata Nui himself. However, it's only a theory at this point, as no Toa knows that the Toa Nui could even exist; in fact a Toa Nui may never be formed. (Source, 8th post down)
Major Toa Teams
Toa / Toa Nuva
Tahu, Lewa, Gali, Pohatu, Onua, and Kopaka are the six Toa whose destiny is to awaken the Great Spirit Mata Nui. They are the main heroes of the Bionicle storyline; even when the story focuses on other Toa, these six are always close by somehow.
These six Toa were originally sent to the island of Mata Nui to confront the Master of Shadows, Makuta. (As the only known heroes at the time, they were simply referred to as "the Toa"; fans later created the nicknames "Toa Olda" and "Toa Mata" for this incarnation.)
After their first fight with Makuta, he awakened swarms of creatures called Bohrok that threatened to destroy everything on the island. The Toa fought these swarms off and imprisoned their queens, Cahdok and Gahdok. Immediately afterward, they were immersed in energized protodermis, making them Toa Nuva with enhanced powers and equipment.
As Toa Nuva, they fought both the elite Bohrok called Bohrok-Kal and the "Sons of Makuta", the Rahkshi. In the weeks of peace after Makuta's apparent death in a battle with Takanuva, the Toa of Light, the Toa Nuva have been listening to the Turaga's tales of the Great Cataclysm and the Great Rescue that took place a thousand years ago.
The Toa Nuva have now travelled to the island of Voya Nui in search of a powerful Mask of Life that could save Mata Nui from death. However, they have run afoul of Piraka that are also looking for the mask. Currently they have been captured and have been stripped of their tools and masks.
Toa Metru / Toa Hordika
Vakama, Nokama, Matau, Onewa, Whenua, and Nuju were once Matoran a thousand years ago in the city of Metru Nui. The city's lone protector, Toa Lhikan, gave Toa Stones to the six Matoran and sent them to the Great Temple, where they were transformed into Toa Metru. Their first task was to stop the Morbuzakh plant creature that was slowly taking over the city; but they then discovered that Makuta was scheming to put the Great Spirit Mata Nui to sleep and take his place as the Matorans' object of reverence. Though they were able to imprison Makuta, they could not stop Mata Nui from falling asleep and had to escape the crumbling city, leaving behind nearly all the comatose Matoran.
In trying to rescue the Matoran from Metru Nui, the Toa Metru were captured by the Visorak hordes that had conquered the ruined city. The Visorak's venom mutated them into beastly Toa Hordika; these new forms had no mask powers, limited access to elemental powers, and a feral rage that threatened to consume the Toa. With help from strange creatures called Rahaga, the Toa fought to free the Matoran from the Visorak; and they looked for the mythical Keetongu, who could possibly cure them of their mutation.
Once the Visorak were defeated and the Toa were cured, they relocated all the Matoran to the island of Mata Nui. There, they gave up their Toa power to wake the Matoran from their slumber, becoming Turaga.
Toa Inika
Jaller, Hahli, Kongu, Hewkii, Nuparu, and Matoro are a new team of Toa that will be fighting the Piraka on the island of Voya Nui. Before the confirmation of the term "Inika", these Toa were referred to by fans first as "Toa Voya" (after the island where they would fight) and then as "Toa Igniters" (based on Lego's early promotional materials).
After finding out that Mata Nui is in danger of dying, Jaller refuses to wait helplessly. He gathers a small squad of Matoran to go and aid the Toa Nuva in finding the Mask of Life that can save him. Upon arriving on Voya Nui in canisters meant for Toa, the canisters are struck by lightning from the Red Star and the Matoran are transformed into Toa Inika.
Other Toa
Takanuva is the Toa of Light. (His name in Bionicle: The Game, however is Takua Nuva) Once an irresponsible Matoran named Takua, he found the Avohkii Mask of Light and was sent with his best friend Jaller to find the legendary Toa of Light that it belonged to. When Jaller sacrificed himself to save Takua from the Rahkshi, Takua realized his destiny and put on the mask himself, becoming the Toa of Light they were looking for and renaming himself "Takanuva".
The next day, Takanuva and the Toa Nuva built an Ussanui hovercraft from pieces of Armour from the Rahkshi and Bohrok Kal, and he took off on the vehicle to confront Makuta alone - though on arriving he found that his friend Hahli had stowed away. While Hahli was sent to bring the Matoran to the lair, Makuta challenged Takanuva to a mock kolhii match that ended up shattering most of the lair's pillars; and when the Matoran arrived, Makuta took out the last one, causing a cave-in that trapped everyone in the lair. Takanuva then tried to tear the Kanohi Kraahkan off Makuta's face, but both ended up falling into the lair's pool of energized protodermis. They emerged fused into one being, called Takutanuva, with Takanuva's personality in control. Takutanuva went over to a giant stone gate and lifted it, reopening the path to the city of Metru Nui and allowing the Matoran to escape. When Hahli passed carrying Jaller's mask, Takutanuva stopped her and gave some of Makuta's life force to resurrect Jaller; but this caused too much of a strain on Takutanuva and he was crushed by the heavy gate. However, the Mask of Light survived the impact, and Takanuva's body was restored in a beam of light.
Since then, Takanuva has been adjusting to his new role and responsibilities as a Toa, and is still unsure of himself when with the more experienced Toa Nuva. When Turaga Dume sent the Toa Nuva off to retrieve the Mask of Life, he insisted that Takanuva stay behind to protect Metru Nui. Jaller later gathered a group of Matoran to follow and aid the Toa Nuva, and Takanuva was a part of this group until they came to a gate that no light (or Toa of Light) could pass through, forcing him to turn back.
Some of the things Takanuva can do with his powers are shoot a powerful, bright beam of light energy at enemies that can either freeze or destroy them (like a laser beam); or he can create a sphere of light energy that he can throw at his opponents and cause some serious damage. He wields the Staff of Light, and his Avohkii Mask of Light can bring understanding and peace to others. Takanuva wears golden armor similar to the Toa Nuva's, but he actually has the normal level of Toa powers as opposed to the enhanced Toa Nuva.
He is seen in Mask of Light and at the end of Web of Shadows.
Lhikan was the last remaining Toa on Metru Nui before the coming of the Toa Metru. He was part of a team of eleven Toa that travelled to Metru Nui with the mission to destroy the Kanohi Dragon. He was a Toa of Fire and wore an exotic version of the Hau Mask of Shielding; his tools were a pair of fire greatswords that could combine to form a gliderboard. He became a Turaga in order to give the Toa Metru their powers, and was eventually killed by Makuta. Jaller wore Lhikan's old Hau until recently; and Turaga Vakama invented tales of "Lhii the lava surfer" to honor Lhikan's memory without revealing the existence of Metru Nui.
Nidhiki was a member of Toa Lhikan's team, until he was exiled for trying to betray the Toa during the war with the Dark Hunters. He became a four-legged Dark Hunter when Roodaka deceived and mutated him into an insectoid monster. He was a Toa of Air with the Mask of Stealth, which gave him a combination of camouflage and silent movement; he also wielded a scythe. Ironically, he was scared of and disgusted by insects.
Besides Nidhiki, other Toa have been known to join the Dark Hunters. A Toa of Air who felt betrayed by his team is now the Hunter codenamed "Spinner". The Hunter codenamed "Savage" was once a Toa Hordika (presumably of Earth) who lost control to his feral side. And a Toa of Fire and a Toa of Earth had an experimental weapon fired on them as they merged, fusing them permanently and driving them mad; this being is now known as "Prototype".
Turaga Dume was once a Toa of Fire, but nothing is known about his team.
Norik, Gaaki, Iruini, Pouks, Bomonga, and Kualus were an elite team of Toa called the Toa Hagah. The Toa Hagah once served the Brotherhood of Makuta as bodyguards, when it was an organization dedicated to the protection of the Matoran. However, they discovered that the Brotherhood had turned corrupt and rebelled. They were caught soon afterward, and Roodaka mutated them into twisted Rahkshi-faced creatures she called "Rahaga". The Rahaga would later aid the Toa Hordika in rescuing the Matoran.
Krakua is a Toa of Sonics from the future who is the lone defender of a mysterious island fortress. Using his Kanohi Suletu, Mask of Telepathy, he stays ahead of his enemies by reading their thoughts. Krakua has the power of Sonics, or sound, and can use his sword to unleash shockwaves that can shatter mountains. Krakua aids Toa Vakama in the retrieval of the Vahi Mask of Time, but since he and Vakama live in different time periods, the only role he serves is to remind Vakama that he must succeed, and to give him a cryptic warning of what he must do in the future. (Krakua was the winner of the LEGO-sponsored Bionicle Toa Building Challenge competition, and was created by John Dexter)
Jovan was a Toa of Magnetism and the leader of the only team of Toa that has yet reached the Ignika Mask of Life, and they used it for some unknown purpose - though not all of the Toa survived the resulting incident. Jovan later became the Turaga of the Matoran living near Mount Valmai (where the mask was hidden), and was killed in the Great Cataclysm when it turned the region into the island of Voya Nui (Source, posts by "GregF"; name given here, first post). Jovan's mask was a Kadin Mask of Flight; his tool remains unknown (Source, 13th post down).
There were also a few Toa who were briefly mentioned in the books as victims of Dark Hunters. Their names, appearance and other data are unknown. A Toa of Gravity was reported killed by Lariska in Bionicle Adventures #10, as he wasn't prepared to fight someone with experience in zero-gravity combat. A Toa of Plasma was mentioned as killed by Zaktan in Bionicle Legends #1; the exact cause of death is unknown, but all that was left of him was half a mask, some armor shards, and a puddle of something that Avak wasn't sure he wanted to identify. And in Bionicle: Ignition comic #1, Avak and Hakann discussed a Toa of Sonics (not Krakua) that "objected" on their last mission; Hakann commented "Sort of a Toa of Silence now, isn't he? Dead silence."
False Toa
Shadow Toa
When the Toa "Mata" went to face Makuta in his lair, they were surprised to find that one set of his guardians was - themselves. Makuta had taken each Toa's inner darkness and given it physical form. These Shadow Toa had all the powers of the originals and were physically identical to them, save that their colors had been darkened until they were almost black. Each Toa faced off against their shadow counterpart, but the battles were too equally matched; the Toa "Mata" could only win by fighting as a team and switching opponents. According to the Bionicle Encyclopedia, the Toa defeated the Shadow Toa when they acknowledged that the darkness was a part of them and reabsorbed the shadows into their bodies.
"Prophesied" Toa Metru
When Lhikan was choosing the new Toa Metru, Makuta was looking to manipulate the choices to his advantage. Mata Nui was fully aware of this, and to make sure his choices would become Toa, he and his Order created false prophecies that said the six Matoran who found the Great Kanoka Disks would become the Toa Metru: Nuhrii, Orkahm, Ahkmou, Vhisola, Tehutti, and Ehrye. Makuta was convinced by the prophecies, and influenced Lhikan to choose six other Matoran who were much more stubborn and hard-headed: Vakama, Matau, Onewa, Nokama, Whenua, and Nuju - the ones that Mata Nui had wanted to be Toa all along.
Roodaka would later use these prophecies to demoralize the Toa, making them believe that their election as Toa had been a mistake.
While searching for the Vahi Mask of Time, Vakama had become convinced that the Vahi had affected the past so that Lhikan actually had chosen Nuhrii, Vhisola, etc. to be the Toa Metru. In truth, it was just an elaborate illusion created by Makuta. In the illusion, the Toa Metru were encouraging and enforcing stricter laws, even banning experiments with energized protodermis in order to keep other Matoran from becoming Toa.
Piraka
When arriving on Voya Nui, the Piraka claimed to be Toa in order to gain the help of the native Matoran. However, despite playing the part of heroes, they could not hide their sadistic and cruel natures. They dropped this act once they enslaved the Matoran using their antidermis virus.
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