Toa Mata/Toa Nuva
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The Toa Nuva are the main heroes of LEGO Bionicle franchise. Even when the story focuses on a different team of Toa, the Toa Nuva are always close by in the background.
In their first appearance, these were the only known heroes at the time and were simply referred to as the Toa; it was recently revealed that the team's name at this time was the Toa Mata (see "Notes", below). They gained the title of Toa Nuva when they were submersed in energized protodermis and came out with enhanced powers and abilities. The Matoran language meaning of the word "Nuva" is unclear, and it is a word Tahu coined for the group. Possibly it refers to the fact that the energized protodermis gave the Toa Mata "new" bodies.
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[edit] History
[edit] Before-Time
The Toa's history is shrouded in mystery. Series writer Greg Farshtey holds the opinion that they actually started their lives as Toa, unlike most Toa who were transformed as Matoran - however, he points out that while he writes the storyline with this assumption, it is not a definite fact. At the very least, they are among the oldest existing Toa, being over 90,000 years old;[1] created with the purpose of aiding the Great Spirit Mata Nui in case the worst happened to him.
Sadly, the worst did happen; Makuta had attacked Mata Nui with such force that he eventually fell unconscious, bringing on the Great Cataclysm. In response, the Toa "descended from the heavens" in Toa canisters that landed in the sea (though Turaga Dume has suggested that the Toa didn't come from the heavens, but were launched into the sky from somewhere on land). The intention was that they would land on the island of Mata Nui, where refugees from the city of Metru Nui had escaped, and begin their task of awakening the Great Spirit. However, the canisters malfunctioned and floated in the ocean for centuries...
[edit] A New Start
A thousand years later, a Matoran on Mata Nui named Takua collected the six Toa Stones and brought them to the Kini-Nui Temple. The Toa Stones shot a beam of light into the air, creating a beacon that finally summoned the Toa's canisters to their destination. When they arrived, the Toa found the island in the grip of Makuta, who had enslaved the Rahi wildlife to do his bidding with Kraata-infected masks. However, the Toa had forgotten much while adrift in the canisters; they remembered only their names and the vaguest ideas of their mission. But with the local Turaga elders filling them in, the Toa immediately set out to stop Makuta and free the Matoran, collecting Kanohi Masks to add to their abilities. Once they each collected a full set of masks, they were each given a Golden Kanohi and a Makoki Stone; they used the Makoki Stones to unlock the path to Makuta's underground lair, Mangaia. There, the Toa faced Makuta's guardians, the Manas crabs and the Shadow Toa, before facing the Master of Shadows himself.
However, Makuta was only using a fraction of his power. Taking the appearance of an infected Matoran, he transformed himself to a mass of flying pieces and fought the Toa. After deciding that they were indeed the heroes that they said they were, he retreated with the words "You cannot destroy me, for I am Nothing". But he would not allow the Toa to rest: he awakened the Bohrok, swarms of insectoid creatures whose mission was to reduce the island to bare rock - a normally harmless species, but when awakened too early would definitely seem harmful. The Toa had to act fast to save the Matoran villages, but not all succeeded: Onu-Koro was completely flooded, Po-Koro also had to be evacuated, and almost all of the Le-Matoran - including Lewa - were assimilated into the swarm through the Bohrok's mind-controlling Krana. However, the Toa would continue to fight and collect the Krana that could unlock the swarm's secret - Onua and the Onu-Matoran were even able to help free Lewa and the Le-Matoran from the swarm's influence.
Kopaka was eventually able to find the Bohrok's nest, and once the Toa were gathered they entered to stop the swarms once and for all. In the cave for a brief period of time, Tahu went ahead of the group into a chamber filled with Tahnok, where he was briefly controlled by a krana. After Tahu made the room explode and gained his mask back, the six Toa descended into the heart of the nest. Coming across a series of niches, the Toa placed the Krana they collected inside them. This unlocked six doors, behind each of which was a powerful suit of armor called an Exo-Toa. After suiting up, the Toa went in to face the Bohrok Queens, Cahdok and Gahdok. But despite the extra strength that the armor granted, the Toa still struggled; they eventually figured that the Exo-Toa were blocking their elemental powers. They removed the armor and combined their elemental powers into a single blast, which imprisoned Cahdok and Gahdok in a protodermis cage. The Toa had won, but before they could celebrate, the floor gave way beneath them and they fell into energized protodermis, a substance that either transformed or destroyed what it came into contact with, depending on its destiny. The Toa were destined to transform, and they became Toa Nuva; with stronger powers, new tools, and enhanced masks.
[edit] Coming of the Kal
Unfortunately, the Toas' new power went to their heads; they decided that they could now protect their respective villages just fine on their own and chose to split up, with only Gali encouraging everyone to stay together. But when elite Bohrok called the Bohrok-Kal sought to release the swarms again by saving the Bahrag, the weaknesses of the Toa's Nuva forms quickly became apparent: Nuva Symbols had appeared in the villages when the Toa transformed, and when the Bohrok-Kal stole the Symbols the Toa lost their elemental powers. In addition, the Toa had lost all the Great Kanohi Masks that they had gathered, and now had to collect scattered Kanohi Nuva masks to replace them.
The Toa Nuva rallied together against the Bohrok-Kal, but despite their best efforts they could barely slow the Kal down. The Kal eventually discovered the location of the Queens' prison, only to find the Exo-Toa acting on their own to guard the prisoners. The Bohrok-Kal reduced the Exo-Toa to scrap, but were still delayed long enough for the Toa Nuva to catch up to them. As the Kal proceeded to use the Nuva Symbols to unlock the Queens' cage, Tahu attempted to use the Vahi Mask of Time (which he got from Turaga Vakama) to slow them to a near-standstill, which would give the Toa time to strike. But being so close to completing their mission, the Kal were completely invulnerable from outside attack. Instead, gambling that the Nuva Symbols could receive power as well as give it, the Toa fed their energy through the Symbols. The gambit worked, as the powered-up symbols supercharged the Bohrok-Kal's own powers beyond what they could control, destroying them. The Toa Nuva were able to reclaim their Symbols and with them, their elemental powers; they then returned to their villages and hid their symbols in places where they could not be stolen again.
[edit] The Mask of Light
The next few weeks were peaceful ones, but it wasn't to last. Takua, the Matoran that had gathered the Toa Stones, discovered a powerful Kanohi Mask called the Mask of Light. While he and his friend Jaller went off in search of the mask's wearer, the Toa of Light, the Toa Nuva had their hands full fighting the "Sons of Makuta," the Rahkshi, whom Makuta had sent to intercept the searchers. In the first fight with the Rahkshi, Tahu was poisoned, causing him to increasingly lose his temper. By the time the Rahkshi got to Onu-Koro, Tahu had given in to mindless rage; only the combined powers of Gali, Lewa, and Kopaka could purge the poison and calm him down. While the Rahkshi searched for the Mask of Light, they also destroyed all of Ta-Koro and some of Onu-Koro.
The Toa Nuva then regrouped and made their last stand against the Rahkshi at the Kini-Nui Temple, disabling five of the Rahkshi; but the sixth, Turahk, was able to get through and kill Jaller. Seeing his friend's sacrifice, Takua accepted his destiny as Takanuva, the Toa of Light; and he destroyed the Rahkshi, ending the battle.
The next day, Takanuva went to face Makuta, insisting that the Toa Nuva stay behind with the Matoran. When Takanuva summoned the Matoran to Makuta's lair, the Toa Nuva went with them and witnessed Takanuva and Makuta fuse into the being known as Takutanuva, who resurrected Jaller and reopened the path to Metru Nui that had been closed for a thousand years. In the weeks afterward, while the Matoran were preparing to travel to Metru Nui, the Toa Nuva and Takanuva listened to the Turaga's tales of the Great Cataclysm and the Great Rescue.
[edit] Ignition
Once on Metru Nui, Turaga Dume delivered the grave news that Mata Nui was not only asleep, but dying. He told the Toa Nuva of a Mask of Life that could potentially save him, and sent them to the island of Voya Nui, where it was supposed to be hidden. Unfortunately, rogue Dark Hunters calling themselves "Piraka" were also in search of the mask. When the Toa Nuva arrived, the two groups quickly got in a fight, which the Toa ultimately lost, although it was a close battle. The Piraka's leader, Zaktan, had ordered their weapons and masks taken and their unconscious bodies thrown into the volcano. However, upon being abandoned like so much trash by the Piraka when the volcano erupted, they woke up in time to grab their tools and pull themselves out of the path of the eruption - only to be attacked by the island's few remaining free Matoran, who were fooled into believing the Piraka were Toa and didn't want to risk being tricked twice. Once the fighting stopped and the Matoran accepted the fact that the Nuva really were Toa, the two groups teamed up to infiltrate the Piraka's stronghold and take back their masks. They did so and were about to fight the Piraka again, but Zaktan's ally Brutaka intervened and defeated them all in one hit. While the Matoran soon escaped, the Toa Nuva were imprisoned and their masks taken as trophies...
While the Piraka were later busy searching for the Mask of Life and Brutaka was fighting his ex-partner Axonn, the Matoran rebels entered the stronghold and searched for the Toa Nuva. They found them chained to the wall and enslaved by the Piraka's antidermis virus, forced to drain out their elemental power even to the point of death. The Matoran freed the Nuva from both chains and enslavement and helped them to their masks, telling them of the Toa Inika that had arrived after they did; and the Nuva were surprised to learn these new heroes were old friends from Metru Nui.
After meeting Axonn and his associate Botar, the Toa Nuva met the Toa Inika, who had reached the Mask of Life only for it to fly away and dive underneath the ocean. The Inika were worried that they would be sent back to Metru Nui while the Nuva continued the mission, but the Nuva recognized that destiny had chosen the Inika for the task of saving the Great Spirit's life and Tahu told the Inika that the Nuva would be waiting in Metru Nui for their safe return. However, after the Inika left, he admitted to Axonn that he lied; the Nuva are departing on a new mission that the Inika cannot be a part of...
[edit] Powers
Originally, the Toa had the standard array of Toa powers: strong control over their element, personal tools used mainly for directing their elemental power, and a Kanohi Mask granting an additional ability. (More information on each of these is given in the character profiles below.)
On Mata Nui, the Toa each collected additional Kanohi Masks that allowed them to use the powers that their brother Toa and the island's Turaga have; giving each one access to: the Great powers of Shielding, Water Breathing, Levitation, Speed, Strength, and X-Ray Vision; and the Noble powers of Concealment, Translation, Illusion, Mind Control, Night Vision, and Telekinesis. However, they rarely used the Noble Masks; the Turaga used them instead. The Toa stored these masks in their respective Toa Suvas, allowing them to switch masks at will. They also later received Golden Kanohi in the shape of their original masks, these were said to have the combined powers of all six Great Masks.
As Toa Nuva, all of these powers were improved: their elemental powers became stronger, their tools gained new forms that offered an alternate mode for transport, and they even gained strong yet lightweight armor made of protodermis. Their masks also became enhanced Kanohi Nuva that not only had stronger powers, but could share those powers with others nearby. However, these new powers had some drawbacks. For one, their elemental powers were tied to new objects called Nuva Symbols, and if the Symbols were in the hands of enemies then the powers would be lost to the Toa. The Toas' collections of Great Kanohi had also disappeared, and the Toa had to scour the island again to find the Kanohi Nuva to replace them.
[edit] Toa Kaita
The Toa Mata are the only Toa team known so far who has merged into Toa Kaita, in order to fight Makuta's Manas crabs:
- Tahu, Pohatu, and Onua combined to form Akamai, Toa Kaita of Valor. Akamai's mask was the Kanohi Aki, the Gold 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.
- Gali, Lewa, and Kopaka became Wairuha, Toa Kaita of Wisdom. Wairuha's mask was 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.
[edit] The Toa Nuva
[edit] Tahu
Tahu is the Toa of Fire and the leader of the Toa, and guardian of Ta-koro. Tahu is the boldest, fiercest, and most courageous of the Toa; however, this trait often manifests itself as hot-headed (no pun intended) temper and aggression. Tahu Nuva is impatient, often irrational, with a hair-trigger temper. But he is fiercely loyal to and protective of the Toa team.
Tahu's mask is a Hau, the Great Mask of Shielding, which can protect him from any physical attack (except ambushes). His Hau Nuva is more powerful though it still cannot protect its user from ambushes. At first, he carried a flame sword; as a Toa Nuva this became twin Magma Swords that chanelled the power of fire, and can be combined into a lavaboard. As a Toa of Fire, Tahu can emit a stream or a blast of fire towards his enemies or melt rocks into lava. He can also withstand extreme heat. Tahu does not work well in, around, or under water.
Tahu and Kopaka fight constantly, and both are always ready to go their own ways. Tahu often distrusts Lewa after Lewa was infected with a Krana despite his fondness for him. But unknown to the rest of the group, he too was infected with a Krana, but not long enough to lose control like Lewa. In Mask of Light, he was infected with Rahkshi poison by Rahkshi Lerahk, but this was purged from him by Lewa, Kopaka, and Gali.
[edit] Gali
Gali is the Toa of Water, and the only female Toa. Though she personifies the deepest, darkest oceans, there is an aura of warmth and caring surrounding Gali that the other Toa do not possess. She is gentle and kind, and often the only one who keeps the Toa from splitting up or doing battle amongst themselves. Though her preference for peace would make her ill-suited to lead the Toa, she has proven herself many times in battle. Gali is probably the wisest of the Toa.
Gali's mask is a Kaukau, the Great Mask of Water Breathing, which lets her breathe underwater. Her Kaukau Nuva allows her to breathe underwater at any depth and survive. In her original form, her "tools" were her hooked hands; as a Toa Nuva, she carried two Aqua Axes that doubled as swim fins so that she could swim even faster. As a Toa of Water, Gali can control the tides, create floods from the tiniest bit of moisture, summon and disperse tsunamis and rainstorms, and combine forces with Lewa to unleash a powerful thunder storm. She could sense any change connected to the rivers, streams and ocean; and knew immediately when something was wrong in the waters. She also can swim faster than any known underwater creature.
[edit] Lewa
Lewa is the Toa of Air. Lewa is an especially playful and mischievous spirit who thinks nothing of pulling innocent pranks on his villagers and fellow Toa; some have argued that this will be his undoing unless he learns when he's taken a joke too far. Lewa is highly energetic, and during the early Toa meetings he would often do cartwheels and handstands. He often tends to the jungle on forest Rahi; with a special fondness for the mighty ash bears, particularly one named Graalok. Towards the end of the quest for the Kanohi, Lewa was captured by a Nui-Rama swarm and wore an infected mask, enslaving him to Makuta. He was saved, however, by timely intervention by Toa Onua. Shortly after, Lewa was again enslaved, this time by a Bohrok Krana, but Onua came to his aid again. After this second enslavement, Lewa kept a lingering telepathic connection to the Bohrok swarms; though since the Bohrok are now dormant again, "the point is moot".[2]
Lewa's mask is a Miru, the Great Mask of Levitation, allowing him to levitate in the air, but not fly. His Miru Nuva allows him greater power. He originally carried an axe; and his Nuva tools are a pair of Air Katana that can be tucked under his arms to make glider wings (Reidak snapped one in half over his knee). Lewa’s abilities as a Toa of Air include the power to control the wind, summon air currents, create windstorms and twisters, unleash gusts of air, and combine his powers with Gali’s to form a storm. It was said that the storms on Mata Nui were caused by them, and the sound of thunder was when their weapons made contact. Lewa hates water, probably due to the dangerous nature of the swamp.
Lewa and Onua seem to get along alright, but Kopaka, who prefers to work alone, is constantly aggrevated by him.
[edit] Pohatu
Pohatu is the Toa of Stone, and as the friendliest of the Toa, he is the binding force that ties the other Toa together. The witty, chivalrous Toa is above all things a people person, and he maintains friendships with each of the other Toa even when they can't agree with each other. He is very like the element he represents: sturdy, down to earth, and always strong. Unlike the other Toa, Pohatu's strength is mainly in his lower body, which explains why his village is skilled in the sports of Kolhii and its predecessor Koli.
Pohatu's mask is a Kakama Mask of Speed. His Kakama Nuva allows him to move so fast that he could move through solid objects. In both original and Nuva forms, his main "tools" are his large, padded feet which he can use in devastating kicks. As a Toa Nuva, he also has two sets of Climbing Claws that allow him to scale mountains and cliffs easily, and can be combined into a Kodan Ball to kick as a projectile weapon. As a Toa of Stone, Pohatu can create stone, detect any weaknesses in a stone, make structures from stone, create and hurl stone projectiles, heal cracks in boulders and statues, and command rock with his will. The only thing he fears is water; he can't swim, and he's much too heavy to float.
Pohatu was the first Toa Kopaka met. The relationship was a very rocky one (Pohatu accidentally buried him with stone), and the two constantly seem to find themselves partnered up.
[edit] Onua
Onua is the Toa of Earth and the most mysterious of the Toa. Little is known about this Toa, who spends most of his time underground in his subterranean realm of Onu-Koro. While this wise Toa has much to contribute to the group, he often shies away from drawing attention to himself. Still, Onua has a combination of down-to-earth sense, powerful natural instinct, and sheer brute strength which makes him useful. Perhaps the most intelligent of the Toa, Onua is also one of the strongest, and he also sees well in the dark, but not so good in bright light. Onua is the most silent of the group, but that is because he only brings up what is worthwhile. Onua shares a strong friendship with Toa Lewa, and is often on the side of Toa Gali in arguments.
Onua's mask is a Pakari Mask of Strength. His original "tools" were his clawed hands; as a Toa Nuva he carried two chainsaw-like Quake Breakers which could cut right through rock, and he could strap them to his feet like rollerblades to travel over rough ground. As a Toa of Earth, he can cause or end earthquakes or tremors, open fissures in the ground, manipulate the landscape, and bring forth tremendous structures of earth.
[edit] Kopaka
Kopaka is the Toa of Ice. Kopaka's intelligence and cunning are matched only by emotionlessness: he almost never shows any passion or loses his cool, preferring to hide his feelings behind a layer of silence as thick and impenetrable as the ice sheets covering the mountains of his homeland, Ko-Wahi (He mostly kept to himself; and he could be as cold as a blizzard, and as sharp as an icicle). Kopaka rarely gets along well with the other Toa, being the least social of them, but seems to have a friendship with Pohatu (the only time he openly showed emotion was when he believed Pohatu to be dead). Kopaka is perhaps the most fearsome of the Toa Nuva, having the resolve to fight all six Rahkshi at once. After witnessing Lehrak making the first move and subsquently encased in ice, the remaining rahkshi were uncertain of their course of action in attacking him. As the comic put it, the rahkshi were "unsure of who is the hunter and who is the hunted."
Kopaka's mask is an Akaku Mask of X-Ray Vision, letting him see through solid objects; it is also equipped with a telescoping eyepiece that lets him see over long distances. When he arrived on Mata Nui, he carried a sword and shield; upon becoming a Toa Nuva, his shield was enlarged and his sword became a double-ended Ice Blade, which could be split into a pair of ice skates so that he could move fast over frozen ponds and snowdrifts. Kopaka's Ice powers include the ability to start and stop avalanches and ice storms, survive in highly cold temperatures, unleash blasts of ice and snow, and create structures from ice.
[edit] Notes
- Once these Toa became the Toa Nuva, fans created nicknames to differentiate their original forms from other kinds of Toa. "Toa Olda" was made to contrast with "Toa Nuva" (as in "old" and "new"), while "Toa Mata" compares to "Toa Metru" (as the teams protected Mata Nui and Metru Nui, respectively). "Toa Mata" was recently revealed to have been made the official name of the team; its first official use will be in the upcoming Bionicle Atlas.[3]
- It is a common misconception that Toa Takanuva is a member of the Toa Nuva, due to the similarity in his name and style of armor, and the legend of a "Seventh Toa". He is in truth not an official part of the team; he does not have the enhanced Nuva powers and does not share the Toa Nuva's destiny of waking Mata Nui, and canon always describes Takanuva as just a "Toa", never a "Toa Nuva". Despite all of this, the Toa Nuva do unofficially consider Takanuva as one of their teammates.
- The first syllable in each Toa's name is the same as the Matoran prefix for their element: "Ta-" means "Fire", "Ga-" means "Water", "Le-" means "Air", "Po-" means "Stone", "Onu-" means "Earth", and "Ko-" means "Ice". If there is a storyline reason for this, it is not known (though Onua did briefly note a possible connection after arriving on Mata Nui[4]).
- The Toa Mata and Nuva series of figurines both depict Onua and Pohatu as hunchback-like characters, but in Bionicle: Mask of Light, they both look straight like all the other Toa. This might be so as to uniform the height of all of the Toa and not make Onua and Pohatu look like the odd men out amongst the group.
[edit] References
General information comes from the Bionicle Chronicles and Bionicle Legends book series; see List of Bionicle media.
- ^ Official Greg Discussion p. 206 at BZPower forums, post #6179
- ^ Official Greg Discussion p. 196, post #5856
- ^ Official Greg Discussion p. 195, post #5845
- ^ Bionicle Chronicles #1: Tale of the Toa p. 11
[edit] External links
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