Mata Nui (Great Spirit)

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Mata Nui is a fictional spirit created by Lego for the Bionicle storyline. He is a god-like figure revered by the Matoran people (however, he is not worshipped as a deity; as Lego is specifically trying to avoid religious issues). The island of Mata Nui was named in his honor.

Mata Nui was once so close to the Brotherhood of Makuta, or at least the Makuta over Metru Nui, that they were considered "brothers"; until the Makuta became corrupt. A secret organization called the Order of Mata Nui, who remain loyal to Mata Nui, now oppose the Brotherhood. Centuries ago, the Makuta of Metru Nui attacked and Mata Nui eventually fell unconscious from his injuries, which led to what is called the Great Cataclysm.

Despite being called a "Spirit", Mata Nui does have a physical body. His location is unknown, even to the Order of Mata Nui, though it is said to be "quite easy to get to" - though "the trick is knowing you've found him".^[1]

The representing symbol of Mata Nui is the Kanohi Hau, Great Mask of Shielding.

[edit] History

In the ancient past, the Great Spirit Mata Nui was sent by the even more powerful Great Beings to care for all life. He came to the Matoran people and gave them the virtues of Unity, Duty, and Destiny. In this time, the Makuta were some of Mata Nui's closest allies. Also protecting Mata Nui were the Toa Mata, whose destiny was to aid the Great Spirit if some tragedy befell him. Only once did something like this happen: the Great Disruption on Metru Nui wounded Mata Nui, and he was only saved by the timely actions of Toa Jovan and his team.

But the Makuta of Metru Nui became jealous of Mata Nui's status among the Matoran, and so hatched a dark plan. Attacking the Great Spirit by some unknown means, Makuta sent Mata Nui into a deep slumber and tried to make the Matoran of the city of Metru Nui forget their Great Spirit and become their savior in his place. As a result, Mata Nui can no longer maintain the universe as he once could, and the world has been decaying ever since; the numerous natural disasters that struck at the moment Mata Nui fell asleep are collectively known as the Great Cataclysm.

But while Mata Nui still clung to life, he intervened directly to make sure things could be made right. When new Toa Metru were about to be chosen by Toa Lhikan shortly before the Cataclysm, Makuta wished to influence the choices to his advantage. Knowing this, Mata Nui and his Order falsified prophesies regarding the identities of the new Toa. Makuta believed these prophesies, and influenced Lhikan to choose others to become the new Toa. But as the prophecies were fake to begin with, the "others" that Makuta influenced Lhikan to choose were in fact the true destined Toa Metru.

Mata Nui also prepared the Toa Mata, who entered Toa canisters that were supposed to bring them to an island named "Mata Nui" after the Great Spirit, where the refugees of Metru Nui were living. But the canisters malfunctioned and would finally arrive a thousand years later, when the island's six Toa stones were brought together, summoning the canisters.

Though the Toa Mata remembered nothing of their time prior to the canisters, they quickly took up the task of protecting the island's Matoran from Makuta. Through the course of their battles, they became more powerful Toa Nuva; and one of the Matoran became Takanuva, the Toa of Light, who defeated Makuta and allowed the Matoran to return to Metru Nui, completing the first task that will help reawaken the Great Spirit.

It has only recently been discovered that Mata Nui is in fact dying from the attack, and that if he dies, the universe will die with him. The Toa Nuva have been sent to the island of Voya Nui to find the Ignika Mask of Life that could heal Mata Nui. However, this was not their destiny, but that of others: six Matoran followed them determined to help, and were transformed into the Toa Inika. Following their victory over the villainous Piraka, a group of renegade Dark Hunters, the Inika have been tasked with retrieving the Ignika and saving Mata Nui from dying.^[2]

The outcome of the Inika's mission is severely in doubt at this point, as Bionicle: Ignition #9 will end by teasing "The Death of Mata Nui!" in issue #10; proclaiming that the event is "Not a joke! Not an illusion!"^[3]

[edit] Notes

[edit] External link

• Mata Nui (Great Spirit) article at Bionicle Sector 01 Wiki