Ash Bear

Ash bears are powerful bear-like RahiRahiThe Rahi were the biomechanical wildlife of the Matoran Universe, built largely by the Brotherhood of Makuta, ranging from background fauna to engineered war beasts. of the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control., made, like other Rahi, by the MakutaThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to build Rahi and keep order in his universe, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. from viruses and liquid protodermisProtodermisThe engineered substance building the Matoran Universe, protodermis exists in countless refined states from mundane metal to diamond-hard crystal to the destruction-or-transformation force of energized form.. On Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. most were kept in the ArchivesThe Archives of Metru NuiThe Archives of Onu-Metru were the central repository of Matoran knowledge and Rahi specimens, maintained by the Archivist Corps beneath the city's surface., with a few living wild in the mountains of Po-MetruPo-MetruMetru Nui's Stone District, home to carvers whose work defined the city and site of an ancient conflict that threatened to divide it.. The best known, the female Graalok, later made her home in the Le-WahiLe-WahiLe-Wahi is a region on the island of Mata Nui, inhabited by the Le-Matoran and Rahi. Formerly subject to the power of Teridax, the region is no longer under that influence. jungle on Mata Nui. (BIONICLE: Makuta's Guide to the Universe; BIONICLE: Rahi Beasts)

Origin and standard stock#

Like the other Rahi of the Matoran Universe, the ash bear species was created by the Makuta from viruses and liquid protodermis. (BIONICLE: Makuta's Guide to the Universe)

Ash bears are at least two to three times larger than a Matoran and extremely strong. Their large jaws and very sharp claws make them dangerous opponents. (BIONICLE: Mask of Light; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

Range and the Po-Metru population#

On Metru Nui, most ash bears were captured and kept in the Archives, and a few lived in the mountains of Po-Metru. (BIONICLE: Rahi Beasts)

The bears were familiar enough in the city that Matoran had a Naming Day party game called "pin the tail on the ash bear". (BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui)

The injured Ash Bear in the Archives#

Graalok had been held in the Archives until the Great Cataclysm set her loose, only for the VisorakVisorakSpider-like Rahi created by Makuta Chirox, conquered for the Brotherhood by Gorast, broken at Metru Nui, and ultimately destroyed in a volcanic eruption on Artidax. to injure her. The Toa Metru found her and healed her. Nokama refused to leave the frightened creature to die, saying she would not see any being die with fear in its heart. (BIONICLE Adventures 7: Web of the Visorak; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

After the Cataclysm, many of Metru Nui's ash bears, Graalok among them, fled up to the island of Mata Nui. (BIONICLE Adventures 7: Web of the Visorak; BIONICLE: Mask of Light)

Graalok and the Le-Wahi territory#

On Mata Nui, Graalok made her home in Le-Wahi and formed a special bond with the Toa LewaLewaToa of Air, member of the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva, whose career was marked by repeated possession, body theft, and aerial campaigns from Le-Wahi to Karda Nui.. How the two met is never shown. (BIONICLE: Mask of Light; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

While searching for the seventh Toa, TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light., JallerJallerJaller served as Captain of the Ta-Koro Guard, led the Toa Inika to Voya Nui, and commanded the Toa Mahri through the recovery of the Mask of Life. and the Ussal crab PewkuPewkuPewku is an Ussal, a species of Rahi crab associated with the Onu-Matoran, native to Metru Nui and later found on Spherus Magna. Originally blue and orange-yellow in coloration, Pewku molted to a burnt orange, silver, and brown coloring. Legs and claws served as Pewku's primary tools. blundered into her territory, and Graalok defended it ferociously. Jaller tried to bring her down, but she only backed off when Lewa arrived. (BIONICLE: Mask of Light)

Graalok is short-tempered and fiercely territorial. Lewa's presence calms her, as long as she doesn't feel her territory is under threat. (BIONICLE: Mask of Light)

Migration and aftermath#

The story doesn't follow the ash bears after the Matoran left Mata Nui. Greg Farshtey later said, outside the stories, that they returned to the Matoran Universe, that Graalok lived in the Archives again, and that many ash bears later moved to Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint.. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

In both of the species' big moments, the healing in the Archives and the run-in in Le-Wahi, nobody died. That owed as much to Nokama's compassion and Lewa's bond with Graalok as to the bear herself. (BIONICLE Adventures 7: Web of the Visorak; BIONICLE: Mask of Light)