Av-Matoran

The Av-MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. were the Light-element MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. of the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control. and the first type of MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. ever constructed. Created as the prototypes of the species, they retained innate elemental powers that later MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. types lacked, and their natural armour colouration of gold and white set them apart from every other variant produced by the Great BeingsThe Great BeingsScholar-inventors of Spherus Magna whose creations shaped the Matoran Universe and whose absence defined the conflicts that followed.. Their history threads through three principal phases: their original life beneath the Southern ContinentThe Southern ContinentThe Southern Continent was a vast landmass beneath the Matoran Universe, scarred by Voya Nui's separation and held under Makuta Mutran's nominal dominion., their colonisation of Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. at the heart of the Great SpiritThe Great Spirit Robot, explainedBionicle's whole universe lives inside a 40-million-foot robot built by the Great Beings. Here is what it is, why it was built, and how it ended.'s body, and their near-extinction at the hands of the Brotherhood of MakutaThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. during the war for the awakening of Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna..

Origins and the prototype generation#

The Av-MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. were the original MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. build. Constructed by the Great BeingsThe Great BeingsScholar-inventors of Spherus Magna whose creations shaped the Matoran Universe and whose absence defined the conflicts that followed. before any other variant, they served as the working prototype for the species that would eventually populate the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control.. Two features of that prototype were not carried forward into later MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. types. The Av-MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. retained an active connection to their element and could produce light directly, including narrow beams projected from their Power SwordsPower SwordsAv-Matoran light-channeling blades that doubled as melee weapons and elemental conductors during the 2008 Karda Nui conflict.. They were also constructed in both male and female forms, where every later MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. type was confined to one sex.

Their original home was a network of underground caverns beneath the Southern ContinentThe Southern ContinentThe Southern Continent was a vast landmass beneath the Matoran Universe, scarred by Voya Nui's separation and held under Makuta Mutran's nominal dominion.. For most of MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. prehistory, the Av-MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. lived apart from the rest of their species, and their existence was not common knowledge among the populations of Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. or other inhabited regions. Their seclusion was deliberate. The Av-MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. had been assigned a task that required their specific elemental tolerance, and the work was carried out in a region of the Universe that the rest of MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. civilisation never saw.

The colonisation of Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui.#

Roughly 100,000 years before the Great CataclysmThe Great CataclysmThe day Makuta Teridax put the Great Spirit to sleep, the Great Spirit Robot fell from the sky, Metru Nui flooded, and Voya Nui tore loose from the Southern Continent., a contingent of Av-MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. departed the Southern ContinentThe Southern ContinentThe Southern Continent was a vast landmass beneath the Matoran Universe, scarred by Voya Nui's separation and held under Makuta Mutran's nominal dominion. and travelled to Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui., the cavernous core region at the centre of the Great SpiritThe Great Spirit Robot, explainedBionicle's whole universe lives inside a 40-million-foot robot built by the Great Beings. Here is what it is, why it was built, and how it ended.'s body. Their elemental affinity made them the only MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. type capable of surviving the natural conditions of the Core, where ambient energies would have destroyed an ordinary MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body.. Their assignment was to prepare Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. for its eventual function as the principal energy supply for Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna. and the larger MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. Universe.

The work was not unopposed. Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. was inhabited by AvohkahAvohkahThe Avohkah were incredibly fast and powerful elemental beings, sentient lightning bolts produced as by-products of the Av-Matoran's labours in Karda Nui and defeated by the Toa Mata before the Great Spirit Mata Nui's awakening., sentient lightning-bolt creatures that attacked the colonists and inflicted heavy casualties. The Av-MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. could not subdue them alone, and the situation deteriorated until the Toa MataWho are the Toa Mata?Six warriors built to order by Artakha, stored in canisters, dropped into the ocean. This is the origin story of Bionicle's heroes and why their first week of work was entirely amnesiac. were dispatched to clear the region. With the AvohkahAvohkahThe Avohkah were incredibly fast and powerful elemental beings, sentient lightning bolts produced as by-products of the Av-Matoran's labours in Karda Nui and defeated by the Toa Mata before the Great Spirit Mata Nui's awakening. suppressed, the Av-MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. completed their preparations. They left Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. shortly before the onset of the Energy StormsEnergy StormsThe raw-energy maelstroms that filled Karda Nui whenever Mata Nui was awakened, incinerated the Brotherhood of Makuta contingent at the climax of the Final Battle, and supplied the Great Spirit Robot with the energy it needed to function. that accompanied the activation of the Core, returning to their homeland on the Southern ContinentThe Southern ContinentThe Southern Continent was a vast landmass beneath the Matoran Universe, scarred by Voya Nui's separation and held under Makuta Mutran's nominal dominion.. The Av-MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. were also responsible during this era for the construction of Toa CanistersToa CanisterThe Av-Matoran-built pods that delivered the Toa Mata to Mata Nui and were later repurposed by the Piraka., produced at multiple sites across the Universe.

The Time Slip and the dispersal#

Approximately 40,000 years later, the Order of Mata NuiThe Order of Mata NuiThe covert organization founded by Helryx to serve the Great Spirit directly, operating in concealment from a fortress on Daxia and waging the open war against the Brotherhood of Makuta that decided the fate of the universe. carried out an operation that fundamentally changed how the Av-MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. lived. The OrderThe Order of Mata NuiThe covert organization founded by Helryx to serve the Great Spirit directly, operating in concealment from a fortress on Daxia and waging the open war against the Brotherhood of Makuta that decided the fate of the universe. had concluded that the MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate. species, as beings of Shadow, represented a long-term threat to the Light-bearing Av-MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. and that the concentrated Av-MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. population was a target the Brotherhood of MakutaThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. might one day strike. To counter this, the OrderThe Order of Mata NuiThe covert organization founded by Helryx to serve the Great Spirit directly, operating in concealment from a fortress on Daxia and waging the open war against the Brotherhood of Makuta that decided the fate of the universe. dispersed Av-Matoran throughout the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control., teaching them to project an altered armour appearance so that they no longer read visually as Av-MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. to those around them.

The dispersal was paired with a wider memory operation. The OrderThe Order of Mata NuiThe covert organization founded by Helryx to serve the Great Spirit directly, operating in concealment from a fortress on Daxia and waging the open war against the Brotherhood of Makuta that decided the fate of the universe. erased the preceding six months from the memories of nearly every inhabitant of the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control., preserving the recollections only of non-participating Av-Matoran and OrderThe Order of Mata NuiThe covert organization founded by Helryx to serve the Great Spirit directly, operating in concealment from a fortress on Daxia and waging the open war against the Brotherhood of Makuta that decided the fate of the universe. members. The erased interval became known as the Time SlipThe Time SlipThe Time Slip was a period of about six months that was wiped from the memories of most Matoran universe inhabitants after the Order of Mata Nui scattered the Av-Matoran of Karda Nui across the universe to defend against the Brotherhood of Makuta.. 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., who would much later become TakanuvaTakanuvaHidden among the Ta-Matoran as Takua, the disguised Av-Matoran who became Takanuva was the sole Toa of Light produced in the Matoran Universe's full history., was among the Av-Matoran taught the visual-altering technique and dispersed at this time. The Av-Matoran population thus shifted from a single concealed community to a scattered, disguised diaspora.

The Stalactite Villages#

The Great CataclysmThe Great CataclysmThe day Makuta Teridax put the Great Spirit to sleep, the Great Spirit Robot fell from the sky, Metru Nui flooded, and Voya Nui tore loose from the Southern Continent. struck the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control. close to 59,000 years after the dispersal. In Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui., the damage was structural. Five enormous stalactites that had formed on the underside of the Southern ContinentThe Southern ContinentThe Southern Continent was a vast landmass beneath the Matoran Universe, scarred by Voya Nui's separation and held under Makuta Mutran's nominal dominion. broke loose and fell, carrying with them a significant population of Av-Matoran who had been living above. The collapse opened a wound in the roof of Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui., through which sea water and Pit MutagenPit MutagenThe biological lock built into the Pit, a mutagenic substance that rewrote every being immersed in it into a water-breathing form unable to survive on land. poured into the cavern. Over the next thousand years the floor of Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. became the Swamp of SecretsSwamp of SecretsThe Swamp of Secrets was the mutagen-saturated wetland that filled the floor of Karda Nui after the Great Cataclysm, serving as a Brotherhood stronghold until the Energy Storms., a mutagenic body that the displaced Av-Matoran could not safely enter.

The survivors adapted by building upward. The Av-Matoran constructed five Stalactite VillagesThe Stalactite Villages of Karda NuiThe Av-Matoran settlements built atop the fallen stalactites of Karda Nui after the Great Cataclysm. Five Lightvine-protected villages, the only habitable refuge above the Swamp of Secrets, and the targets of the Brotherhood of Makuta's Shadow Leech invasion., each one perched on the fractured underside of a fallen stalactite hanging from the cavern ceiling. The villages were defensible, well above the Swamp of SecretsSwamp of SecretsThe Swamp of Secrets was the mutagen-saturated wetland that filled the floor of Karda Nui after the Great Cataclysm, serving as a Brotherhood stronghold until the Energy Storms., and out of reach of most threats. KiropKirop, Av-Matoran Leader of Karda NuiKirop was the leader of the Av-Matoran in Karda Nui, captured and transformed into a Shadow Matoran by the Brotherhood of Makuta, restored by the cry of a klakk, and a survivor of the Destiny War and the Reformation. emerged as their leader. With escape from Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. impossible, the community ran its own affairs and dealt with the occasional flying 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. that strayed into the cavern. For around a thousand years this arrangement held.

The Brotherhood invasion#

The peace ended when the Brotherhood of MakutaThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. discovered a western passage into Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. and launched a campaign to seize the cavern in advance of Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna.'s awakening. Five MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate. carried out the assault on the Stalactite Villages: AntrozAntrozMakuta commander who led the Phantoka assault on Karda Nui and pilot of the Jetrax T6, ultimately outmaneuvered by Kopaka's superior strategy., VamprahVamprahVamprah hunted in absolute silence, but silence wasn't enough when Tahu outmaneuvered him in the swamp., ChiroxChiroxA Makuta of the Brotherhood who questioned Teridax's plans before being sent to Karda Nui., MutranMutranMutran is a Makuta of the Brotherhood of Makuta who serves as the Makuta of Voya Nui and is among the most prolific Rahi creators within the organization. Hailing from the Southern Islands, he wears the Great Shelek and commands the powers of Shadow and Silence alongside the full range of Kraata abilities, wielding a Shadow Blade, Shadow Spear, and Tridax Pod in combat., and IcaraxIcaraxHe thought scheming was for the weak and said so out loud, so the canon made sure the thing that finally killed him was a scheme.. They shapeshifted to carry TridaxTridaxMost Makuta wanted the Plan to succeed. Tridax wanted what came after, and he was building a private army of stolen Toa of Light in a Destral basement to make sure he got it. Pods loaded with Shadow LeechesShadow LeechMutated Kraata designed to drain light and corruption. Created by Mutran and allies, they transformed dozens of Matoran before the Energy Storm wiped them out., the parasitic creatures that drained Light from a victim and inverted them into Shadow MatoranShadow MatoranAv-Matoran corrupted by the Makuta in Karda Nui, drained of Light and weaponized with shadow powers..

Within a week the MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate. had converted four of the five Stalactite Villages. KiropKirop, Av-Matoran Leader of Karda NuiKirop was the leader of the Av-Matoran in Karda Nui, captured and transformed into a Shadow Matoran by the Brotherhood of Makuta, restored by the cry of a klakk, and a survivor of the Destiny War and the Reformation., RadiakRadiakAn Av-Matoran of Karda Nui who was corrupted into a Shadow Matoran by a Shadow Leech, restored by a Klakk, and evacuated to Metru Nui before the Energy Storms., and GavlaGavlaAn Av-Matoran of Karda Nui transformed into a Shadow Matoran, Gavla led Vamprah's corrupted villagers and resisted restoration. were among the Av-Matoran transformed into Shadow MatoranShadow MatoranAv-Matoran corrupted by the Makuta in Karda Nui, drained of Light and weaponized with shadow powers. and pressed into service as scouts and riders for the MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate.. Only one village of roughly a hundred Av-Matoran remained, with TanmaTanma, Av-Matoran Resistance Leader of Karda NuiTanma was the Av-Matoran who took command of the Karda Nui resistance after Kirop's corruption, partnered with Lewa Nuva during the Phantoka campaign, and led the evacuation that carried the surviving Av-Matoran to Metru Nui., SolekSolekSolek was an Av-Matoran of Karda Nui who fought alongside the Toa Nuva against the Brotherhood of Makuta during the final battle for Mata Nui's awakening., and PhotokPhotokPhotok was an Av-Matoran of Karda Nui who fought alongside Tanma and Solek in the resistance against the Brotherhood of Makuta during the final battle for Mata Nui's awakening. among its surviving fighters. The arrival of the Toa NuvaToa NuvaThe form the Toa Mata took after stepping into the Energized Protodermis beneath the Bahrag, with new masks, new tools, and the elemental scale to fight Karda Nui. in Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. stabilised the situation. The Av-Matoran fought alongside the Toa NuvaToa NuvaThe form the Toa Mata took after stepping into the Energized Protodermis beneath the Bahrag, with new masks, new tools, and the elemental scale to fight Karda Nui. throughout the subsequent campaign. The corrupted Shadow MatoranShadow MatoranAv-Matoran corrupted by the Makuta in Karda Nui, drained of Light and weaponized with shadow powers. were later restored to their Light state through the song of KlakkThe KlakkThe bat-like sonic Rahi engineered by Makuta Mutran whose scream shattered the inner barrier holding back the Light in a Shadow Matoran, used by Takanuva to cure Karda Nui's corrupted Av-Matoran., a sonic 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. whose vibrations cancelled the Shadow conversion.

Abilities and legacy#

The Av-Matoran's elemental package set them apart from every other Matoran type. Each Av-Matoran carried a personal Light ability that could only be triggered through direct physical contact with a ToaToa (2001)Biomechanical heroes bonded to elemental powers and masks. Not born, but chosen and transformed. or MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate., and these abilities had originally been planned as their KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. powers before the Great BeingsThe Great BeingsScholar-inventors of Spherus Magna whose creations shaped the Matoran Universe and whose absence defined the conflicts that followed. revised the design. The Av-Matoran of Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. were also physically larger than ordinary Matoran, a result of long exposure to the energies of the Core; the size difference receded if they left the cavern. A further peculiarity affected their end of life. Certain Av-Matoran, when their lifespan ran out, transformed into BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected. and were teleported to a BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected. nest. The mechanism was not universal but applied to those individuals destined for it. Six such transformed Av-Matoran were later remade by the BahragBahragCahdok and Gahdok were the twin queens of the Bohrok, sealed in a Protodermis cage by the Toa Mata and later released to finish their cleansing of Mata Nui. into the Bohrok-KalBohrok-KalSix elite Bohrok designed to free the imprisoned Bahrag, they nearly defeated the Toa Nuva before the Toa turned their own powers against them..

After the rescue of the surviving Stalactite Village, the remaining Av-Matoran were relocated to Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. along with the restored Shadow MatoranShadow MatoranAv-Matoran corrupted by the Makuta in Karda Nui, drained of Light and weaponized with shadow powers.. They lived there through the closing phase of Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna.'s arc and the Reformation of Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint., eventually leaving the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control. with the rest of the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. population to settle the restored world.