Badge of Office

A Badge of Office was a staff or tool carried by a TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. to symbolise the experience and knowledge that the position demanded. In many cases the Badge of Office was the elder's Toa ToolToa ToolThe weapons Toa use to channel their Elemental Powers, from swords to crossbows, designed for focus rather than just killing., transformed when its bearer became a Turaga, and in some cases it was an implement the bearer had carried even further back, from their days as a MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body.. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

Origin and meaning#

When a ToaToa (2001)Biomechanical heroes bonded to elemental powers and masks. Not born, but chosen and transformed. gave up their Toa Power, often by channelling it into others, the being shrank into the smaller, elder form of a TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. and kept only a trace of elemental power. The Toa Tool the warrior had carried could change with them, taking on a new shape, and the transformed implement became the Turaga's Badge of Office. Each Turaga carried one as the outward sign of the rank. A Turaga could channel what elemental power remained through it, and could use it to defend themselves in a fight. (BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated; BIONICLE: Mask of Light)

Not every Badge of Office began as a Toa Tool. VakamaVakamaA Ta-Metru maskmaker transformed into the Toa Metru of Fire, leader of his team through the Visorak war, and Turaga of Ta-Koro for a thousand years. had used a FirestaffFirestaffA heated tool that forged masks in Ta-Metru, the Firestaff became a symbol of Vakama's ascent from Crafter to Turaga. to make masks while still a MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body., and he kept the same staff after becoming a Toa MetruMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive., using it to forge the Kanohi Vahi, and on into his life as a Turaga, so that one implement spanned all three stages of his existence. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated; BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui; BIONICLE: Mask of Light)

Known Badges of Office#

VakamaVakamaA Ta-Metru maskmaker transformed into the Toa Metru of Fire, leader of his team through the Visorak war, and Turaga of Ta-Koro for a thousand years. carried the FirestaffFirestaffA heated tool that forged masks in Ta-Metru, the Firestaff became a symbol of Vakama's ascent from Crafter to Turaga. he had owned since his Matoran days, the same staff he used to forge the Mask of TimeMask of TimeThe Kanohi Vahi is the Matoran Universe's deadliest mask, capable of stopping or accelerating time, and its creation nearly tore Metru Nui apart., and used it as a walking stick too. NokamaNokamaNokama served as Toa Metru of Water, endured the Hordika mutation, and led Ga-Koro and later Ga-Metru as Turaga through three eras. had set her trident aside for hydro blades as a Toa MetruToa Metru: Heroes of Metru NuiThe Toa Metru were the six Toa transformed from Matoran of Metru Nui by Toa Lhikan's Toa stones, who defeated the Morbuzakh, sealed Teridax after the Great Cataclysm, survived mutation into Toa Hordika, and carried the city's Matoran to the island of Mata Nui before becoming Turaga., but on the way to the island of Mata Nui she carved a new one from the bones of a Makuta Fish, and it became her Badge of Office. OnewaOnewaOnewa served as Toa Metru of Stone, led Po-Koro through the Dark Time, and constructed the Metru Nui statue honoring the fallen Toa Mahri Matoro. carried the Stone HammerStone HammerTuraga Onewa's staff and Badge of Office, used to carve Protodermis on Metru Nui., which writer Greg Farshtey later said had been his Toa Tool. MatauMatauA former Le-Metru test driver who became a Toa Metru, Matau wielded air, illusion, and shape-shifting before sacrificing his Toa power to wake the sleeping Matoran.'s aero slicers became the Kau Kau StaffKau Kau StaffTuraga Matau's Badge of Office, formed from his Aero Slicers and named by Onewa after the cry of the Brakas monkey., named by OnewaOnewaOnewa served as Toa Metru of Stone, led Po-Koro through the Dark Time, and constructed the Metru Nui statue honoring the fallen Toa Mahri Matoro. after the cry of a BrakasBrakasBrakas is a Rahi whose members appear in black, brown, and orange coloration and remain extant. monkey. (BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui; BIONICLE: The Official Guide to BIONICLE; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

Others were direct transformations of a Toa Tool. NujuNujuNuju served as a Ko-Metru seer, Toa Metru of Ice, and Turaga of Ko-Koro who spoke only in bird calls translated by Matoro.'s two Crystal SpikesCrystal SpikesThe Crystal Spikes were the paired Toa Tools of Toa Metru Nuju, used to channel his Ice powers, to climb the Knowledge Towers and even as snowshoes. became an Ice Pick, like those Ko-Matoran used to climb Mount Ihu, when he changed from Toa to Turaga, and WhenuaWhenuaToa Metru of Earth and later Turaga of Onu-Koro, formerly an Onu-Metru archivist whose career in the Archives shaped his role across the rescue of Metru Nui and the long residency on Mata Nui.'s Earthshock DrillsEarthshock DrillsThe earthshock drills were Toa Metru Whenua's paired Toa Tools, which could dig as shovels, drills or a jackhammer and made an ear-splitting noise when spun. became the Drill of OnuaDrill of OnuaTuraga Whenua's detection staff, forged from his Earthshock Drills when he ascended from Toa to protector., which he used to detect Kofo-Jaga nests before the miners struck them. LhikanLhikanToa of Fire, leader of the Toa Mangai, and the last Toa of Metru Nui, who surrendered his Toa Power to create the Toa Metru and died defending Vakama. carried a small staff and a shield as a Turaga, and Turaga DumeDumeDume is a Turaga of Fire and the former ruler of Metru Nui, distinguished by his red and black coloring and the Noble Kanohi Kiril, the Mask of Regeneration. As a member of the Turaga of Metru Nui, he wields a Staff of Office and commands a weakened mastery of Fire. He later resides on the reformed Spherus Magna. also carried a staff as his badge. During the Dark Time, the six Turaga of Mata Nui were kidnapped by infected 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. and their badges hidden, until 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. found them on his search for the Toa stones and returned them. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated; Mata Nui Online Game; BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui; BIONICLE: Quest for the Toa)