Boxor

The Boxor was a piloted combat vehicle built by the Onu-MatoranOnu-MatoranEarth-wielding Matoran of the deep who adapted to darkness and built the Matoran Universe's defensive cavalry. inventor NuparuNuparuAn Onu-Matoran engineer from Metru Nui who built the Boxor and rose to become a Toa of Earth despite no warrior destiny. from a disabled GahlokGahlokWater-element Bohrok swarms that flooded Mata Nui's aquatic zones with relentless purpose. during the Bohrok WarBohrok WarThe 2002 swarm that nearly destroyed Mata Nui when Teridax triggered the Bohrok's awakening ahead of schedule.. Built to knock BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected. out of action, it became the Matoran's most useful weapon of the conflict. (Mata Nui Online Animations; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia)

Origins beneath Onu-Koro#

When GahlokGahlokWater-element Bohrok swarms that flooded Mata Nui's aquatic zones with relentless purpose. swarms flooded Onu-KoroOnu-KoroOnu-Koro was the earth engineers' city, where underground isolation created one of Mata Nui's most self-sufficient settlements, until the Bohrok came., NuparuNuparuAn Onu-Matoran engineer from Metru Nui who built the Boxor and rose to become a Toa of Earth despite no warrior destiny., OnepuOnepuOnepu is an Onu-Matoran and the High Commander of the Ussalry, bearing a Pakari and wearing the purple and black colors of his kind. Connected to the element of Earth, he resides on Spherus Magna. and TaipuTaipuTaipu is a black and tan Onu-Matoran of the element of Earth who resides on Spherus Magna. A miner by trade, he wields a pickaxe and wears the Kanohi Pakari. were swept into a dark cave and trapped behind a wall of rubble. A Gahlok lay in the cave with them, shut down because it had lost its KranaKranaThe small organic creatures that controlled the Bohrok, made in eight types plus a mutated variant, without which no Bohrok could serve the swarm.. (Mata Nui Online Animations)

While Onepu and Taipu tried to dig their way out, NuparuNuparuAn Onu-Matoran engineer from Metru Nui who built the Boxor and rose to become a Toa of Earth despite no warrior destiny. tinkered with the GahlokGahlokWater-element Bohrok swarms that flooded Mata Nui's aquatic zones with relentless purpose. and rebuilt it into a tall machine a Matoran could pilot. With Nuparu at the controls, the newly named Boxor smashed through the cave wall into the flooded village and drove the Gahlok out, stopping the flooding. (Mata Nui Online Animations)

Deployment during the Bohrok War#

Boxors were used throughout the rest of the invasion. When OnuaOnuaOnua was the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva of Earth, a quiet, deliberate warrior whose patience and underground mastery anchored his team across the Matoran Universe. went looking for the krana-controlled 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., he brought some with him, and they beat off a small swarm of LehvakLehvakAcid-wielding Bohrok that dissolve obstacles as easily as enemies.. While the Toa were inside the Bohrok Nest, Boxors stationed at Ta-KoroTa-KoroTa-Koro was a settlement located in Ta-Wahi, home to the Ta-Matoran, Tahu, and Vakama, and formerly connected to Teridax. The settlement was ultimately destroyed. faced a Lehvak swarm. (BIONICLE 6: Into the Nest; BIONICLE 7: What Lurks Below)

The machines were key to retaking Le-KoroLe-KoroLe-Koro is a village situated within Le-Wahi, inhabited by the Le-Matoran and home to Turaga Matau and Toa Lewa. The settlement was once held under the control of Teridax.. KonguKonguKongu captained Le-Koro's Gukko Force before lightning from the red star turned him into a Toa of Air, who later served among the Toa Mahri. and TamaruTamaruTamaru was a Le-Matoran Forest Navigator of Le-Koro, Kongu's Kolhii partner, and the Le-Koro representative in the Chronicler's Company at the Battle of Kini-Nui. lured the NuhvokNuhvokThe earth-dwelling Bohrok whose rigid nature made them dangerously predictable. and the controlled Le-Matoran into a clearing, where Boxors burst out from the sides and from under the ground. The captured Matoran were held in grooves on the machines while the pilots peeled the krana off, and the village was soon free. (Mata Nui Online Animations)

The design failed at Ga-KoroGa-KoroGa-Koro is a village on the island of Mata Nui, inhabited by the Ga-Matoran and associated with both Nokama and Gali. The settlement was formerly under the power of Teridax.. When the PahrakPahrakStone-aligned Bohrok swarm units that forced the Toa Mata to realize they couldn't win through isolated victories. broke into the village, they overturned the lily pad the Boxors were standing on and tipped the machines into the water. Macku and Kotu pulled the pilots out, Nuparu among them, but the Boxors were lost. Afterwards Nuparu suggested fitting them with floats made from hollow seed shells and a propeller. (Mata Nui Online Animations)

The Boxor saw action again against 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.. Matoran in Boxors surprised one of the Kal and took its krana-kal, and learned from it what the Kal were and what they were after. (BIONICLE 11: A Matter of Time...)

Design and function#

The Boxor was a piloted machine rebuilt from a GahlokGahlokWater-element Bohrok swarms that flooded Mata Nui's aquatic zones with relentless purpose., with a Matoran driver seated in it. Its main weapon was a pair of arms that punched forward hard enough to disable a BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected., and several Boxors working together could even bring down a 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.. (Mata Nui Online Animations; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia; Boxor, LEGO set 8556)

The set version, released in 2002 with Nuparu as its pilot, jabbed with its arm when pressure was applied to the top. (Boxor, LEGO set 8556)

Nuparu kept thinking about improvements. After the loss at Ga-Koro he proposed floats and a propeller so the machine could travel on water. (Mata Nui Online Animations)

Operations after the Bohrok#

With the BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected. beaten, the Matoran's attention turned to rebuilding, and the reprogrammed Bohrok took on much of that work. The Boxor's last recorded field action came in 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. campaign. (BIONICLE Chronicles 3: Makuta's Revenge; BIONICLE 11: A Matter of Time...)

When the Matoran left Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years. to return to Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive., the Boxors were taken apart so they could be transported to the city. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

Ambiguities in the record#

The Boxor's story appearances are few. Its creation, the freeing of Le-Koro and the loss at Ga-Koro are told in the Bohrok-era online animations, it turns up in the comics BIONICLE 6, 7 and 11, and the Encyclopedia books cover it as part of the Matoran's defences. (Mata Nui Online Animations; BIONICLE 6: Into the Nest; BIONICLE 7: What Lurks Below; BIONICLE 11: A Matter of Time...; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia)

No story shows the Boxors being rebuilt on Metru Nui after they were taken apart. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

Significance#

The Boxor was the first major piece of MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body.-built combat technology to see action on Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years.. It let the Matoran fight back against the swarms themselves instead of waiting on the Toa. (Mata Nui Online Animations; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia)

The Boxor helped free Onu-KoroOnu-KoroOnu-Koro was the earth engineers' city, where underground isolation created one of Mata Nui's most self-sufficient settlements, until the Bohrok came. and Le-KoroLe-KoroLe-Koro is a village situated within Le-Wahi, inhabited by the Le-Matoran and home to Turaga Matau and Toa Lewa. The settlement was once held under the control of Teridax., and the krana-kal taken in a Boxor ambush told the Matoran what 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. were after. (Mata Nui Online Animations; BIONICLE 11: A Matter of Time...)