The Coliseum

The Coliseum was the great tower at the centre of Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive.. It was the seat of TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. 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., the arena for the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. sport of akiliniAkiliniAkilini was the official sport of Metru Nui, in which Matoran surfed on Kanoka disks and threw others through scoring hoops, with tournaments held on the shifting floor of the Coliseum., and the home of the power plant that supplied the city. Over the years it was used by Teridax in his disguise as Dume, by the VisorakVisorak (Rahi)Spider-like Rahi employed by the Brotherhood of Makuta whose name meant 'Stealers of Life' and whose swarms threatened the Matoran Universe. horde, and by the Turaga once the Matoran came home. (BIONICLE: Metru Nui: City of Legends; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated; BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui)

Function and design#

The Coliseum stood at the centre of Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive.. It housed the power plant that produced energy for the whole city, driven by the flow of liquid protodermis beneath the building, and its central arena hosted akiliniAkiliniAkilini was the official sport of Metru Nui, in which Matoran surfed on Kanoka disks and threw others through scoring hoops, with tournaments held on the shifting floor of the Coliseum. tournaments four times a year. When there was no match on, the Vahki used the arena for training, and Dume used it for big announcements, so it had seats for every inhabitant of the city. (BIONICLE: Metru Nui: City of Legends; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

The arena floor was made of hundreds of protodermis columns that could be raised or lowered to make waves for the players to ride, and retractable chutes popped in and out for them to pass through. 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. watched from a box that could be raised or lowered with increase weight and levitation KanokaKanoka DisksThe protodermis disks of Metru Nui, used for sport, self-defence and machinery, carried by the Vahki, and melted down to forge Kanohi masks., and from there he controlled the telescreens around the city. (BIONICLE: Metru Nui: City of Legends; BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui)

The ground beneath the Coliseum held a huge storage space for items important to the city. (BIONICLE: Metru Nui: City of Legends)

Dume's rule#

TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. 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. governed Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. from the Coliseum, with the VahkiVahkiMetru Nui's mechanical law enforcement squads, designed to maintain rigid order but ultimately undermined by chaos beyond their programming. keeping order across the six metru. Akilini tournaments, announcements and other big public events all took place in its arena. (BIONICLE: Metru Nui: City of Legends; BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui)

The Brotherhood of MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate. had long watched over the region, and Makuta TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna. was well known in the city. His removal of Dume played out from inside the same building. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated; BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui)

The Teridax masquerade#

TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna. captured the real TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. 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., sealed him in a Matoran sphere and took his form. He kept up the disguise for about eighteen months, using the Coliseum as his base while he worked to put the Great Spirit to sleep. (BIONICLE: Rahi Beasts; BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui)

When the Toa MetruToa Metru and Toa HordikaSix Matoran elevated by Lhikan to save their city, mutated by Visorak venom, and restored in time to deliver the population to safety. arrived during an akilini tournament carrying the Great Disks as proof that they were Toa, Teridax used the arena's columns to humiliate them, captured 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., 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. and 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., and branded the rest impostors. Then he called the Matoran to the Coliseum and had the Vahki force them into Matoran spheresMatoran SphereRound containers that wiped memories and hid Makuta Teridax's manipulation of the Matoran.. The Toa later regrouped underneath the city, found the real Dume asleep in his sphere, and escaped the LohrakLohrakWinged serpentine Rahi engineered by the Makuta Chirox and later redesigned by Mutran, infesting the underground of Metru Nui and protected by decree of Turaga Dume. and the Vahki in an old Vahki Transport. (BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui; BIONICLE Adventures 4: Legends of Metru Nui)

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. occupation#

After 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., the VisorakVisorak (Rahi)Spider-like Rahi employed by the Brotherhood of Makuta whose name meant 'Stealers of Life' and whose swarms threatened the Matoran Universe. horde under SidorakSidorakHe took credit for someone else's idea, called it leadership, and spent his whole reign as the Visorak's king certain he could not be out-played. and RoodakaRoodakaShe spent the entire Visorak arc letting everyone think they were using her, then walked away having beaten the Brotherhood and the Toa at their own game. took over the city and made the Coliseum their base. The playset based on it shows the Visorak-held gate, shaped like Lhikan's mask, with Rhotuka spinners and traps built into its walls. (BIONICLE 3: Web of Shadows; BIONICLE Adventures 9: Web of Shadows; Battle of Metru Nui)

The Toa MetruToa Metru and Toa HordikaSix Matoran elevated by Lhikan to save their city, mutated by Visorak venom, and restored in time to deliver the population to safety. were mutated into the Toa HordikaToa HordikaToa mutated by Visorak venom into bestial hybrids, forced to fight their primal nature and hunt for a cure. there. Later, Vakama, giving in to his Hordika side, brought five captured RahagaToa Hagah and RahagaThe Toa Hagah were appointed to guard Makuta Teridax, mutated into hybrid warriors, and mysteriously restored. to the Coliseum to present to Sidorak, and they were hung from a pole near the top of the tower. They were rescued when the Toa Hordika, KeetonguKeetonguThe legendary Rahi who broke the Visorak siege and lived to prove he was worth the legend. and the Rahaga took on the horde and its leaders in the final battle. (BIONICLE 3: Web of Shadows; BIONICLE Adventures 9: Web of Shadows)

Post-occupation use#

During the Dark Time, 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., Keetongu and the Rahaga lived in the Coliseum and kept watch over Metru Nui from its balcony. Soon after the Matoran came back, the Turaga found that the Coliseum's foundations had been buckling and collapsing for weeks, which they suspected was tied to the Great Spirit's failing health. When the Toa MahriToa Inika and Toa MahriSix ordinary Matoran transformed by lightning from the Red Star into heroes who ultimately revived the Great Spirit itself. returned, a ceremony was held in the Coliseum to honour MatoroMatoroA quiet Ko-Matoran translator who became a Toa Inika and then a Toa Mahri, Matoro gave his life with the Mask of Life to restore Mata Nui.'s sacrifice. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated; BIONICLE: World; BIONICLE Legends 8: Downfall)

The building came close to being destroyed. The Toa HagahToa HagahElite Toa teams appointed by the Brotherhood of Makuta to serve as personal guardians, later rebelling against their creators. arrived saying they had to break the Coliseum's foundations to reach Teridax far below, and fought the Toa Mahri over it, until the two teams found a better way: they cut a tunnel under the building while HewkiiHewkiiHewkii rose from Po-Metru Matoran to Mata Nui's foremost kolhii player, then served as Toa Inika and Toa Mahri through the late wars of the universe. and others held it up, and Hewkii then lowered it back into place. Later, when 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. took over the city, they confined the Turaga in the Coliseum, and the Dark Hunter VoporakVoporakVoporak is a mutant member of Sidorak's species and a servant of the Dark Hunters. Clad in dark red, black, orange-yellow, and silver, he wields Rotating Blade Tools and a Rhotuka spinner and commands the power of time. He resides on Spherus Magna. broke through one of its walls and stole the Kanohi Vahi from a secure chamber inside. (Destiny War; Dwellers in Darkness)

After the Siege of Metru Nui, Turaga Vakama and Dume declared a celebration in the Coliseum. Dume's victory speech was cut short by Teridax, who announced that he had taken over the Great Spirit's body and with it the whole Matoran Universe. (BIONICLE Ignition 15: Mata Nui Rising)

Significance#

Whoever held the Coliseum held Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive.. 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., the disguised TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna., SidorakSidorakHe took credit for someone else's idea, called it leadership, and spent his whole reign as the Visorak's king certain he could not be out-played. and RoodakaRoodakaShe spent the entire Visorak arc letting everyone think they were using her, then walked away having beaten the Brotherhood and the Toa at their own game., and the returning Turaga all ran the city from it, and it was there that Teridax finally told the Matoran he ruled their universe. (BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui; BIONICLE 3: Web of Shadows; BIONICLE Ignition 15: Mata Nui Rising)