Birth of the Rahaga

The Rahaga were created at a Brotherhood of 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. fortress, many years before TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna. posed as 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. in Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive.. The six Toa HagahToa Hagah and RahagaThe Toa Hagah were appointed to guard Makuta Teridax, mutated into hybrid warriors, and mysteriously restored. had been assigned to work for the Brotherhood until they found out the Makuta were corrupt. The Brotherhood had stolen the Kanohi AvohkiiKanohi Mask of Light and ShadowA single fused Kanohi formed in Energized Protodermis when Takanuva and Teridax merged into Takutanuva, holding both light and shadow at once., the Mask of Light, from its makers, and NorikNorikToa of Fire and leader of the Toa Hagah, who broke with the Brotherhood of Makuta to recover the Avohkii and led his team through a thousand years of mutation as a Rahaga before being restored. of Fire and IruiniIruiniIruini is a Toa of Air, formerly a Le-Matoran and a member of the Toa Hagah who served as bodyguard to Makuta Teridax. He wears the Great Kualsi, wields a Cyclone Spear and Rhotuka Launching Shield with a healing Rhotuka, and resides on Spherus Magna as a Rahi Hunter and protector of Matoran. of Air now held it. Their four teammates had been captured. The two fought their way to the fortress to free them, and all six ended up hit by the RhotukaRhotukaRhotuka were wheels of pure energy generated by living beings, shaped by the user's nature, and launched through natural or artificial launchers. spinners of 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 mutated into the small, hunched, RahkshiBionicle Rahkshi: the Sons of Makuta from Mask of LightRahkshi are armoured hunters made from kraata, the slug-like creatures of the Makuta. Six of them chased the Mask of Light across Mata Nui in 2003. Here's what they are, the different kinds and where they turn up in the films, books and comics.-faced forms she named Rahaga. (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga)

Background#

The Toa HagahToa Hagah and RahagaThe Toa Hagah were appointed to guard Makuta Teridax, mutated into hybrid warriors, and mysteriously restored. had been assigned to work for the Brotherhood of 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., serving as an elite guard, until they discovered the Makuta were corrupt. (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga; BIONICLE Adventures 9: Web of Shadows)

The Brotherhood had stolen the Kanohi AvohkiiKanohi Mask of Light and ShadowA single fused Kanohi formed in Energized Protodermis when Takanuva and Teridax merged into Takutanuva, holding both light and shadow at once., the Mask of LightKanohi Mask of Light and ShadowA single fused Kanohi formed in Energized Protodermis when Takanuva and Teridax merged into Takutanuva, holding both light and shadow at once., from its creators, and the Hagah turned on their masters. Four of the six, BomongaBomongaBomonga was the Toa Hagah of Earth, mutated by Roodaka into a Rahaga, later restored to Toa form and resettled on Spherus Magna., GaakiGaakiGaaki is a Toa of Water and member of the Toa Hagah, distinguished by her dark blue and copper armor and wielding a Tidal Spear and Rhotuka Launching Shield. She wears the Great Mask of Clairvoyance and once served as a bodyguard to Makuta Teridax before dedicating herself to hunting Rahi and protecting Matoran, residing on Spherus Magna., KualusKualusKualus is a Toa of Ice and member of the Toa Hagah, formerly serving as one of the elite bodyguards of Makuta Teridax before dedicating himself to the protection of the Matoran. White and metallic blue in color, he wields a Sub-Zero Spear and a Rhotuka Launching Shield, and wears the Great Mask of Rahi Control, granting him the power to direct the minds of animal life. He resides on Spherus Magna. and PouksPouksPouks is a Toa Hagah of Stone, distinguished by his golden brown and gunmetal armor and bearing the Great Mask of Emulation. Once a bodyguard to Makuta Teridax and later a Rahaga, he served as a Rahi hunter before reclaiming his Toa form. He carries an Avalanche Spear and Rhotuka Launching Shield, and resides on Spherus Magna., were captured by the Brotherhood. NorikNorikToa of Fire and leader of the Toa Hagah, who broke with the Brotherhood of Makuta to recover the Avohkii and led his team through a thousand years of mutation as a Rahaga before being restored. and IruiniIruiniIruini is a Toa of Air, formerly a Le-Matoran and a member of the Toa Hagah who served as bodyguard to Makuta Teridax. He wears the Great Kualsi, wields a Cyclone Spear and Rhotuka Launching Shield with a healing Rhotuka, and resides on Spherus Magna as a Rahi Hunter and protector of Matoran. had the AvohkiiAvohkiiThe Avohkii is the Mask of Light, a golden mask that granted its wearer the power of Light and the ability to spread understanding. It was worn by Toa Takanuva. in hand and were determined to keep it away from the Makuta. (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga; BIONICLE Adventures 9: Web of Shadows)

That left the two of them with two jobs at once: keep the mask safe, and get their friends back. To reach the prisoners they would have to fight their way past Visorak, Exo-ToaExo-ToaToa-sized powered armor built for the Brotherhood of Makuta, worn briefly by the Toa Mata against the Bahrag and later used as enforcers under Teridax. and Dark HuntersThe Dark HuntersA band of mercenaries and thieves founded on Odina by the Shadowed One and Ancient, hired out across the Matoran Universe, and left a battered ruin by the time Teridax ruled the universe.. (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga)

The fight at the gate#

NorikNorikToa of Fire and leader of the Toa Hagah, who broke with the Brotherhood of Makuta to recover the Avohkii and led his team through a thousand years of mutation as a Rahaga before being restored. and IruiniIruiniIruini is a Toa of Air, formerly a Le-Matoran and a member of the Toa Hagah who served as bodyguard to Makuta Teridax. He wears the Great Kualsi, wields a Cyclone Spear and Rhotuka Launching Shield with a healing Rhotuka, and resides on Spherus Magna as a Rahi Hunter and protector of Matoran. fought their way through a crowd of VisorakVisorak (Rahi)Spider-like Rahi employed by the Brotherhood of Makuta whose name meant 'Stealers of Life' and whose swarms threatened the Matoran Universe. just outside the gate of a Brotherhood fortress. (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga)

Then the Dark HunterThe Dark HuntersA band of mercenaries and thieves founded on Odina by the Shadowed One and Ancient, hired out across the Matoran Universe, and left a battered ruin by the time Teridax ruled the universe. KrekkaKrekka's SpeciesKrekka's species, informally called bruisers, were a heavily built lower class of Stelt's hierarchy employed as guards, servants and labourers. attacked. IruiniIruiniIruini is a Toa of Air, formerly a Le-Matoran and a member of the Toa Hagah who served as bodyguard to Makuta Teridax. He wears the Great Kualsi, wields a Cyclone Spear and Rhotuka Launching Shield with a healing Rhotuka, and resides on Spherus Magna as a Rahi Hunter and protector of Matoran. used his Cyclone SpearCyclone SpearThe Cyclone Spear was the Toa Tool of Toa Hagah Iruini, a spear that let him call up huge windstorms, though using that power left him weakened. to launch Krekka over his head, but Krekka got behind him and grabbed him. Iruini flipped over the Dark Hunter and kicked him to the ground. (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga)

Meanwhile NorikNorikToa of Fire and leader of the Toa Hagah, who broke with the Brotherhood of Makuta to recover the Avohkii and led his team through a thousand years of mutation as a Rahaga before being restored. threatened to destroy a SuukorakSuukorakOne of Visorak's white variants, suited for traversing the islands' frozen regions during the horde's conquest of Metru Nui. unless it showed them a safe way through. The spider agreed, and the two Toa followed it. (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga)

Through the fortress#

They followed the Visorak for a long time. Along the way, Iruini asked why they needed to hang on to the Mask of Light at all, and Norik explained how the team had uncovered the Brotherhood's secret. Iruini repeated what he'd said before: once the others were rescued, he would leave the team. (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga)

Then NidhikiNidhikiOnce a guardian of Metru Nui, Nidhiki traded his Toa honor for Dark Hunter gold and paid the price. walked past with two VohtarakVohtarakOne of six Visorak breeds, fire-aligned spider-like Rahi with Rhotuka spinner launchers. behind him, talking about four captured Toa. Norik and Iruini tied up their Visorak guide and set off after the Dark Hunter. (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga)

The prison and the four#

IruiniIruiniIruini is a Toa of Air, formerly a Le-Matoran and a member of the Toa Hagah who served as bodyguard to Makuta Teridax. He wears the Great Kualsi, wields a Cyclone Spear and Rhotuka Launching Shield with a healing Rhotuka, and resides on Spherus Magna as a Rahi Hunter and protector of Matoran. used his Kanohi KualsiKualsiThe Kanohi Kualsi let its wearer teleport to any place within their field of vision, with Toa Hagah Iruini its best-known bearer., the Mask of Quick Travel, to slip into the Brotherhood's base. In a prison cell he found four short creatures with RahkshiBionicle Rahkshi: the Sons of Makuta from Mask of LightRahkshi are armoured hunters made from kraata, the slug-like creatures of the Makuta. Six of them chased the Mask of Light across Mata Nui in 2003. Here's what they are, the different kinds and where they turn up in the films, books and comics.-like faces. To the two Toa's horror, these were the captured Toa Hagah, mutated beyond recognition by 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.. (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga)

Roodaka then appeared, blasted the prisoners and dubbed them "Rahaga." (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga)

The escape#

NorikNorikToa of Fire and leader of the Toa Hagah, who broke with the Brotherhood of Makuta to recover the Avohkii and led his team through a thousand years of mutation as a Rahaga before being restored. caught Roodaka off guard, which gave IruiniIruiniIruini is a Toa of Air, formerly a Le-Matoran and a member of the Toa Hagah who served as bodyguard to Makuta Teridax. He wears the Great Kualsi, wields a Cyclone Spear and Rhotuka Launching Shield with a healing Rhotuka, and resides on Spherus Magna as a Rahi Hunter and protector of Matoran. the chance to open the cell, and he told the Rahaga to run. The two Toa combined their powers of Fire and Air into a tornado of lava to keep the Visorak busy. (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga)

The twister couldn't stop Roodaka, though. Two of her RhotukaRhotukaRhotuka were wheels of pure energy generated by living beings, shaped by the user's nature, and launched through natural or artificial launchers. spinners got through and struck both Toa as they ran to join their comrades, mutating them into the same form. (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga)

Roodaka ordered the Visorak to leave them, believing the six were no longer a threat. The Rahaga escaped with the Mask of Light still in their possession. (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga)

The framing story#

The flashback sits inside a present-day scene in occupied Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive., where the Toa Hordika 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 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. appear alongside the Rahaga they'd been working with. The issue is the tenth part of the comic series' Metru Nui arc. (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga)

The same origin is also told by Turaga Vakama in the "Origin of the Rahaga" appendix to BIONICLE Adventures 9: Web of Shadows. (BIONICLE Adventures 9: Web of Shadows)

Significance#

The escape had two big consequences. The first was that the AvohkiiAvohkiiThe Avohkii is the Mask of Light, a golden mask that granted its wearer the power of Light and the ability to spread understanding. It was worn by Toa Takanuva. stayed out of the Brotherhood's hands. The mask later turned up on the island of Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years., where 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 it, and it became the KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. of 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., the Toa of LightToa of LightThe sole Toa wielding the Element of Light through the Avohkii mask, singular and feared by Makuta itself. who went on to defeat Teridax. (BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga; BIONICLE: Mask of Light)

The second was the Rahaga themselves. In their new bodies they spent their time rescuing 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. from 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 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. reached occupied 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 Rahaga who freed them from the Visorak's webs above the city and helped them as the Toa Hordika. (BIONICLE 3: Web of Shadows; BIONICLE Adventures 9: Web of Shadows; BIONICLE 22: Monsters in the Dark)