Gali, Toa of Water

Gali was the ToaThe Toa: Heroes of the Matoran UniverseThe Toa were biomechanical guardians sworn to protect the Matoran, bound by a strict code and defined by sacrifice across every age of the universe. of Water, one of the six 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. sent to defend Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years. and later transformed into the Toa NuvaToa Mata and Toa NuvaSix biomechanical heroes created by the Great Beings to awaken Mata Nui and defeat the Brotherhood, transformed once and tested across an entire age.. Created on ArtakhaArtakhaArtakha is the master craftsman of the Matoran Universe, ruler of a hidden island where the Toa Mata came into being and the Avohkii was forged. and kept in a canister that drifted at sea for a thousand years, she made landfall at Ga-WahiGa-WahiGa-Wahi was a region situated to the east on the island of Mata Nui, inhabited by Ga-Matoran and various Rahi. The region once fell under the domain of Teridax, though that connection did not endure. Ga-Wahi no longer existed in later records. and took up her role as 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.'s most consistent voice of restraint, coordination, and tactical patience. (BIONICLE Chronicles 1: Tale of the Toa; History of the BIONICLE Universe; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

Origins and arrival#

Gali, like the other five 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., was created on the island of ArtakhaArtakhaArtakha is the master craftsman of the Matoran Universe, ruler of a hidden island where the Toa Mata came into being and the Avohkii was forged.. After serving in Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast cavern at the core of the Matoran universe, home of the Av-Matoran's Sky Villages and the Codrex, and the site of the battle to awaken Mata Nui., the team sealed themselves in ToaThe Toa: Heroes of the Matoran UniverseThe Toa were biomechanical guardians sworn to protect the Matoran, bound by a strict code and defined by sacrifice across every age of the universe. canisters inside the Codrex. The canisters were meant to land on Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years. after the Great Cataclysm but drifted at sea for a thousand years instead. When Gali's canister finally reached the shores of Ga-WahiGa-WahiGa-Wahi was a region situated to the east on the island of Mata Nui, inhabited by Ga-Matoran and various Rahi. The region once fell under the domain of Teridax, though that connection did not endure. Ga-Wahi no longer existed in later records., she had no memory of her past beyond her name and an instinct for her element. (History of the BIONICLE Universe; BIONICLE Legends 10: Swamp of Secrets; BIONICLE Chronicles 1: Tale of the Toa)

The village of 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. was led by Turaga NokamaNokamaNokama served as Toa Metru of Water, endured the Hordika mutation, and led Ga-Koro and later Ga-Metru as Turaga through three eras., though Gali didn't yet know that the Turaga had once been a Toa of Water herself. Gali first met the other Toa before she had even visited her village, and only later got to know the Ga-MatoranGa-MatoranThe Water-element Matoran of Ga-Metru and Ga-Koro, a female Matoran type, who filled the schools of Metru Nui and crewed the boats of the Mata Nui coast. and Nokama, who became a trusted adviser. (BIONICLE Chronicles 1: Tale of the Toa; BIONICLE Chronicles 4: Tales of the Masks)

Her initial KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. was the KaukauKaukauThe Mask of Water Breathing lets you dive deep, but depth and time limits are what make it matter., the Great Mask of Water Breathing. It suited the waters of Ga-WahiGa-WahiGa-Wahi was a region situated to the east on the island of Mata Nui, inhabited by Ga-Matoran and various Rahi. The region once fell under the domain of Teridax, though that connection did not endure. Ga-Wahi no longer existed in later records., where a Tarakava attacked her as she swam ashore and another later trapped the villagers of Ga-Koro underwater until she knocked off its infected mask. (BIONICLE Chronicles 1: Tale of the Toa; Mata Nui Online Game)

The mask hunt and the Shadow Toa#

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. searched the island for the Great KanohiGreat KanohiThe most common mask type worn by Toa and other powerful beings, forged from the highest-grade Kanoka discs., freeing 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 control of TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna. by knocking off their infected masks along the way. Gali's element gave her the edge in coastal and underwater terrain, but the masks were spread across regions held by hostile creatures, and she often needed help from the others. (BIONICLE Chronicles 1: Tale of the Toa; Mata Nui Online Game)

The team gathered at Kini-NuiKini-NuiThe most sacred temple on Mata Nui, ironically built directly above Teridax's fortress., where each Toa traded their masks for a Golden Kanohi, and then descended into MangaiaMangaia: Teridax's lair beneath Mata NuiMangaia was Teridax's hidden lair beneath the island of Mata Nui. It held a pool of Energized Protodermis used to make Infected Kanohi and Rahkshi.. Two ManasManasManas are a species of Rahi that exist in two color variants, one black, grey, and yellow and the other white, grey, and orange, and are armed with claws. guarded the way, and the Toa beat them only by joining into the Toa Kaita and wrecking the towers that powered the crabs. (BIONICLE Chronicles 1: Tale of the Toa; BIONICLE 2: Deep into Darkness)

Deeper in, each ToaThe Toa: Heroes of the Matoran UniverseThe Toa were biomechanical guardians sworn to protect the Matoran, bound by a strict code and defined by sacrifice across every age of the universe. faced a Shadow ToaThe Shadow ToaThe dark counterparts of the Toa Mata raised by Teridax inside Mangaia as a last line of defence between the Toa and his throne, defeated when the team realised they could only be beaten by an opponent other than oneself., a dark copy drawn from the darkness within them. The fight wasn't won by force. The Toa beat their shadows by accepting them as part of themselves, and then went on to drive back TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna. with their combined elemental powers. (BIONICLE Chronicles 1: Tale of the Toa)

Bohrok War and Nuva transformation#

During the Bohrok WarBohrok WarThe 2002 swarm that nearly destroyed Mata Nui when Teridax triggered the Bohrok's awakening ahead of schedule., Gali teamed up with PohatuPohatuPohatu was the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva of Stone, guardian of Po-Wahi, whose speed and steady humour anchored the team through every era of the Matoran Universe., 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. and KopakaKopakaKopaka was the Toa Nuva of Ice, the loner of the Toa Mata, and one of the six warriors created on Artakha to protect the Great Spirit Mata Nui. to ambush a swarm of TahnokTahnokFire-element Bohrok swarms from Mata Nui, controlled by krana and armed with Fire Shields. in Po-Koro. Pohatu sprang the trap and flooded the canyon, and Gali dived in to snatch krana from the stunned Bohrok before the swarm recovered and forced the pair to flee. (BIONICLE 5: To Trap a Tahnok; BIONICLE Chronicles 2: Beware the Bohrok)

The push toward 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. required collecting KranaKranaThe small organic creatures that controlled the Bohrok, made in eight types plus a mutated variant, without which no Bohrok could serve the swarm. from each of the six BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected. breeds and using them to reach the 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. suits. The ToaThe Toa: Heroes of the Matoran UniverseThe Toa were biomechanical guardians sworn to protect the Matoran, bound by a strict code and defined by sacrifice across every age of the universe. donned the armour and drove the queens to the centre of their chamber, which only made 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. stronger. In the fight the queens smothered Gali in flame. Shedding the 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. freed the Toa's elemental powers, and combined they sealed both queens in solid protodermisProtodermisThe engineered substance building the Matoran Universe, protodermis exists in countless refined states from mundane metal to diamond-hard crystal to the destruction-or-transformation force of energized form.. (BIONICLE Chronicles 2: Beware the Bohrok; BIONICLE 8: The End of the Toa?)

As the chamber collapsed, 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. sank into tubes of Energised ProtodermisEnergized ProtodermisA sentient substance that could remake or annihilate any being that touched it. One of the Matoran Universe's most lethal hazards. and emerged as the Toa NuvaToa Mata and Toa NuvaSix biomechanical heroes created by the Great Beings to awaken Mata Nui and defeat the Brotherhood, transformed once and tested across an entire age.. For Gali, her Water HooksWater HooksGali's dual-purpose weapons that channeled water for combat and granted climbing ability on slippery terrain. became Aqua AxesAqua AxesGali's dual-purpose water tools combined melee weapons and high-speed aquatic propulsion. that doubled as swimming fins, fitted with Mizuni RotorsMizuni RotorsThe Mizuni Rotors were wrist-mounted propellers carried by Toa Nuva Gali after her transformation in Energized Protodermis, later replaced by Adaptive Armour., and her mask became the Kaukau NuvaKaukau NuvaThe underwater breathing mask that could suffocate, but the Toa refused to use it as a weapon.. The Nuva mask could share its power with nearby allies, so she could extend underwater breathing to those around her. (BIONICLE Chronicles 2: Beware the Bohrok; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

The Bohrok-Kal crisis#

Before long the team split up again, over Gali's protests. Then 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. struck, stealing the six Nuva SymbolsNuva SymbolThe six carved emblems in which the Toa Nuva stored their elemental power after sealing the Bahrag, and which the Bohrok-Kal stole one by one., and Gali's tie to her element was cut. She couldn't summon or shape water at all. Her symbol's thief, Gahlok-KalGahlok-KalThe magnetic-powered Bohrok-Kal whose own power became its undoing when victory was within reach., wielded magnetism, a power unrelated to water. (BIONICLE Chronicles 3: Makuta's Revenge; BIONICLE 9: Divided We Fall)

Without her powers, Gali still tried to hold back a tidal wave and had to be rescued. Nokama calmed her and sent her into an old tunnel to find a Kakama Nuva, and she used its speed to escape a giant squid. When the Kal reached the Bahrag's prison, TahuTahu (2001)Tahu was the Toa Mata of Fire and leader of the team, from his first landing on Ta-Wahi Beach to the destruction of Teridax's Rahkshi army on Bara Magna with the Golden Armor. used the VahiKanohi VahiThe Kanohi Vahi was the Legendary Mask of Time, forged by Toa Metru Vakama from the six fused Great Disks of Metru Nui during the city's evacuation. to slow them, which gave Gali time to think of a plan. The Toa Nuva poured their elemental energies into the stolen symbols, overloading the Kal before they could free their queens, and got their powers back. (BIONICLE Chronicles 3: Makuta's Revenge; BIONICLE Chronicles 4: Tales of the Masks; BIONICLE 12: Absolute Power)

Karda Nui and the Mistika era#

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. in Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast cavern at the core of the Matoran universe, home of the Av-Matoran's Sky Villages and the Codrex, and the site of the battle to awaken Mata Nui. had formed in the wake of 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., when water poured into the core of the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control.. Its waters were mutagenic. Three MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate., Gorast, Krika and Bitil, went into the swamp and were twisted into insect-like forms. Gali, TahuTahu (2001)Tahu was the Toa Mata of Fire and leader of the team, from his first landing on Ta-Wahi Beach to the destruction of Teridax's Rahkshi army on Bara Magna with the Golden Armor., and 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. took the swamp, while the other three Toa NuvaToa Mata and Toa NuvaSix biomechanical heroes created by the Great Beings to awaken Mata Nui and defeat the Brotherhood, transformed once and tested across an entire age. worked above in the sky. (BIONICLE Legends 10: Swamp of Secrets; BIONICLE: Makuta's Guide to the Universe)

Artakha had given each Toa Nuva Adaptive ArmorAdaptive ArmorArtakha's shapeshifting armor gave the Toa Nuva environment-specific abilities, changing form from aerial to aquatic to everything in between. before the mission, and in the swamp Gali's took on its swamp form. Her single weapon became a NynrahNynrahNynrah was a contested island in the Matoran Universe whose Fe-Matoran population produced the weapons engineers known as the Nynrah Ghosts. Ghostblaster with a laser sight, and her Kaukau Nuva shifted shape along with the rest of the armour. (BIONICLE Legends 10: Swamp of Secrets; BIONICLE: Makuta's Guide to the Universe)

Gali fought GorastGorastA Makuta defined by rage and ruthlessness, Gorast conquered the Visorak and became Teridax's most devoted enforcer. in the swamp after the Makuta ambushed her near a keystone. She bound Gorast briefly with her Ghostblaster, then sank her in mud by raising its moisture. Gorast burst free, stunned her and was about to drain her light 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. tore the Makuta away. The danger was real: the MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate. could drain a ToaThe Toa: Heroes of the Matoran UniverseThe Toa were biomechanical guardians sworn to protect the Matoran, bound by a strict code and defined by sacrifice across every age of the universe.'s light and leave them a shadow being. Gali avoided that fate. (BIONICLE Legends 10: Swamp of Secrets; BIONICLE Ignition 13: Swamp of Shadows)

Gali stayed in the Codrex while the Kanohi IgnikaThe Mask of Life (Kanohi Ignika), explainedA failsafe forged by the Great Beings to recharge a god. It curses everyone who touches it, and by the end of Bionicle it had learned how to be a hero. woke the Great Spirit, then fled Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast cavern at the core of the Matoran universe, home of the Av-Matoran's Sky Villages and the Codrex, and the site of the battle to awaken Mata Nui. with the others, clinging to the three vehicles found beneath the Codrex, as the energy storms hit. The Great Spirit awoke. TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna., who had already taken over the Great Spirit's body, revealed himself soon after. (BIONICLE Legends 11: The Final Battle)

Powers, masks, and tools#

Gali's control of Water ran through all three of her major forms. As a 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. she could control the tides, raise floods from a little moisture, and call up rainstorms. Her transformation by Energised ProtodermisEnergized ProtodermisA sentient substance that could remake or annihilate any being that touched it. One of the Matoran Universe's most lethal hazards. made those powers stronger and tied them to her Nuva symbol. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated; BIONICLE Legends 10: Swamp of Secrets)

The original KaukauKaukauThe Mask of Water Breathing lets you dive deep, but depth and time limits are what make it matter. granted water breathing only to its wearer. The Kaukau NuvaKaukau NuvaThe underwater breathing mask that could suffocate, but the Toa refused to use it as a weapon. could share that ability with allies in range, a useful edge underwater. In Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast cavern at the core of the Matoran universe, home of the Av-Matoran's Sky Villages and the Codrex, and the site of the battle to awaken Mata Nui. her mask was an adaptive version that changed shape along with her armour. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated; BIONICLE: Makuta's Guide to the Universe)

Her armament progressed from the Water HooksWater HooksGali's dual-purpose weapons that channeled water for combat and granted climbing ability on slippery terrain., which let her grip slippery surfaces, to the Aqua AxesAqua AxesGali's dual-purpose water tools combined melee weapons and high-speed aquatic propulsion. and Mizuni RotorsMizuni RotorsThe Mizuni Rotors were wrist-mounted propellers carried by Toa Nuva Gali after her transformation in Energized Protodermis, later replaced by Adaptive Armour. of the Nuva form, built for swimming as much as fighting. In Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast cavern at the core of the Matoran universe, home of the Av-Matoran's Sky Villages and the Codrex, and the site of the battle to awaken Mata Nui., the Adaptive ArmorAdaptive ArmorArtakha's shapeshifting armor gave the Toa Nuva environment-specific abilities, changing form from aerial to aquatic to everything in between. gave her the laser-sighted NynrahNynrahNynrah was a contested island in the Matoran Universe whose Fe-Matoran population produced the weapons engineers known as the Nynrah Ghosts. Ghostblaster and foot-mounted rockets for flight. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated; BIONICLE: Makuta's Guide to the Universe)

Continuity notes#

The original 2001 story gave 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. no past at all. They woke on the beaches of Mata Nui knowing only their names. Their creation on ArtakhaArtakhaArtakha is the master craftsman of the Matoran Universe, ruler of a hidden island where the Toa Mata came into being and the Avohkii was forged. was added in a 2007 history of the universe, and their service in Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast cavern at the core of the Matoran universe, home of the Av-Matoran's Sky Villages and the Codrex, and the site of the battle to awaken Mata Nui. before entering the canisters came out in 2008. (BIONICLE Chronicles 1: Tale of the Toa; History of the BIONICLE Universe; BIONICLE Legends 10: Swamp of Secrets)

Role within the Toa Nuva#

Gali's role within 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. and the Toa NuvaToa Mata and Toa NuvaSix biomechanical heroes created by the Great Beings to awaken Mata Nui and defeat the Brotherhood, transformed once and tested across an entire age. was that of mediator. Where TahuTahu (2001)Tahu was the Toa Mata of Fire and leader of the team, from his first landing on Ta-Wahi Beach to the destruction of Teridax's Rahkshi army on Bara Magna with the Golden Armor. led through pride and KopakaKopakaKopaka was the Toa Nuva of Ice, the loner of the Toa Mata, and one of the six warriors created on Artakha to protect the Great Spirit Mata Nui. preferred to work alone, Gali kept the team talking and pressed for unity when it fragmented. She often defused fights between Tahu and Kopaka, and when the new Toa Nuva tested their powers on each other she called a halt before tempers boiled over. (BIONICLE Chronicles 1: Tale of the Toa; BIONICLE 9: Divided We Fall; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

That pattern held across her whole career, from the mask hunts of Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years. to the Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast cavern at the core of the Matoran universe, home of the Av-Matoran's Sky Villages and the Codrex, and the site of the battle to awaken Mata Nui. campaign. She escaped the Matoran Universe, fought in the battle on Bara Magna and survived to settle on the reformed Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint. alongside the rest of the Toa NuvaToa Mata and Toa NuvaSix biomechanical heroes created by the Great Beings to awaken Mata Nui and defeat the Brotherhood, transformed once and tested across an entire age.. (BIONICLE: Makuta's Guide to the Universe; BIONICLE Glatorian 7: Rebirth)