The Six Golden Masks of Power of Okoto

The six Golden Masks of Power of OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. were the elemental KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. forged by EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. for the prophesied Toa, one for each of the island's six tribal elements. Carved from sacred Elemental Crystals supplied by the Elemental CreaturesThe Elemental Creatures of OkotoThe six elemental animals of Okoto, partnered with the Toa to recover the Mask of Control, joined by Agil the Creature of Light as Ekimu's seventh., hidden in shrines across the regions, and recovered by the Toa as the first major operation of the OkotanOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. campaign, the Golden Masks were the first set of KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. ever forged on the island for beings who had not yet arrived. They served as proof that the Prophecy of Heroes was being fulfilled in real time, as the conduits through which EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. could communicate with the Toa from his tomb, and as the equipment that turned a half-formed landing party into a functioning team. Their later destruction by KultaKultaKulta was the leader of the Skull Creatures, a group native to the island of Okoto, and operated from the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a Mask Stealer Staff and Hook Blade, he possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and once held both the powerless Skull Mask and the Mask of Creation. and their reforging by EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. made them the only Toa-grade KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. in the historical record to be made twice by the same maker.

The vision and the commission#

The forging of the Golden Masks began with a vision. EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness., Mask Maker of the City of the Mask MakersCity of the Mask Makers: Home of Ekimu and MakutaThe City of the Mask Makers was a city on the island of Okoto, named for the brothers Ekimu and Makuta who dwelt there before the Battle of the Mask Makers. It fell to ruin and became the lair of the Lord of Skull Spiders before the Toa reclaimed it., travelled to the Temple of TimeThe Temple of TimeThe Protectors' most sacred site on Okoto, built to house the Mask of Time and the place at which Ekimu received the vision that prepared the island for the coming of the Toa. and donned 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. under the supervision of the assembled ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived.. Through the mask he witnessed the coming events on OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors.: the rise of MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City. as his rival, the splitting of the island, the long sleep that would follow, and the eventual arrival of the prophesied Toa. The vision made clear that no KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. then in circulation, including the single-element masks worn by the regional ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived., would be sufficient for the heroes the prophecy described.

The Elemental CreaturesThe Elemental Creatures of OkotoThe six elemental animals of Okoto, partnered with the Toa to recover the Mask of Control, joined by Agil the Creature of Light as Ekimu's seventh., responding to the same crisis EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. had been censuring MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City. over, broke their long isolation and appeared publicly. Each Creature presented a sacred Elemental Crystal drawn from the deepest source of its element. The Crystals were the only material on the island that could hold a Toa-grade charge in a KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. without violating the sacred OkotanOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. law that no mask could contain more than one element. The ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. carried the Crystals back to the City of the Mask MakersCity of the Mask Makers: Home of Ekimu and MakutaThe City of the Mask Makers was a city on the island of Okoto, named for the brothers Ekimu and Makuta who dwelt there before the Battle of the Mask Makers. It fell to ruin and became the lair of the Lord of Skull Spiders before the Toa reclaimed it. and delivered them into EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness.'s forge. The commission was complete: six Crystals, one per element, in EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness.'s hands, with the design of the recipients fixed in his memory from the vision.

Forging at the City of the Mask Makers#

EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. worked the six Crystals into masks in series at his forge in the City of the Mask MakersCapital CityThe former main city of Okoto, drawn into the Shadow Realm by the destruction of the Mask of Ultimate Power, leaving the Black Crater on the surface and a ruined court for Makuta in the dark below.. The forging used the same techniques the Mask Makers had developed across the long single-element tradition, but the output was unprecedented in two respects. The masks were tuned not to a generic wearer profile but to the specific temperament of the Toa each one would receive, and the energy held in each was several orders of magnitude above the single-element KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. the regional population carried. Each finished mask shone with a metallic golden lustre that distinguished it visually from every other class of KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. on the island. The prefix Golden, which would attach to the set in the regional records, was descriptive and not honorific.

The forging was completed before the Battle of the Mask MakersThe Battle of the Mask MakersThe unveiling of the Mask of Ultimate Power at Capital City, the strike of the Hammer of Power, and the cataclysm that drew a metropolis into the Shadow Realm and left Okoto without its Mask Makers., the conflict in which MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City. would attempt to seize the Mask of Ultimate PowerMask of Ultimate PowerA heretical Kanohi forged by Makuta of Okoto that contained the powers of all six elements and ruined the Mask Makers' civilization the moment it was worn. and which would end with EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. struck down and entombed by the same hammer-blow that exiled MakutaMakuta (2015)Ekimu's brother and rival Mask Maker, who forged the forbidden Mask of Ultimate Power and was sealed in the Shadow Realm with Capital City.. The six masks were dispatched to the ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived., one per region, with instructions that each be concealed in a shrine on the protected territory and held until the prophesied Toa arrived. The shrines were built. The masks went into them. EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. entered his long sleep in the tomb beneath the Capital CityCapital CityThe former main city of Okoto, drawn into the Shadow Realm by the destruction of the Mask of Ultimate Power, leaving the Black Crater on the surface and a ruined court for Makuta in the dark below.. The Golden Masks remained hidden for the centuries of his coma.

Recovery in the six regions#

The ToaThe Toa of Okoto: The Six Heroes Summoned to Save the IslandThe six elemental heroes summoned by the Protectors of Okoto, who recovered the Golden Masks, woke Ekimu, fought the Skull Army, and twice banished Makuta to the Shadow Realm. landing on OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. was the event the prophecy had described and the masks had been waiting for. The six Toa, TahuTahu, Master of Fire: Leader of the Toa of OkotoTahu of Okoto was the Master of Fire summoned by the Protectors, the hot-tempered would-be leader of the Toa who opened the Labyrinth of Control and held the line at the Black Volcano., GaliGali, Master of Water: The Toa Who Closed the RiftGali of Okoto was the Master of Water of the Toa, the team's mediator at the Ancient City, and the Toa drawn into the Shadow Realm at the Black Volcano who returned with the means of the second banishment., PohatuPohatu, Master of Stone: The Stubborn Toa of OkotoPohatu of Okoto was the Master of Stone summoned by the Protectors, the stubborn sandstorm-rider guided by Nilkuu through the Region of Stone whose hesitation at the Labyrinth cost the team the Mask of Control., LewaLewa, Master of Jungle: The Daredevil Toa of OkotoLewa of Okoto was the Master of Jungle summoned by the Protectors, the rebellious flier who quested for the Mask of Jungle in the Region of Jungle and bonded with Uxar in the second wave., KopakaKopaka, Master of Ice: The Chivalrous Toa of OkotoKopaka of Okoto was the Master of Ice summoned by the Protectors, the cold perfectionist who shielded the Protector of Ice from the Skull Spiders and disputed leadership of the team with Tahu at the Ancient City., and OnuaOnua, Master of Earth: The Sage Toa of OkotoOnua of Okoto was the Master of Earth summoned by the Protectors, the quiet sage who separated Tahu and Kopaka at the Ancient City and felled the Lord of Skull Spiders with his Earthquake Hammer., descended from the sky during the Gathering of the ProtectorsThe Gathering of the ProtectorsThe rite at the Temple of Time at which the six Protectors of Okoto recited the Prophecy of Heroes around the Mask of Time and summoned the Toa from the sky to deliver the island from the Skull Spider plague. and were collected by their respective regional ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived.. The ProtectorsProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. led each Toa to the shrine where the corresponding Golden Mask had been hidden, travelling for weeks across terrain that had been infested by Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. since the Lord of Skull SpidersLord of Skull SpidersAn oversized Skull Spider that guarded the ancient City of the Mask Makers and commanded the rest of its species through the Golden Mask of the Skull Spiders. had begun to consolidate its hold on the island.

The recovery pattern repeated across all six regions. The Protector engaged a holding action at the entrance to the shrine, fending off Skull SpiderSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. hordes with the Elemental Blaster issued to each ProtectorProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived.. The ToaThe Toa of Okoto: The Six Heroes Summoned to Save the IslandThe six elemental heroes summoned by the Protectors of Okoto, who recovered the Golden Masks, woke Ekimu, fought the Skull Army, and twice banished Makuta to the Shadow Realm. crossed the final approach alone, retrieved the Golden Mask from its setting, and donned it. The activation produced the signature effect of the set: the starter equipment the Toa had carried from their landing site transformed into a permanent elemental tool kit. TahuTahu, Master of Fire: Leader of the Toa of OkotoTahu of Okoto was the Master of Fire summoned by the Protectors, the hot-tempered would-be leader of the Toa who opened the Labyrinth of Control and held the line at the Black Volcano.'s Lava Board became the Fire BladesFire BladesTahu's dual weapons upon arrival at Okoto in the 2015 reboot, serving both in combat and as a means of traversal.. Gali's Shark Fins became the Elemental Trident with the capacity to reseparate into Fins. PohatuPohatu, Master of Stone: The Stubborn Toa of OkotoPohatu of Okoto was the Master of Stone summoned by the Protectors, the stubborn sandstorm-rider guided by Nilkuu through the Region of Stone whose hesitation at the Labyrinth cost the team the Mask of Control.'s starter tools became the StormerangsStormerangsPohatu's boomerang weapons that double as speed-enabling foot attachments called Jetarangs.. LewaLewa, Master of Jungle: The Daredevil Toa of OkotoLewa of Okoto was the Master of Jungle summoned by the Protectors, the rebellious flier who quested for the Mask of Jungle in the Region of Jungle and bonded with Uxar in the second wave.'s X-Glider split into the Battle AxesBattle AxesLewa's transforming Jungle weapon that shifts between combat axes, an aerial glider, and swords., retaining the capacity to recombine for flight. KopakaKopaka, Master of Ice: The Chivalrous Toa of OkotoKopaka of Okoto was the Master of Ice summoned by the Protectors, the cold perfectionist who shielded the Protector of Ice from the Skull Spiders and disputed leadership of the team with Tahu at the Ancient City.'s Avalanche Skis became the Frost Shield, with its own dual-mode capacity. OnuaOnua, Master of Earth: The Sage Toa of OkotoOnua of Okoto was the Master of Earth summoned by the Protectors, the quiet sage who separated Tahu and Kopaka at the Ancient City and felled the Lord of Skull Spiders with his Earthquake Hammer.'s Turbo Shovelers became the Earthquake Hammer.

The masks conferred full command of the wearer's element. Where the Toa had been able to use only fragmentary elemental capabilities before donning the mask, they were able to operate at the prophesied scale afterwards. The Skull SpiderSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. infestation that had been pinning down the ProtectorProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. at the shrine entrance was cleared in each case by the Toa using the newly activated mask, an early demonstration that the Golden Masks were a complete and self-contained equipment upgrade and not a partial one.

Telepathic link to Ekimu's tomb#

The second function of the Golden Masks of Power emerged only after all six had been recovered. EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness., asleep in his tomb beneath the Capital CityCapital CityThe former main city of Okoto, drawn into the Shadow Realm by the destruction of the Mask of Ultimate Power, leaving the Black Crater on the surface and a ruined court for Makuta in the dark below., retained the capacity to communicate telepathically across great distances. The medium of that communication was the Golden Masks themselves. After the Toa had united and defeated the Lord of Skull SpidersLord of Skull SpidersAn oversized Skull Spider that guarded the ancient City of the Mask Makers and commanded the rest of its species through the Golden Mask of the Skull Spiders., EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness.'s voice reached each Toa through the mask, congratulating them on their valor and instructing them to find his resting place quickly. The Golden Masks became the navigation system for the second phase of the campaign, drawing the team toward the Capital CityCapital CityThe former main city of Okoto, drawn into the Shadow Realm by the destruction of the Mask of Ultimate Power, leaving the Black Crater on the surface and a ruined court for Makuta in the dark below. as the locus of EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness.'s consciousness.

The arrangement was the result of the original forging. EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. had tuned each mask to a specific Toa whose temperament he had glimpsed in 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. vision. The tuning carried, alongside the elemental charge, a channel through which his own thoughts could be projected to the wearer. The channel was one-directional. The ToaThe Toa of Okoto: The Six Heroes Summoned to Save the IslandThe six elemental heroes summoned by the Protectors of Okoto, who recovered the Golden Masks, woke Ekimu, fought the Skull Army, and twice banished Makuta to the Shadow Realm. could not reply through the masks. They could only follow the directions. The result was the team's arrival at the underground chamber where EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. had been entombed, and the recovery of the Mask of CreationThe Mask of CreationThe signature Kanohi of Ekimu the Mask Maker, capable of bringing into being whatever its wearer envisioned. Stolen by Kulta the Skull Grinder, reclaimed at the Mask Makers' forge, and worn again in the final defence of Okoto. that would in turn allow them to revive him.

Loss and recovery during the wider campaign#

The Golden Masks were the single point on which a Toa's effective elemental output depended, and the wider campaign produced more than one incident in which a Toa was separated from his mask. PohatuPohatu, Master of Stone: The Stubborn Toa of OkotoPohatu of Okoto was the Master of Stone summoned by the Protectors, the stubborn sandstorm-rider guided by Nilkuu through the Region of Stone whose hesitation at the Labyrinth cost the team the Mask of Control. lost the Golden Mask of Stone to a Skull ScorpioSkull ScorpioThe scorpion-form units created by Kulta the Skull Grinder, sent in packs to ambush the Toa in a Skull Graveyard and strip Pohatu of his Golden Mask of Stone. in a Skull Graveyard during the search for EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness.'s Mask of CreationThe Mask of CreationThe signature Kanohi of Ekimu the Mask Maker, capable of bringing into being whatever its wearer envisioned. Stolen by Kulta the Skull Grinder, reclaimed at the Mask Makers' forge, and worn again in the final defence of Okoto.. The loss weakened him below the elemental threshold of his peers and forced the team to detour to recover it. The mask was retrieved shortly afterward and PohatuPohatu, Master of Stone: The Stubborn Toa of OkotoPohatu of Okoto was the Master of Stone summoned by the Protectors, the stubborn sandstorm-rider guided by Nilkuu through the Region of Stone whose hesitation at the Labyrinth cost the team the Mask of Control. was restored to full strength. The episode demonstrated that the single-mask-per-Toa rule made the Golden Masks a strategic priority for both sides of the conflict.

OnuaOnua, Master of Earth: The Sage Toa of OkotoOnua of Okoto was the Master of Earth summoned by the Protectors, the quiet sage who separated Tahu and Kopaka at the Ancient City and felled the Lord of Skull Spiders with his Earthquake Hammer. suffered a similar loss to a Skull BasherSkull BasherA Skull Creature guardian of Okoto's Temple of Creation, armed with mask-draining powers and hook axes. on the approach to the Mask Makers' Forge. Enemies who understood the OkotanOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. mask doctrine targeted the Golden Masks specifically, because removing the mask was the most efficient means of neutralising a Toa without engaging him in elemental combat.

Shattered by KultaKultaKulta was the leader of the Skull Creatures, a group native to the island of Okoto, and operated from the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a Mask Stealer Staff and Hook Blade, he possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and once held both the powerless Skull Mask and the Mask of Creation. at the Forge#

The Golden Masks of Power suffered their first and only total destruction at the hands of KultaKultaKulta was the leader of the Skull Creatures, a group native to the island of Okoto, and operated from the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a Mask Stealer Staff and Hook Blade, he possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and once held both the powerless Skull Mask and the Mask of Creation., the Skull GrinderSkull GrinderThe title borne by Kulta after his alliance with Makuta, marking his role as the wielder of the Mask Stealer Staff, the mask-burner at the Mask Makers' forge, and the first foe to defeat the Toa in single combat on Okoto., at the Mask Makers' Forge. KultaKultaKulta was the leader of the Skull Creatures, a group native to the island of Okoto, and operated from the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a Mask Stealer Staff and Hook Blade, he possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and once held both the powerless Skull Mask and the Mask of Creation. had recovered the Mask of CreationThe Mask of CreationThe signature Kanohi of Ekimu the Mask Maker, capable of bringing into being whatever its wearer envisioned. Stolen by Kulta the Skull Grinder, reclaimed at the Mask Makers' forge, and worn again in the final defence of Okoto. from the Toa shortly after their arrival and had put it on himself. Wearing the Mask of CreationThe Mask of CreationThe signature Kanohi of Ekimu the Mask Maker, capable of bringing into being whatever its wearer envisioned. Stolen by Kulta the Skull Grinder, reclaimed at the Mask Makers' forge, and worn again in the final defence of Okoto., he struck the Toa down in a single blow that shattered all six Golden Masks simultaneously. EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness., now revived and present at the Forge, had the time to recreate his Hammer of PowerHammer of PowerThe Hammer of Power is a weapon wielded by Ekimu, capable of creating as well as melee and ranged combat. In its powered-up form, the hammer manifests as light, its colors intact., recover the Mask of CreationThe Mask of CreationThe signature Kanohi of Ekimu the Mask Maker, capable of bringing into being whatever its wearer envisioned. Stolen by Kulta the Skull Grinder, reclaimed at the Mask Makers' forge, and worn again in the final defence of Okoto., and defeat KultaKultaKulta was the leader of the Skull Creatures, a group native to the island of Okoto, and operated from the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a Mask Stealer Staff and Hook Blade, he possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and once held both the powerless Skull Mask and the Mask of Creation. before the Toa's situation became permanent.

After the engagement, EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. reforged the entire set of Golden Masks of Power at the Forge. The reforging used the same techniques as the original commission, although the Elemental Crystals had been expended during the first forging and the replacement masks were reconstituted from the fragments KultaKultaKulta was the leader of the Skull Creatures, a group native to the island of Okoto, and operated from the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a Mask Stealer Staff and Hook Blade, he possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and once held both the powerless Skull Mask and the Mask of Creation. had left on the floor of the Forge. The reforging was complete by the time the Toa returned to consciousness, and EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. handed each Toa his Golden Mask back. He told the team that he had never seen such bravery and declared them worthy heroes. The set as restored was functionally identical to the original.

From Golden Masks to Unity Masks#

The reforged Golden Masks of Power served as the Toa's equipment through the remainder of the immediate post-Forge period. They were the foundation layer of what would become a three-stage progression. After the recovery of the Mask of CreationThe Mask of CreationThe signature Kanohi of Ekimu the Mask Maker, capable of bringing into being whatever its wearer envisioned. Stolen by Kulta the Skull Grinder, reclaimed at the Mask Makers' forge, and worn again in the final defence of Okoto. and the defeat of KultaKultaKulta was the leader of the Skull Creatures, a group native to the island of Okoto, and operated from the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a Mask Stealer Staff and Hook Blade, he possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and once held both the powerless Skull Mask and the Mask of Creation., the Toa entered the period of partnership with the Elemental CreaturesThe Elemental Creatures of OkotoThe six elemental animals of Okoto, partnered with the Toa to recover the Mask of Control, joined by Agil the Creature of Light as Ekimu's seventh.. Each Toa paired with the Creature corresponding to his element, and each pairing produced a Golden Unity Mask, a second-generation KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. that channelled the Creature's power through the Toa's existing elemental capacity. The Golden Unity Masks superseded the Golden Masks of Power as the Toa's primary equipment for the duration of the Creature partnerships.

The Golden Unity Masks were themselves later succeeded by the Unity Masks, the third-generation set worn during the final campaign against the Shadow Horde and the recovery of the fragments of the Mask of Ultimate PowerMask of Ultimate PowerA heretical Kanohi forged by Makuta of Okoto that contained the powers of all six elements and ruined the Mask Makers' civilization the moment it was worn.. The original Golden Masks of Power therefore functioned across the entire OkotanOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors. campaign as the reference point against which every subsequent mask upgrade was measured. They had been the first masks the Toa wore, the masks through which EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. had spoken to them, the masks the prophecy had specifically called for, and the masks whose destruction at the Forge had been the worst single setback the team suffered until the Shadow Horde arrived.

The Golden Masks were, in the long view, the equipment that turned the Prophecy of Heroes from a regional myth into a documented operational fact. Their shrines were the spine of the opening campaign, their telepathic channel was the means by which the team found EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness., their destruction by KultaKultaKulta was the leader of the Skull Creatures, a group native to the island of Okoto, and operated from the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a Mask Stealer Staff and Hook Blade, he possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and once held both the powerless Skull Mask and the Mask of Creation. was the worst moment of the Forge engagement, and their reforging was EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness.'s first major act after his revival.