Hau Nuva

The Hau Nuva was the enhanced variant of the KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. Hau worn by 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.. It generated a protective field around the user and nearby allies, capable of deflecting most forms of physical attack, provided the bearer was aware of the incoming threat at the moment of activation. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated; BIONICLE 8: The End of the Toa?)

Origin and transformation#

The Hau Nuva came into existence when the original Toa MataToa 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. were transformed into 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. through exposure to Energized ProtodermisEnergized ProtodermisA sentient substance that could remake or annihilate any being that touched it. One of the Matoran Universe's most lethal hazards. beneath the Bohrok nests. A Hau Nuva forms when a destined Hau is immersed in the substance, and the transformation upgraded each Toa's KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. into a Nuva variant. Moments after emerging, 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 his new Hau Nuva to shield the whole team from a collapsing ceiling, discovering its enhanced power. (BIONICLE 8: The End of the Toa?; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

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. recovered his Hau Nuva from an ice cave in Ko-WahiKo-WahiKo-Wahi is a region situated directly above Ko-Metru, inhabited by Matoran, Turaga, Toa, and Rahi. It was formerly under the control of Teridax.. Following an earthquake that triggered a cave-in, he activated the mask in time to shield himself, though 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. was initially feared lost in the same collapse. The encounter is recorded in BIONICLEBIONICLE: Matoran AdventuresA 2002 GBA platformer where you play as one of six Matoran fighting Bohrok across Mata Nui's islands. Chronicles 4: Tales of the Masks, one of the tales told by 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.. (BIONICLE Chronicles 4: Tales of the Masks)

Like the standard Hau, the Hau Nuva depended on the wearer knowing an attack was coming. What it added was strength and endurance: it produced a stronger shield than the ordinary Hau and could hold it for longer. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

Powers and limitations#

The Hau Nuva generated a shielding field capable of deflecting very powerful physical attacks directed at the user or anyone nearby. Falling stone, molten lava and elemental blasts were all stopped by it on screen and on the page. (BIONICLE 8: The End of the Toa?; BIONICLE: Mask of Light)

Its main limitation was ambush. An attack the bearer did not know about bypassed the field entirely, leaving blind spots and rear approaches as standing vulnerabilities. (BIONICLE 8: The End of the Toa?)

When it covered several beings at once, the field shaped itself so as not to waste energy shielding the empty space between them. (BIONICLE Chronicles 4: Tales of the Masks)

Kopaka in Ko-WahiKo-WahiKo-Wahi is a region situated directly above Ko-Metru, inhabited by Matoran, Turaga, Toa, and Rahi. It was formerly under the control of Teridax.#

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.'s search for the Hau Nuva was complicated by the loss of his resistance to cold, which had gone along with his elemental power when 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. stole the Toa Nuva's powers. Caught in a Ko-WahiKo-WahiKo-Wahi is a region situated directly above Ko-Metru, inhabited by Matoran, Turaga, Toa, and Rahi. It was formerly under the control of Teridax. blizzard without that protection, he was attacked by a MuakaMuakaTiger-like predators of Ko-Wahi with claws, teeth, and a taste for anything that moves. that had used the whiteout for cover, and was rescued by 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.. Acting on information from 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., the two Toa located an ice cave believed to contain the mask. (BIONICLE Chronicles 4: Tales of the Masks)

After 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. recovered the Hau Nuva, an earthquake collapsed the cavern. He activated the mask immediately, sustaining the shield against the falling stone. 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. was separated from him during the collapse, 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. believed his ally killed. Carrying the mask to Po-KoroPo-KoroPo-Koro was the Po-Matoran village in Po-Wahi, led by Turaga Onewa and guarded by Toa Pohatu, reached through a single statue-lined road called the Path of Prophecies. to deliver it to 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. as a memorial, he found 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. had escaped through a connecting tunnel into 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.. 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. handed the mask over to Pohatu. (BIONICLE Chronicles 4: Tales of the Masks)

Tahu at the Amaja Circle#

Earlier in the same film, 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. had used the mask to keep a falling stream of lava off himself and 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.. Later, when all six 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. ambushed 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. and JallerJallerJaller served as Captain of the Ta-Koro Guard, led the Toa Inika to Voya Nui, and commanded the Toa Mahri through the recovery of the Mask of Life. at Kini-Nui and the two retreated toward the Amaja Circle, the six Toa NuvaToa NuvaThe form the Toa Mata took after stepping into the Energized Protodermis beneath the Bahrag, with new masks, new tools, and the elemental scale to fight Karda Nui. arrived around them and 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.'s Hau Nuva held off the Rahkshi's combined power. (BIONICLE: Mask of Light)

The shield bought time rather than victory. 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. let it drop, and the Toa then took the 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. on directly, uniting their powers to trap three in glass and freeze two more after showering them with lava. (BIONICLE: Mask of Light)

Swamp-mutated variant#

During the battle for 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., 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. wore a Hau Nuva reshaped by his Adaptive Armor to suit 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.. The altered mask kept its shielding power, and in the swamp Tahu threw a shield around himself, GaliGali, Toa of WaterThe Toa Nuva of Water and conscience of the Toa Mata, whose attunement to her element anchored the team across every campaign from Mata Nui to Karda Nui. 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. when Krika attacked them after they stole a keystone from his camp. (BIONICLE Legends 10: Swamp of Secrets; Tahu (Mistika))

In BIONICLEBIONICLE: Matoran AdventuresA 2002 GBA platformer where you play as one of six Matoran fighting Bohrok across Mata Nui's islands. Legends 11: The Final BattleThe Final BattleThe convergence of the Toa Nuva, Takanuva, and the Toa Ignika at the Codrex beneath Karda Nui, the second Energy Storm, the reawakening of Mata Nui by the sacrifice of the Ignika's body, and the moment Teridax revealed that he had taken the body for himself., 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., flying over the swamp after Vamprah vanished into the mist, heard a Tridax Pod launched at him and raised the shield in time. The shadow leeches landed on the field and began feeding on its energy, so Tahu skimmed low over the water and dropped the shield, letting the leeches fall into the swamp. (BIONICLE Legends 11: The Final Battle)

Recurring use through the Order's war#

Across the Toa Nuva's battles the Hau Nuva served mainly as a team-defence tool, stopping cave-ins, lava and elemental blasts, while its reliance on the wearer's awareness kept it weak against ambush. (BIONICLE 8: The End of the Toa?; BIONICLE: Mask of Light; BIONICLE Legends 11: The Final Battle)

The mask stayed part of 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.'s equipment through the Toa Nuva's mission to awaken Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna. in Karda Nui. (BIONICLE Legends 10: Swamp of Secrets; BIONICLE Legends 11: The Final Battle)

Legacy#

Among the Kanohi NuvaKanohi NuvaThe most powerful Masks of Power ever created, granting each Toa Nuva fundamentally enhanced abilities., the Hau Nuva was distinguished by its capacity to extend protection beyond the wearer. Where the standard Hau guarded a single Toa, the Nuva variant could anchor an entire formation provided the bearer remained alert. In practice that made 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. the one the team relied on to cover them all. (BIONICLE 8: The End of the Toa?; BIONICLE: Mask of Light)

The mask's recovery sequence in Ko-WahiKo-WahiKo-Wahi is a region situated directly above Ko-Metru, inhabited by Matoran, Turaga, Toa, and Rahi. It was formerly under the control of Teridax., 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.'s brief belief that the shield had cost 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.'s life, is one of the main tales of the early Toa NuvaToa NuvaThe form the Toa Mata took after stepping into the Energized Protodermis beneath the Bahrag, with new masks, new tools, and the elemental scale to fight Karda Nui. period. The Hau Nuva was no miracle of protection, but within its limits it was a dependable defensive KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe.. (BIONICLE Chronicles 4: Tales of the Masks)