Katana

Two different kinds of blade bore the name "katana" in the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control.. The Lehvak VaLehvak VaLehvak Va were the expendable workers of the Lehvak swarm, mindless acid drones built only to serve., robotic scouts serving the LehvakLehvakAcid-wielding Bohrok that dissolve obstacles as easily as enemies. swarm, carried small katana to cut through dense jungle growth as they scouted. LewaLewaToa of Air, member of the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva, whose career was marked by repeated possession, body theft, and aerial campaigns from Le-Wahi to Karda Nui. Nuva carried Air KatanaAir KatanaTwin air-element blades Lewa wielded as a Toa Nuva, until Reidak broke one on Voya Nui. as his tools as a Toa Nuva of Air. The two are easy to confuse because both belong to Le-Wahi's green world, but they did very different jobs. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

Origin and function of the Lehvak Va katana#

The katana carried by the Lehvak VaLehvak VaLehvak Va were the expendable workers of the Lehvak swarm, mindless acid drones built only to serve. were tools for cutting through dense jungle growth. The Lehvak Va were the Bohrok VaBohrok VaScouts and support units for the Bohrok swarms, the Bohrok Va operated independently where the hive-mind Bohrok could not. assigned to the LehvakLehvakAcid-wielding Bohrok that dissolve obstacles as easily as enemies., and they used the blades as they scouted ahead through the mud, water and trees of Le-WahiLe-WahiLe-Wahi is a region on the island of Mata Nui, inhabited by the Le-Matoran and Rahi. Formerly subject to the power of Teridax, the region is no longer under that influence.. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

The Bohrok Va weren't Matoran. They were entirely mechanical scouts and messengers for the BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected., with no krana of their own, but they still obeyed the Bahrag. Their main job was to bring spare krana to Bohrok that had lost theirs, so the swarms could keep clearing the island. Each breed matched its Bohrok, though none could control an element. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

The Lehvak Va were noisy, too. Their wailing, whooping cries drowned out other sounds, and they never strayed far from a Lehvak squad. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

Role during the BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected. War#

When the swarms woke, the Lehvak Va helped the Lehvak work through Le-Wahi and toward Le-KoroLe-KoroLe-Koro is a village situated within Le-Wahi, inhabited by the Le-Matoran and home to Turaga Matau and Toa Lewa. The settlement was once held under the control of Teridax., handing spare krana to Lehvak that had lost theirs to the Toa. The Lehvak tore down the village and enslaved the Le-Matoran with krana, leaving KonguKonguKongu captained Le-Koro's Gukko Force before lightning from the red star turned him into a Toa of Air, who later served among the Toa Mahri. and Tamaru as the only free Le-Matoran until they freed the rest. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated; BIONICLE Chronicles 2: Beware the Bohrok)

The katana themselves were never frontline weapons, and no story credits them with a fight. They were scouting gear for getting through the jungle, while the Va's real contribution to the swarm was keeping Bohrok supplied with krana. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

The Bohrok weren't conquerors. Their task was to clear the island of Mata Nui back to a barren state, and that took speed and coordination. The Va's scouting, katana and all, helped with both. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

Design and construction#

The Lehvak Va's katana were small blades built for one job: cutting through dense vegetation. In the 2002 Lehvak Va set they're a pair of short blades in the same green as the Va itself, matching the Lehvak swarm of Le-Wahi. (Lehvak Va)

That matched the wider Bohrok Va pattern, in which each breed looked like its Bohrok and carried tools in the same colours. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated; Lehvak Va)

Next to LewaLewaToa of Air, member of the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva, whose career was marked by repeated possession, body theft, and aerial campaigns from Le-Wahi to Karda Nui.'s Air KatanaAir KatanaTwin air-element blades Lewa wielded as a Toa Nuva, until Reidak broke one on Voya Nui., the difference is clear. Lewa's blades were Toa tools that helped him channel his power over air and could be used to glide. The Lehvak Va's katana had no such function. The Toa's tools were part of his power, and the Va's were cutters. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated; BIONICLE: Mask of Light)

Lewa's Air Katana, separately#

LewaLewaToa of Air, member of the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva, whose career was marked by repeated possession, body theft, and aerial campaigns from Le-Wahi to Karda Nui. Nuva's Air KatanaAir KatanaTwin air-element blades Lewa wielded as a Toa Nuva, until Reidak broke one on Voya Nui. came with his transformation into a 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., when the Toa Mata emerged from the energized protodermis with new armour, masks and tools. They sat alongside 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 Magma SwordsMagma SwordsTahu Nuva's dual tools could channel fire and combine into a surfboard, but they're remembered more for one cliff scene than their actual design. and 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.'s Aqua AxesAqua AxesGali's dual-purpose water tools combined melee weapons and high-speed aquatic propulsion. as Toa Nuva tools. (BIONICLE Chronicles 2: Beware the Bohrok; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

The confusion between the two katana comes from the shared name and the shared home in Le-Wahi. They were never the same item. Lewa's blades worked with his element and let him glide. The Va katana cut vines. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated; BIONICLE: Mask of Light)

Obsolescence#

After the Toa defeated the Bahrag, the Matoran put the Bohrok Va to work cleaning up the damage, believing they were harmless. They weren't: the Va used the chance to scout the villages and later helped 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. break in. Once the Bohrok-Kal were defeated, the Va went back to their nests with the Bohrok. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

That wasn't the end of them. When the Toa Nuva later returned to the empty island of Mata Nui and woke the swarms, the Lehvak Va went back to work, helping the Bohrok level the island before returning to their slumber. No story mentions Matoran picking up a Va katana for their own use. (Toa Nuva Blog; BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

Significance#

The katana of the Lehvak VaLehvak VaLehvak Va were the expendable workers of the Lehvak swarm, mindless acid drones built only to serve. were never flashy weapons or part of anyone's destiny. They were plain tools for cutting through the undergrowth of Le-WahiLe-WahiLe-Wahi is a region on the island of Mata Nui, inhabited by the Le-Matoran and Rahi. Formerly subject to the power of Teridax, the region is no longer under that influence. while the Va scouted for the swarm, and that ordinariness is the point. In a story full of cosmic stakes, they stand for the routine work the Bohrok's machinery depended on. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated)

The Va katana never glowed or channelled any power, and they belonged to robots that couldn't use an element at all. Their green colouring tied them to Le-Wahi, the jungle they were made to cut through. (BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated; Lehvak Va)