Nui-Jaga

Nui-Jaga are giant scorpions with lethal stingers, and they're not very smart. The stupidity is what made them huntable. Po-MatoranPo-MatoranThe Stone-element Matoran of Po-Metru and Po-Koro, carvers and quarry workers, the most athletic of the Matoran types and the population behind the Kohlii and Akilini circuits. pursued them relentlessly for their stingers, which held value in Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. and beyond. The casualties piled up. Those stingers had to be worth something, because the death toll never stopped the hunts.

A Scorpion's Simple Advantage#

The stinger is everything. In the Chronicles, a young KopakaKopakaKopaka was the Toa Nuva of Ice, deputy commander of the Toa Mata, and one of the six warriors crafted on Artakha to defend the Matoran Universe. learned that lesson hard, tangling with one and discovering that speed won't save you from a strike that can end you in one blow. The venom or sheer force of impact (sources aren't entirely clear which) delivers damage a MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. cannot survive. One decent hit and you're done.

What's odd is their range. Most dwelled in Po-WahiPo-WahiPo-Wahi is a region of the island of Mata Nui, inhabited by Po-Matoran and Rahi. The territory formerly fell under the control of Teridax.'s deserts, where you'd expect a giant scorpion to thrive in the heat and grit. Yet they've been found in volcanic regions and underground caverns far from sunlight and sand. Maze of Shadows describes one deep underground that had developed gills, suggesting these creatures adapt to new environments faster than their low intelligence would normally allow. That's either evolution or sheer stubborn survival.

Why Hunters Came Back#

For all their danger, a Nui-Jaga is not a subtle creature. Po-MatoranPo-MatoranThe Stone-element Matoran of Po-Metru and Po-Koro, carvers and quarry workers, the most athletic of the Matoran types and the population behind the Kohlii and Akilini circuits. learned early that direct combat was a losing bet, and learned faster how to turn a Nui-Jaga's own stupidity against itself. 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. proved this by luring one into a fight with a MuakaMuakaTiger-like predators of Ko-Wahi with claws, teeth, and a taste for anything that moves., then slipping away while the two tore into each other. A simple reflection on a rock or wall will drive one into a frenzied attack on its own image, trapping its stinger and exhausting it in the process.

Six MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. (Jaller, OnepuOnepuOnepu is an Onu-Matoran and the High Commander of the Ussalry, bearing a Pakari and wearing the purple and black colors of his kind. Connected to the element of Earth, he resides on Spherus Magna., HewkiiHewkiiHewkii rose from Po-Metru carver to Mata Nui's foremost kolhii player, then served as Toa Inika and Toa Mahri through the late wars of the universe., MackuMackuMacku was a Ga-Matoran of Metru Nui and later Ga-Koro, attendant to Turaga Nokama, Kolhii partner to Hahli at the championship at Ta-Koro, and a member of the Chronicler's Company., KonguKonguKongu commanded Le-Koro's Gukko Force before a strike from the Kanohi Ignika transformed him into a Toa of Air who later served among the Toa Mahri., and MatoroMatoroA quiet Ko-Matoran translator who became a Toa Inika and then a Toa Mahri, Matoro gave his life with the Mask of Life to restore Mata Nui.) once bonded into a single Matoran NuiMatoran NuiSix Matoran combining into one, a rare, exhausting fusion that's stronger than any Toa, and we've only seen it twice in canon. specifically to survive an encounter. That takes coordination. That takes will. Stingers had to bring serious coin, because no MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. faces something like that for casual trade goods. The hunts kept happening despite the mounting dead.

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Compiled from primary sources by Lore Fortress editorial. Reviewed by Joe Garratt, Editor-in-Chief.