Kanohi Shelek

The Kanohi Shelek was the Mask of SilenceSilence: the Soundless Dark HunterSilence was a Dark Hunter and a gift to the organization from Roodaka, whose Rhotuka was held responsible for his appearance. He generated a field that deadened all sound around him, making him an abductor who could take targets from the most heavily guarded places without a scream being heard., one of the many KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. masks of power. It granted its wearer the ability to strike a target deaf and mute at once, a power most closely associated with the Brotherhood of MakutaThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. and worn by the 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. ChiroxChiroxA Makuta of the Brotherhood who questioned Teridax's plans before being sent to Karda Nui. and MutranMutranMutran is a Makuta of the Brotherhood of Makuta who serves as the Makuta of Voya Nui and is among the most prolific Rahi creators within the organization. Hailing from the Southern Islands, he wears the Great Shelek and commands the powers of Shadow and Silence alongside the full range of Kraata abilities, wielding a Shadow Blade, Shadow Spear, and Tridax Pod in combat.. In the Matoran Language, the word "Shelek" means "silence."

Power#

The Shelek allowed its user to temporarily render a chosen target simultaneously deaf and mute. The effect lasted only for as long as the wearer maintained their concentration on the victim, making it a tool of suppression and ambush rather than a permanent change. By depriving a foe of both hearing and speech, the mask could prevent an opponent from calling for help or raising an alarm, and could isolate a single target in the middle of a fight.

A clear example of this came during the final battle against the Brotherhood of MakutaThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit., when ChiroxChiroxA Makuta of the Brotherhood who questioned Teridax's plans before being sent to Karda Nui. used his Shelek to make TakanuvaTakanuvaHidden among the Ta-Matoran as Takua, the disguised Av-Matoran who became Takanuva was the sole Toa of Light produced in the Matoran Universe's full history. both deaf and mute, so that he and another 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. could attack the Toa of Light without fear of discovery.

Wearers#

The most prominent users of the Shelek were the MakutaMakutaA glossary entry distinguishing the three referents of the word Makuta: the species, the individual Teridax, and the title held by every Brotherhood member. ChiroxChiroxA Makuta of the Brotherhood who questioned Teridax's plans before being sent to Karda Nui. and MutranMutranMutran is a Makuta of the Brotherhood of Makuta who serves as the Makuta of Voya Nui and is among the most prolific Rahi creators within the organization. Hailing from the Southern Islands, he wears the Great Shelek and commands the powers of Shadow and Silence alongside the full range of Kraata abilities, wielding a Shadow Blade, Shadow Spear, and Tridax Pod in combat., each of whom wore the mask in its Great form. The Shelek they carried were created out of protosteel. Because both MakutaMakutaA glossary entry distinguishing the three referents of the word Makuta: the species, the individual Teridax, and the title held by every Brotherhood member. were shapeshifters, their masks shared an unusual property: whenever Chirox or Mutran changed shape, their Shelek would change along with them as a side-effect of being worn by such beings.

The mask was also seen in powerless form, worn by VicanVicanVican is a mutated Le-Matoran who previously served as a Shadow Matoran and as an assistant to Mutran. He wears a powerless Shelek, wields claws, and bore the black and lime coloring of his time as a Shadow Matoran. Connected to the element of Air, Vican resides on Spherus Magna. and, at one time, by KiropKirop, Av-Matoran Leader of Karda NuiKirop was the leader of the Av-Matoran in Karda Nui, captured and transformed into a Shadow Matoran by the Brotherhood of Makuta, restored by the cry of a klakk, and a survivor of the Destiny War and the Reformation..

Reputation#

Most Toa would not normally choose to wear a Shelek, owing to its strong association with the MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate. and the Brotherhood. Even so, those who considered it did not regard the mask's power as inherently immoral, recognizing that the ability to silence an opponent was a matter of how it was used rather than a wicked power in itself.