Toa Mahri: The Toa Who Saved the Universe

The ToaThe Toa: Heroes of the Matoran UniverseThe Toa were biomechanical guardians sworn to protect the Matoran, bound by a strict code and defined by sacrifice across every age of the universe. Mahri were the water breathing form of the sixth ToaToa InikaSix former Matoran who entered Karzahni broken and emerged as the next Toa team, transformed on the shore of Voya Nui by a lightning strike from the red star. team, the six warriors who had begun as the Toa InikaToa InikaSix former Matoran who entered Karzahni broken and emerged as the next Toa team, transformed on the shore of Voya Nui by a lightning strike from the red star. and were changed a second time on the way down to the drowned city of Mahri Nui. The team consisted of 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. of Fire, HahliHahliA Ga-Matoran scholar who rose to become Chronicler of Mata Nui, then Toa Inika, then Toa Mahri of Water during the final crises of the Matoran Universe. of Water, Nuparu of Earth, 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. of Air, 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. of Ice, and 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. of Stone. They were the team that recovered the Mask of LifeThe Mask of Life (Kanohi Ignika), explainedA failsafe forged by the Great Beings to recharge a god. It curses everyone who touches it, and by the end of Bionicle it had learned how to be a hero. from the BarrakiThe BarrakiSix warlords who built an empire spanning most of the Matoran Universe, fell in a single Brotherhood ambush, and spent millennia mutated in the Pit. and used it to revive the dying Great Spirit 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., an act that cost one of them his life.

The transformation on the Cord#

The team that became the Toa Mahri had already lived as two earlier forms: six MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. of MetruMetruIn the Matoran language a metru was a single district of Metru Nui; the city was divided into six such districts, one for each element, and the term covered both the place and the elemental community that lived in it. Nui, then the Toa InikaToa InikaSix former Matoran who entered Karzahni broken and emerged as the next Toa team, transformed on the shore of Voya Nui by a lightning strike from the red star., warriors charged with lightning from the red starRed StarThe Red Star was an orbiting facility that revived the dead and enabled the Great Spirit Robot's cosmic travels.. The Inika had recovered the Mask of LifeThe Mask of Life (Kanohi Ignika), explainedA failsafe forged by the Great Beings to recharge a god. It curses everyone who touches it, and by the end of Bionicle it had learned how to be a hero. from VezonVezonHe started as a weapon misfire and a throwaway joke, and the canon spent four years quietly turning him into its most useful expendable asset. and begun the descent of the CordThe CordThe stone Cord linking Voya Nui to the sunken peninsula of Mahri Nui, the tunnel the Toa Mahri descended, and the lifeline severed to revive Mata Nui., the great stone tether that connected the floating island of Voya Nui to the city of Mahri Nui far below.

During that descent a great burst of light slammed into the team, a call for help sent out by the Mask of Life itself. The energy transformed their armor and allowed them to breathe underwater, fitting them with what looked like air hoses but were in fact gills. The lightning charge that had defined the Inika was gone in the same moment, along with the glowing faces, the energized weapons, and the living masks. Their powers returned to ordinary Toa levels. The one lasting variation was that they could now breathe both water and air. Soon after the change they defeated a giant venom eel that had been damaging the CordThe CordThe stone Cord linking Voya Nui to the sunken peninsula of Mahri Nui, the tunnel the Toa Mahri descended, and the lifeline severed to revive Mata Nui., the first action they took in the new form.

Mahri Nui and the name they were given#

Below the CordThe CordThe stone Cord linking Voya Nui to the sunken peninsula of Mahri Nui, the tunnel the Toa Mahri descended, and the lifeline severed to revive Mata Nui. lay Mahri Nui, an undersea city of MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. survivors who kept themselves alive in fields of trapped air bubbles. The city was under siege. Before its people would trust the newcomers, the team had to free the supply of air bubbles from attacking Keras crabsKeras CrabA large coral crab Rahi native to the ocean of Ga-Metru and the reefs of Ga-Wahi, briefly tamed by the Ga-Koro Defense Force during the Bohrok War and later mutated into the standing infantry of the Barraki Carapar in the airweed fields of Mahri Nui. commanded by one of the warlords besieging the city.

While 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. stayed behind in Mahri Nui, the other five fell into the hands of the BarrakiThe BarrakiSix warlords who built an empire spanning most of the Matoran Universe, fell in a single Brotherhood ambush, and spent millennia mutated in the Pit., the warlords who held the depths and laid claim to the Mask of LifeThe Mask of Life (Kanohi Ignika), explainedA failsafe forged by the Great Beings to recharge a god. It curses everyone who touches it, and by the end of Bionicle it had learned how to be a hero.. The BarrakiThe BarrakiSix warlords who built an empire spanning most of the Matoran Universe, fell in a single Brotherhood ambush, and spent millennia mutated in the Pit. assumed the Toa were exiles banished for terrible crimes, and HahliHahliA Ga-Matoran scholar who rose to become Chronicler of Mata Nui, then Toa Inika, then Toa Mahri of Water during the final crises of the Matoran Universe. played along to win the warlords' confidence. The deception backfired when the Matoran of Mahri Nui saw it and concluded the Toa were as villainous as the Barraki, which forced 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. to flee the city.

The five eventually escaped their captors and made their way back, picking up Cordak Blasters along the way. The Matoran were not pleased to see them, but the Toa won them over, and the two groups agreed to work together against the Barraki. When the team reunited and proved their willingness to fight for the city, the Matoran honored the six strangers with the title Toa Mahri.

The war among the Barraki#

Acting on advice from Maxilos, the team split up to turn the BarrakiThe BarrakiSix warlords who built an empire spanning most of the Matoran Universe, fell in a single Brotherhood ambush, and spent millennia mutated in the Pit. against one another. 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. and 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. met KalmahKalmahA red-and-black Barraki warlord of the League of Six Kingdoms, imprisoned in the Pit and mutated into permanent aquatic form. and Carapar and offered a deal, only to be told that the warlords' leader PridakPridakPridak was the most feared of the six Barraki, commander of a shark army and the dominant voice of the League of Six Kingdoms before its imprisonment in the Pit. would have to die before any bargain could be struck. HahliHahliA Ga-Matoran scholar who rose to become Chronicler of Mata Nui, then Toa Inika, then Toa Mahri of Water during the final crises of the Matoran Universe., on her own, found MantaxMantaxMutated Barraki warlord of the Pit who uncovered Takadox's Brotherhood collaboration through a hidden Tablet of Transit. and fed his doubts about his allies. 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. and Nuparu went further still, provoking open war between PridakPridakPridak was the most feared of the six Barraki, commander of a shark army and the dominant voice of the League of Six Kingdoms before its imprisonment in the Pit.'s shark army and the eels of another of the warlords, turning the whole ocean into a battlefield.

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.'s path ran apart from the rest. He was caught and jailed by Hydraxon, the jailer of the depths, and placed under the guard of a robot called Maxilos and its energy hound Spinax. The robot was then possessed by TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna., the MakutaTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna. long believed dead, who freed 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. and insisted on helping the team's quest while warning him to keep the robot's true identity secret. It was through Maxilos that 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. learned the hardest truth of the campaign: to save the Great Spirit, the CordThe CordThe stone Cord linking Voya Nui to the sunken peninsula of Mahri Nui, the tunnel the Toa Mahri descended, and the lifeline severed to revive Mata Nui. connecting Voya Nui to Mahri Nui had to be destroyed, which would send Voya Nui crashing down and crush the undersea city in the process.

Matoro's sacrifice and the revival of Mata Nui#

When the moment came, all six Toa Mahri fired on the CordThe CordThe stone Cord linking Voya Nui to the sunken peninsula of Mahri Nui, the tunnel the Toa Mahri descended, and the lifeline severed to revive Mata Nui. together, sending Voya Nui plunging into the depths. It collided with Mahri Nui on the way down and destroyed the city. With the CordThe CordThe stone Cord linking Voya Nui to the sunken peninsula of Mahri Nui, the tunnel the Toa Mahri descended, and the lifeline severed to revive Mata Nui. gone, 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. carried the Mask of LifeThe Mask of Life (Kanohi Ignika), explainedA failsafe forged by the Great Beings to recharge a god. It curses everyone who touches it, and by the end of Bionicle it had learned how to be a hero. toward the chamber that fed the Great Spirit while the others held off the BarrakiThe BarrakiSix warlords who built an empire spanning most of the Matoran Universe, fell in a single Brotherhood ambush, and spent millennia mutated in the Pit.. 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. gathered the energy for a Nova Blast in a desperate attempt to protect him.

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. reached the world that fed the world and put the Mask of LifeThe Mask of Life (Kanohi Ignika), explainedA failsafe forged by the Great Beings to recharge a god. It curses everyone who touches it, and by the end of Bionicle it had learned how to be a hero. on, knowing what it would do. His body was turned into raw energy that brought the dying 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. back to life, and the act killed him. As his final wish, 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. sent the rest of the team, 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., 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., HahliHahliA Ga-Matoran scholar who rose to become Chronicler of Mata Nui, then Toa Inika, then Toa Mahri of Water during the final crises of the Matoran Universe., 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., and Nuparu, home to MetruMetruIn the Matoran language a metru was a single district of Metru Nui; the city was divided into six such districts, one for each element, and the term covered both the place and the elemental community that lived in it. Nui before the BarrakiThe BarrakiSix warlords who built an empire spanning most of the Matoran Universe, fell in a single Brotherhood ambush, and spent millennia mutated in the Pit. could reach them. 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. let go of the energy he had summoned for the Nova Blast. TuragaVakamaA Ta-Metru maskmaker transformed into the Toa Metru of Fire, leader of his team through the Visorak war, and Turaga of Ta-Koro for a thousand years. VakamaVakamaA Ta-Metru maskmaker transformed into the Toa Metru of Fire, leader of his team through the Visorak war, and Turaga of Ta-Koro for a thousand years. greeted the five survivors and told them that 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. had died saving the universe, remembered ever after as the Toa who saved Mata NuiMata Nui: Great Spirit of the Matoran UniverseBuilt by the Great Beings as a biomechanical guardian, betrayed by Teridax, and returned in a smaller form to reshape Spherus Magna..

The team after the saga#

The five who survived kept the water breathing form and the name Toa Mahri. 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. remained the team's leader and 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. served as deputy, the role that had belonged to 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.. Their living Inika masks were gone for good, replaced by ordinary inanimate Kanohi, and they followed the same restraint with their explosive Cordak Blasters that they had kept with their earlier weapons, refusing to kill.

In alternate versions of events the team fared very differently. In one timeline where the Great Spirit was never sent into his coma, the Toa InikaToa InikaSix former Matoran who entered Karzahni broken and emerged as the next Toa team, transformed on the shore of Voya Nui by a lightning strike from the red star. never came to exist at all and the same six served the rule of a Toa Empire. In another, where the Toa MahriToa InikaSix former Matoran who entered Karzahni broken and emerged as the next Toa team, transformed on the shore of Voya Nui by a lightning strike from the red star. failed to save 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., they survived but were blamed for the loss, helping evacuate the doomed universe while living under the weight of that failure.