Who are the Toa Mata?
Six warriors built to order by Artakha, stored in canisters, dropped into the ocean. This is the origin story of Bionicle's heroes and why their first week of work was entirely amnesiac.

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. Mata did not earn their title the normal way. Most Toa are MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. first. They live a mortal life in a village, get chosen by a Toa StoneToa StoneA stone imbued with Toa Power that transforms a destined Matoran into a Toa. or a Great Being, transform, and take the job. 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. Mata skipped all of that. They were custom-built by ArtakhaArtakhaArtakha is the master craftsman of the Matoran Universe, ruler of a hidden island where the Toa Mata came into being and the Avohkii was forged. on the island of DaxiaDaxiaDaxia is a location situated east of the Southern Continent, affiliated with the Order of Mata Nui and home to the Shallows Cat. roughly 100,000 years before they were finally deployed, and their only purpose was to wake a sleeping god.
They were also named for their elements, which set them apart from every other Toa team. Most Toa kept the names they had carried as MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body.. TahuTahu, Toa of FireTahu served as Toa Mata, Toa Nuva, and Toa Mistika of Fire, leading his team from the first landing on Mata Nui to the destruction of the Rahkshi army on Bara Magna., 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., 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., 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., 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., 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. carried their names from the moment of their assembly.
The six#

The lineup never changed.
TahuTahu, Toa of FireTahu served as Toa Mata, Toa Nuva, and Toa Mistika of Fire, leading his team from the first landing on Mata Nui to the destruction of the Rahkshi army on Bara Magna. was the Toa of FireToa of FireThe Elemental protectors of the Matoran, most often rising from Ta-Matoran to command the power of fire. and the team leader. He was also the least mature of the Toa when they woke, and his campaign on Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years. was partly the story of him learning not to charge at every problem. 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. (Ice) was second in command and the group's sniper-minded tactician. 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. (Water) was the team's conscience, the one who stopped in-fights. 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. (Stone) was the endurance runner and, eventually, the pilot. 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. (Air) was the most reckless, and was KranaKranaThe small organic creatures that controlled the Bohrok, made in eight types plus a mutated variant, without which no Bohrok could serve the swarm.-controlled for almost the entirety of the BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected. crisis. 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. (Earth) was the strongest and the team's mechanic.
When 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. (Toa of Light) joins after the Mask of Light is awakened, the team has seven. When Toa Ignika briefly travels with the 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. in 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., there are eight, but Ignika is less a Toa than a KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. trying out a body. Neither 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. nor Ignika counts in the original six. The core Toa Mata are always the six ArtakhaArtakhaArtakha is the master craftsman of the Matoran Universe, ruler of a hidden island where the Toa Mata came into being and the Avohkii was forged. built.
Training and the long wait#
After ArtakhaArtakhaArtakha is the master craftsman of the Matoran Universe, ruler of a hidden island where the Toa Mata came into being and the Avohkii was forged. finished assembling them on DaxiaDaxiaDaxia is a location situated east of the Southern Continent, affiliated with the Order of Mata Nui and home to the Shallows Cat., the Toa Mata were trained by HydraxonHydraxonThe jailer of the Pit was killed once, then resurrected as the Matoran Dekar by the Mask of Life., a jailer who would later run the Pit. Their first deployment was in 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., where they faced an early threat. Little of that period was recorded in detail. They existed, they trained, and then they were sealed into six Toa Canisters and stored as reserves.
The canisters were not stasis pods in the normal sense. They were launch tubes, meant to drop to a specific island the moment 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. was attacked and MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. needed Toa immediately. The canisters had a memory-erase function built in, on the assumption the Toa would wake up and take orders from whoever pulled them out. That design choice is the reason the Toa Mata remember nothing when they reach Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years. island.
The faulty drop#

Approximately 1,000 years before the team's arrival on the island, TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna. struck 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. with the sleep virus and the Great Spirit collapsed. 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. canisters deployed as designed. Everything after that went wrong.
The canisters were supposed to reach the island where they were needed. They did not. They drifted in the ocean above the Great Spirit Robot for almost exactly a thousand years. During that time, the Toa inside the canisters lost almost all their organic tissue (their bodies are biomechanical, and the organic layer rotted). When the canisters finally beached on the island of 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., the Toa woke up as pieces of themselves. Their mechanical parts re-assembled automatically, and new organic tissue grew on top. They had no memory of DaxiaDaxiaDaxia is a location situated east of the Southern Continent, affiliated with the Order of Mata Nui and home to the Shallows Cat., of HydraxonHydraxonThe jailer of the Pit was killed once, then resurrected as the Matoran Dekar by the Mask of Life., of 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., or of each other.
The MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. on the island had been fighting TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna.'s infected RahiRahiThe Rahi were the biomechanical wildlife of the Matoran Universe, built largely by the Brotherhood of Makuta, ranging from background fauna to engineered war beasts. for a thousand years by this point. 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., an Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. disguised as a Ta-MatoranTa-MatoranThe Fire-element Matoran of Ta-Metru and Ta-Koro, forgers of masks and Kanoka, lava farmers, and the standing core of the Ta-Koro Guard during the war for Mata Nui., had collected six Toa StonesToa StonesSmall stones charged with a portion of a Toa's power, used to awaken the dormant Toa Power within a destined Matoran and elevate them into a Toa. scattered by TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. 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. and the other village elders. Placing the stones at the Kini-NuiKini-NuiThe most sacred temple on Mata Nui, ironically built directly above Teridax's fortress. temple summoned the canisters in the final hour.
Gathering the KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe.#
The TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. sent the Toa to gather six Great KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. and six Noble KanohiNoble KanohiMasks worn by Turaga and some Matoran, Noble Kanohi traded raw power for broader accessibility across Mata Nui's inhabitants. each, hidden by 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. across the island. 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. fought their way through TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna.'s infected RahiRahiThe Rahi were the biomechanical wildlife of the Matoran Universe, built largely by the Brotherhood of Makuta, ranging from background fauna to engineered war beasts. (Muaka, Nui-JagaNui-JagaGiant scorpions with lethal stingers that were hunted for profit despite a grim death toll., TarakavaTarakavaHuge lizard-like Rahi with powerful forelegs, hunted in pairs across Mata Nui and Metru Nui.) to collect them. At the Suva KaitaSuva KaitaThe golden temple where the Toa Mata combined their Kanohi masks to access their true potential., placing the masks on statues of themselves granted each Toa a Golden KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe., which contains the power of all six of that Toa's masks in a single piece. Those twelve masks per Toa are a small slice of every Kanohi maskEvery Kanohi Mask and Its Power: the full BIONICLE masks listKanohi are the masks of power at the heart of BIONICLE. This list covers every major mask from the Toa Mata's Great masks and the Turaga's Noble masks to the Legendary Vahi and Ignika, with each mask's power and the characters who wore it. the saga introduced.
This is the moment the team starts functioning as a team. They assembled in pieces. They collected their masks in pieces. The Suva KaitaSuva KaitaThe golden temple where the Toa Mata combined their Kanohi masks to access their true potential. consolidated them. They then gathered the six Makoki stones, opened the Kini-NuiKini-NuiThe most sacred temple on Mata Nui, ironically built directly above Teridax's fortress. to TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna.'s lair, and went down.
Kaita and Shadow#
Inside TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna.'s domain, the Toa split into two KaitaKaita: the Fusion of ThreeA Kaita was a being formed from the fusion of three separate beings into one. The merged form had its own distinct mind, mask, and weapons. The Toa Mata produced the two best known Kaita, Akamai and Wairuha, and other kinds existed among the Bohrok, Rahkshi, and Turaga. (three-Toa fusions): AkamaiAkamaiAkamai is a Toa Kaita and member of the Toa Nuva, formed from the combined essence of three Toa, who serves as a guardian of the Matoran. Born of Artakha, Akamai wields the Great Aki Nuva and commands enhanced powers of Fire, Stone, and Earth alongside Enhanced Valor, and carries Magma Swords, a Kodan Ball, and Feet Additions into battle, clad in red, brown, and black. (Tahu, 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., 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.) and WairuhaWairuhaWairuha is a Toa Kaita and member of the Toa Nuva, native to Artakha, who serves as a Guardian of the Matoran. Wearing the Great Rua Nuva, Wairuha wields enhanced powers of Air, Water, and Ice alongside Enhanced Wisdom, and carries the Air Katana and Aqua Axes. (Gali, 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., 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.). The two KaitaKaita: the Fusion of ThreeA Kaita was a being formed from the fusion of three separate beings into one. The merged form had its own distinct mind, mask, and weapons. The Toa Mata produced the two best known Kaita, Akamai and Wairuha, and other kinds existed among the Bohrok, Rahkshi, and Turaga. forms exist only to punch above the Toa's weight class, and they are used exactly once here to defeat the ManasManasManas are a species of Rahi that exist in two color variants, one black, grey, and yellow and the other white, grey, and orange, and are armed with claws., a pair of giant crab RahiRahiThe Rahi were the biomechanical wildlife of the Matoran Universe, built largely by the Brotherhood of Makuta, ranging from background fauna to engineered war beasts. guarding the entrance.
The Toa KaitaToa KaitaTemporary fusion forms where three Toa merged into a single, vastly more powerful being. Rare in the Matoran Universe but instantly memorable. split back into six. They encountered Shadow Toa, alternate dark versions of themselves with the same powers. The Shadow ToaThe Shadow ToaThe dark counterparts of the Toa Mata raised by Teridax inside Mangaia as a last line of defence between the Toa and his throne, defeated when the team realised they could only be beaten by an opponent other than oneself. could not be defeated by force. 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. absorbed them instead, re-integrating their own rejected sides. Then they fought TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna. himself and stalemated him, because a Toa Mata in the original form cannot actually kill a MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate.. 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. is the one who eventually drops TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna. into a pit of Energized ProtodermisEnergized ProtodermisA sentient substance that could remake or annihilate any being that touched it. One of the Matoran Universe's most lethal hazards. (BIONICLEBIONICLE: Matoran AdventuresA 2002 GBA platformer where you play as one of six Matoran fighting Bohrok across Mata Nui's islands.: Mask of Light), and even that does not keep him down.
BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected. to Nuva#
The BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected. crisis follows. Mechanical swarms (Tahnok, GahlokGahlokWater-element Bohrok swarms that flooded Mata Nui's aquatic zones with relentless purpose., PahrakPahrakStone-aligned Bohrok swarm units that forced the Toa Mata to realize they couldn't win through isolated victories., LehvakLehvakAcid-wielding Bohrok that dissolve obstacles as easily as enemies., KohrakKohrakIce-wielding Bohrok from the 2002 original wave, the foundational design for all subsequent Bohrok variants., NuhvokNuhvokThe earth-dwelling Bohrok whose rigid nature made them dangerously predictable.) emerge from the island itself and start erasing the terrain to turn Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years.'s body back into a blank slate. 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. spend weeks collecting KranaKranaThe small organic creatures that controlled the Bohrok, made in eight types plus a mutated variant, without which no Bohrok could serve the swarm. (the mind-control organisms inside the BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected.) to neutralize them and track down where the swarms come from.
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. enter the Bohrok NestBohrok NestThe subterranean chamber where the Bohrok slumbered beneath Mata Nui until Makuta's machinations awakened them. below the island and reach the BahragBahragCahdok and Gahdok were the twin queens of the Bohrok, sealed in a protodermis cage by the Toa Mata and later released to finish their cleansing of Mata Nui., the twin queens of the BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected.. They lose a straight fight in Exo-ToaExo-ToaToa-sized powered armor built for the Brotherhood of Makuta, worn briefly by the Toa Mata against the Bahrag and later used as enforcers under Teridax. armor because the armor inhibits their elemental powers. They strip the armor off, combine their elemental powers into a single beam, and freeze the BahragBahragCahdok and Gahdok were the twin queens of the Bohrok, sealed in a protodermis cage by the Toa Mata and later released to finish their cleansing of Mata Nui. in solid ProtodermisProtodermisThe engineered substance building the Matoran Universe, protodermis exists in countless refined states from mundane metal to diamond-hard crystal to the destruction-or-transformation force of energized form.. That act opens six columns of 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 Toa.
This is the transformation. 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. Mata step into the ProtodermisProtodermisThe engineered substance building the Matoran Universe, protodermis exists in countless refined states from mundane metal to diamond-hard crystal to the destruction-or-transformation force of energized form. because it is their destiny to, and come out as the 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. (the 2002 BohrokBohrokHive-minded mechanical creatures designed to reshape worlds, the Bohrok represent a threat the Toa Mata never expected. arc). They have greater elemental control, new masks (Kanohi Nuva), and upgraded weapons. The Nuva SymbolsNuva SymbolsStone carvings housing the Toa Nuva's elemental powers, designed to seal the Bahrag but vulnerable to a crippling flaw. appear in every KoroKoroThe Koros were the six elemental villages built on Mata Nui after the Great Rescue, on sites the Toa Metru had chosen, each tied to one element and one Turaga..
What comes next#
The rest of the Toa Mata and 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. story is what happens from there. 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. release the BahragBahragCahdok and Gahdok were the twin queens of the Bohrok, sealed in a protodermis cage by the Toa Mata and later released to finish their cleansing of Mata Nui. by stealing the Nuva SymbolsNuva SymbolsStone carvings housing the Toa Nuva's elemental powers, designed to seal the Bahrag but vulnerable to a crippling flaw.. 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. becomes 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. after 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. kill 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 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. accepts the AvohkiiAvohkiiThe Avohkii is the Mask of Light, a golden mask that granted its wearer the power of Light and the ability to spread understanding. It was worn by Toa Takanuva. (BIONICLEBIONICLE: Matoran AdventuresA 2002 GBA platformer where you play as one of six Matoran fighting Bohrok across Mata Nui's islands.: Mask of Light). 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. Nuva travel to Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive.. They go to Voya NuiVoya NuiAn island born from catastrophe and hiding the universe's most powerful artifact, Voya Nui was everything Bionicle 2006 promised: danger, mystery, and a race against time. to find the Mask of Life, lose to the PirakaBionicle Piraka: the Six Skakdi Thieves Who Hunted the Mask of LifeThe Piraka were six Skakdi who quit the Dark Hunters, took over Voya Nui by posing as Toa and went after the Mask of Life in 2006. Here's who they were, how the Voya Nui story played out and what happened to them afterwards., follow a scroll of tasks ArtakhaArtakhaArtakha is the master craftsman of the Matoran Universe, ruler of a hidden island where the Toa Mata came into being and the Avohkii was forged. left them, and end up in 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. for the final push to wake Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years.. Most of that story lives in other articles on this site.
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. Mata's specific identity, though, is always that they are the six originals. Built to spec, stored for 100,000 years, delivered 1,000 years late, and the only Toa team who fought alongside a god during the god's own death and his resurrection. They walk off the reformed Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint. alive at the end of Journey's End. Of all the factions in the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control., the six Toa Mata are the ones who made it the entire way without a replacement, through two titles (Mata and Nuva) and one honorary Toa of LightToa of LightThe sole Toa wielding the Element of Light through the Avohkii mask, singular and feared by Makuta itself., still matching the ArtakhaArtakhaArtakha is the master craftsman of the Matoran Universe, ruler of a hidden island where the Toa Mata came into being and the Avohkii was forged. roster.
Frequently asked questions
- Who built the Toa Mata?
- The Toa Mata were custom-built by Artakha on the island of Daxia roughly 100,000 years before they were finally deployed. Unlike most Toa, who are Matoran first and transform later, the Toa Mata were never Matoran and were named for their elements from the moment of their assembly.
- Why did the Toa Mata have no memory when they arrived on Mata Nui?
- The Toa Canisters had a memory-erase function built in, on the assumption that the Toa would wake and take orders from whoever pulled them out. The canisters were also supposed to reach their target island quickly, but they drifted in the ocean for almost exactly a thousand years, during which the Toa lost most of their organic tissue, so they woke with no memory of Daxia, Hydraxon, Karda Nui, or each other.
- Who are the six Toa Mata?
- The lineup never changed and consisted of Tahu, the Toa of Fire and team leader; Kopaka of Ice, the second in command and tactician; Gali of Water, the team's conscience; Pohatu of Stone, the endurance runner; Lewa of Air, the most reckless; and Onua of Earth, the strongest and the team's mechanic. Takanuva and Toa Ignika are sometimes counted as honorary members, but neither belongs to the original six Artakha built.
- How did the Toa Mata become the Toa Nuva?
- During the Bohrok crisis, the Toa reached the Bahrag in the Bohrok Nest, stripped off their Exo-Toa armor, combined their elemental powers into a single beam, and froze the twin queens in solid protodermis. That act opened six columns of energized protodermis beneath them, and the Toa stepped in to emerge as the Toa Nuva with greater elemental control, new Kanohi Nuva masks, and upgraded weapons.
- Did the Toa Mata kill Teridax?
- No. When they fought Teridax in his domain beneath Mata Nui, they stalemated him because a Toa Mata in their original form cannot actually kill a Makuta. Takanuva was the one who later dropped Teridax into a pit of energized protodermis, and even that did not keep him down.
Gallery




Images via BIONICLE Wiki (Biosector01)
Sources
- WikiToa Mata / Toa Nuva, Bionicle Fandom Wiki
- BookMakuta's Guide to the Universe, Greg Farshtey, 2009 (cited via Bionicle Wiki)
- SerialDestiny War, Greg Farshtey (cited via Bionicle Wiki)
- VideoBIONICLE: Mask of Light, Direct-to-DVD film, 2003
- VideoBIONICLE: Legends of Metru Nui, Direct-to-DVD film, 2004
- BookBIONICLE Legends 11: The Final Battle, Greg Farshtey, 2008 (cited via Bionicle Wiki)
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Followed from this entry

Toa Nuva
The 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.

Toa Stones
Small stones charged with a portion of a Toa's power, used to awaken the dormant Toa Power within a destined Matoran and elevate them into a Toa.

The Toa: Heroes of the Matoran Universe
The Toa were biomechanical guardians sworn to protect the Matoran, bound by a strict code and defined by sacrifice across every age of the universe.

Tahu, Toa of Fire
Tahu served as Toa Mata, Toa Nuva, and Toa Mistika of Fire, leading his team from the first landing on Mata Nui to the destruction of the Rahkshi army on Bara Magna.

Toa Stone
A stone imbued with Toa Power that transforms a destined Matoran into a Toa.

Toa Kaita
Temporary fusion forms where three Toa merged into a single, vastly more powerful being. Rare in the Matoran Universe but instantly memorable.
Mentioned in139 entries
"Kratana"
A small mask-attaching creature resembling a cross between a Krana and a Kraata, kept by the Order of Mata Nui, that shows visions of the past and future onto whoever wore one.
Ally: Po-Matoran of Metru Nui
Ally was a Po-Matoran native to Metru Nui who helped build Po-Koro on the island of Mata Nui, served in the Po-Koro Guard, and made a final stand against the Bohrok before the swarms were stopped.
Amaya
Amaya was a Ga-Matoran native to Metru Nui who taught Vhisola before the Great Cataclysm and later made flax in Ga-Koro on the island of Mata Nui.
Av-Matoran
The Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets.
Avohkah
The Avohkah were incredibly fast and powerful elemental beings, sentient lightning bolts produced as by-products of the Av-Matoran's labours in Karda Nui and defeated by the Toa Mata before the Great Spirit Mata Nui's awakening.
Azibo
Azibo was an Onu-Matoran prospector of Onu-Koro, the Chief Prospector's most trusted hand and a student of the Principle of Prosperity.
Bahrag
Cahdok and Gahdok were the twin queens of the Bohrok, sealed in a protodermis cage by the Toa Mata and later released to finish their cleansing of Mata Nui.
Bionicle Piraka: the Six Skakdi Thieves Who Hunted the Mask of Life
The Piraka were six Skakdi who quit the Dark Hunters, took over Voya Nui by posing as Toa and went after the Mask of Life in 2006. Here's who they were, how the Voya Nui story played out and what happened to them afterwards.
BIONICLE Reference Books
Seven Scholastic and AMEET reference titles published between 2003 and 2009 back up the printed story of the Matoran Universe. This page catalogs what each book contains and where the editions diverge.
Bour
Bour was a Po-Matoran bricklayer who laid the foundations of the carvings of Po-Koro on Mata Nui before returning to Metru Nui with his people.
Bula Berry
The green berry of Mata Nui famous for restoring energy on contact, carried by Matoran travellers on long trips and used as a healing item in the chronicled record of the island.
Cavern of Light
The Cavern of Light was the lightstone mine that supplied Onu-Koro on Mata Nui, opened only with a special key and guarded by the Onu-Matoran Kaj.
+ 127 more
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