Toa of Gravity

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. of GravityGravity: The Elemental Power of Gravitational ForceGravity was the elemental power over gravitational force in the Matoran Universe, carried by Ba-Matoran, Toa of Gravity, and the Bohrok-Kal Nuhvok-Kal. are among the rarest and least documented of the Toa lineages, recorded largely as roster entries. Only three are confirmed, none of them named. One died fighting ZyglakZyglakZyglak are a species of dark red, dark blue, and white creatures who are amphibious and wield spears and knives in combat. Formerly confined to the Pit, the Zyglak now inhabit Spherus Magna. with the rest of the Toa CordakToa CordakThe first Toa team ever formed, wiped out by Zyglak except for their leader Lesovikk.. One died fighting LariskaLariskaDark Hunter defined by discipline and tactical competence, Lariska was one of the Shadowed One's most dependable operatives before joining Brutaka's desperate mission., who had trained with Levitation KanokaKanoka DisksMetru Nui's most versatile artifact: flying disks equally at home in sport, combat, and crafting. specifically to handle a Toa whose first instinct was to erase an opponent's gravity. The third joined VarianVarianVarian was a blue and gold Toa of Psionics and former Ce-Matoran who wore a Great Calix and wielded Elbow Blades and a Rhotuka Launching Shield. She was held at the Fortress of the Shadowed One.'s team and passed into unrecorded fate once the Shadowed OneThe Shadowed OneThe Shadowed One is the leader of the Dark Hunters, a black, yellow, and silver figure based on Spherus Magna. Armed with a staff and a Rhotuka, the Shadowed One directs the organization. placed VarianVarianVarian was a blue and gold Toa of Psionics and former Ce-Matoran who wore a Great Calix and wielded Elbow Blades and a Rhotuka Launching Shield. She was held at the Fortress of the Shadowed One. in a stasis tubeStasis TubePreservation devices that slowed life processes to near-stasis, widely used across the Matoran Universe for both archival storage and secure imprisonment.. That is the entire confirmed roster of an element that ranked among the most dangerous powers a Toa could wield.

What the element actually does#

A Toa of GravityGravity: The Elemental Power of Gravitational ForceGravity was the elemental power over gravitational force in the Matoran Universe, carried by Ba-Matoran, Toa of Gravity, and the Bohrok-Kal Nuhvok-Kal. held near-perfect command over gravitational force around a target. This covered the routine uses, pinning a foe to the floor, lifting a boulder, or achieving flight, as well as effects that reached extreme scale. Eliminating gravity around an enemy entirely sent them up into the atmosphere. Increasing it crushed them flat against the ground. Toa of Gravity were naturally resistant to extreme gravitic pressure, to the degree that one could walk unassisted on a planet of incomprehensible mass.

The element carried one significant limitation. Most Toa could draw their own element back into reserves to replenish, but a Toa of Gravity could not absorb gravity, so a low-gravity environment forced them to burn through their elemental reserves with no means of replenishment. This was the only documented weakness of the element, and a narrow one. On a planet, a ToaToa (2001)Biomechanical heroes bonded to elemental powers and masks. Not born, but chosen and transformed. of Gravity ranked among the strongest single combatants the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control. ever produced.

Three names, no names#

The Ba-MatoranBa-MatoranMatoran of Gravity with inherent resistance to crushing gravitational forces, largely overlooked in the primary canon despite being a complete Matoran species. record lists three Ba-MatoranBa-MatoranMatoran of Gravity with inherent resistance to crushing gravitational forces, largely overlooked in the primary canon despite being a complete Matoran species. who became Toa of Gravity. One was part of the first Toa Team. One was killed by LariskaLariskaDark Hunter defined by discipline and tactical competence, Lariska was one of the Shadowed One's most dependable operatives before joining Brutaka's desperate mission.. One was the leader of VarianVarianVarian was a blue and gold Toa of Psionics and former Ce-Matoran who wore a Great Calix and wielded Elbow Blades and a Rhotuka Launching Shield. She was held at the Fortress of the Shadowed One.'s team. None of them were named. That was the whole confirmed roster.

The first Toa CordakToa CordakThe first Toa team ever formed, wiped out by Zyglak except for their leader Lesovikk. Toa of Gravity died alongside most of the team in a ZyglakZyglakZyglak are a species of dark red, dark blue, and white creatures who are amphibious and wield spears and knives in combat. Formerly confined to the Pit, the Zyglak now inhabit Spherus Magna. ambush. ZyglakZyglakZyglak are a species of dark red, dark blue, and white creatures who are amphibious and wield spears and knives in combat. Formerly confined to the Pit, the Zyglak now inhabit Spherus Magna. resisted elemental powers outright, making the Cordak engagement an exceptionally poor matchup for any Toa, gravity included. The team never recovered. LesovikkLesovikkA Toa of Air and former commander whose team was destroyed, leaving him fractured and searching for purpose., the Toa of AirToa of AirWielders of the Element of Air, typically transformed from Le-Matoran, tasked with protecting the Matoran Universe. who survived, carried that loss for tens of thousands of years.

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. of Gravity that VarianVarianVarian was a blue and gold Toa of Psionics and former Ce-Matoran who wore a Great Calix and wielded Elbow Blades and a Rhotuka Launching Shield. She was held at the Fortress of the Shadowed One. led survived only in fragments of record. VarianVarianVarian was a blue and gold Toa of Psionics and former Ce-Matoran who wore a Great Calix and wielded Elbow Blades and a Rhotuka Launching Shield. She was held at the Fortress of the Shadowed One.'s team appeared in the Dark Hunter material surrounding her capture, with the Toa of Gravity travelling alongside her until the Shadowed OneThe Shadowed OneThe Shadowed One is the leader of the Dark Hunters, a black, yellow, and silver figure based on Spherus Magna. Armed with a staff and a Rhotuka, the Shadowed One directs the organization. caught the team. After VarianVarianVarian was a blue and gold Toa of Psionics and former Ce-Matoran who wore a Great Calix and wielded Elbow Blades and a Rhotuka Launching Shield. She was held at the Fortress of the Shadowed One. was placed in stasis, the Gravity Toa's fate was left unrecorded. He did not appear in the Pit, in Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui., or during the Battle of Bara MagnaBara MagnaA desert world of tribal warfare and scarce resources, one of three landmasses that formed Spherus Magna..

The LariskaLariskaDark Hunter defined by discipline and tactical competence, Lariska was one of the Shadowed One's most dependable operatives before joining Brutaka's desperate mission. kill#

One of the better documented Toa of Gravity encounters was one the Toa lost. One of LariskaLariskaDark Hunter defined by discipline and tactical competence, Lariska was one of the Shadowed One's most dependable operatives before joining Brutaka's desperate mission.'s assigned missions, recorded in BIONICLEBIONICLE: Matoran AdventuresA 2002 GBA platformer where you play as one of six Matoran fighting Bohrok across Mata Nui's islands. Adventures 10: Time TrapTime TrapVakama's solo descent into the Silver Sea to recover the Mask of Time, his capture by the Dark Hunter Voporak, the Teridax illusion that followed, and the three-way struggle over the Vahi between Vakama, the Shadowed One, and Teridax., was to execute a Toa of Gravity and a TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities.. The TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities. fled. 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, and LariskaLariskaDark Hunter defined by discipline and tactical competence, Lariska was one of the Shadowed One's most dependable operatives before joining Brutaka's desperate mission. killed him.

The outcome turned on her preparation. LariskaLariskaDark Hunter defined by discipline and tactical competence, Lariska was one of the Shadowed One's most dependable operatives before joining Brutaka's desperate mission. had trained with Levitation KanokaKanoka DisksMetru Nui's most versatile artifact: flying disks equally at home in sport, combat, and crafting. disks ahead of time, simulating the zero-gravity conditions a Toa of Gravity would create around her in combat. The standard opening move for that Toa was to erase gravity around his attacker. Most fighters would lose their footing the moment that took effect, along with most of their weapon's effective weight. LariskaLariskaDark Hunter defined by discipline and tactical competence, Lariska was one of the Shadowed One's most dependable operatives before joining Brutaka's desperate mission. had practised fighting in exactly that condition, so when the Toa cut her gravity, she continued to move without disruption.

She killed him. He was later transferred to the Red StarRed StarThe Red Star was an orbiting facility that revived the dead and enabled the Great Spirit Robot's cosmic travels. and revived. The Star's revival mechanism had failed by then, so he remained trapped there along with the rest of the population the system pulled back without releasing.

That single mission illustrated how Toa of Gravity functioned and how the element was countered. The power was formidable, and the Dark HuntersThe Dark HuntersA mercenary organization founded on Odina by The Shadowed One and Ancient, contracted across the Matoran Universe for assassination and theft, and ultimately reduced to a battered remnant by the fall of the universe itself. trained against it accordingly.

Why so few#

Gravity was not the only element to thin out across the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control.'s history, but it ran particularly low. Toa of Gravity were exceptionally rare even before the reformation of Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint., against a background in which many Toa lineages were already small. Two factors accounted for most of the attrition.

First, the Great CataclysmThe Great CataclysmThe day Makuta Teridax put the Great Spirit to sleep, the Great Spirit Robot fell from the sky, Metru Nui flooded, and Voya Nui tore loose from the Southern Continent. struck the entire Toa population at once, and the smaller pools, Gravity, MagnetismMagnetism: The Elemental Power of Magnetic ForceMagnetism was the elemental power over magnetic force in the Matoran Universe, carried by Fa-Matoran, Toa of Magnetism such as Jovan, and the Bohrok-Kal Gahlok-Kal., Iron, PlasmaPlasma: The Elemental Power of Superheated MatterPlasma was the elemental power over superheated matter in the Matoran Universe, carried by Su-Matoran, Toa of Plasma, and the Bohrok-Kal Pahrak-Kal., Sonics, PsionicsPsionics: the elemental power of the mindOne of the elemental powers of the Matoran Universe, Psionics granted command over psychic energy: telepathy, telekinesis, and even control over other minds. Its wielders were almost all female., and Plantlife, were severely reduced. Second, the Brotherhood of MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate. ran active hunts on certain elements during the Toa Hunt era, prioritising those that posed direct anti-MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate. threats. Gravity was not among the elements documented as explicitly hunted in the manner of MagnetismMagnetism: The Elemental Power of Magnetic ForceMagnetism was the elemental power over magnetic force in the Matoran Universe, carried by Fa-Matoran, Toa of Magnetism such as Jovan, and the Bohrok-Kal Gahlok-Kal., but the broader record shows hundreds of Toa coexisting at the peak against only a handful by the time of Bara MagnaBara MagnaA desert world of tribal warfare and scarce resources, one of three landmasses that formed Spherus Magna..

The absorption limitation compounded the decline. A Toa of Gravity who burned through reserves could not draw more gravity into himself the way a Toa of FireToa of FireThe Elemental protectors of the Matoran, most often rising from Ta-Matoran to command the power of fire. could pull heat from the air. In a prolonged fight this told against him, and across thousands of years of skirmishes the attrition grew steep.

The GaraiGaraiThe Kanohi Mask of Gravity, granted Hewkii control over the gravitational pull on his targets during the Toa Mahri campaign in the Pit. loophole#

The rarity of the lineage was offset in part by a mask. The KanohiKanohiMasks that grant powers and sustain life, they're the most vital artifact in the Matoran Universe. GaraiGaraiThe Kanohi Mask of Gravity, granted Hewkii control over the gravitational pull on his targets during the Toa Mahri campaign in the Pit., the Mask of Gravity, could be worn by any Toa. The Great version granted its wearer Toa-of-Gravity-level control, including increasing or decreasing gravity on targets, with the single restriction that the wearer could not apply it to himself.

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., as a Toa MahriToa Mahri: The Toa Who Saved the UniverseThe Toa Mahri were the water breathing form of the sixth Toa team, transformed by the Mask of Life on the way down to the drowned city of Mahri Nui. They fought the Barraki for the mask and recovered it at the cost of one of their own., wore a Great GaraiGaraiThe Kanohi Mask of Gravity, granted Hewkii control over the gravitational pull on his targets during the Toa Mahri campaign in the Pit. and used it tactically. In BIONICLEBIONICLE: Matoran AdventuresA 2002 GBA platformer where you play as one of six Matoran fighting Bohrok across Mata Nui's islands. Legends 7: Prisoners of the Pit, he increased the weight of several of 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 TakeaTakeaEngineered by the Makuta from viruses and protodermis, the Takea served as Pridak's shock troops in the Pit and as one of the deep ocean's most feared Rahi species. sharks, slamming them into EhlekEhlekA Barraki warlord with electrical powers who led aquatic forces against the Brotherhood of Makuta.'s eel forces and turning the two Barraki against each other. He also used it on the 300-foot-long Venom Eel300-foot Venom EelA Venom Eel mutated to colossal size by the defensive reaction of the Ignika, active in the waters around Mahri Nui during the search for the Mask of Life. to force it back to the seabed. The mask gave the wider Toa population access to the element's combat applications without requiring a Ba-MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. in the lineage.

Part of the explanation for the scarcity of dedicated Toa of Gravity, then, was that a widely available mask reproduced most of the element's function.

The unrecorded lineage#

None of the three confirmed Toa of Gravity left a documented history of their own. The Cordak Toa appears only on the team's casualty list. The LariskaLariskaDark Hunter defined by discipline and tactical competence, Lariska was one of the Shadowed One's most dependable operatives before joining Brutaka's desperate mission. encounter survives as a single passage in the account of her mission. VarianVarianVarian was a blue and gold Toa of Psionics and former Ce-Matoran who wore a Great Calix and wielded Elbow Blades and a Rhotuka Launching Shield. She was held at the Fortress of the Shadowed One.'s Gravity teammate is attested by one line. The lineage produced no extended record comparable to LhikanLhikanToa of Fire, leader of the Toa Mangai, and the last Toa of Metru Nui, who surrendered his Toa Power to create the Toa Metru and died defending Vakama.'s service among the Toa MangaiToa MangaiThe defenders of Metru Nui before the Toa Metru arrived, a team that fell to betrayal and relentless war. or JovanJovanJovan led the Toa team that retrieved the Kanohi Ignika during the Great Disruption, then served as Turaga over the population that became Voya Nui.'s 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. mission, and the Toa of Gravity remain known chiefly as roster entries.

After the reformation, the Toa of Gravity who survived joined the construction effort on Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint. alongside the other surviving Toa of rare elements. That is the last recorded placement of the element. The capacity to erase gravity around a MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate. and let the AntidermisAntidermisAntidermis was the physical substance that composed every Makuta, a revelation that fundamentally altered how fans understood the brotherhood's origin. within disperse marked the lineage as one of the most dangerous in the Toa order, despite the scarcity of detailed accounts of its members in action.