Toa Mata / Toa Nuva The Toa Mata / Nuva , comprised of Tahu , Gali , Lewa , Pohatu , Onua , and Kopaka , are the main heroes of LEGO BIONICLE franchise . Even when the story focuses on a different team of Toa , the Toa Nuva are always close by in the background . In their first appearance , these were the only known heroes at the time and were simply referred to as the Toa ; it was recently revealed that the team ' s name at this time was the Toa Mata , in honour of the Great Spirit Mata Nui ( see " Notes " , below ) . When they were submersed in energized protodermis and came out with enhanced powers and abilities , Toa Tahu renamed them the Toa Nuva ( though the Matoran language meaning of the word " Nuva " is unclear ) . History . Before - Time . The original Toa Mata ' s history is shrouded in mystery . The Order of Mata Nui records indicate that they started their lives as Toa , unlike most Toa who were transformed from Matoran . They " first walked " over 90 , 000 years ago on the Order ' s headquarter island of Daxia , where they were combat trained by Hydraxon . They also spent much time in Karda Nui , " the world that feeds the world " . Eventually , the Toa were selected to be guardians of Great Spirit Mata Nui to protect him in case some tragedy happened . Sadly , something did happen ; as Makuta , Mata Nui ' s brother , had attacked him with such great force that he eventually fell unconscious , bringing in the Great Cataclysm . In response , the Toa " descended from the heavens " in canisters that landed in the sea ( though Turaga Dume has suggested that the Toa didn ' t come from the heavens , but were launched into the sky from somewhere on land ) . The intention was that they would land on the island of Mata Nui , where refugees from the city of Metru Nui had escaped , and begin their task of awakening the Great Spirit . However , the canisters malfunctioned and floated in the ocean for centuries . . . A New Start . A thousand years later , a Matoran on Mata Nui named Takua collected the six Toa Stones and brought them to the Kini - Nui Temple . The Toa Stones shot a beam of light into the air , creating a beacon that finally summoned the Toa ' s canisters to their destination . When they arrived , the Toa found the island in the grip of Makuta , who had enslaved the Rahi wildlife to do his bidding with Kraata - infected masks . However , the Toa had forgotten much while adrift in the canisters ; they remembered only their names and the vaguest ideas of their mission . But with the local Turaga elders filling them in , the Toa immediately set out to stop Makuta and free the Matoran , collecting Kanohi Masks to add to their abilities . Once they each collected a full set of masks , they were each given a Golden Kanohi and a Makoki Stone ; they used the Makoki Stones to unlock the path to Makuta ' s underground lair , Mangaia . There , the Toa faced Makuta ' s guardians , the Manas crabs and the Shadow Toa , before facing the Master of Shadows himself . However , Makuta was only using a fraction of his power . Taking the appearance of a Matoran with an infected mask , he transformed himself to a mass of flying pieces and fought the Toa . After deciding that they were indeed the heroes that they said they were , he retreated with the words " You cannot destroy me , for I am Nothing " . But he would not allow the Toa to rest : he awakened the Bohrok , swarms of insectoid creatures whose only mission was to reduce the island to bare rock . The Toa had to act fast to save the Matoran villages , but not all succeeded : Onu - Koro was completely flooded , Po - Koro also had to be evacuated , and almost all of the Le - Matoran - including Lewa - joined the swarm through the Bohrok ' s mind - controlling Krana . However , the Toa would continue to fight and collect the Krana that could unlock the swarm ' s secret - Onua and the Onu - Matoran were even able to help free Lewa and the Le - Matoran from the swarm ' s influence . Kopaka was eventually able to find the Bohrok ' s nest , and once the Toa were gathered they entered to stop the swarms once and for all . In the cave for a brief period of time , Tahu went ahead of the group into a chamber filled with Tahnok , where he was briefly controlled by a krana . After Tahu made the room explode and gained his mask back , the six Toa descended into the heart of the nest . Coming across a series of niches , the Toa placed the Krana they collected inside them . This unlocked six doors , behind each of which was a powerful suit of armor called an Exo - Toa . After suiting up , the Toa went in to face the Bohrok Queens , Cahdok and Gahdok . But despite the extra strength that the armor granted , the Toa still struggled ; they eventually figured that the Exo - Toa were blocking their elemental powers . They removed the armor and combined their elemental powers into a single blast , which imprisoned Cahdok and Gahdok in a protodermis cage . The Toa had won , but before they could celebrate , the floor gave way beneath them and they fell into energized protodermis , a substance that either transformed or destroyed what it came into contact with , depending on its destiny . The Toa were destined to transform , and they became Toa Nuva ; with stronger powers , new tools , and enhanced mask powers . Coming of the Bohrok - Kal . Unfortunately , the Toa new power went to their heads ; they decided that they could now protect their respective villages just fine on their own and chose to split up , with only Gali encouraging everyone to stay together . But when elite Bohrok called the Bohrok - Kal sought to release the swarms again by saving the Bahrag , the weaknesses of the Toa ' s Nuva forms quickly became apparent : Nuva Symbols had appeared in the villages when the Toa transformed , and when the Bohrok - Kal stole the Symbols the Toa lost their elemental powers . In addition , the Toa had lost all the Great Kanohi Masks that they had gathered , and now had to collect scattered Kanohi Nuva masks to replace them . The Toa Nuva rallied together against the Bohrok - Kal , but despite their best efforts they could barely slow the Kal down . The Kal eventually discovered the location of the Queens ' prison , only to find the Exo - Toa acting on their own to guard the prisoners . The Bohrok - Kal reduced the Exo - Toa to scrap , but were still delayed long enough for the Toa Nuva to catch up to them . As the Kal proceeded to use the Nuva Symbols to unlock the Queens ' cage , Tahu attempted to use the Vahi Mask of Time ( which he got from Turaga Vakama ) to slow them to a near - standstill , which would give the Toa time to strike . But being so close to completing their mission , the Kal were completely invulnerable from outside attack . Instead , Gali gambled that the Nuva Symbols could receive power as well as give it , the Toa fed their energy through the Symbols . The gamble worked , as the powered - up symbols supercharged the Bohrok - Kal ' s own powers beyond what they could control , destroying them . The Toa Nuva were able to reclaim their Symbols and with them , their elemental powers ; they then returned to their villages and hid their symbols in places where they could not be stolen again . The Mask of Light . The next few weeks were peaceful ones , but it wasn ' t to last . Takua , the Matoran that had gathered the Toa Stones , discovered a powerful Kanohi Mask called the Mask of Light . While he and his friend Jaller went off in search of the mask ' s wearer , the Toa of Light , the Toa Nuva had their hands full fighting the " Sons of Makuta , " the Rahkshi , whom Makuta had sent to intercept the searchers . In the first fight with the Rahkshi , Tahu was poisoned , causing him to increasingly lose his temper . By the time the Rahkshi got to Onu - Koro , Tahu had given in to mindless rage ; only the combined powers of Gali , Lewa , and Kopaka could purge the poison and calm him down . While the Rahkshi searched for the Mask of Light , they also destroyed all of Ta - Koro and some of Onu - Koro . The Toa Nuva then regrouped and made their last stand against the Rahkshi at the Kini - Nui Temple , disabling five of the Rahkshi ; but the sixth , Turahk , was able to get through and kill Jaller . Seeing his friend ' s sacrifice , Takua accepted his destiny as Takanuva , the Toa of Light ; and he destroyed the Rahkshi , ending the battle . The next day , Takanuva went to face Makuta , insisting that the Toa Nuva stay behind with the Matoran . When Takanuva summoned the Matoran to Makuta ' s lair , the Toa Nuva went with them and witnessed Takanuva and Makuta fuse into the being known as Takutanuva , who resurrected Jaller and reopened the path to Metru Nui that had been closed for a thousand years . In the weeks afterward , while the Matoran were preparing to travel to Metru Nui , the Toa Nuva and Takanuva listened to the Turaga ' s tales of Metru Nui , the Great Cataclysm , and the Great Rescue . This was also the first time that they learned of other Toa , among them the previous incarnations of the Turaga : the Toa Metru . Ignition . Once on Metru Nui , Turaga Dume delivered the grave news that Mata Nui was not only asleep , but dying . He told the Toa Nuva of a Mask of Life that could potentially save him , and sent them to the island of Voya Nui , where it was supposed to be hidden . Unfortunately , rogue Dark Hunters calling themselves " Piraka " were also in search of the mask . When the Toa Nuva arrived , the two groups quickly got in a fight , which the Toa ultimately lost , although it was a close battle . The Piraka ' s leader , Zaktan , had ordered their weapons and masks taken and their unconscious bodies thrown into the volcano . However , when the volcano erupted , they woke up in time to grab their tools and pull themselves out of the path of the lava - only to be attacked by the island ' s few remaining free Matoran , who were believed they might be impostors . Once the fighting stopped and the Matoran accepted the fact that the Nuva really were Toa , the two groups teamed up to infiltrate the Piraka ' s stronghold and take back their masks . They did so and were about to fight the Piraka again , but Zaktan ' s ally Brutaka intervened and defeated them all in one hit . While the Matoran soon escaped , the Toa Nuva were imprisoned and their masks taken as trophies . While the Piraka were later busy searching for the Mask of Life and Brutaka was fighting his ex - partner Axonn , the Matoran rebels entered the stronghold and searched for the Toa Nuva . They found them chained to the wall and enslaved by the Piraka ' s antidermis virus , forced to drain out their elemental power even to the point of death . The Matoran freed the Nuva from both chains and enslavement and helped them to their masks , telling them of the Toa Inika that had arrived after they did ; and the Nuva were surprised to learn these new heroes were old friends from Mata Nui . After meeting Axonn and his associate Botar , the Toa Nuva met the Toa Inika , who had reached the Mask of Life only for it to fly away and dive underneath the ocean . The Inika were worried that they would be sent back to Metru Nui while the Nuva continued the mission , but the Nuva recognized that destiny had chosen the Inika for the task of saving the Great Spirit ' s life ; and Tahu told the Inika that the Nuva would be waiting in Metru Nui for their safe return . However , after the Inika left , he admitted to Axonn that he lied ; the Nuva are departing on a new mission that the Inika cannot be a part of . World Tour . Though the Toa Nuva still doubted Axonn and Botar ' s motives , they entered Metru Nui ' s Great Temple , sneaking in so that they would not start an endless debate with the Turaga . They found the object that the Order members directed them to ( a scroll ) and were perplexed at the strange , uncarved writing . Their doubts also increased when they saw the list of tasks they were expected to do . Nonetheless , they got to work ; beginning with the closest task : freeing the Bahrag and allowing the Bohrok - the swarms that had tried to destroy their home - to run free once more . They have since made their way to the Dark Hunter base of Odina , looking for an artifact called the Staff of Artakha . Caught by the Hunters ' leader , the Shadowed One , he informed them that the staff had been traded to the weaponsmiths of Xia , and that he would aid them if they eliminated the treacherous Roodaka . The Toa agreed , but had other plans . Making a deal to help Roodaka if she helped them , they made her turn the Rahaga back into the Toa Hagah . Meanwhile , a Makuta named Icarax had stolen the staff , and the Toa Nuva pursued him to the realm of Karzahni where he handily defeated them . In a last - ditch effort , Gali attempted to stop him with a Nova Blast , but even though it leveled all of Karzahni , Icarax still escaped with the staff , leaving the Toa Nuva with only the mask of Toa Lhikan to show for their quest . Disheartened , the Toa turned to other tasks on their list . Tahu and Kopaka teamed up to calm a chain of volcanoes , and Pohatu and Onua left to go after a relic called the " Heart of the Visorak " . Lewa slipped away and went off on his own , apparently guided by a mysterious voice to take a sundial from Mata Nui and place it in the Metru Nui Archives . Gali , meanwhile , returned to Mata Nui to take measurements regarding the Red Star , and was startled to find out that something was alive inside . The Order of Mata Nui then gathered the Toa as they used the recovered Staff of Artakha to fix the damage to the world caused by the Great Cataclysm . The Order teleported the Toa to the realm of the reclusive craftsman Artakha , who granted them new armor and teleported them to a new location where , he claimed , they would find their destiny . In this new location of Karda Nui , the Toa Nuva fought the Brotherhood of Makuta ; and in order to achieve their goals each faction split into two teams : Kopaka , Lewa , and Pohatu and three Makuta took to the sky ; and as a result they were designated " Phantoka " , or " spirits of the air " . Tahu , Gali , and Onua faced the other Makuta in the swamp , giving them the name " Mistika " or " spirits of the mist " ; Takanuva and the newly created Toa Ignika would join with the Toa while Icarax and the mad scientist Mutran joined with their fellow Makuta . In the end , Ignika sacrificed himself to reawaken Mata Nui while the other Toa got the Matoran of Light from Kara Nui to safety . However , they would then learn that their old foe Makuta Teridax had tricked them all and seized control of Mata Nui ' s body , which was the universe in which they dwelt . The Nuva and their fellow Toa would end up leading a resistance effort against Makuta ' s reign over their universe , though the group became separated with Lewa vanishing while on a mission . Later , when Makuta arrived on the planet of Bara Magna , where the Ignika - containing Mata Nui ' s banished spirit - had landed , the Nuva took part in the battle against Makuta ' s minions while Tahu was reverted to his Mata form . He then collected the Golden Armor , which he used to destroy Makuta ' s Rahkshi army , unbalancing Makuta enough for Mata Nui to defeat him . They then took up residence on the planet with its Glatorian and Agori inhabitants , seeking to build a new civilization together in Mata Nui ' s honor . Powers . Originally , the Toa had the standard array of Toa powers : strong control over their element , personal tools used mainly for directing their elemental power , and a Kanohi Mask granting an additional ability . ( More information on each of these is given in the character profiles below . ) On Mata Nui , the Toa each collected additional Kanohi Masks that allowed them to use the powers that their brother Toa and the island ' s Turaga have ; giving each one access to : the Great powers of Shielding , Water Breathing , Levitation , Speed , Strength , and X - Ray Vision ; and the Noble powers of Concealment , Translation , Illusion , Mind Control , Night Vision , and Telekinesis . However , they rarely used the Noble Masks ; the Turaga used them instead . The Toa stored these masks in their respective Toa Suva shrines , allowing them to switch masks at will as long as they were within range of the Suva ( but this range encompassed the entire island , so there was never any problem ) . They also later received Golden Kanohi in the shape of their original masks , these were said to have the combined powers of all six Great Masks . As Toa Nuva , all of these powers were improved : their elemental powers became stronger , their tools gained new forms that offered an alternate mode for transport , and they even gained strong yet lightweight armor made of protodermis . An example of the enhanced powers is that the Nuva can now set elemental " timebombs " , allowing affects to go off at a later time . Their masks also became enhanced Kanohi Nuva that not only had stronger powers , but could share those powers with others nearby . However , these new powers had some drawbacks . For one , their elemental powers were tied to new objects called Nuva Symbols , and if the Symbols were in the hands of enemies then the powers would be lost to the Toa . The Toas ' collections of Great Kanohi had also disappeared , and the Toa had to scour the island again to find the Kanohi Nuva to replace them . At current , the Kanohi Masks and Nuva Symbols are stored in Metru Nui ; their exact location never specified but likely the Great Temple . Their travels from the city have never affected their elemental powers , but perhaps have taken them out of range of the Temple ' s Suva so that they cannot switch masks . They now also wear adaptive armor and masks crafted by Artakha , which can alter according to local terrain - for instance , the Phantoka team is in the sky , so their armor has equipped them with propellers and jetpacks . Midak Skyblasters . As a function of their adaptive armor , the Phantoka team is equipped with Midak Skyblasters , that can collect ambient light and launch it in spheres . But they need to be careful ; as the more they use up light , the more darkness takes over . Lewa , however , doesn ' t need to worry about this , as his Matoran partner Tanma can supply light energy for him . It is unknown whether the Phantoka ' s swamp counterparts have similar weapons . Toa Kaita . The Toa Mata are the only Toa team known so far who has merged into Toa Kaita , in order to fight Makuta ' s Manas crabs . As Toa Nuva , they also utilized Toa Nuva Kaita forms to battle the Bohrok - Kal as well : The Toa Mata / Nuva . Tahu . Tahu is the Toa of Fire and the leader of the Toa , and guardian of Ta - Koro . Tahu is the boldest , fiercest , and most courageous of the Toa ; however , this trait often manifests itself as hot - headed temper and aggression . But he is fiercely loyal to and protective of his team . He has very little patience . Tahu ' s mask is a Hau Mask of Shielding , which can protect him from any physical attack ( except ambushes ) . At first , he carried a flame sword ; as a Toa Nuva this became twin Magma Swords that chanelled the power of fire , and can be combined into a lavaboard . As a Toa of Fire , Tahu can emit a stream or a blast of fire towards his enemies or melt rocks into lava . He can also withstand extreme heat . Tahu does not work well in , around , or under water . When Ta - Koro was destroyed , Tahu ' s Suva and Kanohi Nuva were likely lost with it , limiting him to his Hau Nuva . Tahu ' s personality often clashes with Kopaka ' s , though they ultimately respect each other . Gali has also become frustrated with Tahu at times , particularly when he acts without thinking . After Lewa was freed from the effects of the Krana , Tahu had a hard time trusting him - especially because , unknown to everyone , he had also worn a Krana briefly and therefore knew their power - but this trust was restored when Lewa demonstrated that he would risk anything to save the Matoran from the Bohrok . Gali . Gali is the Toa of Water , and the only female Toa of the team . Though she personifies the deepest , darkest oceans , there is an aura of warmth and caring surrounding Gali that the other Toa do not possess . She is gentle and kind , and often the only one who keeps the Toa from splitting up or doing battle amongst themselves . Though her preference for peace would make her ill - suited to lead the Toa , she has proven herself many times in battle . Gali is probably the most optimistic of the Toa . Gali ' s mask is a Kaukau Mask of Water Breathing , which lets her breathe underwater . In her original form , her " tools " were her hooked hands ; as a Toa Nuva , she carried two Aqua Axes that doubled as swim fins so that she could swim even faster . As a Toa of Water , Gali can control the tides , create floods from the tiniest bit of moisture , summon and disperse tsunamis and rainstorms , and combine forces with Lewa to unleash a powerful thunder storm . She could sense any change connected to the rivers , streams and ocean ; and knew immediately when something was wrong in the waters . She also once created a temporary psychic link with Takua , so the latter could witness the Toa ' s fight with Makuta . Gali gets along well with the rest of her team , able to even get through Kopaka ' s icy attitude . However , she has gotten upset with Tahu ' s carelessness on occasion . Lewa . Lewa is the Toa of Air . Lewa is an especially playful and mischievous spirit who thinks nothing of pulling innocent pranks on his villagers and fellow Toa ; some have argued that this will be his undoing unless he learns when he ' s taken a joke too far . Lewa is highly energetic , and during the early Toa meetings he would often do cartwheels and handstands . After arriving on the island , he quickly picked up the " treespeak " slang of the local Le - Matoran . He often tends to the jungle Rahi ; with a special fondness for the mighty ash bears , particularly one named Graalok . Towards the end of the quest for the Kanohi , Lewa was captured by a Nui - Rama swarm and wore an infected mask , enslaving him to Makuta . He was saved , however , by timely intervention by Toa Onua . Shortly after , Lewa was again enslaved , this time by a Bohrok Krana , but Onua came to his aid again . After this second enslavement , Lewa kept a lingering telepathic connection to the Bohrok swarms ; though since the Bohrok are now dormant again , " the point is moot " . Lewa ' s mask is a Miru Mask of Levitation , allowing him to levitate in the air . Lewa Nuva ' s Miru Nuva allows him greater power , and he can combine this power with his wind manipulation in order to glide . He originally carried an axe ; and his Nuva tools are a pair of Air Katana that can be tucked under his arms to make glider wings . One of these Katana was snapped in half by Reidak , but the Matoran of Voya Nui have since offered to craft a replacement . Lewa ’ s abilities as a Toa of Air include the power to control the wind , summon air currents , create windstorms and twisters , unleash gusts of air , and combine his powers with Gali ’ s to form a storm . It was said that the storms on Mata Nui were caused by them , and the sound of thunder was when their weapons made contact . In his Phantoka form , Lewa wields a serrated sword , and his partner Tanma can charge his Midak Skyblaster with light energy . Lewa ' s immature attitude and talkative nature tends to annoy some of his more serious teammates , mostly Tahu and Kopaka , on the other hand Lewa in his more quiet moments has proven to be quite wise . He may have a special bond with Onua , as it was the Toa of Earth who helped free him both times he was enslaved . Pohatu . Pohatu is the Toa of Stone , and as the friendliest of the Toa , he is the binding force that ties the other Toa together . The witty , chivalrous Toa is above all things a people person , and he maintains friendships with each of the other Toa even when they can ' t agree with each other . He is very like the element he represents : sturdy , down to earth , and always strong . Unlike the other Toa , Pohatu ' s strength is mainly in his lower body , which explains why his village is skilled in the sports of kolhii and its predecessor koli . Pohatu ' s mask is a Kakama Mask of Speed , allowing him to move extremely fast ; with the Nuva version he could vibrate his molecules quickly enough to phase through solid objects . In both original and Nuva forms , his main " tools " are his large feet which he can use in devastating kicks . As a Toa Nuva , he also has two sets of Climbing Claws that allow him to scale mountains and cliffs easily , and can be combined into a Kodan Ball to kick as a projectile weapon . As a Toa of Stone , Pohatu can create stone , detect any weaknesses in a stone , make structures from stone , create and hurl stone projectiles , heal cracks in boulders and statues , and command rock with his will . The only thing he fears is water ; he can ' t swim , and he ' s much too heavy to float . Pohatu ' s Phantoka equipment includes claws that can act as propellers , and his partner Photok ' s ability outdoes his Mask of Speed in that it allows him to move at the speed of light . Pohatu is well - liked by all the other Toa ; even Kopaka has grown fond of him ( though he ' d probably never admit it ) . Onua . Onua is the Toa of Earth and the most mysterious of the Toa . Little is known about this Toa , who spends most of his time underground in his subterranean realm of Onu - Koro . While this wise Toa has much to contribute to the group , he often shies away from drawing attention to himself . Still , Onua has a combination of down - to - earth sense , powerful natural instinct , and sheer brute strength which makes him more than useful . Perhaps the most intelligent , and by far the wisest of the Toa , Onua is also one of the strongest , and he also sees well in the dark , but not so good in bright light . Onua is the most silent of the group , but that is because he only brings up what is worthwhile . Despite that , Onua is friendly for a Toa ; he taught Takua all about the world below the surface of Mata Nui , and about mining , which the Toa of Earth thinks is a " real job " . Onua ' s mask is a Pakari Mask of Strength . His original " tools " were his clawed hands ; as a Toa Nuva he carried two chainsaw - like Quake Breakers which could cut right through rock , and he could strap them to his feet like rollerblades to travel over rough ground . As a Toa of Earth , he can cause or end earthquakes or tremors , open fissures in the ground , manipulate the landscape , and bring forth tremendous structures of earth . Onua generally gets along with his team , as he rarely does anything that upsets the others . He may be closer friends with Lewa than the rest , as he has come to the Toa of Air ' s rescue both times he was enslaved . Kopaka . Kopaka is the Toa of Ice . Kopaka ' s intelligence and cunning are matched only by emotionlessness : he almost never shows any passion or loses his cool , preferring to hide his feelings behind a layer of silence as thick and impenetrable as the ice sheets covering the mountains of his homeland , Ko - Wahi . Kopaka ' s mask is an Akaku Mask of X - Ray Vision , letting him see through solid objects ; it is also equipped with a telescoping eyepiece that lets him see over long distances . When he arrived on Mata Nui , he carried a sword and shield ; upon becoming a Toa Nuva , his shield was enlarged and his sword became a double - ended Ice Blade , which could be split into a pair of ice skates so that he could move fast over frozen ponds and snowdrifts . Kopaka ' s Ice powers include the ability to start and stop avalanches and ice storms , survive in extremely cold temperatures , unleash blasts of ice and snow , and create structures from ice . As a Phantoka , Kopaka has an Ice Bayonet blade attached to his Midak Skyblaster , and his partner Solek can create objects of solid light . Kopaka rarely gets along well with the other Toa , being the least social of them ; he barely tolerated Tahu and Lewa at first but has come to respect both . He also seems to have a friendship with Pohatu - the only time he openly showed emotion was when he believed Pohatu to be dead .