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 later 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).thumb|286px|right
==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 agoAge given in Official Greg Discussion p. 206 at BZPower forums, post #6179 on the Order's headquarter island of Daxia, where they were combat trained by Hydraxon.Who do You Think Trained the Toa Mata? at BZPower forums 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.Inhabitants section of "Mata Nui" entry and Introduction of "Daxia" entry; BIONICLE World
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".Official Greg Discussion p. 250 post #9989 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.Official Greg Discussion p. 276 post #11028 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.Official Greg Discussion p. 286 post #11410 But they need to be careful; as the more they use up light, the more darkness takes over.Official Greg Discussion p. 290 post #11590 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:
* Tahu, Pohatu, and Onua combined to form Akamai, Toa Kaita of Valor. Akamai's mask was the Kanohi Aki, the Mask of Valor, which had the powers of Shielding, Speed, and Strength. After they turned into Toa Nuva, they could have formed Akamai Nuva, but never have done so.
* Gali, Lewa, and Kopaka became Wairuha, Toa Kaita of Wisdom. Wairuha's mask was the Kanohi Rua, the Mask of Wisdom, which had the powers of Levitation, Water Breathing and X-Ray Vision. After they turned into Toa Nuva, they merged into Wairuha Nuva to fight the Bohrok-Kal, but the Kal formed a Kaita of their own that defeated Wairuha easily.
==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".Official Greg Discussion p. 196, post #5856
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.
== Members ==
The Toa Mata included:
Toa Mata 	Toa Mata 	Toa Mata 	Toa Mata 	Toa Mata 	Toa Mata	Toa Mata
Toa 	Kanohi 	Tool(s) {Mata form} 	Tool(s) {Nuva form} 	Tool(s) {Adaptive Armor form} 	 	
Tahu, (leader) Toa of Fire,	Hau, the Great Mask of Shielding 	Fire Sword 	Pair of Magma Blades 	Nynrah Ghost Blaster and Rotating Blade	 	
Gali, Toa of Water, 	Kaukau, the Great Mask of Water Breathing	Water Hooks 	Aqua Axe's 	Nynrah Ghost Blaster with a viewfinder 	 	
Onua, Toa of Earth, 	Pakari, the Great Mask of Strengh 	Earth Claws 	Pair of Quake Braakers 	Nynrah Ghost Blaster and Shield 	 	
Pohatu, Toa of Stone, 	Kakama, the Great Mask of Speed 	Feet Hammers 	Feet Hammers and Kodan ball	Midak Skyblaster and Twin Propelers 	 	
Lewa, Toa of Air, 	Miru, the Great Mask of Levitation 	Axe 	Pair of Air Katanas 	Midak Skyblaster and an Air Saber 	 	
Kopaka, Toa of Ice, 	Akaku, the Great Mask of X-Ray Vision 	Ice Sword and Shield	Ice Ski Blades and a Shield	Midak Skyblaster with bayonet 	 	
=== Toa Mata ===
=== Toa Nuva ===
=== Toa Phantoka ===
=== Toa Mistika ===
==Notes==
* Once these Toa became the Toa Nuva, fans created nicknames to differentiate their original forms from other kinds of Toa. "Toa Olda" was made to contrast with "Toa Nuva" (as in "old" and "new", respectively), while "Toa Mata" compares to "Toa Metru" (as the teams protected Mata Nui and Metru Nui, respectively). "Toa Mata" was later made the official name of the team; its first canonical use was in the BIONICLE World guide (six years after the the characters were originally introduced).
* It is a common misconception that Toa Takanuva is a member of the Toa Nuva, due to the similarity in his name and style of armor, and to LEGO promoting him as a "Seventh Toa". He is in truth not an official part of the team; he does not have the enhanced Nuva powers and does not share the Toa Nuva's destiny of waking Mata Nui, and canon materials always describe Takanuva as just a "Toa", never a "Toa Nuva". Regardless, the Toa Nuva do consider Takanuva to be a close ally and friend.
* The first syllable in each Toa's name is the same as the Matoran prefix for their element: "Ta-" means "Fire", "Ga-" means "Water", "Le-" means "Air", "Po-" means "Stone", "Onu-" means "Earth", and "Ko-" means "Ice". If there is a storyline reason for this, it is not known (though Onua did briefly note a possible connection after arriving on Mata NuiBIONICLE Chronicles #1: Tale of the Toa p. 11).
* The Toa Mata and Nuva series of figurines both depict Onua and Pohatu as hunchback-like characters, but in BIONICLE: Mask of Light, they both look straight like all the other Toa. This might be so as to uniform the height of all of the Toa and not make Onua and Pohatu look like the odd men out amongst the group.
* Pohatu's figure is the only Toa Mata figure to have its torso section upside-down, as its legs are its strength while the other Toa Mata's torsos are right side-up.
* The Toa Mata make cameos in The LEGO Movie. They are briefly seen when Wyldstyle is telling Emmet about the different worlds in the LEGO Universe.
== Gallery ==
1525281480841.png|The Toa Mata
Toa Mata Sets.png
Screen_shot_2009-11-26_at_4.28.25_PM.png
ToaMatacover.png|Toa Mata in comics
Toa Mata in comic.jpg|Toa Mata in the comics
Njig.jpg|The Toa Nuva
pobrane.jpg|The Toa Nuva
Comic_Toa_Nuva.png|Toa Nuva in comics
Toa_Mistika.jpg|Toa Mistika
Phantoka.png|Toa Phantoka
Toa Phantoka and Mistika in comics.jpg|Toa Phantoka and Mistika in comics
== Toa Mata Forms==
408px-Lewa Mata Set.png|8535 Lewa (Toa Mata)
Lewanuva.jpg|8567 Lewa Nuva (Toa Nuva)
163.jpg|8686 Toa Lewa (Phantoka)
Gali Mata Set.png|8533 Gali (Toa Mata)
Gali_Nuva.png|8570 Gali Nuva (Toa Nuva)
8688.jpg|8688 Toa Gali (Mistika)
Tahu Mata_Set.png|8534 Tahu (Toa Mata)
Tahu Nuva.jpg|8572 Tahu Nuva (Toa Nuva)
Tahu.jpg|8689 Toa Tahu (Mistika)
Pohatu Mata Set.png|8531 Pohatu (Toa Mata)
Pohatunuva.jpg|8568 Pohatu Nuva (Toa Nuva)
164.jpg|8687 Toa Pohatu (Phantoka)
Screen shot 2009-12-02 at 7.17.57 PM.png|8532 Onua (Toa Mata)
Onuanuva.jpg|8566 Onua Nuva (Toa Nuva)
8690.jpg|8690 Toa Onua (Mistika)
Kopaka_Mata.png|8536 Kopaka (Toa Mata)
Kopakanuva.jpg|8571 Kopaka Nuva (Toa Nuva)
8685-0000-xx-33-1.jpg|8685 Toa Kopaka (Phantoka)
Lewa_Mistika.png|Lewa Mistika (Mistika)
Pohatu_Mistika.png|Pohatu Mistika (Mistika)
Tahu_Stars_2.jpg|Tahu Stars (Stars)
==References==
Category:BIONICLE
Category:BIONICLE groups