Toruk Makto

Toruk Makto is a Na'vi individual who successfully manages to ride a great leonopteryx . There had only been five Toruk Maktos prior to Jake Sully, and they are spoken of with great respect and honor. It is said that only people who have "pure souls" are able to become Toruk Makto.https://www.avatar.com/pandorapedia/the-great-leonopteryx-the-last-shadow
Using the prestige of the position, Jake unified the Na'vi against the RDA and led them to victory in the Assault on the Tree of Souls. Toruk Makto translates as "Rider of the Last Shadow."James Cameron's Avatar: The Game NDS
==The First Toruk Makto==
In around 837 BC, Entu was the first Na'vi to ride a great leonopteryx. He did so during a volcanic event that threatened the Tree of Souls.http://www.comingsoon.net/extras/news/627281-cirque-du-soleils-avatar-show-toruk-the-first-flight-starts-its-runhttps://www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight/videos/1282373775121924/ His life and adventures are played out in the theatre production: Toruk - The First Flight. Ralu also attempted to ride Toruk, but fell off and was injured in doing so.
== Another Toruk Makto ==
It is said that Hawnutu'un answered the call of Toruk Makto, although it is unclear if he is the second, third or fourth.
==The Fifth Toruk Makto==
The fifth Toruk Makto was Neytiri's great-great-grandfather, who had used the great respect given to such riders to unite the Na'vi clans of five generations ago in what was described as a "time of great sorrow." 
==The Sixth Toruk Makto==
===Events leading up to the Sixth Coming===
The Na'vi were in a time of great sorrow, the Omatikaya clan in particular, due to the RDA's actions on Pandora. Jake Sully, an avatar driver who became initiated into the Omatikaya clan, was thought to be a traitor after he revealed his initial mission, which involved gathering information about the Na'vi for the RDA. The Omatikaya took both him and Dr. Grace Augustine captive and prepared to defend their Hometree against the RDA. However, the clan soon realized that they stood no chance against the weaponry of the RDA fleet and ran into the woods. Mo'at, the Tsahìk of the clan, released Jake and Grace, begging them to help the clan. Jake came across his mate, Neytiri, following the destruction of Hometree where he found her mourning the death of her father and Olo'eyktan, Eytukan. Jake tried to comfort her, but she angrily rejected him and told him to never come back. He was then forced back into his human body, and was put under arrest for treason along with Grace and Norm Spellman.
thumb|250px|Jake preparing to jump onto the toruk.
However, Trudy Chacón, another renegade RDA member, saved them. They made their way to the hangar and boarded Trudy's Samson, but Colonel Quaritch was alerted to their escape attempt and unsuccessfully tried to stop them by shooting at the Samson. While the rebels made their escape, Dr. Augustine was mortally wounded by Quaritch's gunfire. In order to regain his honor in the eyes of Neytiri and the rest of the Omatikaya, and save Grace's life, Jake re-entered his avatar body and came across his mountain banshee. They flew until they found a great leonopteryx. Assuming that it never looks up, because it has no natural predators to attack it from above, Jake flew his banshee above it, then jumped onto the back of the great leonopteryx and bonded with it, becoming the sixth Toruk Makto.
===Reuniting with the Omatikaya to defend the Tree of Souls===
 
Jake steered his new mount to the Omatikaya at the Tree of Souls. The Omatikaya, especially Neytiri, were amazed by his accomplishment and forgave him completely, for this meant not only that he truly had sided with the Na'vi, but that he was destined to lead them to victory over the source of the great sorrow like the five others before him. This, and the Na'vi reverence for Toruk Makto in general, is most likely because the temerity required to successfully set out to become a Toruk Makto can only be accomplished by one with a strong heart and a deep love for the Na'vi, to the point of being willing to do absolutely anything for them. Neytiri had noted Jake's strong heart months earlier when they first met, with it being one of the reasons why she bothered to rescue him in the first place. Such a person with a strong and loving heart would be the ideal leader for The People, especially in such a time of hardship.
Jake asked Mo'at for help to save Grace, following which the Omatikaya tried to perform a consciousness transfer on her. She got as close as actually seeing Eywa, but ultimately the transfer failed as her wounds were too great. Filled with anger against the RDA, Jake gave a speech to the Omatikaya which resulted in the gathering of other Na'vi clans to fight off the RDA. He commanded the clans of the Na'vi in the defense of the Tree of Souls, flying his great leonopteryx with the Ikran Maktos of the Na'vi clans in an aerial strike against the RDA fleet.
===Aftermath===
After successfully defeating the RDA in the Assault on the Tree of Souls, all humans, with the exception of a few, were banished from Pandora and were sent back to their dying planet. Jake released his toruk, as Toruk Makto was no longer needed. Tsu'tey, mortally wounded in the battle, passed on his leadership to Jake since he proved to be a worthy successor. Jake returned to the Tree of Souls where the Omatikaya successfully performed the consciousness transfer on him.
==Non-canonical examples==
===Able Ryder===
In the Na'vi storyline of James Cameron's Avatar: The Game, Able Ryder (gender determined by player) managed to ride a great leonopteryx during their travels through Tantalus. Ryder needed to reach the Well of Souls before Commander Falco did, and a great leonopteryx offered itself to them for the journey. Ryder was able to reach the tree in time, and the tree released some sort of energy wave that destroyed the aircraft. With Falco's Dragon Assault Ship crashing out of the sky and the remaining humans in disarray, the sacred grove was saved.
It is worth noting that Ryder did not actually bond with the mount, merely climbing upon its back in order to ride it. Na'vi and Avatars seemingly lacked queues in the game, merely hopping on to direhorses and banshees without connection. This may have simply been a physics/animation constraint.
===Seyvaro's legend===
During The Nintendo DS game, Seyvaro told Nok of a legend he had heard once. It was about a Na'vi boy who wanted to raise his own Great Leonopteryx. Against his father's wishes, he snuck into the mountains to steal an egg. He spent days climbing and searching, making friends and enemies along the way. He eventually came upon a nest, and carefully took the egg down the mountain with him. The Great Leonopteryx discovered the thievery, swept down from the mountain and ate the boy before retrieving the egg.
==See Also==
*Toruk (Great Leonopteryx)
*Ikran Makto
*Mountain Banshee
*Jake Sully
==References==
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Category:Avatar
Category:Mythology
Category:Na'vi culture