Toa Metru / Toa Hordika

The Toa Metru were heroes from the LEGO BIONICLE storyline, specifically the BIONICLE Adventures story arc. In the second half of the arc, they were briefly mutated into half-beasts called Toa Hordika. The six Toa Metru were Vakama, Nokama, Matau, Onewa, Whenua, and Nuju. The term "Metru" means "city" or "city district" in the Matoran language and refers to Metru Nui, the island metropolis that the Toa fought to save; while the phrase "Toa Hordika" comes from the Hordika venom that mutated them. They are now Turaga.
== History ==
=== Mystery of Metru Nui ===
A thousand years ago, the city of Metru Nui was in danger. Several Toa had disappeared while on missions for Turaga Dume, leaving only Toa Lhikan. Turaga Dume had also ordered all routes out from the city sealed off, in preparation for an impending crisis. The city had come under attack from a plant creature called the Morbuzakh, causing more Matoran to be kidnapped every day. Lhikan dealt with the Morbuzakh attacks as best he could, but when two Dark Hunters, including Lhikan's former teammate Nidhiki, were seen inside the city, he began to get worried.
Having become suspicious of Dume, Lhikan took matters into his own hands and stole six Toa stones from the Great Temple. He had originally planned to give the stones to six Matoran who had found the Great Kanoka Disks: Nuhrii, Vhisola, Orkahm, Ahkmou, Tehutti, and Ehrye. But he thought better of this plan and instead decided on six others: Vakama, Nokama, Matau, Onewa, Whenua, and Nuju. Lhikan infused the stones with some of his own Toa power and gave them to the Matoran with directions to the Great Temple. Just as he delivered the last Toa Stone to Vakama (who was trying to make a Vahi Mask of Time for "Dume"), Nidhiki and his partner Krekka attacked and captured him. The last thing Lhikan told Vakama was to "save the heart of Metru Nui."
The Matoran went to the Great Temple as instructed and place their Toa Stones in the Suva shrine. When the Toa Stones were collected, a beam of light shot out of the Suva and transformed the surprised Matoran into Toa. Amazed at their transformation, the new Toa found Kanoka Disks inside the Suva engraved with their names and images of their new masks; they took these Toa Disks as signs that they were destined to be Toa. After they each chose tools from the Suva's collection, Vakama got a vision of the Great Disks and the Matoran who found them. Though not everyone had faith in the visions of a "fire-spitter", the Toa Metru agree that it's all they have to go on, so they split up and each searched for one of the Matoran.
But the search didn't go off as well as planned. First, there was the hassle of evading the Vahki enforcers, who were programmed to pacify troublemakers - like a certain group of rookie Toa running around the city. Complicating matters was the Toa's inexperience with their new powers. The six Matoran had also vanished without a trace. But after a little detective work on the Toa's part, each Matoran was found and rescued from where they had been trapped by the Dark Hunters. But they also found some evidence that one of the Matoran actually helped set the traps for the other five.
The Toa Metru then began their search for the Great Disks, with the Matoran in tow to keep an eye on them. With a little work - and several close calls - all were able to retrieve their Great Disks: Nokama got the Ga-Metru Disk from the mouth of a sea monster, Vakama claimed the Ta-Metru Disk from an erupting fire pit, Whenua found the Onu-Metru Disk in an Archives storage closet (after he and Nuju faced Rahi monsters behind several wrong doors), Matau grabbed the Le-Metru Disk from a soon-to-implode force sphere, Nuju found the Ko-Metru Disk in an icicle on top of a Knowledge Tower, and Onewa scaled a towering statue to claim the Po-Metru Disk.
With all the Disks found, Vhisola told the Toa Metru that according to her research, the Morbuzakh can be stopped by destroying its King Root. Having noticed the plant's dislike of cold earlier, the Toa figured that the King Root must be in the Great Furnace, so the group headed to Ta-Metru. On the way, Ahkmou tried to run but was quickly caught; when confronted he admitted that Nidhiki threatened him into helping trap the other Matoran.
Inside the heart of the furnace (and after the Matoran had left), the Toa were shocked to find that the Morbuzakh could communicate telepathically; it explained its plan to take over the city but let it slip that it was commanded to attack by someone. After using up nearly all their elemental power fighting, the Toa eventually lured the Morbuzakh into drawing them in closer, where they unleashed the powers of the Great Disks. The Disks' power created an energy sphere that cut the Morbuzakh off from its vines and killed it. With the Morbuzakh's defeat, all its vines throughout the city disintegrated, and the Great Furnace collapsed (with the Toa Metru escaping safely).
=== The Great Cataclysm ===
Fresh from their victory, the Toa Metru went to the Coliseum, hoping to present themselves to Turaga Dume (though they had to make a detour into the Archives to keep them from being flooded, and found themselves fighting a territorial shapeshifter called Krahka). Unfortunately, Dume rejected their gifts of the Great Kanoka Disks and insisted that they pass a grueling physical test before they would be recognized as heroes. With their elemental power drained and their mask powers still inaccessible, the Toa suffered a humiliating defeat. Dume ordered that the "imposter" Toa be arrested; though Vakama, Nokama, and Matau were able to escape. On the way out, Vakama saw the Dark Hunters with Dume and figured out that the three are working together.
On the run from the Vahki and the Dark Hunters (and a Tahtorak that they had awakened); Vakama, Nokama, and Matau saw Lhikan's Spirit Star over Po-Metru, so they headed in that direction; Vakama also began experimenting with the Great Disks and found that he can merge them together. Meanwhile; Onewa, Whenua, and Nuju found themselves locked up with a strange Turaga, who immediately put them to work doing seemingly pointless tasks.
Around this time, the Toa began to activate their mask powers for the first time: Nokama gained hers after admitting she doesn't know all the answers, and her new powers of Translation let her talk to a herd of Kikanalo and gain their help. Matau was taught some humility by the Kikanalo, and could then use his Illusion power to shapeshift. Onewa and Nuju activated their powers of Mind Control and Telekinesis, respectively, when they got in an argument over the strange Turaga's tasks; they were then able to use their new powers to escape their prison. And Whenua used his new power of Night Vision to lead the escapees through the underground tunnels.
The two groups eventually met up in the tunnels under Po-Metru, and the Turaga revealed himself to be Lhikan, whose power was drained by the others' transformation into Toa. Lhikan asked if the "heart of Metru Nui" was safe; when Vakama was confused by the question, Lhikan explained that the "heart of Metru Nui" was the Matoran. Soon afterward, the Toa found a silver sphere with Turaga Dume inside, unmasked and unconscious. With all realizing that someone else has taken control of the city while pretending to be Dume; they quickly headed to the Coliseum.
The Toa Metru found the city deserted, with the entire population sealed into spheres by Dume's imposter, none other than Makuta, who had been one of the Matorans' guardians. Makuta then proceeded to put the Great Spirit Mata Nui to sleep, triggering the Great Cataclysm. While this was happening, the Toa grabbed a few Matoran Spheres and started to flee the city, intending to return for the rest.
Makuta, however, wasn't going to let that happen without a fight. He chased after the Toa Metru, and Vakama challenged him alone. There, Vakama showed the results of his toying with the Kanoka Disks: the Vahi Mask of Time, just as "Dume" had wanted. Makuta offered him membership in his Brotherhood, but Vakama flatly refused and attempted to use the Vahi's powers against Makuta. Unfortunately, Vakama wasn't able to control its power, and he ended up slowing time to a crawl for both of them. Makuta had launched a deadly blast that Vakama would never be able to dodge when Turaga Lhikan appeared and jumped in the way, sacrificing himself for Vakama. While Makuta went after the Vahi (which had been thrown off Vakama's face from the impact), Lhikan told Vakama how proud he was to have called Vakama a "brother". Spurred on by Lhikan's last words, Vakama finally activated his mask power of Concealment and began using his invisibility to fight Makuta. The other Toa Metru soon made their way to the battlefield, and together the six of them combined their powers to seal Makuta in a prison of solid protodermis.
=== Exploring Mata Nui ===
In their journey away from Metru Nui, the Toa Metru encountered an old acquaintance of Whenua's named Mavrah. It turns out that some time ago, the two had been part of a project to study a number of sea Rahi; but the Rahi had proved enough of a threat that Turaga Dume had shut down the project. Mavrah had become somewhat obsessed with the Rahi and what could be learned from them, and escaped with the Rahi before the Vahki could less-than-gently drive them out. By the time the Toa Metru found him, he had become paranoid; thinking the Toa were sent to drag him back to the city. The Toa's attempt to escape Mavrah and the Rahi sparked a feeding frenzy; the Toa made it out but Mavrah was washed out to sea, and one of the Matoran Spheres (one that held the traitor Ahkmou) was lost between the waves.
Arriving at the planet's surface, the Toa found a lush tropical island and named it Mata Nui, after the Great Spirit. They each explored the island, looking for good sites to found villages for their respective Matoran, and at Vakama's suggestion created new Toa Stones so that replacement Toa could come if they failed.
The Toa started the trek back to Metru Nui and encountered several Rahi headed in the other direction, scared out of their minds of something. They also wound up facing the Rahi Nui, which attacked and badly injured Nokama. They soon afterwards encountered a plant monster called the Karzahni, a prototype of the Morbuzakh that wanted revenge on Makuta for abandoning it. Karzahni made a deal with the Toa: if the Toa obtained some energized protodermis for it, Karzanhi would cure Nokama of her injuries. The Toa got the energized protodermis, but only after battling an entity made entirely of the strange liquid. Karzahni kept its word and healed Nokama, and in return the Toa gave Karzahni the protodermis; but instead of being transformed as Karzahni expected, it was instead destroyed.
=== The Great Rescue ===
Upon returning to Metru Nui on a raft of transport parts and dead Karzahni branches, the Toa Metru found a city very different from the one they left: the bioquake during the cataclysm had not only damaged several of the buildings, but also freed most Rahi from where they had been kept in the Archives. Even more unsettling were the numerous spiderwebs covering the city from top to bottom. But Vakama (believing he had failed the Matoran by allowing their capture and Lhikan by not preventing his death) had become dead-set on rescuing the Matoran, and despite their uneasiness none of the Toa would object enough to dissuade him from marching them directly to the Coliseum.
Unfortunately, the Coliseum had become the nesting grounds of the makers of the spiderwebs - hordes of Visorak who had taken over Metru-nui. The Toa were quickly overtaken and captured. Upon orders from their King, Sidorak (with input from his Viceroy, Roodaka), the Visorak bound the Toa in cocoons, injected them with their Hordika venom, and strung them up high above the city. Soon enough, the venom began to take effect, mutating the Toa into horrific bestial forms and causing them to tear out of their cocoons. Just as they were falling to their certain doom, they were caught in midair by the Rahaga, small Rahkshi-like beings who opposed the hordes.
The Rahaga informed the Toa that they were now Toa Hordika, half-beasts that would have to fight to keep their primal rage in check. The Toa also discovered that their powers were also much more limited than they were before. The Rahaga offered to aid the Toa, telling them of a Rahi in Metru Nui called Keetongu who could reverse their mutations... if he even existed.
But the Toa agreed that the Matoran came first; they would deal with their mutations later. To that end, they formed a plan to build airships that would bring the Matoran to Mata Nui and began scouring the city for transport parts and other supplies they would need. However, they not only had to fight against the Visorak hunting them down, but each had their own problems with their new feral sides: where Onewa and Nuju had to struggle to keep their tempers down, Nokama and Whenua enjoyed their new connection to nature a little too much and had to resist the urges to live as beasts. Vakama took the mutations especially hard, as he saw them as the latest in a long string of failures.
A few things of note happened during this time. Turaga Dume somehow awoke from his slumber, though the details of this are still unknown. The Rahaga told the Toa Hordika of the Avohkii, the Great Mask of Light that they had hidden in the city, and the Toa were able to find the Makoki stones to unlock its hiding place and claim it before the Visorak could. And the Toa ended up allying with Krahka and Tahtorak as Sidorak ordered a massive Zivon unleashed on the city; the three beasts fought until they were all banished back into the darkness that Zivon was summoned from. But most devastating was that Roodaka placed information where the Toa would find it; information that stated how Nuhrii, Vhisola, Ahkmou and the others were the ones meant to be Toa, but that Makuta had influenced Lhikan to change his mind so that the destined heroes would never gain power.
Feeling like an imposter as well as a failure (and not being helped by the other Toa complaining about their situation), Vakama briefly considered abandoning them and trying to rescue the Matoran himself, but realized how futile it would be. At that point, Roodaka abducted him and offered him nothing less than command of the Visorak. Vakama saw a chance to take a well-trained army and command them to release the Matoran; and Roodaka encouraged him with the idea that leadership meant blind obedience of the followers, as opposed to the stubborn opposition that the other Toa often gave. He accepted the position, but Roodaka knew Sidorak would not be so easily sold on the idea. She had Vakama kidnap the Rahaga (save Norik, who was left behind to "send a message") as proof of his intentions, and by sweetening the deal with acceptance of Sidorak's long-denied marriage proposals and promises of the other Toa Hordika becoming commanders, Roodaka got Sidorak to welcome Vakama into the army.
Meanwhile, the Rahaga and Toa Hordika decided it was time to pick up the search for Keetongu, as it might be the only way to save Vakama. Once the Rahaga were captured, Norik took the information they had found and led the Toa to a mountain of ice hidden deep within Ko-Metru, where they found the mythical Rahi. After Keetongu heard their tale and how they wanted to help their friend, he agreed to join them - but he would not cure them of their mutations yet; they would need them in the upcoming battle.
Together, the Toa Hordika, Norik, and Keetongu stormed the Coliseum. While Norik freed the other Rahaga and Keetongu went after Sidorak and Roodaka, the Toa fought off the Visorak in search of the Matoran - except for Matau, who went off on his own to face Vakama. At the top of the Coliseum's highest spire, Matau tried to talk down Vakama, reminding him of the Toas' friendship and their strength in unity - even as Vakama tried to kill him. But Matau's words got through; as he lost his grip and started to plummet to the Coliseum floor below, Vakama leapt down and caught him, using Visorak webbing as a bungee cord to keep them from impacting.
Meanwhile, the other Toa found the Matoran - only to be confronted by Roodaka, who had gotten rid of Sidorak and was now sole leader of the Visorak. Matau joined the face-off, and led the other four Toa in blasting Roodaka with their Rhotuka spinners. Vakama entered the fight next to Roodaka, but he turned on her and threatened to fire his own Rhotuka. Roodaka warned that she would order the Visorak to kill them if she died, but her rule was not as complete as she thought; Vakama was still the horde's commander and he gave the order to disband. As Roodaka was a traitor who brought their King to his death, the Visorak complied and Roodaka was left alone. Vakama made good on his threat to fire his Rhotuka, but Norik realized too late that she carried a piece of Makuta's prison: since it had now absorbed all six elemental powers, the prison's seal was broken and Makuta was free again.
But Makuta left the Toa alone for the time being, and with the Toa Hordika cured and becoming Toa Metru again; they, the Rahaga, and Keetongu all worked together to finish the airships they were building and load them with the Matoran, preparing to bring them to their new home of Mata Nui.
=== Time Trap ===
The Toa were cured and the Matoran saved, but there was still one thing to take care of: the Mask of Time was still out there somewhere, and could be extremely dangerous if in the wrong hands. Vakama went off on his own to retrieve it, asking the others to stay behind in case Makuta went after the Matoran. He found it on the ocean floor, but was quickly knocked out when a waterspout lauched him into the Great Barrier - though not before a strange being came and took the mask from him.
Vakama woke up in a different world than what he remembered: Metru Nui had never fallen, but was still threatened by the Morbuzakh. Lhikan was still alive, but as a Turaga ruling alongside Dume. And Vakama was no longer a Toa; it was Nuhrii who had been empowered in his place. Vakama started to think that perhaps the Vahi had changed the past so that Lhikan had gone with his original choices for Toa Metru. But upon talking with Nuju and Nokama (who were also Matoran again), he found that this world wasn't necessarily better: the Toa Metru here were encouraging and enforcing stricter laws; plus Onewa had been traumatized by Toa Ahkmou and the Vahki, and Matau had been killed in a Morbuzakh attack. But every now and then, Vakama would briefly see the empty, ruined city that he remembered.
Working with Nokama, Vakama searched for information on the Mask of Time. He first found a carving of the being who took the mask from him, identifying it as a Dark Hunter servant called Voporak. Then upon entering Makuta's lair in Po-Metru, a strange hybrid creature attached itself to Vakama's mask and gave him a vision of a future Toa named Krakua, who warned him that in order to save the future, he must be willing to destroy it. Coming out of his vision - Turaga Lhikan had arrived and pried the hybrid off - Vakama acted on his suspicions and flung a Kanoka right at Nokama's head. When it passed through, it proved to Vakama that what he was seeing wasn't real and made the illusion disappear completely. Vakama was a Toa as he had always been, "Nokama" was actually a Visorak playing along, and "Lhikan" was none other than Makuta himself.
Having failed to trick Vakama into handing over the Vahi, Makuta resorted to threats, but was infuriated to find that Voporak had taken the mask. He decided to propose a truce: that he and Vakama would work together to get the mask from the Dark Hunters, and then fight between themselves over it; Vakama reluctantly agreed. The two split up at the Great Temple; while Vakama faced the Hunter named Sentrakh, Makuta was challenged by Keetongu. Vakama caused an explosion in desperation that not only knocked Sentrakh out, but blew Makuta away from the Temple, sparing Keetongu's life. Unfortunately, he was immediately faced with not only Voporak but also Sentrakh's boss, The Shadowed One, who now held the Vahi and wanted to punish the Toa responsible for killing Nidhiki and Krekka. To make matters worse, Makuta returned and started bargaining with the Shadowed One over the mask. Vakama decided to play the two against each other, explaining that Makuta was the one who killed the two Hunters. The Shadowed One and Voporak immediately started fighting Makuta, and the winning side would claim the Mask of Time - if Vakama hadn't grabbed it out of the Shadowed One's hands.
On the way out of the city, Vakama's jetpack was damaged; and he was saved from certain death by the resprouted Karzahni plant. Though Karzahni had been helping Makuta, playing the part of the Morbuzakh in the illusion, it switched sides and helped Vakama by telling him the truth: Lhikan's original choices for Toa Metru were wrong. Makuta would never allow new Toa to arise that could threaten him, so Mata Nui and an Order dedicated to him made false prophesies and evidence to deceive Makuta into thinking Lhikan's choices were correct; and Makuta responded by influencing Lhikan to choose six others. But Mata Nui himself had influenced Makuta's choices; ensuring that the true destined Toa Metru would indeed gain their power.
The conversation was cut short, however, by Makuta arriving and killing Karzahni again. Vakama escaped and, taking Krakua's and Karzahni's words to heart, prepared to stand his ground and face Makuta. When Makuta caught up with him, Vakama threatened to destroy the Mask of Time, warning that he had observed its power leaking out when it was slightly damaged earlier - meaning its complete destruction could have far graver consequences. Once Makuta was convinced that Vakama really would risk the mask's destruction, he reluctantly accepted Vakama's demands: safe passage out of the city for himself, safety for his allies in Metru Nui, and peace for the Matoran - though Makuta only agreed to one year of peace before he would return.
With that, Vakama returned to the other Toa Metru and the Matoran on Mata Nui, telling them only that he got the Vahi and found they were the true destined Toa Metru; he said nothing of the rest as he feared the others would want to provoke a war with Makuta. On the shores of Mata Nui, the Toa Metru gave up their power to awaken the Matoran, becoming the Turaga who would lead them in starting their new lives...
== Powers ==
Originally, the Toa Metru 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. However, due to their inexperience their powers were not completely developed; their masks would not activate until they had a moment of self-discovery, and their elemental energies would be used up fairly quickly, requiring a rest period before they could be used again.
When mutated into Toa Hordika, nearly all of their powers became limited. Their masks became fused to their faces and would no longer work, and their elemental powers could only be accessed through Rhotuka spinners that they could now launch from their bodies. They could charge these spinners with their weapons (which were also mutated), but ran the risk of overcharging and unleashing too much power.
== Toa Metru/Toa Hordika ==
=== Vakama ===
Vakama was the Toa Metru of Fire and guardian of Ta-Metru. Vakama was once one of the city's top mask-makers, personally asked by Turaga Dume to create the legendary Vahi, Mask of Time. Though he had become a Toa, he missed his old life in the foundries and wasn't always certain he was ready for the role of hero. He had always been plagued by strange visions of the future; often their meaning was not clear, and it was a "talent" he had always hidden from others. After Lhikan's death and Metru Nui's fall, he began to become reckless in is attempts to make up for these perceived failures - something which became worse after becoming a Hordika. He eventually decided to give up on the Toa ideal of heroism and help his people by joining the Visorak, but soon realized he was going too far and returned to his friends.
As a Toa Metru, Vakama was the Toa of Fire, with all the elemental powers included. He wore a Huna Mask of Concealment, which allows a user to turn invisible; although even in that state, Vakama still casted a shadow. Vakama did not access his mask power until after Turaga Lhikan died. He carried a Kanoka disk launcher that could be used as a jetpack. Although his disk launcher could channel his elemental fire power, Vakama often transmitted it through his hands. As a Toa Hordika, Vakama used two Blazer Claws capable of producing small flames, and a Fire Rhotuka spinner.
For the most part, the other Toa Metru had little problem with Vakama being on the team - though as Hordika they were always a little on edge and Vakama made a convenient scapegoat. Onewa, in particular, didn't think much of the "fire-spitter" and his visions, but Nokama always provided Vakama with moral support and felt he had leadership potential.
=== Nokama ===
Nokama was the Toa Metru of Water and guardian of Ga-Metru. Before becoming a Toa, Nokama was originally a teacher. Although she had become a heroine, she had not lost the habit of trying to instruct others. Nokama took her responsibilities as a Toa very seriously, and believed they had a duty to the Great Spirit to meet any challenge. She did sometimes miss her old Matoran friends, though, and they did not seem to know how to act toward her. Nokama is very good at seeing the big picture and making connections between seemingly unrelated events; and along with Onewa was the best tactician among the Toa Metru. As a Hordika, she loved her new connection to nature and wondered if she could just live her life that way from then on.
Nokama wore a Rau Mask of Translation, which allowed her to read ancient Matoran dialects and understand spoken languages, including those spoken by Rahi beasts. Her Toa tools were twin Hydro Blades, which could pull her through the protodermis canals at high speed. They were also strong enough to shatter solid rock, and could channel her power to control water. Her Hordika tools were twin Fin Barbs, which were able to dig through most substances and charge up her Water Rhotuka spinner (In Web of Shadows, she was also able to fire her fin barb as a grappling hook to latch onto a Visorak's leg and throw it across the Coliseum).
Nokama generally fit into the group, particularly taking Matau's flirting with good humor and helping Vakama rise to the challenges they faced.
=== Matau ===
Matau was the Toa Metru of Air and guardian of Le-Metru. As a Matoran, Matau was a top Ussal driver who loved to see how many speed records - and vehicles - he could break. Of all the Toa, he was the most excited about being a hero and couldn't wait for all the public acclaim he was sure was coming. He was proud, impulsive, and headstrong; willing to take a risk to prove that he was worthy of being a "Toa-hero"; and considered any bumps and bruises he got in the line of duty to be worth it. Of all the Toa, he took his Hordika state the hardest, as heroes were not supposed to suffer such a cursed existence - and the mutation ruined his dashing good looks, to boot.
Matau wore a Mahiki Mask of Illusion, which not only allowed him to create illusions but also shapeshift. He could duplicate the voices of those he impersonated, but did not assume their powers. He carried two Aero-Slicers which were strong enough to cut through energy fields and could also serve as glider wings and rotors; they also channeled his elemental air power. As a Toa Hordika, his Fang Blades could cut through most substances, and serve to charge his Air Rhotuka.
Of the other Toa, Matau openly flirted with Nokama, but she did not seem interested. He had nothing against Vakama, but he felt the other three took the whole experience too seriously and should really lighten up.
=== Onewa ===
Onewa was the Toa Metru of Stone and guardian of Po-Metru. Onewa was a master stone carver before his transformation. Like many residents of Po-Metru, he looks down on those from Ko-Metru and Onu-Metru as not doing "real work." Onewa is courageous, almost to the point of being reckless, and refuses to accept defeat. He will always find a way to win and could always be trusted in a crisis. He has enormous confidence in his own ability to achieve, and has more than once come up with the plan to save the situation. As a Toa Hordika, Onewa's already-aggressive attitude became even worse.
Onewa wore a Komau Mask of Mind Control, which allowed him to direct the actions of other beings. He carried two Proto Pitons, which he uses to scale buildings and swing from one to another; they also served to channel his power to control stone. His Hordika tools were two Claw Clubs that could hurl stones or energize his Stone Rhotuka.
Onewa had no truly close friends among the Toa Metru, mainly because he was so quick to anger. He particularly teased Vakama and Nuju, neither one of whom were his idea of a Toa.
=== Whenua ===
Whenua was the Toa Metru of Earth and guardian of Onu-Metru. Whenua had the love for history common to all archivists, and was still happiest when he was down in the Archives. He knew the Toa Metru were powerful, but he also knew they were not invincible; this made him a bit more cautious than some of the others, except perhaps in cases where the Archives were threatened. As a Hordika, he was tempted to leave his old life behind and live carefree like the Rahi he had studied.
Whenua wore a Ruru Mask of Night Vision, enabling him to light the way for the other Toa, as well as providing him with a degree of X-ray vision. He carried two Earthshock Drills, which could punch holes in virtually anything as well as creating a powerful sonic force when rotated at maximum speed. They also channeled his power to control earth. His Hordika Thumper tools could summon subterranean creatures or power up his Earth Rhotuka. He felt much closer to the Rahi than the others.
He quarreled with Nuju, who believes the past is unimportant, and with Onewa, who enjoyed poking fun at the Toa he referred to as an "Onu-Matoran stock boy."
=== Nuju ===
Nuju was the Toa Metru of Ice and guardian of Ko-Metru. Nuju was a well-respected seer before becoming a Toa - and sometimes he wished he could go back to that role. While he took his duties as a Toa seriously, it was not a job he would have volunteered for: being a Toa Metru meant having to work with others he was not sure he liked and having little time to study. Like any Ko-Matoran, he preferred to go his own way and choose his own actions rather than follow foolish orders. Although he sometimes seemed aloof, he was usually mapping out the consequences of a plan before suggesting it. Nuju was always focused on the future, which explains why he argued regularly with Whenua, who reveres the past. His Hordika side challenged all this logic and control with pure emotion, causing immense conflict within him.
Nuju wore a Matatu Mask of Telekinesis, which allowed him to move objects and beings with his mind. He had be able to see his target in order to affect it, and his mask was designed with basic vision enhancements to make that easier. He carried a pair of Crystal Spikes, useful for digging into the sheer sides of Knowledge Towers and channeling his ice power (he could also use the spikes as snowshoes). His Hordika tools are Hordika Teeth, which he used to summon flying Rahi or charge his Ice Rhotuka. In Web of Shadows, his mask's mechanical eyepiece was also shown to provide thermal vision.
Nuju didn't have any specific problems with the others (aside from the general rivalry with Whenua), though he preferred to work alone whenever possible.
== Notes ==
* The term "Metru" is likely based on the English prefix "metro-", which indicates a relation to the city. (see Wikitionary definition)
* The six Toa Metru were not the only Toa to ever be affected by Hordika venom. One such Toa Hordika now works for the Dark Hunters under the codename "Savage".
* A running gag in BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui involves Matau slamming himself upon a flat surface or an object. Among these moments include:
** Testing out a prototype vehicle in the Le-Metru Test Track as a Matoran (Matau bumped onto Toa Lhikan's shins after the vehicle was destroyed and he skidded along the track) 
** Shortly after all six Toa Metru received their powers (he spun and hit himself on a pillar in the Toa Suva)
** While retrieving a Great Kanoka Disk (collided with the side of the Le-Metru chute system)
** In the Coliseum (his back collided with a part of the wall after Turaga Dume told the Matoran manning the controls to activate the "sea of protodermis")
** Bodyslamming into the Coliseum chute system (hit the protodermis hard before being sucked into the chute's flow)
** Shortly after discovering his weapons' secondary flight power (slammed face-first in midair onto a giant mosaic of Turaga Dume in Ko-Metru).
** While riding a Kikanalo (similar to the chute-dive except much harder)
* Though the Toa Hordika figurines feature weapons attached both hands of the Toa, the configuration was changed to having only one weapon-hand (right hand) and one normal one (left hand) instead in the movie, BIONICLE 3: Web of Shadows.
* All the Toa Hordika have the same number of pieces.
== Gallery ==
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== External links ==
* Toa Metru article at BS01 Wiki
* Toa Hordika article at BS01 Wiki
* 
Category:BIONICLE groups
Category:BIONICLE