Lewa

Lewa is a BIONICLE character. He is a lighthearted Toa of Air who is a member of the Toa Mata, a team later rebranded as the Toa Nuva. He has been released as a canister set three times, in 2001, 2002, and 2008, as well as as the pilot of a larger vehicle set in 2008. Lewa will return again as a set in 2015 as a part of the reintroduction of BIONICLE where he is rebooted as a sarcastic and daring Toa of Jungle who controls both plantlife and air.
== Description ==
Lewa uses green as a primary colour. His first two versions utilized dark green as the primary shade and bright yellowish green secondarily on limbs. His eyes were transparent fluorescent green. In his original form, he wore the Kanohi Miru, a sleek mask with slanted eyes and a wide grin, and wielded an axe.
As a Toa Nuva he was upgraded with a silver chestplate and shoulder pads, as well as two new katanas and a Miru Nuva - a spikier mask with smaller eyes and a less expressive mouth.
When he was later released in 2008, bright yellowish green became Lewa's primary colour while dark stone grey was used secondarily and dark green was dropped entirely. The "adapted" Miru Nuva is given a blue visor and while it retains aspects from the previous two versions of the mask, it is more detailed, has no discernible mouth (being a prominent feature of the first two) and has wide cheeks and a rudder on the top. Silver was not a part of the figure's armour, but was used for his weapons and equipment, including shoulder mounted jetpacks and the weapons which replaced the katanas - a longer sword and a Midak Skyblaster. The pilot version is overall similar to this one, but deviates by using smaller feet, a silver torso piece, and an even further stylized version of the adaptive Miru Nuva with blue rudders sprouting from the visor. This figure also does not include the weapons or jetpacks.
The 2015 reintroduction will use the CCBS rather than classic BIONICLE parts. His main colour is bright green, an even more vibrant hue than before, which is used on his mask, torso, thighs, and lower arms. Flame yellowish orange is used as an accent colour on his shins and forearms. Lastly, he uses silver on his chest, shoulder pads, hands, feet, and for granulated knee pads. Lewa's mask, like other incarnations, has openings on the front, four in total. His eyes pear out of the top ones while the bottom ones, in conjunction with the emphasized jaw, give the impression of a grin. A round hole where his mouth would be recesses and separates the chin in the middle. There are three chutes on his mask, two on the sides and one on the top. Lewa has long limbs, and his chest is printed with a tribal pattern in bright yellowish green. He carries a pair of axes with lengthy hilts as weapons. A gear seems to be placed under his shoulder, implying some functionality like the classic sets.
== Background ==
=== Original ===
==== Chronicles ====
Lewa washes ashore on the island of Mata Nui in a canister where he remembers little about his past life other than his name. He finds the village of Le-Koro in the jungle which is inhabited by the much smaller Matoran and led by a Turaga elder named Matau. They inform him that it is his destiny to awaken the Great Spirit Mata Nui, for whom the island is named, and defeat his evil brother Makuta who has infected the Rahi beasts that have laid siege to the Matoran villages for nearly a millennium. Matau tasks Lewa with finding five Kanohi Masks of power hidden around the island. In his search, Lewa meets the other Toa Mata, Tahu, Kopaka, Gali, Pohatu, and Onua, who are each searching for their own collection of masks, but they decide to continue their searches separately, despite Gali and Pohatu believing working together would be the best option.
While searching for his Kanohi, Lewa is at one point captured by Rahi and has his mask replaced with an infected one. Lewa is forced by the mask to oversee the enslaved Le-Matoran in a Nui-Rama hive until Onua arrives, defeats him, and returns his mask to him. Lewa and Onua rescue the villagers and bring them back to Le-Koro for a celebration. While there, Lewa, having found all five masks for a full set of six (including the one he arrived on the island wearing) and exchanges them for a golden Kanohi.
Joining with the other five Toa at the Kini-Nui, they prepare to enter Makuta's lair with Takua and the Chronicler's Company defending them as they descend. While underground, Lewa merges with Gali and Kopaka to become Wairuha, the Toa Kaita of wisdom, while Tahu, Pohatu, and Onua form Akamai, the Toa Kaita of valor. They each go down a separate path leading to Makuta's lair where they battle the Manas. To enter Makuta's lair, the Toa Kaita split back into the six Toa who battle constructs of themselves created by Makuta before facing the tyrant. Makuta appears to them as a Matoran and torments them that he is exactly what they vowed to protect, but he then transforms into a mass of tentacles and attacks the Toa Mata. The Toa each blast Makuta with their power, and he disappears defeated. Lewa returns to the surface with the other Toa.
As soon as they return above ground, the Toa are warned by the Matoran Kapura of the Bohrok and find the village of Ta-Koro under attack by the creatures. Lewa rapidly attacks the Bohrok, but is frozen by Kohrak. Tahu rescues him by melting the ice, and Lewa combines his abilities with Gali's, allowing them to create a thunderstorm to drive off the creatures. Turaga Vakama expounds on what little Kapura had told the Toa, and informs them that to defeat the swarms, they must capture the eight types of Krana, the organic brains of the mechanical Bohrok.
Lewa returns to Le-Koro to find Matau and the Le-Matoran (sans Kongu and Tamaru, who escaped) under the influence of the Krana. Lewa's mask is replaced by a Krana and he falls under control of the swarms until he is again saved by Onua as Matoran in Boxors arrive to liberate Le-Koro. Lewa regroups with the other Toa Mata, though they are cautious that he may still be under the influence of the Krana. Together they descend into the Bohrok nest where they find and don the Exo-Toa, suits of armour. As they attack the Bahrag, queens of the Bohrok swarms, they realize that the Exo-Toa do not allow them to use their elemental powers fully and remove the armour. By combining their elemental energies into a blast, they secure the Bahrag in a Protodermis seal, imprisoning them and disabling the Bohrok. Immediately afterwards, the Toa fall into a vat of Energized Protodermis and rise from the strange liquid with new armour, masks, weapons, and increased power as the Toa Nuva, but their elemental powers now rely on relics known as Nuva Symbols.
Due to their enhanced power, the Toa Nuva decide to go their separate ways, believing that they can protect their villages independently now. However, Lewa soon finds himself unable to command air when he begins to fall while flying, though the Matoran Kongu rescues him. Lewa learns that his Nuva Symbol has been stolen by one of six evolved Bohrok, called the Bohrok-Kal, and joins Tahu, Takua, and Jaller, in searching for the criminals. They are soon joined by the other four Toa Nuva, who have all had their powers stolen. After they track down the Bohrok-Kal, the Toa are defeated and decide to split up again to search for Kanohi Nuva, their abilities to use Masks of Power remaining intact. The Toa Nuva join together again when the Bohrok-Kal find the Bahrag's prison and attempt to free them and reawaken the hordes by using the Nuva Symbols. The Toa Nuva are able to defeat the creatures by feeding them their powers through the Nuva Symbols, supercharging the Kal and causing them to destroy themselves.
Lewa again returns to his domain in Le-Wahi where he later encounters Takua and Jaller, who are searching for the prophesied seventh Toa. After rescuing the Matoran from an Ash Bear, he offers to accompany them and summons a Gukko so they can travel quickly. When they reach Ko-Wahi, Lewa realizes that Ta-Koro has been attacked by Rahkshi and urges Takua and Jaller to finish their quest without him. Lewa joins with Gali and Tahu as they head towards Po-Wahi to find the other Toa, but they are attacked by the six Rahkshi. Despite being joined by Kopaka in the fight, the Toa are unable to stop the Sons of Makuta. The Toa continue to Onu-Koro where Lewa helps Takua and Pewku to escape so they can reassociate with Jaller. After the battle of Onu-Koro, Lewa and Kopaka help Gali to heal Tahu, who has come under Lerahk's poison. While Gali recollects her power, Lewa, Tahu, and Kopaka encounter Rahkshi Kaita Za and Rahkshi Kaita Vo in Le-Wahi. The Toa are again unable to stop the Rahkshi in their search for the Toa of Light. All six Toa collect at the Kini-Nui to defend Takua and Jaller when they are ambushed by the six Rahkshi. By blowing sand into the air and having Tahu transform it into glass, he and Lewa are able to stop Lerahk, Guurahk, and Panrahk. During the fight for the Mask of Light, Jaller is killed by Turahk and Takua realizes it is his destiny to wear the Mask of Light, transforming into Toa Takanuva as he puts it on. With help from Takanuva, the Toa Nuva are able to defeat the remaining Rahkshi. Takanuva insists on facing Makuta alone, and the Toa Nuva allow him to until he sends the new chronicler, Hahli, back up to the surface to summon the Toa and Turaga to witness Makuta's defeat and awaken Mata Nui. Though Makuta's defeat does not result in Mata Nui rising again, the Toa and Turaga do rediscover the city of Metru Nui below the island of Mata Nui, a land where the Turaga explain that they had once been Toa themselves.
==== Ignition ====
After the Turaga tell the story their origins as the Toa Metru, Lewa, the Matoran, the Turaga, and the other Toa return to Metru Nui to repopulate the forgotten land. The Toa assist in rebuilding the city until Turaga Dume informs them that Mata Nui is not only asleep, but also dying and the only way to save him is to find and use the Kanohi Ignika, the Mask of Life. The six Toa Nuva set out on a quest for the island of Voya Nui to find the mask and save Mata Nui. They encounter the Piraka, and Lewa fights with Reidak. Though Reidak does destroy one of his Air Katanas, Lewa is able to defeat him, only to be felled by Hakann. The Piraka take away their Kanohi and weapons and place the fallen Toa at the base of the volcanic Mount Valmai, hoping that the lava would end them, but the Toa are able to escape. The Toa Nuva then encounter a team of six Matoran who are resisting the Piraka, and having been previously fooled into believing that the Piraka were Toa, attack Lewa and his teammates. Balta learns the truth from Axonn and puts an end to the fight. The Toa and Matoran join forces to infiltrate the Piraka Stronghold and manage to take back their masks and tools, but Brutaka defeats all six of them at once. The Piraka place the Toa into a chamber that dampens their abilities until the Matoran's resistance rescues them later. The Toa Nuva meet the Toa Inika, Kongu, Jaller, Hahli, Matoro, Nuparu, and Hewkii having come from Metru Nui to rescue them and transforming into Toa along the way. As the Toa Inika continue the search for the Ignika, Lewa and the Toa Nuva are given a new mission by the Order of Mata Nui to prepare for the awakening of the Great Spirit.
The Toa return to the island of Mata Nui to reawaken the Bahrag, allowing the Bohrok to level the now uninhabited island, battle the Dark Hunters over the Staff of Artakha, force Roodaka to revert the Rahaga back into the Toa Hagah, and track the Staff of Artakha to the possession of Icarax. They find Icarax in Karzahni and engage him in battle (after recovering Lhikan's mask). All of the Toa fall in battle except for Gali, who unleashes a Nova Blast, destroying Karzahni in the process, but Icarax is able to escape with the Staff. The Toa decide to split up in the meantime, and Lewa again returns to Mata Nui to retrieve a sundial buried underground and to bring it to the Onu-Metru Archives. Afterwards, Botar collects Lewa and his teammates so they could witness the Staff of Artakha in use, the Order of Mata Nui having recovered it themselves. Trinuma positions the staff into a cradle which magnifies its power, and the Staff undoes the damage to Metru Nui and the rest of the Matoran Universe done when Makuta Teridax put Mata Nui to sleep. The being for which the staff was named, Artakha, then summons the Toa Nuva to his realm (also called Artakha) where he gifts them with adaptive armour and teleports them to Karda Nui, the place where they must reawaken Mata Nui.
As they enter Karda Nui, the adaptive armour gives each Toa Nuva the ability to fly. They decide to split up into two groups, with Lewa, Kopaka, and Pohatu defending the Av-Matoran in villages on fallen stalactites while Tahu, Gali, and Onua would head for the swamps below to look for the Ignika (which had fallen from Mahri Nui to Karda Nui when Matoro used the mask to resuscitate Mata Nui). The Toa find the Av-Matoran in the midst of battle with three members of the Brotherhood of Makuta, and join in to help the Matoran. During the fight, Lewa collides with Tanma and finds that it allows Tanma to share his memories with the Toa. After capturing Kirop, an Av-Matoran who had his light drained out by the Makuta's Shadow Leeches, the Toa and their new Av-Matoran allies follow him to the Shadow Leech hive. The Toa and Matoran, joined by the Ignika in a "Toa" body it had created for itself, attempt to destroy the hive, but Mutran plays with their perceptions of reality and turns them against Toa Ignika. The Makuta then capture the Toa and threaten to use a Shadow Leech to corrupt Lewa, but Pohatu rescues him by using his powers to knock Mutran and Antroz down before they are able to fulfill their threat. Reuniting with the Matoran, Lewa, Pohatu, and Kopaka use their powers to destroy the hive. The Makuta attack the last Av-Matoran village to retaliate, but find that the Toa and Matoran are already gone.
Heading to the swamps to regroup with the others, the Toa Nuva are whole once more as they commence in a fight with more Makuta and more Shadow Matoran. The tide is turned when Takanuva arrives in Karda Nui and he drives the Makuta away. While the Makuta collect themselves, the Toa open up the Cordex using keystones they had collected and enter. The Toa Nuva realize that their canisters had been held in the Cordex before they were launched to the ocean around Mata Nui, and upon further investigation, discover battle vehicles waiting for them. Antroz reveals that he had followed the Toa into the Cordex, and steals the Jetrax T6 from Kopaka. Lewa mounts the Axalara T9 and Pohatu the Rockoh T3 as they give chase to Antroz. However, it is Kopaka who removes Antroz from the Jetrax. Toa Ignika sacrifices his body to reawaken Mata Nui and energy storms commence. The Matoran having already been evacuated (and cured from the Shadow Leeches, if need be), the other Toa Nuva and Takanuva pile onto the three vehicles to make a hasty escape.
As they return to Metru Nui, the Toa find the Matoran, Turaga, Toa Mahri (a new incarnation of the Toa Inika), and Order of Mata Nui in battle with the remaining forces of the Brotherhood of Makuta, and quickly turn the tide. Lewa joins the others in celebrating Mata Nui's return, but Turaga Dume's speech is interrupted by Teridax, the same Makuta they had faced on Mata Nui, who informs them that Mata Nui's spirit is actually trapped in the Ignika, which is hurling through outer space, and that Teridax' spirit is in possession of the Matoran Universe, which is in reality a giant robot. Rahkshi invade the city, and its inhabitants flee to the Archives. An old ally of the Turaga, a Rahi called Krahka, shows them how they could escape Metru Nui into the greater Matoran Universe through the Archives. The Toa Nuva decide to split up, to keep from drawing too much attention together.
==== Reign of Shadows and Spherus Magna ====
Lewa is sent by Trinuma to convince Artahka in rebelling against Teridax. Lewa finds his realm overrun with Rahkshi, and Artahka warns him that it is too late and suggests he seek out Tren Krom instead. Tren Krom agrees to help the Toa, if Lewa will free him. Lewa agrees and allows his mind to be switched with Tren Krom's, leaving Lewa trapped in a cave while Tren Krom returns to Metru Nui, planning to overthrow Teridax and take control of the universe himself. However, Arthaka prevents this from happening and returns Lewa's mind to its rightful body. Finding himself in a debate between rebels who are arguing over whether or not using a Nova Blast to destroy Metru Nui and therefore Teridax' mind and the rest of the universe would be worth it, Teridax banishes everyone near Lewa, including Artahka, Helryx, Axonn, Brutaka, Miserix, Tuyet, Kapura, and Hafu and places them outside of the robot, in outer space. Lewa manages to rescue them by creating air bubbles for everyone but Miserix, who does not requite it, to allow them to breath. Despite death seeming imminent, they are rescued by Vezon who takes them to the prison of an insane Great Being on Bota Magna, who wishes for them to free him. While the others get caught up in a debate again, Lewa leaves and observes an organic reptile with robotic attachments kill a smaller beast, and then sees that it is approaching a group of Agori villagers. Lewa attempts to warn the Agori of the monster, but they are unable to understand him and are more interested in his biomechanical body. After gesturing that he came from the Great Being's prison, the Agori point a spear at his throat and drag him away.
=== Reboot ===
Lewa is a Toa of Jungle who arrives on the island of Okoto before being sent on a quest to find the Golden Mask of Jungle and retrieve the Mask of Creation.
== Notes ==
* BIONICLEstory.com was taken offline before Lewa's status could be resolved.
* Dale Wilson voices Lewa in BIONICLE: Mask of Light, as well as Turaga Onewa.
* While BIONICLE was still in its conceptual phase, Lewa was known as Axe.
== Appearances ==
* 8535 Lewa 
* 8567 Lewa Nuva 
* 8686 Toa Lewa 
* 8943 Axalara T9 
* 70784 Lewa - Master of Jungle 
* 71305 Lewa - Uniter of Jungle
;Other
* Bk2 Lewa Nuva 
* McDBioK8 Toa Lewa 
== Gallery of variants ==
== BIONICLE.com biography ==
== External links ==
Category:BIONICLE