Vakama

**Vakama** is one of the Turaga of Mata Nui who was once the Toa Metru of Fire.

## Appearance

By each stage of his life, Vakama has changed his appearance. As a Matoran he is small (or average size depending on how you look at it) his facial features are more rounded and wide eyed. As a Toa he is much taller and his shoulders are more broad. His eyes are much smaller than before and his mask has changed though still quite rounded. Under mutation his head, like the others, is flatter and smaller than his Toa counterparts as well as gaining a hundge back and claw like hand as opposed to a normal one. As a Turaga he dons a black robe, a staff and his head once again changed, having more exaggerated eyebrows and a long chin as well as no moving mouth, just a voice box.

## Personality

Vakama was known for his great courage and his kindness and hot temper. Vakama as a Toa was not certain he was ready for the role of a hero. At times he missed his old life in the foundries, crafting masks for others to wear. Vakama was plagued by strange visions of the future; often their meaning was not clear, and it was a "talent" he hid from others. Later he discovered that the visions he had were the key to saving Metru Nui. Although he led the Toa Metru, he was unsure of himself, and didn't know if he wanted that role. During his time as a Hordika, because he was the most driven of the Toa Metru, succumbed to his Hordika side first. Nokama, however, felt strongly that Vakama was the best suited to lead the Toa Metru. He had a close friendship with Nokama.

He later, as a Turaga, had trouble trusting the Toa Mata, stemming from the betrayal of "Turaga Dume" (Makuta in disguise) and his own mistakes as a Toa Metru. Because of this, he usually divulged information only strictly on a need-to-know basis to his fellow Matoran and Toa, which annoyed Nokama, who believed that the Toa Mata should know the truth.

## History

As a Matoran, Vakama was one of Metru Nui's best Mask Makers; he learned the trade from Nuhrii. Turaga Dume (who was actually Teridax in disguise) even asked him personally to make a Kanohi Vahi (a mask of time). While Vakama was working on the Mask of Time, Toa Lhikan visited him and gave him a Toa Stone and a map to the Great Temple. Immediately after Lhikan delivered the stone, the two were attacked by two Dark Hunters: Nidhiki and Krekka. Lhikan saved Vakama's life, but was taken away by the Dark Hunters. He then had a vision with Lhikan telling him Metru Nui depended on him. Vakama then made his way to the Great Temple, where he met five other Matoran: Nokama, Matau, Onewa, Whenua and Nuju, all of which had received Toa Stones from Lhikan. The six Matoran found a Toa Suva in the Temple and put their Toa Stones into the cavities in the Suva. A beam of light shot out of the Suva and they were transformed into Toa Metru.

Amazed at their transformation, the new Toa found Kanoka Disks, engraved with their names and images of their masks inside the Suva. They took these Toa Disks as signs that they were destined to be Toa. After Vakama chose a Disk Launcher that could be used as a jetpack from the Suva's collection of tools, he had a vision of the city being saved by six Great Disks and of six Matoran from each district who knew of their locations. The others did not trust Vakama's vision at first, but they ultimately decided that it was all they had to go on. Splitting up, each Toa went to their respective Metru in search of the Matoran Vakama saw.

After collecting the disc, through some struggle, Vakama and the other Toa reunited. 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 in which the Coliseum's floor was activated rising and falling like waves of the ocean 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 "impostor" Toa be arrested. Vakama, Nokama, and Matau were able to escape, but Nuju, Onewa and Whenua were captured and thrown into the Prison of the Dark Hunters. Meanwhile, Vakama saw the Dark Hunters with Dume and realized that the three were working together.

On the run from the Vahki and the Dark Hunters (as well as a Tahtorak that they had awakened), Vakama, Nokama, and Matau saw Lhikan's Spirit Star over Po-Metru, so they headed in that direction by hitching a ride on a Vahki Transport. Vakama also began experimenting with the Great Disks and found that he could merge them together.

Vakama, Nokama and Matau eventually met up with Onewa, Whenua, Nuju and a Turaga in the tunnels under Po-Metru. 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 afterwards, the Toa found a silver sphere with the real 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 impostor - Teridax. The Master of Shadows 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 Until Vakama challenged him alone. There, Vakama showed the results of his toying with the Kanoka Disks: the Vahi had been made, just as "Dume" had wanted. Teridax offered him membership in his Brotherhood, but Vakama flatly refused and attempted to use the Vahi's powers against the Makuta. Unfortunately, Vakama wasn't able to control its power well enough, and he ended up slowing time to a crawl for both of them. Teridax 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 knocked 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 activated his mask power of Concealment and began using his invisibility to fight Teridax. 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.

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 green spider webs covering the city from top to bottom. Nevertheless, 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 other 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 spider webs - hordes of Visorak who had taken over the city. The Toa were quickly overtaken and captured, and upon orders from their King, Sidorak (with input from his viceroy, Roodaka), the Visorak bound the Toa in cocoons, injected them with their 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.

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.

The bestial Toa, however, agreed that the Matoran came first, so 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. Vakama took the mutations especially hard, as he saw them as the latest in a long string of failures. In the meantime, Roodaka placed information where the Toa would find it: information that stated how Nuhrii, Vhisola, Ahkmou and the other Matoran that knew the place of the Great Disks were the ones meant to be Toa, but that Teridax had influenced Lhikan to change his mind so that the destined heroes would never gain power.

Feeling like an impostor as well as a failure (and not being helped by the other Toa's complaining about their situation and his leadership), 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 horde. Already starting to resent his fellow Toa due to their constant criticisms and their harshness with him, 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. Giving in to his Rahi side, the Toa Hordika of Fire 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 not-so-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 who was now acting more and more like an animal. At the top of the Coliseum's highest spire, Matau tried to talk down Vakama apologizing for doubting his capability as a leader, reminding him of the Toa's friendship and their strength in unity- even as Vakama tried to kill him. Only when the Toa Hordika of Air was close to falling to his death did his words got through, and as Matau 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 also entered the fight, seemingly on the side of 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 and because the Visorak hated Roodaka, 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 Teridax's prison: since it had now absorbed all six elemental powers, the prison's seal was broken and Makuta was free again.

But Teridax 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.

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 Teridax. 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.

An island-wide Kolhii tournament was subsequently held, and Turaga Vakama selected Takua and Jaller as Ta-Koro's Kolhii champions. Eventually, the final championship was held in Ta-Koro's Kolhii Stadium, between the Ta-Koro team and those of Ga-Koro (Hahli and Macku) and Po-Koro (Hewkii and Hafu). Ga-Koro's team ultimately emerged the victor, but this was overshadowed by the discovery of the Mask of Light at the end of the tournament. After Turaga Onewa and the people of Po-Koro left Ta-Koro, three Rahkshi attacked Ta-Koro after Gali alerted the guards to sound the alarm. The defenses proved little use against the monstrous trio, so Vakama aided Gali and Nokama in evacuating Ta-Koro. Everyone escaped, but Ta-Koro was destroyed in the lava and Tahu's spare Kanohi Nuva were burned. He came to Kini-Nui after Takua became the great Takanuva. After burying Jaller, Vakama found Takanuva mourning the death of his friend, and encouraged the Toa of Light to keep going. After Takanuva entered the Mangaia astride the newly-constructed Ussanui, Vakama waited at the Kini-Nui with the rest of Mata Nui's population for his return, but eventually entered the lair as well, where they bore witness to Takanuva's duel with Makuta. The two ended up briefly merging into Takutanuva, who then lifted a gate to Metru Nui.