Toa Hagah (Teridax)

"Clad in armor forged from precious metals, and wielding both Toa tools and Rhotuka launchers, they were the elite."
— Turaga Vakama, Origin of the Rahaga

Toa Hagah
Toa team
Headquarters	Destral (formerly) Metru Nui (formerly)
Leader	Norik Bomonga (deputy)
Goals	Protect the Makuta (formerly) Find Teridax (formerly) Rescue the Toa Mahri (formerly)
Allies	Toa Metru (formerly) Keetongu Turaga Toa Nuva Toa Mahri Order of Mata Nui
Enemies	Brotherhood of Makuta (formerly) Visorak Dark Hunters
Status	Active
Pronunciation	TOE-ah HAH-gah

Makuta Teridax once maintained a team of Toa Hagah as his bodyguards. These six elite Toa, led by Norik, rebelled after discovering that the Brotherhood of Makuta had betrayed the Great Spirit Mata Nui. The Brotherhood captured them, mutated them into the Rahaga, and purged or corrupted the remaining teams of Toa Hagah. Over a thousand years later, the members of Teridax's team were returned to their Toa forms.

History

Recruitment

In the tens of thousands years before the Brotherhood of Makuta rebelled against Mata Nui, the individual members of Teridax's Toa Hagah had been active as Toa for some time before they were merged into a team. Between 3,500 and 4,000 years ago, they were selected by the Brotherhood of Makuta for their deeds and courage from pre-existing groups of Toa with origins from various areas of the Matoran Universe. This selection was further narrowed by assessing the merit of each Toa's individual accomplishments, and those chosen were bestowed with armor made of precious metals, to honor them as elite Toa. As a dedicative token, members of their former teams presented them with Kanohi in the shape of masks worn by past heroes.

Brotherhood of Makuta

The members of Makuta Teridax's Toa Hagah team

For many millennia, the Toa Hagah performed their duty well of protecting Teridax and the other Makuta, and also dealing with such localized threats as a Hoto Bug invasion, a rampage of Fohrok, and a Frostelus attack. During this time, the Makuta were successful in concealing their true designs from their loyal Toa.

This changed around three hundred years before the Great Cataclysm, when Teridax's team of Toa Hagah discovered that the Brotherhood had been responsible for stealing the Kanohi Avohkii from the island of Artakha to prevent the emergence of a Toa of Light. This was followed by discoveries that the Makuta had been secretly enslaving Matoran whom the Makuta had sworn to protect, that the Brotherhood was allied with the Dark Hunters, and that the peaceful Exo-Toa had been corrupted to serve as sentries for the Brotherhood fortresses. Furthermore, they learned that Roodaka and Sidorak, known servants of the Brotherhood, were commanding Visorak spiders, a species that had appeared years before. Finally, they learned that the Dark Hunters, Visorak, and Exo-Toa had been assembled in their full might to strike at other lands.

The Toa began plotting their revenge. However, Iruini, having already grown fed up with the fact that the team spent too much time on huge menaces and not ever-present dangers announced his intention to quit, warning Norik that he would do so after the Destral raid.

Following these realizations, Norik's Toa Hagah team rebelled and launched a raid on Destral. The team made it to the vaults without incident and claimed the Makoki Stones and the Avohkii. As the Toa Hagah were fleeing, Norik underestimated the Makuta, which resulted in the team being separated in the conflict. Gaaki, Bomonga, Pouks, and Kualus were each ambushed and abducted by Roodaka, striking each in quick succession from the shadows. By this point, Iruini and Norik had been separated from the others. After overcoming all Dark Hunters and Exo-Toa sent against them, Iruini and Norik alone battled and defeated Teridax by using their knowledge of the Destral fortress. At last, they were able to escape Destral with the Avohkii and Makoki Stones.

Toa Hagah Iruini and Norik are mutated into Rahaga.

Following the raid, Roodaka took the four Toa Hagah that she had taken prisoner and mutated them into Rahaga, the term being a pun on the words Hagah and Rahkshi which they've been made to look like. The Rahaga were then transferred to a separate fortress held by the Visorak.

Norik and Iruini, meanwhile, were on their own for roughly half a day during which Iruini came on the brink of quitting. However, he ultimately postponed his resignation until after the others were safe. The pair was successful in rescuing their teammates, but ultimately ended up mutated as well. Roodaka told the Visorak at hand to let the Rahaga be, for she believed that they were no longer a threat. The Rahaga would later be instrumental in assisting the Toa Hordika in saving the Matoran population of Metru Nui.

Fearing a similar revolt by the other Toa Hagah teams, the Brotherhood eliminated some of them, giving at least a few of them over to Chirox for use in developing Rahi, while some managed to survive. Some Toa Hagah became corrupt, serving in the Brotherhood's army, although they were no longer serving the Brotherhood as of its Karda Nui invasion.

Protection of Xia

During their quest to prepare the universe for Mata Nui's awakening, the Toa Nuva traveled to Xia where they captured Roodaka. The Rahaga were already on their way to the island to help with the destruction caused by the battle between the Tahtorak and the Kanohi Dragon when they recieved Tahu's summons. The Toa Nuva forced Roodaka to undo her ancient mutation, thus reforming the Toa Hagah. Briefly after the transformation, the Toa Hagah guarded Roodaka, though not without bitterness, given the mutual animosity between them. When Roodaka was taken by the Order of Mata Nui, the Toa Hagah's task turned toward the protection of the Vortixx of Xia from the destructive conflict of the returned Tahtorak and Kanohi Dragon. They managed to subdue both Rahi before confronting a new problem: the Dark Hunters, who wished to destroy the island in the effort to prevent their enemies - the Brotherhood of Makuta - from receiving further weaponry.

Hunt for Teridax

In response to the attack, Iruini rushed to confront the oncoming fleet. Eventually, the rest of the Toa Hagah were teleported to the lead ship of the fleet by Botar's Replacement, upon which they learned of the existence of the Order of Mata Nui and its leader, Helryx. She gave them a mission to discover the location of Teridax and delivered Zaktan as a guide, an assignment which most of them accepted. Gaaki, however, did not, and stood shocked from a scene of the future she witnessed from her Mask of Clairvoyance, which showed them journeying into a "place of death" and that one of them would not return.

The Toa Hagah later arrived on Metru Nui with help from Botar's replacement, where they encountered the Toa Mahri. They told the five Toa that they had come to destroy the Coliseum. The Toa Hagah believed it necessary in order to pursue Teridax, who had slipped into hidden caverns deep beneath the city that could not be accessed unless the obstruction of the Coliseum was removed. The Toa Mahri refused to let them accomplish this task, and the two teams engaged in a heated battle. During the course of this struggle, a monstrous Rahi beast was released from the Archives, and the Hagah and Mahri ceased fighting in order to subdue it. The two alliances then came to an agreement, and formed a plan of compromise. Together, they then lifted the Coliseum from its foundations and opened a passage into the underground, and the Toa Hagah sealed it as they descended. As they refused the Mahri’s offer of help, the great structure was lowered back into place.

The Hagah traveled through the underground, passing series of inscriptions along the journey. Their presence triggered an ambush, and caused a surge of magnetism to restrain them to the wall, and a stream of molten Protodermis to flow down the corridor. Before the Protodermis overtook them, Makuta Miserix rent a hole in the tunnel wall and teleported them to safety. Norik then explained the history of the Toa Hagah to Miserix, and the Toa and Makuta joined in a pact of trust in their efforts to destroy Teridax.

The Toa Hagah entered a chamber filled with strange, sophisticated machinery and two corpses on the ground, which Kualus and Bomonga examined. Bomonga revealed that the beings had been dead for many thousands of years, and suspected that they were not residents of the Matoran Universe, which Miserix confirmed upon studying their armor, which was not composed of Protodermis. A portal opened in the chamber suddenly, and several beings emerging from it. The Toa Hagah and Miserix prepared themselves for battle, but the figures were revealed to be Helryx and Keetongu, followed closely by Axonn and Brutaka. After brief talk between the three parties, a bolt of energy erupted from a nearby control panel and shattered Brutaka's Kanohi Olmak. Makuta Teridax announced his presence, and proceeded to seemingly destroy Zaktan.

Even after Brutaka revealed that they were within the mind of the Great Spirit, Miserix attacked the machinery in an attempt to end Teridax. The other Makuta only responded by cloaking Miserix in illusion, trapping him on the wall within a portrait. Turning his attention to the Toa Hagah, Teridax placed them in a powerful vision, one in which they had achieved victory and peace permeated their universe. The Hagah departed the hidden chamber, wholly and blissfully unaware of the true nature of their circumstances.

Teridax's Reign

The Toa Hagah emerged from the depths of Metru Nui and began to patrol the city. Several Matoran approached them in a plea for help, but the Hagah dismissed them. Tren Krom, present in Lewa's body, later dispelled the illusion from their minds. Thus freed, the Toa Hagah began functioning with the resistance against Teridax.

Spherus Magna

When the Great Spirit Robot was damaged beyond repair as a result of the Battle of Bara Magna, the Toa Hagah migrated onto the reformed Spherus Magna.

At the request of Kopaka, Gaaki gathered the Toa Hagah, and the group went in search of the Toa Mahri, who had fallen under the influence of the Golden Being. The Toa Mahri were later freed in the Battle in the Skakdi Fortress.

Alternate Universes

Toa Empire Alternate Universe

In this alternate universe, the Brotherhood of Makuta recruited Toa to be Toa Hagah too, but some, like Kualus, Bomonga, Gaaki, and Pouks, were employed by the Toa Empire after Tuyet's takeover, while others became her bodyguards. Three of them were dispatched to explore Voya Nui, and encountered Brutaka, whom they killed. Bomonga and Kualus were sent to retrieve the Vahi with Jaller from Artakha later.

Members

The Toa Hagah team formerly in the service of Makuta Teridax consists of:

Toa Hagah
Toa	Kanohi	Tool(s)
Norik, Toa of Fire (leader)	Pehkui, Great Mask of Diminishment	Lava Spear Rhotuka Launching Shield Slowness Rhotuka
Bomonga, Toa of Earth (deputy leader)	Great Mask of Growth	Seismic Spear Rhotuka Launching Shield
Gaaki, Toa of Water	Great Mask of Clairvoyance	Tidal Spear Rhotuka Launching Shield
Iruini, Toa of Air	Kualsi, Great Mask of Quick Travel	Cyclone Spear Rhotuka Launching Shield Healing Rhotuka
Pouks, Toa of Stone	Great Mask of Emulation	Avalanche Spear Rhotuka Launching Shield
Kualus, Toa of Ice	Great Mask of Rahi Control	Sub-Zero Spear Rhotuka Launching Shield

Set Information

The set forms of Toa Hagah Norik and Iruini

Only two of the members of Teridax's Toa Hagah team, Toa Norik and Toa Iruini, were released as sets in that form. These canister sets, released in 2005, were designated as Special Edition. Both featured masks and armor in metallic colors, Rhotuka Launching Shields, and long spears as Toa Tools. A gear on each set's back caused the right arm to swing, while the left arm was attached with a pin for free movement. The two Rhotuka in each set could be stored on the lids of the canisters, which were identical to those of the Toa Hordika, albeit in metallic colors. One of the Rhotuka contained a code for the Kanoka Club.

Quotes

"Whether they wait for us still in Metru Nui or not, Takua, they deserve to be remembered as the greatest of Toa."
— Turaga Vakama, Origin of the Rahaga

"You were always heroes. Now you just look the part."
— Toa Nuva Tahu to the Toa Hagah, Toa Nuva Blog

Trivia

Toa Hagah Iruini and Norik from the Toa Hagah Commercial

• The word "Hagah" means "Guardian" in the Matoran language.
• All of the Toa Hagah's staffs have limited powers of their own.
• The Toa Hagah's Kanohi were created by Matoran enslaved by the Brotherhood of Makuta. These were gifted to them by their former teammates as badges of honor.
• The destiny of Teridax's Toa Hagah was to save the Toa Hordika and the Kanohi Avohkii. Their destiny is now fulfilled.
• The Toa Hagah were not capable of transforming into Turaga while they were in their Rahaga form.
• Despite initially being from different Toa teams, the Toa Hagah all have Metru builds.
• Before settling on the name of "Hagah," the BIONICLE story team considered using the name "Toa Haga." This name was however not approved.
• The canon appearances of Toa Hagah Pouks, Bomonga, Gaaki, and Kualus were drawn by Specter-L and won the second part of TTV Message Boards' Canon Contest #3: Honor Guard. Their appearances in the art were based on four fan-built models that won the first part of the contest.

Appearances

Books	Comics	Online	Multimedia
Novels BIONICLE Adventures 9: Web of Shadows (F) Origin of the Rahaga (F) BIONICLE Legends 9: Shadows in the Sky (M) Guides BIONICLE: Encyclopedia (M) BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated (M) BIONICLE: Makuta's Guide to the Universe	BIONICLE BIONICLE 25: Birth of the Rahaga (FA) (F) BIONICLE 27: Fractures (F) Ignition BIONICLE Ignition 15: Mata Nui Rising (M)	Story Serials Toa Nuva Blog The Mutran Chronicles (M) Destiny War Dwellers In Darkness Reign of Shadows The Powers That Be	Advertisements Toa Hagah Commercial (NC)

See also

• Gallery:Toa Hagah/Rahaga
• Rahaga