Toa Hagah (Teridax)

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

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



Toa Hagah was the name given to groups of elite Toa who once served as guards for members of the Brotherhood of Makuta. Seven groups of Toa Hagah have been known to exist: those of Makuta Teridax, Antroz, Chirox, Mutran, Spiriah, Tridax, and the Makuta of Stelt.[1] Following the rebellion of the group led by Toa Norik, all other Toa Hagah were eliminated or corrupted, leaving only Norik and his five companions, who were transformed into the Rahaga. Hundreds of years later, they were returned to their Toa forms.

History

Recruitment

The individual members of Teridax's Toa Hagah had been active as Toa for some time before they were merged into a team. They were selected by the Brotherhood of Makuta 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

For several centuries, 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. When they discovered the greater plots of the Brotherhood, however - the enslavement of Matoran, as well as cooperation with the Dark Hunters - the Toa Hagah, under Norik, rebelled and fought bravely against Teridax and the rest of the Brotherhood. During the raid on the Makuta’s Destral, they managed to defeat Teridax and stole the Makoki Stone and the Mask of Light, which the Brotherhood had confiscated years before from Artakha.

Toa Hagah Iruini and Norik are mutated into Rahaga.

Gaaki, Kualus, Pouks, and Bomonga were seized and imprisoned in the raid’s aftermath, and suffered mutation into Rahaga at the hands of Roodaka. Norik and Iruini did not initially share this fate. Norik was active elsewhere, and Iruini had resigned the team due to his belief that they did not allot adequate time in dealing with serious threats. Learning of the Toa Hagah’s captivity, Norik and Iruini, then in possession of the Avohkii, briefly joined forces again to rescue their allies. The rescue was successful but ultimately ended in their mutation as well. Roodaka told the Visorak at hand to let the Rahaga be, for she believed that they were no longer a threat. Fearing a similar revolt by the other Toa Hagah teams, the Brotherhood eliminated them, giving at least some of them over to Chirox for use in developing Rahi.

Protection of Xia

The Toa Nuva held Roodaka captive during their quest to prepare the universe for Mata Nui's awakening. The Rahaga were brought to the island, and Roodaka was forced to undo her ancient mutation, and thus the Toa Hagah reformed. 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, 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 destroy Zaktan after briefly speaking to the group.

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, and 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 a strange creature. The Toa Mahri were later freed in an unrelated event.[2]

Alternate Universes

Toa Empire Alternate Universe

In this alternate universe, the Brotherhood of Makuta never recruited Toa to be Toa Hagah, and so the individual members of the team never received new Kanohi or metallic armor. Gaaki, Pouks, Bomonga, and Kualus instead pledged themselves to uphold the values of the Toa Empire.

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
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
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
Bomonga, Toa of Earth (deputy leader)[3] Great Mask of Growth Seismic 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, Web of Shadows

"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 Promo Animation
  • The word "Hagah" means "Guardian" in the Matoran language.
  • All of the Toa Hagah's staffs have limited powers of their own.

Appearances

Books Comics Online Multimedia

Novels

Guides

BIONICLE

Ignition

Story Serials

Commercials

References

  1. BZPower: Farshtey Feed, 12. December 2008
  2. Chat with Greg Farshtey, 3. June 2014 (archive)
  3. BZPower: Farshtey Feed, 20. March 2009

See also