Rhotuka

"Rhotuka spinners, being pure energy, make very little noise when they fly. Even if the one Roodaka launched had, Nidhiki would never have heard it over the noise of his own thoughts. All he knew was the black pain when it struck, the world spinning in front of his eyes, the bizarre sensation of his muscles shifting, altering, becoming something alien."
— Narrator, Birth of a Dark Hunter

Rhotuka
Toa Vakama creating a Rhotuka
Ability
Users	Toa Hagah, Toa Hordika, Dark Hunters, Rahi, others
Expression	A spinning wheel of energy is created, with effects varying between individuals
Pronunciation	roe-TOO-kah

Rhotuka are wheels of energy with various powers.

Functionality

Toa Hordika Whenua charging an Earth Spinner with his Thumpers

Almost all beings of the Matoran Universe have the ability to make Rhotuka, but cannot do so without the use of a Rhotuka Launcher with which to fire them. Many Rahi and sentient beings of the Matoran Universe possessed natural launchers, but there are also artificial launchers that are used by various beings, such as Roodaka, the Toa Hagah, and various Dark Hunters.

The electromagnetic field that bonds Rhotuka together makes the spinners tangible, so they can be ridden if one should choose to do so, or physically parried. A Rhotuka's flight path can be controlled by the conscious thought of the one who launched it. Each creature with a Rhotuka launcher creates their own unique spinner power. All members of the same species of Rahi typically have the same Rhotuka power, though the attributes of more intelligent Rahi and sapient creatures will vary between individuals. Certain Rahi, such as Visorak and the Zivon, have access to multiple Rhotuka powers.

Rhotuka Powers

Toa Hordika

• Vakama: Fire (formerly)
• Nokama: Water (formerly)
• Matau: Air (formerly)
• Onewa: Stone (formerly)
• Whenua: Earth (formerly)
• Nuju: Ice (formerly)

Five of the Toa Hordika firing their Rhotuka

Toa Hagah

• Norik: Slows the target down.
• Iruini: Heals whoever it touches of physical wounds and ailments, though not mutations.

Rahaga

• Norik: Wraps the target in ropes of energy. (formerly)
• Gaaki: Adheres to target and forces it to the water's surface. (formerly)
• Iruini: Attaches to a target and tangles its legs in a net. (formerly)
• Pouks: Flies low to the ground and knocks the legs out from under the target. (formerly)
• Bomonga: Flies noiselessly and paralyzes the target. (formerly)
• Kualus: Attaches to the target and then carries it back. (formerly)

Dark Hunters

• Ancient: Loss of physical coordination. (formerly; now deceased)
• Conjurer: Absorbs the powers of the target.
• Firedracax: Absorbs thermal energy in air and then redirects it at a target.
• Guardian: Powers tied to Stone and Earth
• Savage: Paralysis
• Sentrakh: Turns target temporarily intangible.
• Spinner: Causes loss of balance in target.
• The Shadowed One: Causes temporary insanity in target's mind.
• Vengeance: Rapidly changes from an intangible state to a solid one, allowing it to cut through almost any object.
• Voporak: Disrupts a target's perception of time by a few seconds, making it very difficult to fight.

Rahi

Visorak using their Rhotuka

• Cable Crawler: Unleashes waves of energy that can distort balance and cause vertigo.
• Colony Drone: Contains energy the Visorak feed on.
• Ice Vermin: Causes earthquakes, or living creatures to shake themselves apart.
• Keetongu: Shields absorb powers used against Keetongu and can be channeled back through the Rhotuka.
• Protocairn: Temporarily blocks the signals between the mind and the body in a target, causing an opponent to collapse.
• Sea Spider: Temporarily puts a target into stasis
• Venom Flyer: Negates a target's ability to fly, regardless of whether it be by natural or mechanical means.
• Visorak
  • All Breeds: Paralyzes a target on contact.
  • Boggarak: When used underwater, causes target to swell and float to the surface. When used on land, target is dehydrated and turned to dust.
  • Kahgarak: Creates an opening to the Zone of Darkness.
  • Keelerak: Launches acid that can eat through any material.
  • Oohnorak: Temporarily numbs a target.
  • Roporak: Drains a target's energy.
  • Suukorak: Encases the target in a slowly shrinking electrical field.
  • Vohtarak: Target feels such an intense burning pain that it cannot concentrate.
  • Mutant Coliseum Visorak: Explodes upon making contact.
• Zivon:

Temporarily takes away sense of sight from target.

Temporarily takes away sense of hearing from target.

Temporarily makes a target unable to speak.

Temporarily takes away sense of touch from target.

Others

A Rhotuka Spinner flying through the air

• Umbra: Creates projections of hardened light.
• Roodaka: Permanently mutates target as controlled by Roodaka. Past mutations can also be undone by the Rhotuka.
• Sidorak: Causes victim to demonstrate complete obedience to Sidorak.
• Varian: Puts the target to sleep.
• All Frostelus: Varies per individual

Set Information

Rhotuka function

Each Rahaga set contained a Rhotuka of a different color and displayed a code written in Matoran to be entered at the Kanoka Club. Roodaka, Sidorak, and each of the Toa Hordika and Visorak sets contained two silver Rhotuka, one of which also displayed a code. The Keetongu set contained a red Rhotuka containing a code as well. Rhotuka also appeared in some 2005 playsets.

Rhotuka packs were sold separately and contained five spinners. One was always silver and contained a code, and the other four were dual-colored. These were silver and any one of twelve possible colors (the primary colors of the Toa Hordika and the secondary colors of the Visorak). Marbled Rhotuka could later be found in the Umbra set in 2006, which came packaged with two dark green/silver Rhotuka spinners.

Trivia

• Only beings from the Matoran Universe can produce Rhotuka.
• Though Krahka, Vezok, and users of the Kanohi Faxon can copy the powers of other beings, they cannot copy Rhotuka powers.
• While Chute Lurkers, Gate Guardians, Parakrekks, Rock Raptors, the Hordika Dragons, and the Toa Hagah Bomonga, Gaaki, Kualus, and Pouks all possess Rhotuka launchers, their powers are unknown.