Staff Required For Power?

I’m not sure if this has already been discussed somewhere (if so, I wasn’t able to find it), but there is a major discrepancy on whether Rahkshi of Heat Vision can use their powers without their staff. In BA1, a Rahkshi of Heat Vision seems to use its power without a staff. Although BA1 does not say whether or not it had its staff, the comic depicts the Rahkshi of Heat Vision without it, and Greg confirmed that Rahkshi in the Archives do not have their staffs.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]} However, in BA3, other Rahkshi in the Archives had their staffs, implying that the Rahkshi of Heat Vision could have as well. Perhaps Rahkshi aren’t archived with their staffs, but when they escaped, they found where their staffs were being kept?

At first, Greg was consistent that Rahkshi in general only use their staffs to focus their power, but they do not require them.^{[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]} This was until 2010, when Greg stated that Rahkshi of Heat Vision do require their staff, or else they lose their power.^{[17][18][19][20][21][22]} Then, when asked again in 2017, Greg reverted to his initial answer.^[23]

Although Greg was open to the idea that BA1 was retconned,^[24] it’s not necessary. If it does require the staff, then it could have had it like the other Rahkshi in BA3 did. It’s just a matter of which answer we should go with. Dag (talk) 21:11, 8 May 2022 (UTC)

Coming back to this, I realize I misunderstood some things. For one, the Rahkshi in BA3 were not escaped archive exhibits, but some of the wild Rahkshi living in the Fikou Web, so of course they would retain their staffs. Even though Greg said in a few answers that they didn't have their staffs, two are explicitly said to have them in the book, so the third (the silver Rahkshi of Chain Lightning) is likely to have had its staff as well (the CwGF question asserts that it hurled lightning from its hands, but I couldn't find that in BA3 anywhere). So the Rahkshi of Heat Vision that did escape its stasis tube in BA1 probably did not have its staff, as it is depicted in the comic. So this directly contradicts Greg's later statements that Heat Vision needs its staff to use the power at all.

I expect some people to say this is just another intended retcon from Greg, like the Earth Tribe. I mean, he even says matter of factly in one quote "or that the scene in BA3 has simply been retconned." But this is far more extreme than the situation with the Earth Tribe. That would mean the fight between Whenua and the Rahkshi of Heat Vision just doesn't happen at all anymore since its ability to use its heat vision is a critical part of that scene. The only way these two things can be reconciled is if Greg's earlier statements that Rahkshi in the Archive do not have their staffs is false, and maybe the Rahkshi did have its staff in the comic, just in its other hand that's offscreen. However, I still doubt we need to reconcile these things at all. As far as I can tell, there's nothing in Journey's End that suggests they need their staff, so the only sources for it are Greg's answers here. Dag (talk) 17:22, 26 March 2025 (UTC)

This is a tough one.

The easiest answer is simply "Staffs only amplify their power". It would fit with everything. Earlier answers take precedence: Greg has said many times that the Rahkshi Staffs amplify their power, as you pointed out. Published media takes precedence: Nothing in Journey's End says they need the Staffs, and BA1 shows a Rahkshi that is stated (by Greg) to not have a staff. Greg's justification for it seems to be a forgetcon: "[otherwise] the staff is worthless, it's just a stick", "Other Rahkshi already need their staffs to focus their power through anyway".

Anyway, that WOULD be my answer... except for the fact that Greg specifically addresses the biggest contradiction and says "well, it's retconned". He even says "the loss of Vision is not canon anymore". Even though Published Material Take Precedence, that's for situations where Greg unintentionally contradicts published media, such as the Shrink Kanoka being permanent contradicting Time Trap; Greg can and has said aspects of published media are non-canon, such as Gavla mutating from the Shadow Leech in BL9, or the Rahaga being high-tech members of the candle-head cult in the movie.

Was it a forgetcon? Maybe. Or, maybe Greg decided that the Staffs amplifying their powers wasn't enough; his answers about BA1 seem to suggest that he was aware of his earlier statements. Regardless, it's different from the Earth Tribe, where he's adding something and trying to make it fit with the lore; here he outright says the scene has been retconned, and the loss of vision is no longer canon.

So what does it mean for BA1? Well, it could be that the Rahkshi of Heat Vision simply found its staff, as you said. It could be that Whenua's encounter with it doesn't happen, or it plays out differently. Or it could be that this Rahkshi is a Wild Rahkshi, like the ones in BA3. There's nothing in BA1 that explicitly states that the Rahkshi of Heat Vision escaped -- Whenua finds the shattered remains of a stasis tube, but Comic 16 shows TWO Rahkshi stalking him.

Doesn't really matter, all of these are pure speculation. Point is, while it's frustrating that the scene from BA1 is non-canon, it's no different from the scene in BL9 being non-canon.

Side note: I reread BA3 to check. For the three Rahkshi Nokama fights(illusion, chain lightning, and cyclone), there's no mention of their staffs. Same goes for the Rahkshi of Density Control that attacks at the bridge. However, at the beginning of the book, the Rahkshi of Insect Control and Weather Control ARE mentioned to have their staffs. The Rahkshi of Weather Control is confirmed to be wild as well, via narration of its backstory; it's implied that the others are too. --Willess12 (talk) 04:18, 27 March 2025 (UTC)

If it's any help, Greg has also said that they are like Toa tools 1 and Toa tools are merely aids in the channeling of power, making it easier, but are not necessary. Although that would then imply the staffs are interchangeable... ~ Wolk (talk) 11:10, 27 March 2025 (UTC)

I think BL9 is a bit different. It had to be done that way because of the appearance of the set, which takes precedence over story, so if it the book was retconned, it was because higher-tiered material contradicted it. Same goes for the Rahaga and also their helicopter "wings". It's not in the set, so the movie is incorrect. However, it may not be necessary to retcon BL9 either. On Gavla's talkpage, there's a short discussion about this quote where Greg gives the okay for an explanation that makes it all fit. Whether we choose to accept that or just say BL9 is retconned, it's still a different issue than the one here.

Wolk makes a good point though. If the staffs truly are just tools to channel their powers, like Toa Tools, then the specific staff shouldn't matter, except Greg confirmed as early as 2003 that it had to be through their own staffs. Although in 2013, Greg wasn't sure if Rahkshi could use other tools than their staffs to channel their power,[1] but this is probably just a forgetcon. Dag (talk) 15:58, 27 March 2025 (UTC)