Tarakava

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"The first thing to remember about Tarakava is that even if you can't see them, they are always there. "
Rahaga Gaaki, Rahi Beasts

Tarakava
Tarakava
Tarakava Nui


Rahi
Powers None
Conservation status Unknown
Known locations Ga-Metru (formerly)
Ga-Wahi (formerly)
Waters near Mahri Nui (formerly)
Spherus Magna[1]
Pronunciation TAH-rah-kah-vah[2]
tah-RAH-kah-VAH[3][4]
Set 8549 Tarakava (instructions)
Tarakava Nui
Tarakava
Tarakava Nui


Tarakava
Powers None
Status Alive
Pronunciation tah-RAH-kah-VAH NOO-ee[5][6]
Set 8549 (Alternate) Tarakava Nui (instructions)

The Tarakava, also known as Water Tarakava,[7] are lizard-like amphibian sea creatures that hunt in pairs and live near water regions.[8]

History

The Tarakava species was created by the Makuta using Viruses and Liquid Protodermis to be one of the Rahi to inhabit the Matoran Universe.[9]

A blue Tarakava, as seen in the Mata Nui Online Game.

On Metru Nui, Tarakava patrolled the shallow waters around Ga-Metru, occasionally spotted along the coastline in other parts of Metru Nui.[8] They normally spent their time hunting seabirds and large Rahi who came to the water to drink, but they were also known to attack Matoran.[8]

After Teridax caused the Great Cataclysm, the undersea Tarakava nests were disturbed, making these Rahi even more dangerous.[8] Many Tarakava fled to the island of Mata Nui,[4] where they settled in the island's rivers and shallow shorelines. They were soon placed under the control of Teridax through his infected masks.[10] The Ga-Matoran frequently took pity upon Tarakava and cared for them when they were freed from Teridax's control.[11]

Tarakava also lived in the waters around Mahri Nui. When a Le-Matoran scientist tested his prototype transport, it propelled him into the arms of a Tarakava. Afterwards, the design was abandoned as a form of transport.[12]

Soon after Gali arrived on Mata Nui, she was attacked by an infected Tarakava, but she escaped using her power over Water.[13]

An infected male Tarakava sunk one of the huts in Ga-Koro, trapping many of the Ga-Matoran and Turaga Nokama inside. Macku escaped and sought help from Takua, who managed to raise the hut. The Tarakava attacked the village, but was defeated by Gali, who removed his infected mask. Without Teridax's influence, the creature was much more docile, and was nursed back to health by Kotu.[14]

While Gali was exploring the waters of Mata Nui, another infected Tarakava attacked her. She managed to trick the Tarakava into a cave and then covered the entrance with rocks to block its exit. After Gali had retrieved her Miru from the cliffs, more Tarakava attacked her, in conjunction with Nui-Jaga.[15] Tahu dispatched the scorpions, while Gali took on the lizards. One Tarakava downed her with its powerful limbs, and she landed in the water. These Tarakava fled while Tahu rescued Gali. Teridax later marshaled several Tarakava to attack the Toa Mata during their meeting, but these were defeated by Tahu and Pohatu.[16]

Tarakava with Infected Kanohi.

Later, while the Toa Mata were underground, attempting to reach Teridax, Tarakava assaulted Kini-Nui along with other Rahi. These were repelled by the Matoran military, and eventually retreated.[7] Teridax released his hold over them after his defeat, and the Tarakava returned to the waters around Ga-Wahi.[citation needed]

After a Venom Eel got enlarged by the Kanohi Ignika, it ate many Tarakava and Takea in a cave near Mahri Nui.[12]

The Tarakava did their best to avoid the Bohrok, and later retreated back to Metru Nui when the Toa Nuva released the Bohrok to do their job.[17]

After the Great Spirit Robot was critically damaged in the Battle of Bara Magna, many Tarakava left the Matoran Universe and immigrated to Spherus Magna.[1]

Two-Headed Tarakava

A mutated, easily angered Tarakava with two heads and elongated necks[18] was created by the Energized Protodermis Entity.[19][20] It was first discovered when it attacked a Ga-Matoran fishing boat. The Ga-Matoran escaped, but the two-headed Tarakava left only splinters of the boat.[21] During the last six months before the Great Cataclysm, the Tarakava was captured by Vahki Bordakh and housed in the Metru Nui Archives, where it was placed in a water tank on a sub-level, since it is immune to stasis.[22]

About 1,001 years ago, Toa Metru Nuju ignored Whenua's advice and entered the Tarakava's cell in the Archives, seeking the Great Disk of Onu-Metru. Nuju tapped the glass, and the Tarakava tried to attack him, cracking the inner layer of glass in the tank. Whenua found Nuju, chastised him for annoying the beast, and both of them left the angry Tarakava alone.[23]

Lewa battling the Tarakava Nui

Tarakava Nui

The Tarakava Nui, also known as the King of Lizards,[24] was a mutated Tarakava created by Teridax.[6]

Prior to his attempted take-over of Metru Nui, Teridax created the Tarakava Nui with the help of the Energized Protodermis Entity. When the Matoran traveled to Mata Nui, the Tarakava Nui followed, and seriously impeded efforts to build Ga-Koro, until the Ga-Matoran and Turaga Nokama finally drove it off.[6]

1,000 years later, the Tarakava Nui was forced to return to Metru Nui when the Bohrok were released by the Toa Nuva.[17]

After the Battle of Bara Magna, it left the Matoran Universe and immigrated to Spherus Magna.[1]

Abilities and Traits

Tarakava are amphibious Rahi that can stay underwater for long periods of time. They mainly hunt in pairs, and their primary hunting method is to lurk just below the water, stalk their prey, and then stun their victim with blows from their powerful forelimbs. They are strong enough to capsize large watercraft. Tarakava generally stay in shallow waters[10][8] and avoid deep water, where their natural predators such as Takea can be found. Tarakava also rely on the element of surprise to ambush their prey, so a Tarakava is most vulnerable if it misses its target after surfacing.[8] During the Great War, infected Tarakava were feared by sailing Matoran above any other Rahi. Most of the Toa Mata, especially Lewa and Pohatu, were at a disadvantage against Tarakava in their natural element of water, and even Gali remained wary of them.[10]

Set Information

Tarakava Set
8549
Tarakava


8549 Tarakava was a boxed set released in the summer of 2001. The set contained 411 parts used to create two Tarakava, one blue, bearing a Pakari and one teal, bearing a Kakama. On each Tarakava's back two levers could be found, with which one could make the Tarakava model punch with its corresponding fist. This was advertised as a means for the Tarakava to battle each other or a Toa Mata set. When a Tarakava's mask was knocked off by another figure, its jaw would go limp and drop as if in injury. The two Tarakava could be combined to form a Tarakava Nui, the instructions for which could be found in the back of the instruction booklet of the teal Rahi.

A prototype set form was revealed for a subspecies, the Sand Tarakava.[25] This was to be packaged with the teal Tarakava in place of the blue one.[citation needed] This set was never produced for sale, though five were created and purchased by LEGO collectors.[citation needed]

Quotes

"But we have rules here too — like don't annoy the two-headed Tarakava, if at all possible."
"It does seem... excitable."
"Last ones to excite it before it came here were two Ga-Matoran in a fishing skiff. They were lucky to make it out of the sea. The skiff wound up as sawdust."
Whenua and Nuju, Trial by Fire

Trivia

  • The Tarakava's appearance in games tends to vary from the physical sets. In the Mata Nui Online Game, the Tarakava combines the build of the prototype Sand Tarakava model with the color scheme of the blue Tarakava model; its later appearance in the Battle for Kini-Nui adds the blue Tarakava's "feet" pieces. Similarly, in BIONICLE: The Legend of Mata Nui, the Tarakava is a teal-colored version of the Sand Tarakava model. In BIONICLE: Maze of Shadows, the Tarakava sprite uses the teal Tarakava model with blue colors.
  • Though commonly referred to as lizard-like in the story, the August 2000 revision of the story bible refers to the Tarakava as a "boxing gorilla."[26]

Appearances

The Tarakava in set form.
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References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Official Greg Dialogue", post 11964. BZPower Forums. (archived on greg.thegreatarchives.com)
  2. "Tarakava." The Official Guide to BIONICLE.
  3. "Tarakava." Encyclopedia, pp. 104-105.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Tarakava." Encyclopedia Updated, p. 139.
  5. "Tarakava Nui." Encyclopedia, p. 105.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Tarakava Nui." Encyclopedia Updated, p. 140.
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Chapter 9: The Battle of Kini-Nui • Makuta • Takua Returns." Mata Nui Online Game.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 "Tarakava." Rahi Beasts, p. 86.
  9. "The Makuta." Makuta's Guide to the Universe, p. 63.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Tarakava." BIONICLE.com. (archived 05 October 2001 on Wayback Machine.)
  11. "Tarakava." BIONICLE.com. (archived 12 August 2003 on Wayback Machine.)
  12. 12.0 12.1 City of the Lost. BIONICLE Legends 6.
  13. Tale of the Toa. BIONICLE Chronicles 1.
  14. "Chapter 3: Ga-Koro • Imprisoned Undersea • Gali's Arrival." Mata Nui Online Game.
  15. "Deep into Darkness". BIONICLE 2.
  16. "Triumph of the Toa". BIONICLE 3.
  17. 17.0 17.1 "Official Greg Dialogue", post 1357. BZPower Forums. (archived on greg.thegreatarchives.com)
  18. "Official Greg Discussion", post 1179. BZPower Forums. (archived on greg.thegreatarchives.com)
  19. "Two-Headed Tarakava." Encyclopedia, p. 109.
  20. "Two-Headed Tarakava." Encyclopedia Updated, p. 146.
  21. "Chapter 5." Trial by Fire. BIONICLE Adventures 2, pp. 45-46.
  22. "Onu-Metru." "Two-headed Tarakava and Mutant Ussal Crab." Metru Nui - City of Legends, p. 73.
  23. "Chapter 5." Trial by Fire. BIONICLE Adventures 2, pp. 43-45.
  24. BIONICLE: Lexicon
  25. Updates: Voting, Sand Tarakava, and MINI-CDs - Mask of Destiny, 18 July 2002
  26. "Bionicle_2000_Story_Bible_-_The_Legends_of_Mata_Nui.pdf". Mask of Destiny.

See also