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"Only the enemies of Mata Nui have anything to fear from me. I may have changed... but my love for my people has not."
— Toa Nuva Tahu, Divided We Fall
| Metax/sandbox3 | |
| |
| Toa of Fire | |
| Affiliation | Toa Mata |
| Kanohi | Great Hau |
| Tools | Fire Sword |
| Status | Alive |
| Location | Bara Magna |
| Pronunciation | TAH-hoo |
| Set | 8534 |
Tahu is the hot-headed but selfless Toa Mata of Fire and leader of the Toa team tasked with awakening the Great Spirit Mata Nui. After being exposed to Energized Protodermis, he was transformed into a Toa Nuva. However, he was eventually reverted back to his original form by the Kanohi Ignika.
Biography
Toa Mata
Early Life
Tahu and the rest of his team were created on Artakha and first awakened on Daxia. There, they were introduced to each other and told of their destiny by an unseen Helryx to be the guardians of the Great Spirit Mata Nui. She then sent them to be trained in combat by Hydraxon. One of their lessons included being attacked by and taken down by the Energy Hound Spinax. On another exercise, Hydraxon took their Kanohi and hid them across the island. Tahu contemplated ways of removing his Kanohi Hau out of a glacier, until Lewa realized that Hydraxon's point was to force them to work as a team. That night, Tahu and Kopaka allowed themselves to be captured by the Order of Mata Nui at the fortress so they could get inside. There, they met with Toa Helryx, leader of the Order of Mata Nui, who agreed to tell them of their mission and their future, after the two Toa demanded answers.
Having finished their training, the Toa Mata were then sent to Karda Nui to protect the Av-Matoran who were working there to prepare for the Great Spirit's awakening. The six Toa fought against Rahi that were being affected by strange energy spikes and the Avohkah, sentient lightning bolt Rahi-by-products of the Matoran's labors. After several weeks of fighting the Avohkah and Rahi, they defeated them and the Av-Matoran finished with their labors. Tahu and Kopaka led the others to the Codrex, the strange, spherical building embedded in one of the stalactites. The hatch imprisoned them inside after entry, and the two Toa explained what they had learned from Helryx to their teammates. If they left, the newly developing Energy Storms that were overrunning Karda Nui would vaporize them. Tahu and Kopaka then told their teammates that they had to dwell in Toa Canisters, due to the Codrex's lack of life support features, and sleep until a time came when Mata Nui needed them. The Toa entered the protective Canisters, where they remained comatose for thousands of years.
Their canisters were supposed to be launched into the sky outside the Matoran Universe following the events of the Great Cataclysm and land on the island of Mata Nui. The Toa's mission was to proceed through Kini-Nui, descend to Metru Nui, and continue on to awaken the Great Spirit. However, a malfunction caused the canisters to instead land in the sea around the island. For one thousand years the canisters floated there until Takua collected the Toa Stones of Mata Nui, which activated a signal that summoned the canisters to the island's shores.
Mata Nui
Quest for the Masks
Tahu's Toa Canister arrived on a beach near Ta-Wahi. When Tahu emerged, he found that some of his mechanical components had separated. He fused the pieces together, and realized he did not remember who he was or what he was doing there. Expressing his frustration at being incapable of recalling anything, he eventually remembered his name, and rediscovered his fire powers. He wandered around Ta-Wahi, eventually arriving at the Charred Forest. There, he was ambushed by four Matoran, led by the Captain of the Ta-Koro Guard, Jaller. They captured Tahu in a wooden Rahi trap, but Tahu easily burned down the trap with his fire sword. The Matoran were about to attack him, but Vakama, the Turaga of Ta-Koro, appeared before a battle could took place and told the troop that Tahu was a Toa and their protector. The Matoran and the Turaga took Tahu to Ta-Koro where Vakama told him about the Makuta, Teridax. Teridax had been on Mata Nui for a thousand years, tormenting the Matoran. He informed Tahu that the only way he could confront Teridax directly was to collect the six Great Kanohi masks hidden throughout the island. Toa Tahu then started on his journey to find them.
Soon, Tahu met the five other Toa, Kopaka, Gali, Lewa, Pohatu, and Onua. They all shared tales of how they had arrived on Mata Nui, with the exception of the reserved Kopaka. They then began discussing how they would find the Kanohi Masks. Tahu, Gali, Pohatu, and Onua all agreed that it would be best to search in pairs, while Kopaka and Lewa wanted to work alone. In the middle of the ensuing arguments, a storm erupted caused by Teridax. After the intimidation by the Makuta, the Toa decided to go their separate ways, which angered Tahu.
In his angry mood, Tahu almost burned Jaller, who was trying to find him. Jaller told him the location of a Kanohi Akaku, was thought to be in one of the deepest caverns in Onu-Wahi. Tahu searched through Onu-Wahi, eventually coming to an area with a deep pit in the middle and a long bridge stretching across to another ledge where the mask was. Tahu started across the bridge when dozens of Kofo-Jaga scorpions attacked him, attaching to his body. With Elemental powers just making the creatures stronger, Tahu started flipping around the narrow bridge. The small Rahi were not able to hold on to his body and fell into the chasm below. Tahu jumped back onto the bridge, with one Kofo-Jaga still holding on. Removing the creature, he noticed the Infected Kanohi on its body. Tahu took off the small mask, and the Kofo-Jaga, now free from Teridax, scurried away. The discovery dwelled on his mind while he retrieved the Akaku.
Onua, deciding that the Toa needed to unite in order to ensure safety, called a meeting in front of the Mangai Volcano, though the Toa were reluctant to cooperate. The meeting was again interrupted by Teridax, who caused a lava flow to head toward them. Onua combined his power with the powers of a Kakama acquired by Lewa and dug a great trench to catch the lava flow. Teridax sent Rahi at the four other Toa. However, the combined efforts of Kopaka's Ice and Pohatu's Stone powers defeated the Rahi. Teridax sent masses of sand towards Tahu, though Tahu used his abilities to turn the sand into glass. Soon Nui-Rama emerged and picked up Tahu, swiftly dropping him to let him fall. He used his heat to slow the fall, but Onua caught him, advising Tahu to seek out the Mask of Levitation. The Toa quickly dispatched the remaining Rahi, and agreed that they should work together.
With a plan to collect the remaining Kanohi in place, the six Toa traveled to the coastline just south of Po-Wahi to retrieve Tahu's Mask of Levitation from beneath the sea. While Gali, Onua and Kopaka went underwater to obtain the mask, Tahu stood guard on the surface along with Pohatu and Lewa. Following this, the team split in half to search for the rest of the Kanohi. Tahu, Gali and Onua went to Le-Wahi to collect a Kakama from atop a tall tree. Tahu quickly became impatient with the task, and resorted to burning the entire tree down to quickly acquire the mask. This angered Gali, who was concerned about the damage to plants and wildlife he could have caused. Tahu also acquired a Makoki Stone fragment during his travels.
As a team, the Toa obtained the last mask of power, Tahu's Mask of Water Breathing. Gali mentioned that Nokama told her that after finding the Masks of Power, they would need to acquire a golden Kanohi. This reminded Kopaka of a vision he had before joining with the other Toa about Kini-Nui, a temple in the center of Mata Nui. The Toa traveled to the temple for their new goal, where they found life size carvings of themselves etched in the temple's side. The Toa figured out that they needed to place their masks into the carvings. Once they had placed all their masks into the carving, a new gold mask replaced them. The Toa realized that the next step was to face Teridax himself. However, if the Rahi were to attack the temple, the Toa would be trapped underground. They were then greeted by the Chronicler's Company, a small Matoran group composed of Kapura, Tamaru, Kopeke, Taipu, Hafu, Macku, and Takua. The Matoran agreed to defend the temple while the Toa descended. Gali made a mental link between her and Takua, which would show what the Toa would see in Mangaia. The Toa merged the Makoki Stones to unlock the entrance, and proceeded into the now open Mangaia.
Tahu and the others ventured down through the dark tunnels of Mangaia, eventually coming to a giant iron door. They were about to enter through the door when they were attacked by monstrous crab-like creatures called the Manas. The Toa tried their best to fight the Rahi, but were unable to defeat the crabs even by working together. Kopaka and Gali informed the rest of the team about a vision that they once had, a vision about uniting and becoming two Toa Kaita. The Toa tried it, and Tahu, Pohatu, and Onua combined into Akamai, while Lewa, Gali, and Kopaka combined into Wairuha. Though Akamai and Wairuha battled the Manas as best they could, their power was not enough to defeat them. By accident, a Manas shoved Wairuha into one of many small towers within Mangaia. Akamai then noticed a nearby Manas shutting down from extreme cold. The two Toa Kaita discovered that the small towers actually kept the Manas warm enough to not shut down from the cold. They destroyed all the towers, and defeated the Manas, who were weakened enough for the Kaita to freeze them and remove their masks. They then walked up to a doorway which opened up to them. Once inside, the Toa Kaita were forced to separate due to the presence of Teridax.
As the Toa went deeper into this vacant room, they heard a voice in their heads. They identified the voice as Teridax, and the Toa prepared themselves for battle. Out of the shadows appeared six Shadow Toa, evil clones of the Toa Mata. The Shadow Toa attacked their counterpart Toa Mata, and the group went off in separate battles. However, since the Shadow Toa were the mirror images of the originals, the Toa Mata were unable to defeat them alone. Soon, the Toa realized that their opponents were merely extensions of themselves, and absorbed them back into their body. When all the Shadow Toa were destroyed, the Toa Mata regrouped and entered the next room. They were approached by Makuta Teridax, who appeared under the guise of an infected Matoran, shocking the Toa with his appearance. The Makuta transformed into a swirling mass of parts, attacking the Toa with black tendrils. Despite being overwhelmed by the assault, the Toa combined their powers, and succeeded in beating Teridax, forcing him to retreat. Each of the Toa were then caught in six pillars of light, pulling them back to Kini-Nui.
Bohrok Invasion
Upon exiting Kini-Nui, The Toa Mata found themselves confronted by the Ta-Matoran Kapura, who, in a state of shock, could only say one word over and over: Bohrok. The Toa Mata quickly returned to Ta-Koro using their Kanohi Kakama to investigate this new threat.
When they arrived, they found Pahrak and Kohrak swarms tearing up the ground outside the lava bridge. The Toa attempted to drive off the swarms, but were unable to stop the Bohrok, who repeatedly returned to their destructive task. Gali and Lewa combined their powers to make a massive lightning storm, which struck the Bohrok swarms and caused them to flee, abandoning their wounded. Tahu discovered the Krana inside the Bohrok. Turaga Vakama arrived and told the Toa the legends of the Bohrok, and about the Krana and Bohrok Va. He explained that the Toa needed eight Krana from the six different breeds to successfully halt the Bohrok Invasion.
During the ensuing conflicts with the Bohrok, Tahu was briefly controlled by a Krana, though he managed to recover his mask before being assimilated into the swarm.
A week after the initial emergence of the Bohrok, Tahu was giving an inspirational speech to the Ta-Matoran when Toa Kopaka arrived. Kopaka revealed both that Krana were in fact living organisms, and that he had tracked a Bohrok Va to their lair, a massive tunnel stretching far beneath the island's surface. Kopaka took him to see the nest for himself, and Tahu wanted to go down immediately, but the Toa of Ice persuaded him to wait for the others. When Tahu later discovered that Lewa had fallen prey to the Krana's influence, Tahu ceased to trust his teammate for a time, as he believed the Krana could still influence Lewa's mind.
After defeating a group of Kohrak in the foothills of the Mangai, Tahu and Kopaka encountered the rest of the Toa. With all the Krana collected, they prepared to enter the massive cavern that was the Bohrok nest, ready to put an end to the swarm's invasion of Mata Nui.
The six Toa traveled through the Bohrok's hive, and Onua noted that the walls could not have been carved by Matoran, for they were too smooth, too perfect for Matoran tools. They passed a large swarm of all Bohrok breeds heading for the surface to complete the mission of cleansing the island.
Eventually the six came to a stone passage in the floor. Tahu volunteered to investigate, and after he passed through, the door slammed shut. The remaining Toa Mata could not get through, until Lewa realized that the door was an illusion, allowing them to pass through it.
Tahu, trapped in the Bohrok Nest he had landed in, began heating the air around him. The pressure blew open a wall and allowed him to rejoin the others. Falling through a collapsing floor, the Toa found themselves in a circular chamber with slots on the floor. The Toa inserted their Krana, and six doors opened. Each Toa entered, and found a massive suit of armor, the Exo-Toa. They donned the Exo-Toa, and soon discovered the Bahrag, queens of the swarms, Cahdok and Gahdok. Trying to lure the Bahrag out into the open, the Toa drove the two towards each other, and unwittingly increased their powers. Unable to fight properly in their Exo-Toa suits, which drained elemental powers, the Toa removed the suits and combined elemental energies, encasing the Bahrag in a solid cage of Protodermis. Then, the earth ruptured beneath them, and the six Toa fell straight into a massive chamber of Energized Protodermis, which transformed them, giving them new masks, tools, armor, and powers.
Toa Nuva
Bohrok-Kal Strike
With this transformation complete, the Toa found the Bahrag gone and the caverns collapsing around them. Tahu protected the team using his Hau Nuva, which could now protect more than one being, and they then combined the powers of the Miru Nuva and Kakama Nuva to move higher up. After flying out, Tahu christened the team Toa Nuva, due to their new forms and powers. The Toa unanimously decided to reprogram the Bohrok to repair damage to the Koro.
Shortly after the Toa returned to their villages, strange symbols appeared at their Toa Suva. Just after placing Tahu's symbol into a niche on the shrine, Vakama informed the Toa of Fire that there were now new Kanohi Nuva to be found across the island, and then cautiously entrusted the Kanohi Vahi to him, with a warning to only use it in the direst of situations.
The Toa Nuva then met in Le-Wahi to discuss their new situations and share news from the village, but the gathering soon turned into a mock battle, with each Toa endeavoring to out-do the others. Eventually, Gali had to break up a tense standoff between Tahu and Kopaka, and the battle ended. The Toa, now confident they were powerful to deal with any threat to their villages alone, decided to split up, much to Gali's annoyance.
Tahu arrived back in Ta-Koro to find the Ta-Koro Guard attempting to fend him off, but they were stood down by Vakama who claimed the villagers were still getting used to the Toa's new appearances. As he entered the village, the Matoran were in the middle of a celebration of the Nuva Symbols. However, a creature commanding the power of Electricity later attacked the Suva, disabling the guards with a field of intense electricity. When the creature took Tahu's symbol and left the village, the Toa of Fire's elemental power immediately deserted him.
Vakama discovered that the creature was a Bohrok-Kal, one of six elite Bohrok. He then suggested that the Toa unite to take them on, but Tahu refused and vowed to retrieve his Nuva Symbol at all costs. Takua and Jaller joined him, and they eventually gathered the rest of the Toa Nuva, whose Nuva Symbols had also been stolen, and held a meeting. After learning that the thieves had been seen in Po-Wahi, the team headed there along a pass along the eastern foothills of Mount Ihu. Arriving in the desert, the Nuva soon encountered the six thieves, who demanded the location of the Bahrag, and subsequently attacked the Toa Nuva. The heroes held out for some time, Tahu protecting the others with his Hau Nuva, but eventually they all fell unconscious from a devastating final attack.
On awakening, the Toa found the Bohrok-Kal gone, and decided that they needed to stop the Kal at all costs, and that collecting the Kanohi Nuva could help do that. Tahu sent Gali, Onua and Pohatu to the Bohrok nest to investigate it, whilst he, Kopaka and Lewa would go to try and slow down the Kal.
Some time later, Tahu traveled to Le-Wahi on advice of Turaga Vakama, looking for two Kanohi Nuva the Turaga had given him the location of. He was vainly attempting to extinguish a small fire when Lewa arrived and agreed to act as a guide in the jungles. However, when the pair neared the location of the masks, they found a swamp grove devastated by the powers of Nuhvok-Kal. Realizing the Bohrok would also be after the Kanohi they sought, they resolved to set a trap for the Kal. They gathered Le-Matoran and positioned them around a clearing, armed with disks, stones and branches. Tahu then lured Nuhvok-Kal to the spot, having swing from vines in the process, much to Lewa's later amusement. When the Bohrok-Kal arrived at the clearing, the Matoran let fly with their projectiles, and just as Toa had hoped, it was too much for the Kal to use its powers on at once. Lewa dashed to grab its Krana-Kal, but was felled by the Bohrok's power. After Tahu rescued the Toa of Air, Nuhvok-Kal fled, its powers exhausted. The Bohrok gone, Tahu and Lewa continued on to retrieve the Kanohi Nuva they were hunting.
Gali later summoned Tahu, along with Kopaka, to Kini-Nui, and revealed to them that there were three Kanohi Nuva located in a region known as the Place of Shadow, and that they would need to work together to obtain them. As they traveled into the area, they faced first a rain of boulders sheared from a cliff by a lightning bolt, and then walls of illusory fire.
After camping overnight, the trio continued on to find the three Kanohi, and on the way saw a carving depicting six Toa fighting a strange creature. However, when they went to take the masks, the ground gave way and dropped Tahu, Gali and Kopaka into an underground cavern, and here they found that Onua, Lewa, Pohatu and Vakama had already been trapped. With the hole through which they fell sealed, the group was forced to continue into the caves and fight a beast that Vakama seemed to know of. Revealed to be a bizarre amalgam of different Rahi species, the Nuva fought first individually and then united, but all their efforts failed to defeat the monster. Vakama, using his Noble Huna to become invisible, taunted the Rahi about its past defeat, but suddenly Teridax manifested himself as a pair of eyes in the chamber, and informed the group that they must defeat the Rahi to leave the caverns, or Mata Nui would be his. Vakama, however, ordered the Toa to leave, and then tricked the beast into wedging its horns in the stone wall. The group proceeded to leave the tunnels via another exit, the Kanohi masks in hand.
Tahu returned to hunting the Bohrok-Kal, and encountered Pahrak-Kal somewhere in Ta-Wahi. They briefly clashed, and Tahu was on the verge of defeat when Jaller and the Ta-Koro Guard arrived. Tahu wanted to attack the Bohrok-Kal, despite knowing he would probably be killed, but Jaller spoke out and prevented the Toa from doing so. Pahrak-Kal began to taunt Tahu, but whilst doing so, Jaller leaped up to the creature and wrenched free its Krana-Kal, shutting it down. Suddenly however, a Gahlok Va appeared and replaced the Kal's Krana, reactivating it. The Toa and Matoran quickly scattered, before the creature could attack again.
Tahu then gathered a swarm of docile Tahnok and challenged Nuhvok-Kal on the plains of Onu-Wahi, but was defeated when the Bohrok-Kal used its Gravity Shields to move the swarm into low orbit and ground the Toa, rendering him immobile as the Bohrok fled. He soon encountered Pohatu and Onua, who took him to meet Gali, Lewa and Kopaka in Le-Wahi, the three of them having just fallen to a Bohrok-Kal Kaita. Pohatu and Onua, meanwhile, had learned from a captured Krana that the Bohrok-Kal now knew the location of the Bahrag. Returning to the Bohrok nest, the Toa found that the massive rocks that had blocked the entrance had been melted away.
Heading inside, they found a hole in the floor of the chamber where they had previously battled the Bahrag, and when Lewa descended into it to investigate, he was shocked to find that the Exo-Toa were running on automatic and quickly falling to the Kal's power. The Nuva dropped into the cavern, and saw the Bohrok-Kal about to place the Nuva Symbols into a glowing cube. Realizing the symbols acted as a key to the Bahrag's prison, Tahu decided to call upon the power the Vahi to stop the Bohrok. He succeeded in almost entirely halting the Kal's movements, but the other Toa were unable to retrieve the symbols due to a forcefield that had formed around the creatures. Gali, however, had an idea, and informed Tahu to shut down the Vahi, and then for the Toa to pool their willpower and reach out to their Nuva Symbols. The plan worked, and the symbols fed the Kal energy until they were consumed by their own powers. Reclaiming the symbols, the Toa felt their powers return, and Tahu and the others returned to the surface triumphant.
Search for the Seventh Toa
Tahu later rescued Takua from a wave of lava in the Mangai Volcano and was shocked to find out that he and Jaller had inadvertently discovered a strange new mask. Shortly after, Gali, Pohatu, and Tahu celebrated their new time of peace by watching the first Kolhii Championship held on Mata Nui. After the match was finished, everyone else discovered the mask; it was identified as the Mask of Light, which heralded the coming of a Seventh Toa. Teridax had once again returned, wishing to destroy the Mask and stop the coming of the Toa of Light. To do that, he released three of his "sons", Rahkshi, beings taken from his essence. The Rahkshi immediately went to Ta-Koro, but Gali managed to get there first and warn them The Rahkshi arrived soon after, and a great battle occurred between the two sides. The Toa were forced to retreat as the Rahkshi began destroying Ta-Koro, putting the Matoran in danger. As they did so, a Lerahk poisoned Tahu's mask, which started to become corrupt. Ta-Koro then sank into the lava, as Tahu started to act irrational.
Three more Rahkshi attacked Onu-Koro where Takua had just visited in search of the Seventh Toa, but they were driven off. Being hit by Kurahk's anger led Tahu to turn against his teammates, attacking his Toa brothers and sister. Kopaka froze Tahu, allowing himself, Lewa, and Gali to use their powers to heal him. The six Toa Nuva faced the six Rahkshi at the Kini-Nui, where Takua discovered his destiny and became Takanuva, Toa of Light. Tahu and the others witnessed him as he defeated the Rahkshi and solemnly placed his now dead friend Jaller to rest. He descended alone into the Kini-Nui and defeated Teridax.
Metru Nui was revealed soon after this, and the Toa Nuva demanded Vakama tell them everything he had kept secret. He obliged, and Tahu and the others listened fervently to his tales. Tahu was the only one allowed to hear the darkest tale, of the Toa Hordika, and he chose to tell the other Nuva of this, despite the dark light it cast on Vakama.
Voya Nui
Upon their arrival to Metru Nui, Tahu Nuva and the other Toa Nuva were informed by Turaga Dume that Mata Nui was dying. They immediately traveled to Voya Nui by way of propelled canisters to find the Kanohi Ignika, the Mask of Life, the only thing that could save Mata Nui. Upon arrival on the surface island of Voya Nui, the Toa encountered the Piraka. Tahu fought with Zaktan, but as his armor was pierced, Zaktan sent millions of Protodites into his body, attacking his tissues. He was later dragged toward the volcano Mount Valmai along with the other five defeated Toa Nuva. While they were being transported, Mount Valmai suddenly erupted. Tahu and the Toa Nuva narrowly escaped, and after a minor battle with the Voya Nui Resistance Team, they became allies. The team then broke into the Piraka's Stronghold, retrieving their masks and Toa Tools and fought against Brutaka, former Guardian of the Voya Nui Matoran. Brutaka deemed to be too powerful after defeating the Toa Nuva and Resistance with one blow. Tahu, the Toa Nuva, and the Voya Nui Resistance Team were trapped in the Piraka's stronghold, while the resistance team is in Reidak's custody, the Toa were trapped with Brutaka. Brutaka later imprisoned the Toa Nuva in a room with a well that drained the Toa Nuva's energy from them. The Voya Nui Resistance Team freed them from the effects of the Antidermis and their chains. The Toa Nuva traveled to the coast of Voya Nui along with Axonn, the Voya Nui Resistance Team, Botar, and the unconscious Brutaka to meet up with the Toa Inika. Tahu Nuva conversed with Botar, and then informed the Toa Inika that they must go to Mahri Nui and retrieve the Ignika from the Barraki. He also told them that the Toa Nuva would be returning to Metru Nui following their departure from Voya Nui. Axonn approached Tahu Nuva, noting how he had lied to the Inika. Tahu stated that the Inika could not be involved with the Toa Nuva's new mission: preparing the universe for Mata Nui's awakening.
Preparations for Mata Nui's Awakening
Tahu then traveled with his fellow Toa Nuva to fulfill the Preparation Scroll. Their first task was to awaken the Bahrag and start the cleansing of Mata Nui. Tahu could not bring himself to relay the order to the Bahrag, and Onua stepped and gave the instruction. The next task was to retrieve the Staff of Artakha; although originally kept in the Archives, it had since been stolen by the Dark Hunters. Tahu and the other Toa Nuva traveled to Odina, where they spoke with the Shadowed One. The Shadowed One offered them information in exchange for killing Roodaka, who was a double agent for both the Brotherhood and the Hunters. Tahu accepted, but later revealed to Gali that he had other plans, and sent Lewa to Metru Nui to retrieve the Rahaga. He and the other Toa went to Xia, where they found Roodaka. They had her change the Rahaga back into Toa Hagah, but failed to get the Staff, which was stolen by Makuta Icarax.
Later, Tahu and his team journeyed to the realm of Karzahni, where they fought against Icarax and were defeated. After the realm was destroyed by a Nova Blast unleashed by Gali, Tahu was revived and journeyed with Kopaka to a chain of islands to the south of the Matoran Universe where they need to stop several active volcanoes. He was brought to Daxia by Botar sometime afterwards to assist in the restoration of the universe through the Staff of Artakha.
After witnessing the restoration, the Toa waited in a chamber where they were greeted by a Matoran from Artakha. He and the other Toa Nuva were then teleported to the land of Artakha, where they were given Adaptive Armor by Artakha. Artakha then teleported the Toa Nuva to Karda Nui.
Karda Nui
Upon arriving in Karda Nui, the Toa Nuva split into two teams: Lewa, Pohatu and Kopaka as one team, while Gali, Onua and Tahu as another.
Tahu led his team into the Swamp of Secrets in order to retrieve the Kanohi Ignika. There, it was decided amongst the three that they would split up in order to increase the area they searched, but reminded each other that, if anything would be spotted or something would go wrong, they would blast their element into the sky.
As the other three Toa head off in different directions, Tahu soon came across the Codrex. However, he no longer had any recollection as of what it is, and what its purpose and functions are. When he approached the Codrex, he was blasted backwards by the Codrex's energy shield and laid barely conscious in the mud. Krika soon appeared, and began to feed on his energy. While feasting, Krika related to Tahu why the Brotherhood hated the Toa so much. As Tahu continued to lose his energy, he shot a ball of Fire into the sky, alerting the other Toa of his situation.
Meanwhile, Tahu channeled heat into the mud around him, increasing the temperature until it was searing hot, and Krika turned intangible and escaped. He was then reunited with Gali and Onua, who had both encountered the other two Mistika Makuta, Gorast and Bitil, and followed their trails to the Codrex. Before the Makuta arrived, however, the Toa were directed away by an Av-Matoran to a nearby cave. Inside the cave, the Toa witnessed several other Av-Matoran who were transforming into Bohrok. Shocked, the Av-Matoran explained that once their lifetime comes to an end, they transform into Bohrok and are transported into the Bohrok Nest below Mata Nui. The Av-Matoran then handed a Keystone to the Toa, and took on the transformation as well. After witnessing the transformation, Tahu was saddened by the fact that he did not ask the Matoran his name, and that it took so many sacrifices for the life of one.
Departing the cave, the Toa walked carefully through the swamp. They discovered large trails of the Makuta, which served as an intentional trap. Acknowledging this fact, Tahu suggested that they would use the Nuva-exclusive Elemental Power time-bomb trick to attack the Makuta at their field base. They succeeded, but their plans were quickly discovered by the Makuta. Gali formed a wall of mist, and the Toa escaped, with Onua carving a tunnel through the ground.
However, after a short amount of progression, Tahu realized that the Makuta were not following. He deduced from that that the Makuta believed they would journey to the Codrex, where they planned to go, and ambush them there. Tahu ordered Onua to turn back, and the three Toa emerged from the tunnel and approached the Codrex from the sky, protected by the mist above the swamp. There, they found out that the Makuta had indeed journeyed to the Codrex. Tahu quickly formulated a plan, and the three Toa led a large scaled attack on the three Makuta. However, their plan was quickly met by the Makuta, and it was soon that the battle entered a stalemate, with neither sides winning. To the Toa's misfortune, the other Phantoka Makuta, minus Mutran and Icarax, and the Shadow Matoran Kirop, Gavla and Radiak united with the three Mistika Makuta. Outnumbered, Tahu ordered the others to take cover, but was to no avail.
Pinned near the Codrex's energy field, Antroz confronted the Toa, preparing a devastating blast. To their relief, the remaining Toa Nuva and the three Av-Matoran, Tanma, Photok and Solek, arrived at that point and the Toa Nuva were finally reunited. Together, the Toa Nuva began the final battle against the Makuta.
During the battle, Takanuva arrived and temporarily drove the Makuta off. Tahu distributed the Keystones to his fellow Toa, in preparation for what they were about to do. They then went to the Codrex, and Tahu managed to insert the assembled Keystone into a niche, lowering the barrier around it. After the Toa Nuva entered, he removed the Keystones so none of the Makuta could follow. However, Antroz managed to slip in unnoticed.
Inside, Onua pressed a switch to a machine, causing the whole platform to drop down. The Toa discovered three vehicles in the chamber below: the Axalara T9, the Jetrax T6, and the Rockoh T3. While Lewa and Pohatu boarded the Axalara T9 and Rockoh T3, respectively, Antroz hijacked the Jetrax T6, and the two Toa followed him in full pursuit.
With the three Toa gone, Tahu, Gali and Onua remained in the Codrex in hopes of finding a way to reawaken Mata Nui based on the Keystones. They discovered that the method mentioned on the Keystones was too slow and inefficient, and decided that the Ignika would be able to provide the enough energy to awake the Great Spirit in one go. However, this meant the mask had to give up his newly formed body and intelligence, and the idea was taken ill by the mask, who attempted to kill Tahu after he mentioned the plan to it. Eventually, the mask accepted the plan after knowing that Matoro had done the same and thus became a hero.
Onua then left to aid the battle outside. Alone with Gali, Tahu confessed that since they entered the Codrex, he had regained all the details of his and his team's past life, prior to their arrival on the island of Mata Nui. He apologized to Gali for not informing his fellow team when he first made the decision for all of them, to enter the Codrex and take refuge inside the Toa Canisters, which would cause them to fall into an indefinite sleep. Gali acknowledged his apology, and forgave him. Together, they also managed to figure out the only means of escaping Karda Nui, which were the vehicles which Lewa, Pohatu and Kopaka rode on, as they were able to shimmer through walls.
He then exited the Codrex, where he engaged in combat for the last time with the Makuta of Karda Nui. As the Energy Storms began, Tahu and his team held on to the three vehicles and fled from Karda Nui. As they fled the cavern, Pohatu thought he witnessed the Ignika flying out of the Codrex.
Teridax's Reign
The six Toa Nuva and Takanuva eventually returned to the island city of Metru Nui without sustaining any injuries. There, they celebrated the reawakening of Mata Nui, but soon found themselves confronted by Makuta Teridax, who had taken over the Great Spirit's body and subsequently the entire Matoran Universe.
Some time later, Tahu and most of the other Toa Nuva fled into the Archives to hide and regroup. Tahu was badly injured by the group of Rahkshi pursuing them. When the Turaga found Krahka, she informed them of tunnels that could be used to escape from Metru Nui. Tahu proposed a plan to split up and begin causing massive disturbances throughout the universe to divide Teridax's attention, for his mind would not be used to it and his control of the universe could slip. After reaching the shoreline and stealing a boat, they met up with the Order of Mata Nui agent Trinuma, who told them of Daxia's destruction.
The Toa Nuva separated to avoid detection. Tahu later discovered Rahkshi had overrun Odina, although the Dark Hunters had been able to relocate to Xia before the attack. He sent his discovery in a message via their Rahi courier system to Takanuva.
Tahu grouped himself with Kopeke, Lariska, Johmak, Krahka, and Guardian to make contact with some Order agents looking for weapons, and made camp on Karzahni. During a discussion over a campfire, Tahu suggested that they smash places around the universe in order to divide Teridax's attention. Guardian, disliking the plan, began to walk away. Suddenly, the ground opened up in front of him and pulled him under. A dozen Exo-Toa then appeared and demanded that the remaining group return to Metru Nui. Tahu planned to stage a false surrender when Onua suddenly rescued the team, and reported to them that the Order agents they were looking for had been captured by Rahkshi. While discussing plans, Onua developed a theory that Teridax was using Rahkshi and Exo-Toa to monitor the universe, and made a plan to destroy his last remaining source of Rahkshi, the Energized Protodermis pool on Daxia. The group successfully destroyed this pool, dealing a great blow to Teridax's armies.
He and Onua later planned an ambush for a number of Rahkshi. They suddenly turned around before triggering their trap, frustrating the Toa. They were soon approached by an Order of Mata Nui member, who informed them that many Rahkshi were traveling to the south of the Matoran Universe. Tahu ordered the Order member to gather other reinforcements, and set out for the Southern Islands in an attempt to destroy the Rahkshi gathering there.
While following the Rahkshi south, he met with Takanuva. Soon after the two witnessed a quake that made Tahu realize someone was attacking Teridax. Tahu melted a mass of metal falling toward them and then reminded Takanuva that they were gathering Toa for their pursuit.
Leading Takanuva and an army of Toa outside of the Matoran Universe, the two were attacked by the Glatorian Gresh, but quickly overpowered him and realized that they were allies. As Gresh joined their group, Tahu fell under a trance.
Tahu was greeted by the Ignika, which simulated a vision of the island of Mata Nui. The Ignika devolved him back into a Toa Mata, and explained to him that he was needed in his original form in order to use the Golden Armor, which it began making for him through the ancient robot above. When Tahu awoke to find the illusion's effects real, he and Takanuva began to retrieve the armor before the six pieces were scattered from an energy blast by Teridax. Tahu set about recovering them with help from Takanuva and Gresh.
In order to retrieve a piece, Tahu was drawn into battle with the Skakdi warlord Nektann. Nektann taunted the Toa of Fire, challenging him to use only his strength and none of his elemental abilities. Tahu acknowledged that he would do whatever it took to defeat the Skakdi, and Nektann claimed that he had won by changing Tahu's attitude. Nobly defying the warlord, Tahu used his heat power to melt Nektann's armor and let the immobilized Skakdi live, to prove that he was a true Toa.
Together with his allies, Tahu managed to complete the Golden Armor, and donned it. He unleashed the power of the armor, which destroyed the Kraata of the attacking Rahkshi, and sent energy surging back into his own body. The shock to Teridax gave Mata Nui the chance he needed, and he defeated the Makuta. Tahu and Takanuva looked out at the fallen Matoran Universe, hoping that Teridax had really died. Using his new power of heat vision granted by the Golden Armor, Tahu then burned the Three Virtues in the sand.
Mata Nui revitalized the land after Spherus Magna was made whole again, and the robot body he was in collapsed. Tahu and the others rushed to the site and discovered the Ignika, which still housed Mata Nui's spirit. Mata Nui expressed a desire to stay dormant in order to let the others rebuild, and also requested that they seek out the Great Beings; Tahu realized that they should honor his wishes, and invited the others in building a new society.
Spherus Magna
Integrating the two cultures proved difficult for Tahu, and he collaborated with Ackar and Kiina, leaders of the Agori society, in order to overcome the boundaries. Still wishing to honor Mata Nui's request, he assembled a team of three Toa, Orde, Chiara, and Zaria, and one Glatorian, Gelu, and tasked them with finding the Great Beings. Tahu also called on Gali to help him find a location for New Atero. Though they searched all over, Tahu was unable to deem a location suitable for New Atero, and the two returned to the campsite. On the way back, they spotted Toa Lesovikk heading north, and upon returning to their camp, discovered that he was suspected of the murder of Karzahni. Tahu examined the corpse and pulled Kopaka aside, telling him how detrimental the event could be to Agori/Matoran relations. He also informed Kopaka of where he saw Lesovikk going, and Kopaka and Pohatu later set out again to find him. Tahu offered to go with them, but Kopaka convinced the Toa of Fire that his job was ensuring the good relations between the two societies.
Alternate Universes
Toa Empire Alternate Universe
In the Toa Empire Alternate Universe, Tahu, along with the other Toa Mata, were prematurely awakened and led down the path to evil and corruption by Toa Tuyet. When Takanuva was accidentally teleported to this alternate universe, he met Tahu in his Toa Mata form, along with Kopaka, who then attacked Takanuva, imprisoning him in a cell. Later, in a battle outside the Coliseum, Tahu was killed by the Dark Hunter Primal.
Spherus Magna Alternate Universe
Tahu was at some point transformed into a Toa Nuva in this universe where the Makuta never rebelled. He arrived at the Agori's villages after Mata Nui reformed Spherus Magna and once told Tarduk about how Mata Nui returned his power in the Valley of the Maze.
The Kingdom Alternate Universe
In The Kingdom Alternate Universe, Tahu assisted Jaller and Kopaka in driving back the Rahkshi that had broken through Pohatu's and Hewkii's attempts to seal off the Matoran Universe when the two Toa of Stone were killed by the Rahkshi.
Abilities and Traits
Tahu is one of the boldest, fiercest, and most courageous of the Toa; however, this trait often manifests as hot-headed temper and aggression. Despite this fault, he is fiercely loyal to and very protective of his team, especially Gali. He takes being a leader very seriously, but in doing so he becomes impatient and does not feel inclined to get the opinion of his fellow Toa.
Tahu's personality often clashes with Kopaka's, though they ultimately respect each other. Gali has also become frustrated with Tahu occasionally, particularly when he acts without thinking. After Lewa was freed from the effects of the Krana, Tahu had difficulties trusting him, especially because, unknown to everyone, he had also worn a Krana briefly and therefore knew their power, but this trust was restored when Lewa demonstrated that he would risk anything to save the Matoran from the Bohrok.
Tahu has matured much since his beginnings, attempting to listen to his team more and waiting before heading into a fight without a plan.
As a Toa of Fire, Tahu has the ability to manipulate the element of Fire and is able to create fireballs, absorb heat, and emit flames. When he was transformed into a Toa Nuva, these powers were greatly enhanced, though linked to his Nuva Symbol. He also figured out how to start an elemental process and then leave it to function by itself, allowing him to create timed blasts of fire.
Upon being reverted back to his Toa Mata form, Tahu's elemental power was decreased, and the link to his Nuva symbol was severed.
Mask and Tools
As a Toa Mata, Tahu wears the Kanohi Hau, the Mask of Shielding, which protects him from anticipated attacks but not from ambush. He collected five other Great Masks and traded them and his Hau at the Kini-Nui for a Golden Kanohi to prepare for his descent into the Mangaia. In his original form he also wielded a Fire Sword, with which he could project fire and could heat objects to the point of melting.
When he became a Toa Nuva, Tahu obtained the Hau Nuva, the Kanohi Nuva Mask of Shielding, which allowed him to share his shielding power with others. This mask replaced his Golden Kanohi, and Tahu was forced to seek out five Kanohi Nuva masks to replace the lost powers. All five of these masks were destroyed when they and Ta-Suva sank with Ta-Koro into the lava after the attack of the Rahkshi. Until receiving the Adaptive Armor, he wielded twin Magma Swords, which could be combined to form a Lavaboard to surf lava with.
In his Adaptive Armor, Tahu Nuva wielded an adaptive weapon, which formed the Rotating Fire Blades and a Nynrah Ghost Blaster.
When he was reverted back to his Toa Mata form by the Ignika, Tahu's Hau Nuva was transformed into a regular Hau, and he lost the ability to activate a Kanohi Nuva. He kept his adaptive weapon, which took the form of his original Fire Sword.
Tahu also collected and donned the Golden Armor for his devolved original form. The Golden Armor, after destroying the Rahkshi, granted Tahu the abilities of all Kraata that it incinerated. Two of these new powers are Heat Vision and Quick Healing.[1] However, if Tahu were to remove the Golden Armor, he would lose these powers.[2]
BIONICLE.com Stats:
| STRENGTH: 12 | AGILITY: 12 |
| TOUGHNESS: 13 | MIND: 11 |
Set Information
8534 Tahu was the first set created, and was released in summer 2001 as a Toa canister set. With thirty-three pieces, one could rotate the gear on the back of the model to make it swing its sword with its right arm. The parts and instructions of this set could be combined with the parts and instructions from the Onua and Pohatu sets of the same year to build the Toa Kaita Akamai using instructions split between the three sets' instruction booklets. In 2001, around three million Tahu sets were sold.
In the summer of 2002, 8572 Tahu Nuva was released alongside the other Toa Nuva. It had thirty-six pieces. This new Tahu featured Nuva armor, new legs pieces, a new Kanohi, and his new Magma Swords. When one spun the gear on his back, both arms would swing in opposite directions, although by moving a gear and axle from the left shoulder to his back and replacing them with a pin, two different action features became available. In this mode, the operation gear on the back could be spun to cause the right arm alone to swing, or the smaller gear from the shoulder could be pulled to fix the operation gear (and thus the right arm) in one position. His Magma Swords could be attached to either side of one of his feet to act as a Lavaboard. By combining his parts and instructions with those of the Pohatu Nuva set and Onua Nuva set one could build a model of Akamai Nuva, with instructions found in the backs of the three sets' instruction booklets.
As a promotion for the film, BIONICLE: Mask of Light, Tahu appeared as one of a set of UK Burger King toys in 2003. This toy depicted Tahu Nuva as he appeared in the movie and is not compatible with Lego parts.
Tahu Nuva appeared again in the summer of 2008 in his Mistika form granted by the Adaptive Armor. This set, 8989 Toa Tahu contains seventy-three pieces. This form's back features an attachment point for a 2008 Matoran set, although no Matoran was released specifically to ride with him in either the set or the story (The canister demonstrates the feature with Solek). Tahu Nuva Mistika also wields a Nynrah Ghost Blaster that fires soft dark gray ammunition pieces in his left hand and his new Rotating Blades in his right. Parts from Tahu's 2008 form can be combined with the parts of the 2008 Gali and Onua sets using instructions on LEGO.com to create the Order of Mata Nui member Trinuma.
Tahu in his Mistika form was also part of McDonald's BIONICLE "Happy Meal" promotion in late 2008. This was a small action figure and was also not compatible with Lego parts.
Tahu was released as part of BIONICLE's final set line, the BIONICLE Stars as 7116 Tahu. The set design was meant to resemble his first incarnation as a Toa Mata and contains nineteen pieces. Six individual pieces distributed throughout the six BIONICLE Stars sets are intended to be added to Tahu to represent the Golden Armor. Tahu's set includes a Golden Hau as part of his Golden Armor. Tahu could be combined with the five other Stars to form Gaardus; the instructions for the set were released on BIONICLE.com.
Several large Tahu statues were constructed entirely out of LEGO System bricks for promotional usage. They are on display in the LEGO Imagination Centers in both Downtown Disneys at Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida, though the latter has since been removed, as well as at the Mall of America in Minnesota.
Quotes
"More questions -- and still he had no answers. Not knowing made him shake with frustration and rage. It made him want to turn his sword against the earth, the sky, the beach -- the very world itself."
— Tahu's thoughts, Tale of the Toa
"This Fire Toa is full of hot air. Will he be prepared for the heat of battle, or will he burn out quickly?"
— Kopaka's thoughts, Tale of the Toa
"Of course I have a plan. I'm searching... I'm searching for the masks... Okay. Perhaps I don't have an exact plan as such. But I'm working on it."
— Toa Mata Tahu to Jaller, Tale of the Toa
"Of course, I'd like to see Tahu trying to get along in Ko-Wahi. He'd probably melt a hole in a glacier and spend so much energy yelling at the ice that he couldn't climb out."
— Kopaka's thoughts, Tale of the Toa
"Where wisdom and valor fail, all that remains is faith. And it can overcome all."
— Toa Mata Tahu, Mata Nui Online Game
"Come, give in to the flame. Let it consume you and all you hold dear -- I know you can feel it burning deep inside."
— Shadow Tahu to Tahu, Tale of the Toa
"And I pledge to you that as Toa of Fire I will do all I can to keep you and our home safe from harm. Remember -- your bravery, your wisdom, your spirit, make you as mighty as any Toa!"
— Toa Mata Tahu, To Trap a Tahnok
"You have no right to sacrifice yourself. You have a duty to us — to Mata Nui. Your destiny doesn't allow room for personal pride."
— Jaller, Makuta's Revenge
"The prophecies may say that we have to work together, sister. But nowhere is it written that we must enjoy it."
— Tahu to Gali, Tales of the Masks
"I worry ... I am afraid ... that one day I might lead my friends into danger — even cost them their lives — because I did not know all that I should have known."
— Tahu, Voyage of Fear
"Time and experience had made him less a warrior and more a leader of Toa."
— Narrator, The Final Battle
"What do you have in mind, and does it include explosions?"
— Tahu to Onua, Reign of Shadows
Trivia
- Scott McNeil voiced Tahu in Mask of Light.
- Tahu was the only Toa Nuva with only one Kanohi Nuva, as the five others he collected were destroyed in the sinking of Ta-Koro; his Kanohi Nuva has since been returned to the form of an ordinary Great Mask.
- Tahu has been on more comic covers than any other character.
- He is also the only character to be on the cover of the first and last Comics.
- During the prototype stages of BIONICLE, Tahu was named Flame.
Appearances
References
- ↑ Chat with Greg Farshtey, 15. May 2014 (archive)
- ↑ Chat with Greg Farshtey, 30. July 2014