User:Toa Jala/Sandbox

Destiny

Incomplete Data

I am compiling the following data as a personal study on the nature of destiny in the BIONICLE universe. At this time, I have no plans to nominate this for a page. The unsourced information is my own speculation. Feel free to use any bullet points with citations.

"None of us choose our destiny. And none of us can defy it."
— Artakha to Tren Krom, Reign of Shadows

Facts and Speculations

• The effects of Energized Protodermis are linked with destiny; a being who is destined to transform will do so, while a being who is not will perish.
  • Since EP also works on inanimate objects, it is implied that objects can also have destinies.
  • Beings can change multiple times.
    • Energized Protodermis may not affect a being the same way twice. For example, Takutanuva could not have been formed a second time, and Tahu may not be able to become a Toa Nuva again.
  • In terms of EP, all Kraata have the same destiny: to become Rahkshi armor.
  • The Energized Protodermis Entity does not always know what effects it will have.
• Mata Nui (or anyone possessing the Great Spirit Robot) has the power to sense the destinies of beings within them. In spite of this, Mata Nui did not know his own destiny.
• Destiny is inescapable. Any action a being takes to reach it or avoid it is predetermined. For example, Teridax's destiny was the help Mata Nui reunite Spherus Magna, which he tried to reject, but inadvertently fulfilled. Despite having gone rogue, Nidhiki and Tuyet also achieved their respective destinies.
• In order to become a Turaga, a Toa must first complete their destiny.
  • Lhikan achieved his destiny when he created the Toa Metru.
  • The Toa Metru achieved their destiny when they brought the Metru Nui Matoran to Mata Nui.
  • In the Kingdom Alternate Universe, Takanuva achieved his destiny and became a Turaga.
  • Nidhiki's, Tuyet's, and Matoro's destinies did not involve becoming Turaga. Thus, it stands to reason that not every Toa is destined to become a Turaga.
    • Helryx and the Toa Hagah have all completed their destinies, but they have not become Turaga because they retain their Toa Power.
• Destiny extends beyond the confines of the Matoran Universe.
  • Energized Protodermis affects beings and objects native to Spherus Magna, suggesting that they also have destinies.
• All beings may be destined to die.
• The same individual can have different destinies in different realities. In the Core Dimension, Takanuva's destiny was to bring and end to a civil war between the Great Beings, while his destiny in the Kingdom Alternate Universe was to trap the Makuta behind the light barrier,, and in other dimensions, Takua was not destined to become a Toa at all. This is because one's destiny can change depending on circumstance.
• Any Kraata immersed in Energized Protodermis will become a suit of Rahkshi armor. Since the Great Beings designed Rahkshi, this suggests that the Great Beings have some degree of control over the destinies of their creations.
  • This may not universally be true, as neither Mata Nui nor the Great Beings had intended for the Makuta to evolve into energy.
• It's unclear if mutation has an effect on one's destiny. A Toa Nuva or Toa Hordika could theoretically become a Turaga Nuva or Hordika, respectively. However, the Rahaga could not have become Turaga until their mutations were undone, despite having achieved their destinies. Perhaps this had more to do with their altered physiology rather than an effect on their destinies.
• From their creation, certain Matoran are destined to become Toa. This again shows that Great Beings have some level of control over the destinies of their creations.
  • There may be a specific time, place, or other circumstance for that transformation to take place. Just because a Matoran is not destined to become a Matoran in the present doesn't mean they won't be in the future. However, some Matoran are not capable of becoming Toa at all.
• Although the destinies of beings from the Matoran Universe are already determined, they may find them harder to achieve outside of it. This suggests that one's location has some influence on their destiny.

Conclusion

Destiny seems to be a pervasive force that predates the Matoran Universe - and indeed the Great Beings themselves. It governs things organic and biomechanical, natural and artificial. Perhaps the Great Beings, being natives of Spherus Magna, also have their own destinies of which they are likely unaware. They seem to have some understanding of destiny, as they can control the destinies of their creations to a degree, as demonstrated with Matoran and Kraata. In the case of Matoran destined to be Toa, destiny even seems to have a physiological explanation. At least part of what is referred to as destiny is simply design, but this only applies to synthetic (Protodermic) beings.

Unanswered Questions

• Does destiny extend beyond the confines of reality? Was it Vultraz's destiny to end up in the Melding Alternate Universe? Was it Melding Teridax's destiny to end up in the Core Dimension? What about the Shadow Takanuva? Was corruption their destiny, or were their destinies interfered with when Tridax abducted them from their own realities?
• What is the source of destiny? Is there a greater force that determines it, or is destiny merely a way of describing fate - the final destination of each lifetime's journey?