Ussal
"The Ussal Crabs are strong and loyal. They help us with many things here, from mining to transportation, but mostly racing."
— Midak, Mata Nui Online Game
| Ussal | |
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Ussal
Mutant
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| Rahi | |
| Conservation status | Common |
| Known locations | Widespread across Matoran Universe (formerly) Spherus Magna[1] |
| Pronunciation | uss-SUL[2] |
| Set | 10023 BIONICLE Master Builder Set (instructions) 8595 Takua & Pewku (instructions) |
| Mutant Ussal | |
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Ussal
Mutant
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 The claw of the Mutant Ussal stored in the Archives | |
| Ussal | |
| Status | Deceased[3] |
| Location | Archives |
| Pronunciation | uss-SUL[2] |
The Ussal are herbivorous crab-like Rahi domesticated by the Matoran.
History
The Ussal species was created by the Makuta using Viruses and Liquid Protodermis to be one of the Rahi to inhabit the Matoran Universe.[4]
On Metru Nui, Ussal Crabs were found in the wild near the shores of Ga-Metru. They were used by the Le-Matoran Ussal riders in Le-Metru, where they hauled transport carts around the city and competed in racing tournaments.[5] Tame Ussal were kept in pens scattered across Le-Metru and were put to work chiefly when a bulky or delicate item deemed unfit for Chute travel needed to be transported.[6] Ussal carts were also used on occasion to carry passengers, although the transportation of bulky cargo was their main application[7] and Ussal drivers were often too busy to pick up other Matoran who flagged them down.[citation needed] Ussal were well-liked by the Onu-Matoran of Metru Nui, who employed the crabs to move heavy objects, including Stasis Tubes.[5]
After the Great Cataclysm, many Ussal migrated through the Great Barrier to the island of Mata Nui, where they and the Matoran lived for 1,000 years. Ussal were found all over the island, but were primarily used by the Onu-Matoran. Some worked in mining tunnels like the Le-Koro Highway; others worked in the great Ussalry, led by Onepu, or worked in the Great Mine.[8] In addition, some were still used in sports, such as the Great Ussal Race[9] and kolhii.[10] Some wild Ussal were infected by Makuta Teridax during his invasion.[9]
Shortly after the coming of the Toa Mata, Takanuva defeated Teridax and rediscovered Metru Nui. The Matoran constructed many boats for their return, and the Ussal migrated with them.[11]
After the Mata Nui Robot was critically damaged in the Battle of Bara Magna, the surviving Ussal left the Matoran Universe and immigrated to Spherus Magna.[1]
Mutated Ussal
A rare mutated Ussal, many times the size of a normal one, resided in Metru Nui. It is thought to be a hybrid with another larger species. It possessed inferior sight, and developed greater hearing to hunt.[12] It was kept in a sub-level of the Onu-Metru Archives, as it was resistant to the effects of stasis.[13]
1,001 years ago, while searching for the Onu-Metru Great Disk, Toa Metru Nuju and Whenua looked within the beast's cell, provoking it. The Ussal attacked the two Toa viciously. Whenua generated a deafening hum from his Earthshock Drills, using the creature's sensitive hearing against it. The mutant Ussal released the two Toa and retreated deeper into its cell, while Nuju slammed the door upon it and locked it with thick ice.[12][14][15] After the Mata Nui Robot was critically damaged, it is unlikely that the Mutated Ussal survived as it was trapped in its cell.[3]
Rock Ussal
Rock Ussal are specialized Ussal crabs, considerably more aggressive than the average Ussal.[16]
Rock Ussal are native to the Southern Continent. When the Great Cataclysm tore Voya Nui out of the continent and up to the surface of to Aqua Magna, many Rock Ussal survived the journey and adapted to life on the barren island. They could be found near inland lakes throughout the Green Belt.[16]
When the Toa Mahri destroyed the Cord and returned Voya Nui to its former position on the Southern Continent, the Rock Ussal may not have survived the descent.[17]
After the Mata Nui Robot was critically damaged in the Battle of Bara Magna, the surviving Rock Ussal left the Matoran Universe and immigrated to Spherus Magna.[1]
Abilities and Traits
Ussal are very common and come in a wide variety of colors, including tan,[18] black, purple and black, blue and yellow,[19] red and orange,[16] orange and blue, red-yellow and green,[9] or orange and dark gray.[20] Ussals are known to make a chirping sound,[19][21] though they may whine or shriek when upset.[22] They have an unpleasant odor that makes their dwellings easy to identify from a distance.[6] While they are easily tamed, some wild Ussal will attack Matoran if provoked. Ussal are also amphibious - while they are usually found on land, they can live underwater as well.[9]
Ussal are prized by Matoran for their friendliness, strength, and swiftness.[8] They are known for their ability to tunnel, making them useful for Onu-Matoran miners.[20]
Ussal are some of few Rahi that grow as they age. Ussal generally start out very small (several inches long)[23] and then grow to a rideable size.[8] They age for a while after this and then develop rapidly into a larger stage;[21][24] they may sometimes change color during development as well, as observed with Pewku changing from blue and yellow[8] to brown and gray.[21]
Known Ussal
Set Information
| Ussal Set | |||||
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Parts and instructions to build an orange Ussal were included with the 10023 BIONICLE Master Builder Set. Pressing levers on either side of its back caused it to pinch anything lying between its two claws. The larger Ussal Pewku was released in the larger boxed set 8595 Takua & Pewku in 2003. This Ussal featured a crawling feature when one rolled it across the floor on its non-canon wheels.
Trivia
- Ussal were the first species of Rahi to be seen in the Comics.[18]
- Whenua believed that the Ussal and the Manas were somehow related, but Matau strongly disagreed with that theory.[25]
- While Ussal do not appear in any known builds of BIONICLE: The Legend of Mata Nui, an unused Ussal model can be found in the files of the v0.006 build.[26]
- In Mata Nui Online Game, Ussal such as Pewku are used for a "taxi crab" service providing transport between Onu-Koro and Po-Wahi.[8] Although Pewku's role in the game is still considered canonical,[27] Greg Farshtey has repeatedly asserted that the concept of "taxi crabs" is non-canonical.[28][29][30][31]
- In Legends of Metru Nui, the giant Mutated Ussal's claw is represented by a reussed asset of one of Nidhiki's pincers. In the movie, the Ussal's pincer is barely large enough to hold Whenua and it attacks the Toa after he retrieved the Great Disk of Onu-Metru from its cell. In Lunchables 1, "Disks of Danger", and Trial by Fire, one of its claws alone was large enough to hold both Nuju and Whenua, it released the Toa and backed deeper into its cell after Whenua activated his Earthshock Drills,[12] and the Great Disk was not located in its cell, but further down in the Archives.[32]
Appearances
| Books | Comics | Online | Multimedia |
|---|---|---|---|
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Novels
Guides
Activity |
BIONICLE Promotional |
Chronicle
Story Serials
Animations |
Movies Online Games
Video Games
Card Games |
References
See also
| Ussalry | |
| Leader | Onepu |
| Members | Damek | Kaj |
| Rahi | Ussal |
| BIONICLE Sets of 2002 | ||
| Small | 8550 Gahlok Va | 8551 Kohrak Va | 8552 Lehvak Va | 8553 Pahrak Va | 8554 Tahnok Va | 8555 Nuhvok Va | |
| Medium | 8560 Pahrak | 8561 Nuhvok | 8562 Gahlok | 8563 Tahnok | 8564 Lehvak | 8565 Kohrak 8566 Onua Nuva | 8567 Lewa Nuva | 8568 Pohatu Nuva | 8570 Gali Nuva | 8571 Kopaka Nuva | 8572 Tahu Nuva | |
| Large | Standard | 8556 Boxor | 8557 Exo-Toa | 8558 Cahdok & Gahdok |
| Special | 10023 BIONICLE Master Builder Set | |
| Collectible | 8559 BIONICLE Krana | 8597 Kanohi Nuva & Krana Pack | |
| see full list | ||
| BIONICLE Sets of 2003 | ||
| Small | 8581 Kopeke | 8582 Matoro | 8583 Hahli | 8584 Hewkii | 8585 Hafu | 8586 Macku | |
| Medium | 8573 Nuhvok-Kal | 8574 Tahnok-Kal | 8575 Kohrak-Kal | 8576 Lehvak-Kal | 8577 Pahrak-Kal | 8578 Gahlok-Kal 8587 Panrahk | 8588 Kurahk | 8589 Lerahk | 8590 Guurahk | 8591 Vorahk | 8592 Turahk | |
| Large | Standard | 8593 Makuta | 8594 Jaller & Gukko | 8595 Takua & Pewku | 8596 Takanuva |
| Special | 10201 Takutanuva | |
| Collectible | 8580 Kraata | 8599 Krana-Kal | |
| Promotional | 1441 Fikou | |
| see full list | ||
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