TURAGA (BIONICLE)

'Turaga' are fictional characters in Lego Bionicle story. A Turaga is a retired Toa hero, who has fulfilled his destiny and given up his powers. Turaga use wisdom gained from their days as heroes to help lead communities of Matoran.

Contents

Powers

List of Turaga

Mata Nui

Vakama

Nokama

Matau

Onewa

Whenua

Nuju

Metru Nui

Dume

Lhikan

Voya Nui

Jovan

Trivia

References

External link

Powers

Though Turaga have given up most of their powers, they retain a few of the abilities they once held as Toa. Like Toa, they wear Kanohi Masks of Power, but can only access the powers of Noble Masks instead of the more powerful Great Masks. They are also known to carry staffs, which are reminiscent of their former Toa tools. Finally, they have a minimal amount of elemental power left available to them, but this power is rarely used.
If a Toa is in some kind of altered state upon giving up their Toa power, then their Turaga forms would have similar alterations. For instance, theoretical "Turaga Nuva" would be able to share mask abilities and "Turaga Inika" would have electrically-charged elemental attacks as well as organic masks.Official Greg Discussion p. 252 post #7542
It is also possible for six Turaga to join together to form a great sage and leader known as a Turaga Nui. This, so far, has never been done.

List of Turaga

Mata Nui

These Turaga were once the Toa Metru who, after the Great Cataclysm struck the city of Metru Nui, brought the Matoran of the city to the safety of Mata Nui in the Great Rescue. In the thousand years since, they have led the Matoran villages in making a living on the island; and once the Toa Mata arrived the Turaga provided valuable support in their fight against Makuta. When the path to Metru Nui was re-opened, they and the Matoran went back to their ancient home, and these Turaga now serve as advisors under Turaga Dume. ''For information on these characters before they became Turaga, see Toa Metru and their corresponding entries in List of Matoran.''

Vakama

Vakama is the Turaga of Ta-Koro and the former Toa Metru of Fire. He lived in Metru Nui as a maskmaker, and carries the Firestaff he used for the trade as his badge of office. Vakama is known for his great courage and his hot temper. Vakama has been plagued all his life by visions of the future. He also has trouble trusting the Toa Mata, stemming from the betrayal of "Turaga Dume" (Makuta in disguise) and his own mistakes as a Toa Metru. Because of this, he usually divulges information strictly on a need-to-know basis. Vakama wears the Kanohi Huna, the Noble Mask of Concealment, which allows him to turn invisible.

Nokama

The Turaga of Ga-Koro and former Toa Metru of Water, Nokama was a teacher in Metru Nui before she became a Toa. Nokama is extremely wise, and always manages to cool down the tempers of the other Turaga. She always listens to every side of an argument before giving a ruling, and is extremely logical, as she knows the dangers of unchecked emotion. Keeping secrets does not sit well with Nokama; she has been known to defy the other Turaga and tell things the others agreed to keep secret. Nokama carries a trident made from the bones of a Makuta fish (based on a common Ga-Metru tool), and wears the Kanohi Rau, the Noble Mask of Translation, allowing her to read any written language.

Matau

The Turaga of Le-Koro and former Toa Metru of Air, he was an Ussal cart driver in Metru Nui. Matau is known for his practical jokes, but is always calm in a crisis and never asks the Le-Matoran to do something he is not willing to do himself. Like all of Mata Nui's Le-Matoran, he commonly uses "Treespeak" slang. When faced with a fork in the road he always advises going right (as he had some bad experiences with left forks as a Toa Metru). He carries the Kau Kau Staff (named after the call of Brakas monkeys) and wears the Kanohi Mahiki, the Noble Mask of Illusion, letting him create images to confuse enemies.

Onewa

The Turaga of Po-Koro and former Toa Metru of Stone, Onewa was a carver in Metru Nui. Onewa is the most hard-headed of the Turaga. He is known to the Po-Matoran as "the Referee" for his skill at resolving disputes. Onewa is known to have come up with original form of the game of Koli, but Hewkii eventually inspired a new version (called "kolhii") by saving Macku with a fishing staff. Onewa carries a Stone Hammer, and wears the Kanohi Komau, the Noble Mask of Mind Control, allowing him to control beings with weak willpower.

Whenua

The Turaga of Onu-Koro and former Toa Metru of Earth, Whenua was an archivist in Metru Nui. Whenua is known for his honesty. As he often says, "It serves no purpose to be false, for the earth cannot be deceived." He puts great stock in the past and what can be learned from it. Whenua carries a Drill Staff (also known as the "Drill of Onua") and wears the Kanohi Ruru, the Noble Mask of Night Vision, allowing him to see in the darkness of the underground.

Nuju

The Turaga of Ko-Koro and former Toa Metru of Ice, Nuju served as a seer in Metru Nui. Nuju is an excellent storyteller, although he chooses not to speak in the Matoran language; he instead communicates in the Rahi bird language taught to him by Rahaga Kualus, which consists of whistles and gestures (only Matoro can translate this language, though the other Turaga usually have an idea of what he's saying). His reasoning for this is that those who will not take the time to get a translation aren't worth talking to. Nuju carries an Ice Pick and wears the Kanohi Matatu, the Noble Mask of Telekinesis, which lets him move objects with his mind.

Metru Nui

Dume

The wise elder of Metru Nui and a former Toa of Fire, Dume has led the city of Metru Nui for roughly fifteen thousand years. In this time, he is best known for stubbornly refusing to allow the Dark Hunters to establish a base in Metru Nui. This led to several schemes against Dume and the city to force him to concede, including kidnapping and blackmail. Eventually, the Hunters grew so frustrated that they declared war on the city. Thankfully, Metru Nui survived, in no small part to the efforts of Toa Lhikan (whom it is said Dume somehow helped become a Toa).
In the time leading up to the Great Cataclysm, Dume was abducted and secretly replaced by Makuta, who took on Dume's appearance to fulfill his sinister goals. Turaga Dume was imprisoned in a container beneath Po-Metru. He was awakened and freed sometime during the Visorak's conquest of the city, the container malfunctioning and opening up early^[1]. In the thousand years while the Matoran were on Mata Nui, Dume fixed what damage to the city that he could, sometimes aided by the visiting Rahaga.
Though happy to have his city populated once again, Dume has been having trouble adjusting to sharing his rule with the other Turaga. It also doesn't help that these Turaga had formed close friendships with their charges, which Dume doesn't quite understand as he had always ruled at a distance. Compounding all these problems is the fact that Great Spirit Mata Nui is dying and the end of the world is near. Soon after the Matorans' return, Dume and the other Turaga sent the Toa Nuva on a mission to find a Mask of Life that could save him. They agreed not to tell the Matoran of this to save them from worry, but this decision led Jaller to declare a citywide strike because he was tired of their secrets. Upon learning that Jaller and his compatriots - the future Toa Inika - had vanished, Dume blamed the other Turaga, claiming that in dying they could at least have had pride in accepting their fate.
Dume wears the Kanohi Kiril, the Noble Mask of Regeneration, which allows him to repair inanimate objects and buildings, but not heal living things.

Lhikan

Main articles: Lhikan

After he infused his Toa powers within a set of Toa stones, Toa Lhikan became Turaga Lhikan. In the Dark Hunters' prison in Po-Metru, he helped three of the Toa Metru (Nuju, Onewa, and Whenua) discover their mask powers. He later aided the Toa in the fight with Makuta, and perished taking a dark energy blast meant for Vakama. He was a Turaga of Fire, and carried a small shield (a transformed version of the Fire Greatswords he used as a Toa). He wore the Kanohi Hau, the Noble Mask of Shielding, which Vakama passed on to Jaller to replace a broken mask.

Voya Nui

Jovan

Jovan was a Toa of Magnetism who led his team to Mount Valmai to find and use the Ignika Mask of Life roughly eighty thousand years ago. He eventually became the Turaga elder to the Matoran living in the region. He often advised that "Knowledge is a sharper weapon than a sword"; not only to his Matoran charges but to others he met, like Toa Lesovikk.Official Greg Discussion p. 234 post #9350 When the region broke off from the mainland in the Great Cataclysm and became the island of Voya Nui, Turaga Jovan and many others were killed. Jovan wore the Kanohi Kadin, the Noble Mask of Flight. ''For information on Jovan before he became a Turaga, see Toa#Jovan.''

Trivia

★ Turaga Vakama serves as the narrator for all three Bionicle movies to date: '', '', and ''.

References

1. http://www.bzpower.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=49257&st=9000&gopid=4533699&#entry4533699

External link

★ Turaga article at 'Bionicle Sector 01 Wiki'