Zaktan

"You think you know horror, Irnakk? Horror is looking into the eyes of The Shadowed One, knowing you are about to die... and then being forced to live. Don't talk to me about fear, creature - I am fear!"

- Zaktan

Zaktan (a.k.a, "the Snake") was a former Dark Hunter and leader of the Piraka, and a member of the Skakdi species.

Early Life
Zaktan's early life is largely unknown. He lived on Zakaz, where he was tampered by Spiriah in an effort to create a Brotherhood of Makuta army. Sometime later, he worked in a protodermis mine as a slave when he was recruited into the Dark Hunters.

Dark Hunter
In the Dark Hunters, Zaktan made few allies in the organization. Roughly 5,000 years prior to him joining the Piraka, he joined four other Skakdi, Reidak, Hakann, Thok, and Vezok, in an unsuccessful coup against "The Shadowed One". He was captured by the Dark Hunter leader, who attempted to execute him using his disintergrator eyebeams. However, all were surprised when he survived as a mass of microscopic protodites.

250 Years Ago: In the war with the Brotherhood of Makuta; Zaktan, Reidak, and Thok are a few of the Hunters dispatched to guard a base. Thok loots the base, and Zaktan explores it as well, but a tip-off from Roodaka that the base was once the Brotherhood's encourages Zaktan to take a closer look. What he finds is the Brotherhood's master plan: schemes, calculations, backup plans, prophesies... Stunned at first, Zaktan vows to use this knowledge to his advantage, and destroys the records before he leaves.

Piraka
He eventually decided to go rogue with another 5 of his species: Hakann, Vezok, Reidak, Avak, and Thok.

After Teridax was defeated by Takanuva, rumours began to cuirculate, so Zaktan and the Piraka journeyed to Mangaia, to loot it. They found something interesting: the Spear of Fusion. Due to misuse, it split Vezok in two, the other half named Vezon.

While still in Teridax's Lair, Zaktan and the other Piraka suddenly gained knowlege of the Mask of Life. They all wondered how this happened,but only Zaktan knew that Makuta's spirit told them this. Zaktan led the others to the exit,when they were attacked by two Mana Ko. Vezon escapes,and the other piraka find the Toa Mata's Toa Canisters,and decided to use them to get to Voya Nui,where the mask was. When they arrived, they acted as Toa to fool all but six Matoran.

After their battles with the Toa Nuva and Toa Inika, Zaktan and the other Piraka made their way down the staircase leading to the Ignika, fighting their way past guardians and trails along the way. After arriving in the Mask of Life chamber, they encountered Vezon. when the Inika arrived and began to fight Vezon and Fenrakk, the Piraka woke up and stayed out of the way.

Soon after the Ignika flew out of the chamber and into the sea surrounding the island suface. After the Inika went after it, Zaktan decided the Piraka should lay low for awhile.

Mutation
Due to the exposure to the Pit Mutagen, Zaktan and the other Piraka became water-breathers and lost their bodies, retaining only their spines and heads. During the Toa Mahri's journey up The Cord with the Matoran of Mahri Nui, the mutated Piraka ambushed the Toa. Zaktan almost killed Idris but she escaped. The Piraka were then defeated by Axonn and taken away by the Order of Mata Nui for interrogation.

Zaktan was taken by Helryx. Helryx then gave Zaktan to the Toa Hagah as a guide to find Teridax. He went under the colosseum with the Toa Hagah in a water filled globe, when Makuta Teridax was talking about his mask, he said that Zaktan could know more. Teridax shot a beam at Brutaka's Mask destroying it then destroyed Zaktan and the water filled globe, which killed him.

Personality
Zaktan was cold and mysterious. He spent much time alone and became irritated when others disturbed him. Regarding Zaktan's behavior, series writer Greg Farshtey has said: "Zaktan knows exactly -- and I mean exactly - what is going on, more than the other Piraka, more than Turaga Dume, more than the Toa Nuva, and well beyond just the 2006 storyline -- he knows about everything from pre-2001 on. How does he know? You will learn that this year. (And it is not because he is possessed by Makuta or because Makuta told him or enslaved him.)"It was discovered that this knowledge comes from a Brotherhood of Makuta base, where he found their entire record of the Great Cataclysm, and he has vowed to use this to his advantage. Zaktan once said that he was always horrified about waking up and noticing that his body was made up of Protodites or an opponent's scream when he swarms on them.

Powers & Tools
Zaktan possessed Laser Vision and, thanks to the Shadowed One, was made of trillions of protodites. This allowed him to fly, slip through minute cracks, change his shape, attack as a swarm, and dodge almost any direct attack by shifting his mass the right way.

He also had the elemental power of air, which could only be used when combining his power with that of another of his species.

Zaktan was equipped with a three-pronged blade (also made of protodites) with a pair of tongs at its other end. He also wielded a Zamor Launcher, not, however, made of protodites.

Set Information

 * Zaktan was released in 2006.
 * Zaktan' set number was 8903.
 * Zaktan has 41 pieces.

Quotes
"Toa. You are an anachronism--pure and noble heroes, still striving for right in a universe of chaos, unwilling to admit that your day is long over."

— Zaktan, Island of Doom

"It was Toa who defeated the Dark Hunters when we attempted to conquer Metru Nui. It was Toa who engineered the war between us and the Brotherhood of Makuta that still rages today. Leaving a Toa, any Toa, alive is like keeping a Doom Viper for companionship."

— Zaktan, Island of Doom

"The Kanohi Mask of Life--the most powerful mask in existence--is nearby...the enslaved Matoran and the other Piraka are hunting for the mask even now, never dreaming of its true potential. The power of life...and so, the power of death as well..."

— Zaktan, If A Universe Ends...

"Horror is looking into the eyes of the Shadowed One, knowing you are about to die...and then being forced to live. Horror is waking each day to see every part of your body moving on its own, a shifting mass of Protodites where once was solid metal and living tissue. Horror is what is in the eyes of your partners when they look at you...and in the cries of your enemies when your swarm engulfs them. Don't talk to me about fear, creature--I am fear!"

— Zaktan standing up to Irnakk, Inferno

"What's the point of this, Zaktan? You want the Mask of Life, and we don’t have it. Fighting us accomplishes nothing. "Wrong. It brings you pain. And we want to go on bringing you pain, Toa. Now lay down your weapons and surrender, or this Matoran dies—-along with many more. You know how many we can kill before you can stop us."

— A conversation between Jaller and Zaktan, Downfall

"His name is Zaktan, he’s not as friendly as he looks. If he acts up, just haul him out of the tank and let him gasp for air a few times. That’s what I always do."

— Helryx, Dwellers In Darkness

"You Toa are all alike--all mewling idiots."

— Zaktan, Dwellers in Darkness

Trivia

 * Zaktan was the first Piraka to die in the story.