Kanoka

Kanoka Disks were powered frisbee-like disks of protodermis that were seen all over the city of Metru Nui, used in both sport and defense. They were produced in every Metru, and whatever Metru they were made in determined their flight characteristics. Kanoka were also used as the material to make Kanohi masks; this was Vakama's job in Ta-Metru before he became a Toa.

General Information
Every Matoran on the island of Metru Nui had a Kanoka, a disk used for sport, fun and defense. Kanoka were very diverse, and based on who crafted the disk, the effort put into it, and what district it was made in, Kanoka would all be very different. They were used by Matoran, Vahki, Toa and even sometimes by creatures such as Dark Hunters or Rahi. The powers of Kanoka disks could be helpful, damaging or useful in situations and sport. Basic disks could also be combined to make disks with different powers for specific purposes; levitation and increase weight Kanoka were used to help airships and other platforms ascend and descend; and regeneration disks were built into buildings so damage could be repaired.

Kanoka Disks were crafted from purifed Protodermis forged in a mold. Each Kanoka was stamped with the symbol of the Metru in which it was made, and was engraved with a three-digit "Kanoka Code" that described its strength and special power.

The main sport played with Kanoka on Metru Nui, called "Akilini", was used to determine the worth of Kanoka. If the Kanoka was deemed powerful enough or good enough, then it was sent to Ta-Metru to be made into a Kanohi by the various mask-makers there. Depending on the Kanoka's properties, the Kanohi would come out as a different result.

First Digit
The first digit in a Kanoka Code denotes the specific Metru where the disk was made. Each Metru's disks fly differently:
 * 1: Ta-Metru - Stronger, can knock obstacles out of the way (but not Po-Metru disks). (Top left disk)
 * 2: Ga-Metru - Can change direction in mid-air, guided by the thrower's thoughts. (Top middle disk)
 * 3: Po-Metru - Deflects other disks from their course. (Bottom left disk)
 * 4: Ko-Metru - Dodges obstacles to get to target. (Bottom right disk)
 * 5: Le-Metru - Flies further. (Top right disk)
 * 6: Onu-Metru - Always returns to thrower if diverted from course. (Bottom middle disk)

Second Digit
The second digit denotes the disk's power. These eight disks can be merged in different combinations to create different powers. The only one of these other powers to have an official number code is Time (which can speed up or slow down a target); its code is 9 (it may be that 9 is the code for all combined disk powers).
 * 1: Reconstitute at Random - Scrambles the molecules of any object or being temporarily. The object or the being's physical form is changed into a random form.
 * 2: Freeze - Freezes the object in a coating of ice.
 * 3: Weaken - Weakens a target. Buildings can be weakened and collapse or break, and beings can be weakened physically.
 * 4: Remove poison - Removes any type of poison a target may have.
 * 5: Enlarge - Enlarges the target to a larger size.
 * 6: Shrink - Shrinks the target to a smaller size.
 * 7: Regenerate - Regenerates and repairs inanimate objects.
 * 8: Teleport - Automatically teleports the target to a random area.

Third Digit
The third digit is the power level of the disk. The higher the number, the more powerful the disk power. Higher levels increase the endurance, how long the effect lasts, etc. The highest power level of any Matoran-made disk is 8, though six (or, technically, seven) level 9 disks exist (see "Great Kanoka Disks", below).

With regards to making Kanohi Masks, level 1 to level 6 disks are used to make Matoran masks, because all the power of the disk leeches out during the mask-making process, so the masks do not have power. Level 7 disks are used to make Noble Masks, and level 8 disks are used to make Great Masks.

Great Kanoka Disks
There were six Kanoka Disks in existence with a power level of 9, called Great Kanoka Disks. During the time that the Morbuzakh was attacking Metru Nui, one Matoran from each Metru found a Great Disk; the Toa Metru were later able to retrieve the Great Disks and use them to destroy the Morbuzakh.
 * Nuhrii found the Ta-Metru Great Disk (code 159) in one of the district's fire pits.
 * Vhisola discovered that the Ga-Metru Great Disk (code 279) was underneath the Great Temple; though it was Toa Nokama who realized it was stuck in a sea monster's teeth.
 * Ahkmou saw the Po-Metru Great Disk (code 339) in the top of a huge statue.
 * Ehrye found the Ko-Metru Great Disk (code 429) stuck in an icicle high up on a Knowledge Tower.
 * Orkahm saw the Le-Metru Great Disk (code 589) in the center of a force sphere in the chute system.
 * Tehutti discovered that the Onu-Metru Great Disk (code 619) was in a certain section of the Archives, but Whenua still had to search every room until he found the right storage closet.

Toa Vakama later found that he could merge the six Great Disks together to make the Disk of Time (code 199), he then forged this disk into the Vahi Mask of Time.



Toa Disks
When the six Matoran chosen by Toa Lhikan transformed into the Toa Metru at the Great Temple, they found six Kanoka with their names and Kanohi Masks carved on them. These disks bear some of the Toa's elemental power in them. The location of these disks after the Great Rescue is unknown. (Only Toa Vakama's Disk was ever manufactured by LEGO.)

Disk Combinations
The following Kanohi masks are made from different combinations of Kanoka Disks:
 * Akaku, the Mask of X-Ray Vision - Regeneration + Teleport disks
 * Hau, the Mask of Shielding - Growth + Regeneration disks
 * Huna, the Mask of Concealment - Enlarge + Shrink + Freeze disks
 * Jutlin, the Mask of Corruption - Weaken disk
 * Kakama, the Mask of Speed - Teleport + Reconstitutes at Random disks
 * Kaukau, the Mask of Water Breathing - Regeneration + Shrink + Remove Poison disks
 * Kiril, the Mask of Regeneration - Regeneration disk
 * Komau, the Mask of Mind Control - Freeze + Weaken + Remove Poison disks
 * Kualsi, the Mask of Quick-Travel - Teleport disk
 * Mahiki, the Mask of Illusion - Reconstitutes at Random + Weaken disks
 * Masks with Elemental Powers could theoretically be forged from Toa Disks.
 * Mask of Growth - Enlarge disk
 * Mask of Mutation - Reconstitute at Random
 * Matatu, the Mask of Telekinesis - Teleport + Shrink disks
 * Miru, the Mask of Levitation - Teleport + Weaken disks
 * Pakari, the Mask of Strength - Regeneration + Enlarge + Remove Poison disks
 * Pehkui, the Mask of Diminishment - Shrink disk
 * Rau, the Mask of Translation - Remove Poison + Enlarge disks
 * Ruru, the Mask of Night Vision - Enlarge + Teleport disks
 * Vahi, the Mask of Time - Disk of Time, made by combining the six Great Disks

Kanoka combinations for all other masks are unknown.

Collectibility
Although there are 438 possible Kanoka Code combinations, (six Metru times nine powers times eight levels of strength, plus the six level nine disks) only 50 of these codes were produced by LEGO. Several came with 2004 Bionicle sets: The remainder of the coded Kanoka disks, including Great Disks, were available in Kanoka Disk Launcher Packs (in order of strength): There are also two more mass-produced Kanoka, not marked with normal Metru symbols: Toa Vakama sets included Vakama's Toa Disk; and Disks of Time were included in specially-marked late releases of Vahki sets, only in Target stores. In a contest involving Toa Metru canisters in 2004, 500 gold disks were produced as a first prize. At the same year, one gold disk was each given as a prize for the speed build competitions at LEGO stores along with U.K. Fox Kids and U.K. Scholastic websites, however it is unknown how many gold disks were given out as prizes. In December 2004/January 2005, 10 gold disks were given out as prizes for the U.K. Bionicle Kanoka Competition by the U.K. LEGO Club. Whether or not it is part of the storyline is currently unknown.
 * 2004 Matoran sets came with a Kanoka of the corresponding Metru: Codes 143, 226, 373, 437, 574, and 685
 * Vahki sets also came with a Kanoka of their corresponding Metru: Codes 116, 225, 334, 447, 555, and 665
 * Nidhiki and Krekka sets came with disks of codes 638 and 338, respectively
 * Ta-Metru: codes 171, 132, 143, 184, 125, 116, 117, and 159
 * Ga-Metru: codes 212, 253, 234, 225, 265, 226, 287, and 279
 * Po-Metru: codes 361, 382, 373, 314, 334, 326, 357, and 339
 * Ko-Metru: codes 442, 473, 485, 416, 437, 447 468, and 429
 * Le-Metru: codes 521, 543, 574, 555, 565, 536, 548, and 589
 * Onu-Metru: codes 631, 663, 654, 665, 685, 646, 677, and 619

Set Info
''The Matoran of Metru Nui use special disks for sport and defense. These powerful disks are thrown or hurled from powerful disk launchers. Each disk has a three-digit code that identifies where it was made, what power it has, and its power level. Each Matoran set comes with a Kanoka disk. Collect the disks and use the special codes to help you access secret BIONICLE information at www.BIONICLE.com in 2004!''
 * A Kanoka disk launcher was included with the 2004 Matoran sets, Vhisola, Nuhrii, Tehutti, Orkahm, Ehrye and Ahkmou. The Vahki sets of that same year, Nuurakh, Keerakh, Vorzakh, Rorzakh, Zadakh and Bordakh, with the two "jaw" pieces being the launcher. The Nidhiki and Krekka sets also included disks along with a "jaw launcher" and shoulder mounted disk launcher, respectively.


 * Toa Metru Vakama also had an advanced Matoran disk launcher as his Toa Tool, with his red Toa Disk included as well.


 * A Kanoka disk launcher pack with a red unmarked disk were released in France as a promotional item in 2002.

Trivia

 * Levitation disks were a type of Kanoka that allowed their user(s) to make a particular target float upward. The size and weight the disk could lift depended on the power level of the Kanoka. The airships used on Metru Nui used levitation disks to gain altitude and increase weight disks to lose altitude.
 * Kanoka disks featured the same set design as Bamboo Disks used by the Matoran on Mata Nui. However, Kanoka disks glow in the dark, and have a lighter color and codes, while Bamboo Discs had no power, and feature pictures of Kanohi masks.
 * The number of bar segments surrounding each disk's metru symbol give an at-a-glance readout of the disk's power level. Higher power disks having more segments than lower power disks, with the great disks having bar segments all the way around the symbol.