Ignika

"They call it the Mask of Life, but it might as well be a Mask of Death. Ask anyone who has tried to get their hands on it."

- Vezon referring to the Ignika

The Legendary Kanohi Ignika was the Mask of Life and one of the three most powerful Kanohi in the Matoran Universe.

History
100,000 years ago, near the creation of the bionicle universe, the Mask of Life was forged by the Great Beings so that Mata Nui's life energies could be restored if needed. The Great Beings created the mask on Spherus Magna. It was locked in a box until the day it could be used. However, one Great Being became curious and opened the box. The Ignika reacted, granted the Great Being the ability to give life to anything, which was involuntary. He accidentally brought every non-living thing around him to life. But the power was too much, as he couldn't control it, and all he brought to life began to make demands of their new consciousness, which was sufficient to turn him mad. The Great Being was then confined so he couldn't bring anything else to life. The Ignika's creators then hid the mask under Mount Valmai in the 777-steps of the Staircase to the Ignika. Afterwards, the Order of Mata Nui sent agents to protect the Mask of Life.

79,100 years ago, the Great Disruption was caused by a civil war in Metru Nui. Toa Jovan led his team to Mount Valmai, and they reached and used the Mask of Life to heal Mata Nui.

1,001 years ago, Mata Nui fell unconscious from an attack by the Brotherhood of Makuta, causing the Great Cataclysm. Mount Valmai and the surrounding area broke off from the Mainland, stranding all who lived there (many died in that incident, including Turaga Jovan). This region became known as the island of Voya Nui.

Voya Nui
A few months after the Takanuva v.s. Teridax battle, several groups came to Voya Nui to claim the Ignika. Former Dark Hunters calling themselves "Piraka" wanted to claim the Mask in order to ransom it for wealth and power. The Toa Nuva hoped to use the Mask to heal Mata Nui, and six Matoran who came to help them became the Toa Inika.

While the Toa Nuva were quickly taken out of action, the Piraka and Toa Inika had to face several guardians. The Piraka entered a kind of nightmare zone that brought their worst fear, the monster Irnakk, to life. The Inika also entered this zone and fought enemies they had faced as Matoran, only to have their worst fears happen as their powers spiral out of control and kill their foes, who turned out to be their friends. The Inika also faced some Protodax (Protodites enlarged by the mask), but Umbra wiped them out to claim the honor of slaying the Inika for himself. Eventually, both groups reached the Chamber of Life, where the Mask was kept, only to find one more guardian: the mad Piraka, Vezon. He had reached the mask, only to become cursed, he was fused with a giant Fenrakk spider, and worse, the mask itself had fused to the back of Vezon's head, making him believe that its removal would kill him. While the Piraka were defeated, the Inika made some headway in fighting the two - only for the mask to evolve Fenrakk into a Kardas Dragon. Toa Kongu was able to read the mask's mind and find out that it wanted to dispose of Vezon as a guardian in favor of Toa Matoro, as Matoro was a kind, self-sacrificing person, he had volunteered to give his life earlier and, on the way to the island, had offered to help someone that seemed to be in need -never realizing that the "someone" was a manifestation of the mask's power. Vezon became enraged by this news, allowing the Toa to use a Zamor Sphere that froze him in space and time so that Matoro could safely take the mask.

However, Kardas didn't stay out for long and blasted Matoro with his energy, which made Matoro lose control of the mask and it flew away to lead the Toa Inika to where it needed to be used. It went underwater, and the Toa Inika could not follow due to not being able to breath water.

Mahri Nui
The Mask was then found by Kyrehx, a Ga-Matoran of the undersea city of Mahri Nui. She gave it to the Po-Matoran Dekar, and it was seized from him by the Barraki. The Mask started cracking due to the mutagen in the Pit that Mahri Nui rested on.

When Pridak grabbed the mask, it called out for help by emitting a powerful flash of light and energy, transforming the Toa Inika into the Toa Mahri, while also turning Pridak insane, this problem was solved by Takadox and his hypnotic power. It also recreated Dekar as Hydraxon, the long-dead jailer of the Pit. The Barraki then gave the Mask to Nocturn for safe-keeping. While he had it, a gadunka crawled under it for shelter, becoming wildly enlarged. However, Nocturn had already left by then, fascinated with the Mask's curse for him: the ability to kill anything he touched while in contact with the Mask. He met up with Hydraxon. Hydraxon, by some fleeting remnant of Dekar's conscious, remembered that the Ignika was dangerous and fired his Cordak Blasters at the mask. The Mask was not destroyed but was pushed by a riptide by Hahli Mahri. When Mata Nui died, the mask turned black, symbolizing his death. However, Mata Nui was revived by Matoro using the Ignika in the Universe Core.

Karda Nui
After the Ignika fell in the swamp, it wondered what it would feel like to be a hero. It created a body and a vehicle for itself inside the Swamp of Secrets ,and then joined the Toa Nuva. During a battle, Icarax tried to take the mask from its body. Toa Ignika became angry and used its power to devolve Icarax back into a biomechanical form. He held Icarax prisoner, but later left for the swamp, where he informed the Toa that he was actually the Mask of Life, not just wearing it. Toa Ignika followed the Toa Nuva into the Codrex, then gave up his life to save Mata Nui. The Kanohi Ignika was then banished from the Matoran Universe by Makuta Teridax, possessing the spirit of Mata Nui.

Bara Magna
Banished from the Matoran Universe, the Ignika stopped its countdown. It traveled through the BIONICLE Solar System to get to Bara Magna. After crash-landing on Bara Magna, the Ignika created a body for Mata Nui. Soon, it also gave a Scarabax Beetle, who was later named Click by Mata Nui, the power to transform into the Scarabax Shield, and transform back again.

In Vulcanus, it transformed a Vorox stinger into a sword, the purpose being to help Mata Nui defend the mask. Some time later, Mata Nui used the Ignika to give a number of Glatorian elemental powers. Mata Nui also used the Mask to transform Metus into a snake upon his betrayal.

Later, when Teridax's robot invaded Bara Magna, the Ignika transformed Tahu back into his original form so he could wear the Golden Armor. After Tahu used this armor and the two robots became disused, Mata Nui's spirit went back to the Ignika. It is unknown where the Toa put the Ignika.

Known Wearers
Only 3 beings have ever worn the Ignika. Two were killed by the sheer power of the mask. Toa Ignika and Toa Mata Nui do not count, as they are only bodies formed by the Kanohi.
 * An unnamed male member of Jovan's Toa Team - Formerly; now deceased.
 * Toa Mahri Matoro - Formerly; now deceased.

Guardians

 * Protodax - Formerly
 * Axonn - Formerly
 * Brutaka - Formerly
 * Vezon - Formerly
 * Fenrakk/Kardas - Formerly
 * Umbra - Formerly
 * Matoro - Formerly; also a guardian
 * The 300-Foot-Long Venom Eel - Formerly
 * Hydraxon - Formerly

Personality
The Toa Ignika was said to have the personalty of a sheltered child, was very naive, and often let his innocence get the best of him. He was courageous to the point of recklessness, and even though he was very intellegent he was immature at times. The Ignika considered itself male in honor of Matoro, who saved him.

Powers
The Kanohi Ignika could evolve and devolve creatures and objects at will, curse anyone who touched it, shape shift, absorb life energy or release it in an enormous blast called a Nova Blast, heal, and could use telepathy. It could also grant any being elemental powers.

Forms
Like life itself, the Ignika could shapeshift itself into many different forms for many different reasons. It could also create bodies for itself.

Curses
The following beings have been cursed by the Mask of Life:
 * Unnamed Great Being - Inanimate objects around him came to life and cried out their needs to him, resulting in him being locked up.
 * Vezon - Was fused to a Fenrakk and granted special powers, including immortality as long as he remained in contact, the power to see into the near future, and the ability to absorb kinetic energy (which he shared with Fenrakk.)
 * Kyrehx - Plantlife near her grew tremendously and sought to entangle her.
 * Dekar - Unable to kill anything.
 * Pridak - Enhanced his mental characteristics. (i.e. insanity, anger etc.)
 * Nocturn - When he touched a being, they were killed instantly.
 * Mantax - Made enemies nearby much weaker.
 * Gadunka - Could devolve beings back into their original state, including itself.

Other Transformations

 * Click - Transforming it into Scarabax Shield
 * Tahu - devolved back into his original form.

Weapons and Tools
Toa Ignika wielded a Lifeblade which he could channel his powers through a Midak Skyblaster that could fire devastating blasts of light. Both were created from organic molecules by the Kanohi Ignika and were destroyed when Toa Ignika sacrificed himself to awaken Mata Nui.

Quotes
"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

"Matoro died to save a universe ... without fear, without hesitation ... because he knew it was the right thing to do. If I am to be worthy of the name "Toa" ... can I do less?"

- "Toa" Ignika, Mata Nui Rising

"I will do what must be done. Then I will be like Matoro. I will be a hero."

- "Toa" Ignika, The Final Battle

"If you don't know the mask's worth, then why are you here?"

- Umbra,The Battle of Voya Nui, Chapter 4

Trivia

 * It is impossible to create a Noble or Matoran version of the Kanohi Ignika.
 * If Toa Ignika had "died," it would be as if the mask was destroyed, the countdown would cease and it would release life energy, bringing everything to life.
 * The Ignika mask has a symbol of Mata Nui, it also symbolizes him.

Set information

 * Toa Ignika's piece count is 140, featuring the silver Ignika.
 * Toa Ignika's set number is 8697.
 * A Matoran (from 2008) could connect to Toa Ignika.
 * A Yellow Ignika was also in Mata Nui's canister set. Its size is a little bit different so it can fit on the new head mold.
 * There was a gold Ignika featured in the titan set, "Toa Mata Nui" in the summer of 2009.