Hau

"Immediately, a strange feeling overwhelmed him. As if a cushion of strength had settled in around him, protecting him from all harm."

- Narration, BIONICLE Chronicles 1: Tale of the Toa

The Kanohi Hau was the Mask of Shielding. It gave its user the power to protect themself from any attack that they were aware of, but was useless against ambush or mental attacks. The Noble Hau acts the same as the Great version, but provides a weaker shield and has a shorter duration of power.

Hau were carved out of a mixture of Growth and Regeneration Kanoka on Metru Nui.

Example Usages

 * Great: In the Mata Nui Online Game, Onua used his Hau to shield himself from an attack made by Lewa while he was infected.
 * Noble: Turaga Lhikan used his Hau to shield himself from Teridax's shadow hand in BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui. However, the shield was quickly overwhelmed by the Makuta's power, and broke.

Great

 * The Toa Mata - Formerly; exchanged for Golden Kanohi.
 * Tahu - Primary Mask
 * Lewa - Former secondary mask
 * Pohatu - Former secondary mask
 * Gali - Former secondary mask
 * Kopaka - Former secondary mask
 * Onua - Former secondary mask
 * Toa Mangai Lhikan - Formerly wore a variant Hau; transformed into its Noble version when he became a Turaga.
 * Gaardus - After his transformation.

Powerless

 * Various Rahi - (Infected) Formerly; all since uninfected.
 * Kumo
 * Lumi
 * Marka
 * Pekka
 * Zemya
 * Matoran Lhikan - Formerly wore a variant Hau; transformed into its Great version when he became a Toa.
 * Matoran Gaardus - Formerly; replaced with a Great Hau after his transformation by the Nynrah Ghosts.

Noble

 * Turaga Lhikan - Formerly wore a variant Hau; now deceased. Kanohi later given to Jaller.
 * Matoran Jaller - Formerly; eventually given to Karzahni. Kanohi later recovered by Tahu Nuva.

Set Info
A Hau was first released in 2001 in the Tahu set. It was also released in the other colors of the Toa, green, blue, white, black and brown, also in a Tohunga set at McDonald's Happy Meals, with Jaller. It also appeared as an Infected Hau in the Kanohi Packs and in the Muaka set. In 2003, Jaller's golden Hau reappeared in the Jaller and Gukko set.

In 2004, Jaller's golden mask reappeared, this time under the ownership of Toa Lhikan in the Lhikan and Kikanalo set.

It appeared again in 2010, as part of Tahu's BIONICLE Stars set. The set also came with the Golden Armor Hau.

Trivia

 * The Hau was a symbol of the Great Spirit Mata Nui.
 * When Makuta first confronted the Toa Mata, he appeared in the form of an infected Matoran wearing an infected Great Hau; the subsequent form he took to battle them was nothing but the infected Hau floating at the center of a void formed by swirling black body parts and tentacles of shadow.
 * In the 'City of Silver' Pocket Dimension, a mysterious entity appeared in the form of a giant transparent Hau.
 * In the "Dark Mirror" alternate universe, Makuta Teridax wore a Hau that appeared infected since his Kraahkan had been taken from him.

Hau