Mata Nui (Location)

"May the heart of Metru Nui live forever, for this is the island of Mata Nui, named in honor of the Great Spirit."

- Turaga Vakama, BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui

Mata Nui was an island located on the ocean moon of Aqua Magna, which was a gigantic chunk that broke off of Spherus Magna. The island was named after the Great Spirit by Turaga Vakama.

It was created in 1 BGC when Teridax's Makuta Virus sent Mata Nui to sleep. As a result, he crashed on Aqua Magna, a malfunction in his camouflage system creating a new island above his face. The Toa Metru later relocated the Matoran of Metru Nui here, naming the island after the Great Spirit. It was destroyed when Mata Nui (with Teridax's mind) stood up in 1001 AGC, his head broke up the remaining landmass and destroyed it.

The island was 357 by 178 kio, or in Earth measurements, 303.45 by 151.3 miles or 489.09 by 243.86 kilometers.

History
The origins of Mata Nui began with the Great Spirit it was named after. A duty the Great Spirit was tasked with accomplishing was the observation of other worlds. This was to be accomplished by Mata Nui landing on a planet and concealing his face under an island of stone and local flora by means of Energized Protodermis.

When Makuta Teridax used a Makuta Virus to bring the Great Spirit into a deep slumber, he crashed on Aqua Magna. The sudden landing caused a malfunction in his camouflage systems, which, along with leaking Energized Protodermis, created the island paradise of Mata Nui.

The Toa Metru traveled in a Vahki Transport, dubbed the Lhikan, to the island above through tunnels from the Great Barrier to "the island above" with five Matoran asleep in pods. While on the island at this time, the Toa Metru searched it for possible locations to build villages for Matoran. They later traveled back down to Metru Nui to claim the rest of the pods.

Later, they came back with the rest of the sleeping Matoran from Metru Nui. They awakened the Matoran, sacrificing their Toa Power in the process and becoming Turaga, and each element of Matoran built a Koro in a region of Mata Nui that reflected their element, in the locations that the Turaga had earlier designated.

Only a year later, after Teridax's promise with Vakama to not harm the Matoran expired, Makuta controlled the wildlife with Infected Kanohi masks, and turned them against the Matoran, making living on Mata Nui extremely dangerous. For nearly a thousand years thereafter, the war between Teridax's Rahi and the local Matoran coninued.

In 999 AGC the Toa Mata finally arrived after being unwittingly summoned by Takua. They collected the masks Vakama had placed about the island, then entered Teridax's lair and defeated him.

As revenge for his defeat, he awakened the Bohrok, creatures programmed to clear the life off of the camouflage covering Mata Nui's face. Because they were awakened, they believed that it was time to begin their mission, and destroyed as much of the island Mata Nui as they could before the Toa stopped them by sealing their leaders, the Bahrag, in a Toa Seal. However, once the Toa stopped them, they fell into tubes of Energized Protodermis, which transformed them into Toa Nuva.

Soon after the sealing of the Bahrag, the Bohrok-Kal, six elite Bohrok, were unleashed. They were programmed with the mission to free the Bahrag if needed. The six then traveled to each Koro, taking the six Nuva Symbols and returning to the Bahrag's lair to free them. However, the capture of the Nuva Symbols left the Toa without elemental powers, leaving the six heroes incapable of defeating the Kal. Once they arrived at the Bahrag's lair, Tahu tried using the Kanohi Vahi, which he received from Vakama, on the Kal, slowing them down but not stopping them. However, the Toa then channeled their elemental powers through the Nuva Symbols and into the Bohrok-Kal, overloading them with power and destroying them, their Krana-Kal surviving.

After Takua discovered the Kanohi Avohkii, Teridax sent his Rahkshi to find Takua in an effort to prevent him from becoming Takanuva. After all these threats, Mata Nui was badly damaged, and Takanuva rediscovered Metru Nui after Teridax was defeated. The Turaga then proceeded to tell the Matoran and Toa the legends of Metru Nui, and the population of Mata Nui returned to their original home.

After the Matoran had returned to Metru Nui, the Toa Nuva released the Bahrag from their prison so that the Bohrok swarms could resume their task of restoring Mata Nui to its "former state".

When the Great Spirit was finally awoken (with Makuta's mind), he lifted his head and destroyed the island as he rose from his resting place. The remains of the island sank into the ocean depths.

Regions of Mata Nui
The island was divided up into six "Wahi", or regions, one for each Element. Each Wahi has a "Koro," which itself has a "Suva" dedicated to the region's patron Toa. It is also said that each region has a "Kini" temple for its Toa, though little is known about them.

The villages were home to the Matoran people, each led by a Turaga elder, and, in the final year before returning to Metru Nui, guarded by a Toa.

Ta-Wahi
Ta-Wahi was a volcanic zone. It had a beach that Tahu landed on. Kapura usually practiced in the Charred Forest. Ta-Koro resided in the center of a lava lake, but it was destroyed by Rahkshi and sank into the Lake of Fire.

Ga-Wahi
Ga-Wahi was the region of Water. Ga-Koro was located on the coast of Ga-Wahi. One of Metru Nui's "suns" is in Lake Naho.

Le-Wahi
Le-Wahi was mainly jungle and swamp. Le-Koro was a treetop village.

Onu-Wahi
Onu-Wahi was an underground network of tunnels that spread underneath Mata Nui. The Onu-Koro Highway connected many of the Wahi.

Po-Wahi
Po-Wahi was a large desert at the north of Mata Nui.

Ko-Wahi
Ko-Wahi was the frozen region of Mount Ihu. It was connected to Ta-Wahi via cable that led though the Tren Krom Break. The village of Ko-Koro is located underneath a glacier here. One of Metru Nui's sunholes was located somewhere in Mount Ihu.

The Kingdom
"Wow. I haven't heard it called that in close to 10,000 years. Anyway, yes, this was the island of Mata Nui, but it's a lot more than that now."

- Jaller, The Kingdom

In "the Kingdom" alternate timeline, Mata Nui had died and remained dead. However, the numerous species of the Matoran Universe were evacuated to the island of Mata Nui. The Makuta were cut off from the island when Takanuva put up a light barrier and sacrificed his Toa power to make six Matoran the new Toa, turning himself into a Turaga. Takanuva was then made the head of the leading council. Over time, the island had evolved from a simple, lush island into a mega-city.

Concept Art
Mata Nui (saari)