Toa Inika/Toa Mahri

Toa Inika were a team of Toa from the Bionicle Legends arc.

History
Jaller, Matoro, Hahli, Kongu, Hewkii and Nuparu travelled through the realm of Karzahni on their way to Voya Nui. In an attempt to have the Matoran discard their old identities, Karzahni had their Kanohi masks replaced with new ones. They were able to find some Toa Canisters to escape Karzahni's realm, and when they arrived on Voya Nui, the canisters were struck by lightning from the mysterious Red Star, turning them into Toa.

In examining their new bodies and tools, each of the new Toa began instinctively activating their mask powers, which causes some chaos, as Nuparu was airborne, Kongu could not turn his telepathy off, Matoro seemed to be dead and Hahli was talking to thin air. Eventually they got things under control.

They soon met the few Matoran on the island that were still free, and learned of the situation: six beings calling themselves Piraka, under the names Thok, Hakann, Vezok, Zaktan, Avak and Reidak, had invaded and enslaved most of the Matoran in their quest to claim the Mask of Life for themselves, except a resistance made out of six Matoran: Balta, Kazi, Dalu, Garan, Piruk and Velika. The Piraka also had an ally, a giant named Brutaka, that had beaten the Toa Nuva and taken them captive. While Jaller and Hahli went to free some of the slaves with Protodermis Launchers provided by Velika, Hewkii and Matoro were brought to another giant being named Axonn, only to find him badly beaten. Axonn told them to stop Brutaka before it was too late. Meanwhile, Kongu and Nuparu searched the Piraka Stronghold looking for the Toa Nuva, but were unable to find them before they were caught. The other Toa Inika arrived just in time to help them fight, but two of the Piraka, Hakann and Thok, were able to steal Brutaka's power and soundly defeat everyone else.

In order to stop them, the Toa formed an uneasy alliance with the remaining Piraka to tried and return Brutaka's power to him. Axonn also appeared and gives Jaller a Zamor Sphere, stating that the Mask of Life needed protection, but he elected to stay behind and watch over the near-unconscious Brutaka. Meanwhile, Hakann and Thok had started fighting each other, and a massive explosion made the two easy to find. In the ensuing fight, the Inika and Piraka had the upper hand when Hakann and Thok finally agreed to work together, but even as they attacked, Hewkii used a specially-prepared Zamor Launcher to take their power and return it to Brutaka, who began an "eternity-long fight" with Axonn. In the end, Zaktan was the only one still standing, Hakann and Thok fainting from the power loss and the rest having been knocked out by their attack.

The Toa Inika woke up to find the six Piraka already gone, and a long underground staircase exposed from the earlier explosion. Figuring that the stairs lead to the Mask of Life and that the Piraka had gone ahead of them, they decided to follow after them immediately, preparing to fight the guardians of the Mask of Life. To their surprise, inside the tunnel they meet the long-dead legendary hero Toa Lhikan, who warns them to turn back before disappearing. They then encounter a number of enemies they had fought in their lives as Matoran, including a Bohrok, a Bohrok-Kal, a Rahkshi Turahk, and even Makuta. In trying to subdue these enemies, the Toa's powers spiral out of control and accidentally kill them. Adding to their guilt, the dead bodies turn into those of their friends, the Toa Nuva. Despite their fears of losing control again, they press on, though they soon realize that the enemies they fought were merely illusions.

For their next trial, a mysterious voice tells the Toa that they had entered the Chamber of Death, and to proceed to the Chamber of Life they must sacrifice one of their own. The Toa realize they have no other options, and Jaller is about to volunteer himself when he remembered how he had died once before at the hands of a Turahk. The memory causes him to hesitate just long enough for Matoro to volunteer himself; reasoning that he is only a translator, not a warrior or athlete or anything as suited to a Toa as the others are. The voice accepts Matoro's sacrifice and his body dissolves - only to re-form seconds later, as the voice says that the death itself was not important, only the willingness to do so for the greater cause.

The Toa next encounter a group of creatures that Kongu identifies as giant protodites (called protodax), but the creatures are wiped out by a guardian named Umbra, who wanted to slay the Inika himself. Though Umbra's amazing speed poses a challenge, Matoro uses it against him by covering the cave with ice, causing him to slip and crash. Unfortunately, Umbra then changes into an even faster laser-like beam of light; but Matoro creates more mirror-like ice and Nuparu lures Umbra into running into it, causing him to reflect wildly until he reverts to his normal form, stunned.

Emerging into a large cavern, the Toa Inika find the Piraka setting an ambush on a bridge over the lava flow. The Inika confront them and gain the upper hand, but Kongu's and Nuparu's use of their powers cause the bridge to collapse on top of them, allowing the Piraka to reach the Chamber of Life first.

By the time the Inika arrive in the Chamber of Life, the Piraka have been beaten by the mask's guardians, Vezon and Fenrakk. Unfortunately, their ability to absorb kinetic energy was almost too much to handle; even when the Inika learned to weaken the two without using physical attacks, Fenrakk just pounded his leg to regain his full strength. Even so, Jaller was able to drive Vezon and Fenrakk towards the lava; and surprisingly Vezon urged Fenrakk to dive in!

Just as Jaller was about to follow them to get the Ignika (which was fused to Vezon's head), they reemerged, with Fenrakk evolved into a new dragonlike form that Vezon called Kardas. Kardas quickly started overpowering the Toa, but Jaller asked Kongu to use his mask's telepathy in a new way - read the mind of the Mask of Life itself. Surprisingly, it worked; Kongu found that the Ignika hated Vezon, and wanted to leave him in favor of Matoro, who had proven himself a compassionate, self-sacrificing person - the being that Matoro had helped on the way to Karzahni was none other than a manifestation of the Mask of Life itself.

Learning of the Ignika's opinion of him, Vezon became furious, and Jaller took the opportunity to fire Axonn's Zamor Sphere at him, freezing him in space and time and allowing Matoro to remove the mask safely. Unfortunately, the Piraka were lying in wait for them wishing to take the mask, but Kardas got one last shot in; causing Matoro to lose his grip on the Ignika. It began to fly away, seeming to lead the Inika somewhere. The Toa followed it back to the surface and saw it dive into the bay; Hahli tried to swim after it but the water pressure soon became too much for her. As she was about to drown, a Matoran swam up from below and returned her to the others, begging for help for an underwater city before he died.

Reuniting with the Toa Nuva, the Inika are tasked with recovering the Mask of Life, as it is decided that before the Nuva can awaken Mata Nui, the Inika must first save him. Axonn then opens a portal so that they can travel to the undersea city of Mahri Nui.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow. Sometime during their journey, the Inika will be transformed into new forms called the Toa Mahri.[1] However, it has been stated that this transformation will not be due to the water of Mahri Nui (which is known to cause aquatic mutations in beings).[2]

Members

 * Jaller
 * Hahli
 * Kongu
 * Matoro
 * Nuparu
 * Hewkii

Set Information
The Toa Inika were released in the summer of 2006. They were the first Toa sets not to include an action figure. They also included the new features of rubber masks and light-up weapons.