Zaktan

"You think you know horror, Irnakk? Horror is looking into the eyes of The Shadowed One, knowing you are about to die... and then being forced to live. Don't talk to me about fear, creature - I am fear!"

- Zaktan

Zaktan (a.k.a "the Snake") was a former Dark Hunter and leader of the Piraka, and a member of the Skakdi species.

Early Life
Zaktan's early life is largely unknown. He lived on Zakaz, where he was tampered by Spiriah in an effort to create a Brotherhood of Makuta army. Sometime later, he worked in a protodermis mine as a slave when he was recruited into the Dark Hunters.

Dark Hunter
In the Dark Hunters, Zaktan made few allies in the organization. In roughly 4,000 BGC he joined four other Skakdi, Reidak, Hakann, Thok, and Vezok, in an unsuccessful coup against "The Shadowed One". He was captured by the Dark Hunter leader, who attempted to execute him using his disintergrator eyebeams. However, all were surprised when he survived as a mass of microscopic protodites.

In 750 AGC, in the war with the Brotherhood of Makuta; Zaktan, Reidak, and Thok were a few of the Hunters dispatched to guard a base. Thok looked around the base, and Zaktan explored it as well, but a tip-off from Roodaka that the base was once the Brotherhood's encouraged Zaktan to take a closer look. What he found was the Brotherhood's master plan: schemes, calculations, backup plans, prophesies... Stunned at first, Zaktan vowed to use this knowledge to his advantage, and destroyed the records before he left.

Piraka
He eventually decided to go rogue with another 5 of his species: Hakann, Vezok, Reidak, Avak, and Thok.

After Teridax was defeated by Takanuva, rumours began to cuirculate, so Zaktan and the Piraka journeyed to Mangaia, to loot it. They found something interesting: the Spear of Fusion. Due to misuse, it split Vezok in two, the other half named Vezon.

While still in Teridax's Lair, Zaktan and the other Piraka suddenly gained knowlege of the Mask of Life. They all wondered how this happened, but only Zaktan knew that Makuta's spirit told them this. Zaktan led the others to the exit, when they were attacked by two Mana Ko. Vezon escaped, and the other piraka found the Toa Mata's Toa Canisters, and decided to use them to get to Voya Nui, where the mask was. When they arrived, they acted as Toa to fool all but six Matoran.

After their battles with the Rahkshi, Toa Nuva and Toa Inika, Zaktan and the other Piraka made their way down the staircase leading to the Ignika, fighting their way past guardians and trails along the way. After arriving in the Mask of Life chamber, they encountered Vezon. When the Inika arrived and began fighting Vezon and Fenrakk, the Piraka woke up and stayed out of the way.

Soon after the Ignika flew out of the chamber and into the sea surrounding the island suface. After the Inika went after it, Zaktan decided the Piraka should lay low for awhile.

Mutation
However due to their earlier exposure to the mutagentis sea water, Zaktan and the other Piraka began mutating into water breathers. They retreated to the bay surrounding Voya Nui and eneventualy they were just a head with a spine left.

A while later they attacked the Toa Mahri in the cord and they were about to kill the Toa when Axonn interfered and stunned the Piraka. He then requested that Botar take them away to the prison on Daxia.

After being imprisoned in a water tank on Daxia for a while, Zaktan was removed from the tank and placed in a water filled globe to accompany the Toa Hagah on their mission to find Teridax. Zaktan was not very cooperative on the mission but eventually they found Teridax's Antidermis under the Metru Nui Coliseum. After revealing himself, Teridax destroyed Brutaka's Kanohi Olmak with energy, and then killed Zaktan using a sonic hum which caused both him and his water tank to explode.



Personality
Zaktan was cold and mysterious. He spent much time alone and became irritated when others disturbed him. It was discovered that he learned of Teridax's grand plan from a Brotherhood of Makuta base, where he found their entire record of the Great Cataclysm, and he has vowed to use this to his advantage. Zaktan once said that he was always horrified about waking up and noticing that his body was made up of Protodites or an opponent's scream when he swarms on them.

Powers & Tools
Zaktan possessed Laser Vision and, thanks to the Shadowed One, was made of trillions of protodites. This allowed him to fly, slip through minute cracks, change his shape, attack as a swarm, and dodge almost any direct attack by shifting his mass the right way.

He also had the elemental power of air, which could only be used when combining his power with that of another of his species.

Zaktan was equipped with a three-pronged blade (also made of protodites) with a pair of tongs at its other end. He also wielded a Zamor Launcher, not, however, made of protodites.

Quotes
"Toa. You are an anachronism--pure and noble heroes, still striving for right in a universe of chaos, unwilling to admit that your day is long over."

- Zaktan, Island of Doom

"It was Toa who defeated the Dark Hunters when we attempted to conquer Metru Nui. It was Toa who engineered the war between us and the Brotherhood of Makuta that still rages today. Leaving a Toa, any Toa, alive is like keeping a Doom Viper for companionship."

- Zaktan, Island of Doom

"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

"Horror is looking into the eyes of the Shadowed One, knowing you are about to die...and then being forced to live. Horror is waking each day to see every part of your body moving on its own, a shifting mass of Protodites where once was solid metal and living tissue. Horror is what is in the eyes of your partners when they look at you...and in the cries of your enemies when your swarm engulfs them. Don't talk to me about fear, creature--I am fear!"

- Zaktan standing up to Irnakk, Inferno

"What's the point of this, Zaktan? You want the Mask of Life, and we don’t have it. Fighting us accomplishes nothing." "Wrong. It brings you pain. And we want to go on bringing you pain, Toa. Now lay down your weapons and surrender, or this Matoran dies—-along with many more. You know how many we can kill before you can stop us."

- A conversation between Jaller and Zaktan, Downfall

"His name is Zaktan, he’s not as friendly as he looks. If he acts up, just haul him out of the tank and let him gasp for air a few times. That’s what I always do."

- Helryx, Dwellers In Darkness

"He’s a Makuta, your sworn enemy! Why don’t you kill him?"

- Zaktan, Dwellers in darkness

"You Toa are all alike--all mewling idiots."

- Zaktan, Dwellers in Darkness

Set Information

 * Zaktan was released in 2006.
 * Zaktan' set number was 8903.
 * Zaktan had 41 pieces.

Trivia
It is said in the dark hunters book that all of the dark hunters have false codenames. Indicating that "the Snake" may have been Zaktan's codename.

Apperances

 * BIONICLE Legends 1: Island of Doom (First Appearance)
 * BIONICLE Legends 2: Dark Destiny
 * Comic 1: If a Universe Ends
 * Comic 2: Vengeance of Axonn
 * BIONICLE Legends 3: Power Play
 * Comic 3: Showdown
 * BIONICLE Legends 4: Legacy of Evil (In Present and in Flashbacks)
 * Comic 4: A Cold Light Dawns
 * BIONICLE Legends 5: Inferno
 * Comic 5:In Final Battle
 * Comic 6: Web Comic
 * BIONICLE Legends 8: Downfall
 * Destiny War (Not Mentioned by Name)
 * Dwellers In Darkness

Trivia

 * Zaktan is Greg Fartshtey's favorite Piraka to write about.

Zaktan