BIONICLE: Mask of Light (movie)

BIONICLE: Mask of Light was the first of four direct-to-video Bionicle movie and was based on the late 2003 story.

The story starts out with the backstory briefly explained the story thus far (How Mata Nui brought the Matoran to the island that they named Mata Nui in his honor, how Makuta put Mata Nui into a deep slumber, etc). The story then shifts to the fortress village of Ta-Koro, which in located in an active volcano. The island-wide Kohlii championship is about to start and Jaller is looking for his teammate Takua the Chronicler. He soon finds him, looking at a warning totem next to a molten river. Just before they are to leave, Takua picks up the totem, and the ground begins shaking. He drops the artifact into the lava, revealing a Kanohi mask that was embedded in the totem. At that moment, a wave of lava begins to rush through the chamber at Takua. He throws the mask to Jaller and tries to use a lavaboard to get across the lava river, but only gets halfway. Just as he is about to become "lava bones" (As Jaller later puts it), he is saved by the Toa Nuva of fire, Tahu Nuva. The two then rush to the Kohlii field, and Jaller puts the mask in his pack. At the field, Turaga Vakama introduces the three Toa present: Tahu, Gali the Toa of Water, and Pohatu the Toa of Stone. He then introduces the three teams: Hewkii and Hafu of the desert Po-Koro, Hahli and Macku of Ga-Koro, which is built over a lake, and Takua and Jaller. The match caries on into the night, until Ga-Koro is the winner. At the end, the Mask Takua found falls out of Jaller's pack, shining a bright light on him. The Turaga deduce that this is the Mask of Light, which is to be worn by a legendary Seventh Toa that will defeat Makuta. The Mask of Light will lead its herald, who is Takua, to the seventh Toa. But he's too cowardly to admit that he is the herald, so Jaller is mistakenly believed to be so. Unfortunately for Takua, he still has to come along as well to chronicle Jaller’s heroics. Pohatu leaves to spread word about the Seventh Toa, and Gali has left already. The two leave Ta-Koro the next day on Takua's Ussal Crab, Pewku, with the Mask leading them to Le-Wahi.

Deep beneath Mata Nui, Makuta is fully aware of what is happening above. He talks to a large statue of a Kanohi Hau Mask, which he refers to as his brother Mata Nui. He then decides to release three of his spawns of shadow, the Rahkshi, to find and destroy the Herald. On the surface, Gali is at the Kini Nui, a giant temple near the center of the island. The Rahkshi burst from the center of the Kini Nui and attack Gali, who narrowly escapes by hiding in a nearby river. Realizing the Rahkshi are headed for Ta-Koro, she gets there before them and alerts the city. The Rahkshi burst through the walls of Ta-Koro anyway, using their powers of shattering, disintegration, and poison to wreak havoc and eventually destroy the village, but all the Matoran escape unharmed. In the fight, Tahu's mask is scratched by the Rahkshi Lerahk’s poison staff, leaving a sickly green scratch. He doesn't care through, as he is more concerned about the destruction of his village. Takua and Jaller are heading through the jungle of Le-Wahi, following where the past of light shows them to go. They are then attacked by a Graalok ash bear, and are rescued by Lewa, Toa of Air, who gives them a faster way of traveling, a Gukko bird, with the use to fly to the icy Ko-Wahi (but they have to leave Pewku behind in the forest because there's no room on the bird). Upon their arrival, they learn of Ta-Koro's destruction, the message sent by the Drums of Le-koro. Lewa then flies to Ta-Wahi to find out more, leaving Takua and Jaller behind. They are caught in a blizzard, and run into Kopaka, Toa of Ice, whose personality is as cold as his powers (freezing bohrok). Upon arriving at Ko-Koro, they are attacked by the Rahkshi, and escape down the side of a mountain. Kopaka is knocked out in the escape, and Takua tries to get away across a lake, using Kopaka's shield as a raft and the Mask as a paddle. Just as the Rahkshi close in, Kopaka wakes up and freezes the Rahkshi in the lake. Pewku (who had been left behind in Le-Wahi) arrives, and Kopaka leaves to see to his village. The Matoran then leave for the underground Onu-Wahi.

In the underground network of tunnels, Takua gets lost. He is surprised by Makuta, who appears before him in the form of two glowing red eyes. He warns Takua that if he does not give him the Mask of Light, Jaller will die. Takua refuses, but later panics and leaves Jaller and the mask and behind. Pohatu and Onua (The Toa of Earth), are telling the Onu-Matoran about the Seventh Toa when Takua and Pewku arrive. The three Rahkshi not frozen by Kopaka arrive soon after. These Rahkshi have the powers of fear (makes victim incredibly afraid), anger (turns victims against each other), and hunger (saps victim of its strength). As the Matoran are forced to flee from their village, Takua realizes this is his fault, as he is the real Herald, meaning the Rahkshi are looking for him. Tahu, Gali, and Lewa arrive, and Tahu's scar has gotten worse. When he is hit by Kurahk’s anger energy, the poison and the anger cause him to attack Gali. He is stopped when Kopaka arrives, freezing the enraged Tahu in ice. Meanwhile, Pohatu and Onua cause a cave in, and the Toa are forced to flee the village. Gali, Kopaka, and Lewa later free Tahu from his madness.

Takua finds Jaller and the two head for the Kini Nui, which the mask says the Seventh Toa should be. Nothing happens, though, and all six Rahkshi surround them. The Toa come to their aid, and destroy all the Rahkshi except Turahk, who tries to kill Takua, but Jaller takes the blow instead. As the dying Jaller tells Takua "You were always different" the Chronicler realizes that the Herald doesn't find the Seventh Toa, the Herald is the Seventh Toa. Takua puts on the Mask of Light and becomes Takanuva, Toa of Light. He destroys Turahk, and then builds the Ussanui out of Rahkshi parts with Jaller's mask attached to fly down to Makuta's lair. His fellow Toa ask why they can't come with him. Takanuva replies that it is his destiny to defeat Maukta while their's lies with the Matoran. The Toa of light flies down through the dark tunnels and jumps out of the Ussanui before it could hit a stone door. As he passes, Hahli comes out of rubble, picking up Jaller's mask, declaring herself the new Chronicler. Takanuva comes into Makuta's lair,[with the same shadow kratta] where the Master of Shadows taunts him that he is no hero, just a big failure. To decide the fate of Mata Nui (Both the island and the Great Spirit), Makuta challenges Takanuva to a "game of Kolhii" (played with a ball of protodermis). If Takanuva wins, he can try to open the Hau shaped gate; lose, and Makuta gets the Mask of Light. While the players competed, Hahli returns to the surface to tell everyone (The Toa Nuva and Turaga) to come below and awaken Mata Nui. when they arrived, Makuta destroyed the cave entrance. Takanuva uses his kolhii move from the start of the movie to throw the ball at Makuta. When all seemed right, Makuta rose again, claiming that if Mata Nui is awakened, he suffers from pains. Takanuva leaps onto the Master of Shadows and ripped off his mask and fell into a pool of Energized Protodermis and emerge as Takutanuva. The combined being lifts the gate, then regenerates Jaller by sending some of his energies into Jaller's mask. However, this transfer leaves Takutanuva too weak to hold the door up, and it crushes him. As the dust clears, only the Mask of Light remains. Turaga Vakama picked up the mask, placing Jaller, Hahli and the mask in the symbols of Unity, Duty and Destiny respectively, reviving Takanuva, using his light makes a hole in the cavern, revealing the long lost city of Metru Nui.