Toa of Fire

Toa of Fire was a title given to a Toa who wielded the Element of Fire. Toa of Fire were almost always transformed from a Matoran of Fire, although Tahu was an exception. Should a Toa of Fire fulfill his destiny, they were given the option of sacrificing their power, becoming a Turaga of Fire.

If a Toa of any element were to lose their Kanohi, their elemental powers would be halved, and their overall strength greatly weakened.

Powers
A Toa of Fire's Elemental power gave them near-perfect command over heat and flame. As such, at a basic level they could create, control, and absorb high heat and open flames. Examples of this included creating fireballs, generating a rain of fire, absorbing the heat in an area, putting out wildfires and heating the air. Additionally, Toa of Fire were naturally resistant to intense heat, easily withstanding the blistering conditions of their often volcanic dwellings.

As a Toa Nuva of Fire, Tahu wielded all these same powers on an even greater level than that of a standard Toa of Fire, and boasted a unique ability; He could set up a delayed Elemental Fire attack.

Toa of Fire were not without their weaknesses however; They could be defeated by supremely hot temperatures or substances, such as lava, plasma or lightning, and all Toa of Fire were at their weakest in the cold. Surprisingly enough however, Toa of Fire did not seem to mind the water as much as Toa of Air.

They possessed all these abilities on a vastly greater level than a Turaga or Ta-Matoran.

Personality and Traits
Toa of Fire were often the leaders of their respective Toa Teams, although this was not always the case. They were generally known for being impulsive and somewhat hot-headed, often rushing into danger. They were also exceedingly courageous; rarely, if ever, did they retreat from combat, even when this might have been the most strategically sound option. Ultimately, Toa of Fire were capable leaders, especially once they matured into their role.

Toa of Fire usually wore armor that was red, however various shades of orange, gold and yellow were also common primary and secondary colors. It was also (albeit rarely) possible for black to be among their color palettes. They generally possessed pink or magenta eyes.

All Toa of Fire were male.

History
Various Toa of Fire came into being using Toa Stones throughout the history of the Matoran Universe, and at one point there were hundreds of Toa in the universe simultaneously, many of them Toa of Fire. But after the Great Cataclysm, their numbers began to dwindle, and only a handful were still alive by the time of the Battle of Bara Magna, including Tahu, Jaller and Norik.

Very early in the Matoran Universe's history, an unnamed Toa of Fire, who started life as a Ta-Matoran, was a member of the Toa Cordak, the original Toa Team. He wore an unknown Kanohi, and died in battle against a horde of Zyglak, alongside the majority of his allies.

Over 17,000 years before the Toa Inika were created by the Red Star, a Ta-Matoran named Dume became a Toa of Fire. He primarily fought against dangerous Rahi and Dark Hunters, but later became a Turaga of Fire, and leader of Metru Nui. He wore the Great Mask of Regeneration as a Toa, and later, the Noble version as a Turaga.

At one point, an unnamed Toa of Fire was permanently fused together with a Toa of Earth by the Spear of Fusion, becoming the Dark Hunter, Prototype.

 Norik, a Toa Hagah of Fire, was part of the Toa team set to protect Makuta Teridax early in the Matoran Universe's history. He was one of the first Toa to realize Teridax's treachery, after discovering that the Makuta had stolen the Kanohi Avohkii, alongside his Toa Hagah allies. Shortly after, Norik and his entire team were transformed into the Rahaga by Ex-Dark Hunter, Roodaka.

 Over 1000 years later, Roodaka was coerced by the Toa Nuva into undoing her actions against the Hagah, and thus Norik, and his Rahaga-brothers and sister, were returned to their original state. He wore the Great Mask of Diminishment.

Lhikan, a Ta-Matoran crafter, was transformed into a Toa of Fire at an unspecified time. 7000 years before the Great Cataclysm, the rookie Toa Lhikan served on an island fortress, working to hold off a Frostelus invasion. However, the fortress was eventually overrun, with Lhikan being the only survivor.

3000 years later, Lhikan travelled to Metru Nui as the leader of the Toa Mangai, a team of 11 Toa, including Nidhiki, Tuyet, Naho, 4 Toa of Ice, a Toa of Earth, a Toa of Stone and a Toa of Plantlife. They had been called to stop the rampaging Kanohi Dragon freed by the Dark Hunters, in response to Turaga Dume's dismissal of their request to create a base in the city.

 Vakama was once the Toa Metru of Fire, gaining his powers from a Toa Stone created by Lhikan. He defended Ta-Metru from the Morbuzahk, fought against the Vahki, and was mutated by the Visorak into a half-beast Hordika, alongside his Toa-brothers and sister. For a time he betrayed the others, joining with Roodaka and Sidorak, believing himself the only one capable of rescuing the sleeping Matoran of Metru Nui.

He was eventually convinced by Matau to suppress his bestial side, and together the Hordika, Rahaga and Keetongu, defeated the King of the Visorak and his ever-scheming Viceroy, while disbanding the Visorak hordes and freeing Teridax in the process. Not long after Keetongu had reversed the effects of the hordika venom, Vakama found himself in a desperate quest to retrieve the legendary Mask of Time.

After witnessing a vision of the future, and a warning from Krakua, a future Toa of Sonics, Vakama was put through a harrowing illusory trap, orchestrated by Teridax. After breaking the illusion, and making a deal with the Makuta to retrieve the stolen Vahi, Vakama faced off against further Dark Hunter foes, eventually finding himself and Teridax face-to-face with the "Shadowed One", who was in possession of the Vahi.

Pitting them against one another, Vakama took the Vahi from the Dark Hunter's leader, and attempted to escape his battling enemies. He had nearly made it, but was stopped short when Teridax caught up with him. With all other options exhausted, Vakama threatened to destroy the Mask of Time, an act that would cause irreparable damage to the entire Matoran Universe.

Once Vakama had convinced the Makuta that he was fully prepared to destroy the mask, Teridax agreed to a set of demands and conditions, with a solemn promise that he would return to finish what he had started in 1 year's time. Taking this hard-earned chance to save the Matoran, he returned to his allies, and led them all to a new, safer land.

 Upon reaching the island of Mata Nui, he, alongside the other Toa Metru, sacrificed his Toa power in order to awaken the slumbering Matoran, becoming a Turaga in the process. He wore the Great Mask of Concealment as a Toa, and later, the Noble version as a Turaga.

A Ta-Matoran named Jaller was transformed into a Toa Inika of Fire by the Red Star and later a Toa Mahri of Fire by the Kanohi Ignika. He wore the Kanohi Calix and later the Kanohi Arthron.

After Teridax's death, the remaining Toa of Fire evacuated onto Spherus Magna. They are currently living with the Ta-Matoran and the Fire Tribe inside the Great Volcano.

Known Toa of Fire
Below is a list of the known Toa of Fire:
 * Tahu - Leader of the Toa Mata/Toa Nuva
 * Vakama - Formerly leader of the Toa Metru and briefly a Toa Hordika; currently a Turaga
 * Lhikan - Former leader of the Toa Mangai; later a Turaga and currently on the Red Star
 * Dume - Currently a Turaga
 * Norik - Leader of Makuta Teridax's Toa Hagah team
 * "Prototype" - Half Toa of Fire fusion; currently a Dark Hunter
 * Jaller - Leader of the Toa Inika/Toa Mahri
 * A Toa of Fire - Former member of the Toa Cordak; currently deceased