Mata Nui (Being)

Mata Nui, also known as the Great Spirit, was esentially the guardian of the Bionicle universe. He was looked to for inspiration by the Matoran, and he gave them the Three Virtues. He created many of the beings of the universe directly. He has an organization dedicated to doing his will, the Order of Mata Nui.

History
In the ancient past, the Great Spirit Mata Nui was sent by the even more powerful Great Beings to care for all life. Prior to his awakening, the universe was taken care by a entity known as Tren Krom.

He came to the Matoran, who were the "chosen" people of Mata Nui, and gave them the Virtues of Unity, Duty, and Destiny. He also created several races, followers, and servants, such as the Makuta- the leaders of the Brotherhood of Makuta, and six other species- one from each that would form the Barraki, the leaders of the League of Six Kingdoms. However, it was ultimately the Toa, and the Order of Mata Nui, who would remain truly loyal to him.

Soon enough, shortly after the defeat of the rebellious League of Six Kingdoms, Makuta Teridax began to formulate a plan to rebel against Mata Nui. When the Metru Nui Civil War was ended, Makuta Miserix had assigned the Makuta to various regions over the universe. The result was the Makuta saw the Matoran venerate Mata Nui, despite all what they had done for them, and happened of that was jealously and hate toward the Great Spirit.

Meanwhile, Mata Nui had suffered from the Matoran halting work during the Metru Nui Civil War, to the point of near-death. Jovan's Team, an unknown Toa team led by Toa Jovan, where dispatched to the Southern Continent, find the Kanohi Ignika, and use it in Karda Nui. The mission was successful, and the Great Spirit's life was saved. But elsewhere, Makuta Mutran had discovered from Tren Krom information Teridax used to bring The Plan into existence, take command of the Brotherhood, and use a Makuta virus he spread across the universe. Several hundred years later, Mata Nui fell asleep from the attack, and the Great Cataclysm occurred. It was later discovered Mata Nui was no longer asleep, but was dying, and if he did indeed die, the universe would die with him in a matter of days.

But Mata Nui did see the attack coming, and manipulated events to make sure things could be made right. When new Toa Metru were about to be chosen by Toa Lhikan shortly before the Cataclysm, Teridax wished to influence the choices to his advantage. Knowing this, Mata Nui and his Order falsified prophesies regarding the identities of the new Toa. Teridax believed these prophesies, and influenced Lhikan to choose others to become the new Toa. But as these "others" were fake to begin with, the ones that Teridax influenced Lhikan to choose were in fact the true destined Toa Metru.

The Toa Nuva were sent to Voya Nui to find the Ignika, Mask of Life, that could heal Mata Nui. Six Matoran followed them determined to help, and were transformed into the Toa Inika. The Toa Inika got the mask, after several struggles against rogue Skakdi ex-Dark Hunters calling themselves Piraka, but it immediately flew away and plunged into the sea, heading for the undersea city of Mahri Nui that rested on top of the Pit, which it considered the most damaged place in the universe.

There, the mask was found by a Ga-Matoran named Kyrehx, who passed it on to a Po-Matoran named Dekar. The Barraki went after it as soon as they learned of it, and the waters of the Pit were slowly destroying it. The Toa Inika pursued it down to Mahri Nui through the stone cord linking Mahri Nui and Voya Nui. They encountered a tribe of Zyglak, and a giant venom eel cracked the cord and attacked them.

However, they became Toa Mahri, transformed by the mask. They had from that point around 24 hours to heal Mata Nui before he died, and three days after that till the entire underground Matoran universe was destroyed. Unfortunately, they failed, and shortly after the Toa Mahri recovered the Ignika and cut the Stone Cord in preparation for Mata Nui's awakening, he died, causing the Mask of Life to go dark (it did not, however, lose its powers--the darkness was purely symbolic). The universe then slowly began to die; then, after falling into Karda Nui, Matoro put on the Ignika. Matoro died, bringing Mata Nui back to life and the universe was saved, but he remained asleep and began having terrible nightmares.

After arriving in Karda Nui, the Toa Nuva discovered that there were six fragments of a keystone that told how to awaken Mata Nui. From the first three stones they acquired, they learned that the secret to reviving the Great Spirit was in the Swamp of Secrets.

Trivia

 * After Mata Nui's death, the universe would only have three days before ending. Islands on the surface would not be affected, but the entire underground universe would be flooded.
 * Mata Nui was actually not hard to find. The trick was knowing you had found him.
 * Prior to his death and revival, Mata Nui was, at least on some level, aware of what was going on in the universe.
 * Before Mata Nui existed, the universe was kept in order by an entity called Tren Krom.


 * Mata Nui looks similar to a Toa.