Nuju

"Nuju says that you must understand this: that in creation, there is destruction. In destruction, there is rebirth. There is no such thing as void; all things are in flux."

- Nuju's words translated to Takua by Matoro, MNOG

Nuju was the Toa of Ice on Metru Nui and later the Turaga of Ko-Koro.

Matoran
Not much is known about Nuju's life as a Matoran. It is known that he was a Ko-Matoran scholar of Metru Nui working in a Knowledge Tower, and that at one point he had a mentor named Ihu. It is also known that Nuju met Vakama, and the mask maker crafted him an eyepiece for his Matatu. Then one day Toa Lhikan gave him a Toa Stone and a map to the Great Temple, where he met Vakama, Nokama, Matau, Whenua, and Onewa, and they all became Toa Metru.

Quest for the Great Disks
Nuju was the Toa Metru of Ice and guardian of Ko-Metru. Nuju was a well-respected seer before becoming a Toa - and sometimes he wished he could go back to that role. While he took his duties as a Toa seriously, it was not a job he would have volunteered for. Being a Toa Metru meant having to work with others he was not sure he likes and having little time to study. Although Nuju did not have much faith in Vakama's visions, he was practical enough to know that someone had to be the leader. That did not mean Nuju would follow orders he thinks are foolish - like any Ko-Matoran, he preferred to go his own way and choose his own actions. Although he sometimes seemed aloof, he was usually mapping out the consequences of a plan before suggesting it. Nuju was always focused on the future, which explains why he argued regularly with Toa Whenua, who revered the past.

After unexpectedly receiving a glowing stone from Toa Lhikan, Nuju travelled to the Great Temple in Ga-Metru, where he met five other Matoran from each district, each bearing a similar stone. Inserting his stone into a slot in the temple's Suva shrine, Nuju was transformed into the Toa Metru of Ice and guardian of Ko-Metru. Seconds after becoming Toa, Vakama had a vision of Metru Nui being saved by the Great Disks. Many of the other Toa, like Onewa, were doubtful, claiming that the Great Disks were just a legend. Nokama stood up for Vakama, and the Toa Metru were sent to find six Matoran who knew the locations of the Great Disks.

The Matoran whom Nuju set out to find had been an acquaintance of his, an unusually talkative messenger named Ehrye. Travelling to the Ko-Matoran's home, he found that Ehrye was absent, but discovered from a journal entry of his that the Matoran harbored a deep grudge against Nuju for refusing to give him a promotion to a job in the Knowledge Towers. He also found a marked map of a Chute Station which had been apparently given to him by a Le-Matoran named Orkahm. Travelling to one of Ko-Metru's Knowledge Towers, he gathered from a Scholar named Jaa, who told him that Ehrye had previously entered the Tower and irritated the scholar with a barrage of prying questions before taking a chute to the top floor of the tower. Before Nuju left to find Ehrye, Jaa gave him a crystal that, when dropped, would grow another Knowledge Tower to help replace those destroyed by the Morbuzakh.

Travelling to an upper level floor of the Knowledge Tower, Nuju dropped the Crystal, then jumped onto the top of the growing tower and rode it until it reached full height. Scanning the skyline, the new Toa of Ice spotted Ehrye atop a nearby tower that was damaged at the base, trapped in a prison of large protodermis blocks precisely arranged so that moving the wrong block would send the whole thing crashing down on the Ko-Matoran. Carefully removing the blocks, Nuju freed his former employee, then escaped the damaged tower. Ehrye explained that he had gone to the Tower's top to find a way to safely locate the Ko-Metru Great Disk, but had been ensnared in an energy web fired at him by a hulking being.

Leaving the damaged Tower before it became any more unstable, Nuju and Ehrye examined the damage sustained to the base of the building, and Nuju deduced from the scrapings in the ground around its base that a four-legged being had been responsible for the Knowledge Tower's sabotage. The two concluded that whoever had attacked Ehrye and damaged the Tower had been after the Great Disk as well.

Afterward, Nuju and Ehrye joined the other Toa Metru and their own rescued Matoran. Teaming up with Whenua and Tehutti, Nuju and his former colleague first began looking for the Onu-Metru Great Disk in the Archives. After an unfortunate run-in in the Archives with a two-headed Tarakava, a mutant Ussal crab, and a mysterious creature that mimicked an empty room, Whenua managed to find his Great Disk hidden in a packed storage room.

Travelling to Ko-Metru to find Nuju's Disk, they then ran into trouble with a squad of Keerakh; however, Nuju managed to use this to the Toa's advantage; since Keerakh always knew where their quarry was going to go, he allowed the Vahki to lead him to the Knowledge Tower where the Great Disk was located. While Whenua led the Vahki away from the tower, Nuju climbed down its side, eventually finding the Ko-Metru Great Disk encased in an enormous icicle.

After all the Toa Metru had collected their disks, Nuju, Ehrye  Whenua and a temporarily-confused Tehutti left Ko-Metru and, after regrouping, ventured into Ta-Metru's Great Furnace to confront the Morbuzakh's King Root. Along the way, they were ambushed in an abandoned building by a hailstorm of Morbuzakh seeds, which promptly sprouted the second they hit the ground, and the Toa Metru were soon overwhelmed by the small, grasping vines, and only escaped when the six Matoran who had accompanied them decided to merge into a Matoran Nui and saved them. Eventually, Nuju and the other Toa Metru reached the heart of the Great Furnace, where the Morbuzakh's massive core had taken root. After a grueling battle, the Toa managed to use their Great Disks to defeat the King Root, and escaped the Great Furnace before it could collapse.

Encounter with Krahka
Shortly after their first major victory, Whenua was approached again by Nuparu, who told him that the Onu-Metru Archives had sprung a leak that could lead to the entire area flooding. While investigating the problem, the group was stalked by an intelligent, shape-shifting Rahi named Krahka, who attacked and took the form of each Toa one by one, ending with Whenua, whom she held captive, and then assumed his identity. After briefly being captured by Rahkshi along with Vakama, Matau and Onewa, Nuju and his three brothers were saved by Nokama, who had discovered that the "Whenua" accompanying her was an imposter. Searching for the true Toa of Earth, Nuju decided to scout ahead, and sure enough found him captured at the end of a tunnel. Nokama then approached Nuju, telling him to seal all the exits. However, this Nokama turned out to be Krahka as well, a fact Nuju learned far too late when she morphed into Onewa and trapped him in a stone cocoon alongside Whenua.

Krahka then returned to the remaining Toa Metru in the guise of the Toa of Ice, but the four Toa were expecting such a deception, and demanded that she reveal the location of Nuju and Whenua. After transporting them to the site, the shape-shifting Rahi then morphed into an amalgamation of all their forms and attacked the six Toa. However, their combined powers proved too much for Krahka, and after an intense battle, the Toa Metru managed to triumph over the Rahi. Krahka then fled, retreating into some molten protodermis.

Metru Nui's Most Wanted
After the encounter, Nuju and his fellow Toa Metru travelled to the Coliseum's arena, bearing the Great Disks as proof of their accomplishments and expecting praise from the Matoran and Turaga Dume for saving the city. Much to their dismay, however, Turaga Dume dismissed the legendary artifacts as "simple gifts", and stated that in order to prove themselves as true Toa, they had to complete a test: Cross the field. This proved much more difficult than it might seem, since the surface of the field was comprised of numerous tessellated protodermis columns programmed to rise or fall on remote command. Unprepared and without a plan, the Toa Metru were knocked off their feet by the rising and falling pillars. Eventually this humiliation came to an end, only for things to get even worse when Dume raised doubts about whether or not they were true Toa, and accused them of being responsible for Lhikan's disappearance. He then ordered the Vahki to arrest them, and the Matoran operating the field programmed it to turn into a swirling vortex that led into a prison below. Vakama, Matau and Nokama managed to escape, but Nuju, Onewa and Whenua were all sucked into the prison and escorted by Rorzakh to their cell. Along the way, the three attempted an escape from the robotic enforcers by breaking away down a side passage; unbeknownst to them, however, Whenua had been secretly tagged beforehand by one of the Rorzakh's Staff of Presence, allowing the Vahki to track his movements and by extension those of his fellow Toa. As a result, when the fugitives accidentally turned into dead end, the Vahki were right behind them to slam the door.

Trapped in their cell, tensions rose as the three Toa of Ice and Earth and Stone fruitlessly tried to find a way out. Things began to turn around, however, when the Toa found that they had a fourth cellmate: A mysterious Turaga (later revealed to be Lhikan), who taught them to use their mask powers. After training for a while under the Turaga's guidance, Onewa began to lose patience, and got into a fight with Whenua; Nuju ended up inadvertently using his mask power to break up the fight, drawing a pile of rubble inadvertently used his mask of telekinesis to break a hole in one of the cell walls, allowing them to escape.

After escaping, the four fugitives encountered a giant Troller, and Onewa used his mask power to control the simple creature's mind, allowing them to ride unharmed inside its mouth as Onewa steered it across the sand outside the prison. After exiting, the four entered a pitch-black tunnel, with Whenua lighting the way with his newfound mask power. At the end of the tunnel, they encountered a lone Vahki, who turned out to be Matau in disguise. Vakama and Nokama were close behind, and as the two groups reunited, the anonymous Turaga revealed himself to be Lhikan, now transformed. Noticing a large silver sphere nearby, Vakama opened it to find a comatose Turaga Dume inside, and the Toa realized that Metru Nui was now under the leadership of an imposter wearing Dume's mask, and that the Matoran were in grave danger.

Confrontation at the Coliseum
Commandeering an outdated Vahki Transport, the Toa and Lhikan raced to the Coliseum to save the Matoran, but arrived to find it empty. "Turaga Dume" then stepped forth, and removed his mask, revealing that of Makuta underneath. Hurrying to rescue the Matoran, Nuju and the other Toa managed to recover six of the sphere-shaped pods containing the Matoran. The transport could only carry six of the spheres, but the Toa vowed to return for the rest of them. As they sailed across the Silver Sea to Metru Nui's exit, however, Makuta attacked, now a monstrous behemoth made from the bodies of Nidhiki, Krekka and Nivawk, having killed them and absorbed their essences. Controlling the Silver Sea, Teridax knocked the Matoran Spheres adrift from the Toa's transport. Vakama went to confront Makuta, and after recovering the Matoran, Lhikan and later Nuju and the rest joined him. Lhikan died saving Vakama, but after the other Toa joined powers with their fellow Toa and defeated Makuta, locking him in a cage of solid Protodermis.

A Maze of Shadows
The Toa Metru started a journey through the Great Barrier aboard the transport they now dubbed the Lhikan in honor of the deceased Turaga, hoping to find a new haven for the Matoran. Along the way, Whenua tried to convince Mavrah to stop the Great Undersea Rahi Attack, but the Onu-Matoran refused and was swept by a wave. Afterward, Nuju traveled with the others and found an island paradise they chose to name Mata Nui, after the Great Spirit himself.

After exploring the new island, Nuju came across a mountainous region covered in snow and ice, and decided to build the Ko-Matoran's new home among its frozen peaks. When he met back with the other Toa, he heard of Vakama's vision about losing his Toa Power. Just in case their mission failed, Whenua and the others transferred a small portion of their power into six stones so that other Matoran could assume the mantle of Toa. They then hid them all around the island and started a journey back to Metru Nui.

Travelling through a dark tunnel system Onewa found in Po-Wahi, the group found many injured and dead Rahi. Suddenly, they were attacked by a massive composite Rahi known as the Rahi Nui; in the ensuing struggle, Nokama sustained fatal wounds, and the others only survived when Nuju and Vakama devised a plan to defeat the monster. Travelling onward in the bleak hope of there being a cure for Nokama's wounds in Metru Nui, they came across a sentient plant known as Karzahni, a creation of Makuta's that had been a prototype for the Morbuzakh. The plant offered to heal Nokama, but only in exchange for a vial of Energized Protodermis, so that it could become powerful enough to take revenge against Makuta.

In their journey to find the protodermis, the Toa Metru were attacked by a sapient entity formed from the substance. Nuju and the others managed to defeat it by destroying the pillars holding up its chamber, and fled the collapsing room with a vial-full of energized protodermis. Returning to Karzahni, the creature healed Nokama, and they gave it the vial. However, the creature miscalculated, and the energized protodermis killed him; the Toa Metru then used the pieces of the dead plant to repair their destroyed ship, and dubbed it the Lhikan II. They then continued their journey back to Metru Nui to rescue the rest of the Matoran.

Maze of Shadows
Nuju explored the island of Mata Nui and named a mountain there Mount Ihu, after his deceased mentor. He decided it would be a good place for the new Ko-Metru, or more fittingly, Ko-Koro. They headed back to Metru Nui, having several misadventures on the way, and were ambushed by Visorak and mutated into the Toa Hordika.

Web of Shadows
As a Toa Hordika, Nuju, used to being in control of his emotions, was among those most anxious to be cured of his mutation. Nuju was taught the language of the flying Rahi, which he used as a Turaga, by Kualus, who spoke it before him. Nuju's tools were Hordika Teeth, which he used to summon flying Rahi or to charge his Ice Rhotuka.

Toa Hordika Nuju and Rahaga Kualus searched for Vahki Transport parts in Ko-Metru, and eventually ran into Onewa, Pouks, Krahka, and a Tahtorak. They went to the battle unfolding at a hangar in Le-Metru, and the Toa Hordika won the battle.

Later, Nuju and the other Toa, excluding Vakama, went searching for the mythical Rahi Keetongu, and found him in Ko-Metru. Nuju and the others fought in the final battle against the Visorak and one of Nuju's ice spinners contributed to the Toa Hordika's attempt to destroy Roodaka, ending up in the freeing of Makuta. Keetongu restored the Toa Hordika to their original forms, and at some point Kualus taught him the language of the birds.

After saying their goodbyes, Nuju, along with the other Toa Metru, boarded the airships, which would carry the Matoran to Mata Nui. It was here when Nuju began speaking in the language of birds, as a grim reminder to the other Toa about their adventures.

Mata Nui
After arriving on the island above, Nuju and the other Toa Metru sacrificed their Toa Power to awaken the Matoran trapped in pods, becoming Turaga in the process. Nuju then led the Ko-Matoran to Mount Ihu, which he had named after his deceased friend Ihu; there, they built the ice village of Ko-Koro. From this point forward, Nuju abandoned all use of the Matoran Language; instead, he chose to speak the language of the birds taught to him by Rahaga Kualus, so as to never forget Metru Nui's fall, and chose Matoro as his interpreter. Under his guidance, the Ko-Matoran enjoyed an era of peace and wisdom, spending much of their time meditating along with Nuju on the future.

Mata Nui's era of peace did not last long, however; after only a year, Makuta struck from his lair below the island, enslaving the island's Rahi to his will with tainted masks and unleashing this army on the Matoran. For the following 900 years, Ko-Koro would fall under Makuta's shadow along with the rest of the island.

Kopaka's Arrival and the Quest for the Masks
However, hope soon came for Nuju's people when a large, metal canister was summoned to the island by an unwitting Matoran traveller. Washing up on Ko-Wahi's beach, the canister burst open and its occupant emerged: Kopaka, Toa Mata of Ice. Remembering nothing but his name and power over ice, the Toa eventually wandered into Ko-Koro, where he was greeted by Nuju. In a rare instance, the Turaga of Ice spoke directly to Kopaka in Matoran, informing him of his destiny to save the Matoran, and of the Kanohi hidden across the island he and the other Toa would need to collect to defeat Makuta. He then told Nuju of the Point of All-Seeing, where his first mask was hidden.

Later, the wandering Matoran who had unknowingly summoned Kopaka and the other Toa returned to Ko-Koro, with no knowledge of the experience or Ko-Koro due to amnesia. Matoro happened to be out hunting Rahi at the time, so Takua was unable to speak to Nuju until he found Matoro. After the Ko-Matoran had been found and returned to the village, Nuju tasked the Chronicler with organizing a company to aid the Toa Mata as they entered Makuta's lair, and suggested his left hand, Kopeke, as a potential member.

The Bohrok Crisis
Nuju did his best to lead the Ko-Matoran through this troubled time.

When Kopaka Nuva arrived back at Ko-Koro, Nuju and Matoro showed the Toa Nuva his Nuva Symbol. It was eventually stolen from the Suva by Nuhvok-Kal. Losing his powers as a result, Kopaka ended up trapped in a canyon, hanging by his Ice Blade. Fortunately, Nuju showed up, and was able to use his mask power to telekinetically lift the Toa Nuva of Ice out of the canyon.

Mask of Light
Before the Kolhii match in Ta-Koro, Nuju met with the other Turaga to discuss the adventures the Toa Nuva had when searching for the Kanohi Nuva. It was then they decided to tell the truth about Metru Nui after the Kolhii tournament. Nuju was at the Kini-Nui while Takanuva was battling Teridax below, and later travelled with the rest of Mata Nui's population to bear witness to the duel. Shortly afterward, they rediscovered an entrance to Metru Nui, and prepared for the return.

Return to Metru Nui
Before the Matoran returned to Metru Nui, Nuju assisted Vakama in telling the tales of Metru Nui. He also reminded Vakama that the story of the Hordika must be told, and Vakama agreed. After the Matoran returned to Metru Nui, Nuju met with Dume several times and discovered that Mata Nui was dying.

Afterward, he and the other Turaga revealed to the Toa Nuva that Mata Nui was dying, and decided to send them to Voya Nui to retrieve the Ignika and revive him. They then led them to a chamber with six canisters in it and sent them off.

Later, Jaller and Takanuva arrived. After Jaller asked about the Toa Nuva's location and received Dume's unacceptable answer, Jaller declared a citywide strike until the Turaga decided to respect the Matoran more.

During a meeting, Dume revealed that one of the Mata Nui Turaga had given the Matoran the information given to the Toa Nuva, and that Jaller, Matoro, Nuparu, Kongu, Hewkii, and Hahli were gone. Nokama then accidentally revealed that she had told Jaller, and they wanted to send Takanuva to retrieve the group, but he was gone too.

When Mata Nui was revived, Nuju was heard speaking Matoran for the first time in centuries. Upon hearing of the death of Matoro, Nuju went into mourning for his translator and good friend. He had found a new translator later on, but it is unknown who it is at the moment. Later on, when the Order of Mata Nui came to Metru Nui to fight against the Brotherhood, Nuju and the other Turaga refused to comply with their plans. They were then confined to the Coliseum.

Nuju and the other Turaga helped in the Siege. After that, the Turaga declared a city-wide celebration. While Dume gave a speech in the Coliseum, Teridax revealed he was in control of Mata Nui's body. He then sent Rahkshi to Metru Nui. Nuju, with Metru Nui's population, went into the Archives and hid. The Turaga then found Krahka, who led the Toa Nuva through underground tunnels to the shoreline. Some time later, all the Turaga of Metru Nui were imprisoned in the Coliseum, and Ahkmou took their place as the new "Turaga".

Spherus Magna
Following Teridax's death, Nuju and the other Turaga and Matoran evacuated Metru Nui and they are currently living on Spherus Magna.

Dark Mirror
Nuju also appeared in Dark Mirror, as a Matoran. He was a part of the resistance lead by Toa Pohatu. He was dragged off by wild plantlife into the Archives later on in the Battle of the Coliseum.

The Kingdom
Nuju also appeared in "The Kingdom", as a Turaga. He and Nuparu were working on a project to move the Kingdom to the stars because the original island of Mata Nui could not survive much longer.

Personality and Traits
Nuju always looked to the future for answers, and was known for his skill in doing so. He had a practical and analytical mind, usually mapping out the potential outcomes and consequences of any plan before suggesting it. However, due to the importance he attributed to the future, Nuju also had little patience for those who believed that the past held all answers. He also valued patience, and part of the reason why he spoke in the language of the birds was as a test for anyone who wished to speak to him; if they were impatient, they were not worth his time. The other reason was that he felt that the constant bickering of his fellow Toa/Turaga made him question the point of having a language at all. He would however use the Matoran language when absolutely necessary.

As a Matoran, Nuju was a well-respected seer before becoming a Toa, and sometimes wished he could go back to that role; while he took his duties as a Toa seriously, it was not a job he would have volunteered for, since it required him to work with other people he sometimes disagreed with. Although Nuju did not have much faith in Vakama's visions, he was practical enough to know that someone had to be the leader.

As a Turaga, he came to be revered by the Ko-Matoran for his wisdom, and spent much of his time meditating on the future of Mata Nui and the Matoran. He eventually became skilled and renowned as a seer, and gained much knowledge of the future. It was even implied once that he might have had some knowledge of the fate of the island itself.

Powers and Equipment
Nuju controlled the Element of Ice, and thus could cause blizzards, create ice slides, and create anything out of ice. As a Toa Metru, he carried Crystal Spikes. As a Toa Hordika, he carried Hordika Teeth, and as a Turaga, he carried an Ice Pick. He wore the Kanohi Matatu, Mask of Telekinesis, which allowed him to move objects with his mind.

Turaga

 * The set number was 8544.
 * It contained 29 pieces.
 * The set was also released as a Kabaya Promotional set with the same pieces, under the set number 1420.

Toa Metru

 * The set number was 8606.
 * It contained 48 pieces.
 * The Toa Metru were the first sets to have bendable elbows.

Toa Hordika

 * The set number was 8741.
 * It contained 48 pieces.

Trivia

 * Turaga Nuju spoke in BIONICLE Adventures 6: Maze of Shadows, BIONICLE Legends 8: Downfall, BIONICLE: The Game, and in the graphic novel, Rise of the Toa Nuva.
 * Trevor Devall voiced Toa Nuju in BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui.
 * In his Toa Hordika form, Nuju could not use his mutated Matatu, but the eye piece on the mask was still functional. When he became a Turaga, however, this eyepiece became incompatible with his mask.

Appearances

 * Mata Nui Online Game - First appearance as Turaga
 * Comic 1: The Coming of the Toa
 * Comic 2: Deep into Darkness
 * Comic 9: Divided We Fall
 * Comic 10: Powerless! - Mentioned Only
 * BIONICLE Chronicles 4: Tales of the Masks
 * BIONICLE Adventures 1: Mystery of Metru Nui - First appearance as Toa Metru
 * BIONICLE Adventures 2: Trial by Fire - In present and flashback
 * BIONICLE Adventures 3: The Darkness Below - In present and flashback
 * BIONICLE Adventures 4: Legends of Metru Nui - In present and flashback
 * BIONICLE Adventures 5: Voyage of Fear - In present and flashback
 * BIONICLE Adventures 6: Maze of Shadows - In present and flashback
 * BIONICLE Adventures 7: Web of the Visorak - In present and flashback; First appearance as Toa Hordika
 * BIONICLE Adventures 8: Challenge of the Hordika - In present and flashback
 * BIONICLE Adventures 9: Web of Shadows - In present and flashback
 * BIONICLE Legends 1: Island of Doom
 * BIONICLE Legends 8: Downfall
 * Dark Mirror - In an Alternate Timeline; as a Matoran