Legendary Kanohi

"Vakama gave it to me. Along with a warning--that its power might be too great for even a Toa to wield. And he was almost right."

- Tahu Nuva, BIONICLE Chronicles 3: Makuta's Revenge

Legendary Kanohi were a type of extremely powerful Kanohi which controlled fundamental forces of the Matoran Universe. These objects were far more powerful than other Great Kanohi. Unlike normal masks, which became useless if cracked, Legendary Kanohi radiated small amounts of their cosmic powers when cracked.

Legendary Kanohi were usually too powerful for Toa to control for very long. Even other powerful beings, such as a Makuta, encountered difficulty in attempting to control them. For example, when Vakama tried to use the Mask of Time on Makuta Teridax, he did not know how to properly use it, and had to be saved by Turaga Lhikan. However, as Artakha consistently wore and used the Mask of Creation for over 100,000 years, he was able to master the immense amount of willpower and mental ability to effectively use it.

Known Legendary Kanohi
The only known Legendary Kanohi were:
 * The Vahi, the Mask of Time
 * The Ignika, the Mask of Life
 * The Mask of Creation - Worn by Artakha

Trivia

 * Despite having a different power level, Legendary Kanohi still bore the title 'Great', and were typically referred to as such (ie. the Great Mask of Time).
 * Unlike other masks, touching the Kanohi Ignika would result in disaster unless one was destined to hold it, such as Matoro.