Inika Analysis
Entry posted by xccj
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Before the Inika/Mahri ever became Toa, they were well known Matoran in the Bionicle universe (heck, four of them were the first Matoran ever released) For the most part, I’ve written stories including every single one of them (‘cept Matoro). Everybody likes to complain about how the Inika aren’t like their Matoran counterparts, me included, but that’s because I established their characters on my own, without Lego’s help. (Well, okay, they invented the characters, but I better developed them.) So, thus, this blog entry is devoted to describing the characters who became Toa in my universe.
Matoro: (Appearing as a very minor character in a few short stories) While I never really developed Matoro’s character in any story, I have the basic description for him. He was serious, always seeming to know the answers to village problems (the minor ones). In my eyes, he was just a Matoran extension of the Turaga, who was maybe a bit more athletic than old Nuju but shared the same basic knowledge. Matoro was the authoritative figure in Ko-Koro, but when it came to the Ko-Matoran bizarreness, I always preferred to use Kopeke. My favorite use of Matoro was in an unpublished epic where he translated Nuju when the Turaga announced the Bohrok. ~ “They’re the Bohrok,” Matoro said, then gave a double take. “What! I thought the Bohrok were a legend!”
Kongu: (Appearing in Slizers on Mata-Nui) In previous epics, most of my Le-Matoran were custom made (Duka and Triki) but I used Kongu for a group of refugee Matoran in the Slizer epic. Kongu was on the elite guard team because he was one of the more agile Toa, not to mention his previous duty in the Gukku air force. But Kongu’s character was the witty, sarcastic, pessimistic one. He was the kind to complain loudly when something went wrong. That’s sorta like Kongu’s Inika character, but I think he better resembles Kazi. But, like in the Legend Books, Kongu always gets the witty lines in my story too. ~ “Another fun-adventure?” Kongu asked. “Count me in.”
Hewkii: (Appearing in Time Disruption and Slizers on Mata-Nui) Hewkii (formerly known as Huki) was always the athletic Po-Matoran. He knew a thing or two about carving, and new a lot about hating water. In TD, he got the slightly pessimistic/ complaining role. However, Hewkii wasn’t characterized in my stories by his bigheadedness or great confidence in his abilities (like he is in the Legend Books) but more by his compassion for his friends and Macku (formerly Maku). Hewkii was the guy who’d complain about a dangerous mission in one scenario, but rush in without thought to personal safety if his friends were in danger. I characterized Hewkii by his relationship with Macku. By completely ignoring that in the books, I think Hewkii’s official character just seems… different. I like him, but he’s not the Matoran with the brownish-orange Kakama that I write about. ~ “No you don’t!” Huki shouted. “You don’t understand what it’s like to have the Matoran you care the most about taken away from you!”
Hahli: (Appearing in Time Disruption and Slizers on Mata-Nui… leading role both times) Hahli can be the most developed Matoran and very underdeveloped at the same time. Of course, playing as her in the MNOLG II made lots of people familiar with her and her abilities (heck, if you don’t remember all those stupid little tests she had to do to prepare for the Kohli tournament, then you obviously didn’t play them often enough). Then again, what was her real character? She was shy at first, but then she got over her shyness and became a bit adventurous. I always thought she went down the path towards being a fighter, kind of like Takua (I mean, he must’ve fought a bit during that Rahi attack at the Kini-Nui). So, thus, in my stories, Hahli is the one who becomes the warrior princess of Mata-Nui, or something along those lines. She was always ready for a challenge, but never got in over her head (well, in TD). In the Slizers epic, she want to reach that warrior status, but she makes a few mistakes along the way that she eventually corrects and learns from. But the Hahli in the books… she just doesn’t seem to contain the zeal of the Hahli I like to write about. Oh well. ~ “I’m always watching your back, Jaller,” Hahli said with a wink and a laugh.
Jaller: (In Time Disruption and Slizers on Mata-Nui) Okay, so Jaller’s character has been strong since the beginning, when he was just this random Matoran in a Ta-Koro hut in the MNOLG. He was strict and militaristic, but smart and strategic. As time went on, we saw his great loyalty and bravery as well (and he had a crush on Hahli, but wouldn’t you know it, it’s hardly surfaced at all now that he’s a Toa). Thus, Jaller’s exactly like I envisioned him. He’s the leader, making battle and moral decisions all across Voya-Nui, even risking his life for his friends (okay, Matoro beat him to it once, but he was still going for it). I also like how he’s struggling with leading the others in Mahri-Nui, now that many think they could do better on their own. It’s the same Jaller who would lead the Matoran army in TD, and set off to search for Ahkmou (even though he doesn’t necessarily like him) in SoMN. But it’s not that the story of 2006 and I thought alike… Jaller’s characterization has taken place since 2001, so Lego and I were both building off the same basics. ~ Jaller shouted. “For Unity! For Duty! For Destiny! For the freedom of all Matoran!”
Nuparu: (In Time Disruption, Slizers on Mata-Nui, and a couple of short stories that focus in on him) I never saw Nuparu as the confident Toa Inika he became. When we first met him in the online Bohrok episodes, I saw him as an average Joe Matoran who just had a good idea that worked. As an engineer, I could see him tinkering around with equipment trying to make something cool and new. But I never thought he would do great in a battle situation. Sure, in the Bohrok war, he was using his invention, so of course he had to try it out and battle. But sucking up Zaktan’s swarm and flying him into the bay… I thought that stretched Nupaur’s character. In TD, Nuparu did start out just as violent as his friends when attacking Bohrok and Rahkshi, but when Makuta captured him and revealed his weakness, Nuparu saw that he couldn’t just rely on his pick ax to get him out of situations. (Thus, he invented the ultimate Boxer). In SoMN, I made his character less polarized. He was part of the Coliseum infiltration group, but he wasn’t the one who was fighting… he was the one using the computers to give them an edge. Nuparu had a role in that society: engineer; and when he got thrown into a position as a warrior in the battle, he couldn’t do the intense fighting against the Zarxec that Kongu, Kopeke, and Kapura managed to pull off. In my short stories, while Nuparu progressed to a more warrior style status, he met with struggles that he had to overcome in the transition from engineer to warrior. I did not see that transition in the books, just an instant change. In a way, I wrote those short stories to justify that the Nuparu I wrote about could turn into that character that uses his name with the suffix Inika. ~ “I’m an engineer,” Nuparu said. “Not a chemist.” ~ “I’ve got to make something for this trip!” he said, and rushed to gather supplies.
Did that bore you to tears? Oh well, I just kinda like writing about my own work rather than writing something new… still have this big writers block on SoMN… that and college readings.
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