Reading through Dark Destinies and Power Play, I have come to see how our favorite Matoran are portrayed in the series. Some are pretty awesome, while others are strange. So I’ll make a quick list of them.

Jaller: When I first got into Bionicle, Jaller was one of my least favorite characters (responsibility? Why was he so into it?) However, as I’ve aged and used him in epics, I’ve begun to enjoy his character. And, now that he’s a Toa, he’s my favorite Fire Toa of all time! (Out of four that I know, anyway). In the books, Jaller represents true leadership and great courage, but he seems a lot wiser than both Vakama and Tahu were when they were leaders. He can shoot out orders, but he isn’t above listening to the advice of others. Jaller’s change into a Toa has really shown his good traits, and I’ve enjoyed reading about him.

Hahli: Hahli seems to be a mix of Gali, Nokama, with a little bit of Takua’s adventuring within her. Seeing as her character has been built up already in other areas, I must say in the books she makes a very wise Toa of Water, and yet still has that flare about her. She also makes an interesting Toa of Water, despite the fact that her mask set-wise looks odd.

Matoro: Now that I think about it, Matoro’s never had much of a chance to show his qualities before… he’s always with the Turaga, but never off adventuring on his own. In the books, he seems to be very uncertain about things, including their detour into Karzahni and his astro-projection powers (at first). He’s kind of got some of Kopaka’s eagerness to discover answers, but with less of the “lone wolf” status. His Toa character is kind of bland, but I’m sure he’ll be further characterized as more books come out.

Nuparu: Nuparu was an awesome Matoran when he first came out, and I was surprised that he got to be one of the Toa as well. One thing done well in the books is Nuparu’s constantly thinking of something to build that could help him out… he’s still an engineer after all. However, his attacks seem a little fiercer than I would expect from him, and his theology about destiny doesn’t sound quite right coming from an engineer. Not that I mind my favorite character getting some extra lines.

Hewkii: Now, the former Kohlii champ has a lot of character change. He’s arrogant and still an athlete at heart, but he treats the battle a little too much like a game. Numerous times in Power Play, Hewkii was the first to attack or suggest an attack… and even hinted at doing some immoral stuff to get the Piraka to talk (and was quieted by Hahli). While his character is understandable based off his past, I’m wondering if his new attitude (much like that of Tahu’s) will get his team into trouble.

Kongu: The crazy Le-Matoran are always messing around, and Kongu does plenty of it. He gets all the good witty and sarcastic lines in the books. While he’s loyal and brave and everything, he is much different from past Toa of Air. While he has learned responsibility from leading the Gukko forces into battle, he also has the aloofness of Toa Matau. His character would probably be a lot harsher if he didn’t have so many problems facing him: he didn’t get the mask of flight, his own mask of telepathy won’t turn off, and he can’t find the Toa Nuva. Throughout Power Play, it seemed like one bad thing on top of another was piled up on Kongu, so there’s certainly room for problems in future storyline.

So while the characters have their goods and bads, I believe they do fit their old Matoran personalities and will provide tons of enjoyment for fans as the Toa Inika. While Jaller, Hahli, and Nuparu get to expand their personalities from previous storyline, Kongu, Matoro, and Hewkii really get a chance to show who they are to the Bionicle community outside the MNOLGs. And yeah, that’s it for now.