G2 Masks are More Like G1 Nuva Symbols

[Votuko]

So, recently I have been trying to work out the mechanics of the G2 masks, seeing as they seem to differ quite a bit from G1 Kanohi (in particular, how you can drain a Toa's own energy through their mask).

 

What I recently realised is that the G2 Golden Toa Masks work in almost exactly the same way as the Nuva Symbols of G1.

 

-The Golden Masks appear to grant the Toa their elemental powers, while the Nuva Symbols did the same for the Nuva.

-When the Toa have their Golden Masks removed in G2, they lose their elemental powers. The same happens in G1 when the Nuva Symbols are stolen.

-In G2, there is a "special link between master and mask" (according to Pohatu) which means that a Toa's energy can be forcefully drained through their mask. In G1, the Toa are able to feed their energy to the Bohrok Kal through the Nuva Symbols, which is arguably just a voluntary version of the same thing.

 

(The only thing about the G2 Golden Masks that is familiar as something from G1 Kanohi is that when a Toa wears no mask, they are physically weakened, as we see when Lewa faints immediately after losing his mask. This seems to be why the Toa need to wear their non-Golden Masks when they arrive on Okoto, even though they display no powers.)

 

My question is; do you think all G2 masks function like Nuva Symbols, or is the way the Golden Toa Masks work unique? (Similar to their unique psychic link to Ekimu?)

Also, could the half-trans effect on the drained masks actually imply the Toa being low on energy, as they seem to be the Golden Masks' energy source, rather than the root problem being with the masks? (Could the same logic be applied to half-trans Protector masks, but with the depleted energy source being the surrounding area?)

[Regitnui]

Or the depleted energy source of the protector masks being the protector themselves; not having enough elemental energy to fill the mask.

[The 1st Shadow]

Sounds reasonable to me. I knew that concept seemed familiar, but I've been too distracted to give it much thought lately. Good observation!

[fishers64]

This seems remarkably similar to my recent theory that the Protector's masks were drained from years of use, only extending it to say that the masks reflect the power of the character wearing it, on the Protector's side of it. I'm not sure I like that extension - I'm not sure that we can generalize the way Lewa's mask was drained to apply to the Protector's masks.

 

The rest of the theory seems sound on the surface. The "mask taking off makes you weaker" rule G1 used might apply here though instead - Lewa may simply be too weak/dazed to use his own elemental powers. I hesitate to take character theories as fact, even if they are Pohatu's character theories (he sure sounds definative in his pronouncements, doesn't he?).

 

The sudden restoring of the gold when Lewa puts it on could be a signifier that the power drain is over. Or the "drained" appearance could be the mask trying to stop Skull Slicer from taking its power, so it shrinks into itself to prevent the theft.

 

I don't think that this theory is proven wrong yet, per se, but there are a lot of possibilities here that are being kinda ignored.

[Votuko]

The rest of the theory seems sound on the surface. The "mask taking off makes you weaker" rule G1 used might apply here though instead - Lewa may simply be too weak/dazed to use his own elemental powers. I hesitate to take character theories as fact, even if they are Pohatu's character theories (he sure sounds definative in his pronouncements, doesn't he?).

The sudden restoring of the gold when Lewa puts it on could be a signifier that the power drain is over. Or the "drained" appearance could be the mask trying to stop Skull Slicer from taking its power, so it shrinks into itself to prevent the theft.

The G1 no-mask-weakness rule definitely still applies, as Lewa goes unconscious as soon as his mask is removed. However, his energy is further drained when Slicer wears the mask. This is clearer in the book, where the scene is described in slightly more depth:

He removed his stylized skull mask and rapidly replaced it with Lewa's Golden Mask of Power. Lewa went limp in Pohatu's arms. Kopaka said, "What's happening?" "There's a special link... (Continues as in animation)"

Here, Lewa clearly weakens when the mask starts to be drained, so much so that Kopaka asks about it.

 

The mask staying half-trans until it is put back on Lewa seems like evidence for my interpretation. At that point, the power drain is already over, so the half-trans cannot represent the process of being drained. When it is returned to Lewa, the no-mask-weakness wears off, allowing him to recover and the mask to reflect his recovery by returning to gold.

 

 

Or the depleted energy source of the protector masks being the protector themselves; not having enough elemental energy to fill the mask.

That's a possibility, but it seems a bit odd for Ekimu to have given the Protectors masks that they are too weak to use fully. I'm also not sure that the villagers have any innate elemental energy.

(Bonus counterargument: it seems likely that the Elemental Blasters are powered by the Masks. If the Masks are powered by the Protectors, as you suggest, then surely Narmoto would have collapsed when his blaster ran out of power in the animations, because it would suggest all his energy being drained.)

 

My theory is that the Toa masks are special in that they draw energy from the Toa, and other "regular" masks just draw energy from their surroundings (like how G1 Kanohi did, if I remember correctly). I say this because of what happens with Kulta and the Mask of Creation:

Lifting the Mask of Creation, he put it on. The entire forge grew suddenly brighter, and Skull Grinder looked as if he was drawing energy from the forge itself.

Which sounds like drawing energy from the surroundings, in an equivalent way to how the Golden Masks draw from the Toa.

 

My suggestion would be that masks go part-trans when their energy is below a certain threshold, and this can only happen if their energy source is sufficiently weak.

Hence, the Protector Masks have always been part-trans (the Masks look no different in the animations even back in the time of Ekimu) because they can only draw from a small surrounding radius; while the Mask of Creation cannot go part-trans even when drained, because it draws from a much larger surrounding radius that always keeps it topped up. The Golden Toa Masks can go part-trans temporarily, but only if the Toa that it draws energy from is weakened at the time.

[Toa of Ice - 1987]

Personally i dont like the idea that the G2 masks are literally nuva symbols in mask form. If anyone remembers the bohrok kal comics, the toa nuva's mask would simply become colorless but they still had basic mask powers and able to stay on their feet instead of collapsing while having a drained mask on.

 

I think it was a bad move for G2 to "weaken" the Toa into having masks reduced to elemental batteries while even G1 Toa not classified as were superior to G2 since they had a natural source of energy within them (usually given by toa stone) and still had mask powers as well.

Toa Metru, Inika, Mahri and Mata (pre-nuva form) and Lhikan entire team and countless other Toa all had this advantage of having a mask power and not a easily stolen object that serves as a portable enerby source.