How did you envision Mata Nui before 2009?

[Logan McOwen]

Mata nui was a pivotal character in G1 Bionicle's lore, often portrayed in a light similar to that of a deity. In 2008 however, the mystery of just what Mata Nui truly was was laid to rest, with the reveal of the GSR. But not long after this reveal, the spirit of the machine was ejected into the depths of space, trapped inside the powerful Kanohi Ignika. It crash landed on the barren wasteland of Bara Magna, and constructed a body for its host - Mata Nui himself. We finally had a face to the Great Spirit.

 

But before 2009, how did you envision Mata Nui? What did you thing he looked like? Did you think we'd ever find out? Were you disappointed when you discovered the truth?

[Petewa]

[Toatapio Nuva]

 

Before you dismiss this as a joke, I actually did think Mata Nui was a rock during the earliest years of Bionicle...

 

I was not a smart kid.

[Click]

I can't remember if it was in a fanfic or some forgotten part of lore, but I always pictured Mata Nui looking very similar to Tahu Mata. The Hau was always shown to be his icon, so the image fit. Of course, his armor was more fancy.

[You just lost the game]

I always thought that Mata-Nui was exactly what he was called: A great spirit.

I thought he was more of a formless god.

 

A giant robot works too.

TBH, I didn't mind the reveal of Mata-Nui's true form.

It was actually kinda cool.

Until we found out exactly what Mata-Nui truly was...

[Rooster Nui]

I usually had seen him as a figure similar in size to the Toa Nuva and thought of him with somewhat of an angel-like appearance. I'm not sure why I did that myself, but I was far off the size scale.

[The 1st Shadow]

It varied during the different stages of the story, for me.

 

01-03: A sort of formless spirit of light, in contrast to his dark brother, Makuta.

 

04-05: Still the spirit thing, but now a little more solid. Knowing about the GC and MN falling asleep being connected, I started to get the idea that there was more to him than just a spirit.

 

06-07: When we were told of "a world that feeds the world," I suddenly gave Mata Nui the form of a huge silver Titan-being with a very ornate (very large) Hau, and that the Toa Inika would literally need to go find his body, locked away at the bottom of some massive cave, and restore life to him, and the Toa Nuva would later travel there to reawaken him.

 

08: Stayed the same way up until I read one of the serials, and I got other ideas about him that I don't remember well. I tested out different theories about his true form up until the big reveal.

[masterchirox580]

My idea was that he was just golden energy with eyes. 

[Rahkshi Lalonde]

BIG GREY ROCK ROBOT.

 

huh guess i wasn't... too far off?

 

although when not thinking too hard Mata-Nui came to mind looking more like Hapori Tohu, so... take your pick.

[Tea-rex]

I always imagined him being a giant robotic god, with a build kinda like if the Inika build had babies with the gear function, who would one day come down form the heavens.

And then accidentally step on Metru nui.

 

I guess I was also kinda close with where he was, although I imagined him actually being the planet, like Cybertron, or resting inside it in a fetal position inside the planet, and then once he was awakened, the planet would explode, leaving only Mata Nui and the inhabitants of the MU.

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

I thought of him as a titan-sized set and colored with ornate white, gold, and both light and dark silver, all the while wearing an ornate golden hau. It is possible that, had circumstance been different, Mata Nui would have taken such an appearance, an avatar to walk among the mortals. As I imagined him as a physical god (despite his title), I imagined that he lived beneath Mount Ihu in a comatose slumber. Once the phrase 'He is in a specific place that can be traveled to but at the same time was everywhere around you' came out, however, I was lost. The reveal cleared things up so much.

Edited October 6, 2015 by Iaredios Paerkenon

[Grungemeister]

I always thought he just looked like either a divine Matoran as a Biblical allusion (humans were created in God's image) or like a glowing form inhabiting a suit of armor, like Teridax.

[SPIRIT]

Mata Nui always seemed like some sort of incorporeal being, until Greg mentioned something along the lines of "finding Mata Nui is easy, but the issue is knowing when you've found him".  That, among other hints, made it seem like Mata Nui was more physical.

 

After the revelation, and in light of the other clues from 2001 that we've found with hindsight, I thought it was a cool idea.  Although it might have been nice to have a bit more meaning to the whole Hau symbolism if the giant robot were wearing one.  I guess then Mata Nui would look too much like a giant rusty Tahu.

[Cheesy Mac n Cheese]

I suppose during the early years I thought of him as a literal spirit, an entity without physical form, like a god. After all, temples (places of worship) were dedicated to him. I think I eventually stopped thinking about his appearance after reading some Greg quotes.

 

Sadly, I don't remember my reaction to learning he was a giant robot with a world of people inside him, though I do remember watching the first video where he wakes up. The one without the second part where his eyes turn red and the Ignika is ejected.

[Electric Light Gunhaver]

I always thought of him as either a deity with no real physical form, or just a being that looked, talked, and acted like no other being in the universe. I imagined him as having fancy, shiny armor and had no mask in that latter form. This kind of came true for 2009, which was pretty cool.

 

But then the giant robot thing came in. BAM! Dreams dead. But once I learned that it was planned from the beginning, I got over it.

[Bonkle]

Whenever I play MNOG I always see him as the face on that rock just floating around. I never really liked the GSR, personally I thought it looked a bit evil even before Makuta took over it.

[MrSciFiGuy]

Honestly, didn't even think of a giant robot, so that was a really awesome surprise. To me I thought Mata Nui was a titan set, like a 9-12ft being like Artakha. If there was no GSM, pretty much envision Artakha to be Mata Nui, but with a Hau

[fishers64]

I thought of him as a picture of a gray floating Hau with "UNKNOWN ???" slapped over it. I didn't assign much importance to him other than the idea that he was some incorporeal living Macguffin. 

 

Saving Mata Nui's Life: Cost: One Toa from your party, Status: Achievement Unlocked!

Awakening Mata Nui: Cost: Er, battling Makuta who want you to win anyway, Status: Achievement Unlocked!

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

Whenever I play MNOG I always see him as the face on that rock just floating around. I never really liked the GSR, personally I thought it looked a bit evil even before Makuta took over it.

Even Mata Nui took notice of that when he stared upon his old body through sand-ridden eyes, wondering if that was the reason why he had a camoflauge system in the first place: so people wouldn't see a humongous evil metallic titan and it's face taking up the whole sky as it would bend over to look upon the world in a closer degree.

[ArmstrongYong the X-Wing]

Same opinion like in here.

Edited October 8, 2015 by ArmstrongYong

[Toa Smoke Monster]

I actually never thought about what Mata Nui looked like before his true form was revealed. I guess I figured that they would have to show his form at some point, and I would know what he looked like then.