Makuta's True Motives

[slifer3000]

In the 2003 Bionicle Style Guide disc, we are told that even the Makuta would be revealed to have good intentions in the end. Looking back, I don't think we were ever shown a motive behind Teridax's plan that could be deciphered as "good." Did I miss something, or is it more likely that Bionicle ditched the plan to have Teridax be a misunderstood villain with questionable methods in the long run?

[CyclonatorZ]

I think we've had this discussion here before. I believe most people concluded as you did: whatever early plan they might have had for Makuta's "good intentions" was ultimately not used. Likely this happened after Greg became the sole arbiter of the story - he was the one who came up with the idea that the Makuta species was inherently evil.

Edited August 16, 2017 by Zarkan: Master of Storms

[slifer3000]

I think we've had this discussion here before. I believe most people concluded as you did: whatever early plan they might have had for Makuta's "good intentions" was ultimately not used. Likely this happened after Greg became the sole arbiter of the story - he was the one who came up with the idea that the Makuta species was inherently evil.

 

Ah. Apologies for the repeat thread, then. It would have been cool to see Makuta actually have a grand plan that made sense once all was said and done. Villains with good motives are the most interesting villains.

[TheSkeletonMan939]

I think they were sort of hinting at this in Mask of Light when Makuta said that "sleep spares him pain".

If we assume that the whole thing about Bara Magna, the true purpose of Mata Nui's existence, etc. were all planned from the beginning by Bob Thompson et al., then maybe Makuta's secretly good plan was to preserve the Matoran world so that everyone wasn't deactivated when Spherus Magna was reformed.

[CyclonatorZ]

Ah. Apologies for the repeat thread, then. It would have been cool to see Makuta actually have a grand plan that made sense once all was said and done. Villains with good motives are the most interesting villains.

 

I doubt you'll find many here who disagree with you on that point, slifer. That's why so many people were enthused about the G2 storyline potentially resurrecting this ditched idea - the popular theory at the time was that the Mask of Ultimate Power had mislead Makuta and made him betray Ekimu.

 

(For what it's worth, that's my headcanon as well. I still would like to build the MOUP MoC I brainstormed a while ago. It was going to be a physical manifestation of darkness that could attach to Makuta in the same way the elemental creatures attach to the Masters. But I disgress.)

Edited August 16, 2017 by Zarkan: Master of Storms

[Pohaturon]

I always assumed that in reality, Teridax genuinely believed that he'd be a better caretaker of the MU than Mata Nui, who during his reign, 'allowed' things like the Matoran Civil War, the Alliance of Six Kingdoms becoming strong enough to challenge him, and a multitude of other events prior to him falling into a coma which were inherently harmful towards the Matoran and other beings of the world. I believe canonically, he was always aware of the world within him, but didn't much care. 

I've since been enlightened that in the book "Makuta's guide to the universe", it is made blatantly obvious that he's a typical cackling irredeemable evil-doer, but having never read it, until someone told me about this detail, I fully believed it to be a reasonable alternative that Makuta simply used scare tactics and feigned tyranny to assume control of a world in the quickest way possible, as doing so in a "nice" way would take too long and likely fail. 

Until I learned otherwise, my... let's call it headcanon saw him as someone genuinely interested in the wellbeing of the Matoran and he thought he'd do a better job than Mata Nui. The whole dark lord shtick was a method to command loyalty. I especially felt these vibes during the 2007 arc when he was possessing Maxilos and going around with Matoro. 

 

Alas, he turned out to be a cookie-cutter villain who had a lot more potential.

 

[emily]

In addition to Makuta's lines in Mask of Light all reading like a character motivated by genuine concern for his brother (the 'sleep spares him pain' being the most blatant bit), Faber elaborated a bit on what they were thinking of doing with Makuta at that point on his blog.

 

 

Light and darkness are connected and Makuta actually did god [sic] by securing that only the right heroes reentered the giant robot to restart it. Just like the body actually grows stronger and more immune after a virus.

so like, makuta was a benevolent virus I guess? just wanted to make his bro tougher

[slifer3000]

I think they were sort of hinting at this in Mask of Light when Makuta said that "sleep spares him pain".

If we assume that the whole thing about Bara Magna, the true purpose of Mata Nui's existence, etc. were all planned from the beginning by Bob Thompson et al., then maybe Makuta's secretly good plan was to preserve the Matoran world so that everyone wasn't deactivated when Spherus Magna was reformed.

 

I never even knew that the MU inhabitants were supposed to be deactivated once the GSR completed its mission. I'm going to go with this explanation. Ive always thought that war between the Glatorian and the Matoran could break out because the Toa and Matoran were too powerful and never designed to coexist with the Agori and Glatorian, and that maybe Makuta had a way to prevent this, but never did. 

[CyclonatorZ]

In addition to Makuta's lines in Mask of Light all reading like a character motivated by genuine concern for his brother (the 'sleep spares him pain' being the most blatant bit), Faber elaborated a bit on what they were thinking of doing with Makuta at that point on his blog.

 

 

Light and darkness are connected and Makuta actually did god [sic] by securing that only the right heroes reentered the giant robot to restart it. Just like the body actually grows stronger and more immune after a virus.

so like, makuta was a benevolent virus I guess? just wanted to make his bro tougher

 

Oh wow, I've never seen this quote before. So Makuta wasn't just trying to spare Mata Nui from pain - he was actually trying to make him stronger? For what purpose? Was there some greater threat he knew the Great Spirit would have to face eventually? Hm, my Great Being theory is sounding more and more plausible....

[MrSciFiGuy]

Always a fan of a misunderstood villain, but I definitely like the more evil approach Greg put on Makuta. Fun to know there as a hint at good intentions. Would love to see an AU of them defeating Makuta only to realize he ruled the land in order to keep it from falling apart as Mata Nui died 

[Black Six]

Moving to Storyline & Theories...

[Icarax16]

I think they just wrote those ideas of good out of his character. As was mentioned by others.