What really happened to Tahu’s extra Kanohi?

[Lenny7092]

Hi, guys. When I watched the Mask of Light movie and read the novelization of it, I have been thinking. BS01 says that Tahu’s Kanohi Nuva, Noble Kanohi, and Ta-Suva got destroyed during the sinking of Ta-Koro by three Rahkshi, but there is no citation. There’s a possibility that Turaga Vakama and his Ta-Matoran had collected the masks and the Suva before leaving Ta-Koro to save themselves. 
 

If the people had gotten the masks, Tahu would be lucky to have them saved, even if the Mask of Life had turned him back into a Toa Mata. If the people didn’t, then they probably rushed. The people knew that Tahu worked so hard on collecting these masks, and he needed them to fight Makuta Teridax’s Infected Rahi, so they shouldn’t have abandoned them. I mean, did the Rahkshi destroy Kopaka and Onua’s masks when they raided their villages? No (probably because making avalanches and rocks fall wouldn’t break the two Toa’s masks, right?). Tahu’s Nuva Symbol was placed somewhere not in Ta-Koro, either.
 

So, what do you think really happened to Tahu’s masks and Suva? For me, I would vote for being saved because the people shouldn’t abandon them.

Edited March 15, 2023 by Lenny7092
Tab was crooked.

[Nato G]

Bear in mind that the Matoran evacuated the village because it was under seige from the three screeching snake demons, not because they knew it was going to sink.

Even if they did somehow know ahead of time that the damage was going to be so severe that the village would collapse, the populace would've been far too preoccupied with running for their lives to waste time trying to carry a massive stone shrine out of the city.

[confused piraka]

I think there fine just still in the robot out of range.

[T.B.O.C]

I actually had conflicting thoughts on this - way way long ago, I recall Greg saying that when the Nuva symbol was moved out of the village for safety, so too were his masks. Thus, they survived the sinking of Ta-Koro. I believe he has multiple times since confirmed they were destroyed in the sinking. I think there's likely specific Greg answers to cite for that, but it would also fall within canon to believe so. Like Nato G said - I don't think anyone fully realized the extent of the damage, or even if they did, they were far more pre-occupied with getting out themselves.

Plus, he can't really use them anymore anyway, even if he had them.

[confused piraka]

1 hour ago, T.B.O.C said:

Plus, he can't really use them anymore anyway, even if he had them.

why?

[Master Inika]

1 hour ago, confused piraka said:

why?

He cannot use Kanohi Nuva since the Ignika devolved him back into a regular Toa so he could use the Golden Armor during the Journey's End arc.

Of course, while a Mistika he still wouldn't have been able to access them (none of the Toa could) because "the walls of Karda Nui were too thick" or something like that.

The real reason is because of the conflicting needs of the sets vs. the story. The Kanohi Nuva were relevant in 2002, after that they couldn't be emphasized that much because Lego had stopped marketing mask collecting. It creates a weird situation where (if you're going purely based on BS01, for example) the Toa theoretically have access to all these powers, but they're never going to use them in the story.

I voted for yes, Tahu's masks really are lost forever in the lava, because that's just what happened in the story. It gives the attack on Ta-Koro weight.

[Nato G]

Nuva masks can share powers anyway, so there was never really any need for any of the Toa to use their spare masks later in the story because they were almost always together. 

[T.B.O.C]

20 hours ago, Nato G said:

Nuva masks can share powers anyway, so there was never really any need for any of the Toa to use their spare masks later in the story because they were almost always together. 

Ironically, I think the only time we see them have a decent reason to use them is in Reign of Shadows, if I recall? Though I think only Onua and Tahu were together briefly. I guess it was because Teridax didn't view them as a threat, but its curious he made no moves to secure the suvas on Metru Nui. Again, conflict of story, so not too unexpected.