Greatest Leader

[CeeCee]

They all had their own characteristics, and are all different from each other. Who was the greatest in your opinion?

[bonesiii]

I guess I have to go with Tahu, but I'm not really sure why other than the bias of being first introduced to him and the story revolving around his team most importantly. Also the other teams all seemed to meet with some disaster -- not their leaders' faults, for the most part, but Tahu was able to keep the team alive, relatively whole, and succeeded in the end (without needing to immediately become Turaga or whatnot).

[Dorek]

Tahu, hands down. If nothing else, all of his teammates are alive. Vakama would be a close second by that regard, but considering Web of Shadows... yeah, Tahu is miles better than everyone else. He may be a hothead, but by and large they've been the most successful team, and he's been an integral part of how they function.Tempting to go with Jaller, too, but his approach was less of a leader and more of an effort of equality.

Edited August 27, 2012 by VIII. Axel

[LewaLew]

Tahu's team was the greatest, and most succesful, but that's more because he had a good team and others on it who could make up for his mistakes and shortcomings in leadership, like Kopaka, Onua, and Gali.Lhikan's team was destroyed by fighting a full blown war for decades, and I wouldn't hold that against him, normally, but he did fail in most respects with his team, though he was one of the greatest toa as an individual.Vakama, though he suceeded in the end, was one of the weakest leaders. While he was a strong leader following the Visorak invasion (primarily as a Turaga), as a toa he was mostly a failure. He is what Lesovikk imagines himself to be. The difference is that the Toa Metru pulled Vakama through in the end, while Lesovikk's team simply came up short.Lesovikk and Norik suffer from a lack of information. Norik spent more time leading the Toa Hordika than Teridax's Toa Hagah in the story we know, while all we know of Lesovikk is the tragedy that ended his team.Jaller was my choice. While he did have a solid team like Tahu and Vakama, he had more leadership qualities; he was not hotheaded likeTahu, but he was more determined and willing to make decisions and sacrifices than Vakama. He was already a skilled leader from his time with the Ta-Koro guard, so he matches Lhikan and Norik's experience, and the only tragedy his team really suffered was a sacrifice that he would have gone through himself, had destiny and Matoro not dictated otherwise.Because of his combination of experience (Lhikan's main quality), leadership qualities(Something Vakama and Tahu lacked somewhat), and sucess (A quality only Tahu also possessed), I would determine Jaller to be the best leader of the ones listed in this poll.

[-Jaller-]

Tahu's team was the greatest, and most succesful, but that's more because he had a good team and others on it who could make up for his mistakes and shortcomings in leadership, like Kopaka, Onua, and Gali.Lhikan's team was destroyed by fighting a full blown war for decades, and I wouldn't hold that against him, normally, but he did fail in most respects with his team, though he was one of the greatest toa as an individual.Vakama, though he suceeded in the end, was one of the weakest leaders. While he was a strong leader following the Visorak invasion (primarily as a Turaga), as a toa he was mostly a failure. He is what Lesovikk imagines himself to be. The difference is that the Toa Metru pulled Vakama through in the end, while Lesovikk's team simply came up short.Lesovikk and Norik suffer from a lack of information. Norik spent more time leading the Toa Hordika than Teridax's Toa Hagah in the story we know, while all we know of Lesovikk is the tragedy that ended his team.Jaller was my choice. While he did have a solid team like Tahu and Vakama, he had more leadership qualities; he was not hotheaded likeTahu, but he was more determined and willing to make decisions and sacrifices than Vakama. He was already a skilled leader from his time with the Ta-Koro guard, so he matches Lhikan and Norik's experience, and the only tragedy his team really suffered was a sacrifice that he would have gone through himself, had destiny and Matoro not dictated otherwise.Because of his combination of experience (Lhikan's main quality), leadership qualities(Something Vakama and Tahu lacked somewhat), and sucess (A quality only Tahu also possessed), I would determine Jaller to be the best leader of the ones listed in this poll.

Yes! I totally agree, Jaller is the best leader. Tahu is a close second.

[Highly Suspicious Person]

Tahnok-Kal.

[Dralcax]

Tahu was too hotheaded, Vakama was too indecisive, Jaller was too inexperienced, and Norik is fine but can't compare to Lhikan. Sure, they all grew up eventually, but, if it hadn't been for Lhikan, Teridax would have never have been stopped in any of his master plans. Even after he died, through six Turaga, a memory, and a mask, his influence changed all of Bionicle.

[fishers64]

Well, I voted for Norik because he was able to hold his team together through working for Teridax, discovering that they were wrong, the transformation into Rahaga and all the other things that the Hagah had to go through.

[LewaLew]

Jaller was too inexperienced,

What? He was the leader of the Island of Mata Nui's largest military force. He had more experience than everyone on this list but Lhikan and Norik (and mayber Lesovikk, but we don't really know how long he was with a team.)

[Taipu1]

Well, I voted for Norik because he was able to hold his team together through working for Teridax, discovering that they were wrong, the transformation into Rahaga and all the other things that the Hagah had to go through.

Definitely the best choice, I've always got the impression from teams like the Metru, the Nuva and the Mahri that they're just in it for destiny, to achieve the one thing they're meant to do. The Hagah just keep on giving as a whole, even when they weren't technically Toa. And Norik is at the forefront of that.

[Aderia]

Lhikan. Because because because, age before beauty. Sorry Tahu.

[Zorrakh]

Lhikan. Because because because, age before beauty. Sorry Tahu.

If I recall correctly, I'm pretty sure Tahu is the elder . . .Anyways, I chose Tahu because he had very difficult decisions to make, especially when he took charge as the overall Toa leader when Teridax conquered the Matoran Universe; the decisions he had to make during that time were not easy. Not only that, but he had to be a Toa leader without knowning/remembering what other leaders have done before him during the 2001-2003 events.

[Aderia]

Hush hush, I thought I was being witty. Now I'm embarrassed. =P But Tahu was asleep for a couple thousand years, right? That's gotta count for something.

Edited September 1, 2012 by Mallorie Cobb

[The Lorax]

Other.Helryx. Right from the building of Metru Nui through until the end of the Matoran Universe, she was leading various groups of beings in Mata Nui's service. We don't know an awful lot about her role pre-OoMN, but under her leadership, the order accomplished some pretty impressive things. Demolishing the Brotherhood's armies in particular is no mean feat, yet she coordinated it all, from recruiting her agents to devising battle stratergies. One of the main times we get to see her in action was when she intimidated The Shadowed One into following her orders. Not many beings in the universe can do that.Dume and Jovan might be up there as well, but we really haven't seen much of them during their toa days. Still, they must have been good. Dume was selected to lead Metru Nui, the most important city in the universe, and Jovan was tasked with saving Mata Nui's life. Clearly someone had faith in their abilities.

[Zorrakh]

Hush hush, I thought I was being witty. Now I'm embarrassed. =P But Tahu was asleep for a couple thousand years, right? That's gotta count for something.

Oh. Sorry. Maybe Lhikan was a Matoran before Tahu was created, then it would work. If it's any consolation, Lhikan would be my second choice. It's a close second because Lhikan had a few difficult choices to make and he seemed a lot more stoic compared to most other Toa. Edited September 3, 2012 by Zorrakh

[Grantaire]

I went with Jaller.

[Excelsior]

I voted for Tahu. I was doubtful at first, because I'm sure I do have some pro-Nuva bias, and when you first try to think about Tahu as a leader, you can't help but think of all his mistakes in 2001-03. And though it's true his team is in better shape than anyone else's, I don't think that means he's automatically the best. Sometimes that says more about the ability of the team as a whole to survive, and the circumstances they faced (for instance, it's not Jaller's fault Matoro was destined to use the Ignika, but he lost a Toa Mahri by it all the same).But I still think he's the best, on the whole. Although he did have problems in his early days, (short temper, recklessness, a flawed understanding of a leader's role), I think he does have a lot of objectively good leadership qualities. Among them:1) He's utterly devoted to his duty, and would readily lay down his life to protect any Matoran or Turaga.2) He actually seems to be a natural leader - in most situations, he takes, and is given, charge automatically (even among his team, I don't remember any suggestions that someone else lead - just refusals to follow a leader together at all). When, in any assemblage, did Tahu not take command and/or speak for his faction? Jaller and Vakama (especially Jaller) just do it because somebody has to, and it's expected of them. Tahu has a natural aptitude for it.3) Last, he will never, ever give up. No matter what the odds say, he almost never gives up hope of victory - and even if he does, he still keeps fighting. "In Kopaka's eyes, that made him a fool - but it also, he had to admit, somehow made him a great leader of Toa." -Shadows in the SkyI typed out a long analysis to make up my mind - that was just Tahu's section - but here's the condensed version of my thoughts on the others:I like Lhikan as an individual, but two members of his team turned evil, which is a thing I do hold him partly responsible for; Norik's cool, but we don't know enough about him; Vakama - well, Vakama may qualify as the worst Toa leader; Jaller's team got along well, but I think that says much more about them than him - he was actually sort of immature; and I don't believe anyone as emo as Lesovikk is now could ever have been a great leader.So I do think Tahu is the greatest Toa leader, as well as my favorite one.-Excelsior

[Athmos]

Jaller. He probably had the best leadership skills. He knew how to lead when needed, but he didn't enforce his power at all times. He was willing to die for his team. He was willing to listen to his team, he controlled his emotions better than any of the others up there and he's just plain awesome. 8D