Piraka
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Piraka are the 2006 villains in the Lego product Bionicle storyline.
The Piraka are rogue Dark Hunters. In the Matoran language, "Piraka" roughly means "thief and murderer", and is considered a Matoran obscenity.
History
Shortly after Makuta was defeated by Takanuva, seven Dark Hunters heard rumors about something near the ruins of Metru Nui. They decided to run off and investigate on their own, so they wouldn't have to give up whatever they find to the Dark Hunters. They discovered Makuta's uninhabited armor and mysteriously gained knowledge of the powerful Ignika, the Mask of Life, hidden somewhere on the island of Voya Nui. With this, the seven abandoned the Dark Hunters entirely, instead calling themselves "Piraka", and they agreed to work together to find this mask. However, each planned to betray the others and claim the mask for himself. One, Vezon, abandoned the team and left for Voya Nui earlier then the others; he has not been seen since.Upon arrival on Voya Nui, the Piraka pretended to be Toa to gain the help of the native Matoran; having them build their stronghold and begin draining the volcano, Mount Valmai, where the mask is supposed to be hidden. In the meantime, Zaktan used the knowledge he gained near Makuta's armor to build a device that collected a kind of virus known as antidermis. The Piraka then used Zamor Spheres filled with this virus to fully enslave the Matoran (however, six of them managed to escape).
When the Toa Nuva showed up on Voya Nui, the two groups immediately got in a fight. Though it was a fierce battle, the Piraka won; Zaktan ordered the Toa's masks and tools taken and the Toa themselves thrown into the volcano. But when the volcano erupted, the Piraka didn't want to risk their lives and instead left the Toa in the lava's path; the Toa were able to come to in time to escape with their lives (and their tools).
Relations between the Piraka - which weren't that good in the first place - rapidly began to deteriorate. Hakann caught Zaktan secretly making deals with a giant stranger, Brutaka, who wanted the virus; Hakann then decided to take the Zamor Spheres so he could gain the giant's help for himself. Thok and Avak began to suspect that the Mask of Life was actually in the island's "green belt" that strangely thrived in the island's harsh terrain, and they turned on Zaktan. Eventually, it became an all-out brawl between the Piraka (minus Vezok); which only looked worse when the Toa Nuva invaded their stronghold, reclaimed their masks, and, as Kopaka put it, "We heard you were trying to kill each other. We are here to offer our help in that long overdue endeavor."Bionicle Legends #2: Dark Destiny, p. 103 Zaktan then offered all of the Zamor Spheres to Brutaka in exchange for stopping the Toa Nuva, which he accepted.
As of now, only Zaktan, Reidak, and Vezok are still holding on to any sort of alliance. But they all recently saw a batch of Spirit Stars shooting into the sky, and are worried about the fact that more Toa have shown up. Even if they get the Mask of Life, they don't know that if it falls into the wrong hands, an ancient evil could awaken...
More than that, the leader of the Dark Hunters, The Shadowed One, is displeased with their betrayal, and thanks to Hakann (who betrayed the Piraka to him) he knows where they are. He has already sent Sentrakh to find and capture or kill the Piraka, and another team of Dark Hunters, including Kraata-Kal, is being assembled. The Shadowed One has also sent Amphibax to monitor events from the seas surrounding the island.Bionicle: Dark Hunters guidebook
Members
The Piraka, as a whole, are mean, sadistic, and cruel. They have little regard for the lives of others, or even for the lives of their teammates - they are only working together to get the Mask of Life, and once that is found each one plans to betray the other five. They have all battled and defeated Toa during their time as Dark Hunters.Each of the six Piraka is equipped with a dual-use weapon and a Zamor Launcher; the launchers are loaded with spheres full of the antidermis virus that can enslave Matoran and make them mindless drones. Each Piraka also has a vision power, a unique personal power, and an elemental power; but they cannot activate their elemental powers on their own (with the exception that Hakann and Thok use these powers as "ammo" for their weapons). Two Piraka must combine their elemental powers in order to use them; this is the main reason they haven't killed each other yet - they need someone else around to combine powers with.
All of the Piraka come from a single, as-yet-unnamed species. This species naturally has vision powers; it's unknown which of the Piraka's other powers are also natural (though we know that Zaktan's protodites are not natural, and Avak's prison power might not be either).
Hakann has a big ego that tends to irritate the other Piraka - meaning when they eventually turn on each other, he'll be the likely first target. He's currently waiting for Zaktan to mess up so that he can take control. He has a penchant for betrayal - he even betrayed the Piraka to the Shadowed One; to stay on the Shadowed One's good side and in hopes that the Dark Hunters would eliminate the other Piraka (it didn't completely work; the Shadowed One is sending Hunters after them but he plans to punish Hakann just as much as the others). Hakann seems to take particular pleasure in killing Rahi. He has made a secret allience with Avak.
Hakann has elemental power over fire, which can be focused through his lava launcher to launch burning missiles; the weapon has a claw on its other end. He can also withstand extreme heat, create devastating mental blasts, and he has heat vision which can increase the temperature of any substance within its range.
Vezok is considered "the outright nastiest of the Piraka" (and in this group, that's saying something). He acts calm on the outside, but is actually bitter and paranoid (but you know what they say - it's not paranoia if they really are out to get you...). He hates Hakann (well, more than he hates most things), blaming Hakann for his capsule almost sinking on the way to Voya Nui. The only one who he can tolerate is Reidak, as Vezok considers him too dim for scheming; the two have made an alliance. Just before abandoning the Hunters, Vezok completed a mission involving the retrieval of an ancient tablet, but he hid it away rather than turn it into the Hunters; when the Dark Hunters catch up with the Piraka, Vezok may just have a bargaining chip for himself.
Vezok has the elemental power of water, and is equipped with a harpoon that can pull him through the tides; its other end is a buzzsaw that can hurl water daggers. He has impact vision that makes one feel like a jackhammer has hit them, is immune to the corrosive effects of seawater, and can copy powers that he has been hit with.
Zaktan was a slave in a protodermis mine when he was personally recruited as a Dark Hunter by the Shadowed One, who could see his hatred for virtues like honor and trust; he later led a team of Hunters in eliminating Toa. Zaktan is leader of the Piraka by virtue of the fact that he can beat down any rebellion. He has exceptional intelligence, but at the same time doesn't really understand other people - nor does he want to. His behavior has been odd since finding Makuta's armor; it is believed that he is being influenced by some outside force. Likely because of this, he is the only one that knows the truth about the antidermis. He has no separate alliances with the other Piraka (except for the one that Thok made with him); and he is not even aware of the others' scheming. He has, however, made a deal with Brutaka.
Regarding Zaktan's behavior, comic/book writer Greg Farshtey has said: "Zaktan knows exactly -- and I mean EXACTLY - what is going on, more than the other Piraka, more than Turaga Dume, more than the Toa Nuva, and well beyond just the 2006 storyline -- he knows about everything from pre-2001 on. How does he know? You will learn that this year. (And it is NOT because he is possessed by Makuta or because Makuta told him or enslaved him.)" [Official Greg Discussion p. 178] at BZPower forums, 20th post down
Zaktan has elemental air power, and is equipped with a three-pronged blade with a pair of tongs at its other end. When the Shadowed One once attempted to blast him with eyebeams, Zaktan didn't disintegrate but rather shattered into microscopic protodites, each of which holds part of his consciousness (why this happened is unknown). As a result, he can change his shape and each of his parts can function on its own; this includes his triple blade but not his Zamor Launcher. He also has laser vision, and is the only Piraka who can get close to the virus collection device without feeling sick.
Avak is the Piraka's weapons-crafter and extremely trigger-happy. However, he is terrible at hand-to-hand combat and rather useless when unarmed. Because of this, he goes to great lengths to protect his weapons from Reidak, who can reduce them to scraps in seconds. He is the only other Piraka besides Zaktan to suspect that something is up regarding the virus. Avak is currently working with Hakann to leave the other Piraka with a fake Mask of Life, while they make off with the real one.
Avak's elemental power is that of stone, and his weapon is a combination pickaxe and jackhammer. He can create a prison cell out of thin air that's specifically designed to counter a foe's powers; this takes some concentration and the prisons will disappear should Avak be knocked unconscious. He also has X-ray and telescopic vision.
When fighting the Toa Nuva, Avak claimed his prison power was the result of enhancements from the Brotherhood of Makuta, gained after becoming a Dark Hunter; but the Shadowed One's records indicate that he had this power before being recruited to the Hunters. Greg Farshtey's explanation is: "The Shadowed One has no reason to lie in his own journal -- so why would Avak lie? Let's examine this -- the Shadowed One never says that Avak worked for the Brotherhood. He simply says he was a jailer. It is Avak who brings up the reference to the Brotherhood -- a group he knows to enemies of the Toa. So what you have here is Avak playing an angle ... if the Toa should defeat the Piraka, he has implied to them that he might have knowledge of the Brotherhood - making him a valuable prisoner." [Official Greg Discussion p. 182], 27th post down
Reidak was recruited to the Dark Hunters when a dispute with the law on his home island escalated to the point that the entire city was wiped out. Reidak has no patience for planning or stealth, believing that he can defeat any enemy with his brute strength. He hates enclosed places and gets restless if stuck in one place for too long. He also has an obsession with smashing things - especially Avak's beloved gadgets. Reidak is working with Vezok, planning to strand the other four on Voya Nui once the Mask of Life is found - of course, each is planning to betray the other.
Reidak's elemental power is earth, and his weapon has a buzzsaw on one end and a drill on the other; it can turn solid ground to quicksand. He can adapt after every defeat, so that the same trick will never work twice (however, this only works when he is defeated; he can't adapt to tactics that only trap him or slow him down). He also has thermal and infrared vision, allowing him to see invisible heat patterns.
Thok was recruited to the Dark Hunters when he tried to steal the weapons of three of them that were on a mission. He is a bit of a loner and being around others for too long can drive him nuts. He is excellent at turning teammates against each other, and tends to abandon them when things go wrong. He has forged separate alliances with the other five, so the Mask of Life will fall into his hands no matter what.
Thok can focus his elemental ice power through his weapon, a freezing ice gun with an ice peg on its other end; and he can withstand intense cold (though intense heat weakens him). He also has spellbinder vision that disorients enemies and can make inanimate objects come to life to serve him.
Vezon
Vezon is a member of the Piraka's race, and was once considered part of Zaktan's gang. However, he was the first to betray the others, abandoning them so he could get to Voya Nui and search for the Mask of Life himself. Due to the fact that he never returned, he is presumed by the others to be dead. In fact, he had indeed reached the Ignika, but when he touched it he was cursed, fused to a Fenrakk spider, and forcibly made one of the Ignika's guardians; he is currently still trapped in the Mask of Life chamber. Vezon is completely mad and often out of touch with reality. He has some special connection to Vezok, though this connection has not yet been explained - though a clue may exist in the fact that his name is the Matoran word for "double".Bionicle Legends #3: Power Play p. 66Vezon has no Zamor Launcher and no elemental powers. He does have a vision power, which is "the limited ability to see the future",[Official Greg Discussion p. 179], 18th post down which comes from the Mask of Life itself; it is fused to the back of his head and Vezon believes that he will die if it is removed.[Official Greg Discussion p. 182], 21st post down However, he (like the other Piraka) does not have the mental discipline needed to access Kanohi powers. Both he and Fenrakk can absorb kinetic energy, allowing them to grow stronger with every strike made either by them or against them.[Official Greg Discussion p. 180], 16th post down He also carries the Spear of Fusion, which can merge or split beings; though it cannot separate him and Fenrakk because "the Ignika wouldn't like that".[Official Greg Discussion p. 182], 7th and 13th posts down
Irnakk
A figure from the mythology of the Piraka's race is Irnakk. Comic and book writer Greg Farshtey describes Irnakk:"As you know, all of the beings now known as 'Piraka' are from the same species and originated on the same island (though they are scattered about in many places these days). As with any culture, they had their share of myths -- figures of good, figures of evil, figures that might exist and figures that couldn't and shouldn't.
"Irnakk falls into the category of 'things that should not' --he's a figure of nightmare, tales of which the rulers of that species' island use to keep their people in line. In the same way the Turaga used tales of the Toa to fill their people with hope, the rulers of this species used tales of Irnakk to fill their people with terror.
"When the Piraka get closer to the Mask of Life, they encounter an area in which this figure is drawn from their nightmares and made real. The Piraka, beings who inspire fear, must face their own horror if they want to reach the mask.
"Powers: Irnakk is creature born of fear and made of fear. As such, you would think that plain old horror would be his weapon, but not so. Unlike, say, the Scarecrow who makes you see illusions of what you are most afraid of -- Irnakk makes what you are afraid of REAL. (For example, Hakann's first encounter with him results in his armor literally melting off his body as he loses control of his heat power.) This effect is delivered via Irnakk's zamor spheres, but that's not all ...
"If Irnakk REALLY wants to make your life miserable, he can turn you from a physical being into a mere thought ... then absorb that thought into his own mind .. and suddenly you are trapped inside his head, amidst all the madness and the terror of his thoughts and feelings. IF you survive to ever become a physical being again (at his whim), it is highly doubtful you will do it with your sanity intact ..."[Irnakk] thread at BZPower forums
Trivia
- When the Piraka toy sets were released, each character was given a unique nickname for marketing purposes. These nicknames do not appear in official storyline:
- *Hakann, "The Bully"
- *Vezok, "The Beast"
- *Zaktan, "The Snake"
- *Avak, "The Trigger"
- *Reidak, "The Tracer"
- *Thok, "The Drifter"
References
External links
| Bionicle | |
| Heroes | Axonn | Mata Nui | Matoran | Order of Mata Nui | Toa Hagah/Rahaga | Toa | Toa Inika | Toa Metru/Toa Hordika | Toa Mata/Toa Nuva | Turaga | Umbra |
|---|---|
| Villains | Antidermis | Brotherhood of Makuta | Brutaka | Dark Hunters | Kraata | Makuta | Nidhiki | Piraka | Rahkshi | Roodaka | Visorak |
| Neutral groups | Bohrok | Krana | Karzahni | Protodermis | Rahi | Vahki |
| Objects | Kanohi | Kanoka | Rhotuka | Zamor |
| Places | Mata Nui | Metru Nui | Voya Nui |
| Books | Bionicle Chronicles | Bionicle Adventures | Bionicle Legends |
| Films | | | |
| Other | Characters | Great Cataclysm | Groups | Society | Timeline | Toys |
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