Pohatu, also called Pohatu Nuva, was the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva of Stone, serving as a friendly, loyal member of the Toa team that fought against Makuta to awaken Mata Nui. Pohatu and the other five Toa Mata were created at the behest of the Great Beings3 by Artakha and awakened on the island Daxia around 100,000 BGC, created specifically as a contingency plan to reawaken the Great Spirit Mata Nui in case he should ever become incapacitated by some unforeseen calamity. Pohatu was physically the strongest of the Toa and had bumpers on his feet that helped him kick boulders. Pohatu wielded the elemental power of stone, as well as a great Kanohi Kakama, which gave him the power of speed. The Toa were trained by the Order of Mata Nui and sent to pacify threats to Matoran in Karda Nui before sealing themselves inside the Codrex, where they remained for thousands of years in hibernation inside Toa canisters, waiting for a signal calling them to perform their intended mission.
When Makuta Teridax caused Mata Nui to fall into endless slumber and triggered the Great Cataclysm in 1 AGC, the Toa's canisters were launched from the Codrex and outside of the Matoran universe as planned, landing in the endless ocean covering the moon Aqua Magna. Due to a malfunction, the canisters failed to navigate back to the Matoran universe and drifted aimlessly in the ocean for 1,000 years. Meanwhile, the Turaga and Matoran living on the island of Mata Nui regarded Pohatu and the other Toa as figures of legend who were prophesied to one day save them from Makuta's oppressive grip on the island and awaken Mata Nui once again.
Around 1,000 AGC, Takua summoned the Toa's canisters to the island of Mata Nui with Toa stones, and Pohatu emerged on the shores of Po-Wahi, stripped of all memory of his origin and purpose. He soon received a warm welcome from the inhabitants of Po-Koro, where Turaga Onewa informed Pohatu that he and the other five Toa needed to undertake a quest to find the Kanohi masks of power hidden all over the island, which would grant them the power to defeat Makuta and liberate the island.
Notes
Pohatu was the Toa of Stone. His mighty kicks could send boulders flying. He wore the Kanohi Kakama, the Mask of Speed, which let him travel great distances rapidly.4
Pohatu Nuva's climbing claws made it easier than ever for him to scale the rocky peaks near his village. When joined together, his claws formed the legendary Kodan ball. Using the Great Mask of Speed, Kakama Nuva, he devoted himself to repairing the damage done to Po-Wahi by the rampaging Bohrok.5
Pohatu Nuva's color was brown, his element was stone, and his village was Po-Koro. He had enormous strength, could smash rocks with his fists, and could throw giant boulders at his enemies. His tools were two climbing claws, which helped him scale the rock peaks near his home; the could also be combined to form a ball. His mask was the Kanohi Kakama Nuva, the Great Mask of Speed.6
Pohatu Nuva was loyal, noble, and trustworthy. He considered all the other Toa Nuva to be his friends. He was the strongest of all the Toa and could be relied upon in any situation.6
When Pohatu came looking for Kopaka when Kopaka wanted to be alone, Kopaka would ignore him in the hope that Pohatu would give up and turn back. Sometimes this worked with Pohatu, but not often.7
Onewa once taught Pohatu how to collapse a pile of stone by laying his hands on it and carefully identifying the stone which supported all the others. Once this stone was found, destroying it would collapse the pile. Onewa told Pohatu that his knowledge of rock was older than the rocks themselves, although Pohatu was not sure what he meant.7
Pohatu had a booming voice.7
When Onewa first became a Toa, he once remarked that a Toa of Stone could use a Mask of Speed, since Toa of Stone could not run very fast.8
Pohatu was the master of stone. He could create rockslides, make stone spring from the ground, bring rock walls into being through force of will, and more. His strength was prodigious, particularly in his legs. He was capable of kicking a massive boulder a distance of several miles.9
Pohatu was always the most easygoing of the Toa. His philosophy from the start was that everyone would be better served by getting along, an attitude which he maintained even in the presence of extreme personalities such as Tahu and Kopaka. He was widely regarded as a loyal and reliable comrade and a valuable ally in a fight. He rarely took himself or others very seriously. He disliked water and could not swim, like most residents of Po-Wahi.9
Pohatu initially carried no special Toa tool, relying on his own strength. As Pohatu Nuva, he wielded climbing claws, which could be hurled or attached together to form the Kodan ball.9
Pohatu wore the Kanohi Kakama when he first appeared on Mata Nui and often put its power to good use.10 He most often wore the Kanohi Kakama or Kakama Nuva.9, 11
Of all the Toa, Gali and Pohatu were probably the closest to the Matoran they protected, taking time to help them and guide them in between adventures.12
Pohatu was considered to be the patron Toa of kolhii.13
Pohatu Nuva used massive propellers to fly. His Mask of Speed, combined with Photok's lightspeed power, made him the fastest thing in the air.14
When Pohatu Nuva piloted the Rockoh T3, his Kanohi mask had a targeting heads-up display.15
Easygoing and friendly, Pohatu, the Toa Mata of Stone, was also the strongest of the Toa Mata. His preferred method of attack was to use his powerful legs to kick boulders at an opponent, a skill he displayed early in his time on Mata Nui when Po-Koro was under attack by venom-spitting rock worms. On a team of strong personalities, Pohatu made a point of trying to get along with everyone. He knew that even Toa who claimed they did not need help, like Kopaka, sometimes needed it. Pohatu learned not to take "no" for an answer and to use his sense of humor to keep fights from breaking out among the others. As a Toa Mata, Pohatu wore the Kanohi Kakama, the Mask of Speed. He did not carry a weapon.16
As a Toa Nuva, Pohatu wore the Nuva version of the Kakama and was able to share his speed with others. He carried a pair of climbing claws which could be used for melee combat or combined together to form a kodan ball.17
In Karda Nui, flight did not come naturally to Pohatu, since he was a Toa of Stone, but he knew he had to master combat in the air or die. Despite a number of close calls, Pohatu proved to be an effective fighter. He carried twin propellers and a Midak skyblaster. He wore the Kanohi Kakama, the Great Mask of Speed. As of the end of story year 2008, he was back on Metru Nui.18
Photok teamed with Pohatu Nuva in battle with the Makuta. Despite sharing a number of dangerous situations, they survived each time thanks to their power and sharp wits. When in physical contact, Pohatu could share Photok's memories, and Photok gained the power of light speed, so he could add to Pohatu's velocity.19
Without the use of a Kanohi Pakari, Pohatu and Onua were probably equal in physical strength.20
Pohatu's "foot extensions" were not tools but instead parts of his feet.21
Kanohi Found
- Kakama
- Original mask
- Kaukau
- Pohatu's third-to-last mask. Found by Pohatu, Lewa, and Kopaka after the Toa agreed to work together, and after Tahu's Kaukau was found. Retrieved by Lewa, the mask hung halfway down the highest bluff in Po-Wahi, with a Nui-Jaga standing guard at the bottom.
- Pohatu's second-to-last mask
- Found by Tahu, Onua, and Gali in Le-Wahi.