Bohrok

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Bohrok are mysterious insectoid creatures from Lego Bionicle storyline. They were prominent antagonists in the Chronicles storyline, though parts of their origin remain a mystery.

Contents 1 Overview 2 History 3 Powers 4 Bohrok Breeds 4.1 Main Breeds 4.2 Bohrok-Kal 4.3 Bohrok Va 4.4 Imposters 5 The Bahrag 6 Trivia 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Overview

The Bohrok are mechanical insectoid creatures; controlled by strange, parasitic creatures within their heads, known as Krana. If a Bohrok loses its Krana, it shuts down and can be reprogrammed to do one's bidding; but if a Krana gets on another being's face, it then assimilates its host into the swarm. The Krana, which control the Bohrok, are in turn controlled by the two fearsome Bahrag, twin queens of the swarms.

It has been hinted that the Bohrok are somehow related to the Toa Mata; the Bahrag have referred to these Toa as the Bohrok's "brothers",^[1] and series writer Greg Farshtey has confirmed that there is an unrevealed meaning to this statement.^[2]

Over a thousand years ago in Metru Nui, Onu-Matoran miners stumbled upon a Bohrok nest and found that the creatures were fully mechanical while the Krana they carried inside were completely organic. After a quick check, archivists found there was no evidence of assembly. Another Onu-Matoran archivist named Mavrah theorized that the Bohrok were once biomechanical (like every other Bionicle lifeform), but evolved to a state with no organic parts and without a single independent thought.^[3]

[edit] History

The Bohrok swarms are shrouded in mystery: no one knows how, where or when they were made. What is known is that these insect-like creatures were made for one purpose: to restore the island of Mata Nui to the "Before-Time," when its surface was completely barren. The Bohrok were not supposed to smash the island to bits while it was still inhabited by Matoran; however, the evil Makuta awoke the sleeping swarms early, causing them to commence their task of destruction. The attack of the Bohrok swarms was warned before (according to the Mata Nui Online Game). When Takua was searching for Matoro on Mount Ihu, he sees a stone saying: Beware the swarms. Also, there was a stone in Le-wahi saying: wake them all. The Bohrok easily felled large trees, froze lava, melted ice, and leveled mountains in their devastating quest to "clean it all". Relief came only when the Toa Mata defeated the Bohrok Queens, the Bahrag, in a dramatic quest. Without the Bahrag to guide them, the Bohrok became docile, and the Matoran put them to work repairing the damage.

Shortly afterward, six mutated Bohrok called Bohrok-Kal were released. These elite Bohrok were much more powerful and intelligent - and independent - than regular Bohrok. Their mission was to release the Bahrag from where they had been imprisoned by the Toa Mata, thus enabling the Bohrok swarms to resume their invasion.

Immediately after imprisoning the Bahrag, the Toa were transformed by energized protodermis into more powerful Toa Nuva, and each gained a Nuva Symbol that was tied to their elemental powers. The Bohrok-Kal discovered that the Bahrag's prison was locked by a special Nuva Cube, which required the Nuva Symbols to unlock. The Bohrok-Kal had to steal the Symbols and find the sealed entrance to the Bahrag's underground lair and prison before actually releasing the twin queens.

And indeed, the Kal managed to steal the Symbols easily, find the lair's entrance, clear a way in, and almost finish their devious task. In the lair, a group of Exo-Toa were guarding the prison; the Bohrok-Kal defeated them easily but it gave the Toa Nuva time to catch up to them. Toa Tahu tried to use the Vahi Mask of Time against them, but even slowed to a near-standstill, the Bohrok-Kal were protected by their silver Krana-Kal. In a last-ditch effort, the Toa banked on their ties to their Nuva Symbols and fed their strength to the Bohrok-Kal, giving them power beyond imagining - too much power for them to control. Their bodies were utterly destroyed by their own powers and only their Krana-Kal remained.

Currently, the Bohrok have returned to their nests (as they were commanded by the Bohrok-Kal). Now that the Matoran have left the island, the Bohrok are now free to do their cleaning - or would be, if the Bahrag weren't still imprisoned.

It appears that the Toa Nuva's new mission will include freeing the Bahrag to do their job.^[4]

[edit] Powers

All Bohrok share the abilities of curling up into a ball and ejecting their Krana onto an opponent. Each Bohrok is also equipped with "hand" shields with that allow them to fire their element (except Pahrak, who simply banged their shields on something to cause a seismic wave, and Nuhvok, who hit their shields on something to damage it). In addition, the Bohrok's Krana gives it an additional power, and a Bohrok can switch these powers by having a Bohrok Va exchange its Krana for another.

Bohrok Va have none of these powers (except for launching Krana), but unlike normal Bohrok, they can operate independently without Krana (though they still require direction from the Bahrag). They also have handheld tools.

The Bohrok-Kal have the same basic range of powers as normal Bohrok, though they can use their element in two ways (offensively and defensively) where normal Bohrok only have one. They also use a set of enhanced Krana called Krana-Kal that have slightly different powers; and when the Kal are in the final moments before completing their mission, their Krana-Kal turn silver and project a shield that protects them from all outside attack.

The Bohrok-Kal have also shown the ability to merge into Kaita beings (taking the name of whichever Krana is dominant), which combine and amplify the powers of those who take part in the fusion. Normal Bohrok can also form Kaita, but whether Bohrok Va have this ability is unknown.^[5]

[edit] Bohrok Breeds

[edit] Main Breeds

Tahnok, Bohrok of Fire, are quick workers. But despite their speediness, they are still very methodical and they know the value of teamwork. If one of their team is hurt, or in trouble, they will make sure it is safe before they continue their mission. While Bohrok are not naturally aggressive, the Tahnok are the least passive of the swarms. They anger easily and if threatened, they will strike first and ask questions later. When they strike, they do it as a team, making them all the more dangerous. However, they tend to act impulsively and are not as calculating as some of the other swarms.

Gahlok, Bohrok of Water, are slippery customers - you never really know where you stand with them. Just when you think you've got their methods figured out, they change them. As Turaga Nokama once said, "Catching a Gahlok is like trying to hold onto an eel with one wet hand. So think carefully before you interrupt their work." They will never react the same way twice and they will never strike the same place twice. They attacked Onu-Koro, forcing Matoran to evacuate. Nuparu used a Kranaless Gahlok body to build Boxor machine and save Onu-Koro.

Lehvak, Bohrok of Swamp work in swarms, though they tend to operate best in smaller groups, hitting and running, and thus they are probably the most individually motivated of all the Bohrok, and more than capable of thinking and operating alone. They are considered the most dangerous and are clever tacticians. They never strike in one place for long and it is hard to predict where they will turn up next. The only real way to stop them is to corner a group and surprise each one individually. Lehvak are the most dangerous of Bohrok because of their powerful acid, which can dissolve "any" substance. When they attacked Le-Koro, they replaced all but two of the Le-Matorans's masks with Krana. The Le-Matoran then overpowered Toa Lewa.

Pahrak, Bohrok of Stone, very rarely get angry, but if they do, you'd better look out! Once they decide to tackle a problem, they won't quit until it is solved. They do not mind ignoring outsiders until it becomes clear that they must defend themselves. When they do, they advance slowly but surely towards the nuisance - nothing will deter them. However, after an attack they will usually return to their mission quickly. To stop a marching swarm you have to chip away at the column, little by little. Pahrak carry shields with sonic crumbling power.

Nuhvok, Bohrok of Earth, are the most solitary of the swarms. They do not immediately defend themselves, but when they determine what is happening, they will strike out with their formidable hammer shields. If backed into a corner, they will strike out tenaciously until help arrives. They are at their most vulnerable in open spaces. Therefore, the best strategy for catching a Nuhvok is to lure it above ground away from its swarm.

Kohrak, Bohrok of Ice, consider themselves invincible and are dismissive of danger. They will carry on working until they have no choice but to react. This makes it easier for the Toa and their villagers to capture individual Kohrak, but when they do respond, the entire group responds. They have no regard for their own safety. They are great tacticians and undercover workers. However, they have one weakness: they always confront one on one, rather than as a unified force, forcing them to rely on their formidable individual skills. Their ice shields allow them to freeze any substance, even open flame.

[edit] Bohrok-Kal

One of each Bohrok breed were mutated by unknown substances into Bohrok-Kal. Unlike all other Bohrok, the Bohrok-Kal (or rather, their Krana-Kal) are capable of independent thought without the Bahrag's help. In addition, the Krana-Kal, unlike regular Krana, were able to speak. The Bohrok-Kal's purpose was to help the Bahrag if they should become unable to guide the swarms somehow. They were destroyed when the Toa Nuva, through their Nuva Symbols, fed the Kal more power than they were able to control.

Tahnok-Kal, Bohrok-Kal of Electricity, is fast and powerful, and usually acts as the leader of a Bohrok squad. Its reflexes are incredibly swift, making it appear short-tempered to those who see it in action. Some have said the Tahnok-Kal is truly as fast as the lightning it controls. Tahnok-Kal controls the forces of electricity via his power shield. The shield can use energy for defense, create cages of electricity, or fire lightning bolts at an opponent. Tahnok-Kal was the first to discover that stealing the Toa Nuva's Nuva Symbols would cause the Nuva's elemental powers to vanish. At the end, Tahu Nuva's connection to his Symbol caused Tahnok-Kal's electricity to fuse its moving parts together.

Gahlok-Kal, Bohrok-Kal of Magnetism, is as hard to catch as water itself. Its surface is designed to make it difficult to grasp, and it can "flow" around obstacles when need be. Gahlok-Kal is stealthy as well, able to sneak in and out of a Matoran village without ever being seen or heard. Gahlok-Kal's tool is a magnetic shield which collects, controls and directs the power of magnetism from the earth. The magnetic field can be employed as a defensive force field against attack or as a formidable weapon. The shield is also use for a variety of mundane tasks, such as shattering magnetic rock. In the end, Gali Nuva's connection to her Nuva Symbol caused Gahlok-Kal's magnetic energies to attract the smashed Exo-Toa scrap, crushing Gahlok-Kal.

Lehvak-Kal, Bohrok-Kal of Vacuum, is the fastest and most unpredictable Bohrok-Kal. Its vacuum shield gives it two powerful modes of defense, and there is no way for one to know which it will choose. Lehvak-Kal's vacuum shield can suck all the air out of a given area, causing a destructive implosion. It can then release the evacuated air in a single blast that has the power to smash through solid rock. Lehvak-Kal makes full use of the terrain, and can disappear into the jungle in an instant. In the end, Lewa Nuva's connection to his Nuva Symbol caused Lehvak-Kal to launch itself into orbit (though the webisode involving the Bohrok-Kal's defeat shown that the connection caused Lehvak-Kal to fly apart).

Pahrak-Kal, Bohrok-Kal of Plasma, is a slow-moving powerhouse. Although it would seem this Bohrok-Kal would be easy to evade, that is not so. Pahrak-Kal can plow through any obstacle on its way to its goal. Pahrak-Kal's tool is a plasma shield, which has the power to superheat any substance until it becomes plasmodia. This makes it a fast and effective tunneller. The shield can also be used defensively, to turn any incoming missile or attack into a roiling mass of plasma. More terrifyingly, it can be used as an offensive weapon, to turn any obstacle into a molten mass. Also, although Pahrak-Kal is slow, it sees all. It was Pahrak-Kal who discovered the Bahrag's underground prison, melted its entrance, and led the other Kal to it. At the end, Pohatu Nuva's connection to his Nuva Symbol caused Pahrak-Kal to melt a hole in the ground under him, causing him to fall presumably all the way to the planet's core.

Nuhvok-Kal, Bohrok-Kal of Gravity, sacrifices speed for sheer power. Its gravity shield makes it one of the most dangerous Bohrok-Kal, but it seems to be in no hurry to fight. Perhaps the reason is that as soon as it brings its gravity shield into play, the struggle is over in seconds--as Tahu Nuva discovered the hard way, when the Nuhvok-Kal defeated him with one shield and an entire swarm of Tahnok (whom Tahu Nuva was leading) with the other. The Nuhvok-Kal's gravity shield has the dual ability to negate gravity (so that its target becomes lighter than air and starts to float away), or intensify gravity (so that its target becomes much more dense, and sinks into the ground). To be sure of defeating Nuhvok-Kal, the Toa Nuva should face him only above ground. At the end, Onua Nuva's connection to his Nuva Symbol caused Nuhvok-Kal's power to turn wild and Nuhvok-Kal turned into a black hole, engulfing it and what was left of the others.

Kohrak-Kal, Bohrok-Kal of Sonics, tends to work alone more than any other Bohrok-Kal. The reason may be that its sonic powers are so great, they are even a threat to its comrades. In fact, the Kohrak-Kal is so awesome that its Krana-Kal can afford to ignore danger until the very last moment, then react swiftly and with overpowering effect, as demonstrated by its one-sided "battle" with Lewa Nuva. Kohrak-Kal's tool is a sonic shield. It can change its rate of vibration almost instantly, forming a dense sonic barrier that can repel most forms of attack,and be remolded to a "soundshape"whose efect drove lewa nuva to the brink of insanity. It is even more impressive when used in attack mode - bursts of sonic emanations can deafen an opponent or, if used at higher intensity, can cause almost any target to stress and shatter. In the end, Kopaka Nuva's connection to his Nuva Symbol caused Kohrak-Kal to be shaken apart by its own sonic vibrations.

[edit] Bohrok Va

Bohrok Va serve as scouts for the Bohrok as well as carrying extra Krana for when the Bohrok loses its own. Unlike the Bohrok, Bohrok Va aren't controlled by Krana. Each of the six breeds has its own Va counterpart. The Bohrok Va also replaced the Krana-Kal of the Bohrok-Kal in both of the two instances where one lost their Krana-Kal.

Tahnok Va, fast and reckless, can be seen scurrying at great speed along dangerous ledges with their glowing firestaffs to guide them through the darkest of forest paths and the vast network of Mangai caves and tunnels. Once the Ta-Matoran learned that they weren't living creatures, they used lava to melt them.

Gahlok Va never seem to be moving fast, but never stop, so their journey times are faster than you would think. Their slinking movements are ideally suited to cutting through water, but they are also accomplished climbers. Their climbing skills are due to their Climbing Hook.

Lehvak Va are loud and aggressive beyond their modest stature. They move with ease from mud to water and up into the trees, wailing and whooping clearly above all other sounds. Their confidence is not false, for they are never far from their swarm, and few things are more fearsome than a squad of Lehvak. Lehvak Va use their small Katanas to cut through dense jungle growth as they scout.

Pahrak Va are the great motivators of their swarm. Strong and usually very slow, they can move quickly when motivated to do so. They not only run scouting missions and keep communications in order over vast areas, but they also keep the Pahrak swarm together. Matoran sometimes joke that they are "goatdogs". They also carried Stone Hammers, for both offensive and defensive purposes.

Nuhvok Va are sometimes nicknamed "tunnel foxes" by the Matoran. They are not naturals at heavy digging, but can burrow out of most situations. Normally they are spotted in distant shadows, moving with a quick scamper then a pause to listen. They can see in the dark and squeeze through gaps you would not think possible. They also carry claws, for defensive purposes.

Kohrak Va walk tall and slide down glaciers with relaxed skill, their Ice Claws making them excellent mountain climbers. They are also masters of camouflage with excellent hearing. At the slightest sign of attack they bury themselves in ice with only their heads showing until the swarm arrives to protect them.

[edit] Imposters

Fake Bohrok-The Brotherhood of Makuta once ordered the construction of completely mechanical Bohrok to serve their corrupt purposes. When the Matoran laborers behind the project found out, they risked their lives by sabotaging these false Bohrok. After they went on a rampage, the Toa Hagah were dispatched to eliminate them, and the Matoran were put to death for their disobedience. Fans refer to these false Bohrok as Faux-rok or Fohrok (Fake Bohrok).

Some Bohrok appeared in the Maze of Shadows video game, which took place well before the swarms were awakened. It turns out that these Bohrok were not controlled by Krana, but rather by hive-minded worm creatures that had escaped a Brotherhood of Makuta lair. They found their way into a Bohrok nest, took over some Bohrok shells and learned how to use them to defend themselves.^[6]

[edit] The Bahrag

Cahdok and Gahdok are the twin Queens of the Bohrok swarms, together known as the Bahrag. They each have all the powers of the main six Bohrok breeds, plus the ability to cast illusions that seem real and solid until one stops believing in them.^[7] The Bahrag's powers grow stronger the closer they physically are to each other(in an act called symbotism). They can also create Krana by dipping unknown objects into a pool of energized protodermis.

The Bahrag are driven by a single goal, to "clean it all". They care little for anything else, unless it gets in the way of their mission. When Makuta woke them, they assumed it was time for "cleaning" and immediately sent out the swarms, regardless of the fact that there were still people living on the island. The Toa Mata tried to fight the Bahrag with their new Exo-Toa armor, but the armor proved little help as it blocked the Toa's use of their elemental powers. The Toa instead removed the armor and combined their elemental powers, encasing the Bahrag in a protodermic block and ending their control over the swarms.

The Bohrok-Kal were soon released to try and free the Bahrag, but they ultimately failed. As far as is known, the Bahrag are still imprisoned deep below the surface of Mata Nui to this day, even after the Matoran had left the island. However, the Toa Nuva's current mission apparently involves freeing the Bahrag, presumably so that they can complete their mission; why the Toa Nuva want this is unknown.

[edit] Trivia

• All six main breeds of Bohrok were featured as enemies in the non-canon video game Bionicle Heroes.
• The Bohrok made a cameo appearance in Bionicle the Mask of Light as a frozen Kohrak on the slopes of Mount Ihu.
• The Bohrok are the only Bionicle villains to have appeared with upgraded forms(Bohrok, Bohrok-Kal).

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Bohrok-Kal article at Bionicle Sector 01 Wiki
• Bohrok article at Bionicle Sector 01 Wiki
• Bohrok Va article at Bionicle Sector 01 Wiki
• Bahrag article at Bionicle Sector 01 Wiki