Hello Greg.
I’m not sure if this question has already been answered prior(which I would be surprised if that isn’t true), but I myself cannot find any official answers on this matter.
It has been stated that The Great Spirit robot was originally piloted by two Glatorian, whom died in the Great Cataclysm.
I would like to know the exact specifications and details about this fact, as it has raised many questions in my head.
Chief among those questions is: what is the interaction/relation between Mata Nui and the Robot’s pilots? Specifically in terms of consciousness and sentience?
I am unsure whether Mata Nui is a separate entity or mind that dwells within the robot, or if he is the shared consciousness of the two Glatorian.
Then, the next question afterward is how that answer would affect the control of The Great Spirit Robot.
So, these are my theories and possible explanations for each scenario:
Theory 1: Is Mata Nui the Sentient personification of The Great Spirit Robot’s AI(if it has one)?
If that were so, then how much control over his body does Mata Nui have? And in what parts? If the Glatorian pilots control the robot’s movements and trajectory, can Mata Nui override these commands and actions? And when the pilots died and Mata Nui returned to his body, how was he able to control it without the assistance of the pilots? Or could have he all along?
Theory 2: Is Mata Nui the product of the combined minds and consciousness of the two Glatorian pilots?
This theory is my personal favorite as it opens up a bunch of different possibilities.
First of all, was Mata Nui aware that he had the mind of two beings? Or that he was two small beings that were simultaneously controlling him?
Secondly, how did Mata Nui’s mind remain intact when the two pilots died? Did their minds live on as dormant digital copies of themselves within the robot’s computers? Or could have their spirits and essence been absorbed into the robot and taken on a full mind-body symbiosis? It was shown hat Mata Nui’s “spirit” was capable of being transferred from one vessel to another, so it is theoretically possible.
And that brings me to my next question, about the Kanohi Ignika.
The Ignika was shown to have an individual sentience and personality, and even created a body for itself.
So, when Mata Nui’s spirit was put into the mask, how exactly did the mental “territories” work? Did Ignika have any control over Mata Nui’s glatorian body, and if so how mych? Was Mata nui’s soul just inhabiting a body created by Ignika, with uncontrollable powers wielded by Ignika itself?
Or, was Ignika’s mind and spirit destroyed when he awakened the Great Spirit, and Mata Nui has full control over himself and the mask?
Getting back to the great spirit robot and the pilots, I have one more question about that:
How exactly did the two Glatorian pilot the robot? You may not get this reference, but is it similar to the “Mental Handshake” in Pacific Rim, where two Jaegar pilots link their minds together to pilot their robot in mental synchronicity? And when they were piloting the robot, how much were they aware of their actual bodies and surroundings?
Assuming that Mata Nui and the pilots are separate entities, could one override the other? How much control did each party have over the robot?
And assuming Mata Nui and the pilots are one in the same, how were the pilots able to observe the movements of the MU beings within the robot while simultaneously controlling it?
Anyways, thanks for taking the time to this.
Anyone else may give their own theories as well.