Do Rahkshi have inner Light and Shadow?

It’s been established that most Rahi don’t have a balance of inner Light/Shadow, due to the fact that they make decisions based on instinct rather than morals. Does this also apply to Rahkshi and Kraata, or do they have measurable amounts of light and dark within them? If so, do their morals mirror those of the Makuta who created them?

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Rahkshi are just Kraata in armor, so the question is just whether Kraata do or not.

This question answers the first since we know Makuta have inner shadow (they expelled their inner light early on). It should be an obvious yes because we know Kraata powers differ in the Melding Universe, where Makuta purged all their shadow instead of light.

Hmmm but Makuta were able to create Kraata before this happened I believe? Its just that afterwards it became easier for them to create Kraata, if I am remembering correctly.

Although the traits that we know of Kraata based on their stages involves avoidance of Light.
It may be that the Kraata that we know in the story differed from Kraata prior to the transformations the Makuta put themselves through?

It doesn’t matter whether Rahi have a balance or not, since Rahkshi aren’t Rahi:

It is known that, at least as of the time that Kraata-Kal was mutated (which is unknown), kraata have no inner light:

I couldn’t find any sources about whether or not the Makuta’s decision to shun their inner light affected their kraata, or if they always only had Shadow.

Not quite.

The kraata-making process became easier when the Makuta evolved into gaseous antidermis, which happened just before they shunned their inner light.

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I was using Rahi as a comparison, since both Rahi and Kraata/Rahkshi seem to act mostly on instinct.
That info about Kraata-Kal was interesting. I always assumed he was pure shadow, like a Makuta. Thanks!

I personally dislike the concept that rahkshi without a Makuta master become feral and can’t become more intelligent/sapient over time.
My personal headcanon is that kraata that have lived for long enough start to develop personalities and the ability to self-reflect and make non-destructive, non-territorial choices.

According to canon, only stage 7 Kraata are smart enough to learn to speak Matoran, though lower stages of Rahkshi can learn to understand the spoken word. I think that’s dumb, especially if you read through the official descriptions of the 6 kraata stages. I much prefer the idea that stage 7 Kraata would be the intellectual equivalent of a master tactician (able to make longer term plans to assist in a battle), while 6 would be equivalent to a general (able to direct units hold authority, but not smart enough to actually plan out a war effort) , etc etc down the levels. Kraata stages are associated with both age and experience, so it makes no sense that kraata progressing to later stages wouldn’t also become more intelligent and tactical.

I would guess that it would be ridiculously rare, since nearly all Rahkshi are either under direct control of a Makuta, are thrown into battle as shock troops/cannon fodder, and are considered delicious by at least Muaka, if not other carnivorous rahi. All of that generally means they either wouldn’t live long enough to get to that stage of intelligence, or rahkshi that achieved those first steps of sapience end up executed by their Makuta because they become more difficult to control.

I have a couple MOCs that are Kraata in rebuilt bodies (using pieces of Rahkshi armor like a nervous system) that have lived long enough outside of the influence of a Makuta to develop curiosity and intelligence. (Timeline-wise, this takes place after the reformation of Spherus Magna.)
As an interesting aside, I suspect that some Kraata powers would lend themselves more to self-reflection than others.
I think Quick Healing (since Stage 6 Kraata of QH can be used to heal others) would be one of these, since their powers are intrinsically not destructive. Their abilities and their nature during the early stages of their lives are at odds, and that creates an interesting dynamic.
I also like the concept that Insect and/or Rahi Control Kraata would have an easier time developing self-awareness due to the social nature of their abilities. I can imagine that not being in what I assume is some form of telepathic contact with the creatures they are directing would leave them feeling disoriented and lonely, much like a Borg drone separated from the Collective. That urge to be part of a “collective” might lead them to attempt to coexist with other beings, rather than trying to drive them all away.

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Well, the Makuta are beings of Shadow, so while I’m no expert, it’s likely to either depend on the Makuta it came from, or just that they have more Shadow than Light due to their origins.

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