This kind of comes from listening to the TTV retrospective on everyone’s favorite Bionicle film, Web of Shadows (sarcasm intended there). While I will agree that it’s not perfect, there is one point of contention I had with the review, and it’s the idea that Vakama’s turn was unbelievable.
I actually hold the contrary opinion. His turn (and subsequent redemption) is one of the reasons that he is my personal favorite characters in Bionicle. Not only is Vakama’s betrayal of the Toa logical, but it is totally in character.
Now I know some fans are going crazy at the above statement, so allow me to explain. This is going to be a long breakdown of Vakama’s character, so be ready for a bit of analysis, primarily from the books and movies (specifically Mystery of Metru Nui, Trial by Fire, Legends of Metru Nui (and the film), Voyage of Fear, Maze of Shadows, and Web of Shadows (also including the film itself), what’s with the “shadows” titles in Bionicle?).
So Vakama’s story begins in the forges of Ta-Metru. He’s shown to be an esteemed mask maker, held high by his peers like Nuhrii and seen as such a good craftsman that Turaga Dume himself has commissioned him to make the Mask of Time. That’s quite the honor, since it’s something believed to be impossible. So it’s fairly obvious that Vakama has a good thing going for him. No reason he should want or need his life to change. In this way, Vakama is the exact opposite of Takua. He’s someone who has everything he wants, and wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Anyway, one day, the city’s only surviving hero, Toa Lhikan, comes to his forge and gives him a mysterious Toa Stone and map, telling him to protect the “heart of Metru Nui” before being assaulted by two very menacing figures: the Dark Hunters. Vakama is taken hostage, and his capture forces Lhikan to give himself up. The last Vakama sees of the city’s hero (and possibly a personal idol, because what Matoran doesn’t idolize their Toa?) dragged away, most likely to his death. This leads to some heavy insecurity. Vakama sees himself responsible for Lhikan’s apparent demise, and this will play into how he views himself later on as someone who causes many problems.
And now something else happens: a vision. I won’t go into details, but seeing things like Vakama did could easily lead to a questioning of one’s sanity.
So, he takes the Toa Stone Lhikan gave him and goes to the Great Temple, meeting several other strange Matoran. Some (Matau in particular) show general animosity towards him, derogatorily referring to him as “fire-spitter”. Then they’re all zapped into Toa and choose their tools from the suva (in the book, the suva splits, revealing a cache of Toa tools).
So what’s Vakama choose as the symbol of his Toa-hood? A sword, which symbolizes power and precision? A shield, symbolizing protection and strength? A spatula, symbolizing aptitude at omelette preparation? None of the above. He chooses a disk launcher, which symbolizes a connection to his simpler Matoran past. It’s a symbol of his contentedness as an esteemed mask-maker. And he’s ridiculed for it, both in the book and in the movie.
So, thanks to another vision (causing some to label him a “cross-wired freak”, hurting his self-esteem more), they set out to retrieve the disks and defeat the Morbuzahk that’s actively destroying their city. After winning, they go to the Coliseum to present the Great Disks to show Metru Nui that it has new Toa.
And then they’re labeled impostors, by a figure Vakama trusted. Boom, someone who once treated him as a respected craftsman starts calling him a “jester” and even blames Vakama and his new friends of kidnapping Lhikan (something Vakama actually believes is his fault). During an ensuing capture effort, half of Vakama’s team is lost, giving him something else to blame himself for.
Anyway, the plot advances. Vakama focuses on finishing the Vahi using the Great Disks, but he still makes mistakes (saving Lhikan instead of the Matoran, leading to the entire city being captured) and then finds out that a being once sworn to protect the Matoran - Makuta - has turned on the Great Spirit himself.
Also, through all this, Vakama cannot learn his mask power, even though his fellow Toa are all able to, leading to feelings of inadequacy and even unworthiness. After all, what’s a Toa who can’t wield their mask power?
So Vakama and company escape the city with some Matoran and defeat Makuta, but not before Lhikan dies to save Vakama. Vakama is once again responsible for the death of his mentor, only this time, it’s confirmed.
While Legends of Metru Nui makes it seem that Vakama’s insecurities are dealt with by the end, the story shows otherwise. During their journey to and from the island that would soon be called Mata Nui, Vakama’s ability as leader is challenged, his visions continue, making him question his own abilities and even his sanity. In order to mask these growing insecurities, he inflates his confidence, trying to hide his fears under a layer of false bravado. This only leads to his fellow Toa questioning him more.
And because of this fake confidence, his team is captured by the Visorak, mutated beyond recognition, and nearly killed. His Toa rightfully see this as his fault, and Matau in particular treats him like absolute crap because of it. Thanks to all this, Vakama no longer trusts himself as a leader, and feels that his team no longer needs him. Couple that with some hordika venom flowing through his system, and his insecurities and self-loathing are transferred into anger at himself and his fellow Toa. He lashes out at them and the Rahaga trying to help him, and then strikes out on his own.
And then Roodaka comes, telling him that he can still be a leader… he just requires the right army. She then offers him two things he longs for. Firstly, Ta-Metru. His home. The last remnant of his Matoran life. The world he can’t return to due to all that’s happened. Roodaka tells him that if he joins her, it will be his to rule, and Vakama sees this as a way to help free the Matoran and keep his city safe, as well as a way to regain some semblance of his past life.
Secondly, she offers him the Visorak, showing their obedience to him. This is another thing Vakama longs for: a team that won’t ridicule him. The Visorak won’t fight back or make fun of him. They will obey without question.
And there is a third thing both Roodaka and Sidorak give Vakama: approval. Through most of his career as a Toa, Vakama’s teammates have berated and belittled him at every misstep, blamed him for a dozen failings, and have acted outright hostile towards him. But Roodaka? She tells Vakama everything he wants to hear. And Sidorak? He trusts Vakama as a general, and even says that the Toa Hordika “reminds him of himself” (though Vakama takes this compliment rather begrudgingly). The two leaders of the Visorak horde give the broken hero that Vakama has become everything he desires.
All this causes Vakama to sort of become blinded to his original cause: to protect the Matoran. Thankfully, reminding him of this is also what brings him back. And Matau fighting Vakama
So let’s summarize: Vakama began as an esteemed worker, whose life, honor, and position, was ruined by becoming a Toa, causing him to lose everything he had built. Through his career, his abilities, leadership skills, and sanity are questioned. Eventually, his actions lead to his team being hurt and maimed. He feels broken, terrible, and angry at everything. And along comes someone who gives him everything he needs.
All this leads to my conclusion that Vakama’s turn in Web of Shadows is not only believable, but logical. He is a broken hero, convinced that he can do no right, angry at himself and the world, and someone comes along giving everything he desires. Why would he not take that offer?
Whew. So yeah, that was a bit of a long rambling on part of Vakama’s character. I wrote this fairly late, so I hope you can all forgive a few spelling errors here and there. Anyway, for those who were able to finish this, I’d like to hear what you think. Is Vakama’s betrayal still impossible in your eyes, or have I swayed you to my side?