Forgive me if this is in the wrong place, I’ve relatively new to creating topics. Like a lot of people, I was bothered by some of the plot holes in BIONICLE G2 that were left unfinished. One of the weirdest plot holes with “The Dark Portal” (an while I did quite enjoy the episode, even I must admit it had plenty) was the fact that Makuta was shown in the shadow realm wearing the Mask of Ultimate Power, despite the pieces of it still being shattered and separate on Okoto. It is very likely this is just one of the many inconsistencies found in G2 that was overlooked by the animators, but I think I may have an answer to why this is. A lot of BIONICLE theories exist out there, and while of course this is entirely speculation just about all of my reasons for believing this theory can be backed up by what we officially know. While of course we’ll never get a real answer, this could explain several other unanswered questions about G2.
So for a while we were lead to believe the MoUP, like the MoCr and the MoCo, were the three “Legendary Masks” of G2. And while we don’t know what the MoCr and MoCo are made of, it’s likely not made of the same elemental crystals that give the Toa and Oktotans powers over the elements. However, in “Battle of the Mask Makers” we learn for a fact that the MoUP is just made of several melted-down Protector Masks infused with the powers of several elements. We also know that the Shadow Realm can be opened and closed through a powerful combination of the elements, not necessarily from Makuta’s forbidden Mask. It is because of this I believe that during the 1000 years Makuta was trapped in the Shadow Realm, he created a second Mask of Ultimate Power.
Despite not having any elemental crystals handy, in Battle of the Mask Makers it is also established that there was a display of Ancient Masks in the Capital City. While the Golden Masks and Ekimu and Makuta’s masks were scattered by the blast, we never see these ancient Masks out in the open with them. It can be inferred that the ancient Masks were kept indoors, and as such were likely taken into the Shadow realm along with the city, Makuta, and several villagers. These Ancient Masks could have very easily been melted down and forged into a Second MoUP, the same way the first one was.
This is where things get a bit more speculative. If Makuta did make a Second MoUP, he likely would have done it with the intent of using it to escape the Shadow Realm. Obviously, he did not do so. However, I do think that Makuta did successfully make a weaker version of the Mask of Ultimate Power. This would explain how he is able to partially appear to Umarak on Okoto as nothing more than a shadowy face. Through combining the elements he’s established a link to Okoto from the Shadow Realm, but the power of his new Mask is not strong enough to pull himself through. In order to sustain a portal powerful enough to escape, he needed most of the original MoUP, filled with the elements. This could also explain why Umarak throws the Toa’s weapons into the portal. If their weapons were made from the elemental crystals (most of them did have a crystalline design), it could have strengthened the portal.
I’ll go even further and say that this second, weaker MoUP could explain some of G2’s even earlier questions. We clearly see Skull Spiders and Shadow Traps lurking around the Shadow Realm. The origins of both have been completely mysterious, and I think that they may be native species of the Shadow Realm. A second MoUP that has a weak connection to Okoto might explain how these forces arrived there. If MoUP 2 can open a weak portal to Okoto, perhaps the Skull Spiders and Shadow traps, both small and powerless enough to fit through, could have arrived. Them coming from a portal from the shadow realm could explain how they seemed to come out of nowhere. It would also explain why the Shadow Traps don’t just arrive as Beasts. Makuta waited until many Shadow traps made it through the small portal, and then powered them through Umarak the Destroyer.
This last part is 100% speculation, but I think that if the Skull Spiders were native to the Shadow Realm, perhaps The Lord of Skull Spiders was the original ruler of the Shadow Realm. In a fashion similar to Garmadon and Samukai in Ninjago, when Makuta arrived he took over the Shadow Realm, dethroning LoSS, who begrudgingly served him.
I have many other ideas for what could have been going on (for the sake of keeping it readable I left out how Umarak fits into all of this), but I’d love to know your thoughts if you’ve made it this far. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but I may have miscalculated or misread something. Thanks for your time! -Jack/JTH Studios