Officially, Kraata-Kal was the Brotherhood of Makuta’s only attempt at making elite Rahkshi as their answers to the Bohrok-Kal. Unofficially, there were six others, all of which were far more successful in many areas; they were more intelligent, more powerful, and, most importantly, loyal to the Brotherhood. These beings, powered up from the normal Rahkshi breeds, were deemed the Rahkshi Kal; they were faster, stronger, more intelligent, and more individual than any of their normal counterparts. Eventually, however, things reached a point where the Kal were deemed too dangerous to keep around as the Makuta feared their powers, especially united. The fate of the Kal is unknown, not helped by the fact that the Makuta who created them continue to deny their existence, which arguably makes them more threatening than ever before.
Lerahk Kal
Lerahk Kal, Rahkshi Kal of Corrosion, is one of the more dangerous of his brothers because his Staff of Corrosion is active on a low level at all times so long as he is holding it; it releases fumes that are both toxic and corrosive to most beings in the Matoran Universe, making him incredibly difficult to be around and injuries received from him are usually fatal. It speaks volumes that even the Makuta can’t be near Lerahk Kal for too long.
Kurahk Kal
Kurahk Kal, Rahkshi Kal of Rage, is a truly dangerous one indeed, for his Staff of Rage goes far beyond the abilities of a normal Kurahk. Rather than simply turning his enemies against each other, those affected by his power will pathologically seek out fights with reckless abandon and complete disregard for their own safety–e.g. victims have been spotted still trying to attack with multiple broken limbs. Most disturbing is his personality; unlike his constantly-angry counterparts, Kurahk Kal displays an aura of sociopathic serenity, like he’s looking for entertainment in the fights he causes.
Vorahk Kal
The differences between the abilities of Vorahk Kal, Rahkshi Kal of Vampire and his regular counterparts are not immediately obvious at first, as both drain an opponent of their strength and energy as expected. Where the Kal differs is what it can do with the power afterwards. While it’s unclear if regular Vorahk can use the energy they drain, Vorahk Kal absorbs the energy and is even able to use the powers of those he drains for a short time, to the extent that he can even mimic the elemental abilities of a Toa.
Turahk Kal
Turahk Kal, Rahkshi Kal of Control, is a frightening specimen indeed. She uses her enhanced powers over fear to make targets feel so anxious and hysterical to the point that they are incredibly easy to manipulate. In simple terms, her strategy is to convince her target that they are safe with her, they are safe only with her, and she will only protect them so long as they obey her commands.
Guurahk Kal
Guurahk Kal, Rahkshi Kal of Erasure, goes far beyond merely disintegrating his targets and reducing them to dust. His powers ensure that absolutely no traces of the victim are left behind, even in the memories of those in the immediate vicinity of the deceased; rumor has it that when Guurahk Kal destroys a target, he simultaneously sends a discrete virus within a certain radius that rewrites the memories of those it affects. However it happens, the prospect of Guurahk Kal’s powers is known to make Makuta tremble.
Panrahk Kal
Panrahk Kal, Rahkshi Kal of Fission and the self-proclaimed leader of the Kal, can best be described as a walking nuke with a temper to match. He has mastered the art of destruction to the point of rendering villages uninhabitable on good days and wiping entire islands clean off the map on bad days. He has injured himself in the wakes of his own rampages, but even without his prostheses, he refuses to back down and will stop at nothing to satisfy his lust for wrath until victory or death.
Trivia
- All of the Kal contain 89 pieces; except for Vorahk Kal with 101 pieces and Panrahk Kal with 103. Note that none of these values include the Kraata.
- Other than the marks on their foreheads, all of the Kal are purist. None of the spines or staves glow (obviously), but as all of those pieces come in silver, they get a pass.
- Design-wise, I’m torn between Lerahk Kal and Vorahk Kal being my favorite. Power-wise, Turahk Kal is my favorite and by a large margin.
- I have no particular reasons for making Vorahk Kal a dual-wielder or Turahk Kal a female apart from wanting some of them to be different from the others.
- Conversely, Panrahk Kal is significantly different from the others because brown is a tough color to work with in constraction. I made him the leader to explain away the beefier legs.