What is Bionicle: Origin-1?
Bionicle: Origin-1 is a fan project that aims to reimagine the rich story and lore of Bionicle from the ground up. Through this endeavor, Bionicle: Origin-1 hopes to offer new stories, new lore, new builds, and more for Bionicle fans to explore and enjoy!
The Matoran: History, Designs, and More | Bionicle: Origin-1
Collective High Council, Spherus Magna
3006 AUE
All Angonce could do was stand there as his fragile idea clashed against the rigid minds of his colleagues. He knew his ideas were ludicrous, perhaps even a little insane, but even his fellow Great Beings had found merit in them before. Would this proposal be offered the same treatment, or had Angonce’s luck finally run out?
The silence that had befallen that Council Chamber was broken by Angonce’s greatest critic, Artakha. “And what shall we call these machines, Angonce?”
“Matoran. And remember, they will be more than just machines.”
Artakha scoffed. “I’ll be the judge of that.”
-Backstory-
History of the Matoran
It was within the final years of The Core War that the Great Beings realized their planet was doomed. Much like the inhabitants of this broken world who had been separated long ago, it was only a matter of time until a wave of destruction would ripple across Spherus Magna, splitting it into a series of fragments. However, while this Shattering was inevitable, it was not irreversible.
To counteract the imminent devastation of The Shattering, the Great Beings initiated the Great Spirit Project. Their goal: create a pair of massive, fully autonomous robots that will journey across the stars in search of a way to repair Spherus Magna. This would be the most ambitious project ever undertaken by the Great Beings, so despite their immense power and wisdom, the Great Beings would need to enlist the help of their newest creation.
Enter the Proto-Matoran. Built to slave away on the colossal Great Spirit Robots, these first Matoran were no more than mindless machines. These Matoran were not built with the complexity and nuance of later generations. Their design instead focused on efficiency and being easy to produce in mass.
These Proto-Matoran served their purpose well. However, concerns would arise regarding the stability of the Great Spirit Robots. The Great Being Angonce would propose placing Matoran inside the Robot as a means of sustaining it. This would ensure the internal stability of the Great Spirit Robots, but Angonce saw the potential to expand upon this idea.
His idea was to create a world inside each of the Robots, one with its own society and ecosystem that the Great Beings could study and learn from. The Matoran would become the primary denizens of this “Matoran Universe”, but for there to exist a real and accurate society inside the Robot, the Matoran would need to become more than just machines. So while the existing legions of Proto-Matoran were sent to work constructing the next phase of the Great Spirit Project, the Great Beings toiled away in their subterranean laboratories building the next generation of the Matoran Species.
Known retroactively as the Ancient Matoran, these are the Matoran as we know them today. Having taken much inspiration from the experiments conducted through Project: Toa (a Great Being initiative that aimed to create sentient, bio-mechanical war machines to fight in the Core War), the Matoran were expanded to be fully sentient, and be associated with a series of different elemental types. These additions not only made the Matoran a more varied and diverse species overall, but the elemental types, in particular, gave the ability for Matoran to transform into Toa themselves.
Feeling their time was running out, the construction of the second Great Spirit Robot was canceled. All resources, including the Proto-Matoran, were then diverted to completing the first Great Spirit Robot. Once construction on the Great Spirit Robot concluded, the Proto-Matoran would be retired indefinitely.
With The Shattering now just around the corner, the Matoran would be placed within the Great Spirit Robot. The foundations of the Matoran Universe had been laid, and now it was finally time for the Great Spirit Robot to depart. Thus beginning his centuries-long journey to repair Spherus Magna…
-Matoran Designs-
Matoran Designs are an area where I believe that sets tended to intrude on the story. With each new wave Lego needed to come up with new designs to make their Matoran builds feel fresh, but having so many Matoran Designs can easily become convoluted.
As such, for the Origin-1 story, I tried my best to streamline the Matoran Designs without making them too limiting. Of course, other variations may exist due to unique circumstances like mutations, or repairs, but these are the main Matoran Designs that you’ll come across.
Proto-Matoran
The first iteration of the Matoran Species, the Proto-Matoran were no more than mindless drones, produced in mass to aid in the construction of Great Spirit Robots. Unlike later generations of Matoran, the Proto-Matoran are fully mechanical, lack sentience, and do not have any Elemental Types.
Ancient Matoran
When the Great Being Angonce proposed the creation of a fully realized society inside the Great Spirit Robot, they saw the potential for the Matoran to become the primary denizens of this new world. However, they quickly realized the Matoran wouldn’t fit this role in their current state, prompting the creation of the Ancient Matoran.
The introduction of the Ancient Matoran was when the Matoran species became what we know today. Their capabilities were expanded through the inclusion of organic components, and the manipulation of Spirit Energy allowed the Matoran to experience thoughts and emotions for the first time.
Having been developed alongside the Toa, the Ancient Matoran were also given the ability to become Toa themselves. As a result of this, many characteristics of the Toa were carried over to the Matoran. The use of Kanohi Masks and the creation of Elemental Types are the most apparent examples of this.
Kestoran Matoran
The Kestoran Matoran are a later iteration of the Ancient Matoran. The Kestora are responsible for creating new Matoran aboard the Red Star, ensuring enough Matoran are present within the Matoran Universe to keep Mata Nui sustained.
Over the years, the Kestora came to notice many parts of the Matoran Design that could be improved to function more efficiently. These improvements were realized through the development of the Kestoran Matoran, and as such, they are simply a better version of the now outdated Ancient Matoran.
-Matoran Types-
A trademark of the Matoran Species has always been their strong affinity with elemental powers. This has not only shaped their physical characteristics in a variety of ways but it’s also led to the establishment of many diverse Matoran subcultures. From the brash and militaristic Ta-Matoran to the scholarly and intelligent Ko-Matoran, we were always able to identify with one or more of these Matoran Types.
For the Origin-1 Universe, I’ve only expanded upon this concept by introducing a multitude of new Matoran Types and reworking some existing ones. Below you will find descriptions for all 22 Matoran Types that exist within the Origin-1 Universe.
Primary Elements
First, we have the 6 Primary Elements. These were the first Matoran Types to be established by the Great Beings, and as a result, are also the most common. This is why you’ll see many Islands throughout the Matoran Universe with dedicated Districts or Villages for these Matoran to reside in.
Ta-Matoran
Element: Fire
Armor Colors: Shades of Red, Orange, Yellow, and Black
Trait: Resistance to Extreme Heat
Other Info: Ta-Matoran are usually very particular in the way they think. This attention to detail makes them highly skilled soldiers and craftsmen.
Ga-Matoran
Element: Water
Armor Colors: Shades of Blue
Trait: Enhanced Lung Capacity
Other Info: Ga-Matoran tend to live near bodies of water, and prefer a more peaceful lifestyle that values Unity above all else.
Le-Matoran
Element: Air
Armor Colors: Shades of Green
Trait: Enhanced Agility
Other Info: Many Le-Matoran have adopted their own unique dialect of the Matoran Language, which they refer to as “Chutespeak”. This dialect is more fast-paced due to the energetic personalities possessed by most Le-Matoran.
Ko-Matoran
Element: Ice
Armor Colors: Shades of White, Blue, and Grey
Trait: Resistance to Cold Temperatures
Other Info: Ko-Matoran are highly intelligent, but lacking in social skills. They’re often very quiet and tend to live in mountainous regions, isolated from other Matoran settlements.
Onu-Matoran
Element: Earth
Armor Colors: Shades of Black, Purple, and Orange.
Trait: Ability to See in Low Light
Other Info: Due to their enhanced vision, Onu-Matoran are more sensitive to sunlight. This has led to them often residing in caverns underground where the light isn’t nearly as strong.
Po-Matoran
Element: Stone
Armor Colors: Shades of Brown, Orange, Yellow, and Black
Trait: Greater Physical Strength
Other Info: Po-Matoran are highly competitive and athletic, this has led to the development of a rich sporting culture within their settlements. Kohlii in particular is a popular game amongst Po-Matoran.
Secondary Elements
Next are the 8 Secondary Elements. These Matoran Types were established after the creation of the initial 6 Primary Elements. For this reason, many of the Elements listed here aren’t quite as abundant as the Primary Elemental Types.
Vo-Matoran
Element: Lightning
Armor Colors: Shades of Blue and White
Trait: Resistance to Electricity
Other Info: Thanks to their innate understanding of electricity, Vo-Matoran have been responsible for many advancements in technology throughout the history of the Matoran Universe.
Su-Matoran
Element: Plasma
Armor Colors: Shades of White and Orange
Trait: Heat Resistance
Other Info: When the Su-Matoran were created by the Great Beings their Element was derived from the Element of Fire. This is why they share the same environment and resistance towards heat as the Ta-Matoran.
De-Matoran
Element: Sonics
Armor Colors: Shades of Black and Grey
Trait: Enhanced Sense of Hearing
Other Info: De-Matoran have an enhanced sense of hearing, which makes them extremely sensitive to loud noise. It’s for this reason that they often choose to live in isolation, away from other Matoran.
Bo-Matoran
Element: Plantlife
Armor Colors: Shades of Blue and Green
Trait: Resistance to Toxins
Other Info: Bo-Matoran typically live within jungle regions. However, unlike Le-Matoran who reside in the treetops, Bo-Matoran prefer to live on the jungle floor.
Fe-Matoran
Element: Iron
Armor Colors: Shades of Grey, Black, and Orange
Trait: Greater Physical Endurance
Other Info: Fe-Matoran have been known to be highly skilled weaponsmiths. There is one specific group of Fe-Matoran weaponsmiths known as the Nynrah Ghosts that supply weaponry to many factions across the Matoran Universe.
Sol-Matoran
Element: Day
Armor Colors: Shades of Orange, Yellow, and Black
Trait: Greater Energy During the Day
Other Info: Sol-Matoran have a natural preference towards warmer environments. As a result, they often establish settlements in tropical regions where the sun is most intense.
Lu-Matoran
Element: Night
Armor Colors: Shades of Blue and Black
Trait: Greater Energy During the Night
Other Info: Due to them innately having more energy at night, Lu-Matoran are often known to be nocturnal. As a result of this, they’re also more sensitive to bright light than other Matoran Types.
Ca-Matoran
Element: Crystal
Armor Colors: Shades of Black, Purple, and Pink
Trait: Able to Sense the Location of Crystals
Other Info: Ca-Matoran are often brought along in mining expeditions for their helpfulness in locating valuable gems underground.
Tertiary Elements
There also exist 6 Tertiary Elements, which are differentiated by how they were derived. The Primary and Secondary Elements are all subelements of the Element of Nature, which is one of many Elements of Existence that pervade the Origin-1 Universe. Unlike these other Elemental Types, the Tertiary Elements are instead based on other Elements of Existence. It’s for this reason that members of these Tertiary Elements can only be created by the Great Beings themselves. This makes them the rarest Elemental Types in the Matoran Universe.
Ba-Matoran
Element: Gravity
Armor Colors: Shades of Black and Purple
Trait: Resistance to High Gravitational Pressure
Other Info: Ba-Matoran are among the rarest Matoran Types within the Matoran Universe.
Ce-Matoran
Element: Psionics
Armor Colors: Shades of Blue and Yellow
Trait: Ability to Sense Emotions
Other Info: Ce-Matoran are known to make good healers, as they are skilled at understanding and interpreting the feelings of others.
Fa-Matoran
Element: Kinetics
Armor Colors: Shades of Red and Blue
Trait: Greater Sense of Direction
Other Info: Fa-Matoran have an in-depth understanding of the way that forces and energy function, making them extremely adept at engineering.
Va-Matoran
Element: Time
Armor Colors: Shades of Blue and Orange
Trait: More Accurate Perception of Time
Other Info: There are many tales surrounding the Va-Matoran, claiming they can travel through time or alter the course of certain events, however, these tales are no more than simple myths.
Be-Matoran
Element: Space
Armor Colors: Shades of Blue, Purple, and Black
Trait: Greater Spacial Awareness
Other Info: Be-Matoran are often claustrophobic due to them having a stronger sense of the space around them.
Lo-Matoran
Element: Spirits
Armor Colors: Shades of White, Combined with Light Shades of Other Colors
Trait: Able to Sense the Spirits of Others
Other Info: Lo-Matoran are known to be extremely judgemental, as through their ability to sense spirits they’re able to more accurately determine the true nature of the beings they come across.
Spiritual Elements
Finally, we have the 2 Spiritual Elements of Light and Shadow. Referred to colloquially as Av-Matoran and Kra-Matoran respectively, these Matoran Types were not intended by the Great Beings, and instead are a consequence of how the Matoran were given sentience.
Within the Spirit of every Matoran there resides a concoction of Light and Shadow that determines their personality. Matoran with a majority of Light within their Spirit will generally exhibit more positive personality traits, whereas a Matoran with a majority of Shadow will exhibit more negative traits.
The terms Av-Matoran and Kra-Matoran refer to Matoran whose Spirits are almost purely comprised of one or the other. So much so that if one of these Matoran were to transform into a Toa, they would be able to utilize the Light or Shadow within their Spirit to enhance their existing Elemental Powers.
Perhaps this will be a way to introduce more Toa of Light and Shadow, other than the single one we knew from the Prime Universe… 
-Trivia-
- The Ancient Matoran design originally came about when revamping the Matoran Form of my Self-Moc Tere. The design was heavily inspired by WombatCombatPictures’ Av-Matoran Build, mainly in the use of an Inika shoulder piece as chest armor.
- All the new Elemental Types were chosen to fit in with existing ones. Elements like Day and Night were inspired by the spiritualness of the original 6 Elements, and others like Time and Space were meant to expand upon those based on science, such as Gravity.
-Extras-
PDF instructions for all 3 Matoran Designs featured in this post are available below for free! Feel free to use these designs to create your own Origin-1 Matoran!
Proto-Matoran Instructions
Ancient Matoran Instructions
Kestoran Matoran Instructions
That will be all for this Codex Entry on the Matoran of the Origin-1 Universe! Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for more!