I’d like to dedicate this thread to the discussion of what the Toa’s personalities and what their Hero’s Journeys should be. I’ll begin by posting my initial ideas, but not before addressing one potential issue: The need to keep the characters interesting for three years (or more). They need to develop all throughout this time, and I don’t mean re-learning the same life lesson over and over again. This was something we saw a little of in Gen 2, with the Toa constantly struggling to find their unity, and even saw hints of in Gen 1, particularly after the Toa became Nuva, and at the beginning of MoL. Now, with that said, on with the topic.
Tahu
-Positive traits: He has an utterly inexhaustible supply of determination, nothing will stop him once he puts his mind to something. He’s also a fantastic motivator, able to get the most beaten-down team into their fighting spirit again. He’s a hard worker whose Duty comes before all else.
-Negative traits: Unfortunately, his determination constantly gives him tunnel vision. He isn’t inflexible, but it takes a lot to get him to actually consider that sometimes ‘through’ isn’t the only path forward. Great as he is at motivating people, he’s a terrible negotiator, and only ever ends up aggravating instead of appeasing others. He’s also got a stick up where the sun don’t shine, and rarely gives himself time to relax and enjoy himself.
-Why: Courage and Duty are the principles of Ta-Koro (or Mangai in this case), and Fire is an unyielding force of nature that consumes all before it, that burns itself out against things it cannot defeat.
-Proposed journey: Year 1 would focus more on fixing his tunnel vision, Gali and Lewa, as well as whatever mentor character he has (a Vakama equivalent) serving as a counterbalance, in addition to his own failures culminating in a climax in his personal journey, ultimately lead him to realize that backing down is not always a bad thing.
Gali
-Positive traits: Kind, calm, and down to earth. She’s a bottomless well of patience and understanding, able to calm the most furious tempers with a few carefully chosen words. She is caring, and places the needs of others over her own. She’s not overly mushy though, knowing when she needs to be firm in order to help others up, rather than offering them a soft bed to lay down in.
-Negative traits: There is such a thing as too considerate, however. Her willingness to accommodate others can occasionally lead to long-term problems. As a whole, her foresight is slightly lacking, and she tends to focus on immediate problems rather than the future, treating the symptoms and not the disease. Her protectiveness can also lead to others not learning or gaining something that they should have, in overcoming their own struggles. Very much prefers to go around a problem than to deal with it directly.
-Why: Unity is the virtue of Ga-Koro (or, you know, Naho), and water is a soothing force that flows around the contours of obstacles, rather than striking them head-on.
-Proposed journey: Year one would focus on her learning that sometimes tackling a problem head-on is the only way to stop things from getting worse down the line. Onua’s foresight and Tahu’s stubbornness would be good counterbalances to lead to this lesson.
Kopaka
-Positive traits: Calm and collected, always able to assess a situation before acting. His vision is not simply limited to X-ray. A master of using minimal words to their fullest extent, and very convincing as a result. Scarily insightful, he can seem to peer straight into someone’s soul after a single conversation. His natural charisma can lead others to look up to him quickly.
-Negative traits: Proud to a definite fault, and severely introverted. As a result, he dislikes the company of others unless they’re as quiet as he is, and especially has a distaste for teamwork. He believes that it’s his way or the highway, and anyone who disagrees and doesn’t back down simply isn’t worth debating with. His methods of arguing are overly firm, and although effective at overcoming obstacles, fail to win him allies or friends. Very skilled at finding fault in others, while unwilling to work on fixing said faults unless he has to. His pride, and his attachment to it, leaves him vulnerable. The bigger the pride, the greater the fall (or whatever Dooku said), and when struck down, he does not take it gracefully.
-Why: Ice is beautiful, but it is brittle. Firm, but it will shatter with enough force, and it break before it bends. He is antisocial because ice will melt when exposed to warmth. While ice can soothe pain, it can also kill cells in the process. His mask of Vision being tied to his personality is also something I thought would be interesting.
-Proposed journey: He will learn that his ability to see through others is far more valuable than seeing through stone. Though his social distance will not go away for a long time, he will begin to learn that his ability, especially paired with Onua’s neutrality, can be a valuable part of a long healing process. Also, he needs to learn unity of course, thanks largely to Pohatu.
Lewa
-Positive traits: A bottomless source of positivity. Similarly unbreakable as Tahu, though through her power of optimism, more than general willpower. She can bring a smile to anyone’s faces, even in the hardest of times, and hates to see anybody feeling down. She’s friendly and easily approachable, and makes a conscious effort to reach out to others all the time.
-Negative traits: No foresight whatsoever. She focuses on the here and now, jumping into things without really thinking them through completely, which can predictably land her in trouble, or worse, cause trouble for others. She also holds herself up to an impossible standard, and thinks far worse of herself than she lets on, always believing she could have done better. And as big a problem as that may be, she doesn’t think she should bother others with her own worries.
-Why: Air is light and quick, a source of renewable energy, and fun. The principle of Le-Koro is Faith, which both fuels her boundless optimism (faith that all will be well), and her recklessness (faith that all will be-- oh wait, I said that already).
-Proposed journey: Rather than re-do the timeless ‘learn to be more careful’ story AGAIN, Lewa’s first lesson will be to learn to open up to others about her own issues. Kopaka and Onua would be the biggest contributors to this, with Kopaka’s insight and Onua’s support, and with Gali’s soothing touch to ultimately help her get over her problems.
Pohatu
-Positive traits: Just such a nice guy. He’s friendly, easily approachable, and above all, reliable. If you need something, you can be sure that your friend Pohatu will be ready to help. In fact, even if you aren’t that fond of him he’ll still help (looking at you, Kopaka). He’s open and talkative, but a good listener at the same time. The Matoran nicknamed him ‘Brohatu’, even.
-Negative traits: His desire to be reliable may come at the cost of his own wellbeing, always willing to put himself in harm’s way for the sake of others. While this is definitely a heroic trait, he’s been known to exhaust himself, leaving him too worn out to deal with a bad situation at times. He’s also extremely stubborn, and will never take ‘no’ for an answer. A bit of a bonehead at times, and overly trusting.
-Why: Mostly taking inspiration from the Gen 1 Pohatu we all know and love. There’s not much you can do with the principle of Creation, personality-wise, but as a stone, reliability and firmness are to be expected.
-Proposed journey: Kopaka, in repeated attempts to get Pohatu to leave him alone, ultimately ends up leading him to realize his biggest flaw, and in a crucial moment of weakness, Pohatu is saved by a guilty Kopaka, who finally begins to accept him, and others.
Onua
-Positive traits: The quintessential gentle giant. Usually. Onua is a passive player, content to support his friends in subtle ways, offering up few suggestions, but what little advice he does give is best heeded. He’s got the most foresight and patience of the Toa, skilled at understanding the merits of both sides in an argument, and a good negotiator as a result. He’s kind and understanding, but also protective. It takes a lot to work him up, but if somebody needs immediate protection or saving, there’s no firmer bastion.
-Negative traits: Always passive. His methods are always slow and mostly roundabout, which can lead to frustration, or sometimes disaster when he acts too late. He’s a professional passive observer, and tends to see everything in shades of gray, except in the most absolute black and white situations, preferring to be a mediator rather than offer up his own opinion, even when asked for it.
-Why: Earth is a foundation. It is passive and patient, and often goes unnoticed, yet it contains nutrients and provides support with which things grow, and the silent, unmoving plants are the sustenance that the active movers of the world require to keep going. (You can tell I put a lot of thought into this one already! 
)
-Proposed journey: The issue Onua most faces in this is dealing with a team so fractured that sometimes even he needs to step forward and take charge. Tahu is likely the biggest catalyst of this, with his determination, leadership, and stubbornness, with Lewa’s encouragement, and the danger she gets into (oh jeez, she’s going to be the damsel in distress isn’t she?) forcing him to take action.
