Bohrok

Bohrok
Theme:	BIONICLE
Variations:	Bohrok-Kal
Accessories:	Shields, Krana
Years:	2002-2003
[List of appearances]

“If you wake one...you wake them all.”

―Tagline for the Bohrok

The Bohrok are mysterious insectoid creatures from the BIONICLE storyline. They were prominent antagonists in the Chronicles storyline, though parts of their origin remain a mystery.

Overview

The Bohrok are mechanical insectoid creatures, controlled by strange parasitic beings that live within their heads, known as Krana. If a Bohrok loses its Krana, it shuts down and can be reprogrammed to do one's bidding; but if a Krana gets on another being's face, it then assimilates its host into the swarm. The Krana, which control the Bohrok, are in turn controlled by the two fearsome Bahrag, twin queens of the swarms.

A Tahnok Swarm

It has been hinted that the Bohrok are somehow related to the Toa Mata; the Bahrag have referred to these Toa as the Bohrok's "brothers", and series writer Greg Farshtey has confirmed that there is an unrevealed meaning to this statement.

Over a thousand years ago in Metru Nui, Onu-Matoran miners stumbled upon a Bohrok nest and found that the creatures were fully mechanical while the Krana they carried inside were completely organic. They also discovered the creatures' name, "Bohrok", from a carving in the nest's wall. After a quick check, archivists found there was no evidence of assembly. Another Onu-Matoran archivist named Mavrah theorized that the Bohrok were once biomechanical (like every other BIONICLE lifeform), but evolved to a state with no organic parts and without a single independent thought.

History

The Bohrok were once Av-Matoran, whose destiny it was to transform into Bohrok to prepare Mata Nui for his awakening. Their purpose is to return the Island of Mata-Nui (in reality the face of Mata Nui's giant robotic body) to the before-time, to clean it (the island appearance is actually created by the face's camouflage system). However, the Bohrok were initially awakened before the time was right by Makuta, in order to defeat the Toa. The Bohrok easily felled large trees, froze lava, melted ice, and leveled mountains in their devastating quest to "clean it all". Relief came only when the Toa Mata defeated the Bohrok Queens, the Bahrag, in a dramatic quest. Without the Bahrag to guide them, the Bohrok became docile, and the Matoran put them to work repairing the damage.

Shortly afterward, six mutated Bohrok called Bohrok-Kal were released. These elite Bohrok were much more powerful and intelligent - and independent - than regular Bohrok. Their mission was to release the Bahrag from where they had been imprisoned by the Toa Mata, thus enabling the Bohrok swarms to resume their invasion.

Immediately after imprisoning the Bahrag, the Toa were transformed by energized protodermis into more powerful Toa Nuva, and each gained a Nuva Symbol that was tied to their elemental powers. The Bohrok-Kal discovered that the Bahrag's prison was locked by a special Nuva Cube, which required the Nuva Symbols to unlock. The Bohrok-Kal had to steal the Symbols and find the sealed entrance to the Bahrag's underground lair and prison before actually releasing the twin queens.

The Kal managed to steal the Symbols easily, find the lair's entrance, clear a way in, and almost finish their devious task. While doing this, they signaled all Bohrok to leave the Matoran and return to their nests. In the lair, a group of Exo-Toa were guarding the prison; the Bohrok-Kal defeated them easily but it gave the Toa Nuva time to catch up to them. Toa Tahu tried to use the Vahi Mask of Time against them, but even slowed to a near-standstill, the Bohrok-Kal were protected by their silver Krana-Kal. In a last-ditch effort, the Toa banked on their ties to their Nuva Symbols and fed their strength to the Bohrok-Kal, giving them power beyond imagining - too much power for them to control. Their bodies were utterly destroyed by their own powers and only their Krana-Kal remained.

In the months following the Bohrok's defeat, the Matoran rediscovered their original home of Metru Nui and relocated there, leaving Mata Nui uninhabited. The Toa Nuva were eventually directed to a list of tasks that needed to be done in preparation of The Great Spirit Mata Nui's awakening. One of which, was freeing the Bohrok. Although reluctant to release such a destructive force, the Toa did as directed, and the Bohrok are now working to clean Mata Nui completely. Some of the Bohrok fought the Kardas Dragon and were destroyed.

A small group of Bohrok were awakened by Krakua via a Sonic Signal in order to have them fight the Rakshi (which were in the way to getting to the face of Mata Nui).

Powers

Matoran possessed by Krana

All Bohrok share the abilities of curling up into a ball and ejecting their Krana onto an opponent, forcing them to become part of the swarm. Each Bohrok is also equipped with shields on their hands that allow them to fire their element (the exceptions being Pahrak, who simply had to hit their shields on something seismic wave, and Nuhvok, who has to hit their shields on something to damage it). In addition, the Bohrok's Krana gives it an additional power, one unique to each krana, and a Bohrok can switch these powers by having a Bohrok Va exchange its Krana for another. If a Bohrok does not have a Krana, then it is immobile, as the Krana control the Bohrok movements

Bohrok Va have none of these powers (except for launching Krana), but, unlike normal Bohrok, they can operate independently without Krana (though they still require direction from the Bahrag). They also use simple handheld tools and weapons.

The Bohrok-Kal have the same basic range of powers as normal Bohrok, although they can use their element in two ways (offensively and defensively), whereas normal Bohrok can only use their powers to attack. The Kal also use a set of enhanced Krana called Krana-Kal that have slightly different powers; and when the Kal are in the final moments before completing their mission, their Krana-Kal turn silver and project a shield that protects them from all outside attack.

The Bohrok-Kal have also shown the ability to merge into Kaita beings (taking the name of whichever Krana is dominant), which combine and amplify the powers of those who take part in the fusion. Normal Bohrok and Bohrok Va can also do this.

Bohrok Breeds

Main Breeds

Tahnok

Tahnok, Bohrok of Fire: Tahnok are quick, industrious, methodical, and know the value of teamwork. If another Tahnok is incapacitated, all other members of the swarm will make sure it is safe before they continue with their mission (despite this, they are the most brash and impulsive of the Bohrok). Tahnok are the most aggressive of the swarms, but even though they are not naturally violent, they anger easily if threatened, and will usually strike first, and as a group.

Gahlok

Gahlok, Bohrok of Water: Gahlok are astonishingly difficult to catch, as they can change their methods in the blink of an eye (in fact, Turaga Nokama once said, "Catching a Gahlok is like trying to hold onto an eel with one wet hand. So think carefully before you interrupt their work."). Gahlok will never react in the same way more than once, will never strike the same place twice, and are masters of ambush. At one point, they even attacked Onu-Koro, forcing the resident matoran to evacuate. However, some good came of this, as the matoran Nuparu used a Kranaless Gahlok body to build the first Boxor machine, and save the village.

Lehvak

Lehvak, Bohrok of Acid: Lehvak are the most individualy motivated and free-thinking of the Bohrok, because although they do work in swarms, they definitely work best in smaller groups, and are even perfectly capable of working and thinking alone. As they are the only Bohrok with any free thought, they are the swarm's most dangerous tacticians. They are unpredictable, and never strike in one place for long, and it is next to impossible to predict where they will appear next. In addition to their abilities of free thought, Lehvak heve the most dangerous of all the Bohrok's shields, as theirs gives them the power to fight with an incredibly corrosive acid, melting anything in their path. The Lehvak are also responsible for the attack on Le-Koro, the most successful attack in the entire Bohrok uprising, as they burnt the village to the ground, and infected all its members with krana, indoctrinating them into the swarm. When Toa Lewa came to assist his villagers, the Lehvak defeated him as well, and replaced his mask with a krana. The only possible way to defeat a Lehvak is to corner a single one, and take it by surprise.

Pahrak

Pahrak, Bohrok of Stone: Pahrak are generally placid and slow, and generally ignore attackers, unless they absolutely must defend themselves. But if they do get angry, they won't stop until the problem confronting them is solved. After attacking successfully, they will put it out of their minds, and return to the mission at hand. The only way to stop a group of Pahrak is to wear them down slowly, as there is practically nothing forceful enough to move them. Pahrak carry shields with sonic crumbling power.

Nuhvok

Nuhvok, Bohrok of Earth: Nuhvok are generally cave dwellers, and specialize in undermining the very foundations of Mata Nui. They are, unlike other Bohrok, quite solitary, and can usually only be found alone. They have excellent night vision, and, as they spend almost all their time underground, this more than makes up for the fact that they become highly dazzled in sunlight (meaning the best strategy for fighting a Nuhvok is to lure it aboveground). Like Pahrak, they will not defend themselves immediately, and generally only when backed into a corner. However, when they do fight, they are highly dangerous, as their hammer shields can smash nearly anything.

Kohrak

Kohrak, Bohrok of Ice, like Nuhvok and Pahrak, will never fight unless forced to. However, they consider themselves invincible and are dismissive of danger, and have, when roused, formidable fighting skills. When one Kohrak responds to an attack, the entire group does, but they will not attack as a unified force, instead fighting their opponents one-on-one. The ice shields they carry can freeze anything, even open flame.

Bohrok-Kal

One of each Bohrok breed were mutated by an unknown energy into Bohrok-Kal. This energy is guessed, but not confirmed, to have been distilled from some kind of mutagenic substance such as Visorak venom. They were six elite Bohroks that were sent to free the Bahrag. Unlike all the other Bohrok, the Bohrok-Kal (or rather, their Krana-Kal) are capable of independent thought without the Bahrag's help. In addition, the Krana-Kal, unlike regular Krana, were able to speak. The Bohrok-Kal's purpose was to help the Bahrag if they should become unable to guide the swarms somehow. Their bodies were destroyed when the Toa Nuva, through their Nuva Symbols, fed the Kal more power than they were able to control, causing an energy overload, but their Krana-Kal are known to have escaped.

Bohrok Va

Bohrok Va serve as scouts for the Bohrok, as well as carrying extra Krana for when a Bohrok loses its own. Unlike the Bohrok, Bohrok Va aren't controlled by Krana. Because of this, they were able to ally themselves with the Bohrok-Kal in secret, after the defeat of the Bahrag. Each of the six breeds of Bohrok has its own Va counterpart.

The Bahrag

Cahdok and Gahdok

Cahdok and Gahdok are the twin Queens of the Bohrok swarms, together known as the Bahrag. They each have all the powers of the main six Bohrok breeds, plus the ability to cast illusions that seem real and solid until one stops believing in them. The Bahrag's powers grow stronger the closer they physically are to each other.

The Bahrag are driven by a single goal, to take the island of Mata Nui and "clean it all". They care little for anything else, unless it gets in the way of their mission. When Makuta woke them, they assumed it was time for "cleaning" and immediately sent out the swarms, regardless of the fact that there were still people living on the island. The Toa Mata tried to fight the Bahrag with their new Exo-Toa armor, but the armor proved little help as it blocked the Toa's use of their elemental powers. The Toa instead removed the armor and combined their elemental powers, encasing the Bahrag in a protodermic cage and ending their control over the swarms.

The Bohrok-Kal were soon released to try and free the Bahrag, but they ultimately failed. The Toa (now Toa Nuva) eventually returned after the island had become uninhabited, freeing the Bahrag so they could accomplish their goal.

Kaita

The Bohrok Kaita are large creatures created by three Bohrok merging their essences. Only two are known to exist, the Bohrok Kaita Ja, and the Bohrok Kaita Za. Neither of them have ever appeared in the BIONICLE storyline.
Bohrok-Kal and Va also have the ability to form Kaita, and the Bahrag's parts can be combined to create the Bahrag Spider, although it is unknown if this creature is actually related to the Bohrok.

Imposters

Fake Bohrok - The Brotherhood of Makuta once ordered the construction of completely mechanical Bohrok to serve their corrupt purposes. When the Matoran laborers behind the project found out, they risked their lives by sabotaging these false Bohrok. After they went on a rampage, the Toa Hagah were dispatched to eliminate them, and the Matoran were put to death for their disobedience. Fans refer to these false Bohrok as Faux-rok or Fohrok (Fake Bohrok).

Some Bohrok appeared in the Maze of Shadows video game, which took place well before the swarms were awakened. It turns out that these Bohrok were not controlled by Krana, but rather by hive-minded worm creatures that had escaped a Brotherhood of Makuta lair. They found their way into a Bohrok nest, took over some Bohrok shells and learned how to use them to defend themselves.

Krana

Krana Xa, the swarm commanders

The Krana are the parasitic creatures that pilot the bio-mechanical Bohrok bodies. They come in six different varieties, all of which have different roles, and grant thier Bohrok different powers. Each Bohrok has a colour of krana unique to it, and each of these turns a different colour when it is inactive (not controlling anything). The inactive krana are only seen on Bohrok Va, who carry them for their masters. In addition to the six basic breeds of krana, their are also six specialized breeds, the Krana-Kal, used exclusively by the Bohrok-Kal, which look the same as the original krana (although they are metallic in colour), but are smarter, and give the wearer different abilities.
The different types of Krana and Krana-Kal are as follows:

Name	Regular Title	Regular Power	Kal Title	Kal Power(s)
Xa	Swarm Commander	Swarm Commander	Liberator	Liberator of the Bahrag
Za	Squad Leader	Telepathy	Overseer	Telepathy, limited mind and emotion reading
Vu	Surveyor	Flight	Transporter	Speed, Flight
Ca	Clearance	Heavy defensive shields	Seeker	Can sense the Bahrag (withing a limited range)
Yo	Mole	Tunneling	Excavator	Sensing stress points in the earth, detecting underground movement
Ja	Scout	Radar	Tracker	Senses distant obstacles, improves the senses of all Kal nearby, especially hearing and smell
Su	Worker	Strength	Demolisher	Strength, resistance to heat and cold
Bo	Sentinel	Night vision	Visionary	Can see in the dark, and through all solid objects except the ground

A poster depicting all of the original Krana

The following chart lists all krana by their colour relative to the breed of Bohrok they represent.

	Active/Bohrok	Inactive/Bohrok Va	Bohrok-Kal
Tahnok	Blue	Yellow	Bronze
Gahlok	Orange	Purple	Steel Blue
Lehvak	Red	Grey	Metallic Green
Pahrak	Green	Tan	Iron Grey
Nuhvok	Lime Green	Black	Copper
Kohrak	Light Blue	White	Pearl

Notes

• All six main breeds of Bohrok were featured as enemies in the non-canon video game BIONICLE Heroes; however, they were mistakenly given the names and descriptions of the Bohrok-Kal.
• In addition to the regular colours of Krana, there were also limited-edition white metal and sterling silver versions included in randomized packs of Bohrok-Kal.

Sets which include Bohrok

Bohrok:

• 8563 Tahnok
• 8562 Gahlok
• 8564 Lehvak
• 8560 Pahrak
• 8561 Nuhvok
• 8565 Kohrak
• K8563 Bohrok Swarm Kit
• 65127 Bohrok Co-Pack

Bohrok Va:

• 8554 Tahnok Va
• 8550 Gahlok Va
• 8552 Lehvak Va
• 8553 Pahrak Va
• 8555 Nuhvok Va
• 8551 Kohrak Va
• BIONICLE Kabaya Va Collection

(all the Bohrok Va were also released in identical sets with different numbers, as promotions from Kabaya sweets.)
Bohrok-Kal:

• 8574 Tahnok-Kal
• 8578 Gahlok-Kal
• 8576 Lehvak-Kal
• 8577 Pahrak-Kal
• 8573 Nuhvok-Kal
• 8575 Kohrak-Kal

Bahrag:

• 8558 Cahdok and Gahdok

LEGO.com Descriptions

Tahnok: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. The Tahnok are the most aggressive and destructive of all the Bohrok swarms! They use their mastery of fire to burn and melt whatever's in their way. Even with their krana removed, Tahnok are hard to tame. Gahlok: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. The Gahlok are the trickiest Bohrok opponents – they never attack the same way twice! Able to control water, the Gahlok use tidal waves to flood Mata Nui. Remove their krana and they can be tamed. Lehvak: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. The Lehvak are the only Bohrok swarm designed for combat. Using their crushing shields and dissolving spray, they exist to destroy anything that lives on Mata Nui. Clever and unpredictable, stopping the Lehvak may be the Toa's greatest challenge! With their krana removed, they are still highly difficult to tame. Pahrak: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. The Pahrak are the most unrelenting of the Bohrok, never giving up until their destructive work is done. Their shields have the power to set off earthquakes, and they can move massive boulders with their bare hands. No matter what the obstacle, Pahrak can reduce it to rubble! But if you remove their krana, the Pahrak can be tamed! Nuhvok: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. The Nuhvok are the tunnelers of the Bohrok, using the power of their shields to blow up rock and blast passages through the earth. They even have the power to bring down a mountain! Although their reactions are slow, they are dangerously fierce when cornered. When their krana is removed, they can be put to work rebuilding what they have destroyed. Kohrak: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. The Kohrak are the most cold-blooded of the Bohrok. They want to bring a new Ice Age to Mata Nui – and they have the power to do it! Their shields are capable of freezing anything and can even fire blasts of ice. Get in their way and you'll wind up in a block of ice! Tahnok Va: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. Fast and reckless, Tahnok Va can be seen scurrying at great speed along dangerous ledges with their glowing staff of flames to guide them through the darkest of forest paths and the vast network of Mangai caves and tunnels. Lehvak Va: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. The Lehvak Va use their small blades to cut through the dense undergrowth of the jungle, as they go on scouting missions for their masters! Kohrak Va: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. The Kohrak Va's claws make it an excellent climber, even on the icy slopes of Mount Ihu! Nuhvak Va: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. Nuhvok Va are sometimes nicknamed "tunnel foxes" by the islanders. They are not naturals at heavy digging, but can burrow out of most situations. Normally they are spotted in distant shadows, moving with a quick scamper then a pause to listen. They can see in the dark and squeeze through gaps you would not think possible. Pahrak Va: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. The Pahrak Va are among the easiest of the Bohrok Va to catch, but good luck holding onto them - they are also the strongest! Gahlok Va: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. The Gahlok Va stalks the seas, keeping an eye out for any threats to the Gahlok's mission. Tahnok-Kal: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. Tahnok-Kal is fast and powerful, and usually acts as the leader of a Bohrok-Kal squad. Its reflexes are incredibly swift, making it appear short-tempered to those who see it in action. Some have said the Tahnok-Kal is truly as fast as the lightning it controls. Tahnok-Kal controls the forces of electricity via his power shield. The shield can use energy for defense or fire lightning bolts at an opponent. Gahlok-Kal: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. Like water itself, Gahlok-Kal is hard to catch. Its surface is designed to make it difficult to grasp, and it can “flow” around obstacles when need be. Gahlok-Kal is stealthy as well, able to sneak in and out of a Matoran village without ever being seen or heard. Gahlok-Kal’s tool is a magnetic shield. This collects, controls and directs the power of magnetism from the earth – which can be employed as a defensive force field against attack, or be used as a formidable defensive weapon. Gahlok-Kal: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. Lehvak-Kal is the fastest and most unpredictable Bohrok-Kal. Its vacuum shield gives it two powerful modes of defense, and there is no way for a Toa Nuva to know which it will choose. Lehvak-Kal makes full use of the terrain, and can disappear into the jungle in an instant. Lehvak-Kal’s vacuum shield can suck all the air out of a given area, causing a destructive implosion. It can then release the evacuated air in a single blast that has the power to smash through solid rock. Pahrak-Kal: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. Pahrak-Kal is a slow-moving powerhouse. Although it would seem this Bohrok-Kal would be easy to evade, that is not so. The Pahrak-Kal is a powerhouse that can plow through any obstacle on its way to its goal. Pahrak-Kal’s tool is a plasma shield. It has the power to superheat any substance until it becomes plasmodia. This makes him a fast and effective tunneller. The shield can also be used defensively, to turn any incoming missile or attack into a roiling mass of plasma. More terrifyingly, it can be used as an offensive weapon, to turn any obstacle into a molten mass. Nuhvok-Kal: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. The Nuhvok-Kal sacrifices speed for sheer power. Its gravity shield makes it one of the most dangerous Bohrok-Kal, but it seems to be in no hurry to fight. Perhaps the reason is that as soon as it brings its gravity shield into play, the struggle is over in seconds... The Nuhvok-Kal’s gravity shield has the dual ability to negate gravity (so that its target becomes lighter than air and starts to float away), or intensify gravity (so that its target becomes much more dense, and sinks into the ground). To be sure of defeating Nuhvok-Kal, the Toa Nuva should face him only above ground. Kohrak-Kal: This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. Kohrak-Kal tends to work alone more than any other Bohrok-Kal. The reason may be that its sonic powers are so great, they are even a threat to its comrades. In fact, the Kohrak-Kal is so awesome that its Krana-Kal can afford to ignore danger until the very last moment, then react swiftly and with overpowering effect. Kohrak-Kal’s tool is a sonic shield. It can change its rate of vibration almost instantly, forming a dense sonic barrier that can repel most forms of attack. It is even more impressive when used in attack mode--bursts of sonic emanations can deafen an opponent or if used at higher intensity can cause almost any target to stress and shatter.

Gallery

• 

  The symbol used to represent the Bohrok

• 

  The Krana-Kal, in black

• 

  Kohrak Va

• 

  Nuhvok Va

• 

  Pahrak Va

• 

  Gahlok Va

• 

  Lehvak Va

• 

  Nuhvok-Kal

• 

  Pahrak-Kal

• 

  Gahlok-Kal

• 

  Bohrok Kaita Ja

• 

  Bohrok Kaita Za

References

General information comes from the BIONICLE Chronicles book series; see List of BIONICLE media.

External links

• Bohrok-Kal article at BIONICLE Sector 01 Wiki
• Bohrok article at BIONICLE Sector 01 Wiki
• Bohrok Va article at BIONICLE Sector 01 Wiki
• Bahrag article at BIONICLE Sector 01 Wiki