Dark Hunters

The Dark Hunters are a fictional organization of bounty hunters in the LEGO BIONICLE storyline.

Overview

The Dark Hunters are an organization of bounty hunters situated on the island of Odina. They are neither good nor evil but rather amoral, taking any job that pays well enough. However, their practices are rather shadowy and violent; and they are often hired by evil groups such as the Brotherhood of Makuta. As such, they are often rightly considered villains. Dark Hunters are generally at least as powerful as heroic Toa, and almost every Hunter has a story of when they killed a Toa on a mission. The Dark Hunters are led by a mysterious figure only known as "the Shadowed One", and command some mutant Rahi.

Military history

The Dark Hunters have been at the forefront of two major wars. The first was against the Toa: Turaga Dume had refused to let the Hunters build a base in Metru Nui so the Hunters attacked the city; and hundreds of Toa came to Metru Nui's defense. The war ended when Toa Nidhiki betrayed his brothers and helped the Dark Hunters set a trap, only Toa Lhikan found out and set a counter-trap that defeated the Hunters.

Shortly after the Great Cataclysm, another war was declared against the Brotherhood of Makuta because Makuta had killed two Hunters (Nidhiki and Krekka). The war has lasted for a thousand years and is still ongoing. The Dark Hunters have fought using guerilla war tactics compared to the larger armies used by the Brotherhood of Makuta. Roodaka is known to have played parts on both sides, though neither side knows she works for the other.

At a time when relations between the Dark Hunters and the Brotherhood of Makuta were still good, the Hunters made up part of a Brotherhood army that included Visorak and Exo-Toa.

Dark Hunter rules

For members:

• Do not fail a mission. The Shadowed One does not tolerate failure.
• Anything of worth gained on a mission belongs to the organization, not to the individual. Trying to hoard treasure for yourself will bring swift punishment.
• Once you join the Dark Hunters, you are a Dark Hunter for life. Those who leave the organization will be hunted down and killed.

For others:

• Do not summon a Dark Hunter for no good reason, and do not refuse to pay for a job. Wasting the Hunters' time like this brings punishment.
• Those who have the nerve to kill a Dark Hunter will bring down the wrath of the Shadowed One himself.

Famous members

The Shadowed One

The being known as "the Shadowed One" is the founder and leader of the Dark Hunters; his real name is lost to history, and none would dare speak it even if they knew it.

The Shadowed One can fire beams from his eyes that disintegrate whatever he looks at, he has a Rhotuka Launcher that fires madness spinners, and he wields a staff that can create solid, crystalline protodermis.

Sentrakh

Sentrakh is the Shadowed One's nonliving bodyguard - "nonliving" because he is in a state between life and death. He became this way as the result of an experiment to make more obedient Hunters, but it ended up completely destroying his memory and he had to be retaught everything from scratch, thus putting an end to use of the process.

Sentrakh has the powers of illusion, darkness, molecular transmutation, and mind wiping. He is also equipped with Rhotuka spinners that can dematerialize targets, temporarily making them ghostly and intangible.

Lariska

Lariska is the only known female Dark Hunter, and holds such a high status that the Shadowed One leaves her in charge when he and Ancient are away. Her left arm is entirely mechanical, due to a punishment from The Shadowed One (it is implied that the offense was trying to keep part of a reward for herself). Lariska openly intends to take over the Hunters one day.

Her preferred weapons of choice are poisoned throwing daggers.

Voporak

Once a clan leader of Sidorak's species, Sidorak betrayed him to the Brotherhood of Makuta to gain power. He is a being sensitive to shifts in time that could locate the Vahi Mask of Time, if it ever came into existence.

Voporak gives off a temporal force field that ages any attack used against it; for instance, fire would burn out and thrown rocks would erode to dust before they can reach him. His touch ages anyone or anything if he wills to do so. He also has Rhotuka spinners that temporarily knock targets out of sync with time, leaving them a second or two behind the rest of the world. Given the force field, Voporak's only known weakness is vacuum, as he still needs to breathe and no amount of time will create air.

Nidhiki

Nidhiki was once a Toa of Air in Metru Nui alongside Toa Lhikan. In the war between the Toa and the Dark Hunters, he struck a deal with Lariska: he would lay a trap for the Toa if the Hunters would let him rule Metru Nui. However,the Toa won.

Nidhiki's ability to spit energy bolts and launch kanoka disks are very effective in battle. He is also capable of flight.

Krekka

Krekka was one of the Dark Hunters and Nidhiki's partner. He was part of a species that came from the same island as Sidorak's species; his species was of a lower class than Sidorak's. He traveled island to island and eventually was recruited by the Dark Hunters. The Shadowed One eventually partnered him with Nidhiki, creating a powerful team.

Krekka's greatest attribute is his immense strength, though he can also fly and fire energy nets. He also has a shoulder-mounted Kanoka Disk Launcher.

The Piraka

Hakann, Vezok, Zaktan, Avak, Reidak, and Thok were all formerly Dark Hunters. However, hearing rumors about Makuta's death, they investigated and found his empty armor. They took their new group name from a Matoran obscenity that Ancient once called them; "Piraka" meaning "murderer" or "thief".

Even though the have their own uniqe powers, the Piraka are all equiped with zamor sphere launchers. They also have their own type of eye beams.

Other members

Nearly all other Dark Hunters are only known by codenames. Few have been seen in action; most of the following information is from the Shadowed One's personal records (the BIONICLE: Dark Hunters guidebook):

"Airwatcher": Airwatcher is one of the sentries of the Dark Hunter's island base. Unfortunately, he's even dumber than Krekka; he has been known to attack rocks, trees, and other Dark Hunters in the zone that he patrols. Most Hunters wouldn't risk entering Airwatcher's patrol zone because of this, but he has been trained to keep from attacking the Shadowed One and Sentrakh, so the two often hide important items there. Airwatcher can fly using his wings and fire binding energy webs from his chest; and he has a staff that fires streams of acid.

Amphibax: Amphibax was once an undersea wanderer, and had served as part of Ehlek's army. As a Dark Hunter, the Shadowed One sends him on aquatic missions, and even the rumors of his presence can halt all sea traffic. Amphibax has sharp claws on one hand; he lost the other hand before becoming a Hunter (rumor has it while searching for Ehlek) and had it replaced with a spiny whip. He is a skilled swimmer, able to survive at great depths for quite a while. On land, he is adept at running and climbing trees. He also has heightened senses of hearing and sight. Amphibax is currently monitoring the Piraka from Voya Nui's coastline, but is probably too busy to investigate what is happening down below in Mahri Nui.

"Ancient": Ancient is one of the oldest Hunters, and the Shadowed One's most trusted agent after Sentrakh. It was Ancient who inspired the Dark Hunters, being the first to reject the codes of behavior on his and the Shadowed One's home island and to sell his services to whomever wanted them. This transformed the peaceful society into a war-torn one, as warlords wanted Ancient to crush their enemies. Ancient has great strength and near-impenetrable armor, and his boots are equipped with levitation Kanoka disks so that he can hover if he wishes. He has a Rhotuka Launcher with rapid-fire capabilities, and his spinners make targets lose all physical coordination. Ancient and Voporak are currently working together to find the Vahi Mask of Time.

"Charger": Charger was once a Kane-Ra bull; how he became an intelligent humanoid is unknown. But while his body and intelligence have changed, he still thinks (and stinks) like a beast; determined and brave to the point of recklessness, not skilled at strategy or stealth, and reacting violently to other animals. He carries an axe that once belonged to a Toa; capable of absorbing elemental energy and firing it back.

"Conjurer": Conjurer was a warrior-king who held power through technology that seemed to be magic to the Matoran that he led. However, he could not expand his kingdom (as Matoran make poor soldiers), so he accepted the chance to gain more power and wealth through the Dark Hunters. While his powers are actually mere parlor tricks, he continues to have a flair for the dramatic, making people wonder whether he really does have supernatural abilities. Conjurer has strong telekinetic abilities and a staff that can disintegrate targets (though he claims that the staff's power is actually his own). He hates water for some reason. He has a Rhotuka Launcher, and his spinners can temporarily steal an opponents power and channel it to him; he is currently in a coma from trying to steal the massive power of a Brotherhood of Makuta member.

"Darkness": Darkness is the Shadowed One's own "shadow"; always lurking nearby, waiting for the Shadowed One to make just one mistake - as soon as he does, Darkness will descend, kill him and take his place as ruler of the Hunters. Until then, he has only been occasionally seen disciplining weak Hunters to keep his skills sharp. He has four clawed arms and can slip through the slightest spaces, but even the Shadowed One suspects that those are not his only powers.

"Devastator": To hear Devastator brag; he claims to have the strength of five Toa, breathe fire, cause earthquakes, turn into lava, and even raise the dead. This is likely all talk, but a boast that this native of Karzahni can back up is his reputation for destruction. One power that he does have is the ability to turn to sand, allowing him to disappear into the ground and then strike with rock-hard attacks. He also seems to have some telekinetic ability, often mentally throwing boulders at his targets from a distance. He has been sent to an island to collect a late payment, but there might not be an island by the time Devastator is through.

"Dweller": Dweller is a permanent agent hidden in Metru Nui, and has been monitoring the city almost since it was ruined in the Great Cataclysm. From his hidden base in the Archives, he can probe the thoughts of others or drive them mad through nightmares. He can also affect others' perceptions to keep them from noticing him; and he has been able to spend nearly a thousand years undetected. With news that the Toa Nuva have left the city, Dweller has a new mission: track and eliminate Toa Takanuva.

"Eliminator": Back when Nidhiki and Krekka were operating in Metru Nui, it was Eliminator's job to kill the Toa that Makuta sent out of the city on false missions. Now, Eliminator works as a troubleshooter; if a Dark Hunter should fail a mission, Eliminator will hunt down and kill him and take over the mission himself. As a result, he is hated by all the other Hunters. He has four Kanoka Disk Launchers mounted on his back, and can harness and combine the powers of loaded disks and fire them like lightning from his talons. He is fast for his size, and he seems to gather shadows around him and can easily hide in low-level light.

Firedracax: Firedracax was once a Matoran on an island that was conquered by the Visorak. In trying to escape from the spiders, he and his friends fell into energized protodermis; his friends were destroyed but he emerged as an armored warrior. He has a deep hatred for Visorak, and continues to hunt them even though they are scattered and leaderless. Firedracax has an unbreakable shield and a fiery spear; his Rhotuka spinners can absorb thermal energy in the air and direct it as a blast of flame.

"Gatherer": Gatherer was once an honest, fair Matoran leader; but when he interfered in Dark Hunter matters the Shadowed One had him captured and forcibly turned into a living weapon. With every opponent he defeats, Gatherer takes a piece of the foe's armor and adds it to his own. He has no need for food or sleep, and can psychically command subterranean Rahi to do his bidding. He also has a wide array of weapons, including blades, an energy cannon, a Kanoka Disk Launcher loaded with "mind scramble" disks. He is currently hunting information about a "mysterious third player" whose power is said to rival both the Hunters and the Brotherhood.

"Gladiator": The home island of Sidorak and Krekka thrives on violence and brutality, and Gladiator was a crowd favorite in their blood sports. When he lost control in one fight and it took half a precinct of guards to subdue him, a Dark Hunter was impressed enough to break him out of jail and recruit him. Gladiator's best weapon is his brute strength, backed up by huge claws and amazing resistance to injury. He is currently back in the arena, investigating rumors that Sidorak's people are trying to reassemble his Visorak armies.

"Guardian": Guardian came from a war-torn island, and when a friend betrayed his tribe to their enemies, he was caught in a crossfire of Rhotuka Spinners and left for dead. The Dark Hunters saw him as useful and nursed him back to health. His current job is to track down captured Hunters and ensure they don't betray the Hunters by revealing secrets. Guardian has sharp claws and a staff that can launch stone- and earth-powered Rhotuka Spinners.

Hordika Dragons: When some Visorak appeared on the Dark Hunters' island, the Shadowed One had them captured and began experimenting with their Hordika venom. He exposed eight Dark Hunters to the venom, and they mutated into reptilian Hordika Dragons. The Hordika Dragons are violent and savage, but lack discipline; one day their bestial Rahi sides will take over but in the meantime, the Shadowed One sends them to collect money owed the Hunters from those who refuse to pay. Each Hordika Dragon has enhanced animal strength, agility, and tracking ability; and can electrify their claws to shock anyone they touch; they also appear to have Rhotuka spinners but their power is unknown.

Kraata-Kal: Normal Kraata are created from Makuta's essence and can control Rahkshi armor. But Kraata-Kal was exposed to the energies that turned six Bohrok into Bohrok-Kal and came out with the ability to control fire, water, and shadow. Makuta built armor for Kraata-Kal that was far more powerful than standard Rahkshi armor, and presumably gave him to the Dark Hunters like he gave the Rahi Nui and Voporak. Kraata-Kal is too ambitious for his own good, and the Shadowed One has had to discipline him for putting his own profit ahead of the mission. Besides his elemental powers, Kraata-Kal has a double-bladed flame sword and a Kanoka Launcher. He is currently preparing as part of a team to capture the Piraka.

"Lurker": Lurker was banished from his home island for murder and began seeking work; rather than have the competition for dirty jobs, the Shadowed One decided to hire him. Offered his choice of armaments, Lurker chose more "natural" weapons - claws, blades, and stingers. His skills in hunting and fighting were honed by the years surviving on his own, and his claws only enhance his climbing ability. He was sent to investigate rumors of Makuta's death, but has not yet returned.

"Mimic": Mimic had grown up with a close friend on his native island, and after a natural disaster the two eked out a living together. But one day the friend disappeared, and Mimic became determined to find her. The Shadowed One offered to help in exchange for Mimic's services, and Mimic gladly joined the Dark Hunters. Mimic has "photographic reflexes" - he only needs to observe an action once in order to perform it perfectly. Mimic continues to search for his lost friend, but what he doesn't know is that the Shadowed One keeps her imprisoned deep in the Dark Hunter base...

"Minion": Minion was just another Rahi that the Brotherhood experimented on - only the Brotherhood didn't realize that Minion had become intelligent, so Minion was able to overhear and understand several interesting conversations. When the Toa Hagah rebelled against the Brotherhood, Minion slipped away in the confusion and made his way to the Dark Hunters. But he has not spoken since then, and can't or won't give the Brotherhood intel that the Shadowed One desperately wants. Minion has impenetrable armor and long, sharp claws; and his tracking skills can even detect Brotherhood members on the next continent.

"Phantom": In a land with no protectors, Phantom was a mere crafter chosen by his people to be rebuilt into their hero. While the experiments were successful, his people regretted what they had done and shunned him. The Dark Hunters recruited him and gave him a purpose, but his conscience has made him less than ideal for missions. Phantom has great strength and enhanced eyesight, and can fly (on a limited basis) and turn invisible.

"Poison": Poison has a deep hatred for Matoran, as they once hunted his kind to near-extinction. Not very smart, he didn't even know how to use his venom until the Dark Hunters taught him how. This poison can paralyze a foe, and is deadly if not treated within a half-hour. Strangely, this venom is Poison's only real weakness. He can also stun foes with his tail, and his animalistic appearance allows him to blend in as a Rahi in places.

"Primal": Primal came from a tribe of warriors in a land taken by the Visorak. He has been a constant problem for the Hunters, as he demands missions with good trophies and he sometimes turns against those who hire him out of a sense of justice. He rejects weapons, except for his personal spear, instead relying on his own abilities and tactical skills; he does have a small paralysis device under his skin but only uses it as a last resort. The Shadowed One tolerates him because he is effective, but if Primal should push his luck...

"Prototype": A Dark Hunter once had an experimental weapon, and fired it at two Toa (of Fire and Earth) just as they were merging together into a Toa Kaita-like form. The result fused them permanently and drove them mad, and the being went on a rampage and disappeared. (The weapon was the Spear of Fusion and was later sold to the Brotherhood of Makuta. It eventually created and was taken by Vezon.) Centuries later, the being was found injured in a swamp; it was nursed back to health by the Hunters and recruited, given the codename "Prototype". Prototype still has some control over the elements of fire and earth, and his organic parts have decomposed to the point that he is mostly machine. He is rather slow. His life force is tied to his armor, but after so long his armor is almost impenetrable. Prototype is sometimes used as a practice target for rookie Hunters; if they survive a fight with him, then they can handle their missions.

"Ravager": Ravager was found alone on a rocky coastline, with no memory of his identity or his home. He has an insatiable appetite for destruction and is continually kept on missions so that he doesn't become bored and begin destroying the base. Besides tremendous strength, he has a stinger tail with burning venom, and he carries a sword and shield that automatically increase their strength to match an opponent's. The Shadowed One is enthusiastically hoping Ravager eventually remembers his home, as he dreams of recruiting more of Ravager's species into the Dark Hunters.

"Savage": Savage was once a Toa who was infected with Visorak venom and became a Toa Hordika. When this happened, his teammates didn't recognize him and attacked him as a monster; this caused his feral side to take over until he could only make grunts and growls, and he lost control and injured his friends. The Dark Hunters found him, and the Shadowed One convinced him that his team allowed him to become a monster. Besides being a skilled hunter, Savage's Rhotuka spinner can paralyze enemies, and his tri-claw can liquefy solids. He is occasionally overtaken by madness and has to be locked up for everyone's protection.

"Seeker": Seeker started as a sentry for the Brotherhood of Makuta, guarding the Avohkii Mask of Light. But the Toa Hagah (now the Rahaga) were able to steal it when they rebelled, and Seeker was fired for his failure. Seeker now searches for the Rahaga, intending to recover the mask. The Shadowed One fuels this desire for vengeance, but keeps Seeker away from the Rahaga's home base of Metru Nui because if he were ever to reach his goal, he could try to resign from the Hunters. Seeker wields a staff that could both physically weaken an opponent and cause seismic tremors.

"Silence": Silence was given to the Hunters - and surely mutated - by Roodaka before the war with the Brotherhood. He is skilled in quick and especially quiet abductions. He moves like a shadow; even other Hunters cannot be sure where he is at any given time. He can create a field around himself (three feet in radius) that no sound can escape, whether it's the sound of his own movement or the shouts of his victims. He has blades mounted on his forearms and a Kanoka launcher that he loads with freeze disks; he also wears surprisingly heavy armor for one who uses stealth.

"Spinner": Spinner was a Toa of Air whose team constantly butted heads with one another. In a fight between them and some mutant Rahkshi, Spinner was thrown into a nearly bottomless pit; Spinner blames the other Toa for this though it could have been a Rahkshi that threw him. The Dark Hunters found him near death, revived him and somehow altered him to his current form. Spinner no longer has his power over air, but all air around him now becomes heavy and poisonous. He can cause vertigo in a target by looking at them or make them lose their sense of balance with a Rhotuka spinner from one of his twin slicers; combining the two slicers makes a Rhotuka that can send targets into a coma, but this takes so much energy that Spinner is put out of action for a while as well. Spinner only wants missions involving Toa, but the Shadowed One insists that he will take the missions given to him.

"Subterranean": During the Toa/Dark Hunter war in Metru Nui, an Onu-Matoran was trapped in an Archive tunnel when it collapsed. Over time, he somehow mutated into his current form. After escaping from the tunnel, his new form scared his friends, and in grief he left the city with the Dark Hunters when they were expelled. Subterranean can disassemble objects by touching them, and can immobilize enemies just by looking at them. His major weakness is sound, as even the slightest whisper is painful to him; he wears special armor that dampens sound to compensate. He is currently trying to arrange an alliance between the Hunters and a tribe of Frostelus.

"Tracker": How Tracker gained his current form is unknown, as he keeps changing his story; he has been known to blame Visorak venom at some times and Roodaka's mutation spinners at others. In any case, he absolutely hates the Visorak and their commanders. Tracker and his pet bull are among the Hunters' best at hunting targets; they can find any being with only their scent or an object they once handled. Their biggest feat was finding Roodaka after she seemingly "died" in Metru Nui - though three other Hunters had to keep Tracker from killing her. Tracker also has enormous strength, and his bull's horns can dissolve solid matter on contact. Tracker is now seeking Makuta Spiriah, who is in hiding from both the Dark Hunters and the Brotherhood.

Triglax: All that is known about Triglax is that he has a tendency to try and keep some of the objects he was sent to retrieve (the Shadowed One wanted him to be "unable to breathe without pain for, oh, six weeks" for one offense), and Lariska considers him "obnoxious".

"Vanisher": Vanisher is fiercely independent and repeatedly disobeys orders; the Shadowed One tried teaming him with more loyal Hunters like he teamed Nidhiki with Krekka, but all of these ended up facing "accidental" deaths. It's unclear whether Vanisher's power is in him or his spear, but he can use it to open dimensional gates that he can step through, seeming to disappear in the blink of an eye. He can also open pocket dimensions that can capture energies fired towards him and reopen the pockets later to launch the energies at a target. The Shadowed One has begun to suspect that Vanisher is a double agent for the Brotherhood of Makuta, and has sent one Hunter to spy on him and a second one to spy on them both.

"Vengeance": Near the end of the war in Metru Nui, Vengeance was defeated in one-on-one combat by Toa Lhikan. He escaped years later, after the Great Cataclysm, and desired revenge on Lhikan; but upon discovering the hero was dead he directed his anger towards Lhikan's killer: Makuta. Though Makuta is now also reported dead, Vengeance refuses to believe it, and has sworn to personally end the Master of Shadows. Vengeance has wings for flight and twin horns that deflect mental attacks; and he carries a shield that can block almost any attack. He also has Rhotuka spinners that can become solid for a split second, during which time they can slice through anything.

Former members

Nidhiki and Krekka: An effective team of Dark Hunters; Nidhiki was the brains and Krekka was the brawn. Nidhiki, in particular, was infamous for being an ex-Toa who betrayed his brothers in the Toa/Dark Hunter war. Both were killed when Makuta absorbed them into his body to increase his power. See under "Famous Members" above or main article: Nidhiki.

The Piraka: Six beings (though a seventh was later created) who abandoned the Dark Hunters to raid Makuta's lair and keep the loot for themselves. They have since started trying to claim the Ignika Mask of Life, but the Shadowed One is hunting them down. See under "Famous Members" above or main article: Piraka.

"Shadow Stealer": Shadow Stealer was once a member of the ancient organization of heroes, the Hand of Artakha. When the Hand disbanded, Shadow Stealer sought adventure with the Hunters, but things went badly as he disagreed with the Hunters' goals. After his first mission, a task of several years that he completed in days, he rejected the Hunters and has been working his way back to Odina. It is rumored that he became jealous when Toa became Mata Nui's champions, and he has fought Toa and Dark Hunters alike on his journey. Shadow Stealer can absorb shadows and convert them to energy, and he can teleport using shadows as exit and entry points (though there is apparently a limit to how far he can go). These powers make him a threat to the Brotherhood of Makuta - there's even a rumor that the Brotherhood tried to hire a Hunter to eliminate Shadow Stealer!

"Tyrant": Tyrant was just what his codename implied, and he ruled his land through brutality and fear. He agreed to join with the Hunters during the war with the Toa, though he viewed himself as an ally of the Hunters and not a member. Because Tyrant kept trying to undermine the Shadowed One's authority, he was ordered to take a band of Hunters to face a team of Toa led by Lhikan - only the other Hunters were ordered to abandon Tyrant as soon as the fight started. Tyrant was badly beaten by the Toa and fell into the sea, swearing revenge on the Shadowed One and the Toa. He has not been seen since, but rumors persist that he is still alive. Tyrant can absorb heat, making his body extremely hot, and can then release it as a massive blast or levitate using superheated air; he was also immune to extreme temperatures (both hot and cold).

Unnamed members

A number of Hunters were mentioned in the origins and recruitment of several minor Hunters. No information was given besides the fact that they were involved in said recruitment.

• Two Hunters have been tasked with monitoring Vanisher. One has been assigned to monitor Vanisher, while the other has been assigned to monitor Vanisher and his fellow observer.
• Seven thousand years ago, a "tall, thin, winged figure" was tasked with stealing the Makoki stone, but sold his information to Hakann. Hakann got a partner, Vezok, and they stole the stone themselves, but were caught by other Hunters (at least Ancient, possibly working with others) and brought in for recruitment. The winged Hunter was then executed in front of the two thieves and the other four future Piraka as a warning against betrayal.
• One member had some sort of shapeshifting or chameleon power. He was teamed with Gladiator and Devastator in trying to claim the Nui Stone from Toa Tuyet, during which he used his power to impersonate Keetongu.

Servants and allies

Rahi Nui: A Brotherhood-created beast given to the Dark Hunters and used to hunt Toa. It is a freakish monstrosity combining elements from several Rahi species: the head of a Kane-Ra, the forelegs of a Tarakava, the body and hindlegs of a Muaka, the stinger of a Nui-Jaga, and the wings of a Nui-Rama.

Roodaka: Although never an actual member of the Dark Hunters, Roodaka sought teaching from the Shadowed One. He refused, so Nidhiki offered to train her instead, in exchange for helping him escape. She then betrayed him to the Shadowed One and mutated him into his insectoid form; thus "buying" the training she wanted.

"The Recorder": The Recorder is a "dark, twisted creature" that records everything that the Shadowed One says and does. He is fully aware of the fact that Makuta is more powerful than the Shadowed One, but is (usually) wise enough to know that saying as much is an excellent way to invoke the Shadowed One's wrath.

Voporak: A mutant with time powers, designed to track down the Vahi Mask of Time. See under "Famous Members" above.

Notes

• Before becoming king of the Visorak hordes, Sidorak was a hopeful for the Dark Hunters. However, following his defeat in a training session with Gladiator, Sidorak was denied membership; though he was kept alive as the Shadowed One felt he could be useful.
• Nidhiki and Krekka appeared as enemy bosses in the non-canon video game BIONICLE Heroes, along with fellow (ex-)Hunters, the Piraka.
• The Shadowed One's penchant for chopping off hands as punishment is a veiled reference to Star Wars.

Dark Hunter Building Challenge credits

The May/June 2005 LEGO Club Magazine presented the Dark Hunter Building Challenge, where entrants could have their creations entered into BIONICLE canon. The following are the winning entries, featured in the BIONICLE: Dark Hunters guidebook:

"Airwatcher" by Adrien Perinet Amphibax by Willy Reese "Ancient" by Connor Harvey "Charger" by Thane Ratliff "Conjurer" by Stephen Ramburg "Darkness" by Richard Glover "Dweller" by Nathan Pavich "Eliminator" by Rob Drabkowski Firedracax by Michael Steiger "Gatherer" by Sam Winfield "Gladiator" by Nathaniel and Zachary Sager "Guardian" by Jordan Steelquist Hordika Dragons by Austin Stoeffler Kraata-Kal by Morgan Alfrejd "Lurker" by Thomas Dolan

"Mimic" by Kurtis Spletter "Minion" by John Brodeur "Poison" by Isaac Evavold "Primal" by Peter Dolan "Prototype" by Alex Munroe "Ravager" by Jason Stroud "Savage" by C. J. Konopka "Seeker" by Daniel Walsh "Shadow Stealer" by Aaron Cassity "Spinner" by Joshua Guthrie "Subterranean" by Paul Fischer "Tracker" by Austin Allen "Tyrant" by Eric Richter "Vanisher" by Jonathan Mastron

More fan-made Dark Hunters have since been featured in Brickmaster Edition issues of LEGO Club Magazine:

"Silence" by David Daut (May/June 2006 issue) "Vengeance" by Malone Lumarda (January/February 2007 issue)

"Devastator" by Nate McCarthy (May/June 2007 issue)

External links

• Dark Hunters article on BIONICLEsector01 Wiki