Toa/Dark Hunter War

"In the months since Turaga Dume had refused the Dark Hunters a base on Metru Nui, countless Toa had fallen. Most were struck down from the shadows, never knowing their enemy was there. Oh, there had been some victories — Nidhiki had routed more than his share of the enemy, and Lhikan was worth six Toa in battle — but they all knew the numbers were against them. It was only a matter of time."

- Narrator, Birth of a Dark Hunter

The Toa/Dark Hunter War was one of the largest wars in the history of Metru Nui.

History
The War began when the Shadowed One requested that Turaga Dume allow him to build a Dark Hunter base of operations in Metru Nui. Dume refused and the Dark Hunters were escorted out of the city by the Toa Mangai. The Shadowed One became obsessed with the city's capture and assigned Thok to execute an attempt to kidnap Dume, which was also prevented. Choosing a more direct move of conquest, the Shadowed One sent forces of Dark Hunters to attack the city and claim it as their own. Toa Lhikan and the rest of the Toa Mangai stationed there resisted their efforts, and attempted to defend the city alone.

Warfare
At the start, the Toa Mangai were overwhelmed by the hundreds of Dark Hunters and barricaded themselves in the Coliseum while the Matoran hid in their homes. Toa Naho, however, managed to sneak through the Dark Hunter lines and reach another island to request reinforcements. She brought back almost one hundred additional Toa. The Dark Hunters, who had managed to claim much of the city, were driven back, leading to further conflicts. Both sides suffered heavy losses during the following months. Turaga Dume was assigned a personal guard detail as a precaution.

Conflict of Tyrant and the Toa
A group of Dark Hunters, including Tyrant, encountered a band of Toa led by Lhikan. They began to engage in combat, but Tyrant's Dark Hunter companions had been ordered to abandon him upon the onset of battle. Tyrant was overwhelmed by the Toa, and vanished into the Silver Sea.

Battle of Vengeance and Lhikan
In one of the last battles of the war, Lhikan and the Dark Hunter Vengeance dueled against one another. Vengeance was defeated by the Toa of Fire and trapped, though he was later able to free himself.

Nidhiki's Betrayal
Towards the end of the war, Nidhiki was approached by Lariska and offered a deal. If he betrayed the Toa, he would be given rule over Metru Nui. He accepted, not realizing that the Shadowed One planned to eliminate him after the War was over. Lhikan, however, had followed Nidhiki and overheard his agreement to the proposal. Leaving to inform Turaga Dume, he was intercepted by Hakann, who bargained to hand over the Makoki Stone in exchange for the lives of the soon-to-be-defeated Dark Hunters. Lhikan accepted and, when Nidhiki led all of the city's Toa into an ambush by the Dark Hunters, in the Canyon of Unending Whispers, with an additional army of three hundred recently arrived Toa, the Toa of Fire surrounded the Dark Hunters and Nidhiki in a counterambush. He then forced the Dark Hunters to leave and never return, banishing Nidhiki with them, thus ending the war.

Aftermath
The Shadowed One accepted the agreement for a time, and the Dark Hunters did not return to Metru Nui for at least two thousand years. He was, though, unhappy with the prospect of leaving the Makoki Stone with the Toa, and dispatched operatives to steal it again from a Toa base where it was being held. Nidhiki became a Dark Hunter, though he later attempted to defect from the organization. The Toa enlisted by Lhikan eventually departed from Metru Nui, leaving the remaining Toa Mangai to guard the city.

Appearances

 * Birth of a Dark Hunter
 * BIONICLE Legends 4: Legacy of Evil (In a Flashback)