Exo-Toa

The Exo Toa were robotic exoskeletons commonly utilized by the Brotherhood of Makuta and Toa pilots.

History
Originally designed by the Nynrah Ghosts and manufactured in Vortixx factories some 80,000 years ago, the first Exo Toa suits were originally commissioned for use by the Brotherhood of Makuta. During this period, the suits were used as early substitutes for protectors of the Matoran Universe due to an absence of Toa or a global military force to counter growing tyrannical regimes; such as the Xevthian Empire and League of Six Kingdoms.

Originally designed to protect Makuta on the field, the Exo Toa suits eventually saw use by members of the Toa species, who were at this point unified with the Brotherhood of Makuta in pursuit of universal peace. 80,000 years ago, a number of Toa aided the Brotherhood in an ambush upon the League of Six Kingdoms, utilizing Exo Toa suits to reinforce their offensive strategy and ultimately debilitate the League's balance of power by successfully capturing the Barraki.

From this point onward, however, a global trend began to take shape where large populations of Toa objected to the use of Exo Toa suits, claiming that they rendered elemental powers useless and thus put their intended occupants at a strategic disadvantage.

Compensating, the Brotherhood ensured that the Exo Toa suits could operate independently, thus placing fully-automated Exo Toa squads in their armies and enrolling them as sentries around objects of interest. This period of history also saw the discovery of Bohrok in the Matoran Universe. Fearing that the dormant, insect-like creations could pose a threat to the integrity of their world, the Brotherhood placed Exo Toa units in the nests for in the event that the Bohrok were awoken.

However, the true importance of the Exo Toa was not seen in its entirety until the Makuta species evolved into beings composed entirely of Antidermis. Being fully automated machines, the suits existed as operational armor frames for the Makuta to inhabit freely in the event that their armor were to become damaged.

In more recent times, during Makuta Teridax's rise to a position of ultimate power in the Matoran Universe, Exo Toa were re-purposed to enforce the will of the Makuta on a global scale, eliminating resistance groups and enforcing obedience.