Amaru (G2 Origins Timeline)

Amaru is the previous Toa Okoto of Jungle, before Lewa. He served as the Island of Okoto’s gladiator before his death, and was later called the Skull Slicer.

Biography
Approximately 50 years before Ekimu’s slumber, a prayer was sent to the stars for warriors to protect the island from outside forces. Amaru was sent, along with several other Toa. As to be expected from a being falling from space, Amaru suffered memory loss when he crashed. Shortly after, an Okotoan of Jungle found him and introduced him to the civilization. From there, he learned how to defend to island from intruders using his elemental power, and was given the Kanohi Akaaka, giving him the ability to grow and manipulate plants at will.

Life as a Gladiator

It wasn’t long before the threat of intruders was dealt with, and the need for protection became secondary. Amaru, feeling useless, decided to take up gardening as a way of relieving stress. His garden, The Garden of Zeal, was renowned for the healing properties in its plants. Later, thanks to recommendations from his former comrades, Amaru came to a gladiator arena to see a fight. He enjoyed the battle, and continued to come there constantly until he finally decided to try for himself.

Though he wasn’t as good as he thought he would be on entering, he became accustomed to the arena, and spared with Toa of Earth Rira to increase his skill. Him and Rira kindled a new friendship, and met in the arena often to show the island their progress. Both of them become renowned champions, and, aside from each other, were never defeated.

Abilities and Traits
Amaru, as a toa, was described as being headstrong and somewhat of a loose cannon, much like his successor. He was not too willing to follow Toa Team’s leader, the toa of water; nor was he openly ready to retreat from battle. He also had a temper problem associated with his elemental ability and skill; if anyone were to question his method or his extra set of arms, he would quickly take a defensive stance. In addition, anything he even considered to be a weakness would automatically become a trigger for his fuse; thus, he much preferred solitude over socialization and wasn’t known for having many friends beyond his toa team.

Despite this, however, he remained caring at heart, having an affinity for gardening (the said activity he did not like to speak about in public). He was also, despite his solitary nature, a close friend of the Toa of Earth Rira and, ironically, the Toa of Stone. Said toa of stone was considered to be his love interest by the other toa, which he often denied.

He also liked to watch and participate in gladiator battles, citing that it “relieved stress”. He particularly preferred to fight in them; however, he never participated in a battle that involved a female warrior, feeling it to be dishonorable.

Powers and Tools
As a Toa Okoto of Jungle, Amaru possessed a number of elemental abilities, such as plant manipulation. In addition, he could also concoct cross-breed plants at will. These abilities are made stronger with his Kanohi Akaaka, the Mask of Plant life. With this mask, his abilities were increased, but with the added bonus of the ability extend his limbs to a certain extent like a plant. However, a flaw in the mask makes him dependent on water, therefore making him dependant on water and, thus, unable to venture into the Region of Stone or the Stone planet, Taro.

Having four arms, he also possessed the ability to easily multitask different activities at once, making him an efficient warrior and worker in general, especially in regards to cultivation.

In addition to these powers he also possessed the Quad Jungle Blades, four lime green blades that he could use to further channel his elemental powers. He could also mount them to his back to act as pseudo “wing” allowing him to run faster, as well as jump higher. In addition, he could, to a certain extent, generate small tornados by rapidly spinning all four of his blades at once.

Trivia

 * Due to him being a Toa of Jungle and not a Toa of Air, he possessed limited wind abilities. This is due to him being from the planet that both species come from, Tane.
 * His living body design is based off of a minor character from the Mega Man Zero series, Asura Basura.
 * The reason this is so is not merely because they both have four arms, but also because MercatorProjection wished for some of the Toa to have inverted colors. In this case, Amaru is primarily orange with some green; similarly, Asura Basura is primarily yellow.
 * In addition to that, Asura Basura possesses three swords and a shield, similar to Amaru’s canon undead form.
 * Finally, Asura Basura has a gladiator style design not unlike the Skull Slicers possible intended living form.
 * His name is a Maori alternate saying of the scarlet rātā vine, Metrosideros fulgens, a native plant to New Zealand that has orange-red flowers.

Appearances

 * Tears of the Deceased