So throughout the 05 story, visorak are treated much the same as other rahi, as far as intellect is consented. They are viewed as wild animals that can be controlled through force. Though there are several traits of the visorak that say otherwise.
They have the mental capacity for independent thought, they are able to rebel and scheme, and most importantly, they have their own language used by the entire species, and it can also be translated into matoran. They have their own wants needs and desires. These are traits that very few other rahi possess.
They show to be just as inelegant as keetongu or matoran, but they’re treated no different than less inelegant animalistic rahi.
So I ask, how smart are the visorak really? And why are they not recognized and treated like other inelegant rahi?
Well, Keetongu was (according to his Wikipedia page) “a highly intelligent, powerful rahi,” but not in the least inelegant, nor did he consent. This text will be blurred[/(The prior was a sarcastic reccomendation to fix spelling)
Anyway, Visorak are on the same level of intelligence as bees, ants and hornets, despite being tetrapods. If anyone can quote Greg Farshtey on why LEGO confuses the numbers eight and four, please publicly humiliate me.
They would have to be very smart to be able to fears Roodaka enough to kill themselves (Web of Shadows is my only background knowledge), so that definitely is smarter than bees. I would assume the reason they’re treated so poorly is not that they aren’t smart, but they are just so despised for being wicked creatures.
You’re right, their communication is somewhat more complex than real insects.
However, I remain unimpressed by their actions other than expressing ideas to one another and their leaders. Their loyalty was just to avoid the pain Roodaka could inflict on them. All animals know to avoid pain.
I think the language thing is just a fantasy trope.
The rahi (ussals in MNOG, gukko and ash bears in MoL, kikanalo in 2004 and Axonn’s 2007 monstrosity) magically understand and even respond to Matoran language. Humans and dogs are capable of that, too, just don’t ask a dog to lead an entomology lecture. Depending on how smart you want to call dogs, yeah, maybe visorak are smart. Other real world social animals also have politics, even plots to subvert, overthrow or kill weak leaders (wolves, lions, apes, insects I mentioned above). I’m a big fan of National Geographic and BBC documentaries, so I’m confident in that assertion. One I recently saw showed dozens of ant species cohabitating in the same nest, even communicating with each other, kinda like visorak.
Keetongu’s species (another unnamed sentient species) had a society, language, and they used Tahtorak as steeds; all human-like traits we call signs of intelligence. Keetongu even fought Teridax one vs one in Time Trap, despite the makuta supposedly making the rahi, and were supposed to be on vastly different power tiers. I think Keetongu is rahi (not us) only in name, as he is comprable in power and intellect to many titans from 2005 until Infinity War.
I don’t think neither Teridax nor Roodaka were weak leaders though
I also don’t think normal animals are capable with as complex a speech as Visorak have, Vengeance of the Visorak literally had them speaking in words.
As in the comic cited by Monarth, they are communicating to coordinate a hunt like ants and hornets do.
Translating rahi thoughts into a coherent dialogue would require someone of higher intelligence, like Greg Farshtey, Nokama, Sidorak, Roodaka, Nuju or Kualus.
“Their tone is angry. Now is the time to strike.”
“Too simple. Nothing in this city is worth hunting. Sidorak promised us good sport, remember?”
Two Oohnorak (translated from Visorak language), Vengeance of the Visorak
This is an section of Biosector, which got it from Vengeance of the Visorak. I highly, highly doubt very many animals, if any, can understand a promise, or debate among themselves over a strategy. Of course, I may be wrong. I’m just going off of personal experience.
Ask a dog if he wants to go for a walk. You’ll see expectation.
I think if you keep reading that comic a Le-Visorak says “Lieutenant Dan, you ain’t got but four legs!”
To reiterate, I don’t like the inconsistency of some creatures having the “right” number of legs, while a whole line of Visorak and Fenrakk -a titan- are only given four.
Yes, but I can see going for a walk being much simpler to animals minds than promising some animal that there would be good food to eat, so you wouldn’t bother with the easy prey. Also, I mean, Tarakava, Kane-Ra, and Muaka are all based off of four-legged animals, and only have two, so… I could see Visorak being due to a price point, and I feel if Fenrakk had eight legs they’d be very small and wimpy compared to the body.
2001 was inconsistent to inconsistency. The critters you named have treads, but remember that was so children could hold them and operate some pretty awesome functions. Strangely, the jaga had the right number of limbs.
Unlike Lieutenant Dan, who lost his legs in the movie Forest Gump.
Anyway, Visorak. Disagreements don’t require intelligence. Ants will ask other ants to review their findings, and sometimes ants will drag other ants away from poor food and shelter. Visorak always took orders and received promises. When left to fend for themselves they:
Went mad and ate each other when the Hordika besieged a garrison in one of the books.
Mistakenly invaded Metru Nui 500 years after ordered to and were easily beaten by just the Rahagah, Keetongu and Dume.
Went extinct when the whole species stayed on a volcano as it started to erupt.
And considering the fact that this particular Visorak mop the floor much faster when Sidorak was around than before, just to show its master how loyal it really is.
