Ninjago (TV series)

Ninjago
Original logo of the series until 2019
Also known as	Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu (2011–2019)
Genre	CGI Action Adventure Comedy Science fantasy Martial arts Superhero
Created by	Michael Hegner Tommy Andreasen
Based on	Ninjago
Written by	Dan Hageman Kevin Hageman Joel Thomas David Shayne John Behnke Jack Thomas Adam Beechen Ryan Levin Bragi F. Schut Kevin Burke Chris "Doc" Wyatt Matt "Chato" Hill Alisha Brophy Scott Miles
Directed by	Michael Hegner Justin Murphy Peter Hausner Martin Skov Michael Helmuth Hansen Trylle Vilstrup Thomas Østergaard Poulsen Jens Møller Per During Risager Frederik Budolph Peter Egeberg Wade Cross Daniel Ife Shane Poettcker
Voices of	Jillian Michaels (seasons 1–7) Sam Vincent Vincent Tong Michael Adamthwaite Paul Dobson Brent Miller Kirby Morrow (seasons 1-15) Kelly Metzger
Opening theme	The Weekend Whip by The Fold (seasons 1–7 and 11–present) "Ninjago Overture" by Jay Vincent and Michael Kramer (seasons 8–10)
Ending theme	"The Weekend Whip" by The Fold (Pilots-Episode 41) Various music by Jay Vincent and Michael Kramer (Episode 42–present)
Composers	Jay Vincent Michael Kramer
Country of origin	Denmark Canada
Original languages	English Danish
No. of seasons	14
No. of episodes	164 (+ 2 pilot episodes, 1 special and several shorts) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Torsten Jacobsen (2011–2018) Erik Wilstrup (seasons 1–10) Dan Hageman (season 5, 6 and 8–10) Kevin Hageman (season 5, 6 and 8–10) Irene Sparre (2016–) Keith Malone (season 10–present) Bragi Schut (season 10–present) Jill Wilfert (season 10–present) Tommy Andreasen (season 11–present) Josh Scerba (season 11–present) Kirsten Newlands (season 11) Amir Nasdarabi (season 12-present)
Producers	Erik Wilstrup (pilot episodes) Irene Sparre (seasons 1–6) Louise Barkholt (2016–2019) Tommy Andreasen (2016–2019) Nelson LaMonica (2016–2019) Simon Lucas (seasons 8 and 9) Cerim Manovi (seasons 8 and 9) Robert May (season 10) Vicky Kjaer Jensen (season 10–present; co-producer, 2016–2019) Ryan Pears (season 11–present)
Running time	22 minutes (seasons 1–10) 11 minutes (season 11–present)
Production companies	Wil Film ApS (seasons 1–10) WildBrain Studios (season 11–present) The Lego Group
Original release
Network	Nickelodeon (Denmark) Teletoon and YTV (Canada) Cartoon Network (United States)
Release	January 14, 2011 (2011-01-14) – present
Related
Legends of Chima Nexo Knights

Ninjago (previously known as Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu until 2019) is a Danish-Canadian computer-animated television series produced by The Lego Group. It was created to coincide with the Lego Ninjago line of construction toys, which is based on the characters and events of the series. It centers on the fictional world of Ninjago, telling the story of a group of six teenage ninjas and their battles against the forces of evil and darkness. The series was animated in Copenhagen, Denmark, by Wil Film ApS for the first ten seasons. Animation was relocated to WildBrain Studios (formerly DHX Media) in Canada starting with the eleventh season. The English-language voice cast has been recorded in Canada for its entire run.

Ninjago began with two pilot episodes in January 2011, which were followed by two 13-episode seasons that aired from December 2011 to November 2012. Both the Lego theme and the series had an intended shelf life of three years with the second season planned as the original ending. However, the success of the series and its product line led to the show continuing production with fourteen seasons being produced as of March 2021.

The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen, two Danish film producers. In Denmark, where the series' original production companies are located, Ninjago premiered on Nickelodeon. It airs on various Nickelodeon networks internationally and on Cartoon Network in the United States, United Kingdom and Poland. In Canada, the series is broadcast on Teletoon and YTV.

Overview

The show is largely set in the fictional realm of Ninjago, a place loosely inspired by East Asian myths and culture. While featuring several historically designed buildings and traditional clothing, Ninjago is in a modern setting, incorporating large metropolises with skyscrapers, current-age (and futuristic) vehicles, modern electronics, semi-robotic exo-suits, and other futuristic technology. The plot focuses on a group of six teenage ninja fighting against the forces of evil, who are also defined as "Elemental Masters", several characters who have the power to manipulate an "element" (a reference to the classical elements).

Synopsis

Main article: List of Ninjago episodes

Pilot Episodes (2011)

"Long before time had a name", the First Spinjitzu Master created the realm of Ninjago using the four Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu: the Scythe of Quakes, the Shurikens of Ice, the Nunchucks of Lightning and the Sword of Fire. Before he passed, his two sons swore to protect the weapons from evil, but the older brother, Garmadon, was consumed by darkness and aimed to wield all four weapons so that he could recreate Ninjago in his own image. In the ensuing battle between brothers, the younger brother Wu cast Garmadon down to the Underworld and hid the weapons across Ninjago, placing a dragon to guard each hiding spot.

In anticipation of Garmadon's return, Sensei Wu seeks out four talented young teenagers to master the art of Spinjitzu and find the Golden Weapons before Garmadon and his Skulkin Army can claim them. Wu recruits Kai, a young blacksmith and trains him to become a ninja at the Monastery of Spinjitzu. There he meets three other ninja: Cole, Jay, and Zane. The Ninja team up to find the four Golden Weapons and save Kai's sister, Nya, who has been kidnapped by the Skulkin. They find the Scythe of Quakes at the Caves of Despair, learning spinjitzu along the way. They then find the Shurikens of Ice in the and the Nunchucks of Lightning, confronting each dragon in the process. That night Kai retrieves the Sword of Fire from the Fire Temple, and frees his sister, but is confronted by the shadow of Garmadon. Although Wu arrives at the temple and fights off his brother's shadow, the skulkin ambush Cole, Jay and Zane and steal the other three Golden Weapons.

Sensei Wu decides to enter the Underworld with the Sword of Fire, believing that this is the only way to stop Garmadon. The Ninja follow him by crossing between realms on the backs of the dragons, who agree to help them. In the Underworld, Samukai, the Skulkin Leader attacks Wu, but the Ninja use Spinjitzu to create a Tornado of Creation, which defeats the Skulkin. Samukai picks up the four Golden Weapons, but they are too powerful to be held together and they destroy him. This creates a portal for Garmadon to use to escape from the Underworld. Back in Ninjago, the Ninja celebrate their temporary victory, with the expectation that Garmadon will soon return.

Season 1: Rise of the Snakes (2011–12)

Months after Garmadon's defeat, Sensei Wu reprimands the ninja for growing lazy, believing that they have not yet unlocked their "true potentials" and should be preparing for Lord Garmadon's return. After hearing that Garmadon has been spotted in the Jamanakai Village, the Ninja instead find Garmadon's petulant young son, Lloyd Garmadon, throwing a tantrum in the town square. Kai accidentally discovers a scroll prophesying a Green Ninja that will rise above the others to defeat the dark lord. Lloyd uncovers a tomb containing the Hypnobrai, one of five Serpentine tribes. The tribe's general Slithraa attempts to hypnotize him, but accidentally gives Lloyd control of the tribe. Lloyd forces the Hypnobrai to build a treehouse fortress with the aim of conquering Ninjago, but it is destroyed by the Ninja. When they return to the Monastery of Spinjitzu, they discover that it has been burned down and find a new home aboard the Destiny's Bounty, a crashed pirate ship which they repair and add rocket boosters to. Slithraa's position as the Hypnobrai general is challenged by his second-in-command Skales. Skales defeats Slithraa in combat and becomes the new Hypnobrai general, banishing Lloyd. Seeking revenge, Lloyd uncovers the tomb of another Serpentine tribe and makes a deal with their general, Fangtom. Lloyd and the Fangpyre plan to attack the Hypnobrai, but Fangtom orders his soldiers to stand down upon reuniting with Skales. Lloyd escapes and opens the tomb of the most fearsome Serpentine tribe; the Anacondrai. Although the tomb is nearly empty, Lloyd befriends Pythor, a charismatic Anacondrai who is the last of his tribe. Pythor later betrays Lloyd, who is taken into the care of his uncle, Sensei Wu, aboard Destiny's Bounty.

Pythor travels to the two remaining Serpentine tombs in an attempt to unite the five tribes, with the Ninja in pursuit. When they reach the Venomari Tomb, they are surrounded by Serpentine and saved by Samurai X, a mysterious individual inside a samurai mech suit. Pythor declares himself the new Snake King and begins to search for the lost city of Ouroborous, which is the prison of a legendary snake called the Great Devourer. When Lloyd gets captured, the Ninja try to save him from the Serpentine. One by one, Zane, Jay and Cole unlock their True Potential by overcoming personal obstacles, Zane discovers that he is a robot (or "Nindroid"), and Nya reveals that she is Samurai X. Meanwhile, Wu travels to the Realm of Madness and returns with a four-armed Lord Garmadon, forging a temporary alliance to save Lloyd. Kai becomes obsessed with unlocking his true potential and becoming the Green Ninja.

Pythor begins his search for four silver Fangblades, which will awaken the Great Devourer. After finding the first two, the Serpentine attempt to retrieve the third Fangblade at the Fire Temple, which is built atop a volcano, but are forced to fight the Ninja. As the volcano erupts, Kai decides to save Lloyd instead of retrieving the Fangblade, consequently unlocking his True Potential. On board Destiny's Bounty, the four Golden Weapons reveal that Lloyd is the Green Ninja. Pythor, in possession of all four Fangblades, travels to Ouroborous and unleashes the Great Devourer, which consumes everything in its path, including Pythor and Wu. With the Bounty destroyed, the Ninja attempt to stop the snake in Ninjago City and, with no other choice, give the four Golden Weapons to Garmadon, who launches an attack on its weak spot. The Great Devourer explodes into slime, and the Ninja find Wu unscathed. The Ninja vow to train Lloyd to fight his father, who has disappeared with the Golden Weapons.

Season 2: Legacy of the Green Ninja (2012)

The Ninja begin training Lloyd so that he can face his father in battle. With no home and no money, the Ninja train Lloyd in a dojo run by Dareth, an incompetent klutz obsessed with becoming the brown ninja. Meanwhile, Garmadon recruits the Serpentine, rebuilds the Destiny's Bounty, and merges the Golden Weapons into the powerful Mega Weapon. Garmadon accidentally resurrects the original crew of the Destiny's Bounty, led by Captain Soto. They pilot the ship to Ninjago City, but the Ninja engage them in battle. Eventually, Garmadon escapes with the Bounty. The Ninja decide to enter a road race named the Ninjaball Run to earn the grand prize so that they can save Dareth's Mojo Dojo. Garmadon decides to participate to prevent the Ninja from winning and delay Lloyd's training. After fighting for lead position, the Ninja narrowly win the race and Lloyd takes possession of the Bounty.

At Ninjago Museum of History, Garmadon uses the Mega Weapon to resurrect the extinct Grundal to destroy the Ninja. When the Ninja burst in, they are struck by the weapon and transformed into children. Lloyd uses a potion to destroy the Grundal and revert the Ninja to their present ages, in turn sacrificing his youth. Garmadon attempts to alter the past by stopping the Ninja team from forming, so the original four Ninja follow him into a time portal to the temporal point when Wu first recruited Kai. They manage to restore the timeline by using the Golden Weapons of the past to blast the Mega Weapon into space. At the Ninjago Museum, Lloyd is reunited with his mother, Misako.

After being betrayed by Skales, Garmadon finds himself on the Dark Island with the disembodied voice of the Overlord. The venom of the Great Devourer seeps into catacombs beneath Ninjago and animates a Stone Army, which wreaks havoc on Ninjago City. Garmadon takes control of the Stone Army using the Helmet of Shadows. The Ninja travel to the Dark Island to stop Garmadon and reach the Temple of Light to harness their elemental powers and bestow Golden Power on Lloyd. They fail to stop the Celestial Clock from counting down to the final battle. Garmadon's super weapon, Garmatron, is used to fire dark matter into Ninjago. The Overlord is revealed to be the dark lord from the prophecy. He possesses Garmadon and heads to Ninjago with his army. The Ninja return to Ninjago on Ultra Dragon and are forced to defend Lloyd while being hit by dark matter, leaving Lloyd to confront the Overlord alone. The Overlord transforms into a massive dragon, but Lloyd uses his Golden Power to destroy the Overlord in an explosion of light, which purges Garmadon of evil and transforms Lloyd into the Golden Ninja.

Season 3: Rebooted (2014)

Since the defeat of the Overlord, Ninjago has been rebuilt into a futuristic metropolis, and renamed New Ninjago City. Cyrus Borg, founder and CEO of Borg Industries, has rebuilt the city with technological advancements. Without an enemy to fight, the Ninja become teachers at Master Wu's Academy. One day, they receive clearance for a field trip to Borg Industries. Upon arrival, they meet a female android named P.I.X.A.L. Cyrus Borg gives the Ninja a golden statue as a gift, with the Techno Blades hidden inside. They ultimately learn that the Overlord has survived the final battle and is trapped inside the Digiverse as a computer virus. The Overlord takes control of Cyrus Borg and P.I.X.A.L. to create an army of Nindroids using Zane's blueprints. The Digital Overlord plans to capture Lloyd and use his Golden Power to escape the Digiverse, but the Ninja are able to free P.I.X.A.L. from the Overlord's control. Meanwhile, Lloyd is trained by his father, Lord Garmadon. The Ninja travel to the power station with the aim of using the Techno Blades to shut down the power, but are forced to fight an army of Nindroids, led by General Cryptor.

After the power station is destroyed, a stranger steals the hard drive containing the Digital Overlord and uses Electrocobrai to reactivate him. Wu is captured, transformed into a corrupted cyborg and attacks the Ninja. They decide to go underground to find the Serpentine, who are now led by Skales, but the Serpentine are not able to help them defeat the Nindroids. Lloyd and Garmadon are attacked by corrupted Wu and Lloyd is captured. The Digital Overlord drains Lloyd of most of his Golden Power. The stranger is revealed to be Pythor, who survived the Great Devourer. Borg tells the Ninja they can reboot the system and destroy the Digital Overlord by going into the Digiverse. They reboot the station by using the Golden Power and Lloyd escapes, but the Overlord manages to escape the digital realm half-formed. Lloyd then gives up his remaining Golden Power at the Temple of Light by restoring the elemental powers of the original four Ninja. After Kai is captured by Pythor and the Nindroids, the Ninja discover a rocket named Arcturus that the Digital Overlord intends to use to retrieve the Golden Weapons from space. After freeing Kai, they stow away on board the rocket and battle the Nindroids for the Golden Weapons but fail to obtain them when the Nindroids return to Ninjago.

The Ninja return from space using elemental shields and prepare to confront the Digital Overlord, who has become the Golden Master, fulfilling an ancient Serpentine prophecy, and is now wreaking havoc on New Ninjago City. They try to shrink him with a shrinking pill, but this is thwarted by Pythor. With no other option, Zane sacrifices himself to destroy the Golden Master. However, Zane ultimately survives, trapped in Borg's systems, and rebuilds himself with the help of P.I.X.A.L.

Season 4: The Tournament of Elements (2015)

Following the loss of Zane, the team splits apart, but Lloyd seeks to rebuild it. The Ninja are reunited at Chen's Noodle House, where they discover that Zane is alive and are invited to compete in a tournament by Master Chen. Garmadon and the Ninja join a group of Elemental Masters and Chen's second-in-command, Clouse, on board a ferry. On Chen's island, Zane is being held prisoner and is now the Titanium Ninja. Upon arrival, Kai falls in love with Skylor, the Elemental Master of Amber, and tries to impress her. The competitors compete to obtain Jade Blades to remain in the contest, while the losers are dropped into trap doors. The Ninja discover a secret tunnel which reveals Chen's Cultist Warriors. When Jay and Cole are forced to compete against each other, Cole allows Jay to win. He is put to work in Chen's Noodle Factory, but plans to escape.

The Ninja gain the trust of the Elemental Masters during a race between Lloyd and Chamille, the Elemental Master of Form. When Lloyd wins the race, Chen tries to change the results, but the Ninja are supported by the Elemental Masters. Chen attempts to weaken the alliance by claiming that the winner will obtain the Staff of Elements, which he is secretly using to absorb their elemental powers. Dareth and Nya infiltrate the tournament, with Nya disguised as a kabuki, while Cole finds Zane and releases him. The Ninja realise that one of the Elemental Masters is a spy for Chen. It is later revealed that Skylor is not only the spy, but Chen's daughter.

In the next contest, Chen sends the contestants to a jungle island to capture Nya. In the jungle, Kai and Skylor team up, but Skylor reveals herself as Chen's daughter and everyone aside from Garmadon, Lloyd, and Nya are captured. Chen offers Kai greater power if he betrays the Ninja and Kai pretends to switch sides. When Lloyd is captured, Kai uses an opportune moment to take the Staff of Elements, which begins to corrupt him, but he manages to destroy it, which restores all the elemental powers. In the jungle, Clouse and Garmadon fight, resulting in Garmadon throwing Clouse into a portal to the Cursed Realm. Chen and his army escape from the island but are pursued by the Ninja and Elemental Masters riding on their elemental dragons.

When Chen performs a spell to transform his army into Anacondrai Warriors, he realises that to make the spell permanent, he needs the essence of a true Anacondrai. As Pythor is the last remaining Anacondrai, he is captured by Chen, who uses his sweat to complete the spell. Chen and his army then wage war against Ninjago. A battle takes place at the Corridor of Elders, between the Ninja alliance and Chen's army. Pythor reveals to Garmadon that the only way to defeat Chen's army is for Garmadon to banish himself to the Cursed Realm to bring back the original Anacondrai generals. Garmadon accepts, resulting in the spirits of the Anacondrai generals banishing Chen and his army to the Cursed Realm. A single spirit flies out of the portal to the Cursed Realm, uttering the name "Morro".

Season 5: Possession (2015)

When Lloyd is possessed by the spirit of Morro, the Ninja realise that they have lost their elemental powers. Morro attacks Wu and the Ninja to obtain Wu's staff, which has three symbols engraved upon it. Morro successfully takes the staff, but Wu has made an imprint of the symbols. Wu explains that Morro was his first pupil and the Elemental Master of Wind. Morro believed that he would become the Green Ninja and was enraged to find out that he was not. He had set out to find the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master but never returned. Morro and his three ghost warriors begin their search for the Realm Crystal, which will allow Morro to release the Preeminent, the physical embodiment of the Cursed Realm, into Ninjago.

The first symbol on Wu's staff is a technique known as Airjitzu, which allows the user to levitate off the ground. To learn this technique, the Ninja travel to the city of Stiix to find Ronin, a thief who stole the Scroll of Airjitzu from the Domu Library. On the way, they encounter a ghost and defeat him with water. In Stiix, they search for the scroll but are outwitted by Morro, who takes the scroll, learns Airjitzu and escapes. The Ninja discover they can learn Airjitzu by visiting the Temple of Airjitzu. Meanwhile, Nya receives intensive training from Wu and begins to control the element of water. The Ninja visit the Temple of Airjitzu, which is haunted by the ghost of Master Yang, and they earn the Scroll of Airjitzu. Yang tries to trap them inside the temple, revealing that anyone who remains inside at dawn will become a ghost. The Ninja drop the scroll during their escape and Cole rushes back inside to retrieve it, sacrificing his body to obtain the scroll.

After learning Airjitzu, the Ninja race to obtain the second symbol, the Sword of Sanctuary. They ascend the Wailing Alps and use Airjitzu to pass through the Blind Man's Eye into a parallel realm called Cloud Kingdom. Morro again outwits them, takes the sword and returns to Ninjago with the Ninja in pursuit. On the mountainside, Kai takes the sword from Morro and the Ninja use it to pinpoint the location of the third symbol, the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master. When they arrive, they face three deadly tests before finding the Realm Crystal. There they encounter Morro, who releases Lloyd and escapes with the crystal. Lloyd is weak, but the Ninja find their elemental powers are returning. Morro uses the Realm Crystal to release an army of ghosts and the Preeminent at Stiix. The Ninja are forced to battle the army of ghosts while Lloyd and Morro fight for the realm crystal across multiple dimensions (including Chima). Nya unlocks her True Potential and destroys the Cursed Realm with a huge wave, killing the Preeminent and all of its prisoners (including Chen and Garmadon). Wu tries to pull Morro from the grasp of the Preeminent but he refuses, apologizing to his former master and handing him the realm crystal as he hits the water.

Season 6: Skybound (2016)

Clouse (who is now a ghost and the only escapee from the Cursed Realm) finds the Teapot of Tyrahn and frees the evil Djinn, Nadakhan. He grants Clouse three wishes, distorting each and fooling him into being trapped inside the teapot. He then searches for the Realm Crystal to reunite his crew of Sky Pirates. When he discovers that the Ninja are protecting it, he frames them, which results in them becoming wanted criminals. The Ninja split up to escape but Nadakhan imprisons Wu and Misako in the teapot. Nadakhan finds the Realm Crystal in the Hiroshi Labyrinth Stronghold. In Kryptarium Prison, the Ninja meet Captain Soto, who trapped Nadakhan in the teapot two centuries prior. He explains that they must use a drop of tiger widow venom to weaken Nadakhan, so they head for the location of the last tiger widow spider. Nadakhan frees his crew from across the Sixteen Realms and they repair Misfortune's Keep. They visit his home realm, Djinjago and discover that it is being destroyed as a result of the Ninja destroying the Cursed Realm. The Djinn king Khanjkhan gives Nadakhan, his son, the Djinn Blade, which he uses to slash the Teapot of Tyrahn, causing the souls of Clouse, Wu, and Misako to transfer into the sword. He returns to Ninjago and swears revenge on the Ninja for destroying his home.

Nadakhan tricks Jay into making his first wish. To impress Nya, Jay wishes he was rich and was never born in a junkyard and, as a result, discovers that he was adopted and that his real father is a famous actor. Nadakhan then traps Kai and Zane in his sword. He begins his plan to recreate Djinjago by raising pieces of Ninjago into the sky. The Ninja reach Tiger Widow Island and Jay extracts the venom. He captured by Nadakhan, who is unaware that the remaining Ninja have the venom.. Nadakhan reveals his plan to wed Nya (who resembles his lost love Delara), which will give him the power of infinite wishes. Lloyd, Jay, Cole and Nya are captured by the Sky Pirates and they waste all of their remaining wishes in combat, aside from Jay, who still has one wish remaining. Nadakhan traps Lloyd and Cole inside the sword, leaving only Jay and Nya still free. They escape by creating a fusion dragon of water and lightning. In their last stand against the Sky Pirates, Nya pushes Jay into a portal and is captured.

Jay gathers allies and they reach New Djinjago on a rising piece of land. He obtains the Djinn Blade and is struck with it to be transported into the blade to release the Ninja, Wu and Misako. The wedding ceremony is completed and Nadakhan becomes all powerful with the ability of infinite wishes. In the ensuing battle, Flintlocke shoots Nadakhan with the venom, but Nya is also hit and dies in Jay's arms. Jay makes a final wish that the Teapot of Tyrahn had never been found. As a result, Nadakhan is forced to grant Jay his final wish, which causes the entire season's events to be reversed. Only Jay and Nya remember these events and they embrace. Clouse finds the teapot, but is chased away by locals, ensuring that Nadakhan is never released again.

Special: Day of the Departed (2016)

Day of the Departed was a TV special that takes place after the events of Season 6 and prior to Season 7. The Day of the Departed is a sacred holiday that is celebrated by the people of Ninjago to commemorate their fallen ancestors and friends. On this day, the Ninja split up to remember their ancestors and spend time with family members. During a visit to Ninjago History Museum, Cole (who is still a ghost) realises that he is starting to fade away and, after discovering the Yin Blade, decides to visit the floating Temple of Airjitzu to confront the ghost of Master Yang.

At the temple, Cole accidentally uses the Yin Blade to open a portal to the Departed Realm, thereby releasing the spirits of the Ninjas’ old enemies, which include Samukai, Kozu, Cryptor, Chen and Morro. The spirits possess their mannequins in Ninjago History Museum, which brings them to life. Cole is detained at the temple by Yang's ghost students. Yang then tells the villains that they can stay in Ninjago if they defeat each of the Ninja that defeated them. Yang seizes the Yin Blade from Cole and explains that he intends to use the blade to tear open the Rift of Return, so that he can be revived. The Ninja are under attack from their old revived enemies, but successfully defeat them one by one. In the meantime, Cole is forced to fight Yang's students as he follows Yang up to the temple roof. Yang uses Airjitzu in an attempt to reach the Rift, but Cole stops him and they fight.

When the Ninja are reunited, they realise that they had almost forgotten about Cole. They return to the Temple of Airjitzu as Cole is battling Yang. Cole's spirit is bolstered at the sight of his friends and he shatters the Yin Blade. This frees Yang's students, who are able to cross through the Rift and become human again. Yang tells Cole that he wanted to be remembered, but Cole replies that he will be remembered as the creator of Airjitzu. They agree to cross through the Rift together, but during the ascent, Yang decides to stay at the temple to settle his debts and launches Cole into the Rift. The Ninja soon discover that Cole has returned, now in human form once more. The Ninja celebrate the return of their friend and decide to use the Temple of Airjitzu as their new base.

Season 7: The Hands of Time (2017)

Acronix emerges from the time vortex, after being trapped for 40 years, and Master Wu challenges him in combat. During the fight, the Forward Time Blade arrives through the vortex and Acronix uses it to hit Wu with a time punch that accelerates his aging. Acronix reunites with his brother Krux. Wu relates the history of the Hands of Time, twin brothers, who were once allied with the Elemental Masters, but betrayed them. Ray and Maya had forged four Time Blades, which Wu and Garmadon used to absorb the twins' elemental powers, before banishing them into the vortex. Krux had emerged from the vortex years ago and disguised himself as Dr. Sander Saunders, curator of the Ninjago History Museum.

The Hands of Time proceed with their master plan. Krux has bred an army of Vermillion Warriors formed from snakes. The twins abduct Cyrus Borg and various workers from Ninjago City to build the Iron Doom, a time travelling mech. The Ninja attempt to fight the Vermillion but discover that they can immediately reform upon defeat. Kai visits Ninjago History Museum and fights the Time Twins with Nya. Krux tells Kai that his parents were traitors and helped the Hands of Time forge the Vermillion armour. The Vermillion recover the Slow-Mo Time Blade from the desert, but the Ninja take it from them. The Vermillion then launch an attack on the Temple of Airjitzu and during the battle, the Hands of Time escape with both Time Blades and Wu as their captive. They retrieve the Pause Time Blade from the top of a mountain.

The Ninja split up to rescue Cyrus, the workers and Wu. Kai visits the Blacksmith Shop and confronts his father, calling him a traitor. His parents explain that they were forced to work for Krux and that 40 years ago they hid the Reversal Time Blade in a secret location. The Hands of Time force Kai and Nya to retrieve the Reversal Blade from the Boiling Sea. They travel to its location by creating a Fusion Dragon, but on their return are attacked by Krux and Acronix, resulting in Ray being hit by the Forward Time Blade, which rapidly advances his age.

The Hands of Time travel back 40 years to the same temporal point when they battled the Elemental Masters. The Vermillion Warriors attack the Monastery, but Kai, Nya and Wu, who have followed them into the vortex, join the fight and the Elemental Masters get the upper hand. During the battle, the Time Twins alter history by forcing Wu to yield and this reverts present-day Ninjago to its pre-technology age. Kai and Nya ride the Fusion Dragon to battle the Iron Doom. The Hands of Time open another time vortex to escape, but Kai, Nya and Wu confront them. During the fight, Wu rips out the Reversal Blade, sabotaging the Iron Doom in the process. Kai and Nya are thrown off the mech with the Reversal Blade and return to the present day. Ninjago is restored to its technological glory and Kai uses the Reversal Time Blade to cure his father's rapid aging. Krux, Acronix and Wu are lost in time aboard the Iron Doom.

Season 8: Sons of Garmadon (2018)

The Sons of Garmadon, a criminal biker gang, steals the Oni Mask of Vengeance. The Ninja are summoned by the Royal Family, who ask them to protect the Oni Mask of Deception. There they meet Princess Harumi. At night, Lloyd follows a figure out of the palace and discovers that it is Harumi. They hand out food to children and Lloyd develops feelings for the princess. The Sons of Garmadon attack the Royal Palace and Lloyd escapes with Harumi. Lloyd, Jay, Zane and Cole visit Mistaké's Tea Shop. She relates the "Tale of the Oni and the Dragon", while Cole and Zane head to the police station. Mistaké tells Lloyd that the Sons of Garmadon want to use the three Oni Masks to resurrect Lord Garmadon in a purely evil form. At the police station, Zane and Cole trick Luke Cunningham into revealing the hangout of the biker gang. They go to Laughy's in disguise, and when Cole's cover is blown he is taken prisoner, but Zane is recruited as "Snake Jaguar". They force Zane to take part in a motorbike race, but a phone call from "The Quiet One", the gang's leader, reveals that Zane is a spy. Zane is forced to fight Mr. E, who knocks him off a cliff and nearly destroys him. Cole escapes from his cell at the gang's base and finds a baby, who he takes with him.

The Ninja find Zane and reboot his systems, unaware that Mr. E has planted a mechanical spider on him that sabotages the Bounty and P.I.X.A.L. While caring for the baby, the Ninja discover the location of the Mask of Hatred. When the Samurai Mech captures Harumi, Lloyd jumps onto it and they plummet to the ground. Nya uses rain to slow the descent of the Bounty and they crash into the jungle. The Ninja notice that the baby is now a toddler and realise that he is Wu. P.I.X.A.L. discovers that the signal from The Quiet One came from the Bounty, proving that the leader is Harumi. The Ninja are captured by the Sons of Garmadon, while Lloyd and Harumi locate the Oni Temple. Lloyd realises that Harumi is The Quiet One and they fight over the mask, but Harumi escapes. The Sons of Garmadon leave with the three Oni Masks and Destiny's Bounty.

The Sons of Garmadon take Lloyd and Misako to the Temple of Resurrection and lock them in cells. Harumi performs the ritual that resurrects Lord Garmadon.The Ninja manage to stop the ritual and the police arrest the gang. Back at the temple, it is revealed that the ritual worked and Garmadon is resurrected. He frees Harumi and they go to Kryptarium Prison to release the prisoners. Lloyd confronts his father alone and they engage in a brutal fight in which Lloyd is badly beaten. Garmadon conquers Ninjago by creating a stone Colossus. Lloyd wakes up and discovers that his elemental powers have gone. He takes Wu and flees with Harumi in pursuit. Lloyd throws Wu to the Ninja on Destiny's Bounty. The Colossus grabs the Bounty and crushes it, but before it is destroyed, the Ninja use Traveller's Tea to escape. Lloyd mourns their loss and goes into hiding, unaware that they have survived.

Season 9: Hunted (2018)

With Emperor Garmadon ruling Ninjago City, Lloyd, Nya and their allies are forced into hiding. Lloyd feels helpless, but finds hope when Mistaké tells him that the Ninja have survived. Lloyd, Nya, and several Elemental Masters form a resistance against Lord Garmadon. The resistance infiltrates Borg Tower and Lloyd broadcasts a message of hope to the people of Ninjago. The Sons of Garmadon ambush their secret base, but Lloyd, Nya, Skylor and Dareth escape.

Meanwhile, the other four Ninja and Wu (who has been rapidly aged up to a child and later to a teenager), are surviving in the Realm of Oni and Dragons. Kai, Jay and Zane are captured by Iron Baron and his band of Dragon Hunters and forced to compete in the Dragon Pit, a gladiator-style arena. Cole and Wu plot the Ninja's escape and succeed when Firstbourne, the Mother of all Dragons, attacks the camp. During the chaos, Kai sets free the dragons that are held in captivity. In the wilderness, the Ninja meet a rogue Dragon Hunter named Faith. She tells the story of how the First Spinjitzu Master shared a connection with Firstbourne by wearing his Dragon Armour. Wu, Faith and the Ninja set off to find Firstbourne's nest. On the journey, Faith trains the Ninja to use chain rifles to take down large dragons.

In Ninjago City, Lloyd discovers that Mistaké can shapeshift because she is an Oni. They plan to take down the Sons of Garmadon and eventually capture Harumi. Mistaké takes the form of Harumi to get Skylor close to Garmadon so that she can absorb his power. Unfortunately, Harumi arrives at Borg Tower at the same moment that Mistaké is impersonating her. Mistaké reveals her true Oni form and battles with Garmadon. During the fight, Skylor absorbs Garmadon's power and escapes, but Mistaké is killed. Skylor attempts to control Garmadon's Colossus using his power, but it poisons her. The Colossus falls onto a building, which collapses and kills Harumi, while Lloyd and Nya flee the city.

In the First Realm, the Ninja are hunted down once again and captured, so Wu promises to lead Iron Baron to the Dragon Armour. When they arrive at Firstbourne's nest, Iron Baron seizes the armour, but Wu reveals that it was not the armour that caused Firstbourne to trust his father, but the goodness in his heart. Firstbourne encases Iron Baron inside molten rock, allowing Wu to take the armour. With the help of Firstbourne, the Ninja and Wu are able to return to Ninjago on the dragons.

Lloyd and the Ninja are reunited in Ninjago City and plan a final battle with Garmadon. Wu and Lloyd fly to Borg Tower on Firstbourne to confront Garmadon. Meanwhile, the Ninja attempt to bring down the Colossus using their chain rifles and are able to defeat it with the help of Ninjago citizens. Lloyd battles with his father at the top of Borg Tower, but realises that the fight fuels his father's powers and learns to resist him rather than fight back. As a result, Garmadon's powers are diminished and Lloyd's elemental power returns. Ninjago is finally free from Garmadon's reign, but before Garmadon is arrested, he warns Lloyd that a new threat is coming.

Season 10: March of the Oni (2019)

Since Lord Garmadon's defeat, Ninjago City has been rebuilt. However, when Lloyd visits his father in Kryptarium Prison, Garmadon warns him that the "Bringers of Doom" are coming, but Lloyd refuses to listen. Meanwhile, the Ninja are presented with a newly rebuilt Destiny's Bounty. Garmadon's warnings soon prove to be justified when the Oni invade Ninjago by entering through the Realm Crystal. A darkness spreads across Ninjago City and petrifies anyone who touches it. On board Destiny's Bounty, the Ninja race to Ninjago City to rescue the citizens from the darkness. However, when the Ninja use their elemental powers against the dark cloud, they discover that they have no impact. Lloyd visits his father in Kryptarium Prison for advice. With no other choice, the Ninja release Garmadon from prison and form an uneasy alliance with him in an attempt to defeat the Oni and save Ninjago from the darkness.

Back on the Bounty, Garmadon tells the Ninja that the only way to save Ninjago is to destroy the Realm Crystal, which is located at Borg Tower. Lloyd and Garmadon agree that they alone can safely venture into the darkness and not be petrified because of their Oni blood. While Lloyd and Garmadon enter the darkness, the Ninja receive a distress signal from the NGTV building. They decide to go and help the people trapped there, while P.I.X.A.L. stays behind to help Lloyd and Garmadon. When Lloyd and Garmadon reach the Realm Crystal, Garmadon tries to destroy it, but they are confronted by the Omega, the Oni leader. While fighting the Omega and the Oni, Lloyd destroys the Realm Crystal with the Sword of Sanctuary, but it fails to stop them. Lloyd and Garmadon then find the Armour of the Golden Master and realise that it causes the Oni to recoil. They escape from Borg Tower, taking the armour with them and are picked up by P.I.X.A.L. As the Ninja are helping people escape at the NGTV building, Nya accidentally pushes the thrust lever the wrong way and Cole, who is hanging from a ladder, falls from the Destiny's Bounty into the darkness, seemingly killing him.

After Lloyd and Garmadon return, the Ninja fly to the Monastery of Spinjitzu so that Kai can reforge the Golden Weapons, believing that this can stop the Oni. When the Oni attack the Monastery, a battle takes place outside the walls. During the battle, the Ninja are slowly overwhelmed by the growing Oni horde, but Cole arrives in the Earth Driller and the Ninja realise that he has survived. When all hope seems lost, the Ninja, Wu and Garmadon join forces and Jay asks Nya to be his Yang. They use Spinjitzu to make the Tornado of Creation, which results in the Oni's destruction. After the battle, Lloyd experiences a vision where he meets the First Spinjitzu Master, who thanks him for saving Ninjago. Garmadon leaves for parts unknown as the Ninja celebrate their victory and shared history by placing their handprints on the wall mural of the Monastery of Spinjitzu.

Season 11: Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu (2019–20)

Part 1: The Fire Chapter

After defeating the Oni, the Ninja have become lazy and out of shape. They decide to search for a new threat to face, but Ninjago is at peace. They find their next quest when Clutch Powers discovers an ancient pyramid. The tomb is a prison for a snake queen named Aspheera, who is unwittingly released by the Ninja. She steals Kai's powers and uses them to revive her army of Pyro Vipers, with the aim of conquering Ninjago and exacting revenge on the "Treacherous Deceiver". The Ninja are trapped in the pyramid, but rescued by P.I.X.A.L. They learn about the Scrolls of Forbidden Spinjitzu, which grant the user great powers, but can also corrupt them. Wu eventually admits that he is the "Treacherous Deceiver", and explains that he befriended Aspheera and taught her Spinjitzu, but she used it for evil by taking over the Serpentine. As a result, Wu and Garmadon were forced to defeat Aspheera using Forbidden Spinjitzu and imprisoned her inside the pyramid. After Aspheera steals one of the scrolls from the museum, the Ninja go after the other at the Explorers Club, while Aspheera attacks the Monastery of Spinjitzu. The Ninja defeat Aspheera, but Zane is hit with the scroll's power and is transported to the Never-Realm. Wu volunteers to rescue Zane, but the Ninja overpower him and go instead, before Wu can warn them that there is no way to return.

Part 2: The Ice Chapter

The Ninja reach the Never-Realm and arrive at a village, where they meet the elder, Sorla and help the locals fend off the Blizzard Samurai, led by the Ice Emperor and his advisor, Vex. The Ninja believe that Zane was captured by the Ice Emperor and decide to stay at the village, where Kai attempts to regain his powers. Cole leaves to find the Traveller's Tree to collect some leaves for the Traveller's Tea so that they can return home. He befriends Krag, the last surviving Yeti, and Lloyd leaves to find Zane's mech. Along the way, Lloyd befriends a Formling named Akita, who can transform into a wolf and wishes to exact revenge on the Ice Emperor for freezing her people. Meanwhile, the village is attacked by the Ice Emperor's dragon Boreal, forcing the remaining Ninja to flee and continue their journey. Lloyd and Akita are later attacked by Boreal, who kidnaps Lloyd and carries him to the Ice Emperor, who is revealed to be Zane. After being transported to the Never-Realm decades into the past, he lost his memory and was manipulated by Vex, a Formling who wished to exact revenge on his people. Zane was led to believe he was the Ice Emperor and the two then dethroned the ruler of the realm, Grimfax. Zane used the Scroll of Forbidden Spinjitzu to corrupt Grimfax's warriors, turning them into the Blizzard Warriors. Lloyd is locked in a cell and meets Akita's brother, Kataru. They form an alliance with Grimfax to dethrone Zane and liberate the Never-Realm. Kai recovers his powers, destroying Boreal, and Zane recovers his memories after Vex attempts to kill Lloyd. Zane destroys his sceptre, which restores peace to the Never-Realm. Grimfax regains his throne, Vex is banished for his crimes, and the Ninja return to Ninjago.

Season 12: Prime Empire (2020)

When the old, legendary video game Prime Empire resurfaces, players begin to disappear into the game, including Jay (who loves playing video games). The Ninja discover that the game's creator, Milton Dyer, has also disappeared and nobody has seen him for years. With the suspicion that Dyer is a villain named Unagami, Lloyd, Cole, Kai and Nya enter the virtual world of Prime Empire to stop Dyer's avatar, while Zane and P.I.X.A.L. remain outside to find Dyer in the real world. They meet "The League of Jay", a group of Jay fans who lead them to a player named Scott. He explains that players only get four lives in the game and after losing their last life, they are turned into digital cubes and disappear. Once reunited with Jay, the Ninja travel across three game zones to obtain three Key-Tanas, which unlock the final challenge at the Temple of Madness. On the journey, they are hunted by Unagami's digital troops, the Red Visors. In the first game zone, Terra Karana, the Ninja meet a non-player character (NPC) called Okino, who helps them through many deadly challenges. In the boss battle, the Ninja win the fight against the Red Dragon to obtain the purple Key-Tana. The yellow Key-Tana is obtained by winning the Speedway Five-Billion, a dangerous race in the second game zone, Terra Technica. Lloyd recruits Racer Seven, another NPC, but she is followed by the Red Visors. Scott sacrifices himself to help the Ninja escape and is transformed into a digital cube. The Ninja manage to win the Speedway Five-Billion, but Kai and Cole are both cubed during the race. Lloyd, Jay and Nya continue their journey to obtain the final Key-tana in the third game zone, Terra Domina. There Lloyd is forced to battle an avatar of Harumi. He defeats her and obtains the orange Key-Tana, but is cubed in the process.

In the real world, Zane discovers the location of Dyer, only to get captured by the Mechanic. When P.I.X.A.L. finds Dyer, he reveals that Scott was a test player who became trapped inside the game (which was named Unagami), when Dyer requested that Scott receive an intense gaming experience. Dyer shut the game down, but Unagami survived. Zane is forced to give the Prime Empire motherboard to the Mechanic, who uses it to create a portal from the game into the real world.

In Prime Empire, Jay and Nya reach a digital sushi restaurant in the Temple of Madness, but Nya is cubed after being defeated by an NPC called Sushimi. After reaching the final level, Jay confronts Unagami, who transforms himself into the Empire Dragon. Jay follows him through the portal into the real world by riding on his Cyber Dragon. Back in the real world, Jay lures Unagami to the top of Borg Tower. Dyer apologises to Unagami, who forgives him. He agrees to release all the players and NPCs who are trapped inside the game. Unagami, who is now a child, and Dyer are finally reunited.

Season 13: Master of the Mountain (2020)

The Ninja and a jaded Master Wu are invited to the Kingdom of Shintaro. They meet King Vangelis and his daughter Vania, who takes an interest in Cole. That night, a Geckle enters Cole's room, who discovers that the creature has his mother's necklace. Vania takes Cole to a secret entrance that leads into the Dungeons of Shintaro. They discover the Geckles and the Munce, two tribes forced to work in the mines by an evil Skull Sorcerer, but Cole is taken prisoner.

Vania leads the Ninja to the dungeons, but they are attacked and captured by the Awakened Warriors, skeletons who can be revived by the sorcerer's Skull of Hazza D'ur. One of the Geckles tells Cole about the Blades of Deliverance, which were wielded by a warrior named "Gilly" who freed the tribes from a dragon called Grief-Bringer. The theft of the blades caused a rift between the two tribes. The Ninja escape and free the tribes. They split up, with Kai and Zane taking a tunnel with the Geckles, and Lloyd, Jay and Nya taking another tunnel with the Munce. Cole is forced to take a different tunnel by the Skull Sorcerer.

Nya, Jay, and Lloyd meet the Queen of the Munce, Murtessa, who takes a liking to Jay. Murtessa challenges Nya to a duel, who wins and becomes Queen of the Munce. Meanwhile, Kai and Zane are accused by Geckle Chancellor Gulch of working for the Skull Sorcerer and are forced to undergo a "Trial by Mino". After winning the trial, Kai and Zane notice Gleck is wearing Cole's necklace. They realise that "Gilly" was Cole's mother Lilly. Gulch resigns as Chancellor and gives the position to Kai.

Vania decides to go after Cole and saves him from giant spiders. They return to the surface and inform Wu about the Ninjas' predicament. They consult King Vangelis, but he reveals that he is the Skull Sorcerer. Vangelis presses a button that opens a trap door and Cole, Wu and Vania fall into the abyss. After a safe landing at the bottom of the dungeons, Wu, Cole, and Vania are met by Fungus, Korgran, and Plundar; a trio of adventurers who call themselves "The Lowly". They reveal that they were sent to retrieve the skull but Vangelis banished them to Rock-Bottom. Cole decides to change the team name to "The Upply". The Upply, Cole, Wu and Vania discover the Heart of the Mountain, a legendary temple of the Masters of Earth. Wu explains to Cole the teaching of the Spinjitzu Burst, a Spinjitzu ability which can only be performed by a Master of Earth who is surrounded by their element. They then find and operate a mech to return the group to the surface.

Nya and Kai lead the tribes to a peace meeting, but are ambushed by the undead dragon, Grief-Bringer, who forces the tribes to flee into a stronghold. The Skull Sorcerer tricks Lloyd into believing that the Munce and Geckles can go free, but he enslaves them and the Ninja are captured. Cole and his crew venture underground to fight the Skull Sorcerer. Cole confronts him with the Blades of Deliverance, but discovers that they are powerless. Remembering his late mother, he unlocks the Spinjitzu Burst and destroys the Skull, Awakened Warriors and Grief-Bringer. Vania arrives with Wu and the Winged Guards of Shintaro, who arrest Vangelis and crown Vania as Queen of Shintaro.

Season 14: The Island (2021)

An expedition led by Misako, Master Wu Clutch Powers and his assistants goes missing while exploring an uncharted island in the storm belt and the ninja must pick up their trail with the help of Timothy “Twitchy Tim” Batterson, having survived their journey to the island, the ninja venture inland where they unexpectedly befriend a dragon, and are ambushed by living statues, Nya, Zane, Kai and Cole are captured by the Keepers and encounter Misako, Master Wu and Clutch Powers in captivity. Meanwhile, Jay is taken to an unknown location by the chief, The Ninja have to watch how Jay is to be given away by the Keepers in order to appease the reawakened storm spirit Wojira, but find out that Ronin was behind this and manage defeat him and continue on their next adventure.

Cast and characters

Main

• Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon (voiced by Jillian Michaels in Seasons 1–7 and Sam Vincent in Seasons 8-present) is the Green Ninja and Elemental Master of Energy, which grants him the ability to manipulate energy. He is the current leader of the Ninja, son of Garmadon and Misako, nephew of Master Wu and the grandson of the First Spinjitzu Master. He frequently wields either a katana or a pair of dual katanas. Lloyd made his debut in Season 1 as a mischievous child wanting to be an evil warlord like his father. This resulted in childish schemes that were foiled by the original four Ninja. Lloyd was reformed by the Ninja and Master Wu, Lloyd's paternal uncle, and eventually discovered his destiny as the Green Ninja. While initially mischievous and naive, Lloyd has been tempered by experience into a mature, wise and skilled ninja. Though still the youngest member of the team, he has emerged as the natural leader of the Ninja.
• Kai (voiced by Vincent Tong) is the Red Ninja and Elemental Master of Fire. Like Lloyd, he frequently wields either a katana or dual katanas. His elemental power grants him limited pyrokinesis and heat resistance. Kai is fiercely loyal to his friends and family, often willing to do anything to ensure their safety. He often acts on emotion instead of reason, causing him to be hotheaded, cocky, and rash. He also has a strong sense of responsibility towards his friends. Kai is the elder brother of Nya and son of Ray and Maya.
• Jay Walker (born Jay Gordon) (voiced by Michael Adamthwaite) is the Blue Ninja and Elemental Master of Lightning. He frequently wields nunchucks and more recently, a kusarigama. His elemental power grants him limited electricity manipulation. He is also a skilled mechanic and is technologically savvy. Jay is inventive and quick-witted, often using comedy to alleviate stressful situations. He is easily excitable and prone to freaking out when in crises but like the other Ninja is intensely loyal to his friends, especially his girlfriend Nya. He is the son of Cliff Gordon and the previous Elemental Master of Lightning, but was adopted and raised by Ed and Edna Walker.
• Zane (voiced by Brent Miller) is the White/Titanium Ninja and Elemental Master of Ice. He frequently wields three-pointed shuriken and, more recently, a bow and arrow. His elemental power grants him limited cryokinesis. Zane is intelligent and calculating, often providing intel to the Ninja when required. Initially, he lacks normal social skills, such as a sense of humour, but it is later revealed that Zane is secretly an android (or "nindroid"), a fact unknown to both the Ninja and Zane himself. Though he is still logical and matter-of-fact by nature, his brotherhood with the other Ninja has enabled him to develop more human characteristics. He is the son/creation of Dr. Julien.
• Cole (voiced by Kirby Morrow in Seasons 1-15) is the grounded and solid Black Ninja and Elemental Master of Earth. He frequently wields a scythe and, in recent seasons, a war hammer. His elemental power grants him limited earth manipulation and super strength. The original leader of the Ninja, he is loyal to his friends and family and has a special love for food, especially cake. He is the son of Lou, a member of a barbershop quartet, and Lilly, the previous Elemental Master of Earth.
• Nya (voiced by Kelly Metzger) is the Silver/Maroon/Cyan Ninja, Elemental Master of Water and the original Samurai X. She frequently wields a sword and, more recently, a trident. Her elemental power grants her limited hydrokinesis. Originally not a part of the Ninja team, Nya joins when her skills as the Elemental Master of Water are needed to defeat the ghosts and the Preeminent in Season 5. Tough and determined, she refuses to let anyone tell her what to do. Though she can sometimes be stubborn, Nya cares about her friends and family, often making the most mature decisions of the group and serving as emotional support. A skilled mechanic, she often constructs vehicles for the other Ninja. Nya is Kai's younger sister and the daughter of Ray and Maya.
• P.I.X.A.L. (Primary Interactive X-ternal Assistant Life-form) (voiced by Jennifer Hayward) is a female nindroid who was originally an assistant to her creator/father Cyrus Borg. She joins the Ninja team after being influenced by her fellow nindroid Zane. She is disassembled in Season 4, but is then uploaded into Zane's system as an artificial intelligence. In Season 7, she secretly rebuilds herself and becomes the new Samurai X. She often provides technical support to the Ninja while serving as Zane's love interest.
• Sensei/Master Wu (voiced by Paul Dobson, Caleb Skeris as a baby, Madyx Whiteway as a child) is the wise, ancient master of the Ninja who frequently wields his father's staff. He is Lloyd's uncle, younger son of the First Spinjitzu Master and brother to Garmadon. Because of his Oni heritage, Wu has lived for over a thousand years.
• Lord Garmadon (voiced by Mark Oliver, Kai Emmett as a child) is Lloyd's father, Wu's older brother, Misako's estranged husband, and older son of the First Spinjitzu Master. Garmadon is the main antagonist for the first two seasons but is later cleansed of evil and becomes a sensei to the Ninja. In Season 4 he is sacrificed to the Cursed Realm and resurrected in Season 8 as a being of pure evil. He proceeds to conquer Ninjago, proclaiming himself as the realm's new emperor. However at the end of Season 9, Garmadon's reign of terror is finally brought to an end and he is imprisoned in Kryptarium Prison. In Season 10, he is released to help the Ninja defeat the Oni, after which he walks free. His whereabouts are currently unknown. Because of his Oni heritage, Garmadon has lived for over a thousand years.

Family members

• First Spinjitzu Master (voiced by Jim Conrad) is the legendary inventor of Spinjitzu, father of Wu and Garmadon, and grandfather of Lloyd. Originally from the Realm of Oni and Dragons, he created the realm of Ninjago and fought the Overlord, trapping him on the Dark Island. He died long before the start of the series.
• Misako (voiced by Kathleen Barr) is Garmadon's estranged wife and Lloyd's mother who works as an archaeologist.
• Dr. Julien (voiced by Mark Oliver) is an inventor and the creator/father of Zane. He is presumed dead until Season 2 when Dr. Julien reveals that Samukai had revived and imprisoned him. He briefly travels with the Ninja after they find him at the Lighthouse Prison, but dies sometime between Seasons 2 and 3.
• Ed Walker (voiced by Colin Murdock) is the adoptive father of Jay and the husband of Edna Walker, as well as the co-owner of Ed & Edna's Scrap N Junk.
• Edna Walker (voiced by Jillian Michaels) is the adoptive mother of Jay and the wife of Ed Walker, as well as the co-owner of Ed & Edna's Scrap N Junk.
• Lou (voiced by Kirby Morrow) is Cole's father, Lilly's husband, and notable member of the Royal Blacksmiths, a famous song and dance troupe.
• Lilly (voiced by Erin Mathews) is Cole's mother and the former Elemental Master of Earth. She passed away before the start of the series, but in Season 13 is revealed to have been a great warrior who freed Shintaro Mountain from evil by defeating Grief-Bringer. In doing so, she became a legend to the Geckles and Munce, who call her Gilly and Milly respectively.
• Ray (voiced by Vincent Tong) is Kai and Nya's father, Maya's husband and the former Elemental Master of Fire. He previously fought alongside his wife with Masters Wu and Garmadon as part of the First Elemental Alliance during the First Serpentine War. He is a skilled blacksmith.
• Maya (voiced by Jillian Michaels) is Kai and Nya's mother, Ray's wife and the former Elemental Master of Water. She previously fought alongside her husband with Masters Wu and Garmadon as part of the First Elemental Alliance during the First Serpentine War.

Recurring allies

• Dareth (voiced by Alan Marriott) is the bumbling self-proclaimed "Brown Ninja" and Grand Sensei of Dareth's Mojo Dojo. He is a frequent ally of the Ninja both by choice and coincidence.
• Mistaké (voiced by Mackenzie Gray Seasons 1–2, Mark Oliver Season 4–5, Tabitha St. Germain Seasons 8–9) is a grouchy but wise old lady who owns a tea shop that sells rare tea with magical properties. In Season 9, she is revealed to be a shapeshifter and an Oni in disguise. In the same season, it is implied that she was killed by Garmadon.
• Cyrus Borg (voiced by Lee Tockar) is a tech genius, inventor and head of Borg Industries. He is the creator/father of P.I.X.A.L. and has invented many cutting-edge electronic tools and gadgets. He first sought out the Ninja in Season 3 after the Digital Overlord overtook his computer systems. Throughout the series he has built a variety of tools, security systems, machines, and vehicles to assist the Ninja.
• Ronin (voiced by Brian Dobson) is a thief, mercenary and bounty hunter, motivated by self-interest who will sometimes assist the Ninja if it suits his needs. However, he will easily double cross them if he is paid well. He makes his first appearance in the show in Season 5.
• Police Commissioner (voiced by Michael Donovan) is the head of the Ninjago Police. He was originally introduced in Season 6 as an antagonist who pursued the Ninja when they were framed for committing various crimes by Nadakhan. Since then, he has assisted them both personally and with the full backing of the police force.
• Nelson (voiced by David Reynolds) is the honorary "Purple Ninja". In Season 6, he is confined to a wheelchair due to breaking his legs and is made a ninja for a day for the Grant-a-Wish Foundation. In Season 11 onwards, he becomes a paperboy.
• Clutch Powers (voiced by Ian James Corlett) is an adventurer and a suspended member of the Explorers Club. In Season 11, he helps the Ninja to explore the pyramid that entombs Aspheera. He appears again in Season 14. The character originally appeared in Lego: The Adventures of Clutch Powers.

Elemental masters

• Skylor Chen (voiced by Heather Doerksen) is the Elemental Master of Amber and Master Chen's daughter. She has the ability to temporarily absorb and use other elemental powers. In Season 4 she operates as a spy for her father in the Tournament of Elements and is tasked with disrupting the Ninja and their alliance. Though she initially helps her father to steal the elemental powers of the other masters, Kai convinces her to switch sides and she ultimately betrays Chen and helps to return the stolen elemental powers. It is revealed by Chen that Skylor inherited the power of Amber from her mother. She has reappeared as an ally of the Ninja in subsequent seasons and is the romantic interest of Kai.
• Karlof (voiced by Scott McNeil) is the Elemental Master of Metal and engineer from Metalonia. He has the ability to turn his entire body into metal and grow slightly in size.
• Griffin Turner (voiced by Doron Bell) is the Elemental Master of Speed. He has the ability to move at super speed.
• Shade (voiced by Andrew Francis) is the Elemental Master of Shadow. He has the ability to disappear and move in shadows.
• Neuro (voiced by Paul Dobson) is the Elemental Master of Mind. He has the ability to read minds and manipulate thoughts.
• Paleman (voiced by Kirby Morrow) (also known as Mr. Pale) is the Elemental Master of Light. He has the ability to generate light and turn invisible.
• Tox (voiced by Ian James Corlett in Season 4, Maggie Blue O'Hara in Season 9) is the Elemental Master of Poison who is capable of producing toxic clouds.
• Jacob Pevsner (voiced by Paul Dobson) is the blind Elemental Master of Sound, who wields a guitar in combat and has the ability to manipulate sounds.
• Bolobo (voiced by Michael Adamthwaite) is the Elemental Master of Nature. He has the ability to control plants.
• Chamille (voiced by Maryke Hendrikse) is the Elemental Master of Form. She has the ability to shapeshift.
• Ash (voiced by Brent Miller) is the Elemental Master of Smoke. He has the ability to create smokescreens and transform into smoke.
• Gravis (voiced by Kirby Morrow in episode 37, Mark Oliver in all other appearances) is the Elemental Master of Gravity. He has the ability to levitate and alter gravity.

Villains

• Samukai (voiced by Michael Kopsa) is a secondary antagonist in the Pilot Season and the four-armed Skulkin ruler of the Underworld until Lord Garmadon defeats him in single combat and takes command. He leads the attacks on Ninjago to retrieve the four Golden Weapons but attempts to betray Garmadon by keeping the weapons for himself and is destroyed. He makes recurring appearances in later seasons.

• The Great Devourer is a giant snake and major antagonist in Season 1. It has the ability to increase its size by consuming anything in its path and was responsible for turning Garmadon evil when he was bitten as a child and corrupted by its venom. The snake is released by Pythor in Season 1 to exact revenge on the people of Ninjago, but is destroyed by Garmadon using the Golden Weapons.
• Pythor P. Chumsworth (voiced by Michael Dobson) is a recurring antagonist who first appears in Season 1 and is the general and last remaining member of the Anacondrai Tribe. He pretends to befriend Lloyd in Season 1 and eventually becomes the Snake King and releases the Great Devourer. He reappears in Season 3 as an ally of the Overlord and in Day of the Departed.
• Skales (voiced by Ian James Corlett) is a recurring antagonist, leader of the Hypnobrai Tribe and current Snake King of the Serpentine who first appeared in Season 1. After being repeatedly defeated by the Ninja, he and the Serpentine find themselves trapped underground by the Stone Army in Season 2 but then take an oath of pacifism and began to live peacefully alongside the other inhabitants of Ninjago.

• The Overlord (voiced by Scott McNeil) is a major recurring antagonist of Seasons 2 and 3 and the manifestation of darkness in Ninjago. In the lore of the series, he fought the First Spinjitzu Master, but was defeated and trapped on the Dark Island. Thousands of years later he possesses Garmadon in Season 2 and transforms into a huge dragon but is defeated by Lloyd in the season finale. The Overlord returns in Season 3 as the Digital Overlord, a computer virus that takes over the technology of New Ninjago City. He steals Lloyd's Golden Power and attacks New Ninjago City, but is defeated by Zane in the season finale.
• Captain Soto (voiced by Alan Marriott) is a secondary recurring antagonist, leader of a band of pirates and the original captain of the Destiny's Bounty. He made his first appearance when he was resurrected by Lord Garmadon in Season 2 and has served as both a minor antagonist and an ally to the Ninja in subsequent seasons.
• General Kozu (voiced by Paul Dobson) is a secondary antagonist of Season 2 and the four-armed general of the Overlord's Stone Army. He reappears in Day of the Departed.
• General Cryptor (voiced by Richard Newman) is a secondary antagonist of Season 3 and the general of the Overlord's Nindroid Army who aims to stop the Ninja from defeating the Overlord. He reappears in Day of the Departed.

• Master Chen (voiced by Ian James Corlett) is a major antagonist in Season 4, leader of the Anacondrai Cultists and the father of Skylor. Before the series, he was exiled to an island after allying himself with the Serpentine and betraying humanity during the first Serpentine War. He attempts to steal the powers of the Elemental Masters to transform him and his followers into Anacondrai warriors to conquer Ninjago but is defeated and banished to the Cursed Realm. He reappears in Day of the Departed.
• Clouse (voiced by Scott McNeil) is a recurring secondary antagonist who appears in Seasons 4, 5 and 6. He is a dark sorcerer and Chen's second-in-command. In the lore of the show, he trained with Lord Garmadon under Master Chen before the First Serpentine War. He is sent to the Cursed Realm after being defeated by Garmadon in Season 4, but escapes the Preeminent before its destruction in Season 5. After the reversal of Jay's wish in the finale of Season 6, he fails to release Nadakhan, ensuring that the events never take place.

• The Preeminent is a major antagonist in Season 5 and the embodiment of the Cursed Realm who resembles a massive eyeball with tentacles. She is the master of Morro and his ghost warriors. In Season 5, she successfully crosses into Ninjago but is defeated when Nya unlocks her True Potential and drowns her with a huge wave. In Season 11, she reappears from the Departed Realm after Wu tries to open a portal to the Never-Realm, but is defeated by P.I.X.A.L and sent back.
• Morro (voiced by Michael Dobson in episode 44, Andrew Francis from 45 onward) is a major antagonist of Season 5, the Elemental Master of Wind and leader of the Ghost Army. In the lore of the series, he was a former student of Master Wu who was led to believe that he would become the legendary Green Ninja. When the Golden Weapons proved otherwise, he left in a rage. He was eventually banished to the Cursed Realm and returned as a ghost. In Season 5, Morro possesses Lloyd and plans to release the Preeminent but is killed in the season finale while being dragged into water by the Preeminent. He reappears in Day of the Departed and helps the Ninja by informing them of Master Yang's plan before returning to the Departed Realm.
• Sensei/Master Kodokuna Yang (voiced by Michael Donovan) is a recurring antagonist in Season 5 and Day of the Departed. He is the creator of Airjitzu and the guardian of the Temple of Airjitzu. Before the series, he accidentally turned himself and his students into ghosts after arrogantly attempting to use the Yin Blade to gain immortality. In Season 5 he attempts to trap the Ninja inside the Temple of Airjitzu and on the Day of the Departed he fights Cole to reach the Rift of Return in order to become human again.

• Nadakhan (voiced by Scott McNeil) is the major antagonist of Season 6, the Djinn leader of the Sky Pirates and captain of Misfortune's Keep. He has the ability to grant three wishes to anyone within earshot and is the prince of the Kingdom of Djinjago and son of Khanjikhan. In Season 6, he plots to marry Nya in order to become all powerful with the ability of infinite wishes, but is defeated when Jay makes his final wish which reverses all of the events.

• Krux (voiced by Michael Daingerfield) is a major antagonist of Season 7 and one of the Elemental Masters of Time along with his twin brother Acronix. He originally disguised himself as the museum curator Dr. Sander Saunders until his true identity was revealed in Season 7. He once had the ability to pause and reverse time.
• Acronix (voiced by Ian Hanlin) is a major antagonist of Season 7 and one of the Elemental Masters of Time along with his twin brother Krux. He was trapped in a time vortex for 40 years until Season 7. He once had the ability to speed up and slow down time.

• Princess Harumi (voiced by Britt McKillip) (also known as the Jade Princess, "The Quiet One" and her nickname Rumi) is a major antagonist of Seasons 8 and 9. She is the adopted daughter of the Emperor and Empress of Ninjago, after her parents died during the destruction of the Great Devourer in Season 1. This tragic event results in her swearing revenge on the Ninja and idolising Lord Garmadon for defeating the Great Devourer. In Season 8, she leads the Sons of Garmadon to resurrect Garmadon, but is eventually revealed to be "The Quiet One". After Lord Garmadon conquers Ninjago in the finale, she reappears in Season 9 as his second-in-command. She is eventually killed by a collapsing building after helping a family to escape. She reappears in Season 12 as an avatar pitted against Lloyd in Prime Empire.
• Killow (voiced by Garry Chalk) is a secondary antagonist of Seasons 8 and 9 and the hulking first general of the Sons of Garmadon (also known as "The Big Man"). He frequently wears the Oni Mask of Deception, which grants him the power of levitation.
• Ultra Violet (voiced by Maggie Blue O'Hara in Seasons 8-9 and Sharon Alexander from Season 11-present) is a recurring secondary antagonist of Seasons 8 and 9 and the unhinged second general of the Sons of Garmadon. She frequently wears the Oni Mask of Hatred, sharing it with Harumi, which makes them both indestructible. She reappears in Season 11, where it is revealed that she despises Zane the most out of all of the Ninja.
• Mr. E (voiced by Brent Miller) is a secondary antagonist of Seasons 8 and 9 and the silent and robotic third general of the Sons of Garmadon. He is revealed to be a nindroid like Zane and frequently wears the Oni Mask of Vengeance which grants him four arms. He is later destroyed by Emperor Garmadon for failing to capture Lloyd.

• Iron Baron (voiced by Brian Drummond) is a major antagonist of Season 9 and the authoritarian leader of the Dragon Hunters in the Realm of Oni and Dragons. He seeks revenge on Firstbourne but is ultimately killed by her after attempting to wear the Dragon Armor.

• The Omega (voiced by Zach LeBlanc) is the major antagonist of Season 10 and the leader of the Oni. He aims to engulf Ninjago in darkness, so that the power of creation is forever destroyed. The Omega and the Oni are presumably killed when the Ninja combine their powers to perform the Tornado of Creation in the season finale.

• Aspheera (voiced by Pauline Newstone) is the major antagonist of Season 11: The Fire Chapter and a sorceress of the Serpentine who desired to learn Spinjitzu when Wu and Garmadon were children. In exchange for learning the art, she released young Garmadon and Wu from the dungeons after they trespassed on Serpentine land. Wu taught her the art of Spinjitzu but she betrayed her promise to never use Spinjitzu for evil and overthrew King Mambo V. She was eventually defeated and sentenced to magical entombment. In Season 11, she is unwittingly freed by the Ninja while exploring a pyramid in the Desert of Doom. She steals Kai's fire power and attempts to conquer Ninjago City and seeks revenge on Wu but is defeated by Zane and locked in Kryptarium Prison.

• The Ice Emperor (voiced by Brent Miller under the pseudonym Graeme Pailsade) is the major antagonist of Season 11: The Ice Chapter and rules the Never-Realm with his army of Blizzard Samurai. He is eventually revealed to be Zane, who arrived in the Never-Realm long before the Ninja and had his memory erased by Vex, who pulled the plug while attempting a system diagnostic. Vex manipulated Zane into conquering the Never-Realm and becoming the Ice Emperor. In the finale Zane regains his memories and transforms the Never-Realm back to its normal state by destroying his sceptre.
• General Vex (voiced by Michael Kopsa) is a secondary antagonist of Season 11: The Ice Chapter and the Ice Emperor's general of the Blizzard Samurai. He was originally a Formling but was excluded and mocked for being unable to find his animal form. He manipulates Zane into becoming the Ice Emperor but is banished in the Never-Realm when Zane regains his memory.

• Unagami (voiced by Dean Redman (AI) and Zion Simpson (child form)) is the major antagonist of Season 12 and an artificial intelligence (AI) that develops into the video game Prime Empire (created with the working title of Unfinished Adventure Game I). With the help of the Mechanic, he constructs a portal from Prime Empire into Ninjago, but agrees to undo his evil deeds after reuniting with his creator, Milton Dyer in the season finale.
• The Mechanic (voiced by Michael Antonakos (Season 6, Season 11-onwards), Alan Marriott (Season 8) is a recurring secondary antagonist and former noodle truck repairman. In Season 6, he intimidated the Ninja while in prison, hoping to steal robotic parts from Zane. He reappears in Season 8 as a minor character, fighting Kai and Zane. In Season 11, he reappears and reveals that he despises Nya the most of all the Ninja. In Season 12, he allies himself with Unagami and assists with opening the portal from Prime Empire into the real world.
• King Vangelis / The Skull Sorcerer (voiced by Deven Mack under the pseudonym Ervin M. Jordan) is the major antagonist of Season 13, the ruler of the Kingdom of Shintaro and father of Princess Vania. Vangelis reveals himself to be the Skull Sorcerer, who uses the Skull of Hazza D'ur to enslave the Munce and Geckles to mine vengestone to sell to an unknown buyer. He is eventually defeated by Cole by using the Spinjitzu Burst and is later arrested and overthrown by Princess Vania.

Episodes

Main article: List of Ninjago episodes

Season	Subtitle	Episodes		Originally aired
				First aired	Last aired
Pilots	Masters of Spinjitzu or Way of the Ninja	4		January 14, 2011 (2011-01-14)
1	Rise of the Snakes	13		December 2, 2011 (2011-12-02)	April 11, 2012 (2012-04-11)
2	Legacy of the Green Ninja	13		July 18, 2012 (2012-07-18)	November 21, 2012 (2012-11-21)
3	Rebooted	8		January 29, 2014 (2014-01-29)	November 26, 2014 (2014-11-26)
4	Tournament of Elements	10		February 23, 2015 (2015-02-23)	April 3, 2015 (2015-04-03)
5	Possession	10		June 29, 2015 (2015-06-29)	July 10, 2015 (2015-07-10)
6	Skybound	10		March 24, 2016 (2016-03-24)	July 15, 2016 (2016-07-15)
Special	Day of the Departed	1		October 29, 2016 (2016-10-29)
7	Hands of Time	10		May 15, 2017 (2017-05-15)	May 26, 2017 (2017-05-26)
8	Sons of Garmadon	10		April 16, 2018 (2018-04-16)	May 25, 2018 (2018-05-25)
9	Hunted	10		August 11, 2018 (2018-08-11)	August 25, 2018 (2018-08-25)
10	March of the Oni	4		April 19, 2019 (2019-04-19)
11	Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu	30		June 22, 2019 (2019-06-22)	February 1, 2020 (2020-02-01)
12	Prime Empire	16		July 19, 2020 (2020-07-19)	August 30, 2020 (2020-08-30)
13	Master of the Mountain	16		September 13, 2020 (2020-09-13)	October 25, 2020 (2020-10-25)
Miniseries	The Island	4		March 7, 2021 (2021-03-07)	March 14, 2021 (2021-03-14)
14	Seabound	16		April 4, 2021 (2021-04-04)	April 30, 2021 (2021-04-30)
15	Crystalized	30		May 20, 2022 (2022-05-20)	October 1, 2022 (2022-10-01)

Production and development

Concept

In 2009, LEGO proposed to make a series about ninja, deciding that there would be four ninja with elemental powers. The Ninjago theme concept originated in the Lego Ninja theme, which was released by Lego in 1998. This was then replaced by Lego Knights in 2000. In 2011, Ninjago was launched and included some of the concepts from the Ninja theme, such as dragons and fortresses, but also combined this with a modern setting. The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen, two Danish film producers.

The first concept drawing was created by Tommy Andreasen in late 2009, which depicted several elemental ninjas and included the word "Spinjago". This was later updated to become the fictional martial art of "Spinjitzu", a combination of the words 'spin' and 'ninjitsu'. The sketch was then sent to Craig Sellars, who then painted an internal concept image of the characters. The Ninjago name combined the words 'ninja' and 'go', which was split from the end of the company name. The series title was also used as the main ninja battle cry. The character of Lloyd Garmadon was conceived by the screenwriters, Dan and Kevin Hageman following the Pilot Season. The Hageman brothers eventually left the show when Bragi Schut took over as writer.

Animation

The Ninjago series was animated in Copenhagen, Denmark, by Wil Film ApS for the first ten seasons, subtitled "Masters of Spinjitzu". Animation was relocated to WildBrain Studios (formerly DHX Media) in Canada starting with the eleventh season. Season 11 marked the use of new animation styles, including anime-style 2D animation, as a way to experiment with the storyline and add new creativity to the show. From Season 11 onwards, the run-time for the show was revised from 22 minutes to 11 minutes.

Character design

Following the initial concept sketch created by Tommy Andreasen in late 2009, concept artwork depicting the main Ninja characters was created in 2010, with a character drawing of Lloyd and sketches to summarise the first two Ninjago seasons. In addition, sketches of Nya were first produced by Tim Ainley, depicting the character as a samurai, followed by character, model and part designs.

In the eighth season, the appearances of Lloyd and the Ninja are notably different from their appearances in previous seasons. Season 8 implemented a new phase for the Ninjas’ designs, which were now based on the designs of their movie counterparts in The Lego Ninjago Movie. The design change aimed to help new fans of the movie transition to the television series. The start of the season marks updated appearances for each of the Ninja, including changes to their hair and faces, and these new appearances have continued to be used throughout subsequent seasons. Although Lloyd looks almost identical to his movie design, he was given a new voice actor Sam Vincent, who took over the role from Jillian Michaels, while the other Ninja retained their original voice actors.

Music

The title sequences for Seasons 1-7 and 11-13 feature The Weekend Whip, a song performed by The Fold, which is the show's official theme song. The Weekend Whip is remixed each season to reflect the theme. Seasons 8-10 feature music by Michael Kramer and Jay Vincent, with Ninjago Overture as the main theme.

Themes and analysis

One of the most dominant aspects of the Ninjago series is the theme of duality, or darkness and light (with reference to the yin and yang). In the fictional realm of Ninjago, the two main elements are creation and destruction, which are the definition of good and evil, and are shown to either create life or destroy it. The main characters to have been depicted wielding this power are Master Wu, who represents creation and Lord Garmadon who represents destruction, being the direct descendants of the First Spinjitzu Master, the legendary fictional creator of Ninjago. Many villains throughout the series have been defined by darkness and destruction, most prominently the Oni, while the main character Lloyd Garmadon has been associated with light, particularly when he was shown to have achieved his "Golden Power" in the second season.

Broadcast and release

In the United States, two pilot episodes, later split into four episodes total, were shown on Cartoon Network on January 14, 2011. They were released in Europe on January 24, 2011. The pilot episodes follow the four original Ninja as Sensei Wu brings them together to defeat the evil Lord Garmadon. Due to the popularity of the pilot episodes, the first season was launched from December 2011 – April 2012 alongside a new line of sets marketed as "Rise of the Snakes". The pilot episodes were released on DVD in March 2011, and the first season became available on DVD in Region 1 on June 26, 2012. The series as a whole has an estimated budget of kr 37 million (approximately £4.6 million or US$6.7 million).

Season 1, "Rise of the Snakes," follows the four original ninja as they battle the Serpentine, unlock their true potentials, and attempt to discover the identity of the fabled Green Ninja. The first five episodes of season 1 aired in Canada on November 25 and the first two in the United States on December 2. The season once again aired in Canada and the United States from January 11, 2012, to April 11, 2012.

Season 2, "Legacy of the Green Ninja," premiered on July 18, 2012, to an audience of 2.8 million. Season 2 focuses on Lloyd, as he trains to become the Green Ninja in preparation for the final battle, where he will have to face and defeat his father.

In June 2013, Warner Bros. announced that a movie based on the toyline would be made, though it would take a different approach to the TV series. It was written by the Hageman brothers, who also wrote the story for The Lego Movie. It was released on September 22, 2017.

Season 3, "Rebooted," premiered on January 29, 2014. Season 3 focuses on Zane as he and the other Ninja fight to defeat an ancient evil reborn as a new, technological threat. In the United Kingdom, the series premiered on 21 July 2014 on Cartoon Network.

Season 4, "The Tournament of Elements," premiered on February 23, 2015 in North America and Great Britain on Cartoon Network. Season 4 follows the Ninja as they travel to a mysterious island to fight in the Tournament of Elements and search for a missing Zane.

On June 8, 2015 LEGO released the trailer for the fifth season, "Possession." It premiered on June 27 in the United States. Season 5 focuses on Nya training to become the Master of Water while the other Ninja battle Wu's first student, a vengeful ghost who has possessed Lloyd.

Season 6, "Skybound," was released on June 8, 2016. It focuses on Jay as he and the Ninja try to prevent Nadakhan the Djinn and his sky pirates from terraforming Ninjago into a new Kingdom of Djinjago.

A Halloween special titled "Day of the Departed" was released on October 29, 2016, featuring the return of many of the series' past villains. The special focuses on Cole, who is slowing fading from existence.

Season 7, "The Hands of Time," was released in May 2017. The plot focuses on Kai, Nya and their parents, with the main villains being the Elemental Masters of Time (Acronix and Krux) and their army of Vermillion Warriors, who are trying to rewrite history.

Season 8, "Sons of Garmadon," was released April 16, 2018 in the US. It follows the Ninja as they try to prevent a criminal organization, the Sons of Garmadon (SoG) from resurrecting Garmadon using the three Oni Masks. The season introduced character redesigns to make the main cast more closely resemble their The Lego Ninjago Movie counterparts.

Season 9, "Hunted," premiered on June 30, 2018 in Australia. The season follows Lloyd and the Resistance fighting to take back New Ninjago City, while the other Ninja try to escape from the First Realm.

Season 10, "March of the Oni," premiered on April 19, 2019. It follows Garmadon and the Ninja as they try to stop a demonic force of darkness called the Oni from destroying Ninjago and the sixteen realms. It featured only 4 episodes, making it tied with The Island for being the shortest season to date.

Season 11, “Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu,” premiered on June 22, 2019. It follows the Ninja as they come face to face with an enemy from Wu's past. This season saw the introduction of an 11-minute episode format and a new, more stylized animation style. It was split into two fifteen episodes parts, The Fire Chapter and The Ice Chapter. It is notably the largest season of Ninjago, containing 30 episodes overall.

Season 12, "Prime Empire," premiered on June 19, 2020 in the United States. It focuses on Jay as he and the Ninja enter the video game Prime Empire to face the evil Unagami.

Season 13, "Master of the Mountain," premiered on September 16, 2020 in the United States. It focuses on Cole as he and the Ninja journey to the distant mountains of Shintaro, unaware of the sinister secrets that lie in the cavernous dungeons below.

Season 14, "The Island," premiered on February 27, 2021 in France, and on March 7, 2021 in Canada. It follows the Ninja as they embark on a rescue mission to a mysterious and uncharted island.

Home media

Name	Release Date
	US		UK
Pilot	27 March 2012		2 June 2014
Season 1	26 June 2012	23 June 2015	16 February 2015	2 November 2015
Season 2	5 March 2013		31 August 2015
Season 3	5 August 2014		15 August 2016
Season 4	21 July 2015		7 November 2016
Season 5	16 February 2016		27 March 2017
Season 6	14 March 2017		17 July 2017
Day of the Departed	7 February 2017		22 January 2018
Season 7	3 October 2017		2 October 2017
Season 8	8 January 2019		1 January 2019
Season 9	N/A		N/A
Season 10	N/A		N/A
Season 11	N/A		N/A
Season 12	N/A		N/A
Season 13	N/A		N/A

Reception

Critical reception

Ninjago has received largely favourable reviews from critics. Reviewer Lien Murakami for Common Sense Media gave the show a three-star rating, describing it as "exciting and funny" and noting that "the ninja characters learn lessons of patience and teamwork from their wise sensei". However, the review also opined that the show "is essentially an extended advertisement for the LEGO Ninjago toy line". Dave Trumbore for Collider commented on the sixth season, stating that the show is "a fun romp through the mythology in the modern era that emphasizes teamwork, cooperation, and loyalty throughout, all while providing a highly entertaining and action-packed series".

Ratings

The Ninjago series has achieved strong ratings from its initial launch. The first season of Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu, which was released on Cartoon Network, achieved the top position on Wednesday nights from 7 to 9 pm with children aged 2-11 and 9-14. The Season 2 premiere scored the top telecast of the day with children aged 2-11, boys aged 2-11, boys aged 6-11 and boys aged 9-14 and ranked the highest in its time period among children aged 6-11 and children aged 9-14. It also increased average ratings from between 124% and 184% compared to the same time period for the first season premiere in the previous year. The total number of viewers increased by 30%. The third season averaged a triple digit viewer increase with children and boys, with the January 2014 release ranking as the top telecast of the year with boys aged 2-11 and boys aged 6-11. In 2015, the show maintained its popularity by achieving the top position for telecast of the day among boys aged 2-11 and aged 6-11, and the top position in its time period among children aged 2-11, children aged 6-11 and all boys. On 11 August 2018, Season 9: Hunted Part 1 was ranked at 84 in the top 150 original cable telecasts. Season 9: Hunted Part 2 achieved a rank of 67 on 18 August 2018. On 19 April 2019, Season 10 ranked at position 86. Season 11 ranked at position 81 on 22 June 2019. Season 12 ranked at 83 on 19 July 2020. On 20 September 2020, Season 13 achieved a rank of 52 in the top 150. As of 27 September 2020, the show has maintained its rank as one of the top 150 original cable telecasts.

Awards and nominations

The series has been nominated twice for awards. Peter Hausner was nominated at the 39th Annie Awards for his direction on the show, but lost to Simpsons director Matthew Nastuk. The composers, Michael Kramer and Jay Vincent, were nominated for the BMI TV Music Award, which they won. In 2012 and 2014, they were nominees for Annie Awards for both years. In 2016 they were nominees for the KCA favorite cartoon award and their music from Season 10 was nominated for an Emmy Award.

Influence and legacy

Since its launch in 2011, the Ninjago series has seen continued popularity amongst its target audience, who are mainly primary aged children and teenagers, but it has also gained a dedicated fan community. The Ninjago writers have ensured that children are able to relate to the main characters by making them teenage heroes, and this has made them consistently popular characters. In 2017, Christopher Stamp, Senior Designer at Lego, noted that Lloyd and the Ninja are relatable to children due to their inherent flaws.

What is the main thing that has caught kids’ attention? Why is it so relatable? I have thought about it a lot. For me personally, it has got to be the characters. None of the characters are perfect, they are all flawed and I think that is something everyone can relate to. The characters are flawed and individually they are not complete, but as a team they complete each other. You follow the characters’ development, it allows a form of natural evolution as you go through the stories. The example I always come back to is when Cole questions if he is really important to the team, would the team still exist if he wasn’t there? That led us to introduce ghosts to the world of Ninjago, what if he’s a ghost? Then we realise when he actually becomes invisible, the team doesn’t function the same way without him.

Since 2011, the Ninjago series has included storylines that have aimed to teach about the importance of friendship, inclusivity and confidence. In 2017, Lego design manager, Michael Svane Knap commented that, "It’s always important to develop good characters that engage with the kids and encourage them to watch. The story that we have been telling from the beginning has been focused on family, collaboration and emotions and these are the keystone for telling a good Ninjago story". The Ninjago series has been in continuous production for a decade, resulting in many children having grown up following the series and developing into adult fans. Knapp remarked that, "Some have grown up with Lego Ninjago and are now expressing their gratitude and telling us how they have learned lifelong skills".

On 5 February 2019, Ernie Estrella for Syfy Wire remarked that, "Ninjago is one of Lego's long running, home-grown franchises, and is arguably its most successful one."

Ten year anniversary

On 14 January 2021, the Ninjago series celebrated its ten year anniversary, as it has been in continuous production since the release of the first Pilot Episode in 2011. This milestone reflects the continued popularity of the show amongst its audience. Tommy Andreasen, Senior Manager and co-creator explained that, "Originally, the Ninjago theme was supposed to end after season 2 in 2012. It just shows an incredible commitment from our fans that we are still going strong 10 years later".

Mini-movies

Several mini-movies have been produced alongside the Ninjago television series, which provide additional information about the characters.

Pilot Episode Mini-movies - six short films that take place immediately after the Pilot Season, released in 2011
Chen Mini-movies - five mini-movies that focus on Master Chen and his chair from Season 4, released in 2015
Tall Tales - six mini-movies that focus on the Sky Pirates of Season 6, released in 2016
Wu's Teas - a collection of 20 Ninjago shorts that focus on Master Wu's tea shop, released in 2017
Happy Birthday To You! - a one-minute Ninjago short, released on Netflix on 14 September 2017
Ninjago: Decoded - a mini-series of ten episodes which takes place between Season 7 and Season 8, released on 27 November 2017
Tales from the Monastery of Spinjitzu - six Ninjago: Legacy films from the Lego website that take place between Season 9 and Season 10, released 19 December 2018
Prime Empire shorts - six Ninjago shorts that provide additional background information about Season 12, released in 2020

In other media

The Ninja have appeared in a movie, magazines, video games, colouring books, graphic novels, children's books and a theme park ride.

Lloyd and the Ninja are the protagonists of The Lego Ninjago Movie, released in 2017. Although the plot is not directly related to the Ninjago television series, Lloyd retains his role as the Green Ninja and leader of the secret ninja force.

The Ninja and Master Wu appear in an interactive theme park ride called Lego Ninjago The Ride at Legoland.

Lloyd, the Ninja and Master Wu appear in a 4D short animated film entitled Lego Ninjago: Master of the 4th Dimension, released in Legoland on 18 January 2018. The film can be experienced by visitors in all Legoland theme parks. The plot focuses on Master Wu teaching the Ninja a lesson about the Scroll of the 4th Dimension, which affects gravity and organised matter.

Since the beginning of 2012, a 36-page Lego Ninjago Magazine has been released in the UK and the Netherlands every month. It contains a comic strip as well as various facts, puzzles, posters, competitions and other activities. Each edition also includes a free Lego gift which is often a minifigure of Lloyd, one of the Ninja, or a villain from the series.

Various accompanying books to the series have been produced that feature Lloyd and the Ninja. A total of 12 graphic novels have been published, written by Greg Farshtey.

The Ninja appear as playable characters in a wide variety of video games and mobile games, including Lego Battles: Ninjago (2011), Lego Ninjago: Nindroids (2014), Lego Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin (2015), Lego Ninjago: Tournament (2015), Lego Dimensions (2015), Lego Worlds (2017), The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game (2017), Lego Brawls (2019) and Lego Legacy: Heroes Unboxed (2020).

See also

• Lloyd Garmadon
• Lego Ninjago
• List of Ninjago episodes
• The Lego Ninjago Movie
• The Lego Ninjago Movie (Lego theme)
• The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game
• Lego Dimensions
• Lego Worlds
• Lego Brawls
• Lego Legacy: Heroes Unboxed
• The Fold

References

Bibliography

• LEGO Ninjago: Brickmaster. Authored by Shari Last. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2011. ISBN 0-75668-276-2
• Ultimate Sticker Collection: Lego Ninjago. Authored by Shari Last. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2012. ISBN 0-75669-016-1
• LEGO Ninjago: Fight the Power of the Snakes: Brickmaster. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2012. ISBN 0-75669-255-5
• LEGO Ninjago: Character Encyclopedia. Authored by Claire Sipi. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2012. ISBN 0-75669-812-X
• Lego Ninjago Reader: #1 Way of the Ninja. Authored by Greg Farshtey. Published by Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 0-54540-113-5
• Lego Ninjago Reader: #2 Masters of Spinjitzu. Authored by Tracey West. Published by Scolastic, 2013. ISBN 0-54540-114-3
• Lego Ninjago Reader: #5 A Ninja's Path No Level. Authored by Tracey West. Published by Scolastic, 2013. ISBN 0-54543-593-5
• LEGO Ninjago: Jay: Ninja of Lightning (Chapter Book). Authored by Greg Farshtey. Published by Scolastic, 2013. ISBN 0-54536-994-0
• LEGO Ninjago: Kai: Ninja of Fire (Chapter Book). Authored by Greg Farshtey. Published by Scolastic, 2013. ISBN 0-54534-827-7
• Lego Ninjago Reader: #7 Green Ninja No Level. Authored by Tracey West. Published by Scolastic, 2014. ISBN 0-54560-798-1
• LEGO Ninjago: Brickmaster, Updated and Expanded. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2014. ISBN 1-40935-443-1
• Hack Attack!: Sticker Activity Book (Lego Ninjago). Authored by Ameet Studio. Published by Scolastic, 2014. ISBN 0-54568-581-8
• LEGO Ninjago: The Visual Dictionary. Authored by Hannah Dolan. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2014. ISBN 1-46542-299-4
• LEGO Ninjago: Secret World of the Ninja. Authored by Beth Landis Hester. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2015. ISBN 1-40935-262-5
• LEGO Ninjago: Build Your Own Adventure. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2015. ISBN 0-24118-756-7
• LEGO (R) Ninjago Secret World of the Ninja: Includes Exclusive Sensei Wu Minifigure. Authored by Beth Landis Hester. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2015. ISBN 1-40935-262-5
• LEGO (R) Ninjago Ninja, Go!. Authored by Julia March. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2015. ISBN 0-24118-367-7
• Lego Ninjago Chapter Book: #10 Legend of the Brown Ninja. Authored by Meredith Rusu. Published by Scolastic, 2016. ISBN 1-33804-466-4
• Pirates vs. Ninja (Lego Ninjago: Reader). Authored by Tracey West. Published by Scolastic, 2016. ISBN 0-54560-800-7
• Rise of the Snakes (Lego Ninjago: Reader). Authored by Tracey West. Published by Scolastic, 2016. ISBN 0-54543-592-7
• Zane, Ninja of Ice (Lego Ninjago: Chapter Book). Authored by Greg Farshtey. Published by Scolastic, 2016. ISBN 0-54534-828-5
• The Titanium Ninja (Lego Ninjago: Reader). Authored by Kate Howard. Published by Scolastic, 2016. ISBN 0-54566-386-5
• The Rescue Mission (Lego Ninjago: Reader), Volume 11. Authored by Kate Howard. Published by Scolastic, 2016. ISBN 0-54574-639-6
• DK Readers L4: Lego Ninjago: Team Ninja: Discover the Ninja's Battle Secrets!. Authored by Catherine Saunders. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2016. ISBN 1-46545-191-9
• LEGO Ninjago Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2016. ISBN 0-24123-248-1
• World of Ninjago (Lego Ninjago: Official Guide). Authored by Tracey West. Published by Scolastic, 2016. ISBN 0-54580-801-4
• Day of the Departed. Published by Scolastic, 2016. ISBN 1-33811-369-0
• Pythor's Revenge (Lego Ninjago: Chapter Book). Authored by Meredith Rusu. Published by Scolastic, 2017. ISBN 1-33811-796-3
• LEGO NINJAGO: How to Draw Ninja, Villains and More. Authored by Pat Murphy. Published by Scolastic, 2017. ISBN 1-33813-721-2
• LEGO Ninjago: Ninja Tales. Published by Scolastic, 2017. ISBN 1-40718-063-0
• DK Readers L2: The Lego(r) Ninjago(r) Movie: Secret Ninja Force. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2017. ISBN 1-46546-195-7
• The LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE: The Making of the Movie. Authored by Tracey Miller-Zarneke. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2017. ISBN 1-46546-118-3
• LEGO NINJAGO Ultimate Sticker Collection. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2018. ISBN 0-24134-032-2
• Ninjago: Build Your Own Adventure: Greatest Ninja Battles. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2018. ISBN 1-46547-335-1
• LEGO NINJAGO Build Your Own Adventure Greatest Ninja Battles : with Nya minifigure and exclusive Hover-Bike model. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2018. ISBN 0-24131-866-1
• DK Readers L1: Lego Ninjago: Ninja in Action. Authored by Beth Davies. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2018. ISBN 1-46546-658-4
• LEGO Ninjago: Brick Adventures: Brother/Sister Squad. Authored by Meredith Rusu. Published by Scolastic, 2018. ISBN 1-33817-380-4
• Lego Ninjago Coloring Book : Coloring Book for Kids and Adults, Activity Book with Fun, Easy, and Relaxing Coloring Pages. Authored by Alexa Ivazewa. Published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2018. ISBN 1-72983-107-9
• LEGO Ninjago: Ninja Vs. Dragon Hunters + Minifigure. Authored by Ameet Studio. Published by Scolastic, 2018. ISBN 1-33826-807-4
• Mystery of the Masks. Authored by Kate Howard. Published by Scolastic, 2018. ISBN 1-33822-791-2
• LEGO Ninjago: Legends of the Ninja. Published by Scolastic, 2019. ISBN 1-40719-708-8
• Lego Ninjago How to Draw: How to Draw Ninja, Villains, 25 Most Powerful Ninjas, 2in1 Ninjago Coloring Book. Authored by Melissa Belin. Published by Independently Published, 2019. ISBN 1-69247-364-6
• LEGO NINJAGO Epic Adventures. Authored by Julia March. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2019. ISBN 0-24137-597-5
• DK Readers Level 2: Lego Ninjago How to Be a Ninja. Authored by Rosie Peet. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2019. ISBN 1-46548-994-0
• DK Readers Level 3: Lego Ninjago: Epic Adventures. Authored by Julia March. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2019. ISBN 1-46548-426-4
• NINJAGO Visual Dictionary, New Edition. Authored by Hannah Dolan and Arie Kaplan. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2019. ISBN 0-24136-376-4
• Back in Action! (LEGO Ninjago). Authored by Tracey West. Published by Scolastic, 2020. ISBN 1-33858-283-6
• NINJAGO Choose Your Ninja Mission: Which Path Will You Take?. Authored by Simon Hugo. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2020. ISBN 0-24140-127-5
• LEGO Ninjago: Garmadon's Bad Guy Training Manual (with Garmadon minifigure). Published by Scolastic, 2020. ISBN 1-33864-164-6
• LEGO NINJAGO How To Be A Ninja. Authored by Rosie Peet. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2020. ISBN 0-24140-970-5
• Game Time!. Authored by Ameet Studio. Published by Scolastic, 2020. ISBN 1-33858-195-3
• LEGO NINJAGO Training & Battles Ultimate Factivity Book. Authored by Emma Grange and Rosie Peet. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2020. ISBN 0-24148-214-3
• LEGO NINJAGO Ninja & Foes Ultimate Factivity Book. Authored by Emma Grange and Rosie Peet. Published by Dorling Kindersley, 2020. ISBN 0-24148-352-2
• LEGO Ninjago: Ready, Players?. Authored by Lego. Published by Hardie Grant Egmont, 2020. ISBN 1-76050-877-2
• LEGO Ninjago Lots and Lots of Stickers. Authored by Lego. Published by Hardie Grant Egmont, 2020. ISBN 1-76050-702-4

External links

• Official website
• Ninjago at Lego.com
• Ninjago at IMDb