Ninjago (TV series)

LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu is a CGI comedy-action family television show that aired on Cartoon Network. It is based on LEGO's Ninjago theme, but its plot is only loosely based on the sets.

The first two episodes of the first season were released on December 2, 2011. The first proper season aired in February, March, and April 2012.

Before LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu

"Long before time had a name, Ninjago was created by the first Spinjitzu Master by using the four weapons of Spinjitzu: the Scythe of Quakes, the Nunchucks of Lightning, the Shurikens of Ice, and the Sword of Fire. Weapons so powerful, no one can handle their power at once. When he passed away, his two sons swore to protect them. But the oldest was consumed by darkness, and wanted to possess the weapons. A battle between brothers broke out, and the oldest was struck down and banished to the Underworld.

Peace returned and the younger brother hid the weapons. But knowing his older brother's relentless ambition for power, he placed a guardian to protect them. And for fear of his own demise, a map for an honest man to hide." - Master Wu

Plot

The show can be divided into three parts: a pilot, consisting of four episodes, six full seasons of thirteen episodes each, and a film. There are also six Mini-Movies set between the pilot and the first season, which provide insight into the backstory of the show.

Pilot

In preparation for Lord Garmadon's return, Master Wu recruits four young men—Kai, Cole, Jay, and Zane—and trains them in the way of the ninja, tasking them with retrieving the Golden Weapons from their Dragon guardians. Along the way, they must unlock their Spinjitzu, become a team, and search for Kai's kidnapped sister, Nya. Opposing them in the hunt is the Skulkin army and their four-armed leader, Samukai, who is the former King of the Underworld and Lord Garmadon's second-in-command.

Mini-Movies

Following the disappearance of Lord Garmadon, the Ninja enjoy a short period of peace. During this time, Master Wu reveals bits of the backstory to his pupils, including how Lord Garmadon fell to the Underworld and usurped Samukai. The Ninja also take some time to enjoy their new Dragon mounts and defeat the plots of the remaining Skulkin, led by their Generals: Kruncha, Nuckal, and Wyplash.

Season 1: Rise of the Serpentine

The time of peace comes to an end when Lloyd Garmadon attacks Jamanakai Village. Although the son of Lord Garmadon is more "mischievous child" than "dark overlord", he inadvertantly unleashes a much greater threat onto Ninjago—the evil race of snake-people known as the Serpentine. Led by the scheming Pythor P. Chumsworth, the Serpentine seek revenge on the people of Ninjago for sealing them away, and they plan to do so by unleashing the Great Devourer, a monstrous beast that consumes all in its path. Now the Ninja must stop both the Serpentine and Lloyd, all while bracing for the inevitable return of Lord Garmadon himself.

In addition to battling the forces of evil, the Ninja must also continue their training, overcoming physical and emotional challenges alike to reach their True Potential. Along the way, they will make new allies, learn new truths, and may even discover the identity of the legendary Green Ninja.

Season 2: The Final Battle

The second season begins with the aftermath of the Ninja's battle with the Serpentine; the Great Devourer is no more, but Lord Garmadon has escaped with the four Golden Weapons. Gathering the remaining Serpentine under his command, Lord Garmadon travels to the Golden Peaks, where he unites the four weapons into an even more powerful Mega Weapon. With the power to create whatever he pleases, Lord Garmadon is more dangerous than ever, and the Ninja must quickly begin training Lloyd—revealed  to be the Green Ninja—so he may fulfill his destiny and stop his father from remaking Ninjago in his own image.

Midway through the season, a number of complications arise: Lloyd is aged to a teenager and reunites with his mother, Misako; Skales betrays Lord Garmadon and takes command of the Serpentine; and Lord Garmadon finds himself upon the fabled Island of Darkness, where he allies himself with the Overlord, the original source of evil in Ninjago. Lord Garmadon soon gains control over the Stone Army, an ancient force of indestructible warriors. Now, the Ninja must delve into the past—both their own and the world's—to find the power to save all of Ninjago from the most dangerous villains it has ever seen.

Season 3: Rebooted

With the apparent defeat of the Overlord, Ninjago City is reborn as New Ninjago City while the Ninja—minus Lloyd—Wu, and Nya take over Lloyd's old boarding school and turn it into Wu's Academy. On a field trip to the city, they visit the technology company Borg Industries, only to learn a horrifying truth from Cyrus Borg: the Overlord has been reborn as the Digital Overlord, a computer virus that has infected Borg's systems. Seeking to escape the Digiverse, he attempts to steal Lloyd's Golden Power and destroy the other ninja before they can use Borg's Techno Blades to reboot the system and destroy him for good. In order to aid him, he uses Borg's technology to copy Zane's design and create an army of Nindroids.

To counter this threat, the Ninja—rejoined by Lloyd—team up with Borg's robotic assistant P.I.X.A.L. and their old foe Garmadon, now living as a master who practices the Art of the Silent Fist. However, they are also forced to face Wu, turned into a cyborg under the Overlord's control, and a mysterious Serpentine warrior who has joined forces with the villain. The struggle to stop the Overlord takes the Ninja to the stars and back, with a final showdown with the Overlord awaiting them upon their return.

Season 4: The Tournament of Elements

The defeat of the Overlord has left the Ninja divided with the sacrifice of one of their own fracturing the team. But when the mysterious Master Chen—a malevolent figure from Ninjago's past—invites them to take place in his Tournament of Elements and hints that their fallen comrade may yet be alive, they have little choice but to travel to Chen's Island. They are joined by Master Garmadon, who has a personal history with Chen and his underling Clouse, and learn of the Elemental Masters, other warriors with powers derived from Ninjago's elements. Arriving on the island, they learn Chen's intention: to pit them against each other, with winners advancing through the rounds while the losers mysteriously vanish.

New friends and enemies are made—Kai notably taking an interest in Skylor, master of Amber—and discover Chen's true plan: to steal the Elemental powers of the competitors for a spell. This spell, once complete, will allow Chen and his followers to become a new army of Anacondrai, the fiercest of all Serpentine tribes, who will then wage war on Ninjago. It will take an alliance of Ninja, Elemental Masters, and more to stop this threat—and an even greater sacrifice may be required in the end.

Season 5: Possession

Just when the Ninja thought they were done fighting, a new menace arises: evil ghosts from the Cursed Realm led by Morro, Master Wu's original pupil and the Master of Wind, whom Wu once thought could be the Green Ninja. Obsessed with claiming this right for himself, Morro possesses Lloyd, thus leaving the other four Ninja powerless. It is then revealed that Morro is seeking the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master, which can only be accessed through the art of Airjitzu. The attempt to secure the Scroll of Airjitzu leads the Ninja first to Stiix, where they encounter their old foe Ronin, and then to Yang's Temple, where they face MasterYang and obtain a scroll only to suffer a severe blow.

Elsewhere, Nya is learning to unlock her hidden potential as the daughter of the Elemental Master of Water, a formidable weapon against Morro's Ghost Warriors. The Ninja and Morro make their way to Cloud Kingdom in search of the Sword of Sanctuary, a tool necessary to bypass the traps within the tomb, only for Morro to capture the Realm Crystal. Using this tool, Morro returns to Stiix with a plan to unleash his monstrous master, The Preeminent, who will curse all of The Sixteen Realms. It falls to the Ninja—including Lloyd and Nya—to face the threat of the Cursed Realm and save Ninjago.

Season 6: Skybound

In the wake of the Preeminent's defeat, the Ninja have become celebrities, but Nya is struggling with both her new status on the team and Jay's lingering feelings for her. The Ninja soon have bigger things to worry about, however, as their old foe Clouse unleashes the villainous Djinn Nadakhan, a wish-granting pirate who quickly captures Wu and Misako before setting out to locate his long-missing crew after framing the Ninja for a series of crimes that turns the populace against them. After returning to his home realm of Djinjago only to find it falling apart; he then receives the Djinn Blade from his father and returns to Ninjago intent on reshaping it into a new version of his home. In an effort to halt him, the Ninja seek advice from Nadakhan's old foe Captain Soto, who advises them to seek out Tiger Widow Island for the means of weakening the Djinn.

The Ninja succeed in obtaining the venom of the Tiger Widow, but in the process Kai and Zane are trapped with Nadakhan's blade and their power enables him to lift pieces of Ninjago into the sky in his bid to recreate Djinjago. At the same time, he seeks the hand of Nya—the double of his lost love Dilara—in order to gain the ability to grant himself infinite wishes. In the end, it is up to Jay—the only Ninja who hasn't used all three of the wishes Nadakhan can grant him—to assemble a team of reserve heroes to save his friends and stop Nadakhan from conquering Ninjago with infinite power.

Day of the Departed

On the Day of the Departed, the Ninja gather to remember their passed loved ones, but are reminded of old foes by the Ninjago Museum of History's new Hall of Villainy exhibit. Cole, whose ghostly state has been growing worse, receives an unexpected message from Yang, and sets out to confront the villain in revenge for his transformation. He unwittingly plays into Yang's hands by delivering to him the Yin Blade, and Yang takes advantage of the Yin-Yang Eclipse to revive some of the old enemies of the Ninja to pit them against them. As these revived foes—joined by Pythor—hunt down the various Ninja, Yang sets out to open the Rift of Return, leaving it up to Cole to stop him one and for all.

Cast

Ninja

• Kai (Vincent Tong)
• Jay (Michael Adamthwaite)
• Zane (Brent Miller)
• Cole (Kirby Morrow)
• Lloyd (Jillian Michaels)
• Nya (Kelly Metzger)
• Master Wu (Paul Dobson)
• Master Garmadon (Mark Oliver)

Allies

• Ed (Colin Murdock)
• Edna (Jillian Michaels)
• Lou (Kirby Morrow)
• Misako (Kathleen Barr)
• Dareth (Alan Marriott)
• Dr. Julien (Mark Oliver)
• Cyrus Borg (Lee Tockar
• P.I.X.A.L. (Jennifer Hayward)
• Ronin (Brian Dobson)
• Ray (Vincent Tong)
• Maya (Jillian Michaels)

Elemental Masters

• Skylor (Heather Doerksen)
• Karlof (Scott McNeil)
• Griffin Turner (Doron Bell Jr.
• Neuro (Paul Dobson)
• Shade (Andrew Francis)
• Paleman (Kirby Morrow)
• Gravis (Mark Oliver)
• Bolobo (Michael Adamthwaite)
• Ash
• Chamille (Marÿke Hendrikse)
• Tox
• Jacob Pevsner (Paul Dobson)

Major Villains

Skulkin

• Samukai (Michael Kopsa)
• Kruncha (Brian Drummond)
• Nuckal (Brian Drummond)
• Wyplash (Michael Dobson)
• Bonezai
• Chopov (Trevor Devall)
• Frakjaw
• Krazi (Trevor Devall)

Serpentine

• Pythor P. Chumsworth (Michael Dobson)
• Skales (Ian James Corlett)
• Slithraa (John Novak)
• Mezmo (Michael Adamwaithe)
• Rattla (Paul Dobson)
• Fangtom (Mackenzie Gray)
• Fangdam
• Fang-Suei (Michael Adamwaithe)
• Snappa
• Skalidor (John Novak)
• Bytar (Kirby Morrow)
• Chokun (Vincent Tong)
• Snike (Brent Miller)
• Acidicus (Paul Dobson)
• Lizaru (Vincent Tong)
• Spitta (Kirby Morrow)
• Lasha (Brent Miller)

Stone Army

• The Overlord (Scott McNeil)
• General Kozu (Paul Dobson)
• Giant Stone Warrior
• Stone Warrior
• Stone Swordsman
• Stone Scout

Nindroids

• General Cryptor (Richard Newman)
• Nindroid Drone
• Nindroid Warrior
• Min-Droid (Michael Adamthwaite)

Anacondrai Cultists

• Master Chen (Ian James Corlett)
• Clouse (Scott McNeil)
• Zugu (Brian Dobson)
• Eyezor (Michael Donovan)
• Kapau (Alessandro Juliani)
• Chope (Ian Hanlin)
• Krait
• Sleven

Ghost Warriors

• Morro (Andrew Francis)
• Soul Archer (Brian Dobson)
• Wrayth (Michael Adamthwaite)
• Bansha (Kathleen Barr)
• Ghoultar (Paul Dobson)
• Attila
• Hackler
• Howla
• Ming
• Spyder
• Wooo
• Cowler
• Cyrus
• Ghurka
• Pitch
• Pyrrhus
• Wail
• Yokai

Sky Pirates

• Nadakhan (Scott McNeil)
• Flintlocke (Paul Dobson)
• Dogshank (Nicole Oliver)
• Doubloon (Vincent Tong)
• Monkey Wretch (Ian James Corlett)
• Clancee (Ian James Corlett)
• Bucko (Brian Dobson)
• Squiffy (Michael Adamthwaite)
• Cyren

Vermillion

• Acronix (Ian Hanlin)
• Krux (Michael Daingerfield)
• Raggmunk
• Blunck
• Machia

Other Characters

• Captain Soto (Alan Marriott)
• First Mate (Brent Miller)
• No-Eyed Pete (Paul Dobson)
• Brad (Kathleen Barr)
• Gene (Kathleen Barr)
• Mailman (Michael Adamwaithe)
• Patty Keys (Cathy Weseluck)
• Mistaké (Mackenzie Gray)
• Noble (Paul Dobson)
• Rufus MacAllister (Paul Dobson)
• Gayle Gossip (Kelly Sheridan)
• Tour Bus Driver
• Yang (Michael Donovan)

DVD Releases

LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu

The pilot episodes ("Way of the Ninja," "The Golden Weapon," "King of Shadows," and "Weapons of Destiny") were included in a DVD released by LEGO in late 2011. The packaging depicted the four episodes as two full-length episodes, titled "Way of the Ninja" and "King of Shadows." The combined episodes were depicted as a made-for-television movie.

LEGO Club DVD #1

A LEGO Club DVD was released in the November-December 2011 issue of the LEGO Club Magazine. If the viewer selected "NINJAGO" from the main menu, two katanas would slice across on the main menu, transforming it into the Ninjago menu. The viewer could then choose between three Mini-Movies: "Secrets of the Blacksmith," "The New Masters of Spinjitzu," and "Flight of the Dragon Ninja."

LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu Season One

All thirteen episodes of Season 1 were released on a two-disc DVD set. The first disc contains seven episodes, from "Rise of the Snakes" to "Tick Tock," and the second disc contains six episodes, from "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" to "Day of The Great Devourer."

LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu Rise of the Green Ninja

Half of Season 2 (from "Darkness Shall Rise" to "The Stone Army") were released on a one-disc dvd in late 2012.

Concept Art

In 2010, Bjarne Hansen illustrated concept art of scenes from the Pilot episodes and Season 1, later posting them publicly to Blogspot.