Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu (TV series)

Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu is an animated television series produced by Wil Film ApS and The Lego Group and distributed by The Lego Group for Cartoon Network. Based on the Lego Construction Toys of the same name, it centers on the fictional world of Ninjago, telling the story of a group of young Ninja and their battles against the forces of evil. As of September 3, 2018, Ninjago replaced Adventure Time as the longest running show currently airing on Cartoon Network.

Overview
The show is set in the fictional world of Ninjago, a place 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 and semi-robotic exo-suits, and other futuristic technology. It includes elemental masters, pirates from another realm, and a criminal gang known as the Sons of Garmadon are all included in this series.

Pilot season
The pilot episodes feature Sensei Wu struggling to train four teenage ninja in the ways of an ancient battle art called Spinjitzu (which manifests as an elemental spinning movement faster than any normal fighting style) to defeat his corrupted brother Lord Garmadon, ruler of the Underworld, to stop him from gaining power through the Four Golden Weapons - The Sword of Fire, Scythe of Quakes, Nunchucks of Lightning, and Shuriken of Ice. Travelling across Ninjago, Wu and his four elementally attuned students, Kai (Fire), Jay (Lightning), Zane (Ice) and Cole (Earth) recover the Golden Weapons. Kai rescues his sister Nya, whose capture fueled his desire to become a Ninja, from skeletons, and makes peace with the Dragon guardians of the Golden Weapons. However, in order to keep the Sword of Fire from Garmadon, Wu travels to the Underworld to fight his corrupted brother. The four ninja follow Wu down on the dragons, who have the capability to travel between the worlds. After defeating the Skeleton Army with the ultimate Spinjitzu move, the Tornado of Creation, they come upon Wu fighting the general of the Skeleton Army, Samukai, who is in possession of three of the Golden Weapons (the nunchucks, shuriken and scythe - stolen from the Ninja earlier while they rested in the forests near the Fire Temple). Wu is defeated and Samukai tries to take the sword for his own, but is destroyed due to their combined power, which no one can withstand except the First Spinjitzu Master himself. This allows Garmadon to escape through a portal between space-time, but he vows to one day return with enough power to wield the Golden Weapons. With Garmadon gone, the balance is temporarily restored, and the Ninja prepare to train themselves for the day the Dark Lord returns.

Season 1: Rise of the Snakes
Season one opens with the Ninja trying to determine which one of them will become the Green Ninja of a prophecy, the warrior destined to face the Dark Lord, determining the fate of Ninjago. The story focuses on Lord Garmadon's young son Lloyd Garmadon, a trouble making little boy who has released an ancient evil: an army of four snake-like tribes known as the Serpentine who are united under Pythor, the last member of the extinct fifth Anacondrai tribe. Wu manages to convince Lloyd to join their side ("The best way to defeat your enemy... is to make them your friend") while the Ninja are aided by Nya in her Samurai X battle suit. A four-armed Garmadon returns to help them deal with the Serpentine as they attempt to summon a large serpent called the Great Devourer, but their plan backfires when Pythor is eaten and the Serpentine are driven into hiding. Lloyd is revealed to be the Green Ninja, and has the power of the weapons of Spinjutzu. Lord Garmadon uses the Golden Weapons to destroy the Great Devourer. Garmadon ends up running off with them, being the only one who can possess all four golden weapons.

Season 2: Legacy of the Green Ninja
In Season two, the Ninja prepare to train Lloyd to become the Green Ninja. The Ninja train Lloyd so that he can face his father one day and save Ninjago, something which Lloyd was afraid to do, for the sake of his bond with Garmadon. Meanwhile, Garmadon works to thwart the Ninja's plan by recruiting the Serpentine and forging the Golden Weapons into one powerful Mega Weapon. After Garmadon's last attempt ends with Lloyd aging to a teenager like his four mentors, Garmadon attempts to change the events of the past. The original four ninja follow Garmadon into the past, and use the Golden Weapons of the past to destroy the Mega Weapon, restoring the timeline and sending the Golden Weapons into space. While Garmadon ends up on an island with a disembodied voice called the Overlord, the venom of the Great Devourer seeps into catacombs beneath Ninjago and awakens the Stone Army, who are indestructible warriors who fought with the Overlord against the First Spinjitzu Master, trapping the Serpentine underground in the process. Along with Misako, Lloyd's mother, the Ninja travel to the Dark Island to stop Garmadon, meeting Zane's father and creator, Dr. Julian, who helped them in their fight against the Overlord and his army. The Ninja then discover the Temple of Light, where they receive elemental powers and help Lloyd unleash his true potential (the Golden Dragon). The Ninja fail to stop the countdown to the final battle, and the Overlord is revealed to be the Dark Lord from the prophecy. He possesses Lord Garmadon and heads to Ninjago, with the Ninja in tow. Lloyd uses his new-found Golden Power to defeat the Overlord, purging his father Garmadon of his evil in the process and "making him normal and good" again.

Season 3: Rebooted
In Season three, Ninjago City has been rebuilt into a futuristic metropolis and renamed New Ninjago City. The ninja have turned an old boarding school into"Sensei Wu's Academy", a school where the ninja and Nya are the teachers. The Ninja, striving for action, learn that the Overlord has survived the final battle and entered the Digiverse, an electronic world. The crippled cyborg Cyrus Borg, creator of Borg Industries, realizes this and gives the Ninja the Techno Blades, which could be used to destroy the Overlord by rebooting the Digiverse system. The Overlord uses P.I.X.A.L. (a nindroid who works at Borg Industries) to create a Nindroid army from Zane's blueprints. Zane, being the original Nindroid model himself, fell in love with P.I.X.A.L. and felt betrayed when the Overlord uses her for evil. The Overlord plans to capture Lloyd, as Lloyd's golden power will help the Overlord escape the digital realm. The hard drive containing the Overlord is later stolen by Pythor, who is revealed to have survived being eaten by the Great Devourer. Pythor captures Lloyd, and the Overlord drains Lloyd of 90% of his Golden Power. Though the Ninja defeat the Overlord in the Digiverse, the Overlord escapes the digital realm half-formed. Lloyd then splits his remaining golden power among the four ninja, knowing that the power would be a big responsibility for him to bear alone. the ninja regain their elemental powers; Cole gets earth, Kai gets fire, Jay gets lightning, and Zane gets ice. The Overlord, needing to complete his transformation, sends the Nindroids to space to retrieve the Golden Weapons from the constellation Arcturus, which the Ninja failed in retrieving. The Overlord becomes the Golden Master, fulfilling an old Serpentine prophecy, and wreaks havoc on New Ninjago City. With no other option, Zane sacrifices himself to destroy the Golden Master.

Season 4: Tournament of Elements
During Season four, the ninja had parted ways and found their own jobs, not wanting to be known as Ninja after Zane's death. Lloyd gets Kai, Cole, and Jay to listen to him and become a team again. Later the Ninja take part in the "Tournament of Elements" when they learn that Zane is still alive, having rebuilt himself using titanium. The tournament, run by Master Chen (an Anacondrai fanatic and Garmadon's former evil mentor) and his assistant Clouse, who knows dark magic and trained alongside Garmadon, is host to many elemental masters who the Ninja never knew existed. One of the elemental masters, a girl named Skylor, has a soft spot for Kai. The ninja secretly sneak around the island when they found a secret passage. While sneaking around, they found out, much to Kai's disappointment, that Kai and Skylor might be related, since she was able to use the elemental power of fire. They then use the outfits of Chen's worshipers to sneak into the hall to see what happens to those who lose in the tournament. When one is eliminated from the tournament, Chen secretly uses his "Staff of Elements" to steal their powers. Eventually, Nya goes looking for the Ninja, and finds out that Chen intends to use the stolen powers to transform him and his followers into Anacondrai. Though Kai destroys the Staff of Elements, Chen finds that the spell can be completed with his daughter Skylor, due her elemental power of absorption, which means that she can use the power of any elemental master that she touches. Chen manages to complete the spell, and everyone possessing the Mark of the Anacondrai (including him, Skylor, and Sensei Garmadon) turn into Anacondrai. Chen and his followers go to Ninjago to start a second Serpentine War, while the elemental masters pursue on their elemental dragons. Chen uses Pythor to make the spell permanent, and the elemental masters' only hope is to stop him at the Corridor of Elders. When they cross the line of no return, Garmadon sacrifices himself to defeat the Anacondrai-wannabes by releasing the spirits of the Anacondrai generals, who were banished to the Cursed Realm in the original Serpentine War. The Ninja mourn over Garmadon's sacrifice as they burn the spellbook that banished Garmadon.

Season 5: Possession
During Season five, after Garmadon's sacrifice, Morro (the elemental master of Wind and Wu's first ever student) escapes the Cursed Realm, and possesses Lloyd. Morro does this so that he can find the Realm Crystal, so he can bring his master, the Preeminent, to the physical world to curse, and eventually rule, all sixteen realms. The four ninja, along with Wu, Nya (who is revealed to be the elemental master of Water), and Misako travel to uncharted lands to find the First Spinjitzu Master's tomb and retrieve the Realm Crystal before Morro does. Morro steals the Allied Armor of A'zure, a piece of armor that can summon allies and summons an army of ghosts to help him. After taking the Aeroblades (which can defeat a ghost) from Ronin, learning Airjitzu from the ghost of Master Yang (at the price of Cole becoming a ghost himself), and retrieving the Sword of Sanctuary from the Cloud Kingdom (one of the sixteen realms), the Ninja discover the tomb is underwater. The Ninja find the Realm Crystal, but decide to save Lloyd (who is now free from his possession) rather than take it. Morro and his Ghost Warrior allies bring the Preeminent to Ninjago. While the Ninja are evacuating everyone from the city of Stiix, Nya unlocks her true potential and creates a wave which drowns the Preeminent. Morro, who feels remorseful, gives Wu the Realm Crystal and drowns with his master instead of staying with Sensei Wu. The Ninja use the Realm Crystal to bring back Lloyd, who is ready to begin his training to become a Master, as he received his father's robes while the two were briefly together in the Cursed Realm.

Season 6: Skybound
During Season six, the Ninja are popular, thanks to saving Ninjago from The Preeminent, but trouble rises when Clouse returns after having escaped the Cursed Realm. Clouse frees Nadakhan, a Djinn who can grant three wishes, and captures people by forcing them to 'wishing it all away'. Nadakhan frames the Ninja for crimes they didn't commit while the Ninja are in Stiix. Misako tries to rescue them in the Bounty, but she and the ship are captured by the police, later being captured by Nadakhan along with Wu. The Ninja try to escape the police, but they are caught and arrested by Ronin in exchange for a clean reputation. The Ninja are thrown in Kryptarium Prison, but escape with the help of Captain Soto, who tells them how to find the only thing that can stop Nadakhan: Tiger Widow Venom. Meanwhile, Jay uses his first two wishes and finds out he was adopted. Nadakhan uses the Realm Crystal to free his crew, attack Ninjago City, and capture Kai. The Ninja sail to Tiger Widow Island to obtain the venom, but Zane is captured, Jay is kidnapped by Nadakhan, and Nya, Lloyd and Cole are stranded on the island until Ronin and the Police Commissioner come to rescue them, after finding out what side they were on. After attacking Misfortune's Keep, Jay and Nya are the only two remaining Ninja. They hide in Dr. Julien's lighthouse, where they meet Echo Zane, Zane's counterpart. Jay is forced to escape while Nya is kidnapped. Jay teams up with Echo Zane, Ronin, the Commissioner, Soto, Skylor and Dareth to save the others. Nadakhan gets Infinite Wishes and freezes everyone except Jay, but Nadakhan is poisoned by the venom. Incidentally, the venom hits Nya, and she dies. A disheartened Jay uses his last wish to erase recent events and ensure Clouse didn't find the Teapot of Tyrahn in the first place, thus removing the events of the season from the timeline. As a result, Nadakhan is never released and Jay and Nya, who are the only ones who remember the erased events, renew their relationship.

TV special: Day of the Departed
In a 44-minute TV special, Cole faces his struggles against Sensei Yang, the creator of Airjitzu and the one responsible for Cole's ghostly appearance. He resurrects the past villains from their statues in the hall of villainy and each one goes after a ninja. Samukai fights Jay, Pythor fights Lloyd, General Kozu fights Dareth, General Cryptor fights Zane, Chen fights Kai and Nya and Morro fights Wu. Sensei Yang fights Cole but stop when they realize that they have something in common: Both were forgotten. The lunar eclipse is almost closing and Cole and Sensei Yang. Airjitzu is their way to the rift. Sensei Yang stays behind while only 99% of Cole makes it through the rift, leaving the 1% as a green scar. The Ninja defeat the resurrected villains and celebrate in peace and Cole becomes a human again.

Season 7: The Hands of Time
In Season seven, the Ninja fight Acronix and Krux, the Hands of Time, who have the power to manipulate time. When the Ninja first face Acronix at the old monastery, Acronix teleports away with his time blade after hitting Wu with the 'time punch', accelerating Wu's aging. The Ninja think Acronix was defeated, but when something attacks Zane, they look into his memories and slow it down just enough so they can see that Acronix attacked Zane while he was distracted by Dr. Saunders, AKA Krux. The Time Twins then gather up an army called Vermillion which are samurai snake warriors. They steal all the metal and the most skilled producers in Ninjago to help build the "Iron Doom", which if they collect all 4 time blades (Fast-Forward, Slow Down, Pause, and Reversal), they could travel wherever they wanted in time. Kai finds out that he and Nya's parents, Ray and Maya, are still alive, having been captured by Krux and forced to work for him. Soon after Kai and Nya retrieve the fourth and final Time Blade, the Reversal Blade, Acronix hits Ray with the time punch. Upon completion of the Iron Doom, the Time Twins go back to during the Serpentine Wars, 40 years in the past, where they first got banished into time. They try to win the battle against the elemental masters, but luckily, Kai, Nya and Wu traveled back with them, and they defeated them. With the Reversal Blade, the two ninja stop Wu's rapid aging. Acronix and Krux decided to go far into the future, but when they discover they have stowaways, (Kai, Nya and Master Wu), a battle breaks out on the Iron Doom, ending with Sensei Wu pulling the Reversal Blade from the Iron Doom and pushing Kai and Nya into the present, while staying on the Iron Doom to finish the battle, and Acronix, Krux, and Wu get lost in time. Kai saves Ray with the Reversal Blade, and Lloyd goes from "Temporary Master Lloyd in Training", to Master Lloyd, who plans to find Wu.

Season 8: Sons of Garmadon
About a year after the events of Master Wu being lost in time, Lloyd Garmadon encounters a group of skilled biker-themed thugs who steal one of the three prized Oni Masks (The Mask of Vengeance) from a vault in Borg Industries. After these events, Lloyd learns that the group who stole the mask was part of a criminal syndicate known as the Sons of Garmadon (S.O.G) and are after the two other Oni Masks (The Mask of Deception and The Mask of Hatred) in order to resurrect Lord Garmadon from the dead. In light of the crime spree committed by the Sons of Garmadon, the Ninja are paid to be temporary guards to the Royal Family, but Sons of Garmadon succeed in stealing the second Oni Mask from the Royal Family's palace in Ninjago, destroying it in the process and leaving only Harumi, the Princess and Lloyd's love interest, the sole survivor. During their attempt to infiltrate the Sons of Garmadon, Cole ends up imprisoned and rescues a baby that the Sons of Garmadon believe is the key to the Mask of Hatred, discovering a map on the baby's blanket. They soon discover the baby is a regressed Master Wu, who is recovering from the excessive use of the Reversal Time-Blade in the previous season. Eventually, the Sons of Garmadon succeed in obtaining all three Oni Masks, but with help from the police, the Ninja stop them, unfortunately, it was too late as Garmadon was resurrected and when Lloyd tries to reason with him, he ends up defeated and powerless. When Garmadon creates Colossi and terrorizes Ninjago, four of the six Ninja attempt to keep Wu safe from his brother, but end up in the Realm of Oni and Dragons after using Traveler's Tea to escape the Colossi's grip. Meanwhile, back in Ninjago, Garmadon takes over the world and declares himself Emperor of Ninjago while the remaining Ninja, Misako and P.I.X.A.L. assume that Kai, Jay, Cole, Zane and Wu are dead. In this season, many things are explained, as the origin of the First Spinjitzu master, which is as follows: in the First Realm, two beings existed: the Oni and the Dragon. The Dragon had the power to create, while the Oni had the power to destroy. A child was born from both of them: the First Spinjitzu Master. When he was pressed on which side to choose, he left the First Realm and created Ninjago. The season also explains how Zane inherited his Ice power, which was given to him by his ill predecessor off-screen, the identity of the new Samurai X, which is revealed to be P.I.X.A.L. in a new body, and the identity of a new villain, dubbed "The Quiet One", who is the mysterious leader of the S.O.G, revealed to be Harumi and has been around since the beginning, believing Garmadon is the real hero as he killed the murderer of her biological parents: The Great Devourer.

Season 9: Hunted
While Lloyd and Nya resist Emperor Garmadon's oppressive hold on Ninjago City, Young Wu and the rest of the Ninja are stranded in the First Realm, the birthplace of the First Spinjitzu Master that was once dominated by Dragons and the sadistic Oni. Wu and the Ninja are hunted by Iron Baron and his barbaric gang of Dragon Hunters, while Lloyd and Nya are assisted by Mistaké, Dareth, Misako, P.I.X.A.L, and the other Elemental Masters, as they oppose the Sons of Garmadon. Wu and the Ninja seek the golden Dragon Armor, which was worn by the First Spinjitzu Master as he rode Firstbourne, the mother of all Dragons. As the Ninja struggle with the Dragon Hunters, Lloyd's Resistance faces off against Garmadon's followers; Garmadon demands his followers find his son, and he executes Mr. E for his failure to do so. The Resistance soon discovers that Mistaké is an Oni in disguise; she sided with Wu's father instead of trying to hunt him like the other Oni. In the First Realm, Wu continues aging back to his normal self, while the Ninja ally with rogue Dragon Hunter Heavy Metal, who is revealed to be a woman named Faith, who tries helping them find the Dragon Armor. In Ninjago City, Mistaké is killed by Garmadon, while a struggle between Skylor and Garmadon for control of the Colossus leads to Harumi dying in a building collapse. Wu regains his memories, and Iron Baron forces him to find the Dragon Armor. Though they succeed, Firstbourne incapacitates Baron, allowing Wu to put on his father's armor and ride his Dragon. Using their newfound Dragons, Wu and the Ninja return to Ninjago, where they begin fighting against the Colossus. Wu and Lloyd face Lord Garmadon atop Borg Tower, with Lloyd facing him alone after Wu falls from the structure. As Wu, the Ninja, and the people of Ninjago bring down the Colossus using Vengestone chains, Lloyd uses his father's old tactic of "fighting without fighting"; by avoiding his father's blows and destructive energy blasts, Garmadon slowly loses his element - allowing Lloyd to regain his. This causes the Colossus to collapse, ending the conflict. Garmadon then warns Lloyd that his element was the only thing that could battle back a coming darkness, which Lloyd realizes is the Oni. Though Garmadon and his followers are arrested, and the Ninja celebrate their victory, Lloyd expresses his concern to a properly aged Wu, regarding whether his father was right about the Oni's return.

Main Characters
Master Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon (voiced by Jillian Michaels in seasons 1–7 and Samuel Vincent in seasons 8-present), the legendary Green Ninja destined to save Ninjago, and the leader of the team. He is the son of Garmadon and Misako, and the nephew of Master Wu. He frequently wields either a sword or dual swords. His powers are vaguely defined, a fact admitted by his friends, but he possesses the ability to shoot green beams of power and passively shield his body.

Lloyd made his debut in Season 1 as a mischievous child wanting to be an evil warlord just like his father. This resulted in childish schemes that were often foiled by the original four Ninja. Lloyd was eventually captured and reformed by the Ninja and Master Wu, Lloyd's paternal uncle. Later still it was revealed that destiny had chosen Lloyd to be the prophesied Green Ninja. From this point forward, the other Ninja trained him for the day when he would need to confront the ultimate evil and save Ninjago. In the episode "Child's Play", Lloyd was dramatically aged up after being exposed to Tomorrow's Tea. His power progressively grew until he unlocked his Golden Powers, allowing him to become the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master, defeat the Overlord, and free his father from evil's control in the Season 2 finale. When the Overlord returned as the Digital Overlord in Season 3, he captured and drained 90% of Lloyd's Golden Powers. Lloyd chose to redistribute the remainder of his power into Kai, Jay, Zane, and Cole. After the Overlord was defeated and Zane was lost, Lloyd was the only one who remained a Ninja, the rest opting to take a break and recover. He eventually brought the team back together and they, along with Garmadon, set out to compete in Master Chen's Tournament of Elements in order to investigate a lead on Zane still being alive. There, he learned both about his father's history and Chen's plan to conquer Ninjago. Lloyd eventually united the elemental masters, serpentine, and citizens of Ninjago to fight against Chen and his Army. When Garmadon made the choice to sacrifice himself in order to achieve victory, Lloyd initially reacted negatively but quickly reconsidered, himself reciting the spell to sacrifice his father. Lloyd was possessed at the start of Season 5 by Morro and when he was later freed, he had an emotional conversation with his banished father who inspired Lloyd to become a Master/Sensei.

While initially mischievous and naive, Lloyd has been tempered by experience and time into a mature and capable ninja. Though still the youngest, he has emerged as the natural leader of the Ninja, displaying wisdom beyond his years. Lloyd greatly appreciates his friends, saying that it was them who taught him the "importance of being brave, of being strong, and most importantly, being good". He believes the team's strength comes from "no one being more important than the other". Though he can still be rash in matters of family, especially regarding his father, there are few more dedicated and determined to protecting their friends and Ninjago.

Kai Smith (voiced by Vincent Tong), the Red Ninja of Fire and Nya's elder brother. Like Lloyd, he frequently wields either a sword or dual swords. His elemental powers grant 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, feeling enormous guilt in situations where his friends suffer, such as when Zane sacrificed himself and when Lloyd was possessed.

Jay Walker/Gordon (voiced by Michael Adamthwaite), Blue Ninja of Lightning and Nya's boyfriend. He frequently wields nunchucks and his elemental powers grant him limited electricity manipulation. He is also a skilled mechanic and 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 Nya. Zane Julien (voiced by Brent Miller), the White Ninja of Ice. He frequently wields three pointed shuriken and, more recently, a bow and arrows. His elemental powers grant him limited cryokinesis.

Zane is intelligent and calculating, often providing intel to the other ninja as it applies to their situation. Initially, he lacked normal social skills. It was later revealed that this was due to Zane secretly being a robot, a fact unknown to both the Ninja and Zane himself. Though he is still logical and matter-of-fact, his brotherhood with the other Ninja have enabled him to pick up more human characteristics such as humor.

Cole (voiced by Kirby Morrow), the grounded and solid Black Ninja of Earth. He frequently wields a scythe and, more recently, a war hammer. His elemental powers grant him limited earth manipulation and super strength.

Nya Smith (voiced by Kelly Metzger), the Grey/Maroon Ninja of Water, original Samurai X, Kai's sister and Jay's girlfriend. Her elemental powers grant her hydrokinesis.

Sensei/Master Wu (voiced as an adult and teen by Paul Dobson, as a baby by Caleb Skeris, as a child by Madyx Whiteway), the wise, old master of the Ninja. He is Lloyd's uncle and Garmadon's younger brother and frequently wields a wooden staff

Lord/Master/Emperor Garmadon (voiced as an adult by Mark Oliver, as a child by Kai Emmett), Lloyd's father and Wu's older brother. Garmadon was a main antagonist for the first two seasons but was later cleansed of evil and became a Sensei to the Ninja. He was later sacrificed to the Cursed Realm to stop Master Chen's Anacondri Army. Garmadon was revived in season 8 by the Sons of Garmadon as a being of pure evil and proceeded to conquer all of Ninjago and proclaimed himself as the Realms new Emperor. However at the end of season 9, Garmadon's reign of terror was finally brought to an end and he and the Sons of Garmadon were all arrested and locked up in Kryptarium Prison.

Ninja Allies

 * Dareth (voiced by Alan Marriott), the bumbling self-proclaimed "Brown Ninja" and Grand Sensei of Dareth's Mojo Dojo, and is a frequent ally of the Ninja both by choice and coincidence.
 * Mistaké (voiced by Mackenzie Gray Seasons 1-2, Mark Oliver Season 4, Tabitha St. Germain Seasons 8-9), an often grouchy old lady who is old friends with Master Wu. She owns a tea shop that sells rare tea with magical properties. In season 9, she turns out to be an Oni in disguise. In the same season, it was implied that she was killed by Garmadon.
 * P.I.X.A.L. (voiced by Jennifer Hayward), a robot who was originally an assistant to Cyrus Borg. She joined the Ninja's team after being influenced by her fellow robot Zane. She was later disassembled but then uploaded into Zane's systems as an artificial intelligence system. She secretly rebuilt herself and became the new Samurai X. She often provides technical support to the Ninja.
 * Cyrus Borg (voiced by Lee Tockar), a tech genius and head of Borg Industries who has invented all sorts of cutting edge electronic tools and gadgets. He first sought out the Ninja after the Digital Overlord overtook his systems and has built a variety of tools, security systems, and vehicles to assist the Ninja.
 * Ronin (voiced by Brian Dobson), a mercenary motivated by self-interest who will assist the Ninja if it suits his needs.
 * Police Commissioner (voiced by Michael Donovan), head of Ninjago police. The Commissioner was originally introduced as a neutral character who hunted down the Ninja after they were framed of committing crimes. Since the Ninja were proved innocent, however, he has assisted them both personally and with the full backing of the police force.

Family Members

 * Misako (voiced by Kathleen Barr), an archaeologist who is Lloyd's mother and Garmadon's wife.
 * Dr. Julien (voiced by Mark Oliver), the inventor father of Zane. He passed away between seasons 2 and 3.
 * Ed Walker (voiced by Colin Murdock), 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), 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), Cole's father and a notable member of the Royal Blacksmiths, a famous song and dance troupe.
 * Ray (voiced by Vincent Tong), Kai and Nya's father and former Elemental Master of Fire. He previously fought alongside his wife under Masters Wu and Garmadon in the First Elemental Alliance during the First Serpentine War. He is a skilled blacksmith.
 * Maya (voiced by Jillian Michaels), Kai and Nya's mother and former Elemental Master of Water. She previously fought alongside her husband under Masters Wu and Garmadon in the First Elemental Alliance during the First Serpentine War.

Skulkin

 * Samukai (voiced by Michael Kopsa), the four-armed former ruler of the underworld until Lord Garmadon defeated him in single combat and took over. He led the attacks on Ninjago, sent by Garmadon to retrieve the four Golden Weapons. He attempted to betray Garmadon by keeping the weapons for himself but, unable to control the power of the four golden weapons at once, was instead overloaded with power and killed. His body created a portal to another realm with Garmadon traveled though to amass more power. He temporarily returned on the Day of the Departed seeking revenge on Jay.
 * Kruncha (voiced by Brian Drummond), the brutish Skulkin General of Earth. He served under Samukai and was part of the raids to retrieve the Golden Weapons. After the Skeleton Army's defeat, he found himself roaming Ninjago and taking odd jobs with Nuckal.
 * Nuckal (voiced by Brian Drummond), the crazy Skulkin General of Lightning. He served under Samukai and was part of the raids to retrieve the Golden Weapons. After the Skeleton Army's defeat, he found himself roaming Ninjago and taking odd jobs with Kruncha.
 * Wyplash (voiced by Michael Dobson), the Skulkin General of Ice. Unlike Kruncha and Nuckal, he was not part of the Golden Weapon raids. After the Skeleton Army was defeated, he attempted to ambush Nya but was soundly beaten by the lone warrior.

Serpentine

 * The Great Devourer
 * Anacondrai
 * Pythor P. Chumsworth (voiced by Michael Dobson), the last remaining member of the Anacondrai Tribe. He is a frequent enemy of the Ninja who united the Serpentine Tribes to release the Great Devourer, allied himself the Overlord, and plotted to kill Lloyd on the Day of the Departed.
 * General Arcturus (voiced by Scott McNeil), the former head general of the Anacondrai Tribe and Serpentine during the First Serpentine War. He and the other Anacondrai generals were banished to the Cursed Realm after being defeated by the Elemental Alliance. The ghosts of the Anacondrai generals were later freed in order to defeat Chen's Anacondrai Cultist Army.
 * Hypnobrai
 * Skales (voiced by Ian James Corlett), the current general of the blue Hypnobrai Tribe and leader of the Serpentine following the perceived death of Pythor. He was originally ranked as a warrior, but became general after challenging and defeating the then current general Slithraa. After being defeated time and time again by the Ninja he and the rest of the Serpentine found themselves trapped trapped underground by the Stone Army. The Serpentine then reformed, took an oath of pacifism, and have began to live peacefully alongside the other inhabitants of Ninjago. Skales settled down, started a family, and has assisted the Ninja in matters relating to snakes. Like all Hypnobrai, Skales can hypnotize his foes if they stare into his eyes. He is also a master of the ancient art of Fang-kwon-do.
 * Slithraa (voiced by John Novak), the former general of the Hypnobrai Tribe. After accidentally hypnotizing himself, he became a servant to Lloyd Garmadon and led his tribe in accomplishing the childish schemes of the young boy. Frustrated by being ordered around by a boy, Skales saw an opportunity to rise in power. After another failed scheme, Slithraa was challenged by Skales to a match in the Slither Pit for the right to lead the Hypnobrai. Slithraa was subsequently defeated by Skales and demoted to warrior.
 * Fangpyre
 * Fangtom (voiced by Mackenzie Gray), the two-headed general of the red Fangpyre Tribe. He is old friends with Skales and, like all Fangpyre, has the ability to turn anyone or anything into a snake by bitting and injecting them with his poisonous venom.
 * Constrictai
 * Skalidor (voiced by Michael Dobson), the powerful general of the black Constrictai Tribe. Like all Constrictai, Skalidor has the ability to burrow underground and possesses abundant strength.
 * Venomari
 * Acidicus (voiced by Paul Dobson), the intelligent general of the green Venomari Tribe. Like all Venomari, Acidicus has the ability to spit venom at his foes which causes fear inducing hallucinations.
 * Vermillion
 * Machia (voiced by Kathleen Barr)
 * Raggmunk (voiced by Michael Adamthwaite)
 * Blunck (voiced by Brian Dobson)

The Overlord's Forces

 * The Overlord (voiced by Scott McNeil), an ultimate evil who fought the First Spinjitsu Master to a draw. Lloyd defeated the Overlord in the Season 2 finale when by unlocking his Golden Powers. The Overlord returned in Season 3 as a digital entity who seeped into and took over the technology of New Ninjago City.
 * General Kozu (voiced by Paul Dobson), the four-armed leader of the Overlord's Stone Army. He is the only member of the Stone Army that can speak English.
 * General Cryptor (voiced by Richard Newman), commander of the Overlord's Nindroid Army.
 * Min-Droid (voiced by Michael Adamthwaite), a member of the Nindroid who is shorter the rest of his robotic brethren because the factory that produced them ran out of metal. He is highly sensitive about his size and teasing at the hands of the other Nindroids have given him a short-tempered and vicious disposition. Despite his size, he is actually a capable and observant fighter.

Anacondrai Cultists

 * Master Chen (voiced by Ian James Corlett), the eccentric and deceitful leader of the Anacondrai Cultists. He was exiled to an island after allying himself with the Serpentine during the first Serpentine War. He later attempted to steal the powers of the elemental masters to transform him and his followers into powerful Anacondrai warriors to conquer Ninjago but was defeated and banished to the cursed realm.
 * Clouse (voiced by Scott McNeil), Master Chen's right-hand man and master of dark magic. He and Garmadon has previously trained under Master Chen before the First Serpentine War. He was sent to the cursed realm after being defeated by Garmadon, but escaped and is currently a ghost.
 * Eyezor (voiced by Michael Donovan), the smug and aggressive one-eyed general of Chen's cult. He oversaw transportation of goods from the noodle factory to Chen's off island noodle house.
 * Zugu (voiced by Brian Dobson), a hulking and immovable general of Chen's cult. He oversaw production of goods in Chen's noodle factory as well as the prisoners who were forced to make them.
 * Kapau (voiced by Alessandro Juliani)
 * Chope (voiced by Ian Hanlin)

Current Elemental Masters

 * Skylor (voiced by Heather Doerksen), the Elemental Master of Amber and Master Chen's daughter. She has the ability to copy other elemental powers.
 * Karlof (voiced by Scott McNeil), the Elemental Master of Metal and metalworker from Metalonia. He has the ability to turn his entire body into metal and grow slightly in size.
 * Griffin Turner (voiced by Doron Bell), the Elemental Master of Speed. He has the ability to move at super speeds.
 * Shade (voiced by Andrew Francis), the Elemental Master of Shadow. He has the ability to disappear and move in shadows.
 * Neuro (voiced by Paul Dobson), the Elemental Master of Mind. He has the ability to read minds.
 * Paleman (voiced by Kirby Morrow), also known as Mr. Pale, the Elemental Master of Light. He has the ability to turn invisible.
 * Tox (voiced by Ian James Corlett in Season 4, Maggie Blue O'Hara in Season 9), the Elemental Master of Poison.
 * Krux (voiced by Michael Daingerfield), one of the co-Elemental Masters of Time and brother to Acronix.
 * Acronix (voiced by Ian Hanlin), one of the co-Elemental Masters of Time and brother to Krux.

Ghosts

 * The Preeminent
 * Morro (voiced by Michael Dobson (episode 44 only), Andrew Francis), the Elemental Master of Wind. A former pupil of Master Wu who was believed to be the legendary Green Ninja. When the Golden Weapons did not react to Morro (proving that he was not destined to be the Green Ninja), an enraged Morro left Master Wu's care, determined to prove destiny wrong. He was eventually banished to the cursed realm and returned as a ghost. The jealous Morro then possessed Lloyd and simultaneously schemed to both unleash his new master, the Preeminent, and steal the mantle of Green Ninja from Lloyd. He reformed at the end of Season 5.
 * Soul Archer (voiced by Brian Dobson), Morro's second in command and a ghost warrior who wields a bow and arrows that can turn its targets into ghosts. He once won a bet with Ronin and seeks to collect.
 * Wrayth (voiced by Michael Adamthwaite), a tough ghost warrior who wields a chained whip that can turn its targets into ghosts.
 * Ghoultar (voiced by Paul Dobson), a dimwitted ghost warrior who wields a scythe. He is often distracted by food.
 * Bansha (voiced by Kathleen Barr), a ghost sorcerer who wields a double-bladed dagger. She had telepathic powers, the ability to create sonic screams, and can possess targets from a great distance.
 * Master Kodokuna Yang (voiced by Michael Donovan), the creator of Airjitzu and current guardian of Temple on Haunted Hill. He accidentally turned himself, his temple, and his students into ghosts Cole after arrogantly attempting to use the Yin Blade to gain immortality.

Sky Pirates

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

Sons of Garmadon

 * Princess Harumi (voiced by Britt McKillip), also known as the Jade Princess and the Quiet One. Harumi became the adopted daughter of the Emperor and Empress of Ninjago after the Great Devourer killed her parents. She blamed the Ninja for her parent's deaths and accordingly idolized Garmadon after he defeated the Devourer. She secretly created and led the Sons of Garmadon (a criminal biker gang) to uncover the three Oni Masks in order to resurrect Garmadon and exact revenge on the Ninja. She orchestrated an attack on the royal palace to capture the Second Oni mask which resulted in her adoptive parents' deaths. She gained the Ninja's trust by exploiting their sympathy and pretended to be in love with Lloyd, who promised to protect her from the Sons of Garmadon. Harumi used the Ninja's protection as a cover to locate the whereabouts of the third Oni Mask. Though the Ninja eventually discovered she was the Quiet One, they did not succeed in preventing the resurrection of Lord Garmadon, resulting in the fall of Ninjago. She and the Sons of Garmadon currently rule Ninjago as underlings of Lord Garmadon, seeing Lord Garmadon as a powerful parent figure. She ultimately perished after being trapped on the roof of a building as it collapsed. She frequently wears the Oni Mask of Hatred.
 * Mr. E (voiced by Brent Miller), the silent and robotic general of the Sons of Garmadon. He frequently wore the Mask of Vengeance but got destroyed by Emperor Garmadon for failing to catch Lloyd.
 * Ultra Violet (voiced by Maggie Blue O'Hara), the unhinged general of the Sons of Garmadon. She frequently wears the Mask of Hatred.
 * Killow (voiced by Garry Chalk), also known as the Big Man. The hulking general of the Sons of Garmadon. He frequently wears the Mask of Deception.
 * Luke Cunningham (voiced by Michael Adamthwaite)
 * Chopper Maroon (voiced by Samuel Vincent)
 * Mohawk (voiced by Vincent Tong)

Dragon Hunters

 * The Iron Baron (voiced by Brian Drummond), the leader of the Dragon Hunters. He wants to get revenge on the Firstbourne but in doing so he gets himself killed by the dragon.
 * Faith (voiced by Kathleen Barr), also known as Heavy Metal. Iron Baron's second-in-command and original wielder of the Dragonbone Blade. She was the first Hunter to defect upon discovering Wu is a son of the First Spinjitzu Master, destined to look for the Dragon Armor. Following Iron Baron's death, she takes over as leader of the Dragon Hunters.
 * Daddy No Legs (voiced by Ian James Corlett), a Dragon Hunter who has no legs, so he uses a spider-leg apparatus to get around.
 * Muzzle (voiced by Brent Miller), the right-hand man to Daddy No Legs. He speaks in a language only the Dragon Hunters can understand.
 * Jet Jack (voiced by Rhona Rees)
 * Chew Toy (voiced by Scott McNeil)
 * Arkade (voiced by Michael Donovan)
 * Scar (voiced by Michael Adamthwaite), who calls himself "Scar the Skullbreaker".

Broadcast
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 focused on Kai as he goes from being a blacksmith to a Ninja to save his sister, Nya. 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).

Due to the positive reception of the pilot, a full series was commissioned and began broadcast in December 2011. The first five episodes of season 1 aired in Canada on November 25. The season once again aired in Canada from January 11, 2012, to April 11, 2012. The first two episodes of season 1 aired in the United States on December 2. The season aired again in the United States from January 11, 2012, to April 11, 2012. Season 1 focused on the four original ninjas (Kai, Jay, Cole and Zane) as they try to find out who will be the Green Ninja.

Lego Ninjago was recommissioned for a second season, which premiered on July 18, 2012, to an audience of 2.8 million. Season 2 focused on Lloyd as he trains to become the Green Ninja in order to face 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.

A third season, "Rebooted", premiered on January 29, 2014. Season 3 focused on Zane as he and the other Ninja help a designer deal with old enemies, ending with Zane's death.

In the United Kingdom, the series premiered on 21 July 2014 on Cartoon Network.

Season 4 premiered on February 23, 2015 in North America and Great Britain on Cartoon Network. Season 4 focused on Kai as he and the other Ninja try to find a new and improved Zane on a secluded island, where they participate in a tournament.

On June 8, Lego released the trailer for the fifth season, titled "Possession." It premiered on June 29 in the United States. Season 5 focused on Nya during her training to be the Water Ninja while the others fight Wu's first student, who's ghost has possessed Lloyd.

Season 6, "Skybound", was released on June 8, 2016. It tells the story of Nadakhan, a djinn, and his pirate crew who are trying to bring Ninjago to the skies. Season 6 focused on Jay as he and the Ninja are framed by a Djinn, who grants each of them three wishes. Jay's last wish erases all the events.

A Halloween special called "Day of the Departed" was released on October 29, 2016. It focused on the villains of the past return - and Sensei Yang as the mastermind. The special focused on Cole, who is fading from existence.

A seventh season, titled "Hands of Time" was released in May 2017. The plot focused 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, trying to rewrite history.

The eight season, "Sons of Garmadon" featured redesigns to closely resemble visually The Lego Ninjago Movie, and was released April 16, 2018 in the US. It focused on the Ninja trying to prevent Garmadon's resurrection, albeit with no good in him, by a criminal organization, the Sons of Garmadon (SoG), via three Oni Masks, but failed.

The ninth season, "Hunted", will premiere on June 30, 2018 in Australia. It is the first season where they'll be no focus character due to two separate plot lines. The first trailer, released in Japan confirms that the Elemental Masters will return as part of the resistance.

The series has been nominated twice for awards. Peter Hausner was nominated at the 39th Annie Awards for his direction, 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.

All episodes feature a theme song called "The Weekend Whip", performed by The Fold, except for Seasons 8 and 9. In each season, the song is remixed.

Critical reception
Overall, the series has been well received by fans.

Redesigns
Following the release of The Lego Ninjago Movie in 2017, the six main characters of the series were redesigned to match their film counterparts. This was done to make the transition to the television series easier for fans brought in from the film. In July 2017, footage of the eighth season was released at San Diego Comic-Con, showcasing Lloyd's new appearance in the series. Despite the film and television show remaining non-canon from one another, the series' eighth season and onwards saw all the Ninja take on their film designs.

Video games
The Ninja appear as playable characters in Lego Dimensions. Additionally, a large range of Ninjago mobile games have been released. Three video games have been released.

Lego Battles: Ninjago
A video game named Lego Battles: Ninjago was released in spring 2011. It was based on the two pilots of the series, and it features some of the characters who appear in the original episodes (Kai, Jay, Zane, Cole, etc.).

Nindroids
Lego Ninjago: Nindroids is an action-adventure game for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita, The game was developed by Hellbent Games and co-published by TT Games Publishing July 29, 2014. Lego Ninjago: Nindroids was announced March 2014 as the second video game based on the Lego Ninjago line of play sets. The game was targeted at a younger audience.

The game has the same plot as the third season of TV series. In the game, the player assumes the role of a Spinjitzu Master tasked with defending the New Ninjago City from The Overlord's evil Nindroid army. The game contains 30 levels consisting of puzzles and battle sequences.

NintendoLife thought this game was beginning to evidence the formulaic nature of the Lego universe of video games, while JeuxVideo thought the game was repetitive. The game was in a top-10 best-selling list of games for PlayStation Vita in New Zealand in May 2017.

Shadow of Ronin
Lego Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin is an action-adventure game developed by TT Fusion and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in March 2015. The game was released initially for Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita, and later for iOS and Android. The game further adapts the TV series, and serves as a sequel to Lego Ninjago: Nindroids. Although non-canon to the TV series,it takes place just after the fourth season.

After Garmadon sacrificed himself and was sent into the Cursed Realm, Lloyd left the team to cope with losing his father. The remaining members meet the new threat Ronin, a mercenary, who partially erases the Ninja's memories. The Ninja travel to the Toxic Bogs, after which they have a vision of weapons that can restore their memories. They collect the weapons and go to see Lloyd, who takes them to see his mother for help. Once they find the Primal Fulcrum, the Ninja free Lloyd's mother from Ronin's control. Ronin freezes them and grabs the remaining elemental forges. He plans to use the Fulcrum to bring back Chen from the Cursed Realm. The Ninja chase Ronin into a portal, where the Ninja have a final battle with Ronin; he escapes and knocks the Ninja's weapons into the abyss. The ending reveals the game was a story told by Kai. In an epilogue, Dareth steals the Helmet of Darkness to control the Stone Army.

Warner Brothers announced the game in December 2014. The game is single-player. It has new gameplay items, though the gameplay and characters are familiar. The game was targeted at a younger audience.

Both PocketGamer and Nintendo Life said the game negatively felt the same as the previous games in the Lego series. PocketGamer praised the better graphics but was frustrated with the controls on iOS, especially with time-sensitive actions. Nintendo Life appreciated the humor but thought the graphics had issues on the 3DS. The game was in a top-10 best-selling list of games for PlayStation Vita in New Zealand in May 2017.