#cole and nya's back stories are my favourite

[dress-and-impress]

Rant about Cole on Ninjago's journey of becoming a leader because you all need to UNDERSTAND...

Cole has never had anyone to rely on. He's always the one to protect. The strong one. Always the one to put his foot down first. No need to ask for help and no thought to get any help. He was a born leader and you can especially see that throughout the show. Even during the whole "Master Wu going missing" ordeal. He was the one challenging himself to be better by giving up eating cake (allegedly) to teach himself self-control and focus on finding Wu. And yet once Wu was found he was still there looking after him because Wu took care of him when no one else could.

He made sure that all of his friends were happy and taken care of and that's all he needed to care about. Cole was never interested in being in a relationship or doing insane teenage things. He simply felt satisfied because he had friends to be with and people who cared about him and his wellbeing. Plus, someone to talk to about his family dramas (mother being deceased and father spending all of his time and energy into his musical group).

Just to add onto this. Now, in Dragons Rising, you can see Cole opening up more and letting loose. He seemed more "uptight" or "cautious" about things they were doing (Cole is an honest goofball but in all honesty, he would never do something incredibly out of whack insane especially if it were dangerous). Cole created a mini group of friends/companions in the Land of Lost Things (this episode also has a nomination for a Leo Award fun fact side note that is irrelevant) and this showcases the leadership skills that he has. Furthermore, you can also see Cole RELYING on someone to help him continue to be a leader and give some kind of empowerment and reassurance (that someone being Geo). The main idea of this being that Cole struggled his entire teenage life to trust, but then he met the ninja and through that you can see him still pushing himself to be the best (maybe a bit too hard on himself at times as seen in The Ice Chapter) but that's what makes him such an interesting character. But then after the whole merge situation, it allowed him to freely be himself and create new relationships.

Thanks for reading my rant here is a black and orange heart that represents Cole's colours🖤🧡

[kazukazuhas]

hii, I hope you are doing well. if you are taking requests, can you write something reader x ninja. where it's the reader's birthday, and they do small affectionate things to celebrate her? it can be hcs or a small drabble. it's actually my birthday, so this prompt would be perfect. thank youuu✨️

˗ˏˋ ꒰ 💌 ꒱ birthday edition, ninja┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ ☁️

  ୧ ⎯⎯ SYNOPSIS ;; what do the ninja do on your birthday? [feat. the ninja and pixal + three extra ]

  ୧ ⎯⎯ WARNINGS ;; profanity ;; written incredibly platonic ;; some silly goofy things ;; reader leans female but majority gender neutral ;; some slight angst

  ୧ ⎯⎯ NOTES ;; happy belated birthday <33 fun fact, it was also my dog's birthday. also, kai being so big brother and excited to celebrate someone's birthday is so true

  ୧ ⎯⎯ ZANE JULIEN

#✧ zane told everyone the night before (after you vanished for a while) that it was your birthday today. but with the way he so casual woke up on your birthday, at the usual times he did and everything, it took you a good minute to realise, hey. i'm old today.

#✧ and being the wonderful nindroid he was he made you several little trinkets, from a little charm of your element to several badges of things you like– because, well you're the only ninja missing them on your gi (he and jay made them for everyone and disrupted them on each person's birthday). but the moment he saw cole scheming something, zane held back on gifting it to you.

#✧ so to make up for it, he turned into a brother (kai probably coded it into him) and showed you small affections through the day. ruffling your hair, patting you on the back, hugging, everything. not that he doesn't on a daily basis, he's a little less expressive normally.

  ୧ ⎯⎯ COLE BROOKSTONE

#✧ he remembered it was your birthday, yes but the hard part was what to get you. he opted for something easy and simple, cake. and because he had so often bought cake (for himself a lot of the time), you didn't quite suspect him getting it for you when you saw the box in the fridge, pushed to the back. cole got you a small one in your favourite flavour and colour, with “happy birthday, [name]” written in cursive on the top in your gi's colour. the sun had barely risen at the time when he got it.

#✧ that was when it hit him, whilr driving back home from the store, that they should have a small party at night. so to be a substitute for now giving you a gift throughout the day, he decided to (harmlessly) use dad jokes on you. (and it's the bad ones to.)

#✧ when you finally show up for morning training, he's the first (after zane) to wish you. engulfing you in the warmest and biggest dad hug of the damn century with the silliness jokes and laughter as he wishes you.

  ୧ ⎯⎯ KAI JIANG

[ HEADCANNON ;; kai is half indian (maya's side) and half chinese (ray's side). and if you ever met an indian, if it's not real gold or diamond– then what you doing?? ]

#✧ nya held him back for the while —swapping with zane to hug you herself— everyone was wishing you; because he was going to brother hug knock you out. (figuratively, literally: he was not going to let anyone wish you because he'd be too hyper to function properly, like usual on someone's birthday.)

#✧ something something he definitely bought you gold jewelry, something simple like earrings, a nose ring or a simple necklace. and kai spent no worry to have expensive it would be to get it custom made, he literally had it made like a whole half year and and a few months in advance before your birthday.

#✧ but since cole had the plan of the party, he substituted to annoying your guts instead of gifting you the jewelry. safe to say that it was your villain origin story...

  ୧ ⎯⎯ NYA JIANG

[ HEADCANNON ;; nya is half indian (maya's side) and half chinese (ray's side). ]

#✧ the moment she hugged you, she might have broken your back–

#✧ like kai, she got you some jewelry custom made for you, a matching set with what he got but it's distinct enough to be something she got you and stand on its own. she had to made towards the end of the previous year when she, zane and pixal go to buy everyone's gifts for the next year.

#✧ but for the time being, she and lloyd at some point (he was too because it pay back for last year when they did the same thing for a while week before and after his birthday) were helping you hide away from kai and cole being absolute menaces to your sanity. but it's all in good fun, shows it gonna be a good day.

  ୧ ⎯⎯ JAY WALKER

#✧ one of the two people that forgot it was your birthday, despite the fact he was finishing up the whole ass bike for a whole ass year was quite literally your birthday gift. jay didn't have a very good memory (it doesn't even come near to rivaling wu's though) and when he did realise, boy appeared next to you immediately while apologizing for forgetting and wishing you. he may have short circuited a little when he used his element to speed himself up so he could hightail it from the junkyard to the monastery.

#✧ on the topic of the gift, he was working on it at his parents' junkyard instead at the monastery because it was so much easier to hide it in the junkyard. throw some tarps and cover it up with some junk and you got it.

#✧ but being the loving brother he is, he sat back and watched you wreck your brains over the terrible dad jokes and annoying shit kai was pulling, stepping in to annoy you even more at some point before he disappeared to go and get the damn bike.

  ୧ ⎯⎯ LLOYD M. GARMADON

#✧ he forgot, but it was expected. he never really cared for birthdays —darkley's never celebrated him and they only matter when he joined the ninja— and he has the worst memory —caused by his seasons worth of trauma— so the moment he remembered, he pulled you to the side and apologized for wishing you so late (that being towards midday) and not getting you a gift (that is a LIE. he hoards so much that he definitely has a gift to give, no matter the occasion.)

#✧ teams up with nya to protect you from kai and cole because it's his revenge for last year (september is his hell, because of his birthday), though it is after he finds an acceptable gift to give you. he figures one of his trillion handmade bracelets (a coping mechanism) can work so he finds a little box and wrapping paper in someone's room and stuffs the paper in the box and puts the bracelet on it and asks nya to keep it with her.

#✧ is the most little shit ever, helping you prank the hell out of kai, cole and occasionally jay back. from dropping water on them to scaring the hell out of them and all the stops. at some point, he drags you and nya to play video games while they get reprimanded by wu. (being wu's gets him out of a trouble.)

  ୧ ⎯⎯ PIXAL

#✧ girl showed up a little earlier than the time of the party with a whole ass basket of snacks and foods she thought you'd like. hands it to you and when you return from hiding it from lloyd, she drags you out and takes you out on her samurai x mech for a bit, flying around the city with you in the mech's hands, nya tagged along on the mech's back.

#✧ she big sister's you so sweetly, talking about all of the random shit with nya. it's honestly a cute experience, and really homely and nostalgic of back when you were with your friends as a kid and before you became a ninja.

#✧ takes you to above ninjago city, on the top of borg tower and then to the quieter streets by the port where they took you out to eat at some stall (like an all girl thing.)

  ୧ ⎯⎯ WU

#✧ his gift was literally just no training– but in all seriousness, he had a small something to gift to you. he usually gifts the same thing to everyone, but it is personalized to each person. and no one still knows what he's gifted them, so, it's a mystery. (lloyd is praying it's not some clue to the next conflict.)

#✧ he's laughing with zane as he watches his students annoying you, at some point he playfully reprimands them before letting them go to set up the party after pixal and nya take you out for a while, helping them sort the banner pixal brought with her for the party that read “happy birthday [name]!”.

#✧ he's watching over them with his brother and sister-in-law beside him as the boys mess around and set up the little party.

  ୧ ⎯⎯ GARMADON

[ for plot purposes, he's sensei g. not lord nor emperor g. ]

#✧ man is having a ball while watching the boys annoy you, he dropped in once (multiple times) to casually slide in some embarrassing comment and single-handed wiping everyone out by turning them red. he's here for a fun time and apparently a long one too. but he's a sweet old guy who just showing affection for his uh- nth child.

#✧ garmadon, being the dad he is, most likely got you something silly that you and him have an inside joke on (he has atleast one inside joke with all the ninja and pixal). he had gotten it a long while before your birthday, that or he got his hands on something that you were dying to get but either it sold out or was no longer being made.

#✧ when he wished you, he probably pulled you into a hug that dad's give (safe and comforting, warm and protective, all at once) and tells you how proud he is of you, that you're still around and breathing, pushing on and how much he loves and cares for you.

the wind felt nice; despite the night breeze being so cold, it felt good against your skin as you sat securely in the samurai x mech's hands, listening to pixal and nya ramble as the nindroid flew you three in back to the monastery. the lights were dim in the courtyard and the only light was from inside, not to mention it was quiet– too quiet...

“guys– it's too quiet,” you mumble back to the ladies wking beside you, stopping as you pull the water ninja's sleeve to get their attention. nya shoots you a firm look, noting it herself while pixal looks around before looking at you.

she shakes her head slowly, “my scanners say there is no danger.”

reluctantly you nod, but trusting in her eyes and judgment. they both continue walking in, nya taking your hand in hers gently and tugging you along softly as she smiles warmly with comforting eyes. “there's nothing to worry about, don't worry, okay?”

“..okay.”

you walk in beside nya, tensing the moment someone covers you eyes and everywhere darkens for a moment before the light returns and pixal's squeezing your shoulders lightly.

“surprise!” they all say as everyone beams at you. there's curly ribbons in your colours (your gi and favourite colours mixed in them), the banner looks beautiful, there's little presents in different boxes behind the small cake. you swear you're about to cry when you realise that hey, this is for you.

it's been hell, and no one's actually celebrated their birthday for a hell of a long time before the conflict and missions you held as the ninja; ninjago's protectors. you say quiet for a moment to properly register it, the fact you're alive and loved. it a sweet feeling, giddy.

“thanks guys,” you say after a while, hugging pixal, who's hugging you from behind, back with an appreciation tone and smile. “thank you guys so much.”

“c'mon, kai, light the candles; we have one more embarrassing thing to do. and there's sing happy birthday,” jay laughs pulling you over to the cake, with a comforting smile, as he sits you down in front of it.

oh fuck. you're screwed now.

  ୧ ⎯⎯ MORRO WU

[ for plot purposes, this is in the past before morro died. he fleed the monastery and found another elemental master and you two stuck together, meaning he's alive to atleast see his teenage to adulthood years, depends on your age. you're the same age ]

#✧ morro is probably the only one who doesn't get you a gift, but he wishes you surprisingly heartfelt. it's the one time he hugs you and says something soft and sweet– the complete opposite of him normally.

#✧ your birthday is the one day that he and you goof off on. you're jumping into a lake together and play fighting together, stealing sweets and some food and he's sneakily taken a cupcake and candle to celebrate you a little bit. he probably steals a necklace or bracelet he thinks you might like and gifts you it.

#✧ overall, it's really sweet the way he worries for you and actually celebrates your birthday, taking out his time to give you something worth remembering unlike the other days and his own birthday (one of which he refuses to celebrate, and you respect his wish despite being who started the birthday cupcake tradition and upholding it every year.)

  ୧ ⎯⎯ NOTES ;; morro unfortunately gets no drabble– i wrote too much already. this was the first time i wrote for anyone but lloyd and morro's part is my favourite!

  ୧ ⎯⎯ TAGLIST ;; @spoopy-fish-writes // @spoops-inliyue ;; @decaffeinatedcloudkryptonite // @shaantiofher ;; @sunangelstears ;; @comicbookweirdo ;; @candy-letsbereal42

˗ˏˋ ꒰ 💌 ꒱ kazukazuhas copr. 2023 darling┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ ☁️

[oddthumbswetsleeves]

I Don't Celebrate It

(From my AO3 - Uncommonly_Soya)

The day of the departed was arguably the biggest and most widely observed holiday in Ninjago. Cole remembered the huge celebrations that happened in his town every year. Giant parties with food, music, art, and games. When he was young his mom would tell him stories about her parents and his dad would eventually relent to his begging and join in. It was always such a joyous day. His mom always told him that the holiday was a reminder to celebrate the lives that passed loved ones lived, and to make the most of your own.

When Cole was 7, he made a lantern all by himself for the first time.

When Cole was 10, he helped his mom make a shepherd’s pie for the community cookout for the first time.

When Cole was 12, he got to light a firework for the first time.

When Cole was 13, he didn’t celebrate the day of the departed for the first time.

His dad didn’t open the curtains that morning. He spent the day reading in the living room, on the opposite side of the room from the piano. Cole couldn’t find the courage to leave the house and face the spirit of the day alone. People came to the door, but Cole only watched from the top of the stairs his dad send them away. He refused to take his son out and was adamant that he never liked the holiday.

“I only ever celebrated to begrudge your mother. I have never understood the whole ‘whoopee’ around it.”

Cole didn’t ask him to take part in any festivities when he was 14.

When Cole was 16, he celebrated the day of the departed alone for the first time.

He bought a cupcake from a store the day before and took a tealight and matchbox from the kitchen cupboard. He had been too scared to try take a photo of his mom from any wall or shelf in case his dad noticed. Instead, he drew a portrait of her. He wasn’t super happy with how it looked, but his mom loved anything he drew, so she probably wouldn’t have minded if her eyes were different sizes.

When Cole was 17, he celebrated on the top of his mom’s favourite mountain. He brought a pudding cup, which wouldn’t be damaged during the climb, and the supplies make a lantern for the first time in five years. No one else was climbing that night due to the celebrations, so there would be no way to know if he cried that night.

When Cole was 18, he met someone who had never celebrated the day of the departed for the first time.

Jay left early that morning to spend the whole day with his parents and wasn’t expected back until dinner the next day (for which he had promised to bring plenty of leftovers).

Kai and Nya left after breakfast, saying they’d be back for lunch after spending the night with their village.

Wu had left to visit his father’s grave and, of course, had not given a clear timeframe for his return.

Zane was sitting at the dining room table with an empty plate. Completely still. Cole had always found Zane to be a weird guy. There was always something a bit off about him, but this was strange, even for him. Cole stood in the doorway for a few second before clearing his throat. Zane didn’t react.

“I, uh…” Cole tried to find something to say. “I didn’t think anyone would still be here.”

Zane picked up the plate and stood up.

“You should leave soon if you want to make it home in time for the lighting ceremonies.” Zane’s voice was low. He walked past him to the kitchen, avoiding eye contact. Cole felt his stomach grow heavier, but he had a few years of excuses behind him to explain his non-observance of the holiday.

“I don’t usually go home to celebrate, my dad doesn’t really like the whole fanfare of it.” He leant against the counter beside the sink where Zane was scrubbing his one dish. “He’s kind of a bummer during holidays.” Zane continued scrubbing.

Cole suddenly regretted planting himself so close to his teammate.

Zane eventually rinsed the plate and set it on the drying rack. Cole clears his throat again.

“So, are you going to any parties?” he joked before remembering that it would probably go over his friend’s head.

“No, I have never celebrated the day of the departed.” Zane dried his hands and hung the towel on the cupboard handle. Cole’s jaw slacked.

“You - you’ve never celebrated?” Zane shook his head.

“I learned about the holiday last year, but I have no one to remember, or light a lantern for.”

Cole felt frozen. He had never met someone who had never even lit a lantern before.

“No one? What about your grandparents?”

“I don’t remember them. For all I know they could be alive and well.”

“Oh, right.” Cole felt his face flush. “You lost all your memories.” Zane nodded mutely.

“I guess it’s just a quiet night in for us then.” The two made eye contact. “Want me to teach you that combo that makes Jay really mad?” Zane smiled softly.

“I’d like that.”

The credits rolled on the movie the boys had put on once they got tired of the game. “I’ve gotten used to having three opponents” Cole had remarked, “It’s kinda boring with only the two of us.” Zane had seemed distracted the whole movie, which Cole had probably only noticed because he was too. Zane turned to face him.

“Have you ever made a lantern?” he asked.

“A couple of times. My mom taught me.”

“You do not speak much of her.” Cole rubbed his neck awkwardly.

“Yeah, she died a few years ago. She used to celebrate today like it was the most important day of the year.”

“Do you not celebrate her life?”

“I usually do something small. Light a candle, eat something unhealthy.” Cole stood up to put the DVD back in its case. Just before he could ask about watching something else, Zane spoke again.

“Could you show me how to make one?” Cole turned to face him.

“What?”

“A lantern. I’ve never been shown how to make them.”

“Uh…” Cole looked away for a moment. “I guess, if we have the right stuff here.”

The two searched through the supply closets and kitchen cupboards for the paper, markers, glue, and other bits. Cole felt the heaviness in his chest ease a bit as the pair moved around the monastery. They laid all of the supplies on the floor in front of the tv and Cole put on a comedy he’d seen a few times for background noise. Zane knelt down and stared at him expectantly. He sat on the opposite side of the supplies.

“First, we have to cut the paper long enough to make a box” he slid the scissors easily through the roll of red paper. He folded the paper in half twice, then unfolded it. Zane easily copied him.

“You have to write on it before you glue it, cause it’s too hard once it’s standing up.” Cole uncapped a marker.

“What do you write?” Zane reached for a marker.

“Well, there’s no rules about it. Some people write messages,” he drew a boarder on one of the panels, “some write poems, others just draw pictures.” He started slowly writing, focused on making the letters elegant and decorative. Zane made no such move. “Y’know, the lantern doesn’t have to be for a family member, it can be for anyone.” Zane looked at him again.

“Can I make it for your mother?”

Cole suddenly stopped writing, eyes shooting up to look at his teammate. “What?”

“I don’t know anyone who is departed, and you made it seem as though your father won’t be making her a lantern.” Zane twisted the marker in his hands, “Would it be inappropriate for me to make one for her?”

“Um…” Cole swallowed, “I guess you can. I’ve just never heard of anyone making a lantern for a stranger. Though, I’ve also never met anyone who’s never lit a lantern before today either.” He shrugged and continued writing.

Cole and Zane sat on the monastery roof. Cole let his legs dangle off the edge, breathing in the cool night air. He turned to look at Zane, who appeared as peaceful as ever.

“Ready to light them?” He shook the matchbox. Zane nodded. Cole lit a match and held it under the lanterns wick. A soft red glow lit up their faces as Zane copied him. Cole recognised some of the writing on Zane's lantern as a poem he had read a couple years ago, he assumed the rest was ones he didn’t know. The pair stood holding the lanterns in front of them. As they raised them Cole glanced over at his friend, whose eyes were fixed on his lantern. As they turned in the air Cole could have sworn he saw his name written on one side of Zane’s one.

The two stood silently as the lanterns drifted away in the slight breeze. There was a feint red glow coming from where Cole was pretty sure was Ninjago City. The night was almost perfect. He chuckled.

“Kinda wish I had gotten a cake now.” Zane looked thoughtful.

“We have the ingredients for hot chocolate. I could make some.”

Cole laughed.

“The day of the departed is never complete without something sweet and unhealthy.”

When Cole was 17, he celebrated the day of the departed alone for the last time.

[skierisa]

Full name: Vanessa Yuhara Akagawa (her realm's culture allows her to have more than one last name, but usually referred by her second last name by most). She's constantly called Nessa.

Age: 23

Birthday: April 26th

Sexuality: Lesbian

Species: Werewolf

Elemental Powers: No elemental power

Occupation: Model (although not famous)

Personality: Vanessa is sincere and doesn't hold back when needing to tell the truth, but unlike her sister, Vanessa does this to annoy  and cause a reality check instead of causing discomfort. She isn't as observant as Valerie, but understands patterns well and replicates them to understand other people.

She's good at speaking up for herself, but used to be easy to manipulate, until her incident. Vanessa is harsh, but does it out of good intentions, especially towards her siblings, mostly Valerie, trying to help her with her pyrophobia problem and stop her overprotectiveness. Vanessa enjoys taking care of others and expresses her love this way. She's the type to think before acting, so she's usually talking senses into Valerie, Kenichi and Shunsuke.

Vanessa cannot hide her emotions, wearing her heart on her sleeve independently of the circumstance, but she thinks that when she puts on the effort to lie people will believe her, since they assume she's telling the truth, which isn't completely untrue, but she isn't that good at lying as well, so there's usually a 40% chance it may work.

Story: Vanessa was born as a twin in a loving family. She loves spending time with her father, and was always quiet in his studio to not disturb him or her brother while they sew. Vanessa was mesmerised by their work and her father's designs, and does remember calling a few of Kenichi's designs ugly when he was a teen. Unlike Valerie, she did have a filter, so whenever she said something "mean", you knew it was intentional. Her way of dealing with other mean kids was always less scandalous than Valerie or Kenichi, fixing her problems through "fancy insults" instead of punching.

Vanessa was never good at hiding her emotions, so she would easily be caught lying, especially when lying about having a crush on some girl. Vanessa's art classmate was her crush and also a wannabe-model, but a little bit more experienced than Vanessa. She gave her tips and eventually started dating, but after Vanessa started gaining attention, the girlfriend got jealous and Vanessa broke up with her. However, this attention only caused Vanessa problems, causing her to develop night terrors and traits of agoraphobia... She has an incident that ends up causing the the existence of MVRR gang, and she blames herself for Valerie's misery.

(the rest will be explained later maybe through comic's, books, whatever, so idk)

TRIVIA AND HEADCANONS!

Chews ice when under stress;

Has a skin care routine she follows religiously;

Her favourite food is ratatouille;

Likes to bake specifically cupcakes;

Very messy, barely can keep her side of the room organized;

Can cook;

Smokes;

Besides painting, her favourite thing to do is dancing;

Among all the Ninja, she gets along better with Cole than anyone else;

"Only I can insult my sister" kind of sister;

5 minutes older than Valerie;

Has a "resting bitch face";

Likes to spend time with Nya and her sister;

Sometimes joins Zane to do the cooking;

Training to help the Ninja on missions because she hates feeling useless.

Her main inspirations for personality are Julie Powers from Scott Pilgrim and Denise from Teen Monica's Gang

Also has a (slight) British accent

[cosmos-dot-semicolon]

Your turn for a Ninjago question!

Which season's your favourite?

Hmm. I suck at picking favourites. It's made worse by the fact it's been a while since I've rewatched anything but season 1. So uh, I guess I'll answer this question backwards from worst to best. Have a very rambly, vaguely ordered list :)

I never watched much past S10 - the move to 11 minute episodes was really jarring and only seemed to work well for that one bit of lore for Wu and Garmadon in Crystallised. Which is great, but it's not the actual story, so :/

You've already seen my hatred for the Oni trilogy. Really all I wanted to add there is that I count it as one season, because it has the same plot structure as a regular season, but stretched out over a year for god knows why. I remember making remarks back in the day that it straight up felt like season 4 but longer and edgier, down to the bait-and-switch love interest and end-of-season war.

Hands Of Time I think is generally glossed over in the fandom, and understandably so. I remember they made jokes about iPhones and also captured Borg and there were snakes or whatever. It promised we were going to explore Kai and Nya's family dynamic and then. I'm sure they did something there? Wu's sacrifice was memorable, but absolutely nothing else was. It felt like the new writers were given a script for what Ninjago was known for, but never actually watched the show.

Season 6 I think had a good initial impact on me because of its sky pirate aesthetic but the longer it went on... Eugh. You Already Know

Season 3 I remember, but only for Zane's sacrifice and Garmadon's moments. There were really good character moments in there, but overall there wasn't much going on.

So that strikes it down to 1, 2, 4, and 5.

4. I think 2 comes last by default. I don't dislike it and find a fair bit of it fun, but they really did sap most of Lloyd's personality once he got aged up. There are filler episodes (which are fun, but still), and a second half of the season that drags on until the final fight that everybody was waiting for.

I think Garmadon had some really good moments in here, both funny and dramatic (and especially with Misako). But I think that's still eclipsed by season 1's setup of him. I've drawn fanart of it before but Misako could've been one of the funniest character premises the series had and it's a shame her character was never capitalised on.

3. Possession, as cool as some of the character moments are, is a season I think I liked as a kid mainly because of its ghost aesthetic. Which is amazing, for the record. The art directors were absolutely on point there, and the atmosphere of places like the caves, the washed-up town of Stix, and the sheer scale of the final battle are still burned into my brain.

Character-wise, it's quite nice in showing Kai's loyalty and caring towards Lloyd, and great in that it actually gave Nya a proper character arc. But a lot of the exploration of other characters feels more like... lip service? Cole is a fantastic leader and willing to sacrifice himself for the team, and now might have to deal with being a ghost. Zane sometimes has to deal with things beyond his control as a robot. Wu's carelessness as a mentor actually got one of his students killed back in the day.

What do we do with that? I don't know. I might be overlooking things but the fact these aren't truly followed up with always felt off to me. I want to say Morro himself is sort of representative of this, but I'd need another post and a rewatch to detail my thoughts on him properly.

1. I don't think I want to decide between them: season 4 and season 1.

Tournament of Elements had practically everything I wanted from Ninjago back in the day. It's got some really heartfelt dialogue about the team having broken up after season 3 (as short as that is), it's focused on the more interesting of the two Senseis, it's got espionage and revolution and this whole grand hotel to have ridiculous fights in.

It's not as laser-focused on adding to the ninja's characters as other seasons, but in lieu of that you get a lot of expansion on what we already had, and the best written plot in the entire show.

Like you know something is up with Chen from the very beginning, and so do the ninja, but you have to keep pushing on just to see what happened with Zane. I kept expecting the plot to follow a clear structure and get boring or drag out the mystery of what was going on, but they just kept switching it up whenever I thought things were going perfectly.

You thought the whole team would make through the tournament? Nope! But Cole did find Zane! Holy shit! You thought uniting the elemental masters would be easy? Nope, one of them's a fucking spy. She's literally the main villain's daughter! You thought this'd just be about Chen stealing everybody's elements? Nope, he wants to revive the long dead and conquer the world. Have fun fighting a war!

It's genuinely fascinating how much the plot evolves over the season's runtime, with everybody doing their own separate things. Not every twist works, but the writers clearly put some amount of thought into all of them, and it makes me love the season despite some of its, well, 'culturally insensitive' plot points, as Pythor might say.

Season 1's strengths lie with its characterisation instead of the story, but I still like it for largely the same reasons as season 4.

What really drew me back into Ninjago out of all the action shows back in the day was that instead of just being another 'dumb action show for boys,' it was about a bunch of friends growing and learning as they prepared to grow up. The ninja have to deal with things kids know intimately: absent parents, self esteem issues stemming from your social status, self-centeredness vs being a normal person, discovering your own heritage, feeling excluded, and coming out.

The side characters are also all fantastic. Pythor's delightfully smarmy as a villain. Garmadon's both the most dramatic theatre kid you've ever seen and the sweetest father to Lloyd. Even Lloyd had a lot to do back here! This is the only time I've seen a sad white(-coded) boy villain work out, because he's a child looking for friends. He's genre savvy due to him being Garmadon's son, and smart in suggesting that the ninja steal back the fangblades from Pythor, but he's also still like, 7.

And while the season doesn't have as strong a plot as season 4, I still think small things like the fangblades being stolen from both sides and having the ostensive 'villain' defeat the Great Devourer were fantastic ideas within the constraints of a very structured story.

[splinnters]

Helloo :DD since your last post I was “ok sure let me ask them smth in the ask box for fun :)” soo who are you favourite ninja from least to favorite and maybe how these prefferences changed during the seasons (like for example in season 1 come was your fifth but now he’s your second fave u know what I mean)

Have a good day or night >:D

ooooh good ask good ask

it’s easy to answer my favorite ninja: Kai. I love him. he’s been my favorite since the dawn of time even though he’s very stupid sometimes and often gives me second hand embarrassment. the writers let me down with him in the later seasons so I just constantly come up with massive storylines entirely revolving around him <3

my second favorite has to be Cole. Kai is my gender-envy-guy and Cole is my how-are-you-so-attractive-you’re-a-lego-guy! I, uh, I think that sums him up well. I like a lego-man who can toss a car like a frisbee. ALSO WHAT A BANGER DESIGN FOR HIS LAVA ARMS THING HOOLLLLYYYY MOLY

third favorite is where it starts to get difficult but I’m gonna go with Jay. Jay is like me a bit too much. there are two wolves inside of me and one of them is Jay Walker and the other is Kai Jiang-Smith. also once again, I love his elemental powers and their potential is boundless

fourth favorite is Nya. she’s risen up in my rankings I feel like cuz she’s just so interesting I guess?? like all her story arcs and background and skills and everything is just so good??? she’s such a well rounded character it makes me happy. also her being angry,,, with the sea at her back,,, could kill you and will,,,,,,,, amazing

fifth favorite is Zane. he. he just like me fr (again) but seriously he’s like Nya he’s just an all around GOOD character. he’s done evil he’s done sacrifice he’s done missing social cues constantly— what else could I ask for? he’s such a good go-to for a healer type character in my opinion

sixth favorite is Lloyd not because I hate him, it’s just that out of all of them I tend to think about him…. the least…… which is weird since he’s the main character but what I want with him is for him to be annoying and a kid. that’s my favorite bit about Lloyd, canon or fanon. he also deserves a break in my opinion, let him be the younger brother side character for once. also he achieved the “you were the hero of the story all along” trope pretty well and that’s my shit, sooooo yeah!

I feel like these have all stayed pretty much the same except for me liking Nya more as the show goes on \o/ all around good stuff I love all of them very dearly

[artyfartyperson]

you do not have to answer ALL of these ofc im just kind of rambling HEHHEE. okay so.!!!

do you have any particular story behind kais arm burn and gold tooth??

why is lloyds gi sleeveless/has a different sleeve design than the rest? tbh i can see kai and cole taking their sleeves off but not so much lloyd..

are there any meanings/inspiration the sash designs + end tassles come from or are they just Aesthetic? same question for nya and jays gloves!!!

does cole have a ponytail/bun? it kinda looks like he does but ita so dark i can't really tell JGJGNFJG

also just take this as an opportunity to talk about any of the design things you want!!! and like i said if you only answer one or two (or none!!!) of these that's totally good!!! :] im just a curious guy sometimes HGHGJDJF

Yeyeye! I can answer all of them :))))

1. I have a. story for Kai’s arm, it’s got to do with my oc Akako in my AU! It’s around the finale of Season 2, when they’re on the Dark Island. Akako wants to prove to Garmadon that she’s good enough to keep (maybe there’s a conflict or a threat that the Overlord/Garmadon will leave her on the Dark Island while they return to ninjago.) So this time she doesn’t hold back, and neither do the ninja considering she’s been a thorn in their side for some time.

They aren’t exactly aware of her element, and how it works until it’s too late. Any damage she takes she can use it against others, though at the cost of her having to deal with those wounds. This includes elements (if she was struck by Jay she can zap him back ���️)

Thus, Kai attempts to finish her off once and for all, and stabs her with his sword (im pretty sure their weapons at the time can harness their elements). Akako while decently hurt, uses this as a final opportunity to attack before fleeing (or before going insane who knows (i don’t)). She attempts to absolutely incinerate him but he’s only able to dodge so much and gets burnt really badly on his arm. He takes the gap between season 2 and season 3 (maybe even up until 4) to recover properly. And when she eventually does get her goofy redemption arc he’s the last person to trust her.

As for his gold tooth I’d imagine he got it knocked out around season 5 and got the gold filler before or at the start of season 6 to show off honestly. I think it suits him 🦐

2. Lloyds gi is sleeveless because i thought it’d look decent enough 💀 He’s admittedly a little thinner/lankier than the others though so I might go back to him wearing a tank top or something underneath. He does have gloves that go really high up his arms, so he’s covered up a little bit. Those are just concept sketches I made on a whim however, I’m working on the proper reference as we speak :)

3. There’s somewhat of a connection yes :) Though i need to figure out the plot reason behind it, I do know that they’re based off the tassels of Akako

The season I’m making that those gi appear in is a season based around her, so I thought it’d be neat for their designs to all tie together!

I actually did take a bit of inspiration from Sky: Children of Light, and their cape outfits. There’s a certain cape with tassels coming from them and I thought that’s be cool to incorporate and personalise for each ninja. It’s also a callback to back in 2017/2018 where when I drew them as silly little stickmen I liked to draw their tassels differently! Akako is a reworked oc from back then as well (vomits)

Nya and Jays gloves are more of an aesthetic choice for me, but I do take a lot of inspiration from steven universe and their designs sometimes. With Nya specifically I loved the one fingered gloves that Sardonyx from Steven Universe wear :)

4. That is indeed a Cole man bun he has too much hair for his own good

5. *breathes in sleeveless designs* I like the season 4 designs so much they are my absolute favourite of the bunch! So idk i thought it’d be cool. I have such a soft spot for season 4 oml (i have trauma from season 4 I WROTE A FANFICTION OF SEASON 4 WHERE I INSERTED MY OC INTO IT BUT I WROTE IT WHEN I WAS 10 AND HER NAME WAS SKYLER AND I SHIPPED HER WITH JAY AND KAI HAD A CRUSH ON HER AND SHE WAS LLOYDS COUSIN AND NAWWWWWWW

NAWWWWWW)

yeah i’m so normal about season 4 designs

[zexal-club]

My OC X Canon ship is Lloyrene, which is Lloyd Garmadon X my oc Irene Zaren, who used to be known here as the master of Frost and Snow, but I've deciding on changing it to Harmony so she has a unique power instead of just Ice 2.0.

I created Lloyrene because Llorumi is toxic. I'm fine with Lloykita, but by the time it came around, I was already too invested with Irene. Sorry, Akita😔.

Irene is the same age as Lloyd, as in they were both kids back in Season 1 and got hit with the tea in Child's Play. They first met when Lloyd was taken in by the Ninja and ended up becoming best friends as they found out that, aside from Lloyd wanting to be like his father and Irene wanting to be a ninja, they had a lot of things in common and similar interests like drawing and video games.

I'm not sure when I'll fit this in, but I want to 'write' a scene where Lloyd rubs his friendship with Irene in Pythor's face, like 'Hah, screw you Pythor! I've got a new best friend, and she's got powers and cool blue hair! Take that!' Just became it would be fun.

They didn't start developing romantic feelings for each other until a while after they were aged up, for reasons I'm sure are obvious.

One of my favourite things about them is that, no matter what, they've always got each other's back and will comfort the other when they're upset.

Here's a bunch of other small facts and moments!

At the end of Rise of the Spinjitzu Master, after the Overlord is defeated and Garmadon appears cleansed from his evil, Lloyd and Irene look at each other affectionately, and maybe Irene gives Lloyd a kiss on the cheek.

In True Potential, when they were partying and singing after the SoG's, Irene went with Misako to check on Lloyd. After they managed to make him feel a bit better, Irene held out her hand to Lloyd and in offer to join the others together. He was about to take it until noticing the news like in canon.

Speaking of SoG, I should clarify something- in my Ninjago 'AU' story with Irene, there is NOT going to be a love triangle with Lloyd, Irene, and Harumi. Seriously, the Jay Nya Cole love triangle in Rebooted was bad enough. We do not need another one.

During Hunted, Irene actually stays in Ninjago with Lloyd and Nya and is in the resistance. She always stays by Lloyd's side and tells him that he's still the Green Ninja and their leader, with or without his powers.

At the celebration Ninjago throws for the Ninja when Garmadon and the SoG are finally defeated, Lloyd and Irene also have a couple moment like the other Ninja, where they hug and look at each other lovingly.

That's all I have to say about them for now, hope you enjoy!

I'm feeling like some Ninjago Oc x Canon appreciation! Reblog this post and use it as an excuse to talk about your Oc x Canon ships!

Share their backstory, your favorite facts about them, their ship name-whatever you want!

[plinfaaa]

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

Okay now I will talk abt my season rating in Ninjago. I don't hate any season, I love them all but I have my reasons

16. Sons of Garmadon

Okay so my least favourite one is the 9th Season. I don't necessarily think it's bad, in fact it's good just like every season of Ninjago. I just don't like it as much as the other episodes. I REALLY hate Harumi in this season. How she betrayed Lloyd and stuff... It's just not it.

15. Hands of time

I like the concept of this season and how it shows so much stuff about the past of the elementary masters but I just don't like Crux and Acronix. They were kinda boring in my opinion... Yeah for sure Acronix was kinda funny with all his love for stupid phone games but other than that, it's just not really it. It's still over Sons of Garmadon because I really like to know more about the past.

14. The island

This one could be so cool, I love the Island concept and the small story of Wojira but it was just so short. I love Ninjago but why does this only have 4 episodes? Maybe the story doesn't need as much as explanation as the others but it's so short :,) Other than that I like the characters a lot! And I love the jungle concept.

13. March of the Oni

Same as the Island, it's so short! You could've just put it at the end of Hunted and not make it an own 'season' (yes I know it's a short but on the Wikipedia page it's listed as season..) BUT HEY! Jay asked Nya to be his Yang and I LOVE this scene. That's why it's higher than the island. And the fighting is epic asf.

12. Master of the mountain

This season is really really good! I enjoy Shintaro and I LOVE Vania. Also Vangelis is a very cool villain but tbh... the stuff with the Munks and Gekkles was a bit annoying. Still, Coles past was cool and his new special ability. I just like other seasons more but it's a good one!

11. Secrets of forbidden Spinjitzu

At this point the rating is hard. This season is enjoyable and Aspheera might be one of my favourite villains ever. She's just so cool with her Egypt concept. And poor Kai for loosing his powers ): Also I like the never realm and especially Akita as a character! But I still think the whole thing with Zane and the Ice emperor is a bit strange... not saying it wasn't cool, it actually got me in shock. I really haven't thought of that solution. Yes, this season is amazing but not as good as the others

10. Rise of the Spinjitzu Master

It's the first season and absolutely legendary! I love the snakes as enemy and seeing their early days gets me emotional asf, just as seine how they got to discover their true powers. Jaya getting a thing, Cole talking to his dad. This season is overall great! I like the others a bit more for reasons but still, this is the first and it's legendary!

9. Rise of the snakes

I love this one even more! I think the episodes just fit my taste more than the ones in season one? Also GARMADON AS VILLIAN!!!! I personally think he's kinda cool, so nothing to brag about. Also the episodes are all just amazing!! It's a very good season and I am sad that it's still that far in the back.

8. Hunted

I DONT KNOW HOW AND WHY. But I was so invested watching hunted. I am not a big fan of Sons of Garmadon BUT HUNTED. Woah that shit really got me catched. The first world is amazing and the dragons everywhere and the Iron Baron as villain is cool. Also Faith is so cool and just everything is perfect. It's a deserved place here.

7. Posession

I think we all can agree when I say the Ghost Whip is the BEST intro ever. Also Morro is an amazing villain, even his sidekicks Ghoulta, Soul Archer and Bansha are so amazing. The cloud kingdom is such a cool concept and I absolutely love Ronin, so YEAH! Ronin debut!! This season might be a lot of ppls fav one, not mine but still has a deserved 7th spot.

6. Seabound

I know people are gonna think I am crazy but Seabound is literally SO FRICKING GOOD! Prince Kalmaar is an AMAZING villian! He is cool! And I love Benthomaar a lot. The underwater stuff is so cool and the end is just so sad. It literally brought me to tears (it's hard to bring me to tears at a stupid series.) I'ts so emotional in a beautiful way. It hurts.

5. Rebooted

Okay this might be an unpopular opinion, especially because it's a rather short season but I was obsessed with it while watching. Cyrus is one of my fav characters AND PIXAL!!! Ah I love her so much. The Overlord is also kinda cool!!! It's amazing for such a short season, It's so amazing and underrated. And the intro is kinda good.

4. Crystalized

Crystalized is amazing, argue with a wall. I know people think it's rushed and so sudden but I love it! The different villains comming back, Harumis and Garmadons character development AND FRICKING SALLY. She is so underrated, I love her! The only think I really hate are the new Ninja. They're so annoying, for what... at least they don't annoy in the end anymore. THE END! Holy shit this is the best thing ever. I cried like a lil kid loosing its fav toy. It's so touching and sweet, inner steel playing in the background and CHRISTOFERN. I think it's an amazing end and Tommy created a masterpiece with this season.

3. Prime Empire

Underrated. Prime empire is SO underrated! It's literally so cool!! A giant video game season with amazing characters and an amazing concept. The NPCs breaking their roles AND SUPERSTAR ROCKIN JAY!!! He might be my fav thing ever. This season is a masterpiece and you cannot get me away from obsessing over this one.

2. Skybound

Another rather unpopular opinion but Skybound is amazing. I love this season more than myself. Nadakhan is an awesome Villain, with Master Chen my absolute favourite. I LOVE pirates and the vibe, that's why it catched my heart in like a second. Of course it's also sad asf, but Nadakhan as villain did a good job. His crew too! They're all so cool tbh. It's just so amazing I cannot explain it in words. AND THE INTRO AHHHHHHH!

1. Tournament of elements

I seriously love this SO MUCH. Tournament of elements has everything you need: A cool ass craizy stupid villain, A TON of amazing characters with amazing abilities. The villain has a cool dream and the final of the season is the best thing ever. All the dragons and the people... I am so glad that at least some of them (Skylor, Tox, Karlof, Neuro, Mr. Pale) are appearing later again. This season is whole perfection, it has everything I need and I do not have one negative point against this.

[ninjago-bingo]

July Recap!

woot everyone!  another month just flying by, bringing with it this time 18 new pieces!  It’s been awesome to see everyone’s work so far, and I’m looking forward to what next month will bring :D

As always, if I’ve missed your piece, don’t hesitate to let me know!  This recap is in one post because I felt it more manageable than 50 XD

Art (low-res, click the link to go to the original post):

Bonds and trust by @emisnt2

Don’t trust Kai, Jay and Cole to cook together

Care by @jss-sucks

Out of all the ideas I could’ve chose, I chose “Little Lloyd in a box”

Golden by @eternityinfinitydivinity

Based on the “Golden Legend” short Ninjago put out on their 10th anniversary. By far my favourite of the shorts :DD

Habits and influence by @/emisnt2

When your little sister follows your swearing habit

Hugs by @/jss-sucks

“Haha! I love my little sister!”

Oni by @/eternityinfinitydivinity

I know that Golden Oni Lloyd probably has a mask, buuuuuut he looks much more awesome if he went full-on oni :D

Oni and blood by @destinymanticor

like a painful transformation? idk

Post-fight and impulsivity by @sebilini

After the battle the team searched for Zane’s body. They found it laying alone and destroyed among the rubble. But they had to leave it soon, as there were many citizens who urgently needed their help. They would grieve their friend’s impulsive decision for months to come

Return by @the9thghost

Same by @/emisnt2

Ninja but matching dino hoodies >:D

Fic

At Low Tide by @frozensoapbubble.  tumblr || ao3 || prompts: ocean and strength

A water dragon, living incarnation of the Endless Sea, saves the life of a young whale. The moment brings back memories – or rather, echoes of familiar words, fleeting images, shadows of sensations that the dragon had long thought forgotten.

If only she could remember what they meant.

Thank You, For Giving Me Wings by @weekend-whip​.  tumblr || ao3 || prompt: care

Wu reflects on a question Zane asked him years ago, as only now can he comprehend the answer.

Ghost Story by @ace-of-spaces.  tumblr || ao3 || prompt: ghost

After Cole’s turned into a ghost, he isn’t doing that well.

Jay’s decided to do something about that. Even if ‘something’ means an hour-long conversation.

Memorabilia by @/ace-of-spaces.  tumblr || ao3 || prompt: merch

noun; A record of things worth remembering.

Or, Every so often, Lloyd and Kai would spend a day together in New Ninjago City laughing at how derpy the Ninja merch could be.

Nyctophobia by @/ace-of-spaces.  tumblr || ao3 || prompt: lights

After the events of March of The Oni, Cole wakes up in the dark.

That is a recipe for a sure-fire disaster.

One Step At A Time by @unknownuncut.  tumblr || ao3 || prompt: habits

Kai keeps noticing habits among his friends but one stuck out more than the others.

too fast / too slow by @21st-century-ninja.  tumblr || ao3 || prompts: bonds and trust

Soulbonds- soulbonds are special. They’re magical, even. They’re groups of people with souls so close that they strip down even the barriers of individuality, filtering impressions of thoughts and feelings between each member of the bond without even needing to speak aloud. Before a bond is completed, these impressions remain impressions. But once the last person in a bond comes of age and turns 16, all of the members gain total access to the others’ thoughts and the bond is complete.

Lloyd is 100 percent certain that Cole, Kai, Nya, Zane, and Jay are his bondmates.

Then his 16th birthday comes and goes with nothing to show for it.

You’ll Heal But You Won’t Be Fine by @/unknownuncut.  tumblr || ao3 || prompt: healing

It was kinda dumb now that Cole thought back to it.

@k1ngtok1​ @crappy-coffee​ @morro-owo @grollow​ @master-of-cosmos​@roantheboat​ @art-i-sticks​ @viioletpixels​ @miserable-flamango​ @ninjas-that-go @marsipain​ @redefine-your-identity​ @pangolinsandnewts17 @master-of-fluff​ @vampireautism @highfiveu-withaknife​ @peachyninjago​ @applecranberryjuice​ @mitzle​ @ice-emperor-zane​ @curious-corvius @ninjago4life​ @arellys-arts​ @kumamoo-hq​ 

[bboisawesome]

Just watched SkyBound, and I am screaming.

Honestly, there were bits and pieces that were a bit annoying, but overall I think it was my favourite season so far. I would like to see what happened affect Jay more, but I don’t know if anything is gonna come of it beyond Nya and Jay getting back together. :/ Which is fine I guess, they’re cute enough, I just don’t want everything Jay worked towards character wise to go away. I expect him to still be Jay, but to have learned his lesson on some stuff and maybe occasionally take charge on accident when things happen instead of freaking out all the time? Idk exactly, but something.

Also, Day of the Departed! Cole ain’t a ghost anymore! And it was kind of nice to have a Cole centric episode (movie-ish?)!

I do love me a good Cole story, and it was nice to address how being turned into a ghost affected Cole, and how he felt like he was being forgotten, which he was a bit, but his friends could never let him slip away for long! Glad they realized, but geeze it took a long time! I’m kind of surprised Jay didn’t notice sooner by trying to talk to Cole, but I get that was probably all for some plot stuff, and I guess things slip the mind on busy days like holidays and stuff.

I’m interested to see how getting use to his new non-ghost body will work in the next season, if it’ll have any impact, all that good stuff.

Started the first episode of the next season, looks like some time shenanigans, possibly with Kai wanting to see his parents? Maybe Nya too, but I feel she might not give in to the peer pressure of time travel like Kai might. I love Kai, but my boy does really dumb stuff.

Maybe Jay can help him with that.

“Kai, baby, listen. I had a whole season that taught me that making impulsive and stupid decisions to get what you want is a terrible idea! Take it from me, be smart, listen to others, be responsible and just don’t meddle with stuff you don’t understand! I learned my lesson, and if you could remember you might’ve learned from me too! So just, please trust me, do not-“

“OKAY I GET IT!”

Idk I’m just rambling. Anyway, I’m done for now, but I might ramble later. Lol.

Also, might post some Ninjago doodles later, was trying to get the ninja down in my style.

[nightshadowhawk]

rating ninjago seasons with explanations because i was bored (spoilers obvs)

way of the ninja: 6/10 - i remember watching this ages and ages ago, to me they were just filler episodes to me as i’d watched all the way to rebooted at that point, not super interesting but it started everything so extra points for that

rise of the snakes: 5/10 - YES its old i know but the… the GD attack should have caused more chaos… destroyed more stuff… it only moved a couple cars in this season (which entirely changes in SoG with harumi’s flashbacks) which i thought was … weird, even when i was younger lol… but theres development of characters n all i think a lot of it is rad !

legacy of the green ninja: 6/10 - pretty good, i haven’t watched this in a while so i dont remember much but the end battle is Legendary so there’s extra points for that and also extra points for dareth being introduced hee hee

rebooted: 6/10 - the whole overlord and nindroids thing is … pretty cool ?? pixal and cyrus exist now so !!!! that adds points !!! when i was younger i remember watching zanes sacrifice a lot cuz i couldnt get over it, and now i can recite all the words off by heart … lol anyway i think this seasons ok 👍

tournament of elements: 8/10 - very good, i loved seeing the other elemental masters !!!! and chen is actually a very cool villain, especially when i was younger, i loved him then lol … the ending is kinda 😟 bc garmy technically dies but yea its a gud season C:

possession: 10/10 - this season is EVERYTHING???? the intro SLAPS, the whole aesthetic is incredible and not to mention theres a whole bunch of favourite characters content in this season so that adds extra points !!!! the story all flows smoothly and its just Mmmm so gud. i love it dearly, defo a comfort season i’ve watched it so many times

skybound: 7/10 - i can see why some people hate this season as the whole nadakhan marrying nya thing is VERY weird (even my cousin who was 6 at the time when we first watched it could tell that) … but theres extra points for 1. the whole misfortunes keep crew, i love them, and 2. the ninja replacements team, i also care them all so dearly … the lighting in this season is super good, and also the storyline threads together well, i just find it very Appealing how it goes back to how it started

hands of time: 4/10 - idk man its just … boring, i can’t really be interested enough to watch to the end of the season? extra points for acronix being pretty and the scruff moments tho lol…. also whats with more snake people …. cant be ninjago without snakes ig LMAO

day of the departed: 5/10 - i also just see this as a filler… i mean yes it tells how cole turned back from a ghost but otherwise it’s just kinda random but i still liked it

sons of garmadon: 7/10 - pretty good ! harumi is a very cool character tho i do think shes kinda selfish … like a lot of others probably lost family in the GD attack??? kind of confused … but the SoG group as a whole is VERY epic i love the designs for UV and mr E (killows design just throws me off tho… why Real Hands..)

hunted: 10/10 - SO damn good the storyline is EVERYTHING and i love how it switches POVs every so often to keep things on edge. its also pretty dark for a kids show and that makes it better, and the cinematics for this are all just AMAZING…. i care the dragon designs so much, mmmmmmmmmm beloveds :^)

march of the oni: 6/10 - wasted!!!!! potential!!!!! the oni were such a good show of fantastic character design and they were just….. taken out in like 5 seconds despite them literally being the embodiment of destruction? there was literally two seasons before this of the ninja dealing with one (1) embodiment of destruction and then when theres LOADS that make tentacle death clouds and are super OP they just … are defeated????? ok…… also what was the point in coles fall fr it just made me sad for no reason🙁

secrets of forbidden spinjitzu: 6/10 - the fire chapter was … cool ? i guess, wasn’t the most interesting, aspheera is hot tho lol😝(LITERALLY !!!!! Funny joke pls laugh.)also clutch being introduced adds points, love the stupid explorer man. the ice chapter is super dark, i loved seeing the never-realm and how everything worked there, and ?? evil zane ?!??!? sheeeeeesh that was a bold move that was super epic … i liked this part of the season :^0

prime empire: 10/10 - another comfort season YEAHHHHH !!!! the aesthetic !! so good !!! the characters r RAD like scott and okino and seven I LOVE THEM SO DEARLY ….. the soundtrack is RAD as well i listen to it plentifully …… the ending is happysad and i always go a bit cry when unagami and milton walk away together :’^)

master of the mountain: 8/10 - the whole slavery thing is … questionable but the skull sorcerer’s design is super awesome ! and the upply … i care them … :^)))) AND A COLE SEASON !!!! i loved the development for him !!! and the way that vania and cole stayed a friendship the whole time cuz it never implied they were gonna date or whatever which made me happy honestly … i rated it 8/10 as the extra points are from the upply

the island: shit/10 - what the fuck was that. the islanders were cool i liked their designs but seriously i hated the ending so bad like there was no reason for ronin to be the antagonist again … just let clutch steal the amulet and there you have it all set up for the next season whoooo

seabound: 9/10 - again i love the aesthetic, the glowy-ness of everything is so pretty in this, and the design for wojira is amazing … tho this season is super sad, im sure theres reasoning for the ending of it :)))))) the storyline is also very good in this ! it does actually make sense which sometimes doesnt happen ……...

[vedj-f-bekuesu]

More Ninjago watching at 4am in the morning, what could go wrong? And speaking of time, today it was the turn of Hands of Time. Hands of Time marks a number of endings. We see the original designs one last time, it’s the last time Jillian Michaels  voices Lloyd, and it marks the end of the brief period where the show was being affected production-wise by the film (which is where like half the concepts of the season come from (or at least from the scrapped ideas for said movie), as it turns out.

But what did I think of Hands of Time itself? Honestly, I think it’s a really great season. It’s weird in some ways but not in ways I consider negative for the most part. Let dig into the notes.

-Kai and Nya are on pretty great form this season, with Kai’s personality seemingly the transition to what would become the foundation going forward, and Nya mixing in a cute sub-plot that isn’t even related to the sibling thing, which came as a relief to me. In fact, the fact that the sibling thing doesn’t dominate the plot until the last two and a half episodes is good because they can sprinkle it in naturally (something which Possession missed a trick on with Kai and Lloyd) while letting them bat off the others too. The brother and sister dialogue thing is annoying, but thankfully is only used in a couple of scenes. The other thing that irked me is that it seemed to walk back a bit on what Possession did; S5 suggested that Kai had the biggest big brother instinct for Lloyd, but it was Jay who was most supportive of Lloyd’s master thing here? Huh? -The other main cast are on good form too, even Pixal despite the fact the show won’t reveal to use how much Pixal was here until next season probably. Jay sometimes veers close to the line of being obnoxious, but that thankfully gets reeled in and leads to one pretty epic moment where he confronts Acronix, and a whole episode where he gets to show off. It’s his only episode really, but it’s better than nothing. Cole, Zane and Lloyd have some small arcs of their own (in Cole’s case, it’s tiny), but at least they get to be involved in the team plot as well and get brief, good interactions (instead of leaving some in the dust). Wu was on good form this season too. Yeah, it repeats the whole “There’s something I haven’t told you” shtick, but this season really calls him out for it.  -Sides characters are once again surprisingly sparing in this season despite. Misako, Dareth and Ronin have basically one or two scenes each, and they’re fight scenes. Skylor appears too as an agony aunt of sorts (like season 5, which I didn’t mention), and all these examples are basically just fodder for Pixal’s confrontation from Nya. -No, it’s the parent characters who get more out of them this time. Ed and Edna get to shine again in Jay’s aforementioned episode, Cyrus Borg is a complete primadonna and is the best parent of the season (to Pixal, obviously), Ray and Maya are alright, and their moment first meeting their children grown up is done well, but they don’t get much time to really show off the full extent of their personalities due to circumstances, and Lou even gets a bit in with a more comedic slant (a minute or two before the Kai and Nya parent bonding...uh, tonal whiplash a bit). Even Jay’s mother and Skales get some time to show off through little cameos (the former not getting to bond with Jay due to it being the past and Jay being in the present).  -The Vermillion Army aren’t as engaging as the previous two seasons’ enemies, but they’re amusing in their antics outside of the more dramatic parts. I mean, they’re Serpentine, that’s kind of their thing.  -The Hands of TIme, aka Krux and Acronix...I’m just going to add Krux to my collection of older characters who I like who tend to get hated by the fandom. He’s good as a character, I like how he can mesh the ridiculous persona of Dr Saunders with menace, snark and grumpiness. Acronix is good too, I especially like the contrast between him being posed as a genuinely very serious villain (aside from one or two more cheesy lines) in the first episode to being like Deedee from Dexter’s Lab in the next episode. I actually think their dynamic with each other was kind of under-utilised though. I mean, outside of planning, most of their dialogue was about the conflict of modern tech against traditional ways, and while that was a good source of comedy, I feel there should have been more to it (like the brief line where Acronix notes that their mother always thought Krux as stubborn). Props to Krux for faithfully waiting for his brother for 40 years and neither of them even considering backstabbing the other, at least you can tell they’re very loyal brothers. -The tone of the season was completely unexpected. Even though it does have more of the world building and story expansion as the previous 3-4 seasons, this one tonally feels akin to S1/S2. Very strange, but appreciated since I prefer that sort of tone.  -The story was fine generally, and did feel balanced despite it being a Kai and Nya focus season according to itself. I did feel the disposal of Krux and Acronix was kind of quick. I guess the main thing was getting one over the Iron Doom, but the personal final fight was still over in a flash. 

So overall, I really like this one, it’s up there with my favourites of the pre-S11 stuff. Is it better than Possession? I’d say no but just because it’s a bit weaker on the villain and on the side of all the characters time to bond, although they don’t go without by any means. It’s still a good watch and a good time. 

So, next time, we’re getting a huge paradigm shift. Say goodbye to the OG designs and Jillian Michaels in lead position, and say hello to the movie repercussions (which I feel are better designs across the board mostly) and Sonic’s Underground singing voice stepping up to voice the Ultimate Spinjutsu Master in Sons of Garmadon. 

One last little note down here, this season made me realise that every fusion so far was made with romantic love. Sure, Kai and Nya used the fire and water fusion dragon themselves later, but it was created by Ray and Maya initially. Just interesting to me.

[aweebwrites]

Fins and Hooves

Warning: animal death, mentions of blood (nothing too gross)

________________

Zane watched, perched on his favorite resting point in the lake as Cole ran along the shore. Cole himself had made the resting point using his affinity for earth. It was a shallow bowl shaped rising in the water, close enough to the surface that he could sit or lay down comfortably and still be visible above water while being just deep enough to keep his tail and gills submerged. There were two similar ones to his left for Nya and Skylor whenever they decide to come over to his side of the lake but his was hand carved with beautiful patterns and colourful stones embedded along it by his thoughtful mate.

Said mate who looked majestic running along the shore line, sending water splashing when the the waves came in too close. His hair had grown out over the winter and he had Nya pull it in a ponytail. He wasn't just running for fun however. He insisted that he hunt today. He found land animals unique in taste and while he loved fish, he like a change in diet from time to time. So after mentioning that to the kelpie during their morning swim (the sudden change in the dynamics of the lake confused breeding fish and a few who were supposed to be heading further north to lay their eggs had done so here instead. They decided it was a good thing and frequently checked to see how the hatchlings are doing), he took it upon himself to hunt for his mate.

“What has Cole so busy?” Nya says, sliding up onto the rest next to him.

“He's hunting.” Zane informed her, resting his chin in his webbed hand. “I've never actually seen him do it so I thought I'd observe.” He says and Nya hummed.

“I'm surprised he finds any prey with those thundering hooves of his.” She snorts.

“I thought the same thing at first.” Zane says quietly, watching him turn at the start of the fjord filtering fresh sea water into their new home, eyes on the small woodland bracketing a third of their home, arrow drawn tightly in his bow. “But he's being loud on purpose. It spooks prey out of hiding and their panic would make them uncoordinated and easy to take down. He's managed to do this for a few but he rejected them it seems.” He says, a little confused on the last part.

“Cole goes all out for you, no matter what he does. Of course he'll be picky hunting for you.” Nya says with a grin, nudging him with her tail and he smiled a little, blushing at that. “Oh. Looks like he's chosen.” She says and Zane watcher in awe as Cole went stock still, eyes focused on his target.

He breathed out slowly and let his arrow fly, a wounded yelp sounding after. He then grinned, swinging the bow over his shoulder and trotted off into the woodland. He reappeared soon after with a deer over his hide, blood running from its throat.

“Strong man.” Nya says, wagging her brows and Zane laughed, splashing her with the icy water.

They both slipped off the rest and swam towards the shore coming up to the place where both warm and frigid waters mixed.

“Big one. I know Skylor would love a taste.” Nya commented as Cole slid the corpse off of him.

“Which reminds me. She and the others should be here any moment now. I should get extra for them. You know how Lloyd is with deer.” Cole says, kneeling to steal a kiss from his mate.

“I'll help. If I recall, Master Wu has a taste for fish as well.” Zane says with a smile, cupping Cole's cheek.

“What's with the secret huddle?” They all looked up as Jay circled overhead before landing. “Oh deer! Get it?” He says with a grin, and Nya splashing him as Zane chuckled.

“Jokes aside, Lloyd is actually just starting to change his scales. He'll be here for a while before he has to leave for the Spirit Coves. Dragon growth spurt and all.” Kai says, hovering next to them.

Just then, a loud thud sounded and they saw a green dragon crain its head up and roar. It would have been intimidating if his roar hadn't cracked half way in. They were left laughing instead.

“You guys are jerks.” Lloyd huffed, crossing his front paws, before in a puff of green, he was his less scaly form.

In this form, he looked almost human if his slitted green eyes, pointed ears, peaking fangs, folded wings and scaled tail wasn't enough of a give away. Considering that he was part dragon, part Oni (demon) and human all in one, he leaned more towards his dragon heritage unlike his demonic father. Speaking of.

“Did Master Garmadon get your message Master Wu?” Zane asked the white dragon as he shifted into a similar state as his nephew.

“Yes. He should be back shortly after Lloyd returns from the Spirit Coves. The venom of the Great Devourer's bite may not be able to injure him but the effects have to be dealt with gently.” Wu says and Lloyd hung his head.

“Cheer up squirt. Your dad will be fine. He's tough, remember?” Cole says, ruffling his hair, earning a hiss and a swipe of claws in the direction of where his hand was. “Tell you what, how about we hunt you something to eat. The deer have wandered pretty close by…” He says, swinging Lloyd up on his hide and he beamed, near drooling at the mention of his favourite meal.

“Hey! How comes he gets to ride on your back!” Jay protested, zapping Jim for good measure.

“Ow! That's why you cluck!” Cole yelled and Zane laughed.

_____________________

“Hey Skylor! Where have you been?” Kai asked once she walked up to where everyone was eating on the shore outside.

“Molting. I hate it but at least it all goes one time.” She shrugged then walked over to Nya, leaning down and kissing her.

“I kept it safe like you asked.” Nya says, gesturing to her seal skin she wrapped around her neck.

“Great. Hold onto it for a while longer, would you?” She asked, sitting next to her and Nya nodded with a smile, returning to her meal, offering her some.

Zane on the other hand wasn't sure of what to do. The only ones he's eaten in front of was Nya, Skylor and Cole after a lot of reassuring. He feared his mouth may be unsettling for some.

“Aren't you hungry Zane?” Master Wu asked but before he could use that as an excuse, his stomach growled.

Loudly.

“Ha! Zane's stomach is more intimidating than you!” Jay grinned at Lloyd who glared at the harpy before plucking a feather, making him yelp.

“Serves you right.” Kai smirked at his mate as he whined into his feathers.

“Zane?” Cole's soft, worried voice called and he looked up at his mate before looking away.

“I… The way I eat is-”

“That's what this is all about?” He looked up at Cole, confused. “Snowflake, no-one minds or even cares how you eat.” Cole says, holding onto his webbed hand.

“Oh. Cold water mers have a very flexible jaw for the very big prey that live there.” Master Wu explained to a confused Lloyd.

“Ok. But what does that have to do with not wanting to eat? I'm pretty sure I can open my mouth wider than yours.” Lloyd pointed out before shifting and opened his mouth wide and took a big bite out of the deer he hunted all by himself.

“You might not have noticed but I don't chew. I eat my meals whole.” Skylor pointed out before demonstrating by swallowing down a large fish.

“I think Jay and I are the only ones who have small mouths but that doesn't stop Jay from getting food even on his tail feathers.” Kai says pointedly, to the messy eater who looked at him sheepishly, scales in his hair.

"The fangs are still new so my way of eating is a little different too." Cole says, nudging him gently and he smiled a little.

“There’s no such thing as normal. Everyone is unique in habits and more. Here, we are all family and we accept each other, flaws and all.” Master Wu says and Zane looked around at his strange pod before smiling.

“Plus, it'll be a shame for that deer to go to waste…” Lloyd says, licking his maw.

“It would be, wouldn't it?” Zane says, looking down at the untouched deer Cole had hunted and even skinned, just for him.

His stomach rumbled once more and he looked to Cole who nodded. He then sighed, letting go of insecurity. They watched in awe as he opened his mouth, revealing blue muscles in his cheeks and a very blue mouth filled with sharp teeth and a long dark blue tongue before he struck into the upper thigh of his prey, teeth cutting through the flesh easily and breaking bone. The group all cheered for him and Cole grinned, proud of his mate.

The rest of their meal was uneventful but the happy aura never left. Zane's pod was a strange one indeed but he wouldn't trade them for anything.

_____________

(Idk what to call this Au so I just put the first thing that came to mind. Also, Lloyd! He looks like his kid self now but after his trip to the Spirit Coves, he'll look like current Lloyd but with more demonic features. That's another story. Also, Lloyd doesn't know Misako. She was a human and died before he hatched several years ago from natural causes (I made her lay an egg that took years to hatch >:3 I also gave Garmadon the chance to raise his son). Finally, Garmadad isn't fully evil. He killed the last of the Devourers for the protection of Ninjago but got bitten in the process (the bite is treatable in this au because no angst! {Or very little at least}). He's in the first realm getting treated by other Oni (they're not evil like in the series but they aren't particularly good either. They look after their own and the Omega is fond of both him and Lloyd. He's super tsundere when confronted about Lloyd but he would high-key die for him. Same for Firstborne). Anyway, enough talking for now. I haven't slept yet... Weeb out!

[evesbeve]

Tongue Tied (Prologue)

gUESS WHO IS WRITING A MULTI-CHAPTER BRUISE FIC? IT'S ME!

This was part of the Ninjago Valentine's Week Challenge I hosted on tumblr. The final prompt was 'Favourite Non-Canon' ship, and well, it's now a fanfic :D

I have not set on update dates yet, but I am going to try to update once a week (most likely on Saturdays)

Also, there’s a quick mention to @ninjagoruinedmylife‘s OC Ange! She won’t be part of the story, but I still recommend checking her out, since she’s amazing ;w;

Thank you so much to everyone who has taken part in this event!! Ninjago Valentine’s Week was amazing, and once again, I’d like to thank Ver and Ali (@clumsinessinperson) who helped me with the prompts, because if it wasn’t for them, this wouldn’t be a thing now!

Without any further ado, let’s cut to the chapter!

Franchise: Ninjago

Pairing: Bruiseshipping (Jay x Cole)

Summary: When Cole first receives that anonymous love letter, he decides to ignore it. However, as more and more letters come his way, he becomes obsessed with figuring out who the mysterious writer is. It's too late to back down when he realises he might be falling for the person behind the letters...

Word count: 1,244

Find the other chapters here!

Read this chapter on AO3 and FFN!

'Cole,

There are so many things I want to tell you, and honestly, I don't know where to even begin.

For as long as I can remember, I've admired you, but only recently did I realise it was something romantic. I guess I just needed to spend some more time with you. And I did. And it was great.

I love the way you mumble under your breath when you think that no one is listening, or the way your eyes sparkle when you're excited. I love listening to your laughter, and seeing your smile.

I know I'm supposed to be able to stand for myself, but when you're here, I don't want to. I want you to hold me, to keep me safe.

I want to keep you safe.

This is why I won't reveal my identity. It's better that way, so none of us get distracted by these feelings. Well, me. You'll be fine.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sincerely,

Someone Who May Or May Not Be In Love With You'

The words were printed on a yellow A4 sized paper, in the Gotham font. At first, Cole thought the letter was from a fan - it came with the rest of the mail after all, and he wasn't the only one on the team getting letters like these from fans.

On second thought, there was no way. The way the writer described Cole's habits was accurate. Way too accurate.

So who was the writer?

Cole decided he'd investigate later, as he was called for breakfast. The smell of pancakes had spread across the entire Monastery, and the master of earth was looking forward to a festive breakfast.

The others were already in the kitchen when he got there. Kai, Jay and Lloyd were throwing sugar cubes in the air, trying to aim at their mouths. Meanwhile, Nya and Zane were chatting about some blueprints or who knows what, and Sensei Wu was observing them all, quietly sipping his tea.

"Morning guys!" Cole greeted.

"Cole!" Jay said excitedly, accidentally throwing a sugar cube at Kai's forehead.

"Watch it, Jay!"

Nya shook her head. "You're finally here - I don't think the others could have waited another second. Um… Me included."

Zane had gone overboard, as expected.

There were seven plates on the table, and each one had a short tower of pancakes covered in maple syrup, with strawberries and berries to the side. The nindroid had also made sure to prepare fresh orange juice, and had just placed the coffee maker in the middle of the table.

"Gosh, Zane! These look delicious!" Cole said, sitting on his usual spot at the corner of the table.

Over the course of the years, everyone's spot around the table had changed. However, Cole always went for the top right corner from the door.

The most current patern went as followed; Kai was next to Cole, followed by Lloyd. Across of Cole sat Jay, next to whom was Nya, and Zane - unless Pixal was joining them, in that case Nya went to the side. Master Wu always went for the side too.

"Thank you, Valentine," Zane winked at Cole jokingly, and everyone laughed.

Cole was caught off guard however.

"Woah, you okay there Cole?" Lloyd asked.

"Yeah, sorry," Cole shook his head. "I just received this letter this morning, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it."

"Pff," Kai huffed, "I got like, a dozen of those-!"

The master of fire was hit with a sugar cube once again, this time by his sister.

"Hey!"

"Show-off," she commented.

Maybe Kai had received admiration letters too, but Cole still wasn't reassured. "It's not just a fan, Kai," Cole tried to explain. "What this person wrote, it was… Well, personal."

"Really?" Jay asked, with his mouth full of food. "I mean, we're practically famous, right?"

Nya nodded. "Yeah, which means that Jay and I keep receiving Valentine's wishes, even though we're not together anymore."

Cole still couldn't believe that Nya and Jay were no longer a thing. It had been around three months that they told everyone they broke up, yet it still felt odd. Apperantly they had stopped seeing each other romantically in a long time, but decided to give it another try.

In the end, they decided it was better for everyone if they officially ended things. There were no fights or anything, which Cole was greatful for, and the two of them were still pretty close and comfortable with one another.

Cole couldn't help but wonder how he would have reacted if this had happened the previous year, when he still had feelings for Jay.

But not anymore, he reminded himself. Cole Brookstone was a free man.

"Perhaps it is one of the other elemental masters?" Zane suggested. "We did spend last weekend together."

"True!" Lloyd said. "Gosh, I can't believe how nice Metalonia was."

"Speak for yourself," Kai mumbled. "If I have to spend another second with Karlof's family, I think I'm going to lose it."

"Oh come on, they're good people!" Lloyd disagreed. "Besides, how awesome was the festival?"

In celebration of defeating the Oni for good, the elemental masters had gathered at Metalonia, Karlof's homeland, and spent the weekend there together. Metalonia was at southeastern Ninjago, and even though it was isolated, it was very much alive.

Despite looking ferocious, the people of Metalonia were very good hosts. They lived simple lives, and valued Ninjago's traditions a lot. What Cole enjoyed most was the food - it left a nice spice in your mouth.

"The festival was delightful," Zane said. "But Kai does have a point - Karlof's daughter didn't seem so fond of you, Lloyd."

"She's… Okay." Lloyd was clearly trying to deny Zane's comment.

"She calls you broccoli," Kai insisted, earning a groan from the green ninja.

"I'd love to sit and talk about Karlof's goth daughter for the rest of the day," Cole interrupted, "but who of the elemental masters would write me a love letter?"

"I don't know, Ash?" Jay shrugged. "Chamille?"

"Chamille wasn't even there," Cole said, "And no offense to Ash, but he's so not my type."

"How about Bolobo?" Zane suggested.

Kai shook his head. "Don't take it personally, Zane, but it sounds as if you're trying to cover up your crush on Cole."

Cole couldn't help but laugh, and soon everyone on the table - except Zane - joined him.

"I have a girlfriend, Kai," Zane said, with a dead serious tone.

"He's joking, Zane," Nya patted his shoulder. "But hey, at least you can cross our nindroid friend out of your list. And while you're at it, cross me out too. I don't think I'm ready for a relationship at the moment."

"Oh, same," Lloyd agreed. "No offense, Cole, but I could never see you as anything other than family."

"Me and you both, buddy," Cole said, smiling at Lloyd. He had grown so much, yet nothing had changed.

"Why don't you just cross everyone here out of your list?" Jay said. "I mean, it's a start!"

Cole shook his head, chuckling. "What makes you think I have a list?"

"This is nice and all, my students," Master Wu said, placing his cup on the table, "but don't you think time for training has arrived?"

"Yes, Sensei," everyone said in one voice, starting to put away their plates.

Soon they were all outside, doing their warm-up exercises. Yet, one question remained in Cole's head;

Who had sent the letter?

[vedj-f-bekuesu]

So it’s a bank holiday in the UK, especially for VE Day, where there are some people having street parties and not practicing social distancing while they’re at it. Plonkers. Anyway, with a whole day off more, what better time to look at Hunted. 

One thing that didn’t cross my mind was that this is actually the last full season of old Ninjago I need to watch. Like, the next one is just four episodes, and then I’ve caught up to Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjutsu. On the one hand, I can’t believe I’ve managed to get through 94 full episodes, and a pilot, and a special. With my usual attention span on shows, it has been difficult at times, but what a mountain to climb.

On the other hand, what a bum note to to end the full seasons on. After like three great seasons, a season with good ideas that got throttled in areas and a special that was curtailed for reasons outside of its control, Hunted ranges from eh to kinda bad throughout. Let’s get into it. 

-I’m actually going to start with the plot first, not the characters, because I think this is so big a factor it dominates everything else. The series is a sort of sequel...second half...continuation thing of Sons of Garmadon. In theory having stories told over two seasons means that you can make a more elaborate plot with bigger stakes and that. In here, it means that all the fun that I enjoy out of the series is reserved for the first half, while the second half by default has a more dour tone. In addition, the two plots they try to balance aren’t too great, as they both feel like they’re going too slow and crawling until like the sixth or seventh episode of the season, and the constant switching just breaks the pace even more. By the time we do get to the seventh episode it gets more cohesive, but even that has issues, which I’ll get to later.  -Okay, so onto the actual characters. Lloyd is pretty down this season, but above all others this is pretty understandable given his circumstances. At the very least he gets time to bond with Nya properly, and has some good material with other side characters. Plus his ending is genuinely cathartic, even if a little vague on what actually triggered getting his powers back.  -Nya manages to fit the tone while still being able to have time to shine and act as the backbone of the resistance. She doesn’t get the credit she deserves at the end, really, which is a shame because for me she was the best ninja this season. Pixal on the other hand is kinda left at the wayside this season, with one moment exactly to show her willingness to face terrible odds to try and fight back the Oni Mech. After getting to become her own character again last season, that’s a shame. -The other four, stuck in the First Realm...oof. Wasn’t really feeling them this season for the most part. Their antics weren’t really that interesting. Jay has to a do a lot of the heavy lifting for entertainment early on, but even he’s not enough to prevent the tedium setting in. Cole also has some moments with Wu, but they didn’t feel as good as they did in Sons of Garmadon. Kai’s moment with the dragon came out of nowhere, and Zane literally got nothing. Things improved a bit with Weakest Link, but by that point the plot was pivoting towards Wu.  -Speaking of, Wu was probably the best part of that side of the story (Wu being the best of anything, never thought I’d say that). Not just because he was the focus for it, he was good for some nice zingers, and actual character development (even if I was completely confused why they chose to restore his memories the way they did). He got to have his resolution outside of the final battle, which allowed it to have the time it needed to handle it well.  -When I’ve been hearing about Faith, I was led to believe that Faith was this demure person who obviously kicked butt but was also sweet and nice. Nobody told me Faith was a badass one-woman powerhouse who rocked. She reminds me of this canal trip I had in Birmingham. There was this conventional, scripted canal tour that was obviously the main one, but on this more run-down and bare bones canal boat was this badass Polish boatmaster who knew all about the dark side of Birmingham’s development history and wasn’t afraid to impart all her knowledge, no matter how sordid, onto its passengers. She was awesome, and so is Faith. -Dareth got a surprisingly good showing out of all this, arguably being the strongest demonstration of his character in the entire series (while he is oafish, clumsy and envious of having powers, he’s also steadfastly loyal, capable of doing some ass-kicking himself and absolutely will not sell the ninja down the river for anything). I think my final decision on Dareth is that while he can have his unfortunately skeevy moments, on the whole he’s a good lad. I like him.  -Mistake went from being a foot note to being a complete BAMF this season. If you’re going to kill a character off, this is how you do it; allow them to show off what made them enjoyable before, get some real smooth moves in that dupe even the greatest of threats then have them go down fighting. -The Elemental Masters were once again wasted to be honest, mostly serving as fodder to be captured once their job was done in Radio Free Ninjago and mostly there to get Skylor into the story. She still didn’t have much of a personality unfortunately, mostly having to act as the action girl because of circumstances, but she did get some good moments with Lloyd and Nya, and there was a pretty creative way of using her powers. This being said, if you told me Kai and Skylor had amicably ended their relationship after season four, and they were just more affectionate at the end of this season because they’d seen their exes go through hell, I would believe you. Seriously, Kailor was thrown to the wayside once it served its purpose in Tournament of Elements, they don’t get any time to develop it. Which is really bad when they miss a beat that would have made it easy to do so in season 7. And this is coming from someone who is fine with Jaya and Pixane’s handling in the show (bar a couple of seasons dropping the ball). It’s somehow worse than I thought. -Speaking of worse, the villains in this season are so bad. The Iron Baron has nothing interesting going for him (which is a waste, at least his VA came back for SotFS), their plot was basically the Sky Pirates but in its most basic form (seriously, the way the rest of the Dragon Hunters turned was very whiplash-inducing) and aside from Faith and Chew Toy (who was actually amusing in the Dragon Pit) there’s not anyone worth remembering. -And somehow, the Sons of Garmadon are worse. They were great in the previous season, but here they end up so degraded (especially Killow and Ultra-Violet, who have nothing to do here). Even Harumi, the main baddie of the last season, is jobbing pretty hard for half the season. She gets a couple of little moments after this, but then she gets unexpectedly and unceremoniously killed off at the end of Saving Faith. I know, poetic irony that she gets killed the same way her parents did, but it would have been more satisfying if she had more material. -As I alluded to before, the pacing of the first six episodes is pretty dang slow, thanks partly due to its format, but partly due to how repetitive the beats are while it feels they’re introducing little bits and biding their time for the plot to kick in fully. 

So, overall, not impressed with Hunted at all. It’s a shame because, like I said, it killed the good momentum I had with the previous seasons going all the way back to Possession. I’d honestly say that aside from Rebooted, this is my least favourite season. At least Tournament of Elements had more good ideas and concepts in place before the second half just killed my investment. 

Next time though, I get to the real finale of this watchback. Lloyd was warned of dark forces invading Ninjago, and we get to see the result of that in the final “season” WilFilm ever made, March of the Oni.