Go Ninjago

History
Creation of the series
In 2009, LEGO wanted to continue the idea of a story-driven original theme, which they had previously done with LEGO Atlantis.[1] The company decided to do a retake on a theme that had existed for a few years: Ninja, which was a Castle subtheme that was discontinued in 2000. Taking some ideas from the old theme, they revamped it into a new one called Ninjago,[citation needed] though it was originally still called LEGO Ninja.[2]

Later, Tommy Andreasen and Thomas Fenger thought up and created the martial art of Spinjitzu.[citation needed]

On January 10, 2010, the Hageman Brothers began writing the pilot episode,[3] and on February 22, they finished the first draft.[citation needed]

On May 2, 2010, the first proof-of-concept animation by WILFilm was completed, in which Kai fought a Skulkin.[4]

Though it was initially meant to only introduce the toyline, potential was seen in the pilot, and at some point in the pilot's production, a proper series was commissioned.[5]

In early 2011, the pilot episodes were released. The first season released starting in December of that year and lasted a few months into 2012. The second season aired in July of that same year, with the two-season run intended to be the full run of the show.

Original ending and return (2013-2017)
Originally LEGO had planned that the series would end after two seasons. Due to fan demand, in 2014, it returned with Season 3. During this time, the production of the third season was choppy, starting out as thirteen episodes, then being reduced to two before they were able to settle on eight.

The show continued strongly in 2015, going for two seasons a year, with 2016 being a slight exception, having a season, and a holiday special in the latter half of the year. There was a small hiatus on this schedule in 2017 to make way for The LEGO Ninjago Movie. 2017 was also the first year to have nothing written by the Hageman Brothers, as David Shayne and a team of writers wrote the seventh season.

Refreshing the main cast (2018-2019)
Given the release of The LEGO Ninjago Movie expected to bring in new fans to the show, the show underwent a refresh. The main characters were given redesigns to match their appearances in the movie. Lloyd was also given a new voice actor, to reflect him growing up in the time between the seventh and eighth seasons. The animation was also done through a new pipeline, improving the quality, and the tone became noticeably darker.

Animation studio change (2019-present)
After eight and a half years and 100 episodes, LEGO gave the show a soft reboot, starting with Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu. The Masters of Spinjitzu subtitle was removed from the franchise's branding, and now the show is simply titled Ninjago. The animation studio changed from WILFilm ApS to WildBrain (formerly called DHX Media). With this came a more fast-paced animation style and mediums of animation beyond the 3D rendered LEGO figures occasionally being used (such as the 2D style in "The Absolute Worst," "The Last of the Formlings," and "Dungeon Party!"). The biggest change of all is that the runtime of the episodes was reduced from 22-minutes to 11-minutes.

There is some confusion about whether this soft-reboot is a new show that is a continuation of the original, or the same show albeit with many changes. Television and streaming networks treat this as a new show, calling Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu the first season of Ninjago. However, several showrunners call Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu "Season 11,"[6][7] implying it is the same show as before, despite the myriad of changes to the format. LEGO no longer refers to the season number when advertising new installments on YouTube or other such places, instead referring to them mainly by their respective subtitles.

Before Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu
"Long before time had a name, Ninjago was created by the First Spinjitzu Master by using the four weapons of Spinjitzu: The Scythe of Quakes, the Nunchucks of Lightning, the Shurikens of Ice, and the Sword of Fire. Weapons so powerful, no one can handle their power at once. When he passed away, his two sons swore to protect them. But the oldest was consumed by darkness and wanted to possess the weapons. A battle between brothers broke out, and the oldest was struck down and banished to the Underworld. Peace returned and the younger brother hid the weapons. But knowing his older brother's relentless ambition for power, he placed a guardian to protect them. And for fear of his own demise, a map for an honest man to hide." -Master Wu, "Way of the Ninja"

Premise
The show is set primarily on the fictional island, Ninjago. It draws inspiration from a blend of East-Asian culture and popular Western media while taking place in a modern setting.

Long before the events of the series, the First Spinjitzu Master used the power of the Golden Weapons to create Ninjago. Trained in the legendary art of Spinjitzu by the wise Master Wu, a group of young ninja (Kai, Jay, Cole, and Zane, and eventually Lloyd and Nya) with mastery over the elements fight to defend their land against those who wish to conquer it. Each season focuses on a different one, more, or all of the ninja and features a different group of varied antagonists.

Main plot
The show can be divided into four parts: a pilot consisting of four episodes, fourteen full seasons, a Halloween TV special, and a four-episode mini-series. There are some canon and non-canon mini-movies that take place between moments or alongside certain moments of the show.

Pilot episodes (2011)

Long before time had a name, the First Spinjitzu Master created the realm of Ninjago with the four Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu: the Scythe of Quakes, the Shurikens of Ice, the Nunchucks of Lightning, and the Sword of Fire. Before he passed away, his sons swore to protect the weapons from evil, but the older brother Garmadon was infected with evil, plotting to obtain and wield all four weapons so he could rule Ninjago in his own evil image. In the ensuing battle between brothers, the younger brother Wu fought hard enough to cast Garmadon down to the Underworld, hiding the weapons across the land and placing a guardian dragon at each hiding spot.

In anticipation and preparation for Lord Garmadon's return, Master Wu recruits four gifted young men—Kai, Cole, Jay, and Zane—and trains them in the way of the ninja, tasking them with retrieving the Golden Weapons from their Dragon guardians. Along the way, they must unlock their Spinjitzu, become a team, and search for Kai's younger sister, Nya (kidnapped by the Underworld's Skeleton Army under Lord Garmadon's orders), to learn the ways of the Ninja, master the art of Spinjitzu, and find the Golden Weapons before Garmadon and the Skulkin can claim them for their maniacal machinations while the Skulkin army and their four-armed leader, Samukai, who is the former King of the Underworld and Lord Garmadon's second-in-command, hunt them down.

Mini-movies (2011)
Following the disappearance of Lord Garmadon, the Ninja enjoy a short period of peace. During this time, Master Wu reveals bits of the backstory to his pupils, including how Lord Garmadon fell to the Underworld and usurped Samukai. The Ninja also take some time to enjoy their new Dragon mounts and defeat the plots of the remaining Skulkin, led by their Generals: Kruncha, Nuckal, and Wyplash.

Season 1: Rise of the Snakes (2011-2012)

Ever since Lord Garmadon's disappearance, peace has returned to Ninjago. Rather than prepare for his return, the Ninja have become lazy, playing video games and eating pizza instead of continuing their training. With their guards down, they find themselves thrown back into action when Garmadon's son when Lloyd Garmadon attacks Jamanakai Village. Although the son of Lord Garmadon is a "mischievous, childish brat" than "dark overlord", he inadvertently unleashes a much greater threat onto Ninjago—the ancient evil race of snake people known as the Serpentine, releasing the five warring tribes of a race of snake-people who once ruled over Ninjago before being sealed away in underground tombs. Now led by the treacherous scheming Pythor P. Chumsworth, last of the fearsome Anacondrai, the vengeful snakes seek revenge on the people of Ninjago for sealing them away, on the hunt to find the four Silver Fangblades to awaken and unleash the Great Devourer, a monstrous beast and an unkillable giant serpent that consumes all in its path, growing the more it consumes. Now the Ninja must stop both the Serpentine and Lloyd, all while bracing for the inevitable return of Lord Garmadon himself.

To stop them and gain more manpower, Wu and the Ninja form a shaky, uneasy alliance with Lord Garmadon, who also perceives Pythor as a nemesis because Pythor has captured and held Lloyd captive (Garmadon dearly loves and cares about his son) in addition to hating the Great Devourer because that’s what caused him to turn evil in the first place. As our heroes try to overcome emotional barriers with the evil dark lord Garmadon and team up together against this greater mutual enemy, the Ninja unlock their True Potential one by one, all while trying to learn the identity of the legendary Green Ninja destined to defeat the "dark lord".

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

Despite the Ninja's efforts, Pythor and his tribe manage to collect all three Fangblades, however, the Ninja unlock their true potential and gear up, ready to take on the Serpentine army. In the end, through Kai's realization, all of the training Kai, Jay, Cole and Zane underwent wasn't to become the Green Ninja, it was to protect him. Lloyd is revealed to be the destined chosen one. This causes grief to Wu and Garmadon since their family has become even more divided. In the end, the Ninja, Wu, and Garmadon give a look of nervous sadness because of how heartbreaking, emotionally difficult and heart-wrenching it will be for Lloyd to battle his own father in the near future. After Wu, Nya and the Ninja are held captive after going undercover, infiltrating and spying on Pythor's inner circle, the evil, villainous Garmadon grudgingly rescues them. Although Pythor unleashes The Great Devourer, his plan backfires when the gigantic evil snake swallows both him and Wu, going on a rampage destroying the city.

Lloyd, Nya, the Ninja and Lord Garmadon come up with a plan to defeat the giant snake. Despite the Ninja's suspicion of Garmadon, the plan pays off. The Great Devourer is destroyed, Garmadon successfully getting revenge on the snake who's evil venom infected and corrupted him, with Wu emerging alive, with a teapot and a cup of tea in his hands.

They discover that predictably, Lord Garmadon has slyly turned traitor to them, treacherously deserted the group with said weapons and is now ominously, schemingly plotting against them (putting his evil plans into motion to conquer the city, rule it with an iron fist, and turn the city into his own evil, tyrannical, dystopian regime). The first season ends with a bittersweet ending as the 4 ninja celebrate their temporary victory while Lloyd nervously tries to come to terms with the fact that he will have to face his own father in battle one day, knowing that the war is far from over.

Season 2: Legacy of the Green Ninja (2012)

The second season begins with the aftermath of the Ninja's battle with the Serpentine. After defeating the Great Devourer, Lord Garmadon has treacherously fled and deserted Wu and the Ninja with the Golden Weapons, now plotting against them and putting his evil plans of conquering the city in motion, having taken command of the Serpentine. Gathering the remaining Serpentine under his command, Lord Garmadon travels to the Golden Peaks. At the Golden Peaks, birthplace of the weapons, he he unites the four weapons and forges them into an even more powerful Mega Weapon. With the power to create whatever he pleases, Lord Garmadon is more dangerous than ever, and the Ninja must quickly begin training Lloyd—revealed to be the Green Ninja—so he may fulfill his destiny and stop his father from remaking Ninjago in his own image. Able to create anything he pleases, Garmadon aims to interrupt Lloyd's training and prevent him from achieving his destiny as the Green Ninja by harming the Ninja. To ensure Lloyd is ready to face his father, the Ninja combat Garmadon's creations at every turn. But both sides are unaware of an ultimate, supernatural evil force of darkness and destruction that lurks on the fabled Island of Darkness, pulling the strings for thousands of years to conquer and consume it all. The fate of Ninjago hangs in the balance as the "Final Battle" between good and evil looms even closer.

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

Season 3: Rebooted (2014)

Good prevailed in the Final Battle with Lloyd as the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master defeating the Overlord and saving both Ninjago and his once-evil father. Ninjago City was left in ruin until genius inventor Cyrus Borg led the reconstruction process bringing about New Ninjago City, a hub of futuristic technological advancements. In this hi-tech age of peace, the Ninja —minus Lloyd—Wu, and Nya take over Lloyd's old boarding school ( Darkley's Boarding School for Bad Boys) and turn it into Wu's Academy. On a field trip to the city, they visit the technology company Borg Industries, only to learn a horrifying truth from Cyrus Borg at the Borg Tower, center of all this innovation, they discover that the Overlord has survived his fight with the Golden Ninja in the form of a virus and has been reborn as the Digital Overlord, a computer virus infecting Borg's systems. To escape the Digiverse, he plots to steal Lloyd's Golden Power and become a prophesied evil known as the Golden Master and destroy the other ninja before they can use Borg's Techno Blades to reboot the system and destroy him for good. In order to aid him, he uses Borg's technology to copy Zane's design and create an army of Nindroids. Leaving Lloyd under the protection of a now pacifistic Sensei Garmadon, the Ninja must find the hard-drive containing the Digital Overlord and reboot the system with Borg's tech-hacking Techno Blades, to keep their friend safe and put an end to the Overlord's evil once and for all.

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

Season 4: Tournament of Elements (2015)

To defeat the Overlord Golden Master, Zane was forced to absorb power from the Golden Armor, "sacrificing" his life and leaving the Ninja team fractured in the process. But when notorious crime boss and noodle house owner Master Chen invites them to his Tournament of Elements; a competition between other Elemental Masters like them, with the promise of seeing Zane again, hinting that their fallen comrade may yet be alive, they have little choice but to travel to Chen's Island. The Ninja, accompanied by Sensei Garmadon (who has a personal history with Chen and his underling Clouse and learns of the Elemental Masters, other warriors with powers derived from Ninjago's elements), find themselves traveling to Chen's Island and quickly making enemies. Arriving on the island, they learn Chen's intention: to pit them against each other, with winners advancing through the rounds while the losers mysteriously vanish. However, when they discover that Chen and his cult of Anacondrai worshippers use the Staff of Elements to strip those who lose their Elemental Powers for a spell that could restart a war from Ninjago's past, they attempt to form an alliance with the Elemental Masters.

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

Season 5: Possession (2015)

Chen and his Anacondrai Cultists have been banished to the Cursed Realm by General Arcturus and the Anacondrai Generals. But to free the generals, Garmadon had to take their place amongst the cursed. As a distraught Lloyd mourns the loss of his father, he is called to a solo mission where he is possessed by the jealousy ghost of Wu's first student Morro, the Master of Wind, who escaped the Cursed Realm when Garmadon opened the portal. Obsessed with claiming this right for himself, Morro possesses Lloyd, thus leaving the other four Ninja powerless. Now, the powerless Ninja face their friend as evil ghosts from the Cursed Realm led by Morro, Master Wu's original pupil and the Master of Wind, whom Wu once thought could be the Green Ninja, wreak havoc. It is then revealed that Morro is seeking to find the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master, which can only be accessed through the art of Airjitzu, and use the Realm Crystal, a gateway to the Sixteen Realms parallel to Ninjago, to allow his master to curse all that exists. To stop him, the Ninja ally with mercenary and shady, corrupt and two-faced businessman Ronin, mastering the lost art of Airjitzu and following three clues to the tomb's location engraved on Wu's staff. The attempt to secure the Scrolls of Airjitzu leads the Ninja first to Stiix, where they encounter their old foe Ronin, and then to the Temple of Airjitzu, where they face the ghost of Master Yang and obtain a scroll only to suffer a severe blow, at the cost of Cole turning into a ghost.

Elsewhere, Wu is teaching Nya to unlock her powers, and she is learning to unlock her hidden potential as the daughter of the Elemental Master of Water, a formidable weapon against Morro's Ghost Warriors. The Ninja and Morro make their way to the Cloud Kingdom in search of the Sword of Sanctuary, a tool necessary to bypass the traps within the tomb, only for Morro to capture the Realm Crystal. Using this tool, Morro returns to Stiix with a plan to unleash his monstrous master, the Preeminent, who will curse all of the Sixteen Realms. It falls to the Ninja—including Lloyd and Nya—to face the threat of the Cursed Realm and save Ninjago. But the true key to victory lies with Nya, who learns she is the current Master of Water Waves Oceans Tides and Fluids, which happens to be a ghost's greatest weakness.

Season 6: Skybound (2016)

In the wake of the Preeminent's defeat, the Ninja have become celebrities because their victory over the Preeminent has brought the Ninja overwhelming fame, but Nya is struggling with both her new status on the team and Jay's lingering feelings for her. While they struggle to continue to defend Ninjago while warding off obsessed fans, Jay tangles with seeing a future with Nya in the First Spinjitzu Master's Tomb.

Things go further downhill for the heroes when the ghost of Chen's right hand man Clouse, (their old foe) who survived the destruction of the Cursed Realm, unleashes the villainous Djinn, Nadakhan; captain of the Misfortune's Keep and Sky Pirates, a wish-granting pirate who quickly captures Wu and Misako before setting out to locate his long-missing crew after framing the Ninja for a series of crimes that turns the populace against them. Framing the Ninja (by shapeshifting into them wreaking havoc across the city) and reuniting with his crew, Nadakhan learns that the destruction of the Cursed Realm has caused the collapse of its Sister Realm and his former home and kingdom of Djinjago. After returning to his home realm of Djinjago only to find it falling apart; he then receives the Djinn Blade from his father and returns to Ninjago intended on reshaping it into a new version of his home. In an effort to halt him, with their fans turned against them and their team dwindling in numbers as the Djinn turns their wishes against them to trap them in his Sword of Souls, the Ninja seek advice from Nadakhan's old foe Captain Soto, who advises them to seek out Tiger Widow Island for the means of weakening the Djinn.

The Ninja find themselves in a battle across Ninjago to stop a vengeful Nadakhan from rebuilding his Realm with chunks of theirs. They succeed in obtaining the venom of the Tiger Widow, but in the process, Kai and Zane are trapped with Nadakhan's blade and their power enables him to lift pieces of Ninjago into the sky in his bid to recreate Djinjago. At the same time, he sets his eyes on marrying Nya—the double of his lost love Delara—in order to gain the ability to grant himself infinite wishes. In the end, it is up to Jay—the only Ninja who hasn't used all three of the wishes Nadakhan can grant him—to assemble a team of reserve heroes to find the right wish to save his love, home, and save his friends in order to stop Nadakhan from conquering Ninjago with infinite power.

Day of the Departed (2016)
On the Day of the Departed, the people of Ninjago light lanterns to remember those they've lost. The Ninja in particular gather to remember their passed loved ones but are reminded of old foes by the Ninjago Museum of History's new Hall of Villainy exhibit. While his friends celebrate, Cole, whose ghostly state has deteriorated to the point of him randomly fading in and out of existence, receives an unexpected message from Yang. He sets out to confront the evil gjost villain and intends to exact revenge on Master Yang for turning him into a ghost during the Ninja's attempt to learn Airjitzu, in revenge for his transformation. He unwittingly plays into Yang's hands by delivering to him the Yin Blade (a dark magic weapon Yang once used in an attempt to gain immortality), and Yang takes advantage of the Yin-Yang Eclipse to revive some of the old enemies of the Ninja to pit them against them. Cole enters the Temple of Airjitzu and prepares to "close the circle" by defeating the Airjitzu Master. But when his gambit for revenge leads to the accidental revival of some of the Ninja's greatest enemies, the heroes find themselves facing their vengeful foes once again as they attempt to take the Ninja's place amongst the living using magic Departed Blades. As these revived foes—joined by Pythor—hunt down the various Ninja, Yang sets out to open the Rift of Return, leaving it up to Cole to stop him once and for all. Cole faces Yang and his students alone as, thanks to his actions, the Airjitzu Master has reclaimed the Yin Blade and plots to take advantage of a special Yin-Yang Eclipse to cut the Rift of Return which will allow him to return to the living world.

Season 7: The Hands of Time (2017)

Following the events on the Day of the Departed, both Cole and the Temple of Airjitzu have been restored. As the Ninja setup base in the temple, they find themselves stuck cleaning up the damage at the Ninjago Museum of History. Here, they learn of the Hands of Time; twin Elemental Masters of time itself who betrayed the Elemental Masters after the Serpentine Wars in belief their Element was the strongest.

Meanwhile, at the ruins of the Monastery of Spinjitzu, Wu awaits the return of Acronix, the younger of the "Time Twins", to finish the battle they started 40 years ago. Acronix, one of the Time Twins passes through a time vortex and is challenged to a fight by Master Wu. After the arrival of the Forward Time Blade, but without the rest of the team by his side, Wu is overwhelmed by Acronix who uses a move known as the "Time Punch" to accelerate Wu's aging one day per hour. Even with the intervention of the Ninja, Acronix escapes and reunites with his brother Krux; the older twin, who has remained hidden in Ninjago disguised as Museum Curator Dr. Saunders. Now the two Hands of Time have a plan that could change history and revert Ninjago back to its old-fashioned roots. They control an army of Serpentine known as Vermillion, from the eggs of the Great Devourer, who can form into Samurai using metal. The Vermillion began capturing Ninjago builders, including Cyrus Borg, and stealing metal, all to build the Iron Doom, which can travel time, using the Time Apparatus to utilize all 4 Time Blades. With Master Wu unable to fight, P.I.X.A.L. offline, 3 other Time Blades scattered throughout time, and a mysterious new Samurai X to learn the identity of, Lloyd leads the team to stop the Hands of Time and save Master Wu. The Ninja must now battle the Hands of Time and their army of Vermillion; children of the Great Devourer, as they begin kidnapping Ninjago's best builders and stealing metal all over the city. But as they near closer to uncovering the villains' ultimate goal, the battle becomes personal for Kai and Nya who discover who discover shockingly dark, horrible secrets about their parents being involved with the Hands of Time when it turns out their own parents could have ties to the villains.

Season 8: Sons of Garmadon (2018)

This season was released in January 2018 in Australia and April 2018 in the United States. It takes place one year after Hands of Time, with Lloyd now a master.

One year after Wu and the Hands of Time were lost in time aboard the Iron Doom, the Ninja have scattered across Ninjago, tackling missions while searching for their master's whereabouts. In their absence, unfortunately caused by their search, Ninjago City has been overrun by a cult-like crime syndicate known as the Sons of Garmadon who worship the evil Lord Garmadon and pose a new threat to Ninjago and the Royal Family. Their plan is to resurrect Lord Garmadon with the three Oni Masks.

With Lloyd acting as their new master, the Ninja team reunites to heed a request from the usually private Royal Family, who ask the heroes to protect the three Oni Masks (The Mask of Deception, the Mask of Vengeance, and the Mask of Hatred); relics from the First Realm which when united would allow the Sons of Garmadon to resurrect a purely evil Garmadon, with most of his soul gone, as well as their adopted daughter, the Jade Princess Harumi. In order to stop the Sons of Garmadon from desecrating his father's sacrifice, Lloyd and the Ninja attempt to find the identity of their leader, the Quiet One, before they can determine the location of the elusive Oni Mask of Hatred, while learning secrets about the origins of Ninjago itself. In the process, Lloyd begins to bond with Harumi who has also lost her parents. But as they grow closer, the Ninja make the startling discovery that someone in their makeshift family is the Quiet One.

The animation was stepped up this season and certain changes were brought in, notably the characters' design changes, due to the expected new fans brought in by The LEGO Ninjago Movie.

Season 9: Hunted (2018)

With a resurrected, diabolical Lord Garmadon now ruthlessly ruling a dystopian Ninjago City in ruins with an iron fist while the original four Ninja and young Wu stuck in the Realm of Oni and Dragons, after the Colossus destroyed the Destiny's Bounty, any ally of the Ninja and citizen is hunted and imprisoned in Kryptarium Prison. Lloyd, Nya, and the rest of their remaining allies, including a portion of the Elemental Masters, form a resistance to endure and fight back against the tyrannical rule of Lord Garmadon and Harumi. Unbeknownst to them, the other Ninja are alive and thanks to Mystake's Traveler's Tea, they're in the First Realm; the Realm of the Oni and the Dragon. Here, the barbaric Dragon Hunters, led by the power hungry Iron Baron, capture Dragons and exploit their Elemental Powers to sustain their society. As dragons are the only beings who can ferry between realms, the Ninja and a teenage Wu must find the mythical Dragon Armor once worn by the First Spinjitzu Master himself, in order to convince Firstbourne; leader mother and queen of all dragons, to allow them to ride her children out of the Realm so they can rejoin the fight against Lord Garmadon, and save Ninjago. While in the Realm of Oni and Dragons, the Ninja and Wu fight the Dragon Hunters in a quest to claim the Dragon Armor and get back to Ninjago. It takes place one week after the events of Season 8.

The season was aired in North America on August 11, 2018.

Tales from the Monastery of Spinjitzu (2018)

The ninja of LEGO® NINJAGO® are rebuilding the Monastery of Spinjitzu after it was burned down by the Hypnobrai tribe. To preserve the Legacy of Spinjitzu for generations to come, Master Wu is overseeing the making of a mural that depicts some of the most defining and epic moments in the history of Spinjitzu. Watch these all-new original stories to see how the ninja remember past LEGO NINJAGO adventures.[8]

Season 10: March of the Oni (2019)

As Ninjago city rebuilds from Emperor Garmadon's ransacked demolition, he calls out to Lloyd to tell him what will happen in the future, Lloyd distrusts his father's intentions of helping him. Faith later returns from the first realm explaining what happened in the realm of Oni and Dragons. The Oni have invaded Ninjago. As demonic darkness descends upon the realm of NINJAGO, the time has come for our heroes to rise again and protect the land that all Masters of Spinjitzu call home. It is a world filled with a rich history and legacy, and it is from here where our ninja heroes must unlock an even greater power to defeat the darkness that is marching towards them. What could these shapeshifting dark forces be, why do they want to destroy NINJAGO, and how can they be defeated? Since the destructive power that escaped through the realm crystal is too powerful for our heroes, the evil dark lord Garmadon must now choose a side. Will he team up with the Ninja and fight the Oni or tear the fabled world and legacy of Ninjago apart forever?

Season 11: Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu (2019)

This season takes place 6 months after the Ninja defeated the Oni in March of the Oni. The Ninja have become relaxed, lazy, and out of shape. In order to keep their skills and powers intact, they search for an activity or a threat to face. Strangely enough, Ninjago has been in a state of lasting peace. However, Zane begins suffering odd visions of him being "killed" by Snake Queen Aspheera, leader of the evil Pyro Vipers, who are invading Ninjago. As well as a mysterious castle guarded by an Ice Dragon; home to the Ice Emperor and his Blizzard Samurai. While Zane remains unsure about these frightening visions, the Ninja find their quest when Professor Clutch Powers discovers a mysterious pyramid which supposedly only a Ninja could survive exploring. Unbeknownst to them, the next threat to Ninjago is right around the corner.

Prime Empire Original Shorts (2020)

Short episodes that take place after Season 11 and during Season 12. These six short episodes are divided into before and after Jay enters Prime Empire. The first two, titled "Let's Dance" and "Upgrade," follow the Mechanic and his alliance with Unagami and also feature Jay and Nya in some bonding time.

Season 12: Prime Empire (2020)

When the old, legendary video game, Prime Empire, resurfaces, players, begin to disappear. In order to solve the mystery, the Ninja enter a dangerous digital world ruled by the mysterious villain Unagami.

Season 13: Master of the Mountain (2020)

This season on NINJAGO: Master of the Mountain: The ninja are invited to the beautiful Shintaro Kingdom to celebrate the young Princess Vania’s birthday. At first glance, the Ivory City looks like a pristine place, but the ninja soon uncover a dark, obscure, long-forgotten underworld: The Dungeons of Shintaro. Once inside, they must fight their way to freedom through a maze of tunnels paved with dangers and strange creatures ruled by the merciless Skull Sorcerer. The ninja must choose their path wisely...

The Island (2021)

An expedition led by Misako, Master Wu, and Clutch Powers has gone missing! With so much at stake, the ninja embark on a rescue mission to a mysterious and uncharted island full of surprises.[9]

Season 14: Seabound (2021)

When Nya’s powers are suddenly disrupted, the ninjas travel to the the bottom of the Endless Sea for answers. They find a dangerous underwater world ruled by Prince Kalmaar, who wants to destroy NINJAGO City by waking the all-powerful sea serpent Wojira. The ninjas must find the prized amulets to stop him and keep their home safe. Will they triumph over the evil they face in the depths of the ocean?[10]

Canon side stories
The Realm of Shadows

Set after the events of Skybound, Clouse somehow escaped the Cursed Realm and is planning to plunge Ninjago into darkness by using Bandit, a young YinYang Dragon. He is also gathering a force of Shadow Minions to help him, capture Bandit.

Dark Island Trilogy
Part 1

Set between Skybound and "Day of the Departed." After investigating the Dark Island following the disappearance of several sailors, Misako and Ronin are attacked by pirates in the midst of a storm; sometime later, their boat washes up back in Ninjago. Wu, who has been meditating for some time and sensing a growing threat, quickly assembles the six Ninja to take the Destiny's Bounty in search of them, bringing along a mysterious crate in the process. Unfortunately, the group is caught in a storm on the way to the island that scatters them, with Kai waking up in what appears to be a vast desert. Wu wakes up and finds the Bounty damaged nearby, only for Lloyd to appear being chased by a group of angry gorillas. After eluding them, uncle and nephew get the Bounty seaworthy and begin sailing upriver, with Wu noting that the influence of Dark Matter appears to be growing stronger all around them in his journal entries.

Elsewhere, Jay and Nya awake at No Man's Bluff and find their communicators inactive, and so begin searching for the others. They soon come across an unexpected sight: the pirates who attacked Misako and Ronin, who happen to be members of Nadakhan's crew, though only Jay and Nya remember the events of their previous encounters due to Jay's wish. The pirates have captured Ronin, who reveals that he was forced off their ship only for it to disappear along with Misako. As the Ninja and Pirates battle, the Leviathan appears and grabs Ronin, and Nya orders Jay to stop the Pirates while she deals with it; however, he helps free Ronin instead, and the thief unveils his new Mech and aids the Nya in driving off the sea beast. The trio then set off to find Misako.

Part 2

Lloyd and Wu continued their journey up the River of Darkness, only to notice the effects of the Dark Matter upon the environment and be affected by it themselves, with Lloyd abusing his powers before taking off alone in search of Misako. Wu is similarly affected, with an insect bite causing him to envision a dark copy of himself who taunts him for using the Ninja for his own gains; however, Wu is able to banish this illusion. Meanwhile, Zane and Cole awaken and, after encountering a large bird, find a mine where Misako and the captured fishermen are being forced to dig up dark matter. An enraged Lloyd arrives and begins attacking, but Zane and Cole are able to calm him down before going after Misako, who has fallen under the influence of the dark matter but is purified by Lloyd's Energy.

The Sky Pirates mass for another attack, but the three Ninja and the freed prisoners are aided by the arrival of Ronin, Nya, and Jay. Elsewhere, Wu discovers that the villain behind the troubles on Dark Island is none other than Clouse, who had come to the island after failing to acquire the Teapot of Tyrahn (due to Jay's final wish to Nadakhan). Having used his magic to forcibly recruit Nadakhan's crew, Clouse now seeks to use the Dark Matter to corrupt the Temple of Light, which will reunite the Dark Island and Ninjago as a landmass of darkness that Clouse will control. Clouse escapes Wu aboard Misfortune's Keep, while the Ninja acquire new vehicles created by Monkey Wretch and purified by their elemental energy. Cole then discovers Wu but is sent to search for the missing Kai.

Part 3

Kai, who has been wandering lost in the Billy Badlands, is captured by a pair of pirates but rescued by Cole, whose partial immunity to the Dark Matter enables him to reason with a partially corrupted Kai. The pair acquire new vehicles and set out to meet with the other Ninja, eventually succeeding in doing so and making their way towards the Temple of Light. Unfortunately, the final convoy of Dark Matter needed to overwhelm the Temple of Light's defenses and corrupt it is already in motion, and the Dark Island itself is falling into chaos as a result of the evil energies. The Ninja team reunites and attempts to stop the convoy, only to be attacked by Clouse and nearly buried under a magical sandstorm. Undeterred, the heroes make their way to the Temple of Light, determined to stop Clouse or die trying.

Upon arriving at the temple, the Ninja find that Clouse's plan is already well underway and are forced to confront his Shadow Army and Sky Pirates. Defeat seems inevitable, but Wu arrives and reveals the contents of his crate—his father's Golden Mech, which he soon pilots into battle against Clouse. Clouse responds by creating his own Shadow Mech from the members of his army, and the two engage in battle only for Wu to emerge victoriously. The merging of Ninjago and the Dark Island is halted, the Temple of Light is restored to its original glory, and a vortex draws Clouse—unwilling to accept help from his enemies—into the Underworld. With the Sky Pirates captured and the balance restored, for the time being, the Ninja celebrate their victory.