Ninja (Team)

The Ninja (also known as the Masters of Spinjitzu or the Wu-Cru) are a group of young warriors formed by Master Wu to protect the land of Ninjago from evil. They are the main protagonists of LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu. Since the team's formation, they have fought many foes. After Cole, Kai, Jay, and Zane united, they fought the Skulkin and later the Serpentine, which were freed by Lloyd Garmadon. Lloyd would become the fabled Green Ninja, while his father, Lord Garmadon, posed a new threat along with The Overlord and his Stone Army.

As the years went on, the Ninja faced further obstacles and adversaries, and even Nya joined the team as the Water Ninja. They battled the Golden Master's Nindroids, Chen's cultists, Morro's ghosts, Nadakhan's Sky Pirate Crew in an erased timeline, the Time Twins' army, and Harumi and the resurrected Lord Garmadon's Sons of Garmadon.

Most recently, the original Ninja and Wu were trapped in the Realm of Oni and Dragons and faced the Dragon Hunters, while Lloyd and Nya continued to resist against Garmadon and his forces. Master Wu and the four Ninja managed to return to Ninjago and assist in Lloyd's defeat of Garmadon, reclaiming Ninjago City and returning the world to normal.

Return of Lord Garmadon
Dreading the return of his evil brother Lord Garmadon for the Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu, Master Wu, the younger son of the First Spinjitzu Master, searched the land for four teenagers to find the weapons first. He came across the descendants of the Elemental Masters of the Elements of Creation: Cole - Master of Earth, Zane - Master of Ice, Jay - Master of Lightning, and Kai - Master of Fire, whose sister Nya had been kidnapped by Garmadon's army of Skulkin, though none of the four had unlocked their respective Elemental Powers yet. With Wu's teaching, the four became Ninja, learned the art of Spinjitzu, and retrieved all but the last weapon, the Sword of Fire.

Unfortunately, Garmadon used Nya to lure Kai to the Fire Temple and stole the sword, the Skeleton Army sneaking up on the sleeping Ninja and stealing the other three weapons. Wu followed the Skullkin general Samukai to the Underworld, the Ninja following by taming the four Dragons who guarded the Golden Weapons.

The four watched as Wu and Samukai fought, each wielding two of the four weapons. Samukai eventually gained a hold of all four, however, their immense power overwhelmed him leading to his death, the ensuing tear through space and time allowing Garmadon to escape to the Realm of Madness, which would enable him to wield all four weapons without death. The Ninja, along with Nya, move to Wu's Monastery, the four Ninja continuing their training for Garmadon's return.

Rise of the Snakes
Unfortunately, they let their guard down instead and play video games. Unbeknownst to them, a new threat was brewing. Wishing to live up to his father's feared name, while harbouring feelings of sadness for his dad's departure, Garmadon's son Lloyd Garmadon sought to cause chaos in Ninjago, and achieve his selfish desires in the process. After the Ninja made a fool of him, he inadvertently led to the successful release of all five tribes of the mythical Serpentine (one tribe, the Hypnobrai, burning down Wu's Monastery, forcing the team to relocate to the Destiny's Bounty, a damaged pirate ship Zane found by following a mysterious Falcon), now led by the last of the Anacondrai, Pythor P. Chumsworth, who seeks the Four Silver Fangblades to awaken the Great Devourer.

The Ninja battle the united Serpentine, while a mysterious samurai continuously steals their thunder. Eventually Lloyd, who was taken in by the Ninja after being betrayed by the snakes, is captured and Wu leaves to find someone who can help free him. On their own, the Ninja engage in battle with the Serpentine in order to stop the awakening of the Devourer, each one unlocking their true potential in the process (with the team learning Zane is a Nindroid). They also learn Nya to be the Samurai.

Wu returns with Garmadon to help save Lloyd, who to everyone's surprise (and Garmadon's dismay) is the Green Ninja, the warrior prophesied to defeat the "dark lord". Though the Ninja, with Garmadon's help, are able to recover all four Fang Blades, Pythor steals them and manages to awaken the Great Devourer, rhough it devours him and Wu. The Devourer is only able to be defeated by Garmadon, wielding all four Golden Weapons, the "dark lord" escaping afterwards.

Finding Wu in a puddle of the Devourer's venom, the Ninja promise to train Lloyd so he'll be ready for the decisive battle against his father.

The Overlord and the Stone Army
After the defeat of the Great Devourer, the Ninja, along with the Green Ninja, fought against Garmadon, the Overlord, and his indestructible Stone Army.

Attack of the Nindroids
Ninjago was at peace, thanks to Lloyd, who defeated the Overlord, but he returns, having integrated himself the Borg Industries' computers. The Ninja had to fight again with the Overlord, only now with an old enemy, Pythor, and the Nindroids.

However, the Ninja emerged victorious, but at the cost of Zane, who sacrificed himself. Unbeknownst to the others however, Zane's mind and spirit had transferred itself into Borg Industries' computers and managed to rebuild himself. Soon after however, he was captured and taken to Chen's Island.

Master Chen and the Anacondrai Cultists
After the sacrifice of Zane, the Ninja are divided, but everything changed when they discovered that he was still alive. To rescue him they had to go to the Tournament of Elements. During this time, they discovered the truth of their powers after they met and befriended the Elemental Masters. The Ninja were also able to unlock the ability to use Elemental Dragons.

With the sacrifice of Garmadon, Master Chen and the Anacondrai Cultists were banished to the Cursed Realm.

Morro and the Ghost Warriors
When opening the portal of the Cursed Realm, a ghost named Morro, who was the first student of Master Wu, possessed Lloyd and shortly after takes the Realm Crystal and liberates the Preeminent. The ninja were faced with problems, as their power depended on Lloyd and Cole was turned into a ghost. However, things shifted for the better as they learned a new technique Airjitzu (Martial Art) and Cole learned some new ghost moves.

In the end, thanks to Nya, who unlocked her True Potential, they defeated the Preeminent and Morro, thus sending them to the Departed Realm.

Nadakhan and the Sky Pirates
When Clouse, who escaped the Cursed Realm, released Nadakhan, the Ninja will have to stop him before he marries Nya and gains infinite wishes. Unfortunately, he stole the Realm Crystal and released the rest of his crew, who helped him build New Djinjago. Jay's last wished caused everyone to forget the majority of the season.

Day of the Departed
Following the Sky Pirate conflict, Ninjago celebrated the holiday once again, with the Ninja spreading out across the land of Ninjago to remember their ancestors.Zane remembers Dr. Julien at Birchwood Forest, Kai and Nya remember Ray and Maya at their blacksmith shop, Lloyd and Misako remember Garmadon at the Corridor of Elders, and Wu remembers his father at the Monastery of Spinjitzu, while Jay spends time with his parents at their junkyard.

In the meantime, Cole goes to Master Yang's Haunted Temple to settle his debt with the ghostly master. However, a sinister plot by Yang leads Cole to free the spirits of the Ninjas' old enemies from the Departed Realm, including Samukai, Kozu, Cryptor, Chen, and Morro, all of whom possess statues at the Ninjago Museum of History. Seeking revenge, the revived villains spread throughout Ninjago to confront their adversaries.

With the Yin Blade in hand, Yang proceeded to go to the roof of his temple and activates the artifact, using its reality-warping powers to open the Rift of Return. However, Cole, confronting him, attacked Yang, forcing the latter to defend himself with the Yin Blade with success, slicing apart Cole's blade in the process. However, when Cole's support by his friends powered him up, Cole used his charged fists to attack Yang, who attempted to shield himself with the Yin Blade. Unable to withstand the assault, the Yin Blade was shattered by Cole's attack, and with its destruction and the ending Yin-Yang Eclipse, the Rift of Return started to close as a result. However, a reformed Yang threw Cole through the rift changing him back to a human and the Ninja gained a new base in Yang's Temple.

The Time Twins and the Vermillion
After the Day of the Departed, the Ninjas returned to Ninjago Museum of History and discovered that Master Wu and Garmadon confronted two Elemental Masters, after which the Ninja decided to stop the Time Twins, but it was too late as they had recollected the Time Blades. Finally they together with Kai, Nya, and Wu traveling to the past, 40 years before, after the defeat of Acronix and Krux. Master Wu sacrificed himself to stop them and Kai and Nya returned to the present. Realizing that they lost their master, the Ninja name Lloyd their new master.

Sons of Garmadon
One year later, the Ninja discovered that a group called Sons of Garmadon are trying to revive Lloyd's father, but in his evil form. They are also reunited with their master who is revealed to have been de-aged into an infant after his journey through time. The Ninja also had to protect the Oni Masks, but what they did not have in mind was that Princess Harumi was really the leader of the Sons of Garmadon.

The Sons of Garmadon finally revived Garmadon, who was able to defeat Lloyd with ease and take control of Ninjago. Kai, Jay, Zane, and Cole, along with Baby Wu, end up in the Realm of Oni and Dragons when they escaped Garmadon's creation, Colossus, leading the others to think they were killed.

The Reign of Garmadon and the Dragon Hunters
After being defeated, the Ninja have been separated. Lloyd and Nya, along with Skylor, P.I.X.A.L., and Misako, must defeat Lord Garmadon, Harumi, and the Sons of Garmadon. The four original Ninja (Kai, Cole, Jay, and Zane) along with Wu must face the Dragon Hunters, free the dragons, and find a way back home to Ninjago.

Teachers

 * Master Wu (Lloyd's Uncle/Master of Creation/Golden Dragon Master)
 * Master Garmadon (Lloyd's Father/Master of Destruction; turned evil again)

Ninja

 * Master Lloyd Garmadon (Green Ninja/Golden Ninja/Master of Energy/Former Master of Golden Power/Leader)
 * Kai (Red Ninja/Master of Fire)
 * Cole (Black Ninja/Master of Earth/Former Leader)
 * Zane (White Ninja/Titanium Ninja/Master of Ice)
 * Jay (Blue Ninja/Master of Lightning)
 * Nya (Gray Ninja/Master of Water)

Honorary Members

 * Dareth (Honorary Brown Ninja)
 * Skylor (Orange Ninja/Master of Amber)
 * Seliel (Phantom Ninja; non-canon)
 * Nelson (Honorary Purple Ninja)

Current Allies

 * Misako (Lloyd's Mother/History Informant/Archaeologist)
 * P.I.X.A.L. (Samurai X)
 * Ed (Jay's Adoptive Father)
 * Edna (Jay's Adoptive Mother)
 * Lou (Cole's Father)
 * Ray (Kai and Nya's Father)
 * Maya (Kai and Nya's Mother)
 * Cyrus Borg (Helps make vehicles and weapons for the Ninja)
 * Falcon (Zane's Companion/Communication for the Ninja)
 * Ronin (Business Partner)
 * Elemental Masters (Helped defeat Chen and his army)
 * Karlof (Master of Metal)
 * Paleman (Master of Light)
 * Griffin Turner (Master of Speed)
 * Ash (Master of Smoke)
 * Neuro (Master of Mind)
 * Gravis (Master of Gravity)
 * Bolobo (Master of Nature)
 * Jacob Pevsner (Master of Sound)
 * Tox (Master of Poison)
 * Shade (Master of Shadow)
 * Chamille (Master of Form)
 * Skulkin ("All of Nothing")
 * Serpentine ("The Titanium Ninja" and "The Corridor of Elders")
 * Nindroids (Became Borg's security drones as shown in "The Invitation")
 * Captain Soto (Aided the Ninja in "Enkrypted" and became part of Jay's team in "Operation Land Ho!")
 * Echo Zane (Found by and aided Jay and Nya in "The Last Resort" and joined Jay's team in "Operation Land Ho!")
 * Police Commissioner (Became part of Jay's team in "Operation Land Ho!" and aided the Ninja in Season 8)
 * Tommy
 * Simon
 * Faith
 * Dragon Hunters ("Lessons for a Master")
 * Dragons
 * Elemental Dragons
 * Elemental Fire Dragon (Kai)
 * Elemental Lightning Dragon (Jay)
 * Elemental Earth Dragon (Cole)
 * Elemental Ice Dragon (Zane)
 * Elemental Water Dragon (Nya)
 * Master Wu Dragon (Wu)
 * Golden Dragon (Lloyd/First Spinjitzu Master)
 * Elemental Energy Dragon (Lloyd)
 * Fusion Dragon (Kai and Nya)
 * Hydro Electric Dragon (Jay and Nya)
 * Ultra Dragon (Combination of the Four Dragons)
 * Rocky (Cole's Dragon of Earth)
 * Flame (Kai's Dragon of Fire)
 * Shard (Zane's Dragon of Ice)
 * Wisp (Jay's Dragon of Lightning)

Former Allies

 * Sky Pirates (those that turned on Nadakhan, memory erased; formerly)
 * Pythor P. Chumsworth (fought on their side against Chen and his Anacondrai Cultists, now their enemy again after his attack on Lloyd in "Day of the Departed")

Deceased Allies

 * Dr. Julien (Zane's Father/Creator)
 * Stone Army (Controlled by Dareth in "Rise of the Spinjitzu Master," now destroyed)
 * Morro (Officially reformed in "Day of the Departed")
 * Emperor of Ninjago
 * Empress of Ninjago
 * Hutchins (Master-at-Arms of the Royal Family)
 * Mistaké (An Oni who helped The Resistance, but was killed by Garmadon)
 * Harumi (Princess of Ninjago; revealed to be an enemy)

Abilities
The Ninja have six Elemental Powers (one element for each Ninja) that give them amazing abilities of their Elements, which includes summoning their respective Elemental Dragons and performing Spinjitzu and Airjitzu.

Elements

 * Energy (Lloyd)
 * Golden Power (Lloyd; formerly)
 * Fire (Kai)
 * Earth (Cole)
 * Ice (Zane)
 * Lightning (Jay)
 * Water (Nya)

The Ninja also have two powerful martial arts that they use in battle, Spinjitzu, a move that allow them to spin in a tornado, and Airjitzu, a move that allow them to fly in a vortex.

Spinjitzu

 * Lloyd (Energy; green)
 * Lloyd (Golden Power; gold)
 * Kai (Fire; red)
 * Jay (Lightning; blue)
 * Cole (Earth; brown)
 * Zane (Ice; white/light blue)
 * Nya (Water; light blue/sliver)
 * Wu (Creation; gold)
 * Garmadon (Destruction; purple)
 * Misako (Element-less; silver)

Airjitzu

 * Lloyd (Energy; green)
 * Kai (Fire; red)
 * Jay (Lightning; blue)
 * Cole (Earth; orange)
 * Zane (Ice; white)
 * Nya (Water; light blue)
 * Morro (Wind; ghostly green)
 * Wu (Creation; gold; "The Dark Island Trilogy" only)

Weapons
The Ninja (except Nya and Lloyd) have had major weapon tiers that they used in battles. They are the Golden Weapons, Elemental Blades, Techno Blades, and Aeroblades.

Golden Weapons

 * Kai (Sword of Fire)
 * Jay (Nunchucks of Lightning)
 * Zane (Shurikens of Ice)
 * Cole (Scythe of Quakes)

Elemental Blades

 * Kai (Fire; Red/Orange)
 * Jay (Lightning; Blue/Yellow)
 * Zane (Ice; Gray/White)
 * Cole (Earth; Green/Purple)

Techno Blades

 * Kai (Large Sword; Red)
 * Jay (Chainsaw Blade; Yellow)
 * Zane (Staff; Blue)
 * Cole (Flail; Green)

Aeroblades

 * Kai (Red)
 * Jay (Yellow)
 * Zane (Light Blue)
 * Cole (Orange)

Ages of the Ninja
The Ninja are in their teenage years, with the exception of Zane, who is decades older but was built to have the appearance of one. Kai, Jay, Cole, and Nya have grown up from young teenagers to their late teens over the course of the show, Jay referring to themselves as "grown-up teenagers" in Season 9: Hunted. Lloyd became physically around the age of his older friends due to the Tomorrow's Tea, but is still chronologically the youngest of the team due to originally being a pre-teen, and has grown up to his young teens.

Trivia

 * The Ninja bear a resemblance to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Both teams are all Ninjas, are teenagers, and have a mentor that train them (the turtles have Master Splinter while the Ninja have Master Wu). Although, the set up of a group of young heroes with an older mentor is a common one in fiction.
 * The Ninja also bear a resemblance to the Power Rangers (due to their powers and color scheme).
 * All of the Ninja (and Master Wu) have changed their physical appearances in the show.
 * Jay, Kai, Zane, and Cole turned into kids in "Child's Play," but turned back to teenagers.
 * Lloyd was a child until he was hit by Tomorrow's Tea in "Child's Play" and aged into an old man in "Wishmasters." He reverted back to a teen due to Jay's last wish.
 * Zane was originally a Nindroid in human form until "The Titanium Ninja" and debuted in his titanium form in "The Invitation."
 * Cole was a human being until "The Temple on Haunted Hill," where he was turned into a ghost by Yang but turned human again in "Day of the Departed." He now has a scar from the transformation.
 * Nya's lips are no longer red following Season 6 onward.
 * In Season 8, all the Ninja have different appearances similar to their movie counterparts.
 * After being touched by the Reversal Blade, Wu has become a baby. Throughout the eighth and ninth season, Wu started to grow to a toddler, child, teen, teen with mustache and goatee, and finally back to his old form.
 * Zane and Nya are the only Ninja to have died in the series but were both resurrected.
 * Jay is the only Ninja to appear in every Ninjago episode, as of 2017, with Nya following behind him.
 * Excluding their allies, Nya is the only female on the team.
 * After Cole's physical reformation in "Day of the Departed," Zane becomes the only completely non-human on the team. Lloyd is human, but also part Oni and Dragon.
 * Kai, Jay, and Cole are the only three Ninja to have every different suit shown in the show. This is due to Lloyd and Nya joining the team later on, and Zane lacking a tournament robe, as he did not compete in the Tournament of Elements.
 * Technically, all of the Ninja have the title "Master," as they are all Masters of an element.
 * This was shown in "The Corridor of Elders," when Arcturus identified Lloyd as "Master Lloyd."
 * At some point, all members of the team (and some allies) have turned against their team and later revert back:
 * Garmadon was turned evil in his childhood by the Great Devourer and was the main antagonist of the Pilot Episodes and the first arc of the second season. He was revived in Season 8 and became evil again.
 * Lloyd was a minor antagonist in Season 1 and possessed by Morro in Season 5.
 * Cole was hypnotized by Skales.
 * Nya, Cole, Jay, and Zane were corrupted by Dark Matter (although the last three were only briefly corrupted before Lloyd undid the effects).
 * P.I.X.A.L., Cyrus Borg, and Master Wu were controlled by the Overlord.
 * The Elemental Masters were competing in Master Chen's Tournament of Elements.
 * Skylor was working for Chen.
 * Kai was briefly corrupted by the Staff of Elements and nearly attacked Lloyd and Skylor.
 * Morro was the secondary antagonist of Season 5.
 * Ronin was forced by Morro to betray the Ninja in "The Crooked Path" and hired by the police to capture the Ninja "Public Enemy Number One."
 * Misako was controlled by Bansha in "Grave Danger."
 * Nya was possessed by Dilara.
 * Ray and Maya were forced to work for the Time Twins during their enslavement.
 * P.I.X.A.L., as Samurai X, was controlled by the Quiet One during Season 8 before Zane killed the spider thus freeing her.
 * Although Lloyd is the leader of the team, every Ninja has taken on the role of the leader.
 * In earlier seasons, it was more often that Cole or Kai would take charge of the team.
 * After Season 3, the Ninja (except Nya) could only harness their elemental powers dependent on their leader, Lloyd, because he shared his Golden Power between them.
 * However in "Big Trouble, Little Ninjago," when Lloyd lost his powers, the other Ninja still have theirs. Tommy Andreasen said this is may have because of the passage of time and the ninja's powers have grown stronger and more independent.
 * Excluding Nya, the Ninja are the only Elemental Masters that have the main elements in Ninjago (Water is a secondary element).
 * Three of the Ninja have had their main color changed.
 * Lloyd was green, then gold, but is now green again.
 * Zane was white, then silver, but now can alternate between white and silver.
 * Nya was red, then azure, then maroon, and is now gray.
 * All six of the Ninja have seasons or TV Special that focus on them.
 * Kai was the focus of the Pilot Episodes, the Mini-Movies, Season 1, Season 4, and Season 7.
 * Jay was the focus of the Mini-Movies, Season 1, and Season 6.
 * Zane was the focus of the Mini-Movies, Season 1, and Season 3.
 * Cole was the focus of the Mini-Movies, Season 1, and "Day of the Departed."
 * Lloyd was the focus of Season 2 and Season 8.
 * Nya was the focus of Season 5 and Season 7.
 * All the Ninja but Lloyd have traveled to the past. Kai is the only one who traveled to the past thrice.
 * Kai, Cole, Zane, and Jay went to the past in "Wrong Place, Wrong Time."
 * Kai, along with Nadakhan, in "Misfortune Rising."
 * Kai, Nya, and Master Wu in "Lost in Time."
 * Lloyd is the only Ninja who went to the Cursed Realm. He is also the Ninja who has visited the most realms due to his fight with Morro.
 * Nya and Jay are the only Ninja to remember what happened in Season 6, although Lloyd showed signs of experiencing déjà vu while the rest may have gained some recollection.
 * Lloyd is the first and only one of Wu's students to gain the rank of master.
 * Each of the Ninja have their own signature color.
 * Kai's signature color is red.
 * Jay's signature color is blue.
 * Zane's signature color is white.
 * Cole's signature color is black.
 * Nya's signature color was azure, but is now gray.
 * Lloyd's signature color is green.
 * Each of the six Ninja have individual animal symbols that correspond to their characteristics (as of Season 6, depicted on their suits with matching colors and elemental resemblance).
 * Kai's is shown as an orange (with red outline) Lion—resembling his aggression.
 * Jay's is shown as a dark blue (with purple outline) Octopus—resembling his active nature.
 * Zane's is shown as a blue (with white outline) Tiger—resembling his intelligence.
 * Cole's is shown as a yellow (with orange outline) Gorilla—resembling his strength.
 * Nya's is shown as a white (with light blue outline) Phoenix—resembling her determination.
 * Lloyd's is shown as a yellow/gold (with green outline) Dragon—resembling his power.
 * Each of the six Ninja have their own signature weapon that they are most known for and later changed their signature weapons to match their movie counterparts (except for Jay).
 * Kai's signature weapon was a single Katana, but is now a pair.
 * Jay's signature weapon was a pair of Nunchucks.
 * Zane's signature weapon was a pair of Shurikens, but is now a Bow and Arrow.
 * Cole's signature weapon was a Scythe, but is now a Hammer.
 * Nya's signature weapon was a pair of daggers, but is now a Spear.
 * Lloyd's signature weapon was a pair of katanas, but is now a Sword.
 * Zane is the oldest Ninja of the team, although in Season 6, when Lloyd aged into a old man, he was temporarily the oldest Ninja of the team before reverting back to a teen.
 * All of the Ninja have had a love interest which was another focus in a season.
 * Jay and Nya had an attraction to each other in the first two seasons and following a break-up in Season 3, they got back together in Season 6 and remain a couple.
 * Kai has an interest in Skylor, the daughter of Chen, in Season 4: The Tournament of Elements.
 * Zane had an interest in P.I.X.A.L. in season 3 and they have remained together.
 * Cole had an interest in Nya during Season 3 which caused a rivalry between him and Jay until she chose Jay.
 * Lloyd had an interest in Harumi in Season 8, but she was later revealed to be evil. Although, she seemed to have only been using him, the way she looked at him, before she died implied that she did really have feelings for him after all. He also seemed saddened by her death, implying he still had feelings for her.
 * As of Season 8, the Ninja now have their names and signature colors on their weapons.
 * As of "Big Trouble, Little Ninjago," Nya is the only Ninja who has never lost her powers.
 * Lloyd is the only Ninja who has lost his powers three times; the first was because the Overlord stole his Golden Power, the second was by Master Chen, and the third by Lord Garmadon.
 * Although, Lloyd is the Green Ninja, Cole is physically the strongest of the team, due to his super strength. This is proven when Cole pulls the bars of a cage wide open in "Dread on Arrival."
 * Lloyd and Cole are the only Ninja without a current love interest.
 * Prior to Season 8, Kai, Jay, and Nya were the only three Ninja whose appearances stayed the same throughout most of the show since their debut.
 * They are also the only Ninja to be humans for the entirety of the show's run.