The Tournament of Elements was a competition between the current generation of Elemental Masters which was hosted by Master Chen and held on his secluded island. Though Chen promised fortune to the victor of the tournament, it was only a ploy for Chen to steal the competitors' powers so he could use in a spell that would turn his followers into Anacondrai. The tournament progressed as planned, but was rushed to an end when a spy was discovered on the island. The remaining fighters were rounded up and stripped of their powers. Though they regained them, Chen would ultimately complete his army's transformation into Anacondrai.
The tournament would have its advantages, both immediately and in the long run. The event helped bring together the Elemental Masters, who would fight a climactic battle at the Corridor of Elders. A new unity was formed amongst the current generation of Elemental Masters.
The alliance formed by the tournament would later help, as Lloyd summoned the Elemental Masters into a new team that would help fight his newly-resurrected father.
Origins[]
At some point after the Nindroid crisis, Zane and P.I.X.A.L. were captured and sold to Chen by a mercenary, Ronin.[1] Using the Staff of Elements, he stripped Zane of his elemental power and imprisoned him in his dungeon, then had P.I.X.A.L. scrapped. This allowed Chen to begin enacting his plan,[2] using Zane as bait for the other ninja and inviting the other Elemental Masters to participate in the Tournament.
History[]
The Invitation[]
Garmadon and the ninja on Chen's ferry
In order to convince the ninja to join the Tournament, Eyezor staged a robbery of Chen's Noodle House while the ninja were present. As predicted, the ninja interfered and Eyezor lured then to the back where an invitation (consisting of fortune cookies and a drawing of Zane) to the tournament had been set up.
The following evening, the Elemental Masters gathered at the New Ninjago City pier. Clouse soon arrived with the ferry and the Masters, along with a suspicious Garmadon, set sail for Chen's Island.
Only One Can Remain[]
Upon arriving on Chen's Island, the most recent generation of Elemental Masters were lead to the main hall for the opening ceremony where Chen explained the rules of the Tournament; obtaining a Jadeblade during a match would move them forward, while failure to do so would see them eliminated. Following the ceremony, the competitors were escorted to their rooms and given a brief break before the first round of the Tournament began.
In this round, enough Jadeblades for all but one were hidden throughout the Palace for the Masters to find. During the round, Gravis, Mr. Pale and Jacob, ran to a Jadeblade close by. Lloyd went for the same one but was ambushed by Ash. Kai and Skylor noticed a Jadeblade near the roof of the guest house. They jumped to get to the blade, but Kai accidentally knocked Skylor down. He managed to grab her leg, stopping her from falling, and fling her up; however, she reached the blade, claiming it for herself, forcing Kai to look for another Jadeblade.
Cole, full from eating a selection of noodle goods, searched for a Jadeblade and comes close to obtaining it, only to lose it to Griffin Turner who grabs it from him. Jay, on the other hand, is taking a shower, when Bolobo enters his room, trying to find a Jadeblade. The Blue Ninja soon puts on a towel and knocks him to the floor, only to find a Jadeblade in a light. Bolobo takes it, prompting Jay to turn on Starfarer, which amuses the Master of Nature. Jay then whacks him with his towel and grabs the Jadeblade, while commenting on his room. Clouse sees Lloyd and then uses Dark magic to prevent Lloyd from winning. However, Garmadon sees this and attacks him, therefore interrupting his spell and allowing Lloyd to get a Jadeblade before Neuro and Ash. More contestants go after the same Jadeblade as Cole eventually burying him; he soon overthrows them. Mr. Pale quickly gets on his feet and snatches the blade, though, Cole stomps on a column which covers Mr. Pale in dust, giving Cole the chance to knock him out. He grabs the blade and raises it in triumph, but Gravis takes it though, ironically, another blade is on the floor and Cole takes it silently. Eventually, only one Jadeblade is left and it's Kai and Karlof fighting for it. After a hard-fought battle, Karlof won but before he could hand it in, Kai unscrewed his Metal fist, getting a chance to win, flies to Chen's location and puts the blade in its spot to win, eliminating Karlof.
Versus[]
The next day, Chen announces the six competitors competing next: Griffin Turner, Gravis, Ash, Bolobo, Neuro, and Kai. The first match begins with Griffin versus Gravis to obtain a Jadeblade from the top of a rose blossom tree. Griffin's powers initially gave him a headstart, but Gravis catches up to him by means of levitation. Griffin then begins to mess with Gravis by running to different branches, but it backfires and the Master of Gravity pins him using the blossoms. The Master of Speed escapes and Gravis, having had enough, uses his powers to bring the Jadeblade to him, only for Griffin to run in and take it, eliminating Gravis.
The second match between Neuro and Bolobo begins, where the Jadeblade rests on top of a boulder. Neuro reads Bolobo's mind to see his opening move and in doing so, he uses his vines to gain ground in climbing, which makes Bolobo go after him. The Master of Nature traps the Master of Mind though he quickly escapes and sends his opponent to the ground using his powers. However, Bolobo trapped Neuro in a multitude of vines again. With Neuro trapped, Bolobo uses his powers to grab the Jadeblade but Neuro gives him a headache, giving him the chance to climb the vines and take the blade, winning and eliminating the Master of Nature.
The final match between Kai and Ash takes place on a bridge over a volcano, with the Jadeblade and the competitors on a wooden bridge. Kai goes straight for the blade, but Ash flips the bridge over, causing it to fall on a rock below. Kai climbs under the bridge and attempts to kick Ash, but the Master of Smoke uses his powers to evade the attack. Kai continuously attacks Ash, with none of his blow landings while Ash keeps disappearing and reappearing and his punches landing, eventually sending the Master of Fire through the bridge and hanging. Kai flips himself back onto secured planks and uses his Spinjitzu to push Ash back though the end result is the same. Kai then launches multiple fireballs, only for Ash to dodge them while they begin burning through the bridge. Ash manages to apprehend Kai, but he launches one more fireball which successfully burns through the last of the bridge, sending both of them onto the rocks below. The two then battle in midair over the Jadeblade where they're evenly matched until Ash makes for the blade. Kai then attacks him, where he uses his powers to avoid being hit: Kai uses this to take the blade and end the match with Ash eliminated.
Later that evening, Chen arranges for Jay and Cole to fight each other in the stadium, which gave them the chance to end their feud. Once the match began, the two lashed out, with neither of them letting up for even a second. Upon realizing what they're doing, the two apologize to each other and decide to keep fighting, but without using their powers. Chen decides to heat things up by sending out Condrai Crushers, but the two ninja fight off all of them. Chen then decides to eliminate both of them by breaking the ground away, leaving Jay to let Cole take the Jadeblade since he considers himself lucky to still be in the tournament. Cole initially does so, but throws the blade to Jay and tells him to win. Chen then eliminates Cole from the tournament.
Jay and Cole find out they have to fight. Note Tox's bracket is now in Shade's place, indicating Tox and Shade will fight now.
Ninja Roll[]
Skylor and Jacob have been announced as the fighters in the next match where they must smash vases in order to find a Jadeblade. Jacob's powers allow him to sense Skylor as long as she's not hiding, which leaves her to using her Fire to burn his sitar. Jacob soon has the advantage of using blow darts, though Skylor tricks him into firing into paper where the sound of the air throws him off long enough to her to break the last vase and take the Jadeblade, causing the Master of Sound's elimination.
Later, Lloyd and Chamille are announced as opponents in a Thunderblade race, where they must race around a roller rink and score points while holding a Jadeblade, with the most points deciding the winner. Both were allowed help from the other elemental fighters depending on who they chose to help, with Skylor, Neuro, Mr. Pale, Griffin, Shade, and Tox taking Chamille's side, leaving Lloyd with only Kai and Jay as support. After the competitors are set in place, the race starts with Lloyd and Chamille getting a headstart while the others follow soon after. Lloyd and Chamille each gain a point and catch up to the others, who stop Lloyd from passing. Jay decides to make an opening by shocking Neuro, which works and stops everyone else: however, the plan fails as Kai accidentally knocks into Lloyd, causing him to fall behind by one point. Chamille is still ahead of Lloyd by one point when the score says 4-3. Chen starts using his control panel and activates a ramp to stop Lloyd, though it doesn't stop him. Jay then whips him only to discover it's Chamille in disguise. She then orders Shade to hit Lloyd's back, succeeding and making him drop his Jadeblade. Mr. Pale then takes it, only for Jay to take it back and knock him off the track. Everyone does whatever they can to stop the ninja (with only Kai taking the hits), with Chen even releasing a buggy to extend Chamille's lead. Lloyd is soon ambushed by Mr. Pale, Shade, and even Neuro, and when Jay tries to help, Griffin accelerates him around the track and into the Green Ninja, though it helps his back. With the score now 8-5, Kai decides to help despite not keeping balanced and uses his powers to hit Chamille and making her drop her blade, allowing Jay to take it.
The ninja ultimately decides to reveal the true intentions behind the tournament so the other Masters would side with them while Chamille then takes back her Jadeblade. Kai latches onto Skylor, explaining everything to both her and Mr. Pale. Jay and Lloyd do the same to Griffin, who doubts it: Neuro confirms it after he stops Tox from attacking them. Jay is surprised the Master of Mind had chosen that moment to help, to which he explains he wanted to be on the winning team. Chamille attacks Kai and he lands near the buggy, allowing him and Skylor to take it. They drive up to Lloyd and let him take it, where it transforms into his color. While the others keep Shade and Tox from attacking the Green Ninja, Chen goes all out on his traps, all of which fail. The score becomes tied and Lloyd tries to convince Chamille to join them, though she pulls him out of the buggy, leaving them to go head-on in a sword fight. Chen becomes worried about Lloyd winning and orders Clouse to use his magic, but he's stopped by Garmadon. The scorekeeper then tries to rig Lloyd's score, but Skylor, having obtained Gravis' gravity, has him float helplessly. The two racers soon cross the finish line just as time runs out, with the final score being 13 each. However, Chamille is revealed to have dropped her Jadeblade, making Lloyd the winner. Chen, however, refuses to have the event count, claiming Lloyd cheated and is disqualified, though Griffin stands up for the Green Ninja and states Chen cheated, where the Master claims what his rules say, goes. Mr. Pale, Kai, and Jay protest if Lloyd's out, then so are they whereas Skylor states if everyone is eliminated, there is no Tournament. With that along with Clouse confirming it, Chen is forced to comply and eliminates Chamille.
Spy for a Spy[]
Only one fight occurred, which resulted in Shade causing Tox's elimination. The banquet was held to congratulate the remaining eight competitors.
Spellbound[]
Needing to capture Nya, who still had the spell on her, Chen decided to have the final 8 hunts her down with the promise to move the one who brings her into the final round. He also provided weapons and tools for the chase which, unknown to the competitors (apart from Skylor), contained tracking devices which he could use to find and capture them. Shade was the first to fall, followed by Mr. Pale, Griffin, and Neuro. Jay later battled Clouse, though eventually lost while Kai was forced to fight Skylor under her father's orders and was personally captured by Chen. As a result, Lloyd became the last master standing since he evaded capture.
The Forgotten Element[]
After stealing the powers of the captured Elemental Masters, Chen was convinced by Skylor to allow Kai to serve him. After offering Kai information about his parents, Kai had seemingly become loyal to him and helped him lead Lloyd to the throne room, trapping him and announcing the two of them as the last remaining fighters.
Lloyd began strong, but Chen had the Staff of Elements, allowing him to use everyone else's powers to block and avoid the Green Ninja's attacks. Eventually, he overwhelmed Lloyd and knocked him out by using Karlof's Metal to bounce one of Lloyd's Energy blasts back to him, as he took the latter captive and declared himself winner. Taking Skylor's Amber and Lloyd's Energy, Chen declared himself the winner of the tournament. He stole Lloyd and Skylor's power but before he could use the spell to transform into Anacondrai, his attempt to use everyone's powers for the spell failed, as Skylor betrayed him and Kai destroyed the staff.
Competitors/Elements[]
- Kai - Fire
- Jay - Lightning
- Cole - Earth
- Lloyd Garmadon - Energy
- Skylor - Amber
- Karlof - Metal
- Griffin Turner - Speed
- Mr. Pale - Light
- Tox - Poison
- Neuro - Mind
- Ash - Smoke
- Bolobo - Nature
- Gravis - Gravity
- Jacob Pevsner - Sound
- Chamille - Form
- Shade - Shadow
- Chen - Staff of Elements
Games[]
Only One Can Remain[]
Free for All[]
Fifteen Jadeblades were scattered throughout the palace, and the fifteen competitors who obtained one would advance to the next round. Consequently, one competitor would be eliminated due to the lack of Jadeblades. This contestant happened to be Karlof, who was eliminated from the Tournament.
Versus[]
1 vs. 1[]
Two competitors faced off to obtain a Jadeblade. The contestant who failed to obtain one lost, and was out of the Tournament. The winning competitor advanced.
Matches[]
- Griffin Turner (win) vs. Gravis (loss)
- Neuro (win) vs. Bolobo (loss)
- Kai (win) vs Ash (loss)
- Jay (win) vs. Cole (loss)
Ninja Roll[]
Break the Vase (1 vs. 1)[]
The objective was to break a vase to obtain a Jadeblade while fighting against another opponent. Some vases contained other weapons. The one who obtained the Jadeblade advanced; the loser was eliminated.
Match[]
- Skylor (win) vs. Jacob Pevsner (loss)
ThunderBlade[]
Two contestants had to complete laps around a track with roller skates on, holding a Jadeblade. Other competitors chose a team so they could affect the score. Only the Team Captain on the losing team was eliminated. Initially, most of the competitors were on Chamille's side, with only the ninja (who had agreed to stay a team) teaming up with Lloyd. Near the end of the match though, Chamille ended up losing all but Tox and Shade to the other team.
Match[]
Spy for a Spy[]
Unknown event (possibly 1 on 1)[]
This match was done off-screen, between episodes. It is unknown what kind of competition it was, but was likely a 1 on 1 face-off.
Match[]
Spellbound[]
Catch Nya[]
The competitors had to catch an intruder (who was revealed to be Nya) on the Island. It was said that the winner would be the only one to move on in the Tournament, and win it all. Scattered throughout the jungle search area were vehicles and weapons that would aid the competitors. During the hunt, however, each competitor was captured one by one by Chen and Clouse to prematurely end the Tournament. This revealed to the Elemental Masters that Chen had been planning to cheat them all along, just to take their powers, in addition, it was revealed that Skylor was his daughter.
Captives (losses)[]
- Shade
- Mr. Pale
- Neuro
- Turner
- Jay
- Kai
Uncaptured (wins)[]
- Lloyd
The Forgotten Element[]
Last Man Standing[]
The remaining two contestants had fought until someone was down. Chen used the elements of all of the other Elemental Masters to fight the opponent.
Match[]
Rankings[]
- Karlof (17th) Lost in: Free for All
- Gravis (14th-16th, unknown) Lost in: 1 on 1
- Bolobo (14th-16th, unknown) Lost in: 1 on 1
- Ash (14th-16th, unknown) Lost in: 1 on 1
- Cole (13th) Lost in: 1 on 1
- Jacob Pevsner (12th) Lost in: 1 on 1
- Chamille (11th) Lost in: Thunderblade (due to dropping her blade before the finish line)
- Tox (10th) Lost in: Unknown, offscreen
The following competitors were ranked upon being captured in "Spellbound":
- Shade (9th)
- Mr. Pale (8th)
- Griffin Turner (6th/7th: captured off screen)
- Neuro (6th/7th: captured off screen)
- Jay (5th)
- Kai (4th)
The following competitors (excluding Chen) were ranked based on when their powers were stolen:
- Skylor (3rd)
- Lloyd (2nd)
- Master Chen (1st)
In "The Forgotten Element," Skylor gave her powers to her father ranking her in 3rd place. Chen then fought Lloyd using his staff, defeating him and declaring himself the winner. Master Chen soon took Lloyd's power, ranking the Green Ninja 2nd place. Technically, since Master Chen was the last survivor, he won.
Appearances[]
Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu[]
Season 4: Tournament of Elements[]
- 35. "The Invitation" (mentioned)
- 36. "Only One Can Remain"
- 37. "Versus"
- 38. "Ninja Roll"
- 39. "Spy for a Spy"
- 40. "Spellbound"
- 41. "The Forgotten Element"
Season 6: Skybound[]
- 58. "Misfortune Rising"
Ninjago: Decoded[]
- 1. "Legacy"
- 4. "Ninjago's Most Wanted"
- 6. "The Elemental Masters"
Season 13: Master of the Mountain[]
- 146. "Into the Dark" (mentioned)
Ninjago: Dragons Rising[]
Season 2[]
- 22. "Shattered Dreams" (indirectly mentioned)
Trivia[]
Poster
- Prior to "Versus," the brackets showed who would originally face who with one ninja in each of the four brackets:
- Kai's bracket showed Kai vs. Ash and Skylor vs. Jacob, both matches occurring without any changes.
- Jay's bracket showed Griffin Turner vs. Gravis and Jay vs. Mr. Pale, the latter never occuring due to the change to Jay vs. Cole.
- Cole's bracket showed Bolobo vs. Neuro and Cole vs. Shade, the latter never occuring due to the switch to Jay vs. Cole.
- Lloyd's bracket showed Karlof vs. Tox and Lloyd vs. Chamille, the former never occurring due to Karlof being eliminated.
- Karlof's elimination and the switch to Jay and Cole fighting against each other was the result of Shade and Tox's fight. It also allowed Mr. Pale to progress through the first round without fighting at all.
- It's unclear why the first event took place to reduce the number of contestants to 15 as tournaments must be held with a number of contestants equal to a power of two.
- In the non-canon book, The Tournament of Elements, there is an Elemental Master of Water called Lar who participated in the Tournament of Elements. However, Way of the Departed reveals that these events of The Tournament of Elements are just a fake story created by him.
- This is the first event where the ninja travel to another location to save Zane, the second being their journey to the Never-Realm in Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu.
- In "Only One Can Remain," Karlof says, "Karlof wish he never sign up for this." This implies he did in fact sign up for the tournament, which is in contrast to the ninja, who were given an invitation with no further options than to arrive at the pier at midnight if they wanted to see Zane again.
Translations[]
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Finnish | Elementaaliturnaus |
| German | Wettkampf der Elemente |
| Portuguese (BRA) | Torneio dos Elementos |
| Russian | Турнир Стихий |
| Spanish (LA) | Torneo de los Elementos |