Hypnobrai

The Hypnobrai are a tribe of Serpentine, based on the speckled cobra with a hint of the rattlesnake as well. They can hypnotize people at will, thus making their tribe name a pun on the word "hypnotize" (hypno-cobrai).

Distinguishing features

• All Hypnobrai have a cobra-like hood, with the Soldiers, Warriors, and Generals having a full cobra head.
• The head mold of their Scouts and Soldiers are the same as the ones of the Venomari.
• Their colors are generally blue, yellow, and medium/dark gray.
• Their eyes are red, with concentric circle patterns resembling a large spiral; these patterns rotate whenever the Hypnobrai begin hypnotizing their opponent(s).

Power

The Hypnobrai have the power of hypnotism. They rattle their tails and stare at the victim, and if the victim happens to look their way, they are placed under their control. This is usually direct enslavement, but the Hypnobrai can also plant post-hypnotic commands, turning the victim into a sleeper agent as Skales did with Cole. In this state, the Hypnobrai can see through their victim's eyes, and enforce their hypnotic control at any time.

The Hypnobrai Staff has an anti-venom that will undo the hypnotic spell. They have a protective second eyelid over their eyes, for when they are not hypnotizing someone.

Weaknesses

The Hypnobrai's hypnotic stare only works if they can make eye contact with a victim for a certain time. As such, avoiding eye contact will prevent one from becoming hypnotized, but the difficulty of fighting blind can be a hindrance. In "All of Nothing," Kai trained himself to fight with his eyes closed to avoid losing his advantage over the Hypnobrai, while in "Ninjaball Run," Zane simply turned his head around to avoid being hypnotized by Rattla.

Another way to avoid the Hypnobrai's gaze is to attack them or otherwise break their concentration, as Skales did during his battle against Slithraa in the Slither Pit in "Home." However, the Hypnobrai can still induce partial hypnosis in their victims if interrupted, as seen when Skales attempted to hypnotize Cole in "Rise of the Snakes;" although the hypnosis was interrupted, Skales was still able to see through Cole's eyes at will and actively command him to attack the other Ninja when they attacked Lloyd's new treehouse base.

The most beneficial means of circumventing Hypnobrai hypnotism is to use a reflective surface to bounce their gaze back at them—not only does this negate their attempt to hypnotize their victim, but it also leaves them suggestible to commands. Lloyd Garmadon inadvertently discovered this weakness when Slithraa accidentally reflected his hypnotic gaze onto himself with the surface of an icicle, allowing Lloyd to gain control of the Hypnobrai through their brainwashed general.

Tomb

The Hypnobrai Tomb is located in the Glacier Barrens, and the inside of the tomb is entirely made of ice.

Trivia

• The Hypnobrai was the first snake tribe to appear in the TV series. It is also the first and, so far, only tribe to have seen a revolt, or a Slither Pit duel to determine a new General.
• Their name is derived from the word "Hypnosis," due to it being their main trait. It may also stem from cobra, which they resemble, such that the name comes from Hypnobra plus the suffix -ai.

• The Hypnobrai have the lowest number of Warriors seen in the series—they never appear to have more than one at any given time, and Slithraa mostly disappears from the series after "The Snake King," leaving the Hypnobrai ranks to be filled by Soldiers and Scouts.
• When they rattle their tail and tilt their head, that warns people that they will be put in a hypnotic trance, thus they will be able to avoid their glare.
• The Staff of Elements appears to have a Hypnobrai tail.
• In the Korean shows, Hypnobrai is pronounced as "HYPE-no-brye".
• The Character Trailer for the Hypnobrai misspells them as the "Hybnobrai."
• It appears that the higher the rank within the Hypnobrai tribe, the more blue coloring a Serpentine has.
• Though their minifigures use the navy blue LEGO color, the Hypnobrai in the TV series often appears as a lighter shade, being more of a cross between that color and the recently-revived teal.

Notable Members

Skales

Slithraa

Mezmo

Rattla

Selma

Skales Jr.

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Gallery

The Hypnobrai Staff

The Hypnobrai Symbol

Hypno Viper

Slithraa attempts to Hypnotize Lloyd but it backfires

Slithraa during his Slither Pit with Skales

Lloyd leads the Hypnobrai into Jamanakai Village

Hypnobrai before the called off battle with the Fangpyre

Skales becomes General

Skales in the Rise of the Snakes mural.

Skales with the Ninja, the Elemental Masters and the citizens of Ninjago in the Tournament of Elements mural.

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