The Monastery of Spinjitzu is a structure built atop the tallest of the Mountains of Impossible Height. It originally served as the home of the First Spinjitzu Master, who raised his sons Garmadon and Wu within its protective walls. While here, a young Garmadon was corrupted by the venom of the young Great Devourer. After their father passed away, Wu and Garmadon inherited the Monastery, with Wu using it to train Morro while Garmadon trained under Master Chen. When Garmadon's corruption consumed him, he tried stealing the Golden Weapons; after a fight with Wu, he was banished to the Underworld.
Many years later, Wu assembled a team of Ninja that comprised of Cole, Kai, Jay, and Zane. The group used the monastery as their headquarters before it was burned down by the Hypnobrai tribe. Years later, the Ninja briefly met at the monastery's ruins after Nadakhan framed them for a series of crimes. Due to Jay's final wish, recent events were undone and this meeting never happened. On the Day of the Departed, Wu returned to the monastery to commemorate his father. While there, he was faced with Morro, who sought his help to counteract Yang's plans.
Some time after Garmadon was defeated, the Monastery was rebuilt by the Ninja, and a mural of most of their past adventures was painted on the temple's wall.
History
One day, when Wu and Garmadon were young, they were sparring using their father's katanas in the courtyard. During the fight, Garmadon disarmed his brother and sent the katana flying over the wall. Fearing what lay outside, the younger brother refused to retrieve it, so Garmadon went himself. It was there that he was bitten by the Great Devourer and infected with evil. The First Spinjitzu Master eventually found him, though was unable to cure his son who slowly fell under its influence.
The First Spinjitzu Master eventually died and the Monastery was left in the care of his sons. Millenium later, Garmadon left to train under Master Chen, and Wu encountered a young child, Morro, who was looking through the Monastery's trash cans in search of food. Wu took pity on him and trained him in the ways of the Ninja. He soon discovered that Morro was a descendant of the Elemental Master of Wind and believed him to be the Green Ninja. This ended up being his greatest regret as the thought of the power that came with the title made Morro incredible arrogant and he flew into a fit of rage when the Golden Weapons did not choose him.
Pilot Episodes
Way of the Ninja
Master Wu took Kai to the Monastery to train him in the ways of the ninja. After several days of failure on the training course, Kai succeeded in mastering it. That night while Kai was preparing for bed inside the Monastery's bathroom, Cole, Jay, and Zane snuck in and confronted him.
The Golden Weapon
The fight took them out into the courtyard where Kai activated the training course to use to his advantage. Their fight was eventually stopped by Wu, and after the Master explained their objective, they all left in search of the first weapon.
Mini-Movies
Flight of the Dragon Ninja
The Ninja race back to the Monastery on their Dragons for "training."
The New Masters of Spinjitzu
Kruncha and Nuckal traveled to the Monastery to steal the Ninjas' Golden Weapons. However, they were unable to control their powers and activated the training course, which Kai claimed was broken again.
An Underworldly Takeover
While drinking tea in the Monastery, Wu explained to Cole how Garmadon might of gained control of the Skeleton army.
Battle Between Brothers
In a flashback, Wu told Zane how he and Garmadon fought over the Golden Weapons in the Monastery before his kimono saved him and trapped Garmadon in the Underworld.
Rise of the Snakes
Rise of the Snakes
Some time after the Ninja returned to Ninjago, pens for their dragons were carved out of the mountain below the monastery.
With Ninjago in an era of peace, the Ninja spent most of their time playing video games in the monastery's living room while Wu spent his time meditating in his quarters. This made them ill equipped for when Nya arrived with news that Garmadon had returned and they were sent fumbling around when attempting to go after him.
While the Ninja were gone, Nya used the time to practice on the training course, though was forced to give it up when the Ninja returned and intended to hold a Green Ninja tournament in the courtyard.
Home
When Wu and Nya left the monastery to pick up the Ninja from Lloyd's Treehouse Fortress, they returned, only to see it has been burned down by the Hypnobrai.
Tick Tock (Flashback)
In a flashback, Garmadon and Wu were sparring with each other at the Monastery when Wu lost his katana over the wall. Garmadon went to retrieve it, but was bitten by the Great Devourer in the process. The First Spinjitzu Master brought him to a bedroom when he found him outside.
Wrong Place, Wrong Time
The Ninja, who had gone back in time, went to the monastery to kidnap Nya so the future wouldn't change. While Cole, Zane, and Jay kidnap Nya and fight their past selves, Kai inspires the Kai of the past to become a Ninja.
Possession
Ghost Story
Wu trained Morro in the Monastery to become the Green Ninja. When that backfired, he left the Monastery's gates open for Morro to return from his journey to find the First Spinjitzu Master's tomb, but he never did.
Skybound
Public Enemy Number One
After the Ninja were framed for a crime spree, they met up at the ruins of the monastery to discuss their next steps.
Day of the Departed
Wu later returned to the monastery's ruins on the Day of the Departed in order to honor the memory of his father. As Wu contemplated the meaning of the eclipse, he was approached by Morro. Wu initially expected a confrontation with his former student, only to learn that Morro had come to warn him regarding Yang's intentions and the peril faced by the Ninja. The two then left on the Destiny's Bounty.
The Hands of Time
The Hands of Time
Wu would return to the monastery, which now had several flowers around the area. As Wu looked at his watch, a vortex opened above the monastery, where Acronix landed in the center of the courtyard. Noticing how old Wu was since he last saw him, Acronix taunted him before he also told the elderly master that his monastery has seen better days, something that annoyed Wu.
At the Ninjago Museum of History, Cole discovers a portrait of Young Garmadon and Wu fighting two unknown men at the monastery. There, P.I.X.A.L. analyzes the picture, saying it dates back forty years during the Serpentine War. Eventually, Dr. Saunders enters the room, with Lloyd questioning the portrait. Saunders states that it holds no historical significance, saying it was a myth; a folktale. Saunders explains the myth involved two warriors referred to as "The Hands of Time," saying they could control time.
Back at the monastery, Wu and Acronix get into a fight, where they fought all around the ruins of the monastery. Eventually, the Forward Time Blade lands in the center courtyard, causing time to skip an entire minute. There, Acronix takes ahold of the weapon and uses it to strike Wu with a "Time Punch," sending him into the rubble. Eventually, Acronix knocks Wu off the cliff holding the monastery, where he managed to grab ahold of a branch.
Eventually, the Ninja arrive in the Destiny's Bounty 2.0, where they eventually fight Acronix. In their ensuing battle, the monastery catches fire again, with Jay stating "this place can't take a break". Eventually, Acronix uses the Time Blade to escape the monastery. The group eventually search the area, with Cole finding Wu hanging for his life. As the branch broke off, Wu started to fall, but was saved just in time by Cole. After Wu explains they don't have much time, they leave the monastery.
The Hatching (Flashback)
After the Elemental Masters' victory over the Serpentine War, the Masters went back to the monastery.
Later, the Elemental Masters fought the twins a second time at the monastery, but this time, gained victory.
Lost in Time
The Time Twins went back in time to just after their past selves fled from the Elemental Masters. They arrived at the monastery and attacked the Elemental Masters before Kai and Nya arrived.
At the end, the twins were forced to retreat from the era and Wu told his younger self to gather the tea to erase everyone's memories to restore the timeline.
After Hunted
Some time after Hunted, the Monastery was rebuilt by the Ninja and moved back in their old home.
March of the Oni
The Darkness Comes
In the Monastery, Jay practiced how to ask Nya to be his Yang on Kai. After Dareth and Nya walked in, she said Wu is observing the murals in the courtyard. When they went to visit him, they saw Firstbourne crash on the side of the mountain with Faith in her claw. They carried the latter inside the Monastery to have her heal.
Endings
The Ninja and Garmadon return to the Monastery, and soon the Oni arrive. The Ninja fight them on the steps leading to the Monastery, but the Oni drive them back into the Monastery. With no options left, the Ninja use the Tornado of Creation and successfully get rid of the Oni. They celebrate and make a new mural on the wall.
Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu
Wasted True Potential
Inside the Monastery, the Ninja are seen playing video games before using the Bell of Divinity as a hot tub. This causes an angry Wu to demand an emergency meeting back at the Monastery.
Inside the Monastery, Wu tells the Ninja that they have become incredibly lazy and challenges the Ninja to withstand time in a room with a chicken. When Wu leaves, the chicken is released and electrocutes them before they are able to trap his pet.
Throughout the evening, the Ninja are forced to dodge traps that Wu set in order to stay in shape; however, most of the Ninja failed at recognizing the traps. By the next day, the Ninja were humiliated by Wu and decide to compromise with Wu to see if there are other ways to prove their courage.
The Ninja find Wu in the courtyards and ask if there are other ways to prove their courage. Wu decides to make an exception and allow the Ninja to fight Wu. Despite Wu being outnumbered, he still soundly defeated all the Ninja due to their lack of training over the past month with pure skill despite their usage of their powers. Wu then unleashes his chicken upon the Ninja to punish them for failure as they realize the truth of Wu's words and they scream as they are electrocuted.
Questing for Quests
While Master Wu is meditating, Lloyd comes in and asks for advice on getting back into shape. This angers Wu and he tells Lloyd to find the solution himself.
Back at the courtyard, the Ninja are training until Lloyd comes back and to no success is not able to get any advice from Wu, so Jay decides the Ninja need to brainstorm in a calm environment which is the hot tub.
In the hot tub, Kai suggests they need a villain in order to get into form, but the Ninja realizes they have defeated most of the villains such as former Sons of Garmadon members and Chen, and while Lord Garmadon is still active, they decide he is no longer a threat. In addition, they are too lazy to search for Pythor as his whereabouts are unknown. Zane then proposes that they ask the Police Commissioner to see if there are any criminals to catch.
After failing to find anything to do, the Ninja return to the Monastery and turn on the TV. Luckily, they found a news reporting talking about the Ancient Pyramid that Clutch Powers found. When asked if he was going to explore it, the archeologist declined the opportunity citing that only a Ninja can venture inside the unknown. This gives Lloyd their quest in order to get back into shape.
A Rocky Start
After finding their quest, the Ninja immediately begin packing for the journey. After packing too many belongings, Wu questions their future whereabouts until P.I.X.A.L. proposes that they should try out their new vehicles.
The Ninja, Wu, and P.I.X.A.L. enter the Game Room which ends up holding a secret elevator leading to the Samurai X Cave 2.0 Once they arrived, the Ninja are excited about their new base and begin exploring. After finding the Land Bounty, the Ninja head out with it as well as the Rock Cycle and the Katana 4x4.
The News Never Sleeps
After a long journey to the Monastery of Spinjitzu, Antonia and Lil' Nelson arrive to warn Master Wu that the Ninja are trapped in a mysterious pyramid and need help. Wu promises to send P.I.X.A.L. to aid the Ninja and ends up complementing Lil' Nelson for his courage and even comparing him to Lloyd. After Wu bids farewell, the two head back down to their homes.
Ancient History
Cole, Jay, and Kai return to the Monastery of Spinjitzu to tell Wu that Aspheera has been freed from her tomb and is out for Garmadon, but Wu tells the Ninja she is after him, not his brother.
Never Trust a Human
After Wu revealed that he was the "Treacherous Deceiver," he begins to tell them about how he met Aspheera, taught her Spinjitzu, and defeated her using Forbidden Spinjitzu.
Under Siege
The Monastery gets under attack by Aspheera and the Pyro Vipers and after some failed attempts at defending the gate, Cole, Jay, Kai, Wu, and P.I.X.A.L. retreated to the Samurai X Cave 2.0.
After ransacking the Monastery and not finding Wu, Aspheera ejects fire at Char, but he dodges, hitting the dart board instead and revealing the elevator to the Underground Base. Once Aspheera noticed, Char presses the button for them to get inside the elevator, but the elevator wouldn't open due to Aspheera accidently eradicating the button.
A Cold Goodbye
The Ninja try to plead with Wu in going to the Never-Realm, but Wu holds his ground saying is isn't willing to risk any more lives after he lost Zane. Lloyd seemingly agrees with his uncle's request and tells him to make a plan for his journey before rushing in.
Later, Lloyd is able to seal the Traveler's Tea needed to return back to Ninjago, so the Ninja head down to the Underground Base.
Description
The Monastery was built atop the tallest of the Mountains of Impossible Height. With the only means of accessing it being a winding set of stairs carved out of the Mountain, reaching it was an incredibly tedious venture, especially for the Postman who had to scale it daily.
The Monastery is hexagonal in shape, with the main building built out of the three back walls. A tall white wall with red highlights and black shingle roofing protected the other three sides with a heavy wooded door carved out of the center one. Between the wall and the building was a large courtyard that held a retractable training course, which could be activated using a secret button in a dragon statue by the main gate.
Training course
The main courtyard of the monastery holds the training equipment which can be lowered into the floor to provide more space using a button inside a dragon statue by the main entrance.
Monastery Mural
The courtyard also holds the Monastery Mural, portraying some of the key moments in Ninjago history that the Ninja played a role in.
Wu's quarters
Located in the center of the building, Wu's quarters have simple in design with the only furniture being a cabinet that he held the last Sacred Flute in, and a bowl of Spirit Smoke that he used to meditate.
Samurai X Cave 2.0
After the Oni Invasion, the Underground Base was created by P.I.X.A.L. in order to store all the vehicles such as the Destiny's Bounty, Land Bounty, and the Samurai X Mech.
Inhabitants
Prior to Destruction
Former
Current
Appearances
Trivia
- The Ninja together with Wu, rebuild the Monastery in Fired Up!.
- According to Master Wu in TFTMOS, only the most essential and important people, places and things go on the murals.
Gallery
