Riddle of the Sphinx

“

There is one way that non-members can be permitted. A Trial By Sphinx.

— Misako to Cecil Putnam

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"Riddle of the Sphinx"
Season 14, Episode 10
Air date	April 27, 2021 (UK) May 2, 2021 (Canada)
Written by	Kevin Burke Chris Wyatt
Directed by	Shane Poettcker
Episode guide
Previous "The Storm Amulet"	Next "Papergirl"

Riddle of the Sphinx is the tenth episode of the fourteenth season of Ninjago and the 174th episode overall. It aired on April 27, 2021, paired up with "The Storm Amulet."

Synopsis

In Ninjago City, Wu, Cole, Kai, Ray, and Misako must get into the Explorer’s Club and recover the Storm Amulet before King Kalmaar and his troops.

Extended: Kai, Ray, Cole, Wu, and Misako receive Nya's warning and rush to the Explorer's Club to retrieve the amulet - they successfully answer a riddle to gain access just as Kalmaar and his forces arrive to battle for the amulet. Meanwhile, on the island, Benthomaar encourages Nya to try using her power in a surprising new way, giving them a chance to return to Ninjago City.

Plot

Kai and Ray are sparring at the Monastery for Wu when Cole runs up to them with a message from Nya and the other ninja: The Storm Amulet is at the Explorer’s Club. They are left to ponder about who the thief is, who is none other than Clutch Powers.

At the Explorer’s Club, Clutch proudly shows off the amulet to his fellow colleagues, along with a slides presentation full of “illustrations” detailing his adventure on the uncharted island. Impressed with his tall tale, his partners decide that his inspiring actions should earn him a nomination for the Explorer of the Year award.

Meanwhile, Nya and the others are stranded at the Island, where she continues to blame herself for Kalmaar’s actions. Even worse, Zane reports there is no way to fix the Hydro Bounty. After that moment, Benthomaar asks Nya if she could summon the whales which Nya disbelievingly replies no and claims she only has the power to control water. Maya agrees, telling Bentho that she would have noticed this too since she was the previous Master of Water. However, Bentho persists, asking if they tried it before. They both reply with a no again. Seeing they had no option left, Nya goes out into the sea to try this new approach with her powers.

Back in Ninjago City, the ninja charge into the Explorer’s Club estate and find Cecil Putnam at the front. He expresses his surprise at Misako’s presence and asks them how he can help. Misako immediately replies that they must see Clutch to which Cecil coolly asks for her membership card. She reminds him that he revoked it so Cecil informs her that he will begin the reactivation process for her membership and that no one could enter further. Wu then exclaims that this is an emergency and Clutch is in possession of a very dangerous artifact. Cecil mockingly tells him the members laugh in the face of danger, which Misako confirms. With the unsuccessful conversation ending, she invokes the Trial by Sphinx, a trial in which one has three guesses to answer before consequences happen. Kai is able to answer the riddle correctly on the third guess and Cecil lets them through. They burst in on Clutch finishing up his tall tale and demand for the amulet. Unfortunately, Kalmaar and his forces also arrive for the amulet. Clutch gives the amulet to Wu and runs off screaming, a shameful scene his fellow members were not proud of. Kalmaar then commands Wu to bring him the amulet to which he refuses and a battle ensues.

Nya continues to concentrate on her powers and she is able to summon the whales.

Cast

• Benthomaar - Cole Howard
• Cecil Putnam - Paul Dobson
• Clutch Powers - Ian James Corlett
• Cole - Kirby Morrow
• Jay - Michael Adamthwaite
• Kai - Vincent Tong
• Kalmaar - Giles Panton
• Lloyd Garmadon - Sam Vincent
• Maya - Jillian Michaels
• Misako - Kathleen Barr
• Nya - Kelly Metzger
• Percy Shippelton - Brian Drummond
• Ray - Vincent Tong
• Smythe - Michael Adamthwaite
• Sphinx - Jillian Michaels
• Underhill - Kirby Morrow
• Wu - Paul Dobson
• Zane - Brent Miller

Transcript

For the transcript of the episode, click here.

Locations featured

• Endless Sea
  • Lightning Lagoon
• Ninjago
  • Mountains of Impossible Height
    • Monastery of Spinjitzu
  • Ninjago City
    • Explorers Club
• Island of the Keepers
  • Uncharted jungle
• Storm belt

Trivia

• Narrator: Kai
• The title refers to the famous riddle which asks, "What walks on four feet in the morning, two feet at noon, and three feet in the evening?"
• Tommy Andreasen isn't sure who drew Clutch's illustrations, but was some great artist from WildBrain.

Comparison of Wu in the teaser and the episode

• The Seabound teaser trailer published on the LEGO Youtube channel contains a short shot of Wu in nightlight, although the real scene in the episode is in daylight.

Continuity

• Early in the episode, Wu instructs Kai to shoot a burst of fire at Ray. In "Pause and Effect," when Kai thought his father was a traitor, he almost did this before Nya told him to stop.
  • It is as of yet unknown what would happen, though one could surmise Wu did not expect Ray to be injured.
• For some reason, Clutch Powers appears in the Club, despite presumably losing his membership and the renewal process taking multiple years.
  • He presumably lost his membership in the same expedition Misako lost hers in, as the Explorers Club is notorious for strict adherence to their ridiculously over-complicated bureaucracy, with no exceptions.
• This episode reveals that Nyad was the first Elemental Master of Water and that Nya is named after her.
• It turns out that one way to get into the Explorers Club without being a member is to correctly answer the riddle in a Trial By Sphinx.
• Wu's line "This is an emergency!" refers to the same lines by Zane and Lloyd in "The Explorers Club", which they said in exactly the same place in the same way.
• Misako telling Cecil the matter of non members must be dealt with by a 'Trial By Sphinx' is partially similar to Gulch telling Kai and Zane that the matter of being skeletons must be dealt with by a 'Trial-By-Mino'.
• The scene where Misako can't believe she was a member of the club was partially revealed by Tommy Andreasen on Twitter when he said, "Misako may have been a part but quit because of their rules and old-fashioned ways."
• Underhill uses the Venomasicus Tigrus against a Maaray Guard, in "The Explorers Club" they swarmed against him and Shippelton.
• The appearance of the Sphinx bears resemblance to Mambo V's palace, as both take influence from Ancient Egypt.
• The episode is very similar to "The Explorers Club," as both episodes consist of a short introduction scene, an entrance to the Explorers Club, where the ninja must somehow get to some valuable artifact. In both of them, one of the members of the club also presents his expedition and Cecil Putnam argues with the ninja.
• The Sphinx's riddle is based on one of the Ninjigma's riddles from Ninjago: Decoded, which reads, "Feed me and I grow, always hungry. Give me something to drink and I die, always angry." The answer is also fire.
  • Kai answers correctly both times, though here he finds it less obvious.
• The Teapot of Tyrahn can be seen sitting on a shelf in the background of the Explorer's Club. It can be assumed that since it was last seen with Clutch Powers in Season 12, he added the teapot to his collection of artifacts.
• Interestingly the security guards did not come to defend the club, as Kalmaar's burglary was much more dangerous and destructive than the ninja's burglary in "The Explorers Club."

Gallery

For the gallery of the episode, click here.