- This article is about the actual dragon. For the episode, see The Shatter Dragon. For the set, see 71832 Thunderfang Dragon of Chaos.
Thunderfang (also known as the Shatter Dragon of Chaos) is a former dragon Patriarch[1] from the First Land, as well as a former general of the Dragon army who is the source of the dark powers possessed by the Forbidden Five. Thunderfang wields the extraordinary capability to conjure storms that unleash devastation, drawing upon the chaotic powers fueled from the souls of his vanquished foes. Motivated by his numerous victories in the war against the Oni, he aspired to become a Source Dragon. However, he was deemed unworthy, prompting him to seek retribution. He was ultimately defeated by the Arc Dragon of Focus in the City of Temples, resulting in his imprisonment beneath where the Storm Village is located.
After the Forbidden Five returned, they aimed to find the Prismatic Blades and free Thunderfang to get more power from him in exchange. However, upon his release, Thunderfang stole their souls and battled the ninja as he set out to exact vengeance against the Merged Realms once more. Ultimately, he met his demise at the hands of Arin, who used an elixir sourced from the Well of the Lost that caused all the souls that Thunderfang had consumed to either move on or return to their living bodies, causing his body to physically calcify before crumbling into light. Consequently, Thunderfang's spirit was banished to the Spectral Lands, where he commenced a campaign to capture souls in order to regain power.
History[]
Background[]
Thunderfang is a dragon hailing from the Realm of Oni and Dragons, where he served as a general and a great war hero in the Dragon army during the tumultuous War of Oni and Dragon. His victories earned him the name the Shatter Dragon of Chaos, which reflected his tumultuous nature.[3] Thunderfang yearned for the prestigious honor of becoming a Source Dragon, convinced that his numerous victories in battle justified his claim to this revered status.[4] However, his aspirations were met with rejection from the Source Dragons, leaving him furious. This denial fueled a deep-seated bitterness within him, leading to a vengeful desire to annihilate everything in his path and seize the souls of the Source Dragons to usurp their power.[3][5] As his first act of retaliation, Thunderfang unleashed the Winds of Chaos upon the City of Temples, aiming to destroy all the devout followers of the Source Dragons. However, he was interrupted in his attack by the Arc Dragon of Focus, the champion of the Source Dragons, who fought him to prevent him from causing chaos. The Arc Dragon finally prevailed over the Shatter Dragon and imprisoned him deep beneath the ground of the First Realm.[4]
At an unknown point of his life, Thunderfang gave some of his power to five beings, known as the Forbidden Five. This act granted them various powers, infamously Shatterspin and Theroxian Magic. Thunderfang had a plan in mind, believing that these five would eventually return to him much later. He anticipated that they would seek to free him, hoping to gain even more power from him in return.[6]
The Spectral Lands[]
Thunderfang was aware the Forbidden Five have returned to his prison to ask for more power, much to their shock. He points out that everything they have done were all part of his plan to be free. Rox tried to counter his statement but Thunderfang laughs and remarks their ego and entitlement reminded them of his young self. He points out their deal is to free him of his chains so he can empower them with more power.
Thunderfang also gave them a gem that was on a ring he wore to help them.
I Alone Can Save Them[]
Their Draconic Majesty's Request[]
Chaos Unchained[]
Thunderfang became aware that Drix had successfully retrieved the final two Prismatic Blades. He vocally denounced the Source Dragons, branding them as cosmic impostors for their refusal to bestow upon him the esteemed title of Source Dragon. Thunderfang proclaimed that, despite being denied this honor for countless ages, his ascendance was imminent. After a while, he began to summon the Winds of Chaos, unleashing a colossal storm that coincided with an intense battle among the ninja, the Forbidden Five, and the Dragonian Warriors, all vying for control of the Prismatic Blades. Ultimately, the Forbidden Five succeeded in claiming the last two blades, which Zarkt and Drix wielded to sever the chains that had long shackled Thunderfang's neck and leg. However, when the Forbidden Five demanded the dark powers he had promised them, Thunderfang derided them as fools, expressing disbelief at their naivety in trusting him. In a treacherous act, he consumed their souls. With his chains broken, Thunderfang began to ascend from the depths of the First Land.
The Shatter Dragon[]
Relationships[]
Enemies[]
- Oni
- Source Dragons
- Roby's family
- Monks
- Arc Dragon of Focus
- Ninja
- Forbidden Five (former allies)
- Morro
- Soul Suckers
Abilities[]
- Corruption Inducement - Thunderfang possesses a dark form of dragon energy characterized by its ability to corrupt those who come in contact with it. The nature of the corrupting energy is particularly evident in factions such as the Wolf Clan, which succumbed to its effects after harnessing it.
- Soul/Power Consumption - Thunderfang is capable of consuming the souls and powers of the enemies he defeated to increase his own.
- Winds of Chaos - After consuming many Oni souls, Thunderfang got the ability to conjure the Winds of Chaos, which take the form of a tumultuous storm with colossal tornadoes and strong gusts of wind.
- Wing Barriers - As seen in his first battle against the Arc Dragon of Focus, Thunderfang can shield himself from attacks with his wings.
- Telepathy - Similar to a few other dragons, Thunderfang possesses the ability to communicate with other beings by using telepathic powers.
- Power Bestowal/Augmentation - Thunderfang bestowed the Forbidden Five with some of his energy, which granted them various dark powers, and even mentioned that he could give them more power.
- Expert Manipulator/Strategist - Thunderfang manipulated the Forbidden Five with a strategy where he gave them some of his power, anticipating that they would come find him much later to seek more power from him as part of his plan to be free from his prison.
- Lightning Bolt Projection - Thunderfang can unleash powerful bolts of lightning out of his wings.
- Power Detection - Thunderfang was able to sense Lloyd’s power mostly due to the Green Ninja being a Source Dragon Conduit.
- Flight - Thunderfang can fly using his wings.
- Bipedalism - Thunderfang can move and stand on two legs like a human.
Consumed souls[]
- Multiple Oni (formerly)
- Forbidden Five
- Lloyd (briefly)
- Soul Suckers
- Morro
Official descriptions[]
71832 Thunderfang Dragon of ChaosTeam up with your ninja heroes to stop Tyr and Nokt releasing the dangerous Thunderfang. If this evil dragon breaks free, he will unleash chaos and storms and let the Forbidden Five destroy the NINJAGO® world. Be quick! Sora, Lloyd, Arin and Nya need to keep Thunderfang in chains and stop the villainous duo using prismatic blades to unlock him. The ninja must triumph to protect their home![7] LEGO.com descriptionsCaught in the stormIf Thunderfang smashes his way out of his prison, he could unleash a storm that brings chaos through the Merged Lands, trapping the ninja in supernatural winds! Fallen heroThunderfang was a general and war hero in the War of Oni and Dragon. When his wish to become a Source Dragon was denied, he turned his wrath on the world! Thunderfang's powerThe source of the Chaos Dragon’s power has been revealed... and it’s the trapped souls of his fallen enemies! Broken chainsWhen each chain in Thunderfang’s prison is cut, strange weather increases! The chains can only be broken with five Prismatic Blades.[2] |
Appearances[]
Sets[]
Ninjago: Dragons Rising[]
Season 3[]
- 41. "The Missing" (flashback)
- 43. "The Spectral Lands"
- 45. "I Alone Can Save Them"
- 47. "Their Draconic Majesty's Request"
- 49. "Chaos Unchained"
- 50. "The Shatter Dragon"
Books[]
- Kai's vision (vision; non-canon)
Video games[]
- Fear No Chaos (non-canon)
Trivia[]
- He is the ninth evil dragon introduced in the franchise. The previous eight include the Nindroid MechDragon, Morro's dragon, the Ghost Dragons, Boreal, the Empire Dragon, the Blue Dragon, Grief-Bringer, and the Dragonides.
- Notably, he is the first evil dragon since Grief-Bringer to be an actual living dragon since Grief-Bringer is an undead dragon.
- He is also the first villainous dragon featured in Dragons Rising, although two Terra Dragons served as enemies to the ninja and Craglings in "Beyond Madness."
- He is the fourth creature that a main antagonist wanted to unleash as part of a master scheme. The first three included the Great Devourer, released by Pythor; the Preeminent, freed by Morro; and Wojira, awakened by Kalmaar.
- The Forbidden Five's plan to release Thunderfang mirrors Kalmaar's approach to awakening Wojira, as both plans involve the main antagonist using a colossal creature that can create storms to cause chaos and devastation, with the Forbidden Five intending to use Thunderfang to destroy the Merged Realms, while Kalmaar sought to unleash Wojira to flood all the islands in Ninjago.
- While both Thunderfang and Wojira are seen as beings of chaos due to their storm abilities, their powers differ significantly, as Wojira controls storms of wind and rain, whereas Thunderfang's storms embody primal chaos.[8]
- Chris "Doc" Wyatt stated that Wojira is not more powerful than Thunderfang.[8]
- The Forbidden Five's quest to find the five Prismatic Blades to free Thunderfang is very similar to the Pythor's quest to find the four silver Fangblades to unleash the Great Devourer as seen in Rise of the Snakes.
- Furthermore, Thunderfang's betrayal of the Forbidden Five makes him the first being since the Great Devourer to turn against its liberators immediately after being freed.
- He is also the third villain/creature to betray their liberators, the first two being the Great Devourer and Wojira.
- Furthermore, Thunderfang's betrayal of the Forbidden Five makes him the first being since the Great Devourer to turn against its liberators immediately after being freed.
- The Forbidden Five's plan to release Thunderfang mirrors Kalmaar's approach to awakening Wojira, as both plans involve the main antagonist using a colossal creature that can create storms to cause chaos and devastation, with the Forbidden Five intending to use Thunderfang to destroy the Merged Realms, while Kalmaar sought to unleash Wojira to flood all the islands in Ninjago.
- Thunderfang is older than the First Spinjitzu Master.[9]
- According to Chris "Doc" Wyatt, Thunderfang was the dragon counterpart to the Omega in a military sense before he turned evil.[10]
- It's possible that the Omega and Thunderfang knew of each other and at one point crossed paths.[11]
- Thunderfang's imprisonment under the Storm Village is very similar to Garmadon’s banishment to the Underworld as seen in "Battle Between Brothers" even down to the camera shot of the two characters falling into a dark abyss.
- When asked if Firstbourne or Thunderfang was stronger, Kevin Burke jokingly said, "Fugi-Dove".[12]
- When Chris "Doc" Wyatt was asked who would win with both in their primes he stated, "I guess it depends on circumstances-- I want to say Firstbourne, but does Thunderfang have any advantages (sneak attack, etc...). I guess I'd say odds would be 6 out of 10 in favor of the Firstbourne".[13]
- Thunderfang draws his powers from the souls of the Oni he defeated,[14] explaining his destructive abilities in contrast to the dragon ability to create.
- Thunderfang is the only known dragon with more than two eyes (aside from dragons with multiple heads), as he has six small eyes.
Gallery[]
LEGO model[]
Promotional media[]
.jpg "Ninjago DragonsRising 2025 S03 Poster 1 Vertical (2).jpg (4.4 MB)")
.jpg "Image NewSeason (1).jpg (3.06 MB)")
In Ninjago: Dragons Rising[]
Design variants[]
.jpeg "Spectral Thunderfang DRS3 EP10 (2).jpeg (216 KB)")
Season 3[]
.gif "Souls (Dragons Rising).gif (1.3 MB)")
_-_0.gif "Souls (Dragons Rising) - 0.gif (3.14 MB)")
_-_1.gif "Souls (Dragons Rising) - 1.gif (2.56 MB)")
_-_2.gif "Souls (Dragons Rising) - 2.gif (4.63 MB)")
_-_3.gif "Souls (Dragons Rising) - 3.gif (5.59 MB)")
Translations[]
Thunderfang[]
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Chinese (Simplified) | 雷牙 |
| Czech | Thunderfang |
| Dutch | Bliksemtand |
| Finnish | Thunderfang |
| French | Croc-de-Tonnerre |
| German | Donnerzahn |
| Hungarian | Viharfog |
| Japanese | サンダーファング |
| Polish | Kiełogrzmot |
| Spanish (LA) | Thunderfang[15] |
| Spanish (ESP) | Colmillo Tronador[16] |
| Ukrainian | Громовержець[17] |
Shatter Dragon of Chaos[]
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Chinese (Simplified) | 混沌破碎猛龙 |
| Czech | Drak roztříštění a chaosu |
| Dutch | Verbrijzeld Draak van Chaos |
| Finnish | Kaaoksen murskaajalohikäärme |
| German | Zerstörerdrache des Chaos |
| Polish | Gromowładny smok chaosu |
| Spanish (LA) | Dragón Estrago del Caos |
| Spanish (ESP) | Dragón Destructor del Caos |
| Turkish | Parçalayan Kaos Ejderhası |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://bsky.app/profile/docwyattbeyond.bsky.social/post/3lmpftk3t4s2n
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://kids.lego.com/en-us/ninjago
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Fallen Wishes"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The Missing"
- ↑ "The Shatter Dragon"
- ↑ "The Spectral Lands"
- ↑ https://kids.lego.com/en-ae/kids/sets/ninjago/thunderfang-dragon-of-chaos-96646d7ee3bda6e06c86b8fcd379f6d0
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 https://bsky.app/profile/docwyattbeyond.bsky.social/post/3lipzdl3gfc2a
- ↑ https://bsky.app/profile/docwyattbeyond.bsky.social/post/3ll7lnsc22k2e
- ↑ https://bsky.app/profile/docwyattbeyond.bsky.social/post/3ll7mtrwboc2e
- ↑ https://bsky.app/profile/docwyattbeyond.bsky.social/post/3lmpftk3t4s2n
- ↑ https://bsky.app/profile/kevinburke20.bsky.social/post/3li3o2jtggc27
- ↑ https://bsky.app/profile/docwyattbeyond.bsky.social/post/3lknz2kcyac22
- ↑ https://bsky.app/profile/docwyattbeyond.bsky.social/post/3lj3o6oqdg222
- ↑ https://youtu.be/JE96yRSZads
- ↑ https://youtu.be/9AFJoVYIwpk
- ↑ https://www.lego.com/uk-ua/product/thunderfang-dragon-of-chaos-71832