- Not to be confused with the Elemental Masters' abilities.
True Potential is the ninth and penultimate episode of the eighth season of LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu that was released on March 17, 2018 in Australia and on May 24, 2018 in the United States. Itw as the 83rd episode overall.
Official Description
Just when the Ninja think they have saved the day, Lord Garmadon returns to Ninjago, and frees Harumi, who encourages him to "achieve his True Potential" by conquering the one thing that has always stood in his way... his son, Lloyd.
Plot
Two garbagemen collect trash from an alleyway, while listening to a news report on how the Sons of Garmadon have been jailed away in Kryptarium Prison. As they're finishing their work, they hear a deep, malevolent voice continuously say "she calls me." The figure suddenly reveals itself as the newly-resurrected Lord Garmadon, who hijacks the garbagemens' truck and invades the police station, where Harumi is being held for interrogation. Garmadon fights and defeats the guards, and frees Harumi.
As the Ninja celebrate their victory against the Sons of Garmadon, Lloyd remains distraught over Harumi's betrayal. Misako urges him not to bury his goodness beneath a hard shell. Lloyd then stops the Ninjas' celebration, seeing a news report stating Harumi escaped—and Lord Garmadon was the one who freed her. Lloyd is horrified by his father's resurrection, with many of the Ninja refusing to believe it. As the team heads to the police station, Misako takes baby Wu to Dareth's secret apartment to keep him safe. The Police Commissioner unsuccessfully tried getting through to Garmadon, but realized he's now a being of pure evil.
Lord Garmadon and Harumi break into Kryptarium Prison and allow its prisoners to take over, with Harumi introducing them to their worshipped dark lord. While training Garmadon, Harumi explains he has both elements of Destruction and Creation. In order for Garmadon unlock his True Potential, he'll have to destroy his only obstacle—Lloyd—who Harumi knows will come to face him.
On Destiny's Bounty 2.0, the Ninja discuss their plan of attack. Lloyd wants to face his father, and redeem him as he did years earlier—but the Ninja advise against this. Sometime later, Nya discovers that the Bounty's navigation is frozen. Lloyd brings her to the rest of the team, claiming that P.I.X.A.L. has a plan. As they enter a room, Nya realizes Lloyd was lying; he locks them in the room and departs to face his father alone, despite the Ninjas' pleas. He drives the Ninja Nightcrawler to Kryptarium Prison, while Cole uses his Earth Punch to break the Ninja free. The team makes contact with Lloyd, but he destroys his console in anger.
Arriving at the prison, Lloyd calls out his father. In the control room, Harumi has Lloyd's confrontation broadcast across Ninjago. As Lloyd arrives in the main hall of the prison, he's met with his father, with both remarking how the other has changed. Garmadon starts fighting Lloyd, even as he tries getting through to his father. The fight is long and brutal, with Lloyd being heavily overwhelmed by his father. Empowered by the fight, Garmadon starts to unlock his True Potential, and fires destructive energy blasts to cripple Lloyd. After being thrown into the prison's locker room, Lloyd puts up a final fight against his father, but is thrown through numerous brick walls before flying out of the prison and onto the ground far below.
All of Ninjago and the Ninja are horrified by Lloyd's defeat, as his father watches him, satisfied. Harumi tells Lord Garmadon to let Lloyd live, only so he can watch him take over Ninjago City as its new Emperor. As Garmadon and his new forces leave, Lloyd crawls a few inches before collapsing onto the sand. He weakly mutters "father," before a picture of him and his father is blown from his hand and away into the darkness.
Cast
- Biker #1 - Paul Dobson
- Biker #2 - Sam Vincent
- Boy - Kathleen Barr
- Cole - Kirby Morrow
- Dareth - Alan Marriott
- Driver - Sam Vincent
- Garmadon - Mark Oliver
- Gayle Gossip - Kelly Sheridan
- Harumi - Britt McKillip
- Injured Cop - Mark Oliver
- Jay - Michael Adamthwaite
- Kai - Vincent Tong
- Killow - Garry Chalk
- Lloyd - Sam Vincent
- Luke Cunningham - Michael Adamthwaite
- Misako - Kathleen Barr
- News Reporter - Michael Adamthwaite
- Noble - Paul Dobson
- Nya - Kelly Metzger
- Old Man - Michael Donovan
- Partner - Alan Marriott
- P.I.X.A.L. - Jennifer Hayward
- Police Commissioner - Michael Donovan
- Police Officer - Brent Miller
- Ultra Violet - Maggie Blue O'Hara
- Wu - Paul Dobson, Caleb Skeris
- Zane - Brent Miller
Transcript
For the transcript of the episode, click here.
Trivia
- The exterior of Dareth's Apartment resembles the appearance of the set 70620 Ninjago City.
- This is the second time the Ninja sing The Weekend Whip, the first is "The Royal Blacksmiths," This is also the fifth episode where Cole sings. It is also the first time he doesn't sing Glow Worm.
- While the Ninja were singing, Lloyd tells Dareth to stop the music at the exact same part the music stops in the music video for the "Weekend Whip." However, this could be a coincidence.
- The scene where Garmadon rams a garbage truck into the police station is likely a reference to the movie The Terminator, when the T-800 rams a car into a police station.
- The Sons of Garmadon appear to be the only prisoners in the "mean and dangerous population" in Kryptarium, where the Sky Pirates, the Giant Stone Warrior, and various other prisoners were previously held.
- This episode marks the second time that Garmadon has been to Kryptarium Prison, the first being "The Greatest Fear of All." Interestingly, both of his visits were in the penultimate episodes of their respective season.
- This is the second time Lloyd uses the Ninja Nightcrawler in Season 8.
- When Garmadon confronts his son, he remarks that he's changed, and Lloyd says the same to him. This is a possible homage to "An Underworldly Takeover," in Garmadon is condemned to the Underworld. There, he is confronted by Samukai, who also remarks that Garmadon has changed.
- Garmadon's theme is reprised numerous times during his battle with Lloyd. Throughout the season, the theme was reprised sparingly, with a rendition of it frequently appearing in the Sons of Garmadon motif—which is a sped up version of Garmadon's theme.
- Before fighting Garmadon, Lloyd says, "I don't want to have to fight you." Towards the end of season two, Lloyd tells his father "I don't want to fight you, but I will if I have to." The scene connects to Lloyd's conflict earlier in the series.
- Lloyd tells Garmadon that Harumi is using him as a pawn. This references the Overlord using Garmadon as a pawn and then backstabbing him—though Harumi doesn't seem to have such intentions, considering she made Garmadon the emperor of Ninjago.
- Tommy Andreasen confirmed that during his struggle with his father, Lloyd's element tried to protect him from the destructive energy shocks and possibly fatal injuries by Lord Garmadon—hence why elemental energy bursts emanated from his body when he was hit by the shocks.
- This is the third time Lloyd has been severely injured in the show. The first time was in "Return of the Overlord," while the second time was at the end of "Dead Man's Squall."
- This is the first time an antagonist achieves their True Potential. Previously, the six Ninja found their True Potential in seasons one, two and five. In this episode, Garmadon finds his True Potential by brutally fighting and defeating Lloyd.
Errors
- When Lloyd tells Nya that P.I.X.A.L. has a plan, it's the sun has just set outside outside, but when he goes back outside only half a minute later it's nighttime.
- When driving towards Kryptarium Prison the Ninja fail to talk Lloyd out of going to face Garmadon via the The Ninja Nightcrawler's radio and Lloyd smashes it in a fit of rage the top of the radio can be seen in the next shot although Lloyd destroyed it in the previous shot.
- Many of the people watching Lloyd's fight with his father on TV are duplicated at various times. For instance, the old man who says "get up, son!" can be seen in three different scenes.
- None of Kryptarium's other prisoners are visible when Harumi arrives to free the Sons of Garmadon. Soto, the Giant Stone Warrior, and many other inmates have been held there in the past.
- It's possible the prisoners were relocated due to the influx of new inmates, as it was confirmed that 300 gang members were detained following Garmadon's resurrection.