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- This article is about the episode. For the group, see Writers of Destiny.
Writers of Destiny is the fifth episode of the first season of Ninjago: Dragons Rising.
Synopsis[]
To save Cloud Kingdom, the Ninja must work together to send a terrifying tentacled beast back where it came from and close the Mergequake — and fast!
Extended: A MergeQuake unleashes a monster on the Cloud Kingdom. The Ninja, passing by on the Bounty, defend the floating city. After battle, Nya searches the kingdom's scrolls about the Merge while Arin and Sora confront a scribe named Euphrasia, a Master of Wind who hides her powers. When the MergeQuake reopens, Euphrasia reveals herself to save the Ninja. Nya stays behind to research after finding information protected by an unknown curse.[1]
Cartoon Network Asia/NZ: A MergeQuake in the floating Cloud Kingdom forces the Ninja to battle a displaced monster, where they find answers and a new Elemental Master.
Plot[]
Returning to the Monastery of Spinjitzu after helping the Craglings defeat the Earth Dragons, Kai was confused about how Riyu sparks Sora with dragon power, which helps her use her power, which the latter kept doubting it, and Arin learning Spinjitzu by himself. Arin tells him about how he is a big fan of them, with Sora retorting he once tried to have his hair in the style of Zane, amusing Kai, who insists he should've gone with his own. While still en route, they discover something ahead, and realize it is the Cloud Kingdom before shaking occurred and they discover a MergeQuake is happening.
A nearby building comes apart before Kai and Nya help some monks that were trapped on top and about to fall, only for all of them to end up falling before being saved by Arin. The monks explain some tentacled beasts are smashing everything and why it wasn't foreseen. Two Ice Dragons attempt to fight back, but fail before they make the Ninja make their own move to attack, but the monster was resistant to most of their attacks as Sora notices a group of people simply writing on scrolls before Kai and Nya send it into the MergeQuake rift for Lloyd to close. During the fight, Arin and Sora nearly go over, only to be saved by a monk named Euphrasia discreetly using her Wind power before returning to write in the scroll she was working on, and Lloyd, Kai, and Nya close the rift.
Turning to the writers, Fenwick's successor Suetonius greets them, believing he should be thanked, as they write people's destiny. Arin asks if they can do his parents', but Suetonius tells him he can't, as, to Lloyd's opinion, the Merge defied destiny, also catching the Cloud Kingdom by surprise, and had advised the writers to write down that the MergeQuakes will never happen again. When they ask to learn more, Suetonius sends fellow writer Marcus to escort them to their archives while Arin and Sora stay to watch for MergeQuakes, unaware that one was happening as they speak.

Euphrasia denying that she has Wind powers
While feeding Riyu and fixing the mech, Sora still has doubts about being a Ninja, including how she nearly got Nya killed during the Cragling fight, only for Arin to give her a reassuring hug before they spot Euphrasia. Catching up to her, they discreetly tell how they saw she was the new Master of Wind, but Euphrasia denies it, stating it will exile her, with Arin wishing he had an Elemental Power, unaware that Rapton was eavesdropping.
In the archives, Marcus shows Lloyd, Kai, and Nya how Scroll-Worms could look up certain things, demonstrating with Lloyd's, which, to Kai and Nya's amusement, mentions he picks his nose and eats the boogers. When Nya asks about the MergeQuakes, all the Scroll-Worms turn red and encase them all in cocoons.
The MergeQuake soon occurs, and a tentacled beast emerges from a rift and attacks. While Arin went to search for Lloyd, Kai, and Nya, Sora heads for her mech, and Suetonius simply tells the writers to write how it will end. Arin releases Lloyd, who warns him about the Scroll-Worms just as they attack him. Sora tries to get her mech working, but Riyu is still exhausted before Euphrasia defies her duty and attacks the tentacled beast with her Wind power, but two more appear out of the rift and one ensnares her, until Sora, managing to get her mech to work, saves her. Lloyd, Kai, Nya, and Arin, managing to get free from the cocoons, arrive to help them with Nya saving the writers from some debris. Suetonius believes the writers had written it, but they answer that they didn't, surprising him. Lloyd, Kai, Nya, and Euphrasia soon work on getting the monsters back to the rift before using their powers to close it.

Euphrasia shows Suetonius her powers
Returning to the monks, Euphrasia confesses how she was the new Master of Wind and is gonna face exile, but Suetonius, convinced how the Merge changed things, lets it unfold.

Nya bidding farewell
With the Scroll-Worms now completely unreliable in finding a solution to stopping the MergeQuakes, Nya stays behind to find out herself while Lloyd, Kai, Arin, Sora, and Riyu head back to the monastery.
Meanwhile, Rapton and the Claws of Imperium had used the fight as a distraction to capture the Ice Dragons.
Appearances[]
Characters[]
Cast[]
- Arin - Deven Mack
- Euphrasia - Bethany Brown
- Marcus - Aidan Drummond
- Kai - Vincent Tong
- Lloyd - Sam Vincent
- Nya - Kelly Metzger
- Rapton - Giles Panton
- Ras - Brian Drummond (hologram)
- Riyu - Brian Drummond
- Scroll-Worms - Ian Hanlin
- Sora - Sabrina Pitre
- Suetonius - Ian Hanlin
Non-speaking[]
Mentioned[]
Creatures[]
Items[]
- Arin's grappling hook
- Dragon Cores (mentioned)
- Gis
- Merge (Kai, Lloyd, Nya)
- Urban (Arin, Sora)
- Imperium Drones
- Sora's headphones
Vehicles[]
Events[]
- The Merge (mentioned)
- MergeQuakes
Locations[]
- Cloud Kingdom
- Imperium
- Ninjago
- Ninjago Island
- Ninjago City (mentioned)
- Ninjago Island
Species[]
Trivia[]
- The intro of the Simplified Chinese dub of this episode is slightly different from the other episodes — the last line of lyrics is "我们全貌是晚上的英雄" instead of the regular "忍者出击捍卫正义". Strangely, the built in subtitles don't reflect this difference. The reason for this change is unknown.
Cultural references[]
Continuity[]
- This episode marks the first appearance of the Cloud Kingdom since "Curseworld, Part II" (excluding the appearance in "The Kaiju Protocol").
- This is also its first appearance in WildBrain animation.
- The episode establishes people like the ninja believe that the Writers of Destiny do not really write fate of all beings and it is rather their personal belief. This viewpoint contrasts with the events in "Kingdom Come," where the outcomes for Dareth and Fenwick are clearly linked to the actions of the Writers of Destiny and their scribes.
- When Chris "Doc" Wyatt was questioned about this, he explained that the Writers of Destiny are convinced they have control over fate. However, others, including the ninja, argue that what happens is merely a matter of chance, thinking that the Writers of Destiny lack true power. The actual situation might lie somewhere in the middle, indicating that while the Writers of Destiny do have some influence over events, it is not to the extent of the absolute control they believe they possess.[2]
- The episode shows that Suetonius is a new Master Writer after Fenwick's banishment and that Euphrasia became the new Elemental Master of Wind after the Merge.
- This episode marks the fourth time Kai ruffles Lloyd's hair, the first three times happened in "Pirates vs. Ninja", "Winds of Change" and "The Mask of Deception" all occurrences done as a way to show Kai as an older brother figure to Lloyd and in this episode in particular to tease Lloyd about the fact he used to pick his nose and eat the boogers, even going as far as to nickname him "Master of Green Boogers" or just "Boogers".
- Lloyd indirectly mentions Morro when he says he knew the previous Elemental Master of Wind and how he already likes Euphrasia more than Morro.
- The theme that plays as the ninja initially send the Tentacled beasts back through the MergeQuake is reused from "Green Destiny" when the Resistance topples the Colossus.
- Nya mentions the characters going back to Ninjago City, as she is unaware of the Crossroads' existence due to her not being there since the Merge.
Errors[]
- In some international versions, Nya's mole is missing throughout the full episode. Nya is also mirrored when she and Kai jump off the tower to attack the creature.
- When Arin and Sora walk up and confront Euphrasia about her elemental wind powers, Arin states how she is the new master of wind. It is unknown how Arin knows how elemental powers are transferred after a previous master's death. Or if he knows about Morro and his passing in "Curseworld, Part II."
Videos[]
Translations[]
Language | Name |
---|---|
Chinese (Simplified) | 命运写手 |
Chinese (Traditional) | 命運的作者 |
Czech | Písaři osudu |
Dutch | Schrijvers van Lot en Bestemming |
Finnish | Kohtalon kirjoittajat |
French | Les Écrivains de la Destinée |
German | Die Schicksalsschreibenden |
Indonesian | Para Penulis Takdir |
Italian | Scrittori del destino |
Polish | Skrybowie Przeznaczenia |
Portuguese | Autores do Destino |
Spanish | Los escritores del destino |
Ukrainian | Писарі долі |
Turkish | Kader Yazanlar |