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Yk what, if Kai survived the land of monsters then I can survive my oral exams

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One thing I find unexpectedly fascinating about Monstrosity is that when you think about it, it'd really only work with Kai as the protagonist. And I don't just mean that because Rusty could only be awakened by a fire elemental, and without Rusty Kai would've died at the spooky death-siren lake - although that's definitely a part of the equation. What I mean is that Kai's specific personality was vital to not only his survival, but also to the retention of his humanity, and that likely wouldn't have been possible if almost any other character was swapped into his position.

Let me elaborate.

Although it's certainly true that not all timeskip scenarios were created equal, and that the Merge treated some people better than others (cough cough Cole), it's also worth noting that each character's experiences are heavily defined by their own unique personalities, strengths, and flaws. If you shuffled everyone around into different post-Merge outcomes, you'd have a vastly different story.

For example, Cole absolutely flourished in the Land of Lost Things, but not everyone would - Pixal in particular would really struggle there. She's normally someone who is always on her A-game so long as she has a goal to accomplish and a clear path towards doing so, and it's rare for her to face a lot of internal conflict over her motivations/ideals. But if you put her in a situation where she has to choose between leaving the Finders to reunite with her friends, or forsaking her friends to protect the Finders...I think that no matter which option she chose, she'd be deeply troubled by it, and would not cope with that conflict of interest nearly as well as Cole has.

Whereas Lloyd, if you placed him in the stasis pod instead of Pixal, would suffer just as greatly. As much as he struggled emotionally in his years of isolation in the monastery, I think it'd almost fuck him up even more to find out he slept through the Merge entirely - and has (in his eyes) failed to keep his team safe and intact. That they've had to fend for themselves without him around to do his job as the leader.

And so on and so forth. You get the general idea. (Honestly, it's kind of a fun thought exercise to explore how everyone would cope if they all got switched around into different scenarios. You should definitely try it!)

Of course, Monstrosity in particular is a fascinating case study of this. If you put any other ninja in this story, you'd get a drastically different one - and in a lot of fundamental ways, it just straight-up wouldn't work.

See, the core theme of the miniseries is about balancing ruthlessness and mercy, knowing when to fight and when to show compassion, and how to fight monsters without becoming a monster yourself. And honestly? Kai is arguably the only person on the team who could effectively navigate that balancing act.

On the one hand you have characters like Pixal, Nya, and Jay - characters who would most likely fall too far onto the ruthlessness side of things and lose themselves.

Pixal is a very determined person - as mentioned above, so long as she has a goal and an action plan, she isn't prone to giving up or losing hope. She will keep trudging along her chosen path until it is accomplished, never stopping to let anything slow her down. Sure, she'd definitely be haunted by her choices after the fact, but in the moment I don't think she'd ever let herself slow down long enough to introspect in that way. She's too busy getting back to her family to think deeply about the moral implications of her actions, or to reflect on who/what she's becoming. She'd definitely be haunted by her choices, sure, but that's not to imply she would ever meaningfully deconstruct or process those feelings at all. She is, of course, an alumni at the Zane Julien School of Processing Trauma.

Nya is similar to Pixal in a lot of ways, but she's also naturally a very ruthless person with a teensy bit of bloodlust to her (affectionate). She also has at least one canon instance of sacrificing her humanity to save her family. This isn't new to her. Daidan would tell her that she can't survive in a land of monsters without becoming a monster herself and she'd go "bet", then proceed to beat the shit out of anything that looks at her wrong. Not to mention that the weird death-siren lake would probably fuck her up in a lot of really complicated Seabound-related ways that I don't think she'll ever be ready or willing to unpack.

My placement of Jay on this side of the spectrum may face some scrutiny, but hear me out first. Although Jay acts very lighthearted and goofy in front of others, it's canon that this persona is a facade he wears to save face and hide how anxious he really feels. On some level, I would argue that Jay subconsciously self-sabotages whenever he's fighting in a group, deferring to the strength of others out of insecurity/codependency rather than trusting his own skill. But when he's on his own and has no audience left to perform for, we see Jay's full potential shine through - we see him be strong, and clever, and even a leader. And on rare occasions, usually when Nya or someone he loves is in danger, he can even be brutal. Jay would absolutely have an awful time in Monstrosity, don't get me wrong - but he'd also exhibit a level of competence and efficiency only ever seen during elimination seasons. And that same efficiency would be his downfall. Jay loves his family, he loves Nya, and he also really hates dying. I don't have a doubt in my mind that he would do whatever it takes to make it back to Nya, even if he's miserable the whole time.

Of course, that's not to say that the rest of the team has it any better. Just because Cole, Zane, and Lloyd tilt pretty far onto the "mercy" side of the spectrum, doesn't mean that's necessarily a good thing in this situation.

Cole is extremely community-oriented, and he is constantly making friends and forming meaningful connections everywhere he goes. With Chen's other prisoners, with Yang, with that not-so-random baby he found, with Krag, with the Upply, and now with the Finders. If Cole cannot find a community, he will create it. On the rare occasions that he is alone, it is usually a dire situation involving extremely poor mental health. When his isolation is self-inflicted, it's usually out of grief. And when circumstances forcibly isolate him....well, go rewatch DotD and MotO, and watch how Cole handles just a few hours of forced isolation from his family. I can't imagine he'd handle several weeks alone in the Land of Monsters without becoming completely unglued. Cole's biggest strength is his social sturdiness - not just as the rock his team relies on, but as the foundation upon which everyone he meets can cultivate a sense of community. But in isolation that strength becomes a double-edged sword, and I believe the brutal emptiness of the Land of Monsters would leave him in an even worse emotional state than Kai.

Zane is no stranger to being stranded in foreign realms, armed with nothing but the singular objective to return home. But I think he would be so paranoid about falling into old routines that he would overcompensate too far in the other direction, rendering him too soft to make it through the Land of Monsters in one piece. That's not to imply he was going to make it out in one piece to begin with, of course. This is Zane we're talking about. I'd be surprised if he goes three days without dying horribly in some way or another. Whether it's out of self-sacrifice or because he pulled punches where he shouldn't have and paid the price, that man is not lasting more than a week.

Lloyd...honestly, he's arguably the closest anyone gets to matching Kai's balance on this issue. The case could certainly be made that Lloyd would effectively replace Kai in Monstrosity...but idk, I personally don't buy it. If you ask me, I think he veers a bit too much into the "too afraid of being like his dad to let himself become a monster" spectrum. This would go one of two ways: 1) he goes the way of Zane and/or Cole, and over-softens himself out of paranoia; 2) he initially tries to over-soften himself, but everything gets to him until he eventually snaps and goes full Oni Mode. Personally, I've got my money on option 2.

The takeaway here isn't that any member of the team is inherently better or worse than the others, just that they all have particular strengths and weaknesses that serve them well in their given scenarios. But those scenarios would only work with them as the main character, and nowhere is that more apparent than with Monstrosity. Zane could never withstand Lloyd's years of isolation in the monastery, just like Jay would become an anxious mess if he had to be responsible for the Kragglings' civil war, just like Kai would absolutely have the worst time if he got stuck in the Administration, just like Nya would go stir-crazy in the Land of Lost Things.

Monstrosity is fundamentally a Kai storyline, down to its DNA. And I think that's part of why he comes across as so beautifully written in this miniseries. There is no aspect of it that you can separate from Kai without changing the fundamental core of the story itself. He's the only one on the team who could do something like this. The only one who could survive in the Land of Monsters without either dying horribly or losing himself along the way.

And idk, I just think that's neat.

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biggest gossips on the team Btw . do NOT confide in them unless u want it discussed at lunch and reenacted at dinner

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just in time before Monstrosity drops

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Kai monstrosity yet every action he takes is one he knows a fellow ninja would’ve.

“Cole would wait and see what happens”

“Jay would make a joke”

“Zane would-….maybe i shouldn’t do what Zane would do…”

“Nya would know where to attack”

“Lloyd would keep a level head, he was always the best at planning”

And every action he takes is in memory, in honour of the ones he loves as if he is already mourning them.

I’ve said this many times now, but Kai isn’t just Kai. He is everyone he loves, and when they are gone, he clings to their memory like a lost child in a crowd.

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The way Kai is fucking insane about his family he is unwell about his family he is unstable about his family and I fully support that man honestly good for him

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“But I don’t need you. I need them.”

It’s very important that we note how Kai says need. Not want, need.

He needs the ninja, his sensei, his entire family, near him and beside him or else he will lose himself.

I think it’s very important as to how, despite the ninja very obviously caring for Ninjago and its people, when they lose each other nothing else matters. They’re so stuck in grief and pain and suffering and sometimes they’re forced to still move on despite that, but in the end they truly just wish to go get their family back as their first priority.

And for someone like Kai, nothing gets in his way of getting them back. He cannot lose them, or he will lose himself, and it’s crazy how they wrote that in Monstrosity.

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Ngl, I'm glad they didn't transform Kai into a centipede.

The whole idea of Monstrosity was "you can't survive in the land of monsters without becoming a monster yourself". That's what happened with the ancient dire master and what almost happened to Daidan.

Almost. She almost destroyed an egg by pure revenge. But she didn't, and this thanks to Kai.

Rusty completely lost hope when his master became a literal monster. But when Kai arrived, both of them found peace.

Kai is the polar opposite of what represented the land of monsters : he's a protector, a mentor, he refuses to surrender to the dark side. And that's why he survived.

So Kai not becoming a monster is actually the best thing that could happen, because ultimately, Kai didn't surrender, he always focuses on the light.

Because ninjas never quit.

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“I understand what it means to lose someone, how it takes away your meaning, how it makes you so lost you just wanna give up.”

The fact that it’s KAI saying this because each time a death/loss occurred it affected his identity the most.

When he lost his parents, he had to become the parent. For Nya, he had to lose his inner child.

When he lost Zane, he lost his identity as a ninja, and his will to be one. He became the opposite, fighting unjust battles for the sake of fighting.

When he lost Lloyd, he had to become the leader. He had to stand up and take charge and make sure they don’t lose Lloyd to Morro.

When he lost Nya, he lost a part of himself. He lost the want to be a ninja, but he could never afford to lose himself as badly as he had done before. Instead, he took on the role of a teacher, to make sure no other child would have to suffer as badly as she and he did as children.

And now? Now with no one to defend or to protect other than himself, now with only the memories of his family and his loved ones left, it’s taking everything in him to keep moving for their sakes. Even if it won’t be him at the end of it all.

Kai is lost both mentally and physically and i think thats a crazy thing in monstrosity

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Jumping up, kicking back, whipping around, AND spinning 😁✳️🔥💦⚡❄️🪨

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Kai is so much more powerful in Monstrosity than whats shown in dragons rising, like he fucking flash bombed a dragon 10x bigger than him

IT LOOKS LIKE A FUCKING STAR

Like the ninja are all really powerful, Lloyd going God mod, or when they unlocked their true potential back in season 1, Nya controlling the entire ocean. Cole doing that weird move thing his mother was trying to do (forgive me I don't remember what it's called).

Not to mention throughout the show they've all displayed growth in character and their element.

But I guess I didn't truely gauge how powerful kai was if he didn't have the risk of casualties or his family around,

Because these attacks are the emotions of a desperate man, who's clinging to hope of seeing his family again that's if they were even alive. (Because he didn't know if they were alive, the only reason he didn't think about that was because if he did he would shattered) these are flames unconstrained from risk. He isn't afraid og holding back because if he holds back he won't get home. He only holds back when killing becomes monstrous in his eyes. Which is why he didn't kill the egg, why he stopped daidan.

Like he set himself of fire to charge up Rusty, And he channelled Daidans fire into this attack

And I just think it's so crazy that we never see him do this kind of stuff in ninjago or dr.

I think the closest to this power we saw in ninjago season 11 when he gained his powers back after aspheera took them, and again that was powered by the drive to protect his family.

I always find fire is related to passion, or drive to do something. It can create, so beautiful and kind but it can also destroy, be so painful and angry.

Kai feels like a perfect mix of the two a force to be reckoned with when there is no one around to stop him, or kind protective and family centred.

His fire, his strength is so driven by his passion, his family, his emotions which just makes his character so much more than just the Hot Head. I love how deep Kais development is he's got so many different layers to his personality and I'm so glad they're finally exploring and making his character more interesting.

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Imagine if the Ninja go to the Land of Monsters, and while there one of them finds a piece of what looks to be a massive knight's helmet, and when Kai sees it, he just starts crying.

The image attached is relevant btw YOU GUYS SEE THE VISION, RIGHT???

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i feel like kai is sort of desensitized to most things after monstrosity, which explains how calm he is in dragons rising. his personality change(?) was a trauma response.

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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Guys guys guys guys please tell me yall are seeing this too. It's not just me right. Hahahahahaha I'm not hallucinating am I. It's real right. You can see this too. Holy crap. Peter the horse is here. Oh gods this is not real.

OC NATION!!!! O FUCKING C NATION!!!!! MONSTER OC NATION!!!! MONSTER ENTHUSIAST NATION!!!! HEED MY CALL WE RALLY AT DAWN. OH MY GODS THIS IS INSANE

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New Ninjago book released today

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this is how this went. trust me. I'm an expert

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I'm currently trying to make a powerpoint presentation recapping Ninjago lore so my gf can at least try to understand anything I say, and I'd love to share with you all some of the highlights