#Ninjago rambling to the extreme…

[badboychaser]

as the resident cole AND morro guy, uve GOT to have some interesting opinions on wu, so im gonna bite the bullet and ask what u think of my epic guy of all time wu.

I don’t really like or dislike Wu. He’s more so a character to me that is just…there.

He served more as a guide character within the pilots-s2 to sort of introduce us to the lore and world of Ninjago outside of the Ninjas perspective when we weren’t focusing on their world- like Coles father, Jays parents/crush on Nya, Kais ambition towards the green ninja, Nya coming to terms with growing up as a women (saying this as afab), and Zane’s sense of purpose. I’ll get to Lloyd later.

I joke often about Wu forgetting to tell the Ninja about important situations such as the Time Twins, Morro, etc. as most people do, however, I see this more as a fault of the writers than anything else. Characters are bound to be written and expressed differently depending on the writers of the time. This extends to the character of Wu and very noticeably the Ninja throughout the later seasons.

*I’m gonna talk about Cole & Morro a lot but it’ll circle back to Wu I swear.

~ Cole ~

During the beginning of the show we’re introduced to Cole; whom is shown to be somewhat a leader of the group in sense that he’s strong-willed. He’s not afraid of taking down someone who’s threatening the lives of others, but he can easily shed that hard exterior to reveal a caring person. Someone who, later on, is revealed to have had this revelation in childhood as well. He wants to go his own path even if others advise against it.

I believe that Wu did notice this in Cole when Cole was younger. The particular age that Wu started officially training Cole is unfamiliar as the mainline tv show has retconned this a few times while the comics go their own way. Besides that, I don’t believe Wu ONLY wanted to train Cole to become a ninja I believe he wanted to train Cole a certain type of discipline- to pick his battles and to know exactly what he’s fighting for.

I see Cole as someone who would get lost without proper guidance. Someone who has the potential for destruction whether that be internal or external. Someone who fights for what he thinks is right and to help others, but may end up actually hurting those he loves to prove a point.

Cole turning into a ghost is one of the BIGGEST points in his character arc. He sacrificed himself to get the map inside the Temple of Airjitzu thus turning him into a ghost. He accidentally chose his battle incorrectly because he felt obligated morally to help more than he needed too. He knew he was fighting for Ninjago and against Morro, but he didn’t know what he specifically got out of the situation which put him in a type of purgatory. This purgatory is worse than what is normally described, because instead of being cleansed of past sins and mistakes he is substituted to watch himself create more mistakes and “live” through the ones he’s already made without amends. In a perfect world, Cole only realizes he can move forward from his ghostly form if he actively WANTS change.

Wu trying to aid and guide Cole through life so he doesn’t end up like a child he used to teach- only to end up seeing Cole stuck due to circumstances out of his control. Circumstances brought on by someone from the past. Someone who cannot move forward and doesn’t believe in change. Morro.

“I tried to warn you when you were a child

I told you not to get lost in the wild

I sent omens and all kinds of signs

I taught you melodies, poems, and rhymes”

The Yawning Grave - Lord Huron

~ Morro ~

Morro is the same as Cole, at least, in the sense that they’re both strong-willed. Wanting to go his own path and achieving the destiny he thinks he’s entitled too. Wu definitely saw a little bit of Morro in Cole at some point and I believe the ghost arc sealed it.

A lot is unknown about the relationship between Morro & Wu other than knowing that Wu took Morro under his wing to train him to become a ninja. Lore like this isn’t really explored much in Ninjago seasons as they like to focus on present situations instead of past ones. It did seem that Wu really did care for Morro and did try to comfort him after it’s revealed that Morro wasn’t yet worthy of the green ninja title. Although, when Morro started acting out that’s when Wu started to become stern which is where I believe a lot of people have misconceptions about his character.

While we don’t know much about Wus student of the past I think it’s safe to assume this is the moment where Wu recognized that people have to been taught and trained differently. Maybe he taught Morro wrong? Maybe Morro cannot be taught and had to experience hardships himself to actually learn? Next time it can be different- it has too.

The first time I watched Day of the Departed I thought Morro mentioning Coles danger to Wu was to get some type of ulterior motive and the writers were going to explain it at a later date. This..didn’t happen. Typically because of this I joke about Morro helping Cole to get “heaven points” or “helpin another ghost bro out” but if I were to look deeper into it (a territory that the writers had 100% no intention of) I like to picture it as Morro not EXACTLY forgiving Wu but accepting the fact that he’s done wrong and wanting a better life for someone else.

Morro has done bad things, he knows that, and he’s not immune to consequences. Whether or not it was his own fault or Wus doesn’t matter because it’s all in the past. What matters going FORWARD and helping others is the important part.

~ Lloyd ~

Lloyd had a bit of a tricky relationship with Wu. It’s very obvious that Lloyd loves his Uncle, but the lingering thought of his father does get in the way of that love sometimes. Wu was very sweet to Lloyd when they took him in during s1 and even advised the ninja to look past where and who Lloyd initially came from and focus on befriending him and moving forward. From then on mostly it was the ninja and Kai who raised Lloyd.

-

Misako…I’m not a Misako lover. I don’t resonate with her character at all so I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to speak on her relationship with Wu. Not my place to say.

-

Reiterating, while Wu does do the infamous “there’s something I forgot to tell you…” that’s ABSOLUTELY just a writer shoe-in to push more seasons and should not actually reflect Wu as a character.

The way I see it; Wu at the beginning of the series was a character to push guidance and lessons for our characters to learn from so they can “defeat the big bad” of that season. A LOT misdirection of Wu’s character comes from s5. Honestly, I’m an early Ninjago season lover so anything after s7 is not my strong suit so I cannot speak for his character beyond that point.

I’ve been a little distant from Ninjago lately so I wish I could have given a more in depth response, so I tried to reason with what I already knew from the top of my head.

*Side note: I think “The Yawning Grave” by Lord Huron is a really good song to express the relationship between Wu, Morro, and Cole. Highly recommend the listen and looking up peoples thoughts about the meaning of the lyrics online.

*Side note: “Ninjago Mini-Movie #4: An Underworldly Takeover” is a good Cole and Wu focused short where Wu explains the relationship he had with his brother Garmadon after Cole gets curious and asks.

[destinysbounty]

Oh hey, here's a Cool New Activity That Will Definitely Cause Zero Emotional Devastation:

Listen to "Remember You" from Adventure Time on loop for like an hour and think about it in the context of Lloyd and Zane/Ice Emperor. And then begin to think of an elaborate AU where Zane doesn't meet Vex and therefore never becomes the Ice Emperor, but the Scroll still messes with his head and makes him slowly lose his sense of self over the course of several decades. And then cry a little.

[nyaskitten]

Found this on the wiki but there's nothing on Lego's channel 😭😭😭 THEY'RE KEEPING ENGLISH CINDER AWAY FROM ME 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[helpmyinterestsareverywhere]

"Where's Unagami?"

"Where he belongs. He's home."

[nerdyenby]

I love ninjago for so many reasons but the way personhood is never a doubt does something to me

It’s never even a question if artificial life forms count as people. Even way back in season one when Zane found out he was a robot, it threw him for an existential loop but all his friends were like “oh wow, huh… kinda explains some things, you’re still you though.” There’s the internal tension of questioning one’s own identity and self-worth, but his loved ones love him nonetheless. New information doesn’t change anything — he’s always been a nindroid, just as he’s always been Zane.

In season three when we meet Pixal the gang is concerned at Zane’s willingness to give up half his power source for her, not because they don’t think she’s a person but because he hasn’t known her that long. There’s the short lived question of her allegiance, but Zane confidently argues that she has free will just the same as him when not under the overlord’s control. The whole situation reads more like being surprised at how serious this new relationship is than questioning or invalidating Pixal’s autonomy.

And then, of course, we have Prime Empire. When Okino — an NPC — is told that the world they’re currently in isn’t real he is quick to denial, but as soon as the truth becomes inarguable he falls into a depressive episode. His whole life is fake, everything he sees is fake, he is fake. Even as Okino vehemently argues that he should be left behind, that his presence as part of the game puts them in danger, that their enemy — the creator of said game — could use him against his new friends, the ninja refuse. They firmly tell him “No, you’re our friend. You’re a good person and we trust you, trust yourself too” and it just freaking breaks me for some reason.

[theplatypusblue]

All the segments of teen Wu in season 9 are so funny cuz everyone’s just like “Wu, do you know where the dragon armor is?” and Wu’s actual unironic response is “Yeah it came to me in a dream ☺️”

And since they literally have no alternatives in this situation they just. Go in whatever random direction Wu points them in. And I get that’s kinda the point of the whole faith thing and everything but it’s so ridiculous that it’s both funny and terrifying at the same time.

[primeministerofantarctica]

cole being canonically gay would be fantastic because it'd be great for an already established and much-loved character to reveal they're not straight, but also (and this is the most important) it would completely decimate thousands of ship wars in an instantaneous explosion

[un-pearable]

📁 and lloyd too actually

well crap i’ve already regaled you with the lloyd’s (jay’s) DS saga so… building from that clip from skybound i love the idea that lloyd’s sense of humor is the most off-color of any of the ninja. not just cringeworthy but full-on “yikes, i hate that that’s funny.” he was the kind of kid who whipped out the dead baby jokes in middle school. whether it’s darkley’s or inherited or whatever he’s really funny in a slightly insensitive way - later on he’s fully aware of it and knows it’s definitely something that is NOT a good idea for their public images but he never fails to send jay into hysterics

[getthisbread]

Hello! I love you work and was wondering if you could make hc for the ninja with an S/O who cooks them luches/snacks/food packets, if they are going on a mission, Bc they don't want the them going hungry?

Ty sooo much <3

I love you so.

This request is actually adorable </3 I LOVE STUPID FLUFFY DOMESTIC STUFF!!!!!

title creds: The Walters, I love you so

Summary: While the ninja are away, they miss you more than anything. How would they react if they found you were taking care of them from across Ninjago?

Lloyd Garmadon, Nya Smith, Kai Smith, Cole Brookstone, Jay Walker, Zane Julien (separate) x gn!reader

Lloyd:

Lloyd was heartbroken to leave for the mission in the first place. Poor baby has attachment and abandonment issues, so he hates to leave. So, when he finds your care package it really brightens his mood for the rest of the mission.

Someone, probably Kai, makes a comment in passing about how Lloyd didn't leave anything for you. Lloyd instantly feels worse, but he gets over it. He knows you, and he knows that you wouldn't be angry.

If the mission is going to last a while longer, he will send you a letter. It contains how much he misses you, a very large thank you, and ramblings about how cool he was in his most recent fight. Extremely unorganized, but cute nonetheless.

When he feels lonely without you near him, he re-reads the little note you sent him, 'Hi, honey! I hope you like everything I packed, I tried to pick your favorites. I miss you so much, LOVE YOU!' It makes him feel a little less far.

When he gets back, he is going to be ALL over you. He went so without cuddles, and you even took care of him from across Ninjago!! He is so thankful for you. <3

Nya:

Outwardly, Nya doesn't seem to be affected by having to leave, she most definitely is, though. Nya doesn't want emotions to cloud her view, so she just pushes them down.

When she's alone, she finally allows herself to miss you. Doing so, she looks for the picture of you two she always carries, and happens to find the little package hidden in her luggage.

Nya goes red as soon as she realizes that you knew, you knew that she was horribly sad to leave you. You can read her like a book, and she hates it.

She takes her time to enjoy everything you packed for her when she gets down-time. She is so grateful to you for looking out for her even if you aren't there physically.

Once she gets back, she will be more affectionate in private. It's how she's able to show her feelings without embarrassing herself. She isn't good at verbalizing feelings. (I feel like Nya shows affection like a cat, she comes to you.)

Kai:

Some little mission? Nothing the fire ninja can't handle! Kai is so confident, almost to a fault, so he acts like nothing bothers him. When, in actuality, a lot of things easily get under his skin. Leaving you, especially.

Kai is very emotional when he finds the little package, he will even start to brag to the other ninja about how amazing you are, how you're all his, the ninja start to get annoyed with him lmao.

Kai being dramatic aside, the smallest most unnoticeable things you do make his heart melt every time. He thinks he's all big a nd tough, but you just make him so soft.

Kai will lay in his cot, and think about you at night. <3 He'll hold his pillow and pretend it's you to finally be able to sleep. Poor baby wishes you were here to take care of him and dote like you always do.

But seriously, he falls even more in love with you, if that's even possible. Kai is rough and fiery, much like his element, the sweet things you do always seem to brighten his flame tenfold. He is always willing to complete a mission if it means he can see you afterwards.

Cole:

Cole probably didn't notice till like the last day- In his defense, the mission did take most of his time, and the only free time he had was spent training. When he does find it, he's like, "Who the fuck put smashed cake in my clothes????? >:( I'm still going to eat it!!"

When he does notice, he is so happy, especially because you packed him a slice of cake, SCORE! He'll even eat it out of his clothes, he's cute, not clean...

He is genuinely so touched that you would bake/buy a cake and send him some for the mission. <3 The way to his heart is through his stomach, that's for sure.

Next time, he will check first thing if you sent him any goodies. He's like a kid on Christmas. The other ninja see him rip all his clothes out of his suitcase as soon as they get to their destination and are like, wtf??

Because he found it closer to the end of the mission, it will be fresh on his mind, so he will be sure to give you a big thank you in person. He will be yours for like the next two days, all over you.

Jay:

It would probably be so hard to sneak something in Jay's stuff. He definitely checks that he has everything over and over again. It's like five minutes before the ninja need to leave and he's re-packing his underwear lmao.

If you somehow are able to hide a care package in his stuff, he'll find it almost immediately, it's like he's got a nose for it I swear-

It makes him really happy though, his mom used to pack him little things when either of them would be away, so it's like a sweet little burst of nostalgia, he cries.

He rants to Cole about how amazing you are, Bestie Things™, Cole is lowkey so thankful Jay has you to look out for him, it makes Cole happy too. :)

When they get back, Jay will tackle you in a hug, he is so mushy and sentimental all of the sudden you think something happened. He has to explain, no, nothing happened he just loves you and wants you to know it. <3

Zane:

Zane is a robot, so it's a bit hard to choose what to send him. Like what does he eat??? Batteries?? You genuinely do not know what he can eat, if anything. So you send him some nice double A batteries and oil, yummy, right?

He leaves something for you too, he's like a 5-star chef, so he cooks all your favorites before he goes, sweet boy wants you well fed and happy!

When he finds everything, he is a tad confused. He eventually realizes that you just want him taken care of however that may be for a robot.

There are times that he wishes he was human like you, there will be a point when you pass away and he will be alone. So seeing you try to take care of him, albeit in a strange-ish manner, he forgets about his past worries.

Even if he can't enjoy what you sent, it's the thought that counts. Zane was made to protect those who cannot protect themselves, so having you doing your best to help from the sidelines motivates him to do his best.

I am sosososoos sorry this took so long. I'm actually sick rn, but I'm starting to get better!! I hope this isn't bad- I guess my writing gets worse when I'm sick lmao. Thank you for waiting though!!! <3

[kadextra]

LETS GO rambling and analysis time now that I finished part one

MAJOR MAJOR spoilers under the cut

KAI

NOOOOO how is he gonna get out??? I will say him as the first to use rising dragon felt extremely deserved, I clapped and cheered during that fight scene. but now he’s stuck in the netherworld with the remaining forbidden five and that’s scary.

teared up seeing Nya activate her rising dragon style in her grief for him. in the next part she’s gonna find out Jay forgot who she is too… so much heartache for Nya 😞

really enjoyed Bonzle in these episodes as well, learning about her origin of being a spell, her journey of discovering herself as a person and finding a found family :’) at least she’s with Kai now….

and I’ve felt terrible for Lloyd every episode. him getting slammed by those visions constantly, unexpectedly, even in the middle of a fight which sends him spiraling, that’s so rough :((

It’s obvious they’re a representation of panic attacks/he has developed a canon panic disorder- like Lloyd literally says it at one point. they happen suddenly, give anxious fear about present and future events, he gets scared about having another one so he tries to cope by not sleeping (unhealthy coping method) and is taught later on to try accepting the feelings and ride it out which is a way irl therapists teach. good to see some more exploration of mental health in this show!! I’m glad the other characters are taking notice and trying to help too in the ways they can

speaking of mental health, Arin has been interesting to watch. he’s reading to me more as an autistic-coded character lately (like that line about not understanding social cues???) and we’ve been seeing lots more negative self-esteem issues and insecurity from him. watching him make mistakes during the training sessions, get scolded, then close himself off was hard to listen to

how Sora decided to hide the truth about Arin’s “spinjitzu move” that saved the day at the end so he would feel proud of himself for achieving something hurt my heart- she is such a sweet friend who wants her bestie to be happy but like. keeping secrets is gonna have consequences down the line... and moreso it’s just painful to see how deeply Arin’s self-worth is tied to what he’s capable of doing, what he can do for the team. he’s already insecure how would he feel to find out ppl are lying so he can be happy? he’s a string that’s gonna snap one day and judging from that beatdown moment with Lord Ras it’s not going to be pretty, I sense some sort of villain arc approaching for our son

someone send these people to therapy they’re so traumatized

in another news: Cole and Geo gay love! homosexuals! maybe a QPR! I don’t care whatever it is, it’s clear they love each other

it wouldn’t be a ninjago season without the destiny’s bounty crashing and burning <333 and it was nice seeing Jay for 10 seconds again <3333

now my current question is what’s the source dragon tournament thing Lord Ras’ master is talking about??? tournament?? 👀 it’s basically implied that master is a source dragon or a being that rivals their power

can’t wait for the next part to release agugugsjkhkdbqjdpgsiduggjneosgktnalfhdiqkwkfjfialwkg

[basicallyjaywalker]

Wanna ramble about a moment/character in ninjago you think people need to talk about more?

I don't know who you are anon, but I'm glad you asked!

I am desperate for people to character-analyze Wu. I'm desperate for a lot of character analysis including Nya but since I got a lot of my Nya feelings out with some lovely folks the other night (edit: the other night was a month ago dw about it. this took a minute) I'm going with Wu this time

Master Wu to me is such an interesting case of a character who it is so easy to ignore the bits of the show that hint at his wider issues and traumas. He is a man defined heavily by his family and by his past. A lot of criticism he gets, I think, is due in part to that.

I've mentioned before that I've been rewatching S1 with a friend of mine and intermittently pausing to infodump on them about interesting character things I notice from that season. A lot of that has been Wu-focused because despite having seen RotS dozens of times throughout my life (watching it on CN, watching it on Netflix when only it and Legacy were around, rewatching it with friends) I have only just started noticing the seeds of character written in.

I might also just be reading too much into things, but hear me out

In S1 (and by extension, the pilots), Wu is characterized as your typical old wise teacher. In the first few minutes of EP1: Rise of the Snakes, he is chewing out the Ninja for playing video games instead of training. The line he uses? "Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today."

It's a line that gets repeated throughout the series. In fact, it gets repeated that very episode when the ninja go (pun not intended) to fight the Hypnobrai and a literal pre-teen. At first, it seems to just be a piece of wisdom. Some old proverb Wu's picked up over the years, possibly one he even coined himself. However, in EP7: Tick Tock, Wu tells the story of who, possibly, first told him this.

(Source: Tick Tock/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom, highlight added.)

It was Garmadon. Now, I'm not gonna dwell too long on Garmadon, if you spend five minutes talking to me you'll learn he was the first character whose story I obsessed over and I want this essay to be about Wu, but I think he plays a role in Wu's overall story, as does Wu's family as a whole.

Prior to this, Wu and Garmadon's relationship has been more of a sibling rivalry taken to a good vs. evil extreme. We didn't know why Garmadon was evil and we didn't know about Wu and his relationship as kids. However, this scene establishes the backstory. They were, as Wu puts it, "the best of friends." That is, until Garmadon gets bit by the Devourer going to get the katana Wu lost.

Now, I know the Devourer bite was destined to happen because of the Overlord or some shit, but Wu doesn't. As far as he's concerned, Garmadon getting bit was a direct consequence of both his mistake and his cowardice. He lost the katana. He was too scared to get it. Garmadon went over instead. Garmadon got bit.

The scene goes on to show the FSM tending to Garmadon in the aftermath. Wu is watching from behind the door, likely told to stay back, but concerned. And in his POV, we get this intense moment, where Garmadon turns, looks directly at him (his eyes turning bright red for the first time), and says "It's all Wu's fault!"

(This clip should begin at the start of Wu eavesdropping. If it doesn't, skip to 0:58. I highly recommend also paying attention to Wu's body language during this scene.)

The camerawork does a great job of showing how this probably felt for Wu. It zooms in, Garmadon's voice echoes, and the background blurs. We see in the flashback that this is a moment Wu has etched into his memory. Not to mention, he was likely a very young child when this happened. LEGO characters' ages are weird, but Wu in this scene has the Big Eyes, which always seem to be used for characters under 12. We don't know exactly how much older Garmadon is to my knowledge, but he doesn't have the Big Eyes, so he's probably closer to 12 and a few years older than Wu for sure.

Imagine that. Being in elementary school and your older siblings gets hurt. They're acting strange. They're lashing out at your father. Then, they blame it all on you. They're hurt because of you. Wouldn't you internalize that?

I could go on about Wu's relationship with Garmadon, but again, I think I've spent enough time on it and I don't want to only focus on that. It's an important part, but there are others.

Let's talk about Wu's relationship with his dad.

Now, I have not yet read the Spinjitzu Brothers series. I cannot speak to any development of Wu and the FSM's relationship in there. I have, however, read The Book of Spinjitzu and blogged some of my thoughts on it here, including some of what it says about Wu.

For those who haven't read it, first, there is a Google Drive folder floating around with all of the canon spinoff books/graphic novels in it. Here's the link if you wanna read them!

The FSM is an... intriguing figure. I mean, in the series he's basically god? He made the entire world. That's already a very high bar to live up to. Then, in Book of Spinjitzu, there's a few specific parts that, when I read them, signaled that Wu internalized a specific message when he was young.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, Page 3).

Wu does not want to disappoint his father. It is up to him (and Garmadon until he turns evil) to "uphold the legacy of Spinjitzu" and, by extension, his family. He says he was "very young" when this was explained to him. Considering he seems to already be training at an elementary age, "very young" means VERY young.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, Page 16).

Here, we again see Wu being very aware that he has some large burden to carry. Something else interesting here is that the thought of the Green Ninja Prophecy is already weighing on him too. His considering if he might be the Green Ninja is of extra interest because of how the Green Ninja Prophecy and the--I wouldn't call it obsession, possibly fixation?--with who it is factors into his later actions, but we'll get to that later.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, Page 19).

This one in particular gets me because it comes after Wu mentions Garmadon becoming more evil. It is a statement of power. Wu knows that the legacy of Spinjitzu now rests in his hands alone. He cannot let himself fall the way Garmadon did. He cannot disappoint his father. Whether or not the FSM intended it, Wu always knew the fate of the world rested, at least in part, upon his shoulder. He knew this from the time he was a young boy and it remains in his mind to this day.

Now, these quotes are indirect, but they all point to one clear idea: As a child, Wu internalized the idea that he alone is responsible for keeping Ninjago safe. He will play a pivotal role in its history.

There's not evidence in this book that the FSM's was a bad father, per se. However, just because one doesn't set out to harm their children, doesn't mean they won't. I often say Wu has an "Atlas complex," which I have no idea if it is an actual concept but use it to refer to this idea. Wu feels as though he is responsible for holding up the world, much like Atlas. He must keep the balance, he must solve the Green Ninja prophecy, he must make his father proud.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, page 61).

I'm going to get further into what this means for Wu as a teacher to the current Ninja Team, but for now let's look at Wu's first foray into teaching.

Morro. Wu's Biggest Mistake.

That might seem like an overstatement, but it's not.

(Source: Ghost Story/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom)

Okay he says regret, not mistake, but I was paraphrasing.

Let's turn back to his quote about his destiny. Wu writes, "Is my life's mission to be the Green Ninja? Or maybe it will be to find the Green Ninja and protect him (or her)??"

From a very young age, Wu was not only aware of the Green Ninja but prophecy but also thinking about his place in it. We see this again when he takes Morro in and trains him.

(Source: Ghost Story/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom, highlight added)

A big thing Wu is criticized for here is making Morro believe he is meant to be more. That he is the Chosen One. And Morro, being a young homeless orphan just now given some semblance of power and protection, latches onto that. And I can see it, but when you take into account the above that he was trained from (likely) a younger age than Morro and given a similar level of responsibility, it becomes more understandable. Wu is just doing what he was taught. He doesn't believe that he is harming Morro until it is too late.

This is the entire story, but I'm specifically going to be discussing 1:36 onwards here. I also wanted to add that rewatching this scene made me lay down on the floor! What the fuck! But I digress.

There's a lot going on in this scene. For one, Wu washing his hands of Morro in some ways, but not others. He turns his back on Morro when he tells him that destiny has decided, but looks at him again when Morro storms out. He goes to save Morro from the Grundal, but decides that he cannot "teach those who would not listen." Most importantly, when Morro leaves to go find the Tomb of the FSM, Wu leaves the door open. He waits for Morro to return, but never goes after him. And Morro never comes back.

Wu gives Morro's fate a dismissive response at the end of his ghost story ("I am saddened he was banished to the Cursed Realm") but it's clear he still cares deeply about him in the finale of the season.

Wu's VA in this is phenomenal btw. That "Please Morro!" and "MORRO!" make my heart ache.

Morro believed Wu stopped caring, but he didn't. Even after all he's done, even after trying to destroy all of Ninjago--destroying what Wu had spent his life trying to protect--Wu tries to save him. He begs for Morro to come with him. Morro refuses, Wu watches him perish.

Someone else Wu is close to is gone. Wu again considers himself responsible. Everything is his fault.

And finally, we reach Wu today. A cautious, secretive man. He loves his students, this much is clear. Even as early as the pilots, he drops his wise teacher persona to joke around with them.

As with Morro, he trains them like his father did him. He even uses the same methods his father used when he trains them.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, page 32)

While he is hard on the Ninja, wanting them to succeed and training them to help defend the Realm, he lets his guard down more than it seems he did with Morro. He also learned a valuable message from his experience with Morro when he hides the Green Ninja Prophecy from the Ninja, getting angry when they start to push themselves in the same way Morro did upon learning about it. It's clear he doesn't want a repeat.

Now, I can't speak for later seasons (I will eventually) but this fear of repeats, his students going down a dark path because they're tempted by power or greatness, losing someone else, likely drives Wu not telling them other important information. That is just a passing thought though.

Final notes:

I'm currently in the process of rewatching S7: Hands of Time. I actually got this ask right after finishing EP68: Scavengers, which opens with Wu having a nightmare. In it, he and Misako are walking outside of Yang's temple. While walking, Misako delivers this line in response to Wu reminiscing about the time they've spent together:

(Source: Scavengers/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom)

This line, to me, is Wu's subconscious trying to tell him something he needs to hear. It's hinting at what might be his greatest flaw. Wu is haunted by his past, by his mistakes. He finds it difficult to tell others because of both his guilt and his desire to not put that worry upon them. In this very season, he makes the mistake of trying to face his past on his own, and he nearly dies for it.

In the same episode, you see Wu trying to make sure Lloyd doesn't make the same mistakes.

(Source: Prev)

Wu stresses the important of the team. It's as if he sees Lloyd blaming himself for what happened to Wu, sees him doing the same thing Wu has, and is trying to prevent him from doing the same thing. This is further emphasized when, after Wu falls asleep (well, fakes falling asleep), Lloyd says "Wu's mistake was going in alone. So was mine."

Master Wu is, like many characters in this show, someone who is more complex than meets the eye. He is not just a wise, old teacher. He is a man who, throughout his life, has made mistakes and carries the weight of each of them on his shoulders. He is a man who tasks himself with making up for those every day. He is a man who wants better for his students, his family.

Until the day he dies, he will guide and protect his students. And possibly? Even after death too.

[ann-archyy]

Hi hello!

Call me Ann // She/her // 17 // Malaysian 🇲🇾 // draws for fun // Eng/Mal 👍🏻

Finally decided to do a pinned post ┐⁠(⁠‘⁠～⁠`⁠;⁠)⁠┌. . . This is a multifandom blog so expect to see something different from time to time. An extreme coffee addict but still manage to get a decent sleep schedule.

Feel free to ask me anything but dm is for mutuals only. I ONLY post on Tumblr, if you see any repost from somewhere else do let me know.

I hope we can get along╰⁠(⁠*⁠´⁠︶⁠`⁠*⁠)⁠╯

Art tag -> annArt

LMK tag -> Lego monkie kid

Ninjago tag -> Lego ninjago

Transformers tag -> transformers

Rambles/ask -> ann talk

[nyaskitten]

I think everyone should rewatch all of Ninjago honestly.

[kywaslost]

So i saw that you were looking for Ninjago comfort ideas/requests so...

Could I request Kai, Lloyd and whatever other ninjas or characters you wanna choose comforting teen GN!reader. Like the reader lost their dad to diabetes and just is having a tough time coping( their lashing out, not taking care of themselves, ect.)

- 🦊

We’re Here to Help - Kai and Lloyd

A/N: Hi! Thank you so much for sending in this request! I hope you like it! I kinda rambled on in some parts, so I apologize. I’ve also been busy with my final winter guard performance, and then leaving the country for a bit, so it’s been hard to write but now I’m back!

Lloyd was there when you first heard the news that your father was in the hospital. You were so distressed and worked up that he insisted that he drive you to the hospital, staying with you to make sure you were alright. You didn’t mind him tagging along, seeing as you were too caught up in worrying about your father.

In the end, Lloyd was grateful he stayed with you because when your father took his last breath, the boy could hear your cries from out in the hallway. He wanted to give you alone time with your father, but when he heard your wails, he couldn’t stay away any longer.

Taking you home was one of the hardest things Lloyd had ever had to do. Fighting his father felt easier than this. You refused to leave your father’s side, and Lloyd had to wait until the medical staff sedated you to carry you back to his car. You were out long enough for him to get you home, in bed, and for him to deliver the news to the others. From then on, Lloyd wouldn’t leave your side. He slept on the floor in your room that night, and even then he wasn’t truly asleep. He spent the majority of the night staring at the ceiling or watching you sleep peacefully. If you were going to react to anything like he did when he first lost his father, you wouldn’t be this peaceful for a very long time.

Lloyd was right. The next few weeks were extremely difficult for you. You locked yourself in your room, you stopped showing up to training, and meals were hit-or-miss. When the time came for the funeral, your team was by your side the entire time. Especially Lloyd. He held your hand the entire time and carried around a water bottle for you so you didn’t get dehydrated and miss anything. 

After the funeral, Lloyd worried even more. You weren’t taking care of yourself. You were losing weight, and the dark circles under your eyes grew even worse every day. You didn’t talk as much, and when you did speak, you were snappy and short with the others. It was clear you didn’t want any social interaction, but Lloyd didn’t give you much of a choice. If it meant sitting with you in silence, that’s what he’d do. 

Lloyd’s mental health suffered when his father died after Morro’s attack. It was so bad that Lloyd thought of doing terrible things, and he didn’t want you to resort to the same mindset. In order to keep you safe, Lloyd brought meals to your room, forcing you to eat with him, even if it was just a few bites. You were excused from training but Lloyd would still drag you outside for at least an hour to get some sun and fresh air. He’d even have you sleep in his room, or he’d sleep in yours. If you couldn’t sleep he’d turn on a movie, or tell you stories from when he and the other ninja would be goofing off.

Lloyd is really supportive and is always going to be there for you whether you realize it or not. Go to him, please. He just wants to help :) 

It was after dinner when you received the phone call that your father had passed. You were standing next to Kai on the deck of the bounty when your phone rang and you left for a few minutes to answer it. Kai thought nothing of it and continued staring off into the distance. It was a nice evening, not too hot and not too cool. The ninja had the evening off, and so you and Kai decided to spend some time together getting fresh air.

Yet when you came running back to Kai, diving straight into his chest sobbing, he didn’t know what to think. Wrapping his arms around you, he slowly slid down to the ground to hold you better.

“Y/N, what happened?” he asked worriedly, running a hand through your hair. He received no response, and no matter how many times he asked what had happened, you wouldn’t answer. You were a blubbering mess, sobbing and forgetting to breathe every now and then. 

You cried for a long while, and eventually, Kai thought it was best to carry you to his room so the two of you would have complete privacy. He tucked you into his bed, keeping his arms around you as you cried yourself to sleep. It wasn’t until Kai went to plug in your phone for you that he saw your family’s messages. His heart immediately dropped. He was grieving for you and your family now. He didn’t know your father too terribly well, but he knows how it feels to lose someone so close. 

The next few days were a blur for you. You couldn’t bring yourself to do much, and Kai refused to leave you by yourself, so you spent most of your time in the fire ninja’s room. You refused to eat with the others, and even when Kai brought you food you wouldn’t eat much. You spent a lot of time crying or sitting in silence, and Kai was beginning to worry. He spoke with Wu to get time off so he could stay by your side. The ninja tried his hardest to comfort you in any way he knew how. He made sure you stayed hydrated, turned on your favorite shows and movies, and held you as tight as he could. 

After the funeral, your mood changed drastically. You were a lot more irritable and got angry quicker. And Kai, being the hot-head he is, had to restrain himself from snapping back and making things worse. When voicing his concerns to Lloyd, the green ninja suggested that Kai take you to the training room to release your anger. This resulted in Kai getting the life knocked out of him several times, but he was just relieved he was helping you find a healthy coping mechanism.

You began to return to your normal self long after your father passed, and you had Kai to thank. He was with you through all of the tears, the silent nights, and the quick-temper moments you had been through. He was nothing but supportive, and he wants you to know that he’s always there for you, no matter what.

[impulsivefanwriter]

The Lego Ninjago Movie but it’s a D:BH AU

@finn-m-corvex ask and I shall ramble :D

So basically— the Ninjago movieverse is styled like the world of Detroit:Become Human. Dr. Julien (who I hc in the m!verse is actually a good dad to his sons) builds Zane and Echo as the first sentient androids and takes great care of them— until his old coworker turns on him. This coworker, Jacob Harvey (nicknamed “The Mechanic”) captures Zane and wipes his memories while Dr. J and Echo manage to escape. Now armed with the plans to make nindroids, The Mechanic builds Cyberlife and starts his nindroid-selling empire.

He also has Cyrus captured to make more plans for him, leaving him with two assistant nindroids (Pixal “Pel” and Sentry, who obvious Cyrus goes “my kids now” and helps become deviant)

Zane was the original deviant in the sense that he was the original nindroid built to be sentiment and free (aka he didn’t need to be deviant), but after getting semi-reset he forgets and will need to become deviant to regain that ability

Now moving onto the others—

Lloyd is human (well, maybe still part oni-dragon because this IS Ninjago— the dragon is from his mom’s side, btw) and lives with Koko. Nya is his semi-adopted sister (Koko helps caretake for Maya and Ray while they travel on business trips).

Nya’s younger twin brother, Kai, is a nindroid (one of the “kid” models who’s specialty is “aging with human kids as a sibling so they don’t get lonely”). He originally does the chores at home because he’s expected to, but Nya and Lloyd help him become deviant because he’s scared he’ll get replaced if he doesn’t do the chores right. Kai’s the closest equivalent to “Kara’s story”, though less extreme, where Nya (who might secretly be a nindroid too, I’m not sure) runs away with him and Lloyd because a civilian finds out Kai’s deviant during the whole deviant situation and he becomes wanted.

(Side note— along with Kai came a 2-for-1 of the same model, a faulty nindroid names Kaigami who Koko took in for a while— this is the equivalent of movie!Bizarro Kai and later becomes the adopted sibling of movie!Cryptor)

Speaking of movie!Cryptor (or Zero, as I call him), he and Zane are the equivalent of “Connor’s story” where Zane needs to learn how to be deviant (again) while Zero is an incredible efficient deviant hunting nindroid (except, plot twist, he’s actually deviant and has been helping deviants escape for years by pretending to kill them). He was built by the Mechanic and he wants to take down his creator who sees him as nothing more than just a machine.

Rest of the Dorksquad time— Cole is human, though more of a cyborg after an accident (he’s kind of the ‘Cole Anderson’ equivalent, except he lives), and he stumbles upon Jericho by accident and befriends the nindroids there. He brings supplies from outside and updates them on news, and sometimes he DJs a bit for moral.

And Jay is the “Markus” equivalent. He’s an advanced prototype model that was gifted to Cliff Whoredon Gordon and worked for him for a little bit until he stumbled upon a meeting between Cliff and a mafia leader (named Master Chen). Cliff had him thrown to the junkyard in very rough shape where he managed to patch himself up with spare parts and was found and adopted by the young couple (Ed & Edna) running said junkyard. He then meets the rest of the squad and sorta accidentally becomes one of the leaders of the nindroid revolution as part of the “Secret Ninjaforce”.

Bonus— Chen (the Cheerleader) is also a nindroid who eventually gets kicked out by his human family, the Ambers (including movie!Skylor, who is an evil girlboss, and her dads, Master Chen and Clouse) and finds his way to Jericho as well

And yeah that’s the main basics, not too much else planned out yes (it was originally a SPBNR AU too, so show!Kai and show!Zane might show up, much to the latters bewilderment at how there are more nindroids but they are treated worse, and sometimes other show!nindroids make an appearance)

What do y’all think?

[kentuckyfried-wantedalive]

in honor of my birthday, I would like to introduce y’all to my favorite ninjago OC…

Meet Akuja Asare, Master of Nightmares

Deadpan, decisive, and only slightly disturbing, Akuja is a historian exploring this new map to try and untangle the histories of the merged lands. She travels with a cast of colorful characters who share the same goal, hoping to explain the merge while uncovering new histories along the way. Akuja wants to live a peaceful life traveling, reading, and hopefully contributing to history books. And, hey, with the merge helping her to manifest these new elemental powers, what’s not to like?

However, her past seems to haunt her, as she relives nightmares she’d long since escaped.

I see her as a Ronin type character, sometimes an ally, sometimes an enemy depending on the situation. She holds the key to valuable information, but she’s not gonna make it easy for you, and if she does, you should be suspicious. Sometimes the ninja have information she didn’t know, but she’d never tell them that. She sees herself as a guardian of this new history so may test you to see if you’re worthy. (Basically, all of her expository dialogue comes with at least one emotional revelation of some type. A fair trade off in my book 😙)

A late addition to my Aku related ramblings, but I might have her interact with Dr. LaRow. One dedicated to the past and its mysteries while the other works fervently to push into the future. I wonder what would happen if LaRow needed some information on the source dragons from her…

Anyways… 2/3 of her outfits attempt to mix gothic (both lolita and regular goth) styles with African, specifically Ghanaian, designs, even if that design is mostly just using a kente cloth overlay 😅. Uhhhh this was my first time trying out this style fusion type thing so I’m still working out the kinks. It didn’t help that I designed her first “battle outfit” from the back, making it a lil wonky from the front. Either way, I’m still happy with how she turned out!

I’m open to any questions about this girlie or her band of archaeologists, historians, and anthropologists from across the merged realms, but that is all I have for you for now. I am going to now be at peace 🕴️

(also if you know how to put the ask button in the description of ur tumblr blog i would be extremely greatful if you shared that information😭)