#ninjago: ambition

[nyaskitten]

chat . im four followers from 2-fucking-k ... thats almost 2 THOUSAND ppl who followed me...

[razzle-zazzle]

you have a sandstorm au?

I have a wholeass playlist for it, too 💪😌

I've summarized it before but it's been a while and some things have been updated so here's another quick summary, under the cut because of allusions to suicide:

Cole kills himself prior to canon by way of train, and ends up in the Cursed Realm. He meets Morro, and initially the two of them don't interact all that much until Morro figures out Cole's supposed to be the master of earth. Morro teaches Cole how to fight, Cole teaches Morro ballet because he doesn't want to owe anything to Morro, and they bond and it's nice and sweet and the Preeminent is looming over everything!

When the Cursed Realm is opened up and Morro and Cole slip out, Morro possesses Lloyd as per usual. Where things change is that Cole comes in separately and pretends to be enemies with Morro, allowing him to get in good graces with the ninja. He sticks around, helping them in their attempts to get the Realm Crystal before Morro can, and finds that it's actually... not that bad, hanging out with these guys.

But Cole knows where his loyalties lie. When the ninja get their hands on the Realm Crystal, Cole steals it to bring to Morro, who uses it to free the Preeminent as they planned. But Cole's time with the ninja had an effect on him, and he really cares a lot about Morro. Like, a lot. And while before that saw him being willing to follow Morro wherever, now (with some nudging from Wu) it's got him moving to work with the ninja to stop the Preeminent. There's a brief fight between him and Morro that doesn't do anything but affirm that they both really care about each other.

When the Preeminent's defeated and the ninja are victorious, where does that leave Cole and Morro? Wu offers to house the two, but Morro needs time and space after everything, so he and Cole set off to parts unknown. They don't return until Day of the Departed, and even once they have bodies again they're still not certain about their future. But they're here, and they're together, and there's a whole wide world and a whole wide life for them to live. So why not try?

[savemysoulmyartsucks]

Wu telling Misako that “Lloyd is also your son not just Garmadon’s” pissed me off. Misako did NOTHING for Lloyd to be so selfless and kind, she left him in a boarding school. If anything the Ninja did more to teach him to be a better person as a kid, but CANONICALLY Garmadon was a really good person who was selfless and that snake bite caused him to slowly lose himself to evil so it should have been such a surprise.

[neteyammeowmeow]

No, no wait... Wait think about it...

Benthomaar, Arin, and Lloyd

Lloyd doubts if he is a good dad, if he is good enough for his family; his son, but he tries to hide that thought. He believes that Arin can make it through his own life, that he can be responsible, and is strong enough to go through tough things, though there are times where Arin does things that makes Lloyd doubt him. Sometimes Lloyd just can't be sure about it, he can't trust himself to be confident about what he thinks, what if the way he leads or chooses his descicions ends up harming his son? He still wants to protect him, but at the same time he knows he has to let him grow and become himself.

Benthomaar wants Arin to remember that his family will always care for him, he wants to make sure Arin knows that there are people out there who care for him. Compared to Lloyd, Benthomaar is more open about his concerns, and always tells Arin to be careful, to watch out, and to remember despite how big his dreams and ambitions can be, he still has to watch out (based on his own experience). He wants Arin to remember that he is a human being despite whatever title or power he has.

All in all, they're both just a little bit scared of Arin facing the world on his own, because one day he has to. They want him to remember even though how much of a "Ninja" he is, by the end of the day he is still Arin.

(My apologies if this post gets taken down because of the video... I will restore it if I can...)

[firesofdainix]

I just had the darkest realization that in my roleswapped AU Wu is the one who denied Morro's destiny, and DIED for the sake and hope to change his son's destiny and fulfill his dream.

[mylesstories]

ambition of the island masterlist

• about •

chapters: 1 2 3 ...

character sheets: kian, kai, cole, jay, nya, zane, lloyd, pixal

socials: kian

[hellsitegenetics]

Long before time had a name, Ninjago was created by the First Spinjitzu Master, using the Four Weapons of Spinjitzu. The Scythe of Quakes, the Nunchucks of Lightning, the Shurikens of Ice and the Sword of Fire. Weapons so powerful, no one can handle all of their power at once! When he passed away, his two sons swore to protect them, but the oldest was consumed by darkness and wanted to possess them. A battle between brothers broke out, and the oldest was struck down and banished to the Underworld. Peace returned, and the younger brother hid the weapons, but knowing his older brother's relentless ambition for power, he placed a guardian to protect them. And for fear of his own demise, a map for an honest man to hide. That honest man was your father. The older brother is Lord Garmadon, and I... need to find those weapons before he does.

String identified: g t a a a, ag a cat t t t at, g t a t. T ct a, t cc gtg, t c a t . a , ca a a t at c! a aa, t t tct t, t t t a c a a at t t. A att t t t, a t t a tc a a t t . ac t, a t g t t a, t g t' t at , ac a gaa t tct t. A a , a a a t a t . Tat t a a at. T t Gaa, a … t t a .

Closest match: Neoneuromus ignobilis isolate Gutianshan chromosome 5 Common name: Dobsonfly

[rusted-fairy-wings]

Ninjago, Kai, and the Subversion of the Chosen One Trope: an analysis

So, I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about Kai's genuinely incredible character arc and how the show subverts the chosen one trope through him. Here's my analysis :)

(Warning: Long)

In the pilots, Kai is completely disinterested in the idea of becoming a ninja/hero. All he wants is his normal life with his sister; he only pursues becoming a ninja after Nya's kidnapping. There's a sense that a huge aspect of Kai---the part of him that loves adrenaline, that wants to fight, that is ambitious to a fault---lays dormant.

Contrast that to season 1 where there's been enough time passed for Kai to cement himself as part of the original team (Kai, Zane, Jay, Cole). After Kai discovers the Green Ninja Prophecy, Kai's ambitious, selfish side rears its head as he becomes convinced he deserves the chosen one title. Granted, all of the original boys react similarly; they all think it should be them. However, the primary focus is on Kai, and watching it gives the impression that Kai is especially desperate for the title.

Already we have these contrasting images of Kai between season1 and the pilots. He's gone from zero interest in being a ninja to developing an obsession with being the chosen one. This obsession develops into a sense of desperation within Kai, a desperation to prove his worth. Kai suggests "contests" like the one to discover Samurai X's identity that will "prove" who deserves the title; it becomes his only focus in the show.

Furthermore, we see the True Potential arcs which heavily emphasize Kai's reckless desperation. Kai watches as the rest of the team one by one reaches their True Potential. They discover and/or remedy inner turmoil, becoming more in tune with themselves and growing as people, allowing them to more fully use their powers. As these arcs come up, it's worth noting every single ninja but Kai seems to have dropped their heavy interest in being the green ninja. Kai grows frustrated because in his mind, his not reaching his potential yet threatens his belief that he is the green ninja.

Note I haven't mentioned Lloyd until now. Let's backtrack a bit to talk about Kai and Lloyd.

At the start of the show, Kai sees Lloyd as nothing but an annoying, bratty nuisance. However, as time progresses, Kai gains new perspective on Lloyd, especially after the team takes him in. Begrudgingly, Kai begins to see Lloyd less and less as the annoying son of Garmadon and more as a younger brother he holds a lot of care for. At first he hates whenever he's stuck with Lloyd, but as the show progresses we see that annoyance begin to be replaced with affection.

Now, flash forward to episode 10 "The Green Ninja." Kai's frustration at not reaching his potential is on full display. Kai is even caught by the other ninja trying on the green ninja gi, further showcasing Kai's conviction in his belief that he is the chosen one even though the others have moved on. Further trying to prove he is the green ninja, Kai picks a fight with Garmadon (who has teamed up to rescue a kidnapped Lloyd), trying to unlock his true potential and show he's the one destined to defeat the dark lord. When they arrive at the Fire Temple to get the fangblade + Lloyd, Kai is the one who draws his golden weapon despite the instability of the volcano and Wu's warnings. He's desperate and ambitious, and that puts every single character present at risk; his desperation literally causes a volcanic eruption.

Then it's just Lloyd and Kai trapped in the erupting volcano with Lloyd and the fangblade both at risk, forcing Kai to choose. But it isn't as simple as choosing between Lloyd and the weapon. Symbolically, the fangblade represents Kai's ambition, his perceived destiny; to Kai, getting it proves that he is the chosen one. Put simply, Kai is forced to choose between the perceived chosen one and the real one. And it is in this moment Kai has his epiphany and finally sees the error in his ways. He realizes that this entire season, everything has circled back to Lloyd: stopping him, taking him in, caring for him, and ultimately saving him. This causes Kai to understand his true role in the prophecy as master of fire--being Lloyd's protector. Kai unlocks his True Potential, finally understanding himself and being the one to realize Lloyd's destiny.

This isn't a choice I personally see a lot of media making. We see a main character (Kai) struggle and fight and overcome his flaws in pursuit of a predetermined destiny only to discover it was never his destiny at all. All of his struggles and growth don't lead to him fulfilling his dreams of being chosen; he doesn't finally reach the point where he's worthy of the green ninja title. The green ninja reveal isn't a triumphant moment where Kai finally gets what he's been fighting for. Instead, it's a moment of tragedy, a moment where a scared child discovers he will have to be in a life or death battle with his father who he once aspired to be just like, who he loves more than anything. Kai's arc ultimately leads to acceptance of his true role and determination to protect Lloyd.

Even though Kai's arc has closed off in a sense at this point, the show further reinforces it as it progresses. In the season 2 finale, when it's just Kai and Lloyd left, Kai sends Lloyd to face his father/the Overlord without hesitation. He recognizes his duty is to protect Lloyd and does precisely that... he stays back to fight so that Lloyd may move forward and do what has been foretold.

In season 4, Chen tries to tempt Kai, tries to persuade him to his side, preys on Kai's old insecurities surrounding being the Green Ninja. Although it seems at first Chen was successful, it is revealed that Kai was working as a double agent, never intending to join Chen and never being tempted by the power offered to him. The only time he wavers in his character growth is when Chen's staff's power tries to overtake him, something out of his control. When of sound mind, Kai refuses to be tempted and is unwavering in his resolve to protect Lloyd and be satisfied to his true destiny.

Again and again, after Kai initially realized the path his ambition and desperation was leading him down, after Kai understood the truth about himself and accepted it, Kai makes the right choice. His character growth is cemented, and without fail, he does everything he can to protect his team and protect Lloyd. He finds peace and acceptance in his own destiny, even if it's not the one he envisioned for himself.

TLDR: Kai's desperation to be the green ninja turn him reckless and obsessed. Ninjago subverts the chosen one trope by not having our lead character earn the green ninja title by the end of his struggles, instead accepting his fate. As the show continues, Kai stands firm in his growth and acceptance.

[destinysbounty]

Most post-s11 fics like to take the approach of Zane blaming himself, and the road to healing requires him to accept that it wasn't his fault. But what if we put a twist on that? What if Zane knows it wasn't his fault, but instead of being relieved by that knowledge he is instead burdened by it?

The fact of the matter is, Zane was nothing more than a weapon. Between his amnesia, the corruption of the staff, and Vex's manipulations, Zane didn't have full autonomy. If we really analyze the Ice Emperor's actions, he seemed very much like a quiet and complacent soldier waiting for Vex to come and tell him what to do. He obeyed Vex's every command (albeit veiled as "recommendations" as they were). The first time we ever see Zane go against Vex or even make a decision outside of Vex's authority is when Lloyd first appears and causes him to start questioning things.

If you think about it, the combined efforts of Vex and the Scroll deprived him of any real, authentic free will. He was nothing more than a lifeless machine carrying out orders.

And what, pray tell, is his greatest fear?

So maybe Zane does know, on some level, that it wasn't his fault. He knows he wasn't in his right mind, that he was nothing more than a puppet - a weapon wielded in the pursuit of Vex's ambitions. But still he clings to the tiniest scraps of guilt he can possibly conceive of, because even if he's a war criminal at least it means he has some shred of humanity. Because he'd rather be a monster than just a machine.

Lloyd isn't afraid of him when they come back to Ninjago. Isn't upset at him. This isn't Lloyd's first time fighting the corrupted version of a friend, and as depressing as it is this just kinda feels like the norm for him. Hell, Lloyd has personal experience having his free will taken from him by malevolent forces beyond his control.

The ninja don't blame him. Nobody blames him. Even when the Ice Emperor incident hits the news, most of the public is on his side - they all rally to his defense: he was being controlled, he was being corrupted, he was being manipulated and abused!

And while plenty of the people in the Never Realm do blame him, plenty others don't either. Vex is soon identified as the real villain, and everyone rallies against him as the subject of their ire.

In another world, this might have been a good thing. Zane might have been happy, even, to get off so impossibly free of consequence. But every time someone says "it's not your fault" is just a reminder of the fact that they're right. It's a reminder that once again his memories, his agency, and his personhood were ripped away from him, turning him into the very thing he feared most.

He blames himself because he has to. Because if he doesn't, then that means admitting that he had no choice in the matter. It means admitting that he had been nothing more than a machine.

It's not his fault, but he wishes it was. Because at least then he'd still have some agency. At least then he wouldn't feel so violated.

[mouwrites]

love your writings :)

can i get a uhh...

morro x reader who was around when he was wu's student, and after he left waited for him everyday and night to see if he would come back?

and was obviously there to see him during ghosty arc

just some hurt/comfort please

Of course dear! I actually had a lot of fun with this one, I hope you enjoy!! ^^

Word count: 1.2k

Ninjago - Waiting For Your Morro

Nights like these bothered you. The air—just cold enough to nip your cheeks as it gently breezed by—held a silence that left you to your thoughts. Your brows were furrowed deeply as you stared out into the darkness. Why did you keep doing this? Would you ever get what you were looking for?

You shook your head at the thought. You had to keep hope; that’s what you told yourself. That’s what you always told yourself.

You looked down at your hand, opening and closing it slowly to get some blood flowing. You wished there was a hand to hold, a hand you’d been longing for for years. The hand of your first and only love, Morro.

You closed your eyes, filling your lungs with the chilled air.

“Y/n, watch me!”

“I’m watching!”

Morro was grinning hugely, glancing between you and the kite in the air. He made the thing dance like it was alive, and you marveled at the sight.

“Wow, Morro! Are you doing that?”

“Yeah! It’s my power: wind. That’s what Wu told me.”

“You’re so cool! You’re gonna grow up to be a really powerful ninja one day. Just don’t forget me when that happens, ‘kay?”

“I’ll never forget you, Y/n.”

You remembered the sincerity in his eyes when he said those words. It had been mixed with the innocent eagerness that characterized his youth; you recalled how his round, childish face used to shine when he talked about his powers. Morro had wanted nothing more than to be powerful; he knew nothing would make his beloved Master Wu more proud. 

You smiled bitterly as you recalled that aspect of him, the part that was always seeking the wise old man’s approval. The smile turned into a frown as you traced your memories onward, conjuring up a painful scene:

“Morro, are you okay?”

Morro was quiet. He was hunched over on the bottom step of the monastery, his knees curled up against his chest and his chin planted on his knees. His eyes were puffy and red, and when you spoke fresh tears brimmed those soulful eyes.

“Wu says I’m not the Green Ninja.”

“Oh, Morro…” You crouched down beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “I’m sorry. But you don’t have to be the Green Ninja to be powerful. I still think you’re the most power—”

“He’s wrong!” Morro snapped, jumping up so abruptly that you were sent sprawling on your side. You looked up at him with owlish eyes, horrified at this rage that you’d scarcely seen in him before. That was the first time you thought that something might seriously be wrong. 

There was venom, not ambition, in his eyes when he said: “I’m going to prove him wrong.”

That was the last image you could conjure of Morro. He devoted himself to his training, leaving you in the dust. You never blamed him, though. You knew he was only chasing the one thing he cared about; that being Wu’s high opinion of him. He was just… misguided. He’d chosen a bad route that he believed would reach that end, but in reality it only drove him to his downfall. Your heart had broken at his plight when he discovered he wasn’t the Green Ninja, but the pieces withered to nothing when you found out he died chasing his twisted goals.

You hadn’t known what to do with yourself then. Morro, the boy you’d known for so long, the one you’d always hoped would get back on the right path, was dead. You’d never see him again. You’d never see that sweet face, so ambitious and eager—but you’d have killed even to see the corrupted version of him that you didn’t quite recognize. You just wanted him back.

Then, years later, one of the greatest—and yet worst—days of your life:

“Wu, you seem troubled.”

The man stroked his beard, glancing around as if making sure you two were alone. “Morro is back.”

You dropped the tray of tea you’d been carrying, sending the pieces to shatter on the ground. Your hands covered your mouth, muffling the sob that came a moment later. Wu had put a supportive hand on your shoulder, explaining the situation gently.

When all was said, you stared at the ground with conflicted feelings swirling in your gut like Morro’s beautiful gusts of wind. You weren’t sure what to feel.

Was it really your Morro that came back?

Your frown deepened. You had the answer already; you’d known it then, and you knew it now. That Morro was not the bright boy you once treasured. He was cruel. He was ruthless. But, most of all, he hated Wu. That could never be your Morro. And yet, that last time you saw him…

You had boarded Wu’s dragon, desperate for what you knew would be your last shot at getting Morro back. He was being dangled above the water, wrapped in the grotesque tentacle of the Preeminent. If he were submerged… it would all be over. As much as you probably should’ve hoped for that, with all the destruction he’d caused, you couldn’t bring yourself to pray upon the downfall of Morro.

Wu extended his hand, assuring Morro that he was still his star pupil, that all his pupils were his stars. Morro had reached to grasp it, and you started to see the Morro you knew once more. Hope exploded in your chest as they grasped hands firmly, and Wu began to pull. You held his upper arm, trying to help the man pull, but Morro was locked in place.

Suddenly, he smiled. Suddenly, your Morro was back. Suddenly, your eyes were teary and your limbs were weak.

“You can only save those who want to be saved,” he said. He looked directly at you then, his smile growing sad. “Y/n, you’re as wonderful as I remember you being. I’m glad that the last thing I’ll see is your beautiful face.”

You shrieked, throwing yourself forward in a futile attempt to stop him from what you knew he was about to do. 

“Goodbye.”And then he was gone again.

Your eyes were wet with tears, and you dabbed them angrily with your sleeve. Why did he give up so easily? Why did he give up on you? You waited every day for him to return, and he didn’t hesitate for one second when you finally had a chance at being together again.

But, as much as you wanted to, you couldn’t hate him for it. You waited years. You’d wait more. He came back once. Why not again?

So you stared into the night, looking up to prevent any more tears from falling. You calmed your quivering breaths by admiring the stars above.

“Perhaps one day you will be reunited,” a quiet voice came from behind you. You felt a hand on your shoulder, warm and papery with age. You turned your head slightly to look at Wu over your shoulder, nodding with a smile that was at once sad and hopeful.

“Some pairs are ordained in the stars—the universe,” he continued, looking at the stars as if he could read them like Ninjargon. Then he looked at you, a mystic twinkle in his almond eyes. “I don’t doubt that you and Morro are one such pair.”

Your smile stayed on your face, but now you were fighting back tears. You cursed the old man through sorrowful laughter, looking down to hide your face. He moved forward to stand beside you, wrapping an arm around you and rubbing your upper arm comfortingly. You accepted the gesture by leaning your head on his shoulder.

You didn’t speak for the rest of the night, just watching, waiting for your Morro to come home.

Thank you so much for this request! And thanks for reading, take care doves <33

(divider by saradika)

[ep2nd]

What do you think about Macaque's 'redemption arc'?

Oooo, spicy topic

Alright, remember personal thoughts and not like a writing teacher here

So, I'll probably will also reference other redemption arcs so I'll try best to explain (Warning for Ninjago and Trollhunters, also Crystalized mentioned sorry yall I know it's a wound)

1. I like how Macaque didn't immediately go to the goodside, mostly. After s3 special, he kinda just disappeared, minding his own business. He didn't go out of his way to talk to Mk, Wukong, or the gang, which makes sense considering all he's done to them and what Wukongs done to him

2. I want to say Macaque helped MK go in the scroll because mostly to help MK, he saw how rough MK was going through, from a new form to how much pressure was on him, so he probably wanted to at least help him through yet another trial. Macaque maybe had some want to help Wukong, as stated by Peng later, kinda, that Macaque still cared about Wukong

3. Alright let's get this out right here right now. He did intact hurt and possibly traumatized Mk and the gang. He made Pigys, Tang, and Mei fight MK (though in shadow form however much they were in control there). He threatened to kill Sandy and Mei, and he was willing to put everyone in danger, even maybe killing Mei (yet again) to forge the Samadhi fire and be free from LBD grasp. Now it's also implied that Macaque follows his own path and needs, putting himself first now. He followed Wukong and put the Brotherhoods and Wukongs ambitions before his own, and look where that got him? But for the series to NEVER TRULY MENTION SEASON 1-3 VILLAIN MACAQUE AFTERWORDS?! Like Mei and Macaque seemed to get along really well considering what happened. I feel like the gang should've held more distrust him more than just out right accepting him like MK. Even Pigsy, who didn't trust Wukong based on his stunts, show much annoyance for Macaque helping MK and them. Also, he never once apologizes to MK, sure helps him, but after hurting him several times? Doesn't exactly equal out.

4. Now Macaques death is a hot topic and the Fandom is ready to kill, steal, and borrow (sorry Hamilton reference) over it. In JTTW, he impersonated Wukong, hurt Tripitaka, was going to replace the Pilgrims, then kinda cuased problems for everyone from the Underworld to Heaven. In LMK and JTTW we know definitely that Wukong killed him, probably against his will, and Macaques mad at him for it. NOW. NEITHER APOLOGISE EVER. Hinted in Season 5, Wukong feels horrible, hates the memory, actually cried recalling it. And even Macaques knows what memory's he was seeing without actually seeing it (maybe that's theory). AND THEY JUST LEAVE IT THERE. NO SORRY NO WE WERE BOTH WRONG NO WE SHOULD HAVE TAKLED IT OUT NO NOTHING. I hope the writers get these two to talk about it cuase well, it's kinda both their fualts, Macaque started it and pushed Wukongs limits, Wulong acted out of anger and defense.

5. Macaque telling Wukong "He needs to do better" when in fact Macaque hasn't himself, the hypocrite. Macaque worries for MK, that's nice, but he himself hasn't "Done better" his redemption arc isn't that far in where we've seen much change. Sure he fought the Brotherhood, but Macaque didn't generally like them and the world was in danger so. Like I know this season focused more on Wukong and MKs relationship and how Wukong will always be there and to reflect season 2/3 where he left MK alone but this time he's there... but like Macaque... you've barely been in this kids life since s3, LIKE TGOSE TWO STILL NEEED CHARACTER GROWTH

6. For anyone who's wat he'd Trollhunters and Ninjago, yall shall understand. In Trollhunters, characters like Nomora and Principal Strickler started out as villains/antagonistic forces then had redemption arcs. Nomorua was a minor character so eh. Anyway PRINCIPAL STRICKLER. Hurt Jim (main character) by actually trying to kill him, by pretending to be his friend, putting his friends in harms way, working under the main antagonist like a henchman, literally tied his soul to his mom's so Jim couldn't kill him, qnd bunch of other stuff. Now it's been awhile since I've seen the show, but Jim slowly convinces Strickler to turn, now does he automatically trust him and their relationship is great? No, it takes time and Strickler has to work to improve, and he apologizes and admits he was wrong. Their relationship isn't the best until much later. They had character development, Strickler saw his wrong ways and apologized, didn't become perfectly best friends with Jim or his friends much later, and his mistakes were brought up later on. This isn't with Macaque, he had more of a Harumi redemption arcs (for my Ninjago fans the Crystalized one I know yall hate it I do apologize). Now Macaques redemption arc is much better than hers, it has reason, it has a point, he tries to be better, ut like it It was kinda rushed, didn't have enought character development where they talk their problems out, they weren't shown enough that they were in the wrong and need to apologize(considering Harumi working for the Overlord). So like an in-between.

Sorry for long post, there's probably more but I'm not one to analyze characters like their a new bacteria needing to put under microscope and handled with care like their precious glass (No offense to the people who do deep dives I love you all and love reading your stuff helps me so much<3)

SO IN CONCLUSION

Macaque's redemption was good, maybe too rushed, could've used more screen time with other characters, needs to apologize and bring up past mistakes, and needs more improvement in future seasons

It has potential and and can still be great, writers I have hope.

[nyaskitten]

Honestly starting to doubt we'll see the collars that much in the show given how little effort went into making them. They're SUPREMELY bland over-simplifications in-show compared to in the sets, barely any good fur detailing whatsoever. ALSO, the back is just mirrored from the front, that's not how the fuck collars work dude. I'm NEVER drawing them like that I don't care FUCK canon compliance!!!

[astroturf-enthusiast]

If Ninjago's Preeminent functioned a lot more like an outer god and had acolytes, avatars, chosen, etc. Morro would be Her prime Chosen in that he very actively works to fulfill Her ambitions. I also imagine Sensei Yang is one of Her layman acolytes, more passive but consistent

Who do you think would be an interesting addition to this ghostly sect?

[royonninjago]

Lost Potential with Ninjago's Wildbrain Seasons

Let me start this off with a question. When looking at the Wildbrain seasons, from Secrets of Forbidden Spinjitzu to Crystalized, what do you believe is the common theme connecting all of them?

I'm sure there are many answers to this question, but the common theme that I noticed a while back was that each part had a major focus on one of the Ninja and their Elemental Powers. Or at least they did at some point during their development.

Allow me to explain. Secrets of Forbidden Spinjitzu is split up into two halves, the Fire and Ice chapter, which corresponds to Kai and Zane and their powers being usurped by villains, Kai by force and Zane through manipulation. Master of the Mountain covers Cole and his connection to the Earth and Seabound covers Nya and her connection to the Water. Crystalized doesn't really cover Lloyd's Elemental Powers (whatever the hell they are) but it does feature heavily his heritage and the abilities it grants him, which is a whole other can of worms that I'll probably write about later. Finally, during Prime Empire's development, Jay's mother was originally going to play a pivotal role in this season, and also presumably the Element of Lightning as well. There is also the 4 episodes of The Island, but I think of that as more of a prologue to Seabound than its own season.

By now you've probably connected the dots as to what exactly this "lost potential" is. How cool would it have been to have the Fire and Ice chapters gone in depth about how Kai and Zane felt about and controlled their powers to the extent of Seabound and MotM did? Or if it delved deeper into Jay's Lightning powers and his desire for a relationship with his birth mother, and how those feelings conflict with his love for his adopted parents? Or if Crystalized didn't chicken out at the last moment, and Lloyd actually got to use that cool ass Oni form?

But they didn't. At the very least, Dragons Rising seems to be focusing more on Elemental Powers than ever, which is something I know many of the fans are really grateful for.

In lieu of that, here are some head-cannons and ideas for the Ninja's powers that we didn't get in the show:

Kai is very well known for getting in his own way due to believing that he is the "main character" of sorts. This main character syndrome he experiences causes him to subconsciously expect that everything will go his way with him putting in minimal effort. This directly conflicts with what his Fire powers rely on. Passion, ambition, and desire. This is why his powers always gets stronger when he's helping other people, because it reacts to his passion and desire to protect those he cares about.

I like to think that Zane didn't work quite right until he became the Master of Ice. Computers produce a lot of heat, and if not properly cooled then they are prone to malfunctions and damage from overheating. Dr. Julien had that same problem when creating Zane, but when the previous Master of Ice found Zane and saw potential in him that he liked, ha passed his power to the robot. After that, Zane's overheating problem disappeared and he was able to take the first steps to becoming someone who protects those who cannot protect themselves.

Lightning is the result of two forces seeking to find balance. When positive charges and negative charges accumulate inside a cloud, the atmosphere initially acts as an insulator, but when the charges become too great, lightning strikes to release all that energy at once, and when it does it finds the path of least resistance. This idea is a bit more loose and not as well thought out due to me not having a firm idea of how to better improve Prime Empire in general, but I think it would be a cool idea if Jay's love for his adopted parents and Jay's desire to have a relationship with his birth mother were the two forces accumulating inside Jay during the events of Prime Empire. The Ninja, his friends, would act as his insulator, but as they disappeared one by one, the dichotomy would grow inside him until he released it all during the final fight with Unagami. Unagami may not deserve the unbridled wrath of a thunderbolt, but he's right there and Lightning always takes the path of least resistance, whether or not its justified.

Lloyd is very accepting and in touch with his dragon heritage, but not so much with his Oni side due to his father being only resurrected with his Oni half. He has seen first-hand what uncontrolled anger and hatred can do to someone, and he's scared of using that power. But the thing is, under the right circumstances, anger is a good thing. It allows us to see the injustices around us and gives us the drive to fight against it. Upon realizing this, he finally comes to term with his entire heritage and allows him to unlock the power of the Golden Oni. The colors of the Dragons and the form of the Oni unite to create a greater power, it is the embodiment of Righteous Fury. That is how the overlord should have been defeated in Crystalized. The Golden Ultra-Dragon can still help, but this would have been much cooler than what we actually got.

And those are some of the thought I have that would've improved the Wildbrain seasons. If you have any ideas or opinions about the Ninja's Elemental Powers or what you would do to improve those seasons, feel free to let me know, I always love hearing the ideas of others!

[firesofdainix]

pspsps hello beloved marijuana I thought of something about Hideaki and wanted to share

since his appearance changes according to his mood, do you think as the apathy and indifference starts building up while he was in the cursed realm, his hair and eye color start getting duller and duller (assuming they have color in the cursed realm lmao)

I wanna talk about this in a complicated and long answer, Because I'm in the mood to talk more about Hideaki. Here's a few more facts about his powers and some more insight in his personality under the cut:

Hideaki's entire color palette, before he died, was a warm, soft spring, correlating to his initial personality of being a warm, bright child who clutches on optimism and happiness. That's why he always taps into the sub-element of spring when he uses his powers, because it reflects his attitude and way of life. He was born and raised by optimistic and well off parents who only wanted to see their children grow up happy with careers and a life ahead of them. Thus, why they let Hideaki go with FSM, no matter how sad they are about the ordeal.

Spring mostly taps into the power of Lightning, simply because spring is also the rainy season and just because I want to, lol. It can command the area in Hideaki's proximity to change or evolve in their seasonal patterns, but changing the actuality of the season is taxing for someone as young as Hideaki so he keeps it safe. He can make a flower bloom in the dead of winter, or can make a spring shower out of nowhere in the summer season. Nevertheless, he is in his most powerful during spring season, since he doesn't NEED to control the season nor temperature until he's comfortable enough to start fighting.

The Element of Seasons can also control the quality or traits attributed towards each season: Hideaki is the strongest in spring because his personality makes it compatible for him to control the season. That's why his eye color and hair, most of the time, resembles spring the most, because he's happy and joyful and all things associated with that season. He's vibrant and exudes optimism and that's what makes him so strong in a season where people get pollen allergies (idk I live in a tropical country).

Anyways, talking about moods, Hideaki could also control summer with little to no struggle as well; as a season commonly after spring, summer, in Hideaki's case, is based off raw emotions, outburst, passion and his temper flaming. While spring is his natural personality, happiness incarnate, summer is the emotions that he has to let out every once in a while. Initially, when he was a rookie elemental master not knowing what was happening to him, his confusion, anger, and frustration over not understanding why this phenomenon is tied to him accidentally almost burnt a part of the forest down because the season of summer had been tied to his emotion. It's what led FSM to find him in the first place and comfort him over why this is happening.

So, while his emotional outbursts can be tied to summer still, he has better control over how much he exudes over his element. So when his hair and eyes are in its summer colors (more vibrant and fiery), and the temperature around them is somewhat abnormally warm (especially during winter, autumn, and spring seasons), it means that Hideaki is probably experiencing strong emotions of either passion or anger. Maybe you should start talking to him before he burns down another forest again. Because of his affinity towards summer, he can tap in to the core element of Fire (because summer = hot lmao) helping either increase the temperature or decrease it. In some extreme cases, he can create a fire by making the temperature rise.

Now we go onto the elements Hideaki didn't have primary or stable control over, before he died: autumn and winter. If spring is the embodiment of his personality and how he views things in his life, while summer is his raw feelings and passion, autumn and winter are the opposites of what he and his entire being stood for... For a while, of course.

Autumn is the season represented with abundance, plentiful harvest, but simultaneously represented with death, decay, and decline. You can already see where Hideaki is struggling with this; Hideaki can only replicate or manipulate the one side of autumn that is all about the harvest and abundance of harvest, but not the other side of it. He struggles to understand that sometimes life is meant to be lost. He can tap into the element of earth, yes, but because he can't control the side of autumn very well his access to the element of earth is quite limited and closed off to him. When using autumn's powers, his appearance only appears as a slightly less desaturated version of summer because of his inability to control all of autumn. If he had any true power over the season, his colors would resemble the one in my Hideaki picture.

Some abilities he CAN do while using his autumnal powers: speeding up the process of crops being harvested, ability to detect or sense a change in direction. Autumn is the season of dormancy, which is why Hideaki struggles; he is known to be active and enthusiastic over everything, so finding himself trying to be... Lethargic or inactive is like a mortal sin for Hideaki.

Next up is winter, a season that transmutes coldness and representation of death. Hideaki also doesn't have the personality of winter (nor autumn), and is the complete opposite of his personality. It's literally the representation of inactivity, detachment, stillness, stagnance that Hideaki finds repulsive throughout his life. It's beautiful, yes, but he would rather just be able to move or feel something other than being, well, the same thing as a winter wonderland. Because of this, he STRUGGLES attempting to replicate winter or even manipulate traits that are usually associated through winter, to the point he avoids using it unless the other Elemental Masters force him to for whatever reason. He couldn't properly tap into the Element of Ice; he can make temperature frigid, but beyond that, it's a really big struggle.

(Fun fact! He actually managed to defeat the Oni of Anger with a trivial temperature decrease, to distract him, before Kokoro goes in for the kill. That's how you deal with toxic father in laws everyone!)

Anyways, about Hideaki's colors depending and changing on his mood or what season he's channeling, it's time to go into his abilities post-mortem. He was the first and last Elemental Master of Seasons (he planned for his baby to become the next inheritor, but you know what happened), so most data about his abilities is lost through history. Anyways, because he died in a gruesome, tragic way and is then subjected to the worst condition of afterlife possible, his spring and summer persona and traits start to fade.

Hideaki starts to understand what the season of autumn truly meant during his years in the Cursed Realm, filled with misery and the case of not having to do anything. Not wanting to do anything anymore, knowing that every escape, every attempt is quite futile, he started to lose hope and what made him Hideaki in the first place. While there is no concept of seasons in the Cursed Realm, he can now control all sides of autumn, tapping into the element of earth properly without any struggle. His emotions slowly but surely begin to grow stagnant, less passionate, less feeling over the years. He is only left with the growing sense of bitterness and that building apathy. Simply put, because of the prompt betrayal and murders carried about his legacy.

When autumn transitions into winter, it's not a very special change, because they're all ghosts and the only way to see whether or not they have colors is if the green pigmentation is a little lighter or darker. But Hideaki KNOWS he's been stuck in this wintry cover for over a thousand years. And yes, because spring colors are all about the softness of colors and being full, winter is the opposite of that, the colors getting duller and duller as the years went by. It's a consequence to his power, as the successor of the Great Devourer's seasonal abilities. Seasons are the driving force of his power, yes, but it also gives and takes from his own emotions, which is the biggest link of them all.

Winter is the season of death, stillness, void, and frigid. Hideaki in the next life is dead, a specter, an old incarnation of his old self. He thinks that, in the end of all things, the person he used to be is gone. It died when he died. This new person that ended up in the Cursed Realm, turned into villain, the thing he hates the most. Yet, after so many years, so much suffering, so much overwhelming emotions that couldn't be solved... he stopped. He developed the need to stop feeling. The need to not cast his expression to the stage, to be the husband the Preeminent wanted him to be. The person that is supposed to not care about anything at all. Yet as the apathy built up, so is his emotions resistance. Somewhere inside him, the last trace of spring remains, no matter how much he want to believe that the person he once was was gone.

<small>... he just doesn't want to believe that some part of him still cares about the people around him.</small>

Here's a discord convo about Hideaki's struggle with empathy and emotions, along with a character parallel I actually created with another oc of mine, Alvern, who's the complete opposite of Hideaki.

Here is also doodles of his summer and winter variant when it comes to the comparison of his most vibrant colors to his lowest, duller and blander ones:

[mylesstories]

character sheet

name: pixal

gender: female

pronouns: she/they/he

sexuality: demiromantic asexual

likes: being samurai x, being a useful member of the team

dislikes: not being a useful member of the team

personality: calculated/determined, loveable

background: ninjago

affiliations: zane (girlfriend), cyrus borg ("daughter, former assistant), samurai x (2.0)