Ninjago (TV Series) Seasons
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Lego Ninjago is a
Lego theme A Lego theme is a product line of Lego construction toys produced by The Lego Group based on a central concept. Before 1978, Lego produced several construction sets with common themes, but they were not necessarily branded as part of a single se ...
that was created in 2011 and a
flagship brand A core product or flagship product is a company's primary promotion, service or product that can be purchased by a consumer. Core products may be integrated into end products, either by the company producing the core product or by other companies ...
of
The Lego Group Lego A/S (trade name: The Lego Group) is a Danish toy production company based in Billund, Denmark. It manufactures Lego-brand toys, consisting mostly of interlocking plastic bricks. The Lego Group has also built several amusement parks aroun ...
. It is the first theme to be based on
ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...
since the discontinuation of the
Lego Ninja Ninja was a theme and product range of the construction toy Lego. Launched in 1998, the collection was its own theme. It had many elements of the ninja warriors from feudal Japan. The majority of the sets were released in 1998 and 1999; however, t ...
theme in 2000. Whilst it retains some elements of the previous theme, it is based on a more detailed storyline set within a fantasy world, primarily underpinned by the
computer-animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refe ...
television series ''
Ninjago Lego Ninjago is a Lego theme that was created in 2011 and a flagship brand of The Lego Group. It is the first theme to be based on ninja since the discontinuation of the Lego Ninja theme in 2000. Whilst it retains some elements of the previous ...
.'' The theme focuses on a group of six teenage ninja, led by the legendary Green Ninja,
Lloyd Garmadon Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon is a fictional character in the computer-animated television series ''Ninjago (TV series), Ninjago'' (previously known as ''Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'') which is produced by The Lego Group. He was created by the ori ...
. The main ninja characters are defined in the story as "Elemental Masters", which means that they each possess
elemental An elemental is a mythic being that is described in occult and alchemical works from around the time of the European Renaissance, and particularly elaborated in the 16th century works of Paracelsus. According to Paracelsus and his subsequent fo ...
powers. The ninja are trained in the fictional
martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...
of "Spinjitzu" by their ancient and wise teacher, Master Wu, giving them the ability to fight against the forces of evil. Ninjago enjoyed phenomenal popularity and success in its first year, and a further two years were commissioned before a planned discontinuation in 2013. However, after a brief hiatus, the line was continued after feedback from fans and has been in production ever since. The Lego Group developed the theme into a
media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or ...
aimed primarily at young boys and pre-teenage boys, which has produced books, video games and theme park attractions. The popularity of the TV series and the toy line resulted in the production of ''
The Lego Ninjago Movie ''The Lego Ninjago Movie'' is a 2017 computer-animated martial arts comedy film produced by Warner Animation Group, RatPac Entertainment, Lego System A/S, Lin Pictures, Lord Miller Productions, and Vertigo Entertainment, and distributed by Wa ...
'', released in 2017, which was the third film in ''The Lego Movie'' franchise. On January 14, 2021, the Ninjago theme celebrated its tenth anniversary, making it one of The Lego Group's longest-running and most successful original brands.


Overview

The main focus of the line is the formation and consequent exploits and trials of a group of teenage
ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...
, battling against the various forces of evil. The theme originally introduced five main characters with an original storyline set in a fictional world that fused the ninja theme with dragons, modern vehicles and futuristic mech-robots. In the theme's storyline, the ninja characters are trained in the art of "Spinjitzu" a fictional martial art that allows them to fight their opponents. The storyline is set within the fictional world of Ninjago, a place inspired by
East Asian East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea a ...
culture. Simon Lucas, Senior Creative Director, commented, "With Lego Ninjago, we took inspiration from a Japanese starting point, but it developed into something of a massive mashup of cultures, not just one particular culture."


Concept and creation


Background

The origin of the Ninjago theme lies in the earlier
Lego Ninja Ninja was a theme and product range of the construction toy Lego. Launched in 1998, the collection was its own theme. It had many elements of the ninja warriors from feudal Japan. The majority of the sets were released in 1998 and 1999; however, t ...
theme, which was released in 1998. This theme was based on Feudalistic Japan and featured ninjas, fortresses, catapults and horses. It originated in the
Lego Castle LEGO Castle was a Lego medieval and fantasy environment featuring knights and castles. It was introduced in Europe in 1978 and North America in 1981, and was supported continuously until 1999. It was also the name of a Lego theme within that en ...
theme that had been in existence since 1978. In 2000, Lego Ninja was replaced by Lego Knights. These themes eventually resulted in the introduction of the Ninjago theme, which included some of the original concepts of the Ninja theme, such as the dragons and fortresses, but also introduced modern day elements.


Research

The focus on ninja was also the direct result of
ethnographic research Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject o ...
of children's interests. The Ninjago product development team in Fort Lee, New Jersey spent several days monitoring groups of eight to ten-year-old boys to gauge their reactions to various concepts and storyboards, including ninjas, underwater adventures and futuristic cities. The chosen concept then went through several rounds of testing to refine the final product in order to produce a successful line. This rigorous testing and development resulted in the Ninjago line being delayed by a year. Cerim Manovi, Senior Design Manager for the theme stated, "Ninjas crystallised themselves because we were, like: 'What’s the greatest hero entry point?' We showed them superheroes, everything – but ninjas just grabbed kids right there." During the development process, the Ninjago team took a trip to the Iga Ninja Museum, located three hours to the north of Tokyo, Japan in order to get inspiration for the theme. This allowed the designers to gather historic details from the 15th century ninja building, whilst also developing ideas about how to give these historic elements a contemporary appeal.


Story concept

The initial story concept for the theme originated in a rough sketch created by Tommy Andreasen on a Friday evening in 2009. The sketch depicted several elemental ninja and the word "Spinjago". This idea was later developed into the fictional martial art of "Spinjitzu", which was a combination of the words "spin" and "ninjitsu". The development team later used this as the basis for the minifigure spinner action toys. The rough sketch was sent to an artist in Canada called Craig Sellars who created an internal concept image of the characters over the weekend. The Ninjago theme then employed the use of an original story that would appeal to young teenage boys, by creating a cast of characters that focused on a group of ninja heroes and a wide variety of villains. Senior Creative Manager, Tommy Andreasen commented, "It wasn't until we started developing a fantasy theme that we saw it actually can become a building toy as well. So you can put a ninja on a dragon - the kids found that appealing and very natural. But figuring out the enemies of the ninja was more of a challenge and we tested a lot of things there".


Character and universe development

The ninja characters were given different coloured costumes and unique elemental powers, which gave them distinctive personalities. The team also came up with the concept of "Spinjitzu", which was the main fighting method in the story. Andreasen commented, "we wanted to make sure that it was something that would look great on TV, lightning coming out of tornadoes and stuff like that. The toy representation of that was the spinner". The fantasy element was later combined with the introduction of advanced technology into the Ninjago universe. Although the original intention was to remain true to the historical setting, the Ninjago team decided that technology could be introduced without having a detrimental effect on the characters. The introduction of skeletons as the main villains in the storyline was also the result of research with children. The children in the research groups were given the choice of six options, including monkeys, skeletons, robots and lizard people. The overwhelming preference was for skeletons, which the children considered to be "real" fantasy villains. Andreasen recalled, "As it turned out, if you took the fantasy to where they were battling skeletons, that made total sense for the kids. We could push it one step further - it's fine that these skeletons have these skeleton themed monster trucks and stuff like that. At that point, you could really start to see a product assortment". Writers
Dan and Kevin Hageman Kevin Hageman (born April 21, 1974) and Dan Hageman (born December 17, 1976), professionally known as The Hageman Brothers, are American television writers, screenwriters, and television producers. They are best known for their work on the televis ...
came up with the initial idea for the ninjas' distinctive flying base, Destiny's Bounty. Their idea was that it would be a "windmill that turned into a helicopter and flew around". However, the idea to use a junk ship for the ninja base was suggested by Tommy Andreasen. The vessel has changed design over time both in the series and in toy form. Design Manager Michael Svane Knap commented, "One of the approaches that we have is that you need to try and boil it down to what makes an icon. What is the detail that means this is the Bounty? We are not confined in the same way as
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
, where it needs to be a
Millennium Falcon The ''Millennium Falcon'' is a fictional starship in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Designed by Joe Johnston for the movie ''Star Wars'' (1977), it has subsequently appeared in '' The Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), ''The Empire Strikes Back ...
that can only look one way."


Branding

The brand name "Ninjago" was formed from a combination of two words: "ninja" and "Lego". Andreasen noted that this fell into place naturally, saying "It's universally recognised, it works in any language and it has a good dynamic to it. It's short and to the point. We added 'Masters of Spinjitzu' to it just for flavour".


Fictional language

The Lego Ninjago universe incorporates a fictional written language that has been displayed on numerous occasions in both the ''Ninjago'' television series and in the Lego Ninjago construction sets. The written language uses a unique alphabet of symbols that resemble the visual style of
Chinese characters Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as ''kanji' ...
. The characters can be deciphered to translate the words that are commonly displayed on signs and advertisements in the Ninjago universe. With the release of ''The Lego Ninjago Movie'', a Ninjago Language Translator was released to accompany the film. In April 2020, the lead writer of the ''Ninjago'' television series, Bragi Schut stated on
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that the language is called "Ninjargon".


Launch and success

Lego Ninjago was developed as a Big Bang project with a goal to double the sales of the previous Big Bang product line,
Lego Atlantis Lego Atlantis was a product range of the construction toy Lego, themed around the underwater world of Atlantis. The range was launched in early 2010 and discontinued by the end of 2011. The toy sets included models of buildable underwater vehicl ...
. The design team set a target for the Ninjago line to deliver 10% of the company's total revenue. This was particularly ambitious, as no Lego theme had ever achieved this target, not even the successful
Bionicle Bionicle was a line of Lego construction toys, marketed primarily towards 8-to-16-year-olds. The line originally launched in 2001 as a subsidiary of Lego's Technic series. Over the following decade, it became one of Lego's biggest-selling prop ...
theme. By late April 2009, a full range of Ninjago products had been defined, which totalled 17 sets in the first year of its release. Alongside the Lego Ninjago product line, a variety of other media was created, including a Ninjago board game for
Lego Games Lego Games is a product range of the construction toy Lego. The theme was first introduced in 2009. Overview The theme focuses on a series of playable games of different types, all of which use Lego bricks, and use the Lego concept of building ...
, a themed world for '' Lego Universe'', a video game with
TT Games TT Games Limited is a British holding company and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The company was established in 2005 through the merger of developer Traveller's Tales and publisher Giant Interactive (now TT Games Publis ...
that launched in April 2011, and the development of the animated ''Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' TV series that launched in January 2011. The launch of the TV show and the overwhelming popularity of the theme resulted in a 20% increase in sales in the first quarter of 2011, with the Ninjago line making the highest single-year sales for any Lego original product line in the company's history. With its initial launch in early 2011, the Ninjago line was intended to continue for a limited run of three years. However, the strong sales performance of the line combined with the company's increased engagement with online communities resulted in The Lego Group reversing this decision. The company had begun to use online forums, such as Lego Cuusoo, to engage with fans and obtain customer feedback relating to its product range. The Ninjago brand was consequently extended past the end of 2013 and has been in production ever since. In February 2021, Design Manager Michael Svane Knap commented on the ongoing appeal of the theme by stating, "When Lego Ninjago was originally created more than 10 years ago, it was as much luck as it was skill that made us get to where we are today. Everyone involved back then was quite new and inexperienced with creating a franchise. However, everyone involved pushed 110% to make it work and really brought their A-game. Throughout the years, the Ninjago theme has managed to stay relevant with its changing stories. It's kept kids engaged in the universe… The changing story has allowed us to bring variety to the team. We've taken the ninja through everything from battling snakes, robots, sky-pirates, biker gangs and
samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
." In September 2021, Matthew Ashton, The Lego Group's Vice President of Design announced that Ninjago alongside
City A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
,
Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...
, Creator, Classic,
Technic Technic or Technics may refer to: * Technics (brand), a brand name of the Panasonic Corporation * Technics (law), a legal concept * Engineering * Lego Technic, toy * An anglicization (with subtle variation) of the Ancient Greek term techne, used ...
, Speed Champions, Monkie Kid, Collectible Minifigures and
DOTS Directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS, also known as TB-DOTS) is the name given to the tuberculosis (TB) control strategy recommended by the World Health Organization. According to WHO, "The most cost-effective way to stop the spread of T ...
themes will continue until at least 2023.


''Ninjago'' television series

The Lego Ninjago sets are based on the 3D
computer-animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refe ...
''
Ninjago Lego Ninjago is a Lego theme that was created in 2011 and a flagship brand of The Lego Group. It is the first theme to be based on ninja since the discontinuation of the Lego Ninja theme in 2000. Whilst it retains some elements of the previous ...
'' television series (originally titled ''Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu''). The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen. ''Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' was animated in Denmark by Wil Film ApS for the first ten seasons. The production was relocated to
WildBrain Studios WildBrain Studios is the in-house television studio arm of Canadian entertainment company WildBrain based in Vancouver which was established in 2016 as DHX Studios. History In January 2016, DHX Media announced that they would be building a 60 ...
in Canada for the eleventh season and the series was retitled ''Ninjago''. Regular seasons of the show were released each year from 2011 to 2022, along with one pilot season and one extended special. The series and the product line were created to coexist, with the storyline and products running alongside one another. This close connection is created out of a collaboration between product designers and storywriters. Design Manager Michael Svane Knap has elaborated on this by stating, "The product is important to us, but it's as important that we tell an engaging story from the beginning. We start developing with a lot of concept boards, so we know where we want to go...Often the writers also come up with new characters or new plot developments that we can then integrate into the products where possible. Both story and product are really tight together". In 2022, a new series for the brand was announced at San Diego Comic Con that is due to be released in 2023.


Main characters

The main characters featured in this theme are based on the central characters of the ''Ninjago'' television series. The show focuses on a team of six teenage ninja, who are "Elemental Masters" and trained in the art of Spinjitzu by their teacher, Master Wu. *
Lloyd Garmadon Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon is a fictional character in the computer-animated television series ''Ninjago (TV series), Ninjago'' (previously known as ''Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'') which is produced by The Lego Group. He was created by the ori ...
- The legendary Green Ninja, Elemental Master of Energy and the son of Lord Garmadon and Misako. *Kai - The red ninja, Elemental Master of Fire and older brother of Nya. * Jay - The blue ninja, Elemental Master of Lightning and boyfriend of Nya. *Zane - The white/titanium ninja, Elemental Master of Ice, "nindroid" ( android) and boyfriend of Pixal. * Cole - The black ninja and Elemental Master of Earth. *Nya - The grey/blue ninja, Elemental Master of Water, former Samurai X, younger sister of Kai and girlfriend of Jay. *Master Wu - The Master of Creation, wise sensei of the Ninja and younger brother of Lord Garmadon. *Lord Garmadon - The Master of Destruction, older brother of Master Wu and father to Lloyd. *Misako - Lloyd's mother and Garmadon's estranged wife. *P.I.X.A.L. (Primary Interactive X-ternal Assistant Life-form) - a female "nindroid", Samurai X and girlfriend of Zane.


Construction toys


Spinners

The Ninjago toy line began with the development of spinners, which were created as a way to introduce children to the wider theme. Senior Creative Manager, Tommy Andreasen explained, "We had the idea of the action toys. The challenge was how can you actually make a minifigure come to life and play fight with it? That's how the spinner came about. The first iterations of the spinner were actually built from Bionicle elements and looked more like a
throwing star A ''shuriken'' ( ja, 手裏剣; literally: "hidden hand blade") is a Japanese concealed weapon that was used as a hidden dagger or metsubushi to distract or misdirect. They are also known as throwing stars, or ninja stars, although they were ...
with a ninja on top". With the release of the Pilot Season of the ''Ninjago'' TV series in 2011, the first Ninjago spinner toys were launched. The spinners involve placing a
Lego minifigure A Lego minifigure, commonly referred to as a minifig, is a small plastic articulated figurine produced by Danish toy manufacturer The Lego Group. They were first produced in 1978 and have been a success, with over 4 billion produced worldwide as ...
on either a spinning or flying disk. The first generation incorporated a two-player battle game involving exchanges of weapons and collectible cards. The second generation was released in 2015 and consisted of a ripcord mechanism to launch the spinner into the air, recreating the art of "Airjitzu" in the ''Ninjago'' TV series. The most recent release of Ninjago spinners was in March 2022.


Playsets

Since 2011, Lego Ninjago themed playsets have been released in waves each year to correspond with each season of the ''Ninjago'' television series. The playsets feature some of the main locations, vehicles, mechs, weapons and characters from the corresponding season. According to
Bricklink Lego A/S (trade name: The Lego Group) is a Danish toy production company based in Billund, Denmark. It manufactures Lego-brand toys, consisting mostly of interlocking plastic bricks. The Lego Group has also built several amusement parks aroun ...
, there have been 448 Lego Ninjago sets released since 2011. Each season has corresponding boxed sets, either released in one or two waves across a given year. Design Manager Michael Svane Knap commented on the design process stating, "In our development of the toys, we always start with the story. Our first priority is to tell a good story both in the physical products and in the content we’re creating. And the ninja is always the constant starting point of the concept… They each bring their own unique thing to the story and products. In 2011, the Ninjago theme released 39 toy construction sets that were based on the
Pilot Episodes A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
. The product range included the spinner toys and skeleton-themed playsets, such as skull monster trucks, and vehicles, dragons and locations from the season, including Garmadon's Dark Fortress, Ice Dragon Attack and the Fire Temple. In 2012, the Ninjago toy line was based on the first season titled ''
Rise of the Snakes ''Rise of the Snakes'' (also titled ''Rise of the Serpentine'' on DVD release) is the first season of the computer-animated television series '' Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' (titled ''Ninjago'' from the eleventh season onward). The series was ...
''. It introduces Lloyd Garmadon and focuses on the snake-like Serpentine. The product line featured dragons and snake-themed vehicles from the season, including Fangpyre Truck Ambush, Epic Dragon Battle and Ultra Sonic Raider. In 2013, Lego Ninjago was based on the second season ''
Legacy of the Green Ninja ''Legacy of the Green Ninja'' is the second season of the computer-animated television series '' Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' (titled ''Ninjago'' from the eleventh season onward). The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen. T ...
'', which focuses on Lloyd Garmadon becoming the "Golden Ninja". The toy line included The Golden Dragon set, which featured the character in his golden minifigure form and was later rereleased as part of the Ninjago Legacy line in 2019. In 2014, the toy line was based on the third season, ''
Rebooted ''Rebooted'' is the third season of the computer-animated television series '' Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' (titled ''Ninjago'' from the eleventh season onward). The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen. The season aired f ...
''. The season focuses on advanced technology and this was reflected in the nindroid-themed playsets, such as OverBorg Attack and Nindroid MechDragon. The toy line also included the Kai Fighter, Thunder Raider and X-1 Ninja Charger, which were all rereleased as part of the Ninjago Legacy line. 2015 was the first year to feature two ''Ninjago'' seasons in one year and the toy line released sets based on the fourth season titled ''
Tournament of Elements ''Tournament of Elements'' is the fourth season of the animated television series '' Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' (titled ''Ninjago'' from the eleventh season onward). The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen. The season ai ...
'' and the fifth season titled ''
Possession Possession may refer to: Law * Dependent territory, an area of land over which another country exercises sovereignty, but which does not have the full right of participation in that country's governance * Drug possession, a crime * Ownership * ...
''. The fourth season focuses on Master Chen and the snake-like Anacondrai and its associated toy range included locations and vehicles from the season, including Jungle Raider, ElectroMech and Enter the Serpent. The fifth season features an army of ghosts led by Morro, and the toy line included ghost-themed vehicles, dragons and locations from the season, including Final Flight of Destiny's Bounty and the Temple of Airjitzu. In 2016, the Ninjago playsets were based on the sixth season titled '' Skybound'' and the 45-minute special '' Day of the Departed''. The ''Skybound'' sets focused on Nadakhan and his band of
sky pirates ''Sky Pirates'' (also known as ''Dakota Harris'') is a 1986 Australian adventure film written and produced by John D. Lamond, and directed by Colin Eggleston. The film was inspired by Steven Spielberg's ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' (1981), as we ...
and included pirate-themed locations and vehicles from the season, such as Tiger Widow Island, Misfortune's Keep and The Lighthouse Siege. The ''Day of the Departed'' sets included the Ultra Stealth Raider, Samurai X Cave Chaos and Rock Roader. In 2017, the Ninjago playsets were based on the seventh season titled '' Hands of Time'', which focuses on time travel and the main antagonists Krux and Acronix. The playsets included vehicles and locations from the season, including Destiny's Shadow, Dragon Forge and Dawn of Iron Doom. A second wave for the year was replaced by ''The Lego Ninjago Movie'' toy line, which introduced new hair pieces for the ninja characters that were adopted and used in subsequent waves. The eighth season, which was released in 2018 and titled ''
Sons of Garmadon ''Sons of Garmadon'' is the eighth season of the computer-animated television series '' Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' (titled ''Ninjago'' from the eleventh season onward). The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen. The season ...
,'' focuses on a criminal biker gang and the associated sets included the vehicles and locations of the season, including Street Race of Snake Jaguar, Ninja Nightcrawler, S.O.G. Headquarters and the Temple of Resurrection. The ninth season '' Hunted'' focuses on a band of Dragon Hunters and was accompanied by a wave of playsets featuring dragons, including Firstbourne, Stormbringer and the Dragon Pit. The tenth season ''
March of the Oni ''March of the Oni'' is the tenth season of the computer-animated television series '' Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' (titled ''Ninjago'' from the eleventh season onward). The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen. The season ...
'' focuses on an evil race named the Oni and was accompanied in 2019 by a minifigure pack of Oni villains. In the second half of 2019, '' Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu'' was released, which focuses on themes of fire and ice. The wave of sets included vehicles and locations from the season, including Fire Fang, Lloyd's Titan Mech, the Land Bounty and Castle of the Forsaken Emperor. This was followed in 2020, by the release of two seasons titled ''
Prime Empire ''Prime Empire'' is the twelfth season of the animated ''Ninjago (TV series), Ninjago'' television series (titled ''Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' before the eleventh season). The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen. The se ...
'' and '' Master of the Mountain''. ''Prime Empire's'' video game theme was reflected in its playsets, which included three arcade pods, dragons, vehicles and locations from the season, such as Jay's Cyber Dragon, Kai's Mech Jet and Empire Temple of Madness. ''Master of the Mountain'' focuses on the evil Skull Sorcerer and the dungeons of Shintaro and its associated wave of sets included Spinjitzu Burst spinners and several playsets that can be used as a role playing board game, including the Skull Sorcerer's Dungeons. In 2021, Lego Ninjago released two waves based on '' The Island'' and '' Seabound''. The first wave featured island-themed vehicles and locations from ''The Island'' such as Catamaran Sea Battle, Lloyd's Jungle Chopper Bike and The Keepers' Village. The second wave introduced the sea-themed vehicles and locations of ''Seabound'', including Ninja Sub Speeder, the Hydro Bounty and Temple of the Endless Sea. For the 2022 Spring range, the designer revealed the concept behind a wave of sets named Ninjago Core. Niek van Slagmaat explained, "We were asked to come up with a line of Ninjago that would not only stand on its own without content but also be the epitome of Ninjago toys" and continued, “After the specialized launches like ''Prime Empire'' and ''Seabound'', the markets asked for a wave with the classic Ninjago identity. We would not get any story continuing content in order to make sure we could get started on 2HY 2022 as early as possible. Thus, Core was born." The wave comprised various playsets that feature in the corresponding Ninjago Core shorts, including Lloyd's Legendary Dragon, Jay's Thunder Dragon EVO, Kai's Fire Dragon EVO, Lloyd's Race Car EVO and Zane's Power Up Mech EVO. An additional four sets were released in March, consisting of Kai’s Spinjitzu Ninja Training, Lloyd’s Spinjitzu Ninja Training, Jay’s Spinjitzu Ninja Training and Ninja Training Center. Nine new sets that correspond to the fifteenth and final season of the original series titled '' Crystalized'' were released in summer 2022. The sets are based on the season's storyline and include Nya's Samurai X Mech, The Crystal King and The Crystal King Temple.


Ninjago Legacy

In 2019, the Ninjago Legacy line was introduced as a sub-theme of the main Ninjago construction toy line, to celebrate the legacy of the theme over the course of almost ten years. Ninjago Legacy recreates earlier Ninjago playsets released in previous years with updated designs. The Ninjago Legacy line gave Ninjago fans the opportunity to revisit sets from previous years in relation to specific seasons. Senior Model Designer Michael Svane Knap justified the decision to recreate the original sets by stating, "When a lot of these sets originally came out, it was back in 2011 and 2012. The way we build with Lego bricks, the way we actually put sets together, has changed a lot. This means we have new elements; we have new ways of making the build even better." In 2019, the first Legacy wave reimagined previously released vehicles like Jay's Storm Fighter, Cole's Earth Driller, Kai's Blade Cycle & Zane's Snowmobil, and also included the Monastery of Spinjitzu. In 2020, the Legacy wave included the Golden Mech, which was based on ''Ninjago'' Season 2, Thunder Raider and Kai Fighter, which were based on Season 3, Jungle Raider, which was based on Season 4, and a reimagined Destiny's Bounty. In 2021, the Legacy wave included Overlord Dragon, which was based on Season 2, X-1 Ninja Charger, which was based on Season 3, Boulder Blaster, Jay's Electro Mech and Tournament of Elements, which were based on Season 4, Zane's Titan Mech Battle, which was based on Season 5, and Ultra Sonic Raider.


Tenth anniversary

On 14 January 2021, the Lego Ninjago brand celebrated its tenth anniversary. To mark this milestone, The Lego Group released a limited number of playsets in the Ninjago Legacy line that include exclusive collectible golden minifigures of the main ninja characters. To celebrate the tenth anniversary, Ninjago City Gardens (set number: 71741) was released on 1 February 2021 as part of the Ninjago Legacy line. The set contains 5,685 pieces, surpassing the previously released Ninjago City set, making it the largest Ninjago set ever produced. It was designed to connect smoothly with the previous Ninjago modular sets. The playset, similar to the earlier Ninjago City set, is a high rise that contains multiple small shops, including Chen's Noodle House and Ice Planet. The set features two apartments, a tea balcony, "The Ninja Zone", a rooftop garden, the Ninjago Museum of History and a Ninja Control Tower. Additionally, a small temple island build attached to the set displays a statue of the character Zane. The set includes a "Golden Wu" which is part of the collection of collectible golden minifigures for the 2021 Ninjago wave. The collection of Golden Legacy minifigures was completed with the release of the Summer 2021 ''Ninjago'' sets in June 2021, which include golden minifigures of the ''Ninjago'' characters Nya and Zane.


Juniors

Ninjago themed sets have also been produced as part of the
Lego Juniors Lego Juniors was a product range of the construction toy Lego, designed for children aged 4 to 7 years old. It acts as a transition from the ''Lego Duplo, Duplo'' to the regular ''Lego System''. ''Lego Juniors'' initial release was on February 14 ...
theme and, more recently, as part of its successor product range 4+. These sets were specifically designed to be simpler to build with fewer pieces and slightly larger building elements. The Ninjago 4+ sets are aimed at children aged four and above, such as Kai's Fire Dragon set, which is part of the Ninjago Legacy sub-theme.


BrickHeadz

Several Lego Ninjago characters have also been released as part of the
Lego BrickHeadz Lego ''BrickHeadz'' is a Lego theme that recreates iconic characters from themes like DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Star Wars and Disney as buildable characters. The theme was first introduced in 2016. Overview The product line focuses on the build ...
theme. A range of 10th anniversary BrickHeadz was announced in May 2021, which included Golden Lloyd, Nya Samurai X, and Firstbourne Dragon as buildable characters.


Film adaptation and toy line

On 17 September 2013,
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
announced that it was developing an animated film based on the Lego Ninjago theme. ''
The Lego Ninjago Movie ''The Lego Ninjago Movie'' is a 2017 computer-animated martial arts comedy film produced by Warner Animation Group, RatPac Entertainment, Lego System A/S, Lin Pictures, Lord Miller Productions, and Vertigo Entertainment, and distributed by Wa ...
'' premiered on 16 September 2017 at the
Regency Village Theatre The Fox Theatre, Westwood Village, also known as the Fox Village Theatre, is a historic, landmark cinema in Westwood, Los Angeles, California. Westwood Village, in the heart of Westwood, is near the University of California, Los Angeles UCLA. It ...
in Los Angeles. To coincide with the release of the film, The Lego Group released ''The Lego Ninjago Movie'' toy line, which included 15 building sets and collectible minifigures based on the film. The largest sets in the line were Ninjago City (set number: 70620) and Ninjago City Docks (set number: 70657), with Ninjago City being listed as one of the largest Lego sets ever released. The line was eventually discontinued by the end of 2019.


Media franchise

Since its launch in 2011, The Lego Group has developed the Ninjago brand into a media franchise that has produced an extensive variety of media and merchandise, including books, magazines, video games and app games, and theme park attractions.


Theme park attractions

Several theme park attractions have been launched at
Legoland Legoland (, trademark in uppercase as LEGOLAND) is a chain of family theme parks focusing on the construction toy system Lego. They are not fully owned by The Lego Group itself; rather, they are owned and operated by the British theme park com ...
resorts within Lego Ninjago World, a themed area of the parks. In September 2015, a puppet-style live show made its debut at
Legoland Malaysia Resort Legoland Malaysia Resort is Malaysia's first international theme park, which opened in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia on 15 September 2012 with over 40 interactive rides, shows and attractions. It is the first Legoland theme park in Asia and s ...
, titled ''Lego Ninjago and The Realm of Shadows''. This was followed by the introduction of ''Lego Ninjago: The Ride'' at the same park in June 2016, an interactive attraction manufactured by Triotech, which uses Maestro hand gesture technology in place of a hand-held device. In March 2016, Lego Ninjago World was launched at
Legoland Billund Resort Legoland Billund Resort, the original Legoland park, opened on 7 June 1968 in Billund, Denmark. The park is located next to the original Lego factory and Billund Airport, Denmark's second-busiest airport. Over 1.9 million guests visited the par ...
. A similar themed area was introduced at
Legoland Deutschland Resort Legoland Deutschland Resort is a Legoland park located in Günzburg, Germany, Günzburg in southern Germany, roughly halfway from Munich to Stuttgart, which opened in 2002. It is 43.5 hectares (107 acres) in area, and it is one of the four most p ...
in April 2017. It was later launched in May 2017 at
Legoland Windsor Resort Legoland Windsor Resort (), styled and also known as Legoland Windsor, is a theme park and resort in Windsor, Berkshire in England, themed around the Lego brand. The park opened on 17 March 1996 and is currently operated by Merlin Entertainment ...
. In the same month, it was introduced at
Legoland California Legoland California Resort is a theme park, miniature park, and aquarium located in Carlsbad, California, based on the Lego toy brand. Opening on March 20, 1999, it was the third Legoland park to open and the first outside of Europe. The park i ...
and
Legoland Florida Legoland Florida Resort (stylized as LEGOLAND Florida Resort) is a vacation destination in Winter Haven, Florida. The resort features the Legoland Florida theme park itself, the Legoland Water Park, three on-site accommodations and a separatel ...
. ''Lego Ninjago: The Ride'' was introduced at
Legoland Windsor Resort Legoland Windsor Resort (), styled and also known as Legoland Windsor, is a theme park and resort in Windsor, Berkshire in England, themed around the Lego brand. The park opened on 17 March 1996 and is currently operated by Merlin Entertainment ...
in 2017. Ninjago World at Legoland Windsor also includes a swinging boat ride designed to resemble Destiny's Bounty. In addition, several Ninjago-themed attractions at Legoland resorts were designed to test balance, agility, speed and creativity, including Zane's Temple Build, Kai's Spinners, Cole's Rock Climb and Jay's Lightning Drill. In 2018,
Legoland California Legoland California Resort is a theme park, miniature park, and aquarium located in Carlsbad, California, based on the Lego toy brand. Opening on March 20, 1999, it was the third Legoland park to open and the first outside of Europe. The park i ...
premiered a short 4D animated film attraction titled '' Lego Ninjago: Master of the 4th Dimension,'' which was then rolled out in
Legoland Legoland (, trademark in uppercase as LEGOLAND) is a chain of family theme parks focusing on the construction toy system Lego. They are not fully owned by The Lego Group itself; rather, they are owned and operated by the British theme park com ...
parks and Legoland Discovery Centres in 2018. On 29 May 2021, Lego Ninjago World was introduced as one of seven themed lands with the opening of
Legoland New York Legoland New York Resort is a theme park in Goshen, New York owned by Merlin Entertainments. Consisting of seven Lego themed lands on a property of . The park contains numerous structures and attractions made of Lego or designed to resemble L ...
. In November 2021, a Lego Ninjago World themed land was announced for the upcoming launch of Legoland Shanghai Resort in 2024. In 2022, ''Lego Ninjago Weekends'' were launched on 11 June 2022 until 10 July 2022 at Legoland Windsor Resort.


Publications

A wide variety of books and magazines have been published based on the Ninjago characters, including children's story books, colouring books and activity books. From 2011, a series of children's reading books were published, written by Tracey West, which focus on the stories and characters of Ninjago. Several graphic novels have been written by
Greg Farshtey Gregory Todd Farshtey (born July 14, 1965) is an American writer, best known for his work on the Bionicle series of novels (2003–2010), the Bionicle comics (2001–2010), and the Ninjago graphic novel series. Literary career Gregory Todd F ...
, which provide stories based on the Ninjago characters. Regular editions of a Lego Ninjago Character Encyclopedia are published, which provide facts about the characters, minifigures, vehicles and locations from the Ninjago universe. The book has appeared in the top position on
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
Best Seller List. A long-running Lego Ninjago magazine is also published each month, which includes puzzles, activities and stories about the Ninjago characters. According to the
Audit Bureau of Circulations An Audit Bureau of Circulations is a private organization that provides industry-agreed standards for media brand measurement of print publications and other media outlets in a given country. The International Federation of Audit Bureaux of Circulat ...
(ABC), the Lego Ninjago magazine achieved an average circulation of 54,000 between July and December 2021, ahead of the
Lego City Lego City is a theme under which Lego building sets are released based on city life, with the models depicting city and emergency services (such as police and fire), airport, train, construction, and civilian services. Legoland Town is one of th ...
magazine at 32,153 and the
Lego Star Wars Lego ''Star Wars'' is a Lego theme that incorporates the '' Star Wars'' saga and franchise. Originally it was only licensed from 1999 to 2008, but The Lego Group extended the license with Lucasfilm, first until 2011, then until 2016, then ag ...
magazine at 45,133. In March 2021, Random House announced the publication of four titles based on the Ninjago brand, including a chapter book series, a guide book called ''The Book of Elemental'' ''Powers'', and a hardcover book collection titled ''5 Minute Stories.'' In September 2021, The Lego Group released a tenth anniversary box set that contains the 2017 book titled ''The Book of Spinjitzu'', poster, stickers and golden Lloyd minifigure. In November 2021, a five-part comic book series for release in 2022 was announced for the Ninjago brand, starting with the first title ''LEGO Ninjago: Garmadon.'' In September 2021, the first two ''Lego Ninjago Spinjitzu Brothers'' books titled ''The Curse of the Cat-Eye Jewel'' and ''The Lair of Tanabrax'' were published by
Penguin Random House Penguin Random House LLC is an Anglo-American multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate publishing company formed on July 1, 2013, from the merger of Penguin Group and Random House. On April 2, 2020, Bertels ...
. ''The Maze of the Sphinx'' was published on 3 May 2022 to continue the prequel story of Wu and Garmadon. The fourth book titled ''The Chroma’s Clutches'' was published on 6 September 2022.


Video games and apps

The characters from the Ninjago theme have appeared in a wide variety of video games and mobile apps. In the same year as its initial launch, the Ninjago brand was introduced into the gaming world with the development of a video game titled '' Lego Battles: Ninjago'', which was released on 12 April 2011. It was produced by
TT Games TT Games Limited is a British holding company and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The company was established in 2005 through the merger of developer Traveller's Tales and publisher Giant Interactive (now TT Games Publis ...
and developed by
Hellbent Games Hellbent Games Inc. is a Canadian video game developer based in Burnaby, British Columbia. The company was founded by Christopher Mair, a founder of Rockstar Vancouver, on 12 June 2006, in Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in wes ...
. In the same year, a Ninjago themed world was introduced to the
massively multiplayer online game A massively multiplayer online game (MMOG or more commonly MMO) is an online video game with a large number of players, often hundreds or thousands, on the same server. MMOs usually feature a huge, persistent world, persistent open world, alt ...
'' Lego Universe'' on 20 September 2011. On 22 March 2012, an app developed by The Lego Group titled ''Rise of the Snakes'' was released for
iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
. It was produced to accompany the first season of the television series titled ''
Rise of the Snakes ''Rise of the Snakes'' (also titled ''Rise of the Serpentine'' on DVD release) is the first season of the computer-animated television series '' Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' (titled ''Ninjago'' from the eleventh season onward). The series was ...
''. On 21 January 2014, a game was released for iOS titled ''Lego Ninjago Rebooted'', which was developed by The Lego Group. It is an action game that involves running and dodging obstacles while navigating a tower. On 29 July 2014, a video game titled ''Lego Ninjago: Nindroids'' was also released. The two games are based on the third season titled ''
Rebooted ''Rebooted'' is the third season of the computer-animated television series '' Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' (titled ''Ninjago'' from the eleventh season onward). The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen. The season aired f ...
''. An action game titled ''Lego Ninjago: Tournament'' was released on 23 January 2015 for iOS, developed by The Lego Group, which was based on the fourth season titled ''
Tournament of Elements ''Tournament of Elements'' is the fourth season of the animated television series '' Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' (titled ''Ninjago'' from the eleventh season onward). The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen. The season ai ...
''. In the same year, another video game titled ''Lego Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin'' was released on 24 March 2015 based on ''
Possession Possession may refer to: Law * Dependent territory, an area of land over which another country exercises sovereignty, but which does not have the full right of participation in that country's governance * Drug possession, a crime * Ownership * ...
'' the fifth season of the show, which was developed by TT Fusion. In 2016, the sixth season of the show titled '' Skybound'' was accompanied by the release of a web and app game titled ''Lego Ninjago: Skybound''. It was developed by The Lego Group and is a side-scrolling platform game. To accompany the release of ''
The Lego Ninjago Movie ''The Lego Ninjago Movie'' is a 2017 computer-animated martial arts comedy film produced by Warner Animation Group, RatPac Entertainment, Lego System A/S, Lin Pictures, Lord Miller Productions, and Vertigo Entertainment, and distributed by Wa ...
'', an
action-adventure video game The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a storyli ...
titled '' The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game'' was released in 2017 for
Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
,
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
,
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
, and
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
. The game was released on 22 September 2017 and featured the characters and locations from the movie. On 26 April 2018, a mobile riding game titled ''Ride Ninja'' was released for Android and iOS to coincide with the eighth season of the show titled ''
Sons of Garmadon ''Sons of Garmadon'' is the eighth season of the computer-animated television series '' Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' (titled ''Ninjago'' from the eleventh season onward). The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen. The season ...
''. It was developed by Amuzo Games and published by The Lego Group. The Ninjago characters have also made appearances in various other Lego games. On 27 September 2015, ''
Lego Dimensions ''Lego Dimensions'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure platform crossover video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox One and Xbox 360. It fo ...
'' was released, which is a video game developed by
Traveller's Tales Traveller's Tales is a British video game developer and a subsidiary of TT Games. Traveller's Tales was founded in 1989 by Jon Burton and Andy Ingram. Initially a small company focused on its own content, it grew in profile through developing ...
and published by
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE; also known as Warner Bros. Games or WB Games) is an American video game publisher based in Burbank, California, and part of the newly-formed Global Streaming and Interactive Entertainment unit of ...
. The game offers an additional Ninjago Team Pack that includes figures and vehicles from Ninjago. The Lego-themed sandbox game, ''
Lego Worlds ''Lego Worlds'' is a Lego-themed sandbox game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game allows players to build constructions in a 3D procedurally generated world. A beta version of the ga ...
'' also includes the Ninjago characters as playable characters. It was developed by
Traveller's Tales Traveller's Tales is a British video game developer and a subsidiary of TT Games. Traveller's Tales was founded in 1989 by Jon Burton and Andy Ingram. Initially a small company focused on its own content, it grew in profile through developing ...
, published by
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE; also known as Warner Bros. Games or WB Games) is an American video game publisher based in Burbank, California, and part of the newly-formed Global Streaming and Interactive Entertainment unit of ...
and released on 7 March 2017. The game offers downloadable content of the Ninjago characters and locations based on ''The Lego Ninjago Movie''. On 19 September 2019, a mobile fighting game for
iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
devices titled ''
Lego Brawls ''Lego Brawls'' is a family-friendly fighting game developed and published by Lego Games in partnership with American studio Red Games Co., and is being distributed in physical format for consoles by Bandai Namco Entertainment. ''LEGO Brawls' ...
'' was released, which was published by The Lego Group and developed by RED Games. The game includes playable Ninjago characters and Ninjago-themed events. In 2020, a role-playing battle game titled '' Lego Legacy: Heroes Unboxed'' was released on Apple's
App Store An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the co ...
,
Google Play Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android (operating sys ...
and
Microsoft Store Microsoft Store (formerly known as Windows Store) is a digital distribution platform operated by Microsoft. It started as an app store for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 as the primary means of distributing Universal Windows Platform apps ...
. It was published by The Lego Group and developed by Gameloft Toronto and features the Ninjago characters as playable minifigures.


Other media and merchandise

In 2015, the Lego Ninjago characters appeared in several videos on the Lego YouTube channel that recreate ''
American Ninja Warrior American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
'' in Lego form''.'' The Ninjago characters are depicted taking part in several obstacles from the course, including the Warped Wall, Salmon Ladder and Spider Climb. In 2019, The Lego Group partnered with
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
to become the global sponsor of the
Kid's Choice Awards The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (also known as the KCAs or Kids' Choice) is an annual American children's awards ceremony show that is produced by Nickelodeon. Usually held on a Saturday night in late March or early April, the show honors ...
. The campaign featured stop-motion animated content that included the characters from the ''Ninjago'' TV series, which was released across television, digital and social media on 7 March 2019. The story involved Lord Garmadon plotting a mission to steal a slime cannon, resulting in the Lego Ninjago characters having to defeat him. In May 2021, the Ninjago characters Jay and Nya appeared in ''Ninja Vlogs'',
3D animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes (still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refer ...
vlog A video blog or video log, sometimes shortened to vlog (), is a form of blog for which the medium is video. Vlog entries often combine embedded video (or a video link) with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in ...
-style videos, which were produced using
motion capture Motion capture (sometimes referred as mo-cap or mocap, for short) is the process of recording the movement of objects or people. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robo ...
and
real-time rendering Real-time computer graphics or real-time rendering is the sub-field of computer graphics focused on producing and analyzing images in real time. The term can refer to anything from rendering an application's graphical user interface ( GUI) to ...
. The new content format allowed viewers to provide an input to the story and aimed to move beyond broadcasting to children to engaging them in conversation. The Ninjago brand has also produced clothing and accessories for children and young adults, including collaborations with
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
and Hype in 2021. In 2022, the Lego Ninjago brand also produced a plush toy collection. In December 2022, a Lego Ninjago Master Class web short was released on YouTube. It features Tommy Andreasen, Nikolaj Severin, Tommy Kalmar and Ina Sta. Maria teaching about drawing Ninjago minifigures.


Awards and nominations

In 2012, the Fire Temple (set number: 2507) was awarded "Activity Toy of the Year" for inspiring creative play through various forms of activity at the 12th Annual Toy of the Year Awards, which is held at the
American International Toy Fair The North American International Toy Fair (formerly the American International Toy Fair and also known as Toy Fair New York) is an annual toy industry trade show held in mid-February in New York City's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and at t ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. In 2013, the Ninjago theme was nominated for "Property of the Year" by the
Toy Association The Toy Association is an American trade association A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a s ...
.


Reception

The Ninjago line is one of The Lego Group's most popular brands with young boys. In 2011, the Toy Retailers Association listed the Fire Temple set on its official list of 'dream toys' for the festive season, which predicted the 12 products that would be the bestsellers in that year. In September 2011, ''
Marketing Week ''Marketing Week'' is a website focused on the marketing industry, based in London, that grew out of what was a weekly, and latterly monthly, print magazine. History and profile ''Marketing Week'' was launched in March 1978. Its co-founders were ...
'' listed the first wave of Ninjago spinners as one of the top ten bestselling toys of the year. In 2012, toy retailer
Toys "R" Us Toys "R" Us is an American toy, clothing, and baby product retailer owned by Tru Kids (doing business as Tru Kids Brands) and various others. The company was founded in 1957; its first store was built in April 1948, with its headquarters loc ...
included the Ninjago Epic Dragon Battle set (9450) on its annual Hot Toy List, which it considered to be a cross-section of the best new toys of the season. In the same year, Ninjago ranked as one of the top five Lego properties of 2012, which together accounted for 50 per cent of all construction sets sold in the U.S. in that year. In 2014, the ninth volume in a series of Ninjago graphic novels by
Greg Farshtey Gregory Todd Farshtey (born July 14, 1965) is an American writer, best known for his work on the Bionicle series of novels (2003–2010), the Bionicle comics (2001–2010), and the Ninjago graphic novel series. Literary career Gregory Todd F ...
titled ''Night of the Nindroids'' entered
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
Graphic Novel Bestseller List at the top position, the eighth volume in a total of 12 to do so, and passed the mark of 2 million sales for the series. In 2015, the Ninjago line was listed as one of the top five bestselling themes in The Lego Group's Annual Report. In 2016, Toys "R" Us included the Ninjago Samurai X Cave Chaos set (70596) on its list of top toys for Christmas 2016. In the same year, Ninjago was listed as one of the top themes driving revenue in The Lego Group's 2016 Annual Report. Ninjago was also listed as one of the top selling themes in the 2017 Annual Report. The popularity of the Ninjago theme continued through to 2018, when it was named as one of the year's best selling themes, despite an overall fall in profits for the company in 2017. In September 2019, Ninjago was listed as one of the top selling themes driving revenue growth in the first half of 2019. Due to the long-term popularity and indefinite continuation of the Ninjago line, the brand is described as an annual evergreen Lego product range. Ernie Estrella for
Syfy Wire Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Launc ...
commented that Lego Ninjago, "is one of Lego's long running, home-grown franchises, and is arguably its most successful one."


See also

*
Lloyd Garmadon Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon is a fictional character in the computer-animated television series ''Ninjago (TV series), Ninjago'' (previously known as ''Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'') which is produced by The Lego Group. He was created by the ori ...
*
List of Ninjago characters The following is a list of fictional characters from the Danish-Canadian computer-animated television series ''Ninjago'', which is produced by The Lego Group. The series features a large ensemble cast of recurring characters. The list includes the ...
* ''Ninjago'' (TV series) * List of ''Ninjago'' episodes *
The Lego Ninjago Movie ''The Lego Ninjago Movie'' is a 2017 computer-animated martial arts comedy film produced by Warner Animation Group, RatPac Entertainment, Lego System A/S, Lin Pictures, Lord Miller Productions, and Vertigo Entertainment, and distributed by Wa ...
* The Lego Ninjago Movie (Lego theme) * The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game *
Legends of Chima ''Legends of Chima'' is a computer-animated television series created by Tommy Andreasen and produced by The Lego Group. It was created to coincide with the Lego Legends of Chima line of construction toys. It centres on the fictional world of Chi ...
*
Nexo Knights ''Nexo Knights'' (stylized as NEXO KNIGHTS) is a 3D animated television series that aired on Cartoon Network and premiered in 2016. It was produced by The Lego Group to coincide with the Lego theme of the same name. The series is based on a fan ...
*
Lego Monkie Kid ''LEGO Monkie Kid'' () is a LEGO theme inspired by ''Monkey King'' and ''Journey to the West''. It is licensed from the LEGO Group. The theme was first introduced in May 2020. The toy line is also accompanied by an animated television series that ...
*
Lego Games Lego Games is a product range of the construction toy Lego. The theme was first introduced in 2009. Overview The theme focuses on a series of playable games of different types, all of which use Lego bricks, and use the Lego concept of building ...


References


External links


Official Ninjago website
at lego.com {{Portal bar, Denmark, United States, Toys, Television, Film, Animation, Cartoon, Comics
Ninjago Lego Ninjago is a Lego theme that was created in 2011 and a flagship brand of The Lego Group. It is the first theme to be based on ninja since the discontinuation of the Lego Ninja theme in 2000. Whilst it retains some elements of the previous ...
Products introduced in 2011 Japan in non-Japanese culture