Symbolism and deeper meaning in Ninjago

LEGO Ninjago
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At this point I’m sure you’ve noticed that Ninjago is absolutely riddled with symbolism, deeper meaning, ETC. So tell me, what are your favorite messages and explain how you’ve interpreted them.

Personally, I’m a big fan of the balance concept. It’s something so applicable real life; a lesson I think we all need to learn. When we rely on something too much, we become weakened; our strength becomes a crutch that can be manipulated and used against us.

Another thing I found interesting was Zane’s rebirth and particularly his dialogue/monologue in Day of the Dragon. Where he proclaims that he isn’t the white ninja, but the titanium ninja.

I’ve seen this interpreted as him being a different person from the original Zane multiple times, but I personally believe it means something similar, but not that exactly. I dare say that Zane is the same Zane that we’ve known since the beginning of the show, but not exactly. You see, people are changed by their experiences. As life goes along we become different people both physically and mentally. That’s what I think happened to Zane.

The white ninja didn’t know how it feels to die. Zane is no longer the white ninja because he does know how it feels to die. He’s changed as a person because his experiences have influenced him. He, like everyone else, has been through a long journey. Perhaps it’s worn him down or perhaps it’s made him stronger. Either way, he is not the same person who took the first step. Since then he’s fought countless battles, saved countless lives, been beaten, caged, tortured, replicated, sent into space and come back as the rocket’s fuel. He came face to face with the embodiment of darkness itself and sacrificed his own life stop it from ruining the world.

Zane is not a replica. Zane is more than that; he’s the culmination of his experiences.

To further the message, I recall Nya making a remark about how while Zane has changed, so has everyone else. It’s not just about Zane; it’s about everyone. We’ve all undergone our own changes as people. For better or worse, we simply aren’t the same people as we once were. And that, I dare say, is the message behind Zane’s revival.

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So what messages in ninjago have stuck out to you?

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Ah yes. The show about colored ninjas who turn into tornadoes has lots of deep meaning.

Kidding, of course. Can’t really think of anything to add.

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The only message I really noticed was Sensei Wu’s Christ figure moment in the Pilot episode.

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I…I…I never thoght of it that way…

man you are smart…

for me it was the NRG thing.

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Oh yes, if you look deep enough there is meaning, occasionally even some rather dark stuff; i.e. a cult…a father who wouldn’t think twice about killing his own child…

I get the feeling that the deeper meaning is about to skyrocket in the ghost series, though.

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Yeah, that and Pythor’s enitire life. T.T

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What about it?

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Just copying this over from another topic:

Pythor’s done a lot of bad things; even betraying what his people had sacrificed themselves to prevent in the first place, but it’s all been because Pythor’s had a horrible life. The humans forced him to do unspeakable things in that tomb. Then he was corroded in stomach acid on his first attempt to get even with them. And, of course, the torment continued after being shrunk.

Simply put, Pythor’s goal has always been at the very least seldom-heroic given that he has spent his life seeking vengeance for the travesty brought upon his unconditionally hated people.

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Man…come to think of it,his life sucks…

I kinda think of the NRG thing as symbolism…

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Well, the NRG thing is as symbolic as it is literal, IMO. What they call “NRG” in the sets is really the form the ninja achieved whence struggling to achieve a state of inner peace despite the desperate state of turmoil outside. What was the serpentine era seems to pale stakes-wise to some of the circumstances that the Overlord put the ninja through, but remember, the serpentine threat was very large when Pythor had taken the lead. So much so that the ninja had to push themselves to their personal limits in order to overcome such an unprecedentedly dire threat.

So, as Sensei Wu told them to; they not only found peak physical condition, but searched within themselves to find their own peace. And thus with a focused mind and an able body they could augment their elemental power via the golden weapons.

So, while I wouldn’t say that it’s symbolic, the whole true potential thing is certainly a powerful message.

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Indeed. well put,

BTW I liked the snakes…

wait… @Hawkflight might be on to something…

NINJAGO R BIBLE!

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I would rebut, however

Religious/Political Discussion
We get it, politics and religion are a fundamental part of who you are. They shape your worldview and how you treat people. The problem is, they’re such a fundamental part of who you are, it can get very heated very quickly because some debates end up feeling like a personal attack, no matter if they actually are or aren’t. The TTV Cast ourselves hold a very wide and conflicting variety of beliefs and opinions, but we’ve seen first hand both in our group and in countless other sites that going too deep into religious and political discussion opens up a huge can of worms. Please, please, please try to keep it to a minimum.

Note: Yes, this line is especially blurry, and some times it’s relevant (for instance, talking about Matoran forms of government or whatnot), but we reserve the right to discern when to stop it before it gets out of hand. We will try our best to not be biased.

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Personally, I love the idea of the Dragon Power. A lot of shows try to paint fear as being centered around one thing, that if you overcome your fear of that one thing, you have conquered fear. In reality, fear is very versatile, and can take many forms. You may feel brave one day, but a new development may freeze you in place with fear. That’s why I love the fact that the Elemental Masters were so frightened by the Anacondrai, that they couldn’t overcome their fears and regain control of their dragons.

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Never thought of it too hard. I mostly thought of it as Zane accepting himself. Never thought much more into it. Never had thought too much into Ninjago in the first place.