When should Ninjago end?

Ninjago has lasted for almost 10 years at this point, and there is no sign of it going away any time soon. However, the theme can’t last forever without getting repetitive or loosing sales (which some may argue that has already happened with the theme). When do you think the line should naturally end, and what do you think would be good way end it? And after it ends, what do you think would be a good replacement for it?

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Serious answer: 6 years ago.

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Not until it absolutely needs to be.

Have you seen how many people have been heartbroken ever since BIONICLE got cancelled? If Ninjago is doing well, and people love it, do we really want to force them to go through the same fate?

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I agree with Hawkflight in some respects, although at the same time I feel like it’s getting REAL repetitive at this point. I haven’t really been paying attention to it since the pirates line (don’t remember the year) but last I checked lego was trying some video game one again? idk, I feel like a ‘good’ ending for the story would have been after the pirates, but at the same time there’s a LOT of people that would lose their minds if it got cancelled.

Then again, this is coming from someone who never really ‘grew up’ with a certain theme, so what do I know?

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I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. Ninjago is one of those shows that just kind of got into my brain when I was young. I only really saw the first two seasons at most back in the day (yes I count the 2011 pilot episodes, fight me), but I did eventually come back and become a semi-avid watcher. There definitely was a lot of potential, and some of that was even realised. It reminds me of Star Wars Rebels in a number of ways. It’s not incapable of delivering heartfelt and memorable moments, but it’s often tied down by its existence as “funni haha kids teevee show”.
And, because of that, new toys need to be made, new history needs to be uncovered, and due to certain issues like why the heck is Lloyd so young, we end up with this weird problem almost directly opposite to Bionicle where the timeline is way too absurdly small to fit all the events which supposedly occurred over this world’s history. It’s bloated, it’s weird. We have two underworlds, a billion different races from ancient times, and Wu going from 30 to 80 in the span of 20 years at most.
A lot of my attachment to the story, I must admit, is Zane’s pretty blatant autism allegory. That feeling of self-discovery and finding a sense of belonging in who you are was a beautiful message to a kid who had only recently begun that journey himself, so for me personally, I would definitely say the franchise peaked at the end of Rebooted… for… obvious reasons. They couldn’t even keep him dead for a season. I get it’s a kid’s show, but… christ. It is a bit disheartening.
Tournie was okay-ish, I honestly kinda liked the idea of all those other masters and stuff (which are almost never brought up again, bar like two) though it was kind of obvious that they were deliberately holding back on air and water for whatever reason, later revealed. And then Lloyd was possessed, and Garmadon died, wonder if that’s gonna last? I actually liked Sensei Garmadon tbh, he was chill as heck. And then… Skybound. Really compelling as an idea, but the ending made it quite clear that they were intending to somehow fix all this and then realised by the end that they couldn’t, so nevermind, it never happened at all.
Timeboiz was just boring, bland and horrendously unmemorable, I didn’t even know what to think by the end. Then Sons of Garmadon shows up, taking in the new Ninjago Movie artstyle. I tried to start watching and couldn’t bear it. And then I blink, and four seasons of television have just appeared, and apparently the First Spinjitzu Master was half Oni and half Dragon? Okay.
I can kind of understand the Bionicle fan mindset, but as someone who used to be invested in the franchise and since dropped off after it started drowning in its own canon? There comes a point where something just needs to be put to bed. We’ve been running in circles with the same set of characters doing the same things for nearly a decade’s worth of television, and the timeline is such a mess now that I doubt even the creators really have it all in their minds anymore.

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My problem with the situation is, that Ninjago’s lost its focus a long time ago. Originally it was supposed to be a story about defeating evil and restoring balance. The Overlord as the embodiment of evil was a worthy final enemy, especially because he was originally linked to the creation of the devourer and Lord Garmadon. Then the creators expanded the world so the Ninjas could fight other baddies. But they also defeated the Oni, who were presented as the greatest force of evil. There is nothing really left for them to do, except forcing minor villains in an antagonistic position. The story is at a point where the villains just appear because… reason? I mean that’s an older problem. But in the time of the Overlord that made perfect sense. Everything was destiny.
I guess the only thing left for Lloyd and Garmadon to do would be to face an embodiment of destiny (not these writers in cloud kingdom or however it is called) to put an end to Garmadon’s eternal suffering.
I really don’t know anything else that would give the series a proper conclusion. Many say the Overlord should return, but I think defeating him a fifth time would be the very definition of repeating stuff

As for the sets: I guess a good Legacy wave would be enough.

The replacement theme would need new cultural inspiration unlike anything before from Lego. And maybe some crossover elements in the early years to keep Ninjago-only-fans interested.
(Just my opinion.)

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I pretty much agree with all of this. Ninjago should’ve ended years ago. It kills every other original theme Lego has out at the time. Chima and Nexo Knights ended prematurely because Ninjago was still around, and I have a feeling Monkie Kid will have a similar fate. The show and the sets have just become so bland, repetitive and boring. How many oversized motorbikes, mechs and off-road cars/trucks do the ninja need?

Cole was always my favourite ninja, not because of his storyline significance, but because he was the ninja who always came in the small sets. That archery set, polybags, spinners, the Earth Driller, the Hover Hunter, Lava Falls, the mini dragon… obtaining a Cole was an easy practise. As that was all I could really afford, I became quite familiar with the Ninja of Earth and amassed a rather large collection of Coles. However, after Ninjago’s makeover, Cole only came in the most expensive sets; the Temple of Resurrection, Firstbourne, the Land Bounty and the Temple of Madness. Cole was now the hardest ninja to obtain, and I could no longer add to my Cole-ection. I had come to know Cole as the ‘cheap ninja’, so it’s a shame that I can’t get him anymore.

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I have a feeling Ninjago getting cancelled wouldn’t come down as heartbreaking as Bionicle’s cancellation, because with Ninjago, there isn’t much left for the story to explore. With Bionicle, on the other hand, the story was still having a lot going for it, and 2009 was supposed to be a new chapter into a even bigger story…which never got properly explored, due to the theme’s cancellation. That’s why I feel like so many people where heartbroken when the announcement came… There was still so much they were looking forward to, but suddenly, all was gone.
Ninjago, on the other hand, seems to be going nowhere with it’s story, especially for the past two seasons. March of the Oni could have been a perfect opportunity to end the series on a high note, but of course that didn’t happen. Though there are still plenty of active Ninjago fans, I feel like the theme is loosing fans faster than it gains new ones. With so many people constantly dropping out, despite how much they loved it in it’s early years, I honestly don’t think Ninjago’s cancellation would be as depressing as the Bionicle one.

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If anything I’d be pleased. It gives room for other, fresher themes to have a chance of surviving for more than 2.5 years.

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Yeah, me too. Ninjago was supposed to end in 2013, but because it still continued after that, it canibalized the budget for all the other lines that were in production at the time. The reason Bionicle G2 recieved so little adverising was becuase it’s budget was given to Ninjago. Same with Chima. The original plan was for Chima to become the next Ninjago, but due to their competition, Chima also suffered budget cuts and was met with underwhelming sales.
So if anything, Ninjago is to blame for the failure of Bionicle G2, Chima and Nexo Knights.

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I like Ninjago and I like LEGO and I like story, so I am fine with it lasting longer. I’ve come to forgive it for outlasting Bionicle.

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it should have died right before the arcade themed wave, they had to start reusing older waves, the sets felt like they could have existed in the nindroid wave.

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@Makutros I think a good ending would be all the OGs becoming Sensei and training a new generation of ninja. I feel like most Lego themes haven’t had any real sort of conclusive ending, so I doubt that’d happen. Although it’s not like I’ve been following the theme much so idk.

@Monopoly I agree with basically everything you said. I could really go for some new themes.(A REAL CASTLE)

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I think one of the creators hinted that that was the original plan for the end of season 7 before they were sure it was continued, but I am not sure on that.

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Seriously though, I know this is a joke, but now is the time to end it. Monkie Kid has proven itself to be a more-than-worthy successor in terms of its show, sets, creativity, and even its East Asian inspired mythology. Last year, when Ninjago finished the Oni Trilogy, the ending had such a huge sense of finality that it honestly seems weird that they kept it going. The only thing that wouldn’t have made it a good ending is how the Oni were only released as part of a battle pack; way worse than what we got for Bionicle’s last wave. They should’ve gotten a full wave, ended it there, and revealed Monkie Kid late last year so they could begin selling sets on January 1st.

EDIT: I don’t know if this current wave of Ninjago would be good as an ending for the theme, so maybe not right now, but I doubt Ninjago and Monkie Kid can coexist. Monkie Kid’s main problem is pricing, and kids are a lot more likely to buy Ninjago when it’s way cheaper. I just feel like Monkie Kid has more potential than Ninjago has after a decade, and wish it’ll have cheaper sets next wave.

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Ninjago needs to join the ranks of Exo-force, Galidor, Hero Factory, Atlantis, and end on a cliffhanger.
Next season ends with Garmadon back, he has a superweapon and a new army of ghost snake skeleton robots, and he’s captured Wu, Nya, and Montgomery, leaving just the OG four to defeat him. And then that’s it, show gets cancelled, and Ninjago ends.
Edit: and we never get this new army/weapon in set from, of course.

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Perfect.

Agree

End it next year as soon as possible. The wave would be a massive throwback to the 1999 ninja theme. There would be no vehicles or mechs of any kind. Then it would be replaced in 2022 with Exo-Force G2.

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It’s a shame really, because Chima had some much cooler builds. For £30 in 2013, you could get:


A gang of wolf-men, one of whom wielding a chainsaw lightsaber, driving a front-angled pickup truck with full wheel suspension, a tow hook, snapping jaws, troop space and a competition cannon strapped to the roof against a flying eagle man with a giant laser battle-axe, or…

A four-armed red man driving an armoured square with oddly positioned treads and a face with a competition cannon in its mouth up against a white ninja man driving a four-legged turret with golden chainsaws on the front.

I mean, those aren’t even Orange Transparent Chainsaws, so I’m going to have to go with the Chima set, which at least has a Red Transparent Chainsaw Sword.

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