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Lego Ninjago has been with us for 11 years since its first appearance in the anime in 2011! Who would have thought that from the original plan to release only 3 years of animation, it will develop to cover Almost everything such as Legoland, sets, movies, games, comics, and dolls, becoming one of the top cultural IP of Lego!
What exactly is included in the "Big Universe" of NINJAGO® Today, Xiaoku will explore the history, Easter eggs, highlights of NINJAGO® with you, and share its fan community to gain an insight into the world of LEGO Ninjao.
Purely unexpected history
The fact that NINJAGO®s achievements today is, in a sense, "purely accidental" ~ at the time of its birth, the creators of NINJAGO may not have thought that it would have such vitality. This can be seen in lego's history or traditional habits.
Back then, LEGO would often make what's known as the "Big Bang" theme: that is, Lego had an original IP, with high production value and high concept, the theme would soon explode in the market, and then fade away after a year or two. They used "old experience" to create an interesting-looking animated story for NINJAGO® that was originally scheduled to run for two seasons starting in 2011 and ending in 2012, with set sales ending after 2013. But last year, they just released their latest season 15...
Apparently, Lego's original plan "miscalculated". They were surprised to find that the ninjas behaved so "differently" whether among the children or the AFOLs. LEGO is constantly searching for possible evolutions, derivatives, and branches, and more and more wealth has been gathered because of the NINJAGO® today, so that today it has developed into a LEGO "cornerstone theme" that is as important as "city" and "good friends".
Now you get the idea – why was The NINJAGO Anime Season 2 named "Ninjago: The Final Battle" at the time? In fact, it should indeed be the last battle, but "the plan does not change quickly".
Currently, the NINJAGO-themed LEGO sets have reached an incredible 400 sets; the cartoon has entered its 16th season (and that doesn't include various spin-offs and specials); it has won numerous toy awards of the year; it has inspired stories in the LEGO Cinematic Universe; it has appeared in almost all Legolands... There is no doubt that this series has become the most popular theme worldwide.
NINJAGO® on TV
In the ninjago fandom, the following picture is very famous, it shows the development of ninjago in a comprehensive and vivid way. We see that from the very beginning, TV shows and toys have gone hand in hand.
Remember that? 2021 is the 10th anniversary of the NINJAGO TV series, and a year ago, Coldplay also published an article titled "A Decade of LEGO NINJAGO® Journey: The Massive Design Draft and The Evolution of the Set for the First Time", which mentions that the name Ninjago is a combination of the words Ninja and GO - "GO" is taken from the last two letters of lego LEGO's name...
We will not repeat the content of the conversation, but appropriately add some other interesting stories and fun things about the NINJAGO. First of all, we need to know that in the world of LEGO NINJAGO, there is almost no distinction between the protagonist and the supporting role, which is a truly equal team. But from the beginning, each season has a different character focus to help kids learn more about each character. For example, in 2021, the key characters of the latest storyline are Nia and her elemental power.
Secondly, a large part of the reason why ninjago cartoons are so long-lasting and have such a lasting appeal is because of the powerful "assists" around Lego. Animation seasons and toys have always been almost a pair of best partners, with a distinct and unique style. Over the course of a decade, they have effectively protected the fun of cartoons with innovation.
Take a look at these complex kinds
For example, are you a fan of Snake Man? Well, the Rise of the Snakes set might be for you. Love video games? From the 8-bit game on the "antique machine" to the modern XBOX and PS, you can find NINJAGO® on it. Want punk-style madness? Well, you will be covered by Skybound. From kids to adult moc fans, almost everyone can find something for themselves in NINJAGO® Of course, there's more on the way...
The NinjaGogue in the suit
Because the "lifespan" of NINJAGO is long enough, inspired and influenced by it, there are hundreds of different forms of products in the team of toy suits alone. It can be sorted into the following categories:
Ninjago Sets: Over 400 sets and counting (including LEGO Magazine kits).
2507: Temple of Fire in 2011
71722: Skeleton Wizard Dungeon in 2019
Ninjago Magazine: 87+ sets (each issue has an aluminum foil bag containing a small set or minifigure).
An original foil-wrapped gift from the magazine, the protagonist of this issue is Kay
LEGO NINJAGO® Episode Sets: 28 sets.
NINJAGO® Ninjago Movie Set
Movie Collection Minifigure Series: 20 dolls.
Series display box
LEGO Dimensions: 6 unique ninja packs.
LEGO Movie Set: One set, 70815: Super Secret Police Transport Ship.
Green Ninja appears on 70815: Super Secret Police Transport Ship
Teen Series Set: 3 sets of standard ninja themes, one set from the LEGO ninja movie.
10722: One of the teen series, easier to build
LEGOLAND Set: A set based on the world of ninjas and a tour around Legoland Park.
Overall, the continued success of NINJAGO®S. is largely due to the various areas covered by the topic. In the rich sub-themes, basically everyone can find something of their own. Horror, punk, fantasy, video games, classical ninjas, architectural and mecha variants, ninjago mirage themes have been very rich.
The abundance of suits also appeals to people of all ages and consumer groups – from low-priced suits such as building bags and collector's dolls all the way to the expensive NINJAGO® premium building series, which has contributed to its success.
Characters and minifigures introduced
Somewhat exaggeratedly, nearly 700 unique minifigures have been listed in the different current sub-themes of NINJAGO® ninja! Obviously, there are a lot of variations for a particular character, but overall, there are obviously too many variations here. However, you can largely identify the core ninjas, and here's a brief look at some of the most important characters in the series and how to identify them.
One of the reasons why collecting ninja minifigures is so popular is that many characters are given important characters and rich backstories, even if they are not the main characters.
For AFOL, these minifigures have an irreplaceable role, as many of the ninjago's specific parts and prints can be heavily used in AFOL creations. With imagination and creativity, the potential of a large number of elements in the minifigure's parts can be tapped, unleashing unparalleled imagination and more use.
Ninjago's fan community
While NINJAGO is a child-owned theme in its own right, there are still many online communities that discuss the topic. Here are some of the most famous places where LEGO fans gather to talk about all the things about ninjas.
Eurobricks Forum: The current NINJAGO® theme has over 118,000 views and 1,600 comments. This is just one of many topics on the subject, Eurobricks is one of the most active online communities to discuss Lego, and the NINJAGO® section is very popular.
Ninjago Wiki: A little less in terms of community interaction, but a valuable resource site with quite a bit of content. Posts are more geared toward younger audiences, and wikis provide a very comprehensive introduction to the legends and history of ninjas.
Steam: The LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game Community is at the center of everything related to movie-based video games. It contains useful game guides as well as general discussions.
Ninjas everywhere
Movie:
LEGO NINJAGO®, which debuted on the big screen in the first lego movie, appeared Lloyd as one of the "Master Builders". However, this is clearly not the last appearance of NINJAGO® on the big screen, as a more "professional" NINJAGO movie was spawned soon after. Unfortunately, though, the film is still a disappointing one in the Lego Cinematic Universe at the box office and in terms of performance.
Video Games:
So far, NinjaGona has appeared in a wide variety of games. Within a few months of the initial release of the cartoon and the first wave of toy series, the first NINJAGO video game went on the market: LEGO Battles: Ninjago for Nintendo DS.
LEGO Battles: Ninjago for Nintendo DS
Other notable games include LEGO Ninjago: Shadow of the Ronin (2015) and LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game (2017). However, ninjas also appear in a variety of combo-themed games, most notably as playable characters and a complete ninja world in the toy-to-life games LEGO Dimensions (2015) and LEGO Universe (2010). In addition to these high-profile games, a large number of LEGO.com-based web games and several app-based mobile games also feature the NINJAGO® theme.
Legoland:
THE NINJAGO® theme is indispensable to LEGOLAND parks around the world, offering a variety of rides and experiences. The flagship experience is LEGO Ninjago The Ride, an interactive 4D ride that lets you train with ninjas. Currently, LEGOLAND in Florida, California, Billund, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Windsor and New York (when the park opens) all have a complete ninja world. Dubai is currently the only park without NINJAGO® but plans for LEGO Parks in South Korea, Shanghai and Belgium remain unknown.
In addition to the standard theme park rides, NINJAGO® adds food and cultural diversity, as the Ninja Kitchen food truck features Bao and Bahn Mi. NinjaGo products are sold almost exclusively in ninjago world retail stores, with employees who are very knowledgeable in all aspects of NINJAGO.
At Legoland, California, the short film LEGO Ninjago: Masters of the 4th Dimension premiered in 4D theaters in 2018. It's a great way for kids to interact and experience the world of NINJAGO® in person – and it could eventually lead to more AFOL fans becoming NINJAGO® fans.
publication:
Today, there are many related published works about NINJAGO®s novels and manga, and Bricklink lists more than 200 unique and different books. These publications include visual dictionaries and character encyclopedias (often with exclusive minifigures), swappable card holders, "Build Your Own Adventures" (including LEGO bricks), sticker books, and graphic novels. LEGO Ninjago Magazine is also available in over 200 different languages. One of the most appealing aspects of these magazines is the inclusion of a mini-model or minifigure when purchased, a tactic commonly adopted in European LEGO-themed magazines.
Ninjago Phantom Easter Egg
Lego sets and graphic designers have been known to include homages to past themes in their sets, as well as hidden Easter eggs for sharp-eyed fans. Here are some of the "interesting events" we've noticed over the years.
LEGO Ninjago:
In many ways, Ninjago was the successor to the original Ninja series (1998-2000). There are also many parts that originate directly from the series (such as part 30177: Minifigure, Headgear Ninja Wrap) and other parts have been updated. Even more striking is the inclusion of almost the same "glider" in the 70751: Airjitzu Ninja Temple.
Other LEGO themes:
There are tons of iconic items in the NINJAGO® world, which appear elsewhere in the LEGO universe.
Chima:
The connection between ninjago and Chima may be a little closer than you think. Some believe that the snake in NinjaGoGo may have come from Chima Land. At the very least, there are no snakes in the Chima series, and they occupy a prominent place in the NINJAGO® series.
Kill Bill:
Will ninjas have anything to do with "kill Bill"? After the release of the 71708 Players' Bazaar, many people began comparing Avatar Harumi's costume to That Bride in Kill Bill.
Say they're okay? Do you believe it?
Summary
Hopefully, this article will satisfy some of your curiosity about the entire NINJAGO® universe, but we know that there is no way to fully explore this series that has had a strong impact for more than a decade. You are welcome to discuss more in the comments.
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A journal worth collecting for building block lovers