Jump to content

Inconsistent Plot?


Recommended Posts

Okay, so this is assuming you've seen the recent episodes, including the Season 5 finale "Curseworld." As I've stated in the past, Ninjago hasn't been so great lately about keeping the plot very consistent, and this one's no different.

 

First problem is Nya. She's now the water ninja, but why didn't she learn Spinjitzu first, like the others? When Zane, Cole, and the others started out, they were trained to use Spinjitzu, which allowed them to become a tornado of their element, which later helped them master the power of the Golden Weapons and grow in power. While Nya doesn't have a GW to represent her element, a tornado of water would have been very useful for both offensive and defensive purposes. Training her to do Spinjitzu would have been quicker and more efficient than trying to make her do everything Jedi-style.

 

To further this issue, back during the Stone Army/Overlord story, Nya was poisoned by the Dark Matter, and became a being of darkness. In this state, she was seen to use Spinjitzu multiple times, mainly to attack her brother and the other Ninja. Also, her spinjitzu appeared red, even though her color's at the time had been changed to black and grey. Why was it red, then? Perhaps to represent the color of her true element, a.k.a. fire? 

 

It's been said before, and I'll say it again: Consistency is not a mild suggestion.

 

But why do I bring this up as unresolved? Because Nya had a spinner set TWICE in the early years of Ninjago, despite her never learning how to perform the art. Will she ever learn it, or not?

 

----

 

Second point: Cole.

 

In case you missed it, Cole is still a ghost. This is a problem, because we know the process could easily have been reversed. Why? Because, if you check the episode immediately following Cole's transformation, he began to change back on two occasions: when he was hugged by Nya, and when he was encouraged by the other ninja. In both instances, one of his hands regained a solid form, though the break in emotion caused the changed spot to return to its ghostly form. 

 

Here's where I have a problem with this: They never mention this again. It's not even apparent to Cole, himself, who should have felt the change in his own hands. But, really. The camera zooms in on this the only two times it happens, making it seem like something big and emotional would happen by the end of the season, causing Cole to revert to normal. If those instances were never meant to amount to anything, why even show it in the first place?

 

On another note, how was Ghost-Cole able to handle the Aeroblades? If the weapons are deadly to ghosts, then how was our favorite ninja able to hold them, let alone use them as intended without hurting or destroying himself?

 

Again, consistency, please.

 

----

 

Third, Garmadon.

 

Lloyd finds him in the Cursed Realm, and then apparently switches clothes with him. If Garmadon was chained up, then how did Lloyd get the robe's sleeves off of there without freeing his father? I know it's meant to be a kids show, but even then, a little logic here and there would be nice. 

 

Also, who in the Cursed Realm bothered to chain him up? It's not like he was going to escape from there any time soon.

 

----

 

Fourth, Zane. 

 

In the episode with the FSM's tomb, Zane saw a future version of himself which he described as looking older. He's a full-on machine, made of metal. I can understand scratches here and there, but wrinkles? Suspension of disbelief can only take you so far.

 

----

 

Finally, deepstone armor. In one of the earlier episodes, Zane is hit by a ghost attack that was meant to turn him into a ghost. It has no effect on him due to the armor. Two problems arise from this:

 

1) The ninja spend the entire rest of the season avoiding these same attacks like the plague, despite the fact that their armor makes them immune to possession and being transformed into a ghost. Which brings me to...

 

2) Cole turned into a ghost. Shouldn't the deepstone have repelled this change, to some extent? I understand that the circumstances were a bit different, but I still don't see how this had no effect on him. But, then, why didn't the armor just repel Cole? Make sense? A substance meant to reflect ghostly powers was turned into a ghost. Anyone else see the problem here?

 

----

 

Sure, this season had fewer issues than the last one (*cough*elementalmasters*cough*), but some of this stuff deserves an explanation. I could think of more if I weren't so tired right now, so I'll just leave it as is and let you all dig in. :)

 

Thoughts?

  • Upvote 2

~Your friendly, neighborhood Shadow

 

sotpbanner.png

~Credit for Avatar and Banner goes to

NickonAquaMagna~

Link to comment
Share on other sites

About 2, I didn't interpret those scenes as Cole turning back, merely as him learning to control his ghostly form and thus how solid he could make himself. It doesn't mean he would stop being a ghost, he's just learning how to be better at it. His emotions were stabilizing in that episode and he was learning how to handle himself in his new body. That's how I saw it anyway.

 

I like the fact that he stayed a ghost, for some reason. Now we have a robot ninja and a ghost ninja. If the future vision holds true, Jay may end up a pirate ninja. This is all incredibly silly and very fun. And I approve of that.

 

Anyway, I only skimmed a couple of the other points since I haven't actually seen the finale, but honestly I have a hard time caring about most of this stuff? They are all pretty minor inconsistencies in a series that has never ever actually bothered with such things. An off color here and there is pretty inconsequential, and lots of characters besides Nya got spinners despite the fact that no one but the Ninja and the sensei actually did Spinjitzu, so that doesn't really matter much. The entire order in which the ninja mastered Spinjitzu and then their elements is a bit of early installation weirdness, too, since it wasn't shown that the ninja themselves had powers until the following year. Knowing what we know now, it makes a lot more sense for Nya's training to have gone the way it did. As for Zane looking older...it's entirely possible that at some point he gets rebuilt again in an older-looking form. We don't know, is the thing. Lots of things could happen in The Future. Or he could really be an aging robot. It's Ninjago. Stranger things have happened.

  • Upvote 1

AXKP5KC.png


 


 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nya having a spinner set is kind of a moot point. It was never established that having a spinner set or booster pack meant knowing Spinjitzu. After all, none of the Serpentine knew Spinjitzu, nor did Lloyd Garmadon before becoming the Green Ninja. I think it's meant to be understood that the spinners for characters who don't know Spinjitzu stand in for different, non-Spinjitzu fighting styles. Also, Lloyd also learned to use his powers in other ways before learning Spinjitzu. There's been nothing to indicate that there's only one straight path to becoming an elemental master.

 

Your point about Cole also seems kind of strange. You stated the facts yourself: Cole started to become more material at a couple moments yet he didn't seem to notice. There's no reason to assume, as you have, that he SHOULD have noticed either of those times. And no, it wasn't resolved at the end of this season, but for all we know they might be leaving that for another season on purpose. As for Cole handling the Aeroblades, I think it's safe to assume that simply TOUCHING the aeroblades is not the same as having them thrown at you. Alternatively, maybe it's just the pointy bits at the ends that are deepstone, and he makes sure to grip them by the handle?

There are definitely inconsistencies in Ninjago, don't get me wrong. And some of them take a lot more mental gymnastics to explain. But I don't think any of these particular ones are a really big deal.

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fair points, Aanchir, but...

Also, Lloyd also learned to use his powers in other ways before learning Spinjitzu. There's been nothing to indicate that there's only one straight path to becoming an elemental master.

Actually, Lloyd accidentally learned Spinjitzu first. I believe the ninja were fighting Garmadon's conjured pirates. Lloyd was trapped in a barrel, and in an attempt to escape, he burst into a tornado of energy for a moment. Following this, we see instances of him using his powers without the use of Spinjitzu. So, while he hadn't mastered it, he figured out the technique enough to do it for a moment. Powers followed Spinjitzu in his case. Nya is the only time we see it the other way around.

 

But it doesn't answer Dark Nya's ability to perform Spinjitzu multiple times against Kai and the others. Was it the darkness doing Spinjitzu, or what?

~Your friendly, neighborhood Shadow

 

sotpbanner.png

~Credit for Avatar and Banner goes to

NickonAquaMagna~

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm pretty sure Nya's known how to do Spinjitzu for a while now, if the technique for doing Spinjitzu is the same one required for accomplishing the training course at the monastery. Nya has been seen trying to beat Kai's record on that course, it's likely that she'd already finished the course at a slower rate than she was attempting to beat the (presumably) "top score" on the training course. And maybe even faster than some of the other four ninja. I think she's been capable of doing Spinjitzu for a while, though not "elemental spinjitzu" when she was "evil" was just the only time we saw her use it.

  • Upvote 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the topic of inconsistencies, what of the Ninja and their finding of Morro's corpse?

 

In every example up until now, it has seemed that ghosts have been converted from living creatures, such as with Cole's transformation, and the Cursing of Chen's Anacondrai army in the previous season. That Morro's soul somehow found its way into the Cursed Realm, when it seems that he died of mundane causes, and without having his body either taken to the Cursed Realm or being converted to a ghostly form, is confusing to me.

 

And on another related topic, it was odd seeing Chen in the season finale, seemingly un-ghosty and completely human. Any thoughts on that, other than that we must accept minor inconsistencies?

Edited by Kumquat
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the topic of inconsistencies, what of the Ninja and their finding of Morro's corpse?

 

In every example up until now, it has seemed that ghosts have been converted from living creatures, such as with Cole's transformation, and the Cursing of Chen's Anacondrai army in the previous season. That Morro's soul somehow found its way into the Cursed Realm, when it seems that he died of mundane causes, and without having his body either taken to the Cursed Realm or being converted to a ghostly form, is confusing to me.

 

And on another related topic, it was odd seeing Chen in the season finale, seemingly un-ghosty and completely human. Any thoughts on that, other than that we must accept minor inconsistencies?

There's another issue there: Both the Cursed Realm and the Underworld seem to be a repository for the dead in some manner. Why, then, was Morro's corpse not pulled down into the Underworld?

 

To answer your question, I think that the CR takes in the the truly dark of heart, or whatever the residents of Ninjago call "cursed." Like their version of the Pit and/or Karzahni, if that makes any sense.

Also, there's probably many ways to enter the CR. We've seen portals. Dying is another.

 

Cole is a different story. He wasn't turned into a ghost by the Cursed Realm, but by a haunted house. Different circumstances in all those situations.

~Your friendly, neighborhood Shadow

 

sotpbanner.png

~Credit for Avatar and Banner goes to

NickonAquaMagna~

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

On the topic of inconsistencies, what of the Ninja and their finding of Morro's corpse?

 

In every example up until now, it has seemed that ghosts have been converted from living creatures, such as with Cole's transformation, and the Cursing of Chen's Anacondrai army in the previous season. That Morro's soul somehow found its way into the Cursed Realm, when it seems that he died of mundane causes, and without having his body either taken to the Cursed Realm or being converted to a ghostly form, is confusing to me.

 

And on another related topic, it was odd seeing Chen in the season finale, seemingly un-ghosty and completely human. Any thoughts on that, other than that we must accept minor inconsistencies?

There's another issue there: Both the Cursed Realm and the Underworld seem to be a repository for the dead in some manner. Why, then, was Morro's corpse not pulled down into the Underworld?

 

To answer your question, I think that the CR takes in the the truly dark of heart, or whatever the residents of Ninjago call "cursed." Like their version of the Pit and/or Karzahni, if that makes any sense.

Also, there's probably many ways to enter the CR. We've seen portals. Dying is another.

Agreed. We've heard Ronin talk about how his soul is cursed, and he has to repay his debt to the Soul Archer to lift the curse. Perhaps if Ronin were to die while that curse was still in place, his soul would go to the Cursed Realm rather than to the Underworld.

 

Who knows what Morro might have done to get a curse placed on his soul, but considering his reckless desperation to become the Green Ninja, I wouldn't be surprised if he might have made some deal that he later came to regret.

  • Upvote 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Evil Nya's Spinjitzu was a dark red and didn't have any flame particles surrounding it, which fire Spinjitzu has, if I recall correctly. So it was most likely just an evil-powers-activated-Spinjitzu that was red because it's EVIL!!! As for learning Spinjitzu I'm almost certain we'll see her doing it in the next season. Actually, was that water whirlwind that she did at the end of Season 5 some form of hyper-true-potential-unlocked-moment Spinjitzu? Actually, considering that Nya has probably trained so much in her fighting skills, I think she might actually already know Spinjitzu, but has preferred not to use it in favor of her weapons and fists? I would say that until now her Spinjitzu would have been non-elemental, but seeing as that the 4 original ninja had elemental Spinjitzu long before gaining the ability to use other elemental powers, I'm a little confused. I can only guess their elemental connection to the Golden Weapons has something to do with it, seeing as that only those 4 have corresponding Golden Weapons and only those 4 were unable to use non-Spinjitzu elemental powers without the Golden Weapons/Elemental Blades before Lloyd split his powers for them. Actually, it appears that the connection to the Golden Weapons has transferred to Lloyd, since the 4 ninja's powers disappear/weaken when Lloyd is weak/possessed/etc.

 

And as for Ghost Cole's hand become solid, I bet that's a hint for something happening in Season 6. And I can only guess that Zane's "looking older" thing was probably a subtle joke by the writers, because he's the only ninja who WOULDN'T age... well aside from Cole, who didn't even see a reflection... (Plot twist: Cole dies ...uh... poofs in Season 6, because it is now a tradition for a main character to die at the end of every season. Samukai died in the pliot episodes, Pythor looked like he died in Season 1, the Overlord supposedly died in Season 2, the Overlord died AGAIN in Season 3 supposedly along with Zane, Garmadon died-ish in Season 4 along with Chen, and Garmadon and Morro AND the Preeminent all died/poofed/etc. at the end of Season 5.)

  • Upvote 2

The artist formerly known as


ŜρЄЯ־GЄNіŜ־CЯЄŦ۞Я


BBC#69 Entry: Roodaka - Master of Manipulation


BFTGM entries: Zigben · Ventox · Deflecto


 


Hail Denmark.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you look closely, Zane's reflection clearly didn't have wrinkles like the other ninja's, so he probably meant more... mature?

 

As for Garmadon and being a ghost in the Cursed Realm, maybe it has something to do with consent. Like, you have to agree to become a ghost and just being sent there doesn't do it automatically. So, Garmadon, Chen, and Clouse must have said no to becoming the Preeminent's ghost slaves, and they were locked up for eternity. Morro probably made a "deal with the devil" and upon his demise he went there and became a ghost. The Anacondrai Generals might have agreed to become ghosts too.

 

So... ways to go ghost:

 

1. Sell your soul while alive. (Morro)

2. If banished there, agree to become the Preeminent's slave. (Anacondrai Generals)

3. Be in Yang's temple at sunrise. (Cole, Yang's students, Yang(?))

4. However Yang died (?)

Edited by Awesome Guy
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I love the fact Ninjago can't seem to keep track of itself and i don't quite know why...

 

About 2, I didn't interpret those scenes as Cole turning back, merely as him learning to control his ghostly form and thus how solid he could make himself. It doesn't mean he would stop being a ghost, he's just learning how to be better at it. His emotions were stabilizing in that episode and he was learning how to handle himself in his new body. That's how I saw it anyway.

 

he was just fourteen, when his parents built a very strange machine, (designed to view, a world unseen)

  • Upvote 4

bnnrimg1.pngbnnrimg2.pngbnnrimg3.pngbnnrimg4.pngbnnrimg5.pngbnnrimg8.png

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you look closely, Zane's reflection clearly didn't have wrinkles like the other ninja's, so he probably meant more... mature?

 

As for Garmadon and being a ghost in the Cursed Realm, maybe it has something to do with consent. Like, you have to agree to become a ghost and just being sent there doesn't do it automatically. So, Garmadon, Chen, and Clouse must have said no to becoming the Preeminent's ghost slaves, and they were locked up for eternity. Morro probably made a "deal with the devil" and upon his demise he went there and became a ghost. The Anacondrai Generals might have agreed to become ghosts too.

 

So... ways to go ghost:

 

1. Sell your soul while alive. (Morro)

2. If banished there, agree to become the Preeminent's slave. (Anacondrai Generals)

3. Be in Yang's temple at sunrise. (Cole, Yang's students, Yang(?))

4. However Yang died (?)

 

Alternatively, it's possible that if you're sent to the cursed realm you remain alive but age and die just like you would in Ninjago, and become a ghost afterward. That would explain the difference between the Anacondrai generals (who were ghosts by the time we next saw them outside the Cursed Realm) and Lloyd, Garmadon, Chen, and Clouse — the duration they were in the Cursed Realm.

  • Upvote 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

If you look closely, Zane's reflection clearly didn't have wrinkles like the other ninja's, so he probably meant more... mature?As for Garmadon and being a ghost in the Cursed Realm, maybe it has something to do with consent. Like, you have to agree to become a ghost and just being sent there doesn't do it automatically. So, Garmadon, Chen, and Clouse must have said no to becoming the Preeminent's ghost slaves, and they were locked up for eternity. Morro probably made a "deal with the devil" and upon his demise he went there and became a ghost. The Anacondrai Generals might have agreed to become ghosts too.So... ways to go ghost:1. Sell your soul while alive. (Morro)2. If banished there, agree to become the Preeminent's slave. (Anacondrai Generals)3. Be in Yang's temple at sunrise. (Cole, Yang's students, Yang(?))4. However Yang died (?)

 Alternatively, it's possible that if you're sent to the cursed realm you remain alive but age and die just like you would in Ninjago, and become a ghost afterward. That would explain the difference between the Anacondrai generals (who were ghosts by the time we next saw them outside the Cursed Realm) and Lloyd, Garmadon, Chen, and Clouse — the duration they were in the Cursed Realm.

But, shouldn't Garmadon, Clouse, and Chen have starved to death by the time of Season 5?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

If you look closely, Zane's reflection clearly didn't have wrinkles like the other ninja's, so he probably meant more... mature?As for Garmadon and being a ghost in the Cursed Realm, maybe it has something to do with consent. Like, you have to agree to become a ghost and just being sent there doesn't do it automatically. So, Garmadon, Chen, and Clouse must have said no to becoming the Preeminent's ghost slaves, and they were locked up for eternity. Morro probably made a "deal with the devil" and upon his demise he went there and became a ghost. The Anacondrai Generals might have agreed to become ghosts too.So... ways to go ghost:1. Sell your soul while alive. (Morro)2. If banished there, agree to become the Preeminent's slave. (Anacondrai Generals)3. Be in Yang's temple at sunrise. (Cole, Yang's students, Yang(?))4. However Yang died (?)

 Alternatively, it's possible that if you're sent to the cursed realm you remain alive but age and die just like you would in Ninjago, and become a ghost afterward. That would explain the difference between the Anacondrai generals (who were ghosts by the time we next saw them outside the Cursed Realm) and Lloyd, Garmadon, Chen, and Clouse — the duration they were in the Cursed Realm.

But, shouldn't Garmadon, Clouse, and Chen have starved to death by the time of Season 5?

 

Maybe Chen brings emergency noodles with him wherever he goes? Or Lloyd held onto that spellbook and has been banishing food items to the Cursed Realm on a regular basis. :P

  • Upvote 5

Formerly Lyichir: Rachira of Influence

Aanchir's and Meiko's brother

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...