Huge Developments in Ninjago 2023 Teaser Trailer
April, 1st 2023
Just like how Quanish is a fool, LEGO has just dropped a 27-second Ninjago themed April Fools prank... Or have they?
This is not a prank. This is very real. This is NINJAGO ... like you’ve never seen it before.
Well. I guess not. Let's break down this exciting new footage for Ninjago 2023, shall we?
All thoughts and opinions are of my own. Any conclusion drawn in these images is just speculation
The Fabric of Reality is Tearing...
Kicking things off strong, the very first second of this new footage opens up with a rift presenting a new unknown location. A desolate city in what looks like to be a barren desert. Upon further inspection though it's the same city as seen in the first ever images for this new adventure. The tower spire and city is an exact match to what we see here. Furthermore, it leaves heavy implication that this new location is actually a realm. One we've never seen before made apparent by the two moons. If not, there appears to be a visible. Game like glitch that could also imply realities are merging. What we see here could very well be the realm of Ninjago reborn.
A Storm is Coming...
The next few shots presents us with the Ninja traveling on a re-built Destiny's Bounty trying to navigate through the storm. To avoid collision, Jay is piloting a new mech heavily inspired by Core's 71785 Jay's Titan Mech slashing away at cargo containers. Keeping up with Crystalzed's trend of including some of these sets into the show. We also get a close-up shot of the character models, and I 've got to say it looks absolutely beautiful. This is all thanks to Epic Game's Unreal Engine 5. The program responsible for this new era's gorgeous animation. Of course it still keeps that WildBrain charm! What's even more exciting is the use of the Core suits as the new defaults. A smart move as they're very common compared to the previous defaults.
The Return of the Elements of Creation & Ninja Nya!
If you have yet to read Quest for the Lost Powers now would be the time! This teaser has not only confirmed that the Ninja do re-gain their powers (outside of the book itself), Nya has once again picked up the Ninja mantle as well. It is surprising here however as last we heard she was still Samurai X with no signs of going back. It is unknown if we'll ever get the reason as to why outside of external forces. A time-skip also seems to be implied as both her powers and the others have returned to full strength. Something they're going to need to survive this. We also see Nya and Cole working together to save two civilians from a detached roof.
So Who's the Short Guy?
Prior to any show details coming out, we had gotten an image showing the rest of the magazine gifts for 2023. It had the Ninja we know such as Kai and Lloyd but there was a very particular outlier. A new Ninja named Arin. It was speculated by many that Ninjago would be entering a next generation storyline much like Friends. However, it may not be the case as Arin here is a kid and not the grown teen/adolescent depicted in the sets. Of course if time travel becomes involved that would change things. I for one could see this as a Lil' Nelson situation. After all, Arin sticks by Lloyd on the Destiny's Bounty and ends up piggybacking to get back to ground level. Could this be a new Ninja or just another fan of the Ninja that's inspired to fight evil in their own handmade outfit like Nelson and Jake? If so Arin may be the voice of "Ninja Never Quit" when the Ninja need it the most this installment.
Unite the Realms?
As mention earlier, I had brought up that we could very well be witnessing a forever reality changing event. This shot here might seem like the case. However, it could also be the realms themselves. While the two worlds on the right have never been seen before, the ones on a left feel very familiar. With context of a Tweet from Doc Wyatt earlier today, we may very well be seeing both the return of the Realm of Madness and the Departed Realm.
While it may not seem like it at first, the two could very easily have gotten redesigns as the last we've seen The Realm of Madness was over 11 years ago in Rise of the Snakes (5 as re-used footage in Hunted). It even gets mentioned, by name, from Garmadon in Crystalized. Either way heavy traits are shared with a evil-like atmosphere and huge volcano in the center. As for the Departed Realm, it may not look identical to what we see in Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu but it surely does mimic the visual style in Day of the Departed. I've already broken down the top left realm but as for the one on the bottom right, could it be where the Hound Slayer Dragon originates? Better yet, is this where the dragons seen in Virtues of Spinjitzu come from? If so, could we see other Core sets like 71786 Zane's Ice Dragon Creature & 71782 Cole's Earth Dragon EVO as well? Only time can tell.
What do you think? Are you excited for what this new era for NINJAGO will bring? Let me know in the comments!
See ya next time!
- Marty aka BioNinjaBricks
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