Ninjago: Dragons Rising

This article is about the 2023 TV series. For the 2011 TV series, see Ninjago (TV series). For the line of Lego toys, see Lego Ninjago.

Ninjago: Dragons Rising
Ninjago: Dragons Rising Season 1 Part 1 poster
Genre	Action Adventure Science fantasy Martial arts Superhero
Based on	Lego Ninjago
Voices of	Deven Mack Sabrina Pitre Sam Vincent Brian Drummond Nicole Oliver Vincent Tong Kelly Metzger Brent Miller Kazumi Evans Giles Panton Diana Kaarina Paul Dobson Andrew Francis Ashleigh Ball Michael Adamthwaite David Kaye
Theme music composer	Jody Tompkins & Theofania Pavli
Opening theme	"We Rise" by Theofania Pavli
Composers	Jay Vincent Michael Kramer Adam Dib
Country of origin	Canada Denmark
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	40
Production
Executive producers	Jill Wilfert Keith Malone Asa Tait Lars Danielsen Robert May Pamela J. Keller Kevin Burke Chris "Doc" Wyatt Stephanie Betts Josh Scherba Morgana Duque
Producers	Jason Cosler Ryan Pears
Running time	22 minutes
Production companies	WildBrain Studios The Lego Group
Original release
Network	Netflix
Release	June 1, 2023 (2023-06-01) – present
Related
Ninjago Legends of Chima Nexo Knights Lego Dreamzzz

Ninjago: Dragons Rising is an animated television series produced by WildBrain Studios and The Lego Group. It is based on the Lego Ninjago brand of construction toys and is a sequel to Ninjago (2011–2022). It features the original series' regular voice cast, along with new cast members as new characters. Part 1 of the first season of the show premiered on Netflix on June 1, 2023 while Part 2 was released on October 12, 2023. A second season released in 2024, with Part 1 on April 4 on Netflix and Part 2 on July 25, 2024 on Peacock but then removed and officially released on Netflix on October 3, 2024. The third season will premiere in Spring 2025.

Synopsis

Season 1

Part 1

After Crystalized, a phenomenon known as "The Merge" combines Ninjago with the rest of the sixteen realms of creation, introducing new threats, and causing chaotic aftershocks called Mergequakes. Years later, Lloyd befriends two civilians: Arin and Sora, the former a huge fan of the Ninja, and the latter, a technopath from the totalitarian kingdom of Imperium. The three are tasked with finding the rest of the scattered ninja and combating the Claws of Imperium, who covet dragons in order to drain their life force as a resource.

Part 2

The ninja, having successfully rescued the dragons trapped in Imperium, set out on a quest to find the three Dragon Cores, that can stop the Mergequakes. They split off into three teams: Lloyd and Arin; Nya and Sora; and Kai and Wyldfyre. Together, they search the Merged realms looking for the cores, coming across new elemental masters, Cole, and even new creatures. But Empress Beatrix, the ruler of Imperium, manages to steal the Dragon Cores in order to power a powerful weapon so she can defeat the ninja for good.

Season 2

Part 1

Lloyd starts having visions of a blood moon, which leads him and the ninja to Egalt and Rontu, two dragon masters who can teach the ninja a special technique called "Rising Dragon", which can counter Shatterspin, an ancient technique now used by the current elemental Master of Smoke, Cinder. Meanwhile, Ras and Jordana had assembled an alliance called the Wolf Clan and had acquired the prerequisites needed to free the Forbidden Five from captivity. They only need Bonzle, a spell turned into a skeleton living in the Land of Lost Things, so they can free the Forbidden Five from a dimension called the Nether-Space.

Part 2

When three Arc Dragons are mysteriously murdered for their Crowns of Horns, the ninja must participate in the Tournament of the Sources to search for the culprit. All the while, Arin begins to wonder about his position in the ninja after being told by Ras of the person responsible for the Merge and the disappearance of Arin's parents.

Voice cast

Main article: List of Ninjago characters

Main

• Deven Mack as Arin, a civilian who idolized the Ninja in his youth. He lost his parents after The Merge and somehow managed to teach himself Spinjitzu, an ability thought impossible. He also inadvertently invented Object Spinjitzu. He abandoned the Ninja upon being learning Wu was responsible for the Merge and allies himself with Ras.
• Sabrina Pitre as Sora, known in her past as Ana, a technological engineer originally from Imperium who gained recognition for creating a hard light hologram projection device called Photac. She defected from Imperium when she found out how cruelly they treated dragons, leading to her parents and classmates shunning her. After The Merge, she befriended Arin and lived in the Crossroads, becoming a mech racer. She discovers that she has technokinetic powers that were boosted in the presence of Riyu, until she unlocked her True Potential.
• Sam Vincent as Lloyd Garmadon, the legendary Green Ninja and chosen guardian of Ninjago, and the son of Misako and the former supervillain Garmadon. He wields elemental energy and remains in Ninjago City to prevent Mergequakes and train Arin and Sora.
• Brian Drummond as Riyu, a dragon said to have great power, and like his kin he's capable of boosting an individual's powers in close proximity and he can fly.
• Vincent Tong as Kai, Nya's brother and the hot-headed Master of Fire whom Lloyd tasked with surveying the Merged Realms to look for the rest of their teammates until he caught up with him and Nya in the Realm of Madness. During their hunt for the Dragon Cores, Kai decided to take Wyldfyre under his wing.
• Kelly Metzger as Nya, Kai's sister, Jay's girlfriend, and the Master of Water who lived with the Craglings of the Realm of Madness following the Merge, helping them prevent Dragons from stealing the Cragling's species' life energy. She later rejoined Lloyd, Kai, Zane, and Cole.
• Brent Miller as Zane, the Ice Ninja who was kept in suspension for years after The Merge. He later rejoined Lloyd, Kai, Nya, and Cole.
• Andrew Francis as Cole, the Earth Ninja, who ended up in the Land of Lost Things helping those who ran away from home. Cole later rejoined Lloyd, Kai, Nya, and Zane.
• Kazumi Evans as Wyldfyre, a feral pyrokinetic human who was raised by a dragon, Heatwave, as well as a caregiver robot. After Heatwave was captured by the Claws of Imperium she sought to rescue him. She joins the Ninja in their search for the Dragon Cores, eventually becoming Kai's protégé.
• Paul Dobson as Master Wu, the Ninja's mentor who has lived for thousands of years. He goes missing following the Merge but his teachings live on in Lloyd. He appears in sprite form occasionally, he later admitted that he caused the merge after guiding Arin and Cole to one of the monastery containing the crowns of horns.
• David Kaye as Frak, a Serpentine, Arin's childhood best friend, one of Ras' former students, and the Elemental Master of Quake. He joins the Ninja starting in season 3.

Villains

Administration Agents

• Mark Hildreth as Karit.
• Kazumi Evans as Denholt.
• Michael Adamthwaite as Roderick Allen.
• Rhona Rees as Underwood.
• Ian Hanlin as Prentis.

Imperians

• Ashleigh Ball as Dr. LaRow, a head scientist of the Advanced Systems Lab working for the Kingdom of Imperium.
• Nicole Oliver as Beatrix, the former power-hungry empress of Imperium who orders the capture of as the seven Source Dragons in an effort to colonize the Merged Realms.
• Diana Kaarina as Jordana, a scientist who claims to be Sora's rival. She managed to extract raw Source Dragon energy for Beatrix and Ras' master.
• Giles Panton as Rapton, the field leader of the Claws of Imperium who, after capturing many dragons, helped the Ninja in Beatrix's defeat. He later returned to dragon hunting.
• Ian Hanlin as Blorko.

The Forbidden Five

• Deven Mack as Nokt.
• Emily Tennant as Rox.
• Michael Adamthwaite as Zarkt.

Wolf Clan

• Brian Drummond as Ras, a black and purple colored tiger warrior who served in Imperium's military, aiding the Claws in capturing dragons until he was stripped of his position and escaped to recruit Jordana for his master. He's physically strong and wields a large war hammer.
• Michael Adamthwaite as Jay, the former Blue Ninja, Nya's boyfriend, and a master of Lightning who ended up as one of the managers of the Administration after he lost his memories of who he was and his travels with the other ninja. He left the Administration and was recruited by Ras, only to be cast away following his loss to Nya in the Tournament of the Sources.
• Ian Hanlin as Cinder, the new Master of Smoke.

Other villains

• Brian Drummond as Fedulian, a Merlopian that owns an antiques shop in the Crossroads.
• Mackenzie Gray as Dorama, a former famous pyro-technician and showman in the Crossroads.
• Michael Antonakos as the Mechanic, a well-known professional criminal and a longtime adversary of the ninja.
• Sabrina Pitre as Howler 1.
• Richard Ian Cox as Howler 2.
• Vincent Tong as Bleckt, Roby's uncle, who conspired with Ras to rig the Tournament of the Sources.

Minor

• Brian Drummond as Arin's father, who disappeared in the Merge.
• Kelly Sheridan as Arin's mother, who disappeared in the Merge together with her husband.
• Kelly Sheridan as Kreel, a citizen of the Crossroads and owner of Kreel's Junkyard. She is a mech racer with a crew of Whack Rats.
• Bethany Brown as Euphrasia, a Writer of Destiny and the current Elemental Master of Wind.
• Peter Kelamis as Geo, the Elemental Master of Fusion and a member of the Finders. He is an hybrid of Munce and Geckles, which led to him being rejected by both tribes due to their historical rivalry. Geo eventually ended up in the Land of Lost Things where he encountered and integrated the Finders.
• Brian Drummond as Lobbo, a robot living in the Crossroads.
• Andrew Francis as Egalt, a dragon and teacher for the Rising Dragon Technique.
• Kazumi Evans as Rontu, a dragon and teacher for Spinjitzu.
• Paul Dobson as the Source Dragon of Energy, one of the seven Source Dragons. Like the rest of his kind, he is an immensely powerful being. However, during his confinement under the hands of Ras, his dominion over the realms was nullified and was compelled to provide energy to the Kingdom of Imperium while being kept incarcerated. After Beatrix was deposed, the Source Dragon of Energy was freed by Lloyd.
• Niah Davis as the Source Dragon of Life, one of the seven Source Dragons.
• Diana Kaarina as the Source Dragon of Motion, one of the seven Source Dragons.
• Michael Adamthwaite as the Source Dragon of Strength, one of the seven Source Dragons.
• Ian Hanlin as Master Suetonius, the leader of the Writers of Destiny and the current Master Writer of the Cloud Kingdom.
• Aidan Drummond as Marcus, one of the Writers of Destiny.
• Tabitha St. Germain as Gandalaria, the high sorceress of Mysterium and the one who created Bonzle.
• Sabrina Pitre as Hantro, a Serpentine that lives in Ninjago City. She supplies Fedulian's antiques shop.
• Bill Newton as Intelligent George, an influencer in the Merged Realms that makes theories and talks about people who were lost in the Merge.
• Mark Hildreth as Arrakore, a djinn and one of the few known inhabitants of Djinjago to escape from its destruction. After having his hope restored, he began to restore his home realm, harnessing his wish magic once more.
• Deven Mack as Gus, a resident of the Crossroads.
• Jason Simpson as Sora's father whom she disowns when she reaches her true potential
• Kathleen Barr as Sora's mother whom she disowns when she reaches her true potential
• Richard Newman as the Spirit of the Temple, a mystic figure in the Temple of the Dragon Cores.
• Vincent Tong as Mr. Koenig, Sora and Jordana's former school teacher.
• Kelly Metzger as Bone Guard
• Richard Ian Cox as Bone King
• Kelly Sheridan as Bone Warrior
• Joanne Wilson as Caregiver bot
• Deven Mack as Claw Hunter
• Mark Hildreth as King Crag-Nor, the ruler of the Kingdom of Madness and the King of the Craglings.
• Jason Simpson as Dale, a farmer and mechanic from an unknown ocean village.
• Adam Nurada as the Ocean gang leader, an unnamed Merlopian pirate that leads the ocean gang.
• Brenda Crichlow as The Matriarch of the Mountain Dragons, an Arc Dragon of matriarch rank who holds the position of leadership within a herd of Mountain Dragons. She was killed by Nokt and Rox, who was possessing Jordana's body, so they could use her Dragon Crown to open the portal to the Nether-Space. The Matriarch is survived by her daughter Eridany, who succeeded her mother as the next leader of their herd.
• Andrew McNee as Gulch, the Chancellor of Geckles from Shintaro.
• Ben Toth as Boy
• Abigail Journey Oliver as Girl
• Andrew McNee as Alfonzo Frohicky, the Assistant Keeper of the Monastery who runs various carnival events in the Crossroads.
• Sabrina Pitre as Spitz, a young Hypnobrai and a member of the Finders.
• Vincent Tong as Fritz, a Formling and a member of the Finders.
• Michelle Creber as Bonzle, a spell made mortal being.
• Nicole Oliver as Zeatrix, Beatrix's twin sister and the current Master of Shockwave.
• Tabitha St. Germain as Tox, the Master of Poison.
• Ian Hanlin as Mr. Pale, the Master of Light.
• Ryan Beil as Roby, the Games Master for the Tournament of the Sources.
• Paul Dobson as Zur, a Devonian and the Master of Reflex.
• Deven Mack as Chef Grab-Barg, a Mucoid chef who has a rivalry with Arin.
• Brian Drummond as Tope-Epot, a Mucoid and a citizen of the Crossroads.
• Garry Chalk as Zant-Tanz, the Elemental Master of Plants, the acting general of the Mucoid Warriors, and the supreme leader of the Mother Garden.
• Ron Halder as Emperor Levo Vespasian-Orus, the emperor of the Kingdom of Imperium and a former Elemental Master of Shockwave.

Episodes

Series overview

Season	Episodes		Originally released
1	20	10	June 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
		10	October 12, 2023 (2023-10-12)
2	20	10	April 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
		10	July 25, 2024 (2024-07-25) (Peacock) October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03) (Netflix)

Season 1 (2023)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
Part 1
1	1	"The Merge"	Daniel Ife	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	June 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
2	2		Shane Poettcker
3	3	"Crossroads Carnival"	Daniel Ife	Hanah Lee Cook	June 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
4	4	"Beyond Madness"	Shane Poettcker	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	June 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
5	5	"Writers of Destiny"	Daniel Ife	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	June 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
6	6	"Return to Imperium"	Shane Poettcker	Liz Hara	June 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
7	7	"Mindless Beasts"	Daniel Ife	Eugene Son	June 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
8	8	"I Will Be the Danger"	Shane Poettcker	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	June 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
9	9	"The Calm Inside"	Daniel Ife	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	June 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
10	10	"The Battle of the Second Monastery"	Shane Poettcker	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	June 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)
Part 2
11	11	"The Temple of the Dragon Cores"	Daniel Ife	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	October 12, 2023 (2023-10-12)
12	12	"Gangs of the Sea"	Shane Poettcker	Eugene Son	October 12, 2023 (2023-10-12)
13	13	"Wyldly Inappropriate"	Daniel Ife	Liz Hara	October 12, 2023 (2023-10-12)
14	14	"The Last Djinn"	Shane Poettcker	Hanah Lee Cook	October 12, 2023 (2023-10-12)
15	15	"They Call It Doom"	Daniel Ife	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	October 12, 2023 (2023-10-12)
16	16	"Land of Lost Things"	Shane Poettcker	Glen Lakin	October 12, 2023 (2023-10-12)
17	17	"The Administration"	Daniel Ife	Eugene Son	October 12, 2023 (2023-10-12)
18	18	"Absolute Power"	Shane Poettcker	Hanah Lee Cook	October 12, 2023 (2023-10-12)
19	19	"We Are All Dragons"	Daniel Ife	Liz Hara	October 12, 2023 (2023-10-12)
20	20	"The Power Within"	Shane Poettcker	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	October 12, 2023 (2023-10-12)

Season 2 (2024)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
Part 1
21	1	"The Blood Moon"	Daniel Ife	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	April 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
22	2	"Shattered Dreams"	Allan Phan & Shane Poettcker	Liz Hara	April 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
23	3	"Beyond the Phantasm Cave"	Daniel Ife	Tanya Yuson	April 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
24	4	"Force From the East"	Shane Poettcker & Allan Phan	Hanah Lee Cook	April 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
25	5	"The Spell at the Waterfall"	Daniel Ife	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	April 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
26	6	"To Mysterium"	Shane Poettcker	Eugene Son	April 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
27	7	"Fugitives From Madness"	Daniel Ife	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	April 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
28	8	"Secrets of the Wyldness"	Shane Poettcker	Liz Hara	April 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
29	9	"The Forest of Spirits"	Daniel Ife	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	April 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
30	10	"Rising Ninja"	Shane Poettcker	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	April 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
Part 2
31	11	"The Shape of Motion"	Daniel Ife	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)
32	12	"Enter the City of Temples"	Shane Poettcker	Liz Hara	October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)
33	13	"They Gather for the Feast"	Daniel Ife	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)
34	14	"Inside the Maze"	Shane Poettcker	Eugene Son	October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)
35	15	"United We Fall"	Daniel Ife	Tanya Yuson	October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)
36	16	"Truth and Lies"	Shane Poettcker	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)
37	17	"The Sword Shatters"	Daniel Ife	Glen Lakin	October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)
38	18	"Clues and Suspects"	Shane Poettcker	Liz Hara	October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)
39	19	"The Final Game"	Daniel Ife	Eugene Son	October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)
40	20	"Elements of Betrayal"	Shane Poettcker	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)

Shorts

Title	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
The Elemental Mechs	3		January 6, 2024 (2024-01-06)	January 12, 2024 (2024-01-12)
Return to the Wyldness	4		July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
Wyldfyre's Stories	8		July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
Wyldfyre's Voice Notes	8		July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)

The Elemental Mechs (2024)

A series of canonical shorts were released in 2024, to tie in with the release of the new sets that came out in the same year.

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"What the Mech?"	Shawn Gulley	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	January 6, 2024 (2024-01-06)
2	"The Mech Master"	Shawn Gulley	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	January 9, 2024 (2024-01-09)
3	"A Pain in the Mech!"	Joel Salaysay	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	January 12, 2024 (2024-01-12)

Return to the Wyldness (2024)

A second series of canonical shorts were released in 2024, set between parts 1 & 2 of season 2.

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Queen of Rage!"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
2	"Into the Lava!"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
3	"A Maze of Reflections"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
4	"Time to Get Red"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)

Wyldfyre's Stories (2024)

A third series of canonical shorts were released in 2024, set between parts 1 & 2 of season 2.

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"My Camera Roll"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
2	"Draw With Me"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
3	"3 Things I Wish I Knew About Dragon Eggs!"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
4	"Dragon Translator"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
5	"An App to Track Feelings"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
6	"Meditation or Meltdown"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
7	"Bye-Bye Bone"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
8	"Lessons I Learned in the Wyldness"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)

Wyldfyre's Voice Notes (2024)

A fourth series of canonical shorts were released in 2024, set between parts 1 & 2 of season 2.

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Why Am I Doing This?"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
2	"So What Now?"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
3	"I Am Rage"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
4	"Desperate Measures"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
5	"Big News!"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
6	"Who Am I?"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
7	"Finding Wyldfyre"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)
8	"Ready to Return!"	Unknown	Unknown	July 8, 2024 (2024-07-08)

Production

Development

The new series was produced following the final season of the Ninjago television series, which had been on air since 2011 and concluded in 2022. For the new series, animation company WildBrain Studios moved to Unreal Engine 5 to improve on the animation quality of its predecessor.

Writing

The lead writers for the series are Chris "Doc" Wyatt and Kevin Burke. Wyatt confirmed on Twitter that Ninjago: Dragons Rising is a new show, rather than a continuation of the previous Ninjago series, which had been on air for 11 years.

Release

The series was initially revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. Season 1 of Dragons Rising was released on Netflix on 1 June 2023 in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Latin America, and in other territories later in the same month or the next except for the UK, where it was released on ITVX on 5 June 2023. It was later aired on Cartoon Network in Southeast Asia and Europe.

Season 2 Part 1 was released on 3 April 2024 on Netflix in Finland, and on the next day was also released in the United States.

Season 2 Part 2 was originally given the release date of October. However, it had all 10 episodes in English unintentionally published by streaming service Peacock on 25 July 2024, less than a day after the first trailer for Part 2 was released by LEGO. All 10 episodes were quickly saved before Peacock could remove them, 2 months before part 2 was intended to be released.

Reception

The Hollywood Reporter gave the first season a positive review, saying that it looked just as good as the previous Ninjago series. The series has generally been viewed in a highly positive light.

Other media

Several playable characters and a new level based on the series were launched in Lego Brawls in June 2023.

External links

• Ninjago: Dragons Rising on Netflix
• Ninjago: Dragons Rising at IMDb