Absolute Power

Absolute Power is the eighteenth episode of the first season of Ninjago: Dragons Rising.
==Synopsis==
While the Ninja try to figure out a way to bypass Imperium's energy barrier, Empress Beatrix tests a deadly weapon powered by stolen Dragon Cores.https://www.netflix.com/title/81519765
Extended: The Empress's rise to power is revealed through flashbacks as present-day Beatrix attempts to construct her new MergeQuake weapon. Deception from a minion delivers her a serious setback. All three teams of Ninja sneak back into the Imperium to retrieve the stolen Dragon Cores. They find help with unexpected allies and form a plan to infiltrate the labs. Unfortunately, they may not reach the Cores before Beatrix completes her weapon.https://mojtv.hr/m2/film.aspx?id=195679&program_id=119393934
==Plot==
thumb|Ras tries to convince Levo to help him
Many years prior to the Merge, Ras visits Imperium from the Wyldness to meet with Beatrix's predecessor and father, Levo to discuss plans of capturing a Source Dragon. However, Levo refuses to comply with providing Ras the necessary equipment as he doesn't believe Source Dragons exist before having his older daughter, Zeatrix, throw him out with her Elemental Power, proudly proclaiming her his successor while a despised Beatrix notices a leaving Ras smirking at her.
thumb|Beatrix hugs "children"
At the present time, Beatrix broadcasts a speech, says that Imperium should remain one, even refusing to allow outlanders into the city, claiming places like the Crossroads are havens for criminals and had 'brought' in more dragons. Two children soon show up and she allows them to hug her, proclaiming it is all for them. However, once the broadcast ends, Beatrix pushes what were actually visual effect actors away from her because of her distaste in children before turning to Dorama, who filmed the speech, about the possibility of the ruse working.thumb|left|Rapton warns Beatrix about the Ninja's potential arrivalShe then contacts Dr. LaRow, who informs her that the two Dragon Cores they have won't be enough to power her MergeQuake weapon before Rapton shows up, having somehow brought in the Pink Dragon Core and warns her the ninja are on their way.
thumb|Cole says his farewells
At the Land of Lost Things, Cole, Nya, and Sora try to plan how to get into Imperium to recover the core Dr. LaRow stole while trying to figure out how to break through the city's barrier before Sora comes up with an idea and, with Riyu's help, creates armor for Jiro. As they prepare to leave, Cole tells Nya he isn't coming as from the ground screaming, he believes time is running out, and the other night, he heard Wu's voice, telling him to follow him. Nya complies with his request before she and Sora take off on Jiro and Zanth before Cole hears Wu's voice and notices a ball of light, which he starts to follow, disappearing into a fog bank.
In the throne room of the Imperium Palace, Dorama, Rapton, Dr. LaRow, and Jordana are brought in as Beatrix makes a speech about her long awaited vow to defeat the ninja, once and for all. Dr. LaRow wants a few days to test the weapon, but Beatrix refuses to comply and demands it to be done immediately.thumb|left|Dr. LaRow finds some abnormalities in the weaponIn the Advanced Systems Lab, Jordana puts up a photo of Lloyd, messing with it a little before Dr. LaRow sees a flaw in the cores, but Beatrix blows it off. She goes to test the weapon, only for it to explode, fire a shot through the ceiling, and send a shockwave through the city, even through the ninja, who were outside the city. Beatrix then blames Dr. LaRow, calling her a failure, and leaves the lab in frustration, unaware that Rapton had somehow slipped out before the test.
thumb|The Ninja try to find a way into Imperium
While trying to find a way into the city, Kai tells Wyldfyre to forget his lessons to her for a few minutes, which she complies by attracting some Imperium Guards on hoverboards with her powers before the rest of the ninja take them out and use the hoverboards to reach the city.
thumb|left|Beatrix and Ras form an alliance
Beatrix visits the incarcerated Ras in the prison, who demands to be released, reminding her of the time they made an alliance to overthrow Levo and Zeatrix. Making it look like an accident, they rigged Levo's hover chariot to explode and let it crash land to kill him on impact and then had Zeatrix arrested. However, she doesn't fall for his ruse as he had failed her multiple times before a guard arrives and warns her that the ninja had infiltrated the city.
thumb|The ITRF prepare to attack the guards
While trying to find the lab, the ninja get spotted by some guards, only to be incapacitated by, surprisingly, the Imperium Teen Protection Force, who start to lead the ninja away.
thumb|Jordana volunteers to lead the extraction|left
Beatrix returns to the lab, where she is told the core Rapton had given her was a fake, which had also been destroyed in the process. Refusing to back down and since they were made of Source Dragon energy, Beatrix demands for a core to be made from the Source Dragon of Energy by draining him, but Dr. LaRow refuses, as all previous attempts ended in failure, until Jordana volunteers to lead the extraction process herself, claiming Dr. LaRow's research on it had flaws. Beatrix complies with Jordana's request.
==Appearances==
===Characters===
====Cast====
*Arin - Deven Mack
*Beatrix - Nicole Oliver
*Cole - Andrew Francis
*Dorama - Mackenzie Gray
*Dr. LaRow - Ashleigh Ball
*Imperium Guard 1 - Paul Dobson
*Imperium Guard 3 - Andrew Francis
*Jordana - Diana Kaarina
*Kai - Vincent Tong
*Levo - Ron Halder (flashback)
*Lloyd - Sam Vincent
*Nya - Kelly Metzger
*Percival Tartigrade - Aidan Drummond
*Rapton - Giles Panton
*Ras - Brian Drummond
*Riyu - Brian Drummond
*Sora - Sabrina Pitre
*Sprite - Paul Dobson
*Wyldfyre - Kazumi Evans
*Zeatrix - Unknown (flashback)
===Non-speaking===
*Alfonzo Frohicky (video)
*Lobbo (video)
*Whack Rats (video)
====Mentioned====
*Wu
===Creatures===
*Ice Dragons (flashback)
*Jiro
*Source Dragon of Energy (flashback)
*Source Dragon of Life (pictured)
*Source Dragon of Motion (pictured)
*Source Dragon of Strength (pictured)
*Zanth
===Items===
*Broomstick
*Claw Staffs
*Cole's golden hammer
*Dorama's staff
*Dragon Cores
**Imperium Dragon Core (mentioned)
**Purple Dragon Core
**Pink Dragon Core (replica)
**Yellow Dragon Core
*Imperium Drones
*Imperium Sword
*Kai's golden katana
*Lloyd's golden sword
*MergeQuake weapon
*Nya's golden spear
*Sora's headphones
===Vehicles===
*Hover chariots
*Hoverboards
*Destiny's Bounty
===Events===
*Crossroads Carnival (video)
*Beatrix's coup (flashback)
===Locations===
*Cloud Kingdom (mentioned)
*Crossroads (video)
*Imperium
**Kingdom of Imperium
***Advanced Systems Lab
***Imperium Palace
***Security Station
****Imperium Prison
**Land of Lost Things
***Rookery
*Wyldness (mentioned)
===Species===
*Dragons
**Djinjagan Dragons
**Ice Dragons (flashback)
**Lightning Dragons
**Mountain Dragons
**Source Dragons (flashback)
*Ghosts
*Humans
*Nindroids
*Oni/Dragon/Human hybrids
*Rats (videos)
*Tigers
==Transcript==
For the transcript of the episode, click here.
==Trivia==
*The title of the episode is based on the definition of Imperium.
*On ITVX part of the fight outside Imperium is cut. The reason for this is unknown.
*This episode's name has a triple-meaning behind it, as Imperium is a Latin word meaning "absolute power," Beatrix is seen both in the flashback and in present-day attempting to come into/obtain absolute power, and when attempting to manipulate Beatrix from his cell, Ras tells her that only when she frees him will she achieve absolute power.
===Continuity===
*Ras' attempt at getting Emperor Levo to assist him in capturing the Source Dragon of Energy, only to be denied, and later overthrows him with assistance from Beatrix is similar to Vex's attempt at deceiving Grimfax to assist him in destroying the Formlings, only to be denied, and later overthrows him with an amnesiac Zane's assistance.
**In both cases, the character that assisted in overthrowing the ruler succeeds them.
**Unlike Grimfax, who was forced to serve Zane, Levo was killed by Beatrix and Ras.
===Errors===
*Zeatrix is uncredited in the episode despite the fact that she spoke in the episode.
==Videos==
File:LEGO NINJAGO Dragons Rising - Absolute Power - S1 E18
==Gallery==
For the gallery of the episode, click here.
==Translations==
==References==
de:Die Absolute Macht
es:Absolute Power
fi:Absoluuttinen voima
Category:2023
Category:Episodes
Category:Episodes of Season 1 (Dragons Rising)