The Virtues of Spinjitzu

The Virtues of Spinjitzu is a series of Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu shorts released in 2022.
==Episodes==
===Curiosity===
Kai and Jay get into a brick-breaking competition, only to irritate Master Wu when he discovers that they've made a large hole in the outer wall of the Monastery of Spinjitzu. This prompts Wu to review "the six fundamental virtues of Spinjitzu", which all six of the Ninja have apparently forgotten: Curiosity, Balance, Wisdom, Honesty, Generosity, and Courage. He instructs his students to reflect on these principles-which is what Kai and Jay were supposed to be doing in the first place-while he checks on a knock at the door. Nya then hears a strange growling noise, and despite objections from the others follows her own curiosity to investigate.
Nya discovers that a green dragon has Wu in its clutches, and the Ninja soon join in an effort to rescue their master. The beast proves to be a tough opponent, and then disappears through a portal with Wu still held in one claw. Determined to rescue him, the Ninja follow them through the gateway.
===Balance===
The Ninja emerge from the portal to find themselves in what appears to be a chamber of Aspheera's pyramid in the Desert of Doom, and find that the dragon has flown with Wu to the other side of a lava pit. Two other dragons stand guard as the green dragon travels through yet another portal, which the Ninja must reach if they are to continue their pursuit. Lloyd and Jay begin attempting to cross by way of various objects dotting the room, only for several Pyro Vipers to begin attacking their comrades. Kai and Nya find their powers ineffective against the undead Serpentine, and the rapidly filling lava pit proves to also be home to the Lava Monster Cole battled in the dungeons of Shintaro.
Feeling overwhelmed by the obstacles in their path, Cole takes a moment to focus on the principle of Balance, and centers himself by recalling a time in his childhood when he observed his parents, Lilly and Lou, dancing together. Thus calmed, Cole is able to traverse the room using the various features of the room, taking out the Lava Monster in the process. Arriving on the other side, he is confronted by the two dragons, only to find them friendly. Mounting the red dragon, he enlists the pair in retrieving his friends, and the group then travels through the portal to continue their quest.
====Notes====
*The flashback sequence involving Cole's parents reuses elements from both the Master of the Mountain arc and the Prime Empire Original Shorts; notably, Lilly's outfit and the room in which she and Lou dance are taken from the short "Let's Dance".
===Wisdom===
Lloyd finds himself on the Speedway Five-Billion from Prime Empire in a new racecar, and soon finds himself under attack by the Whack Rats. In order to pursue Master Wu and his dragon captor, he must reach the finish line, which the Whack Rats are doing everything in their power to prevent. Fortunately, the other Ninja soon appear with Kai and Jay riding the new dragons, Zane and Cole piloting new mechs, and Nya driving the Ninja Tuner Car. Despite this formidable array, the Whack Rats continue to attack in seemingly endless numbers.
The Ninja come within sight of the finish line, only for the Whack Rats to continuously respawn at the finish line upon being defeated. Realizing that they can't power through an ever-regenerating wave of enemies, Lloyd decides that they must allow themselves to be hit by the Whack Rats' attacks. His strategy pays off, and the Ninja and their transportation respawn at the finish line as well, allowing them to travel through the portal with no further interference from the enemy racers.
====Notes====
*Curiously, Nya's Race Car EVO was not included in the short, despite all the other transports used by the Ninja coming from the same wave of sets.
===Honesty===
Kai and Jay, still riding their dragons, emerge from a portal into what appears to be the throne room palace of the Ice Emperor in the Never-Realm. The Ice Emperor himself then appears, and to the surprise of both Ninja proves to have the rest of their friends-including Zane, who is supposed to BE the Ice Emperor-imprisoned in a cage. The Emperor challenges Jay and Kai to face two of his Blizzard Samurai, mounted on Frost Wolves, in a jousting contest. If they win, he will release their friends and allow them to travel through another portal in pursuit of Master Wu.
Kai handily defeats his opponent, but while Jay knocks his opponent off, he also falls from the back of his mount. As this was apparently unnoticed by the Ice Emperor, Kai tries to convince Jay not to admit to it. However, when the Emperor threatens to punish his two samurai for failing, Jay speaks out and admits to his fall. The Emperor, surprisingly, applauds the pair, revealing that he was aware of Jay's accident and that the real test was not of jousting skill, but of honesty. The Ninja are then allowed to travel through the portal to find Master Wu, though Kai still seems convinced that deceiving the Emperor would have been acceptable.
====Notes====
*This is the only short in which the Legendary Dragon and Master Wu do not appear.
====Generosity====
Zane awakens to find himself and the other Ninja in the Dungeons of Shintaro, under attack by a horde of Awakened Warriors. The Ninja briefly puzzle over this development, but soon notice the dragon carrying Wu through yet another portal. Cole finds himself unable to access the power of the Earth due to the presence of large amounts of Vengestone. Unexpectedly, the group is helped by a force of Geckles, who display inexplicable strength as they load and fire a catapult. However, the control lever for the machine breaks as it is being loaded, and due to a recent "Lever-Burning Festival" the Geckles have no spares.
Giving the matter some thought, Zane detaches one of his own arms and gives it to the Geckles to use as a new lever. Gratefully, the Geckles help to fight the Awakened Warriors, while the Ninja turn their attention to the swiftly closing portal. Seeing the Geckles in peril, Zane insists that they help them before continuing their quest. In gratitude, the Geckles use the catapult to launch the Ninja through the portal.
====Courage====
The Ninja emerge from another portal to find themselves on the Island of the Keepers, once again mounted on the two dragons they've befriended and the new mechs and cars they've acquired through their recent adventures. The group soon arrive at a dome of energy within which the dragon they've been chasing and three others seem to have Wu captive. A single small entryway penetrates the dome, and Kai bravely charges in alone to Master Wu's aid. He unexpectedly defeats one of the dragons, and the dome collapses, allowing the other Ninja to engage its fellows.
The hostile dragons fall one by one, and Wu praises Kai's act of courage, Nya's curiosity, and Lloyd's wisdom. As it turns out, each of the challenges the Ninja have endured were meant to help them learn the principal virtues of Spinjitzu, as Wu explains upon the group finding themselves back at the monastery. Lloyd then questions whether anything that they experienced was real, with Wu replying that "Reality is all in one's perception." However, unbeknownst to the Ninja, he is looking up at the dragon that "abducted" him and the two that aided the Ninja in their travels, who depart upon seeing that their help is no longer needed.
Category:Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu — Shorts and specials