Samukai

Samukai (also referred to as General Samukai and King Samukai) is a Ninjago minifigure introduced in 2011. He was the Skulkin general of fire and former King of the Underworld.
== Description ==
Samukai has four arms and a large head. He has a Skulkin torso with bolts printed below the neck, as well as two skeletal arms. The torso is also printed with a red loincloth. A large piece is used to represent Samukai's armour, back, and lower jaw. It also has two skeletal arms. The area that represents armour is printed in black and has a red Skulkin symbol printed on the centre of the chest. Samukai's head depicts two large, black eye sockets with small, red eyes, as well as a nose socket and printed teeth. He also had two scars above his eyes that are bolted shut. Samukai's feet depict skeletal legs wearing black shoes.
=== LEGO Battles: Ninjago ===
In the game, his first form features him with no weapons and he punches his enemies. His second form features him with his knives. His third form is identical to his second except that he has two Skulkins that always follow him.
== Background ==
According to the Ninjago Official Guide, Wu and Garmadon defeated Samukai, a warrior, before Garmadon turned evil. Samukai was incapable of accepting his death, so instead of being sent to the Departed Realm, he was sent to the Underworld and became an undead Skulkin. He eventually came to be the King of the Underworld.
After Garmadon had become completely corrupted, he attacked Wu while attempting to steal the Four Golden Weapons. ("Battle Between Brothers") Just as Garmadon was about to kill Wu, he was struck by lightning and fell into a pit that led to the Underworld. There, he was approached by the Skulkin and Samukai, who berated him and his brother. Garmadon asserted that Wu no longer meant anything to him. Samukai then prepared to have his revenge on Garmadon, who then challenged him. Samukai was no match for Garmadon, who quickly defeated him with his spinjitzu. Garmadon then established himself new King of the Underworld; however, he spared Samukai's life. ("An Underworldly Takeover")
Before he began his attack on NINJAGO, Samukai found Dr. Julien and revived him with a potion. Samukai forced him to build powerful vehicles that would aid him with his attack. Julien eventually refused, and was locked away in a deserted lighthouse in the middle of the sea. ("The Last Voyage")
Years later, Samukai lead an assault on the Four Weapons Blacksmith shop to find the map to the four Golden Weapons. He briefly duelled Kai before subduing him, but before he could finish him off, Master Wu intervened. Samukai then used his daggers to make a large water tower begin to fall on Kai, leaving Master Wu with a choice: Rescue Kai, or capture Samukai. Samukai used the distraction to capture Nya, and escape in his Skull Truck. He and his army stole the map from Kai and Nya's shop that leads to the Four Golden Weapons. ("Way of the Ninja")
He then went to find the first Golden Weapon, the Scythe of Quakes, hidden in the Caves of Despair. However, Nuckal read the map upside down, and was digging in the wrong place. After the four Ninja accidentally gave away their presence, he took his army in to fight them and claim the Golden Weapon. Soon after the Ninja discovered Spinjitzu during the battle, he called a retreat, as he could not fight four Spinjitzu masters and the Earth Dragon appeared. ("The Golden Weapon")
Lord Garmadon then gave Samukai new orders: Let the Ninja think they're winning. Samukai continued to seek the Golden Weapons, but allowed the Ninja to dominate until just before they began to search for the Sword of Fire. Then, Garmadon's scheme came into play. Kai was lured away from the rest of the group, and Master Wu followed. Samukai and his army then ambushed Jay, Zane and Cole, claiming the Shurikens of Ice, the Scythe of Quakes, and the Nunchucks of Lightning for Garmadon. ("King of Shadows") 
Garmadon then sent him back to the Underworld, where he fought Master Wu, who was wielding the Sword of Fire. Samukai defeated him, and took up the Sword, intending to use the Four Weapons and their power to defeat Garmadon and regain control of the Underworld. However, the power of the Four Weapons united was too much for anyone to handle, and as a result, Samukai disintegrates and The Portal through space and time appears, which was Garmadon's true plan all along. Having succeeded in his plan, Garmadon then escapes through the Portal vowing to return with more power so that he can wield the Four Weapons and recreate Ninjago in his own image. ("Weapons of Destiny") 
After the events of "Skybound", an exhibit called "The Hall of Villainy" was opened in the Ninjago Museum of History. The Hall of Villainy contained statues of several defeated villains, Samukai among them.
Samukai's spirit was released from the Departed Realm by Master Yang on the Day of The Departed holiday. His spirit and the spirits of the other departed villains, including including General Kozu, General Cryptor, Master Chen, and Morro, re-entered their statues, reviving them for the duration of the eclipse. Samukai was the first to speak after being revived; He asked the other villains who they were, as they were all unfamiliar with each other. Still confused as to what had occurred, Samukai asked the others what had happened. Morro pointed at the portrait of Master Yang, saying that perhaps he could explain. Yang explained to them that he had returned them to the realm of NINJAGO from the Departed Realm, but they could only remain for the duration of the eclipse that brought them back. He then told them that if they could destroy the ones that had destroyed them, the Ninja, then they could be brought back themselves. The villains then began to discuss which Ninja each of them were to attack, but before long, a fight erupted as a result of their inability to come to terms with each other. Yang immediately ordered them to stop fighting, reminding them that time was running out. Samukai and General Kozu were the last two villains that chose a ninja, but there was only one left: Jay. Kozu did not want to cooperate with Samukai and set out after Jay, but on the way out, Kozu saw Dareth outside and decided to attack him instead. Samukai then made his way to Ed and Edna Walker's (Jay's parents) junkyard, where he kidnapped Edna. He then had Krazi and Frakjaw attack Jay in their mechs, but they were defeated immediately. Jay and Samukai then engaged in a duel, with Ed, Edna, Krazi, and Frakjaw watching. After noticing that his henchmen were not doing anything, he ordered them to seize Ed and Edna in order to save himself. With Jay distracted, Samukai knocked him off the pile of scrap that they had been fighting on. Now having the upper hand, Samukai told Jay that he must kill him in order to be returned, and promised to release his parents. However, Ronin, who was about to burgularise the junkyard, intervened and saved Ed and Edna. This caused Samukai to miss his axe blow at Jay. Now that his parents safe with Ronin, Jay engaged the Skulkin and blasted them with his elemental lightning, sending the trio back to the Departed Realm permanently. ("Day of the Departed") 
=== LEGO Battles: Ninjago ===
In LEGO Battles: Ninjago, Samukai appears with many of the other skulkin. He appears in many of the game's cutscenes. Most of these are from the Skulkin story. They are as follows:
*Build Your Army: Samukai appears before Garmadon and bows. Garmadon turns around to face Samukai, and casts a cloud of dark smoke, in which appears pictures of each golden weapon. Garmadon then points to the door, and gives an evil laugh.
*What's That Rumbling Samukai is questioning Nya about the map to the golden weapons. He leans forward to hear what she says, and she headbutts him in the face. He then leaves her with Nuckal and Kruncha.
*Dark Places In order to get to the Scythe of Quakes, he is ordering the Skulkins to use their bulldozers to dig out the collapsed tunnel leading to the cavern where the scythe is located.
*Within Grasp He battles Sensei Wu, who begins to gain the upper hand over Samukai, until Garmadon blasts Wu with dark magic. He drops The Sword of Fire, and Samukai takes it instead of giving it to Garmadon. The Weapons then lift Samukai into the air and transform him into a portal. Garmadon then leaves via the portal.
== Notes ==
* His name is a play on the word "Samurai".
* He, Snike, the Serpentine generals are the only Ninjago characters from 2011-2012 that don't have spinners.
* In most promotional images and pages on the Ninjago website, Samukai has the wrong colour of loincloth (it is supposed to be red for fire, but is often depicted as white for ice or blue for lightning). This has occurred as late as 2016.
* In the pilot season, Samukai's back is brown. In the episode "Wrong Place, Wrong Time", Samukai's back colour was changed to white in the same scenes where it was brown in the original episode. His back has been white in all other TV appearances since then, to better match the appearance of his physical counterpart.
* In the Spring 2011 catalogue, under the minifigures for 2505 Garmadon's Dark Fortress, Samukai was mistakenly labelled "Kai" and given Chopov's torso. The names are in the same order as the 2011 January catalogue.
* Preliminary images showed him in the set 2520 Battle Arena, but does not appear in the final version.
* In the show, Samukai is similar to General Grievous by advancing on his enemies with four arms outstretched and hands rotating, while holding daggers.
* He is the only Ninjago minifigure with an opening mouth.
* He has been defeated by Wu, Garmadon, and Jay.
* Samukai was briefly mentioned by Pythor P. Chumsworth in the episode "All of Nothing", when he claimed Lord Garmadon had betrayed him and the Skeleton Army.
* Samukai and Wyplash are the only Skulkin that do not appear in the video game Ninjago: Rise of the Snakes. Samukai is also absent in the video game LEGO Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin, and is only mentioned.
==LEGO.com descriptions==
== Appearances ==
* 2505 Garmadon's Dark Fortress
* 2507 Fire Temple
=== Video game appearances ===
* LEGO Battles: Ninjago
* LEGO Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin 
* LEGO Ninjago: Tournament
* Ninjago: Spinjitzu Scavenger Hunt
=== TV appearances ===
* Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu
:* Pilot Episodes
::* "Way of the Ninja"
::* "The Golden Weapon"
::* "King of Shadows"
::* "Weapons of Destiny"
:* Season 1
::* "All of Nothing" 
:* Season 2
::* "Wrong Place, Wrong Time" 
::* "The Last Voyage" 
:* "Day of the Departed"
:* Season 7 
::* "The Hands of Time" (statue head and mentioned)
:* Tales from the Monastery of Spinjitzu
*** "Green and Gold" (painting)
*** "The Weekend Drill" (painting)
*** "Elemental Rider" (painting)
*** "Blue Lightning" (painting)
:* Season 10
::* "The Darkness Comes" (painting)
::* "Endings" (painting)
==== Mini-movie appearances ====
* "An Underworldly Takeover" 
* "The Story of Samukai"
===Book appearances===
*Dark Island Trilogy, Part 1
== Gallery ==
File:Samukai.jpg|An overall view of Samukai
File:Lego-ninjago-minifigures-samukai-head.jpg|Side view of Samukai with his mouth open
File:Lego-ninjago-minifigures-samukai-parts.jpg|Samukai's head, armour, and body
File:Samukai infobox.jpg|Samukai, holding three of the Four Golden Weapons (erroneously depicted with a grey loincloth)
File:SamukaiCGI.png|CGI, which erroneously depicts him with a blue loincloth
File:Samukai-mouth-open-CGI.jpg|CGI, which erroneously depicts him with a blue loincloth
File:Art-ninjagovillains-01.jpg|The only known CGI image of Samukai that depicts him correctly
File:SamukaiCardArt.png|Samukai's official art from the Secrets of Spinjitzu Book and the back of the Fire Temple Box.
File:SamukaiArt.jpg|Samukai's trading card artwork, which erroneously depicts him with a white loincloth
File:Garm'smistake.JPG|On the Spring 2011 catalog mistakes were made on the naming of minifigures. Samukai and Chopov also had their torsos switched.
File:SamukaiTV.png|In Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu 
== See also ==
* Kruncha
* Nuckal
* Wyplash
* Krazi
* Frakjaw
* Chopov
* Bonezai
* Lord Garmadon
Category:LEGO Battles minifigures