Vangelis

> "*I've longed for the chance to repay you for what you did!
> What did I do again?
> You stole my throne! Turned my people against me, turned my own daughter against me!*"
> ― Vangelis and Cole.
>
>

**Vangelis** is the former King of Shintaro and Queen Vania's father. Years before the ninja arrived at Shintaro, Vangelis sent the Lowly to find one of the skeletal remains of Hazza D'ur, giving him the power to resurrect the Re-Awakened while allowing him to take control of the Dungeons of Shintaro and force the Geckles and Munce to mine Vengestone for him, which he traded on the black market with Harumi for. Following his rise to power in the Dungeons, he became known as the **Skull Sorcerer**. Eventually, Cole learned the power of the Spinjitzu Burst and destroyed the Skull of Hazza D'ur. Having been defeated, Vangelis tried to ask for forgiveness, but Cole refused, and Vania had Hailmar arrest him. He was ultimately succeeded by Vania.

More than one year later, Vangelis was freed and recruited by the Kabuki Mask for him to join the Council of the Crystal King along with more of the ninja's enemies to have his revenge. After he was given new powers by the Overlord, he joined in the latter's invasion of Ninjago, in which he also battled the ninja and the Resistance. However, he was eventually defeated by Cole and he was left stuck in a crevice created by the former's use of the Scythe of Quakes.

## Biography

### Early life

Years ago, Vangelis extended an invitation to the Lowly to embark on a quest to the Dungeons of Shintaro. He entrusted them with the mission of retrieving the Skull of Hazza D'ur, the most malevolent artifact in Shintaro Mountain, with the intention of seemingly destroying it and protecting the kingdom. The Lowly agreed to undertake the task, and Vangelis wished them luck. Soon, Vangelis congratulated them on their triumphant mission of recovering the Skull of Hazza D'ur. Korgran requested to destroy the skull as a mark of honor, but Vangelis had a divergent opinion. He believed that the skull's power could be advantageous for the Kingdom of Shintaro. However, the Upply opposed his idea, as they were aware of the skull's malevolent nature and insisted on its destruction. Vangelis asked if they all shared the same sentiment, and they all nodded in agreement. He then shared his apprehension about their resistance and proceeded to banish the Upply down to Rock-Bottom by sending them into the Pit.

With the skull in his possession, Vangelis was accompanied by Hazza D'ur, whose spirit was inside the skull. Later, Vangelis used the skull to resurrect the Re-Awakened and take over the Dungeons of Shintaro. After some time, Vangelis stole the Ivory and Shadow Blades of Deliverance from the Geckles and Munce, leading to a rift between the two tribes. Their fragile relationship made it easier for him and his Re-Awakened to capture them. He then forced them to mine Vengestone for him, which he later sold to Princess Harumi through the black market. In exchange for the Vengestone, Harumi paid Vangelis to maintain the Kingdom of Shintaro's luxurious lifestyle.

### A Sinister Shadow (flashback)

Before the ninja and Wu visited Shintaro after Vangelis invited them at Vania's request, Vangelis gets visited by Harumi for her to negotiate the price of Vengestone with, but the king, after greeting her warmly, tells her that they have to change their plans since the ninja are arriving, much to Harumi’s dismay. The former Jade Princess furiously tells Vangelis that the ninja will ruin his plan and that the wealth of his city depended on the payment received for Vengestone, but Vangelis says he’s already prepared for the ninja and produces the Skull of Hazza D'ur, which he used to transform into the Skull Sorcerer. The Skull Sorcerer reassured his ally she had nothing to fear with his enslaved miners hard at work harvesting the Vengestone desired by the Crystal King and promised to annihilate the ninja, were Harumi's fear to come into fruition. When the ninja and Wu arrive, he transforms back seconds before they enter and gestures for Harumi to hide behind his throne, which she complied to, then welcomes the newcomers.

### Master of the Mountain

#### Into the Dark

With great reverence, Hailmar approached King Vangelis and introduced the ninja. King Vangelis extended a warm welcome and was delighted at the ninja's acceptance of their invitation. He bowed in respect, acknowledging the honor of their presence. Wu showed his gratitude, acknowledging the magnificence of the Kingdom of Shintaro. Vangelis humbly acknowledged his role as a figurehead, recognizing that the true essence of the city lies within the Sky Folk. He graciously introduced Vania to the ninja and directed them to follow him as he prepared them for the upcoming day.

Disguised as the Skull Sorcerer, Vangelis issued a stern warning to the Geckles and Munce, cautioning them against any form of disruption. Hazza D'ur, in a plea to Vangelis, urged him to take decisive action against the tribes. In response, Vangelis unleashed a barrage of Dark Magic from the Skull of Hazza D'ur, targeting both the Geckles and Munce. Vangelis threatened a group of Geckles, cautioning that any future defiance would result in severe repercussions. Cole subsequently confronted Vangelis, prompting him to command his Awakened Warriors to launch an attack. Despite the odds, Cole emerged victorious in the ensuing battle. Vangelis cautioned Cole that he had interfered in a place beyond his comprehension and would now bare witness to his might. He then used the Skull of Hazza D'ur to reconstruct the Dark Skeletons and capture Cole.

#### The Worst Rescue Ever

Upon being informed of Cole's situation by Vania, Vangelis expressed disappointment and reiterated the prohibition of entering the mountain for safety reasons. He emphasized the potential danger that Vania had put herself and the ninja in. Vangelis apologized to Master Wu and assured him that his best guards would be dispatched to locate Cole. However, when Kai offered his assistance, Vangelis cautioned against any further attempts to enter the dungeons, as there were certain things that should not be disturbed. He then explained that he lied about Mr. Sparkles to Vania to protect her, and that she would understand when she was older. Vangelis then instructed his men to take action while urging everyone else to remain calm. As Kai and Jay insisted on helping Cole, Vangelis refused, citing the risk of endangering more lives. Wu pledged to comply with Vangelis' request, and the King thanked him before excusing himself and Vania.

Following a feud between the Geckles and Munce, Vangelis discovers the ninja's attempt to escape after Cole's release. Using the Skull of Hazza D'ur, Vangelis successfully reconstructed the Re-Awakened and commanded them to apprehend the ninja.

#### The Two Blades

Vangelis admonished Lloyd and Cole for their entry into the Skull Keep in pursuit of the Blades of Deliverance. He then launched an attack on them, using the Skull of Hazza D'ur agaisnt them. However, the ninja managed to disarm him, prompting Vaneglis to retrieve the artifact. Vangelis subsequently pursued the ninja during their escape, relentlessly chasing Cole until he lost him in the labyrinthine tunnels, shouting in anger.

#### The Skull Sorcerer

Vangelis requested the Army of Shintaro a report on the latest shipment of Vengestone from the Accounting Department. Suddenly, Vania, Wu, and Cole entered, urgently requesting to speak with him. Vangelis inquired about the emergency, and Vania informed him about the Vengestone mines. Vangelis expressed his disappointment to Vania for disobeying his orders, clarifing that he was not angry but saddened by her actions. Vangelis explained that he loved her dearly and was only trying to protect her. Vania apologized for her actions but warned Vaneglis of the Skull Sorcerer. During the conversation, Cole made a reference to the skull's color being red. However, Vangelis interjected and corrected Cole by presenting the Skull of Hazza D'ur to them. In doing so, Vangelis also disclosed his identity as the Skull Sorcerer.

Vangelis admitted that his reason for becoming the Skull Sorcerer was because of Vengestone, which was essential to the Kingdom of Shintaro's functioning. Cole and Wu vowed to stop Vangelis' plan, prompting him to attack them with the Skull of Hazza D'ur. Cole, Wu, and Vania attempt to retrieve the artifact from Vangelis. However, their efforts were thwarted when Vangelis struck Chompy with his wing and activated a mechanism that plunged Wu and Cole into the Pit. Vangelis attempted to dissuade Vania from pursuing Cole and Wu, warning her that it was futile. However, Vania was determined to make the attempt. Vangelis then threatened to disown her if she proceeded with her plan. Despite this, Vania jumped into the Pit to pursue her friends.

#### The Real Fall

As Vangelis looked into the Pit, Hazza D'ur spoke of sacrifices. He then proceeded to store the Skull of Hazza D'ur in a box, reverting back to normal. Vangelis urgently called for Hailmar and two guards, reporting a the incident of Vania falling into the Pit. When questioned by Hailmar, Vangelis falsely accused Chompy of attacking her, demanding that the dragon to be locked up immediately.

#### Grief-Bringer

In the Kingdom of Shintaro, Hazza D'ur told Vangelis about a meeting between the Munce and Geckles, where they plan to make peace. Vangelis was surprised and asked who was responsible. Hazza D'ur revealed that it was the ninja and also informed the King that they survived. He also encouraged Vangelis to revive Grief-Bringer, emphasizing the importance of taking action to stop the truce. Vangelis became the Skull Sorcerer by utilizing the Skull of Hazza D'ur and accessed the Dungeons of Shintaro through the Pit. Vangelis resurrected Grief-Bringer by using the Skull of Hazza D'ur upon entering the tomb.

Afterwards, the ninja fled from Grief-Bringer and the Re-Awakened. Vangelis watched them and compared their escape to that of rats. Nevertheless, he was certain that they would not be able to evade capture.

#### The Darkest Hour

Grief-Bringer cleared a path through the lava, allowing Vangelis, Hazza D'ur, and the Re-Awakened to cross over. They found that the ninja had barricaded themselves inside the Geckle Strong Cave with the Geckles and Munce. Vangelis addressed the Geckles and Munce, offering them a chance to save their lives. He suggested that if they handed over the ninja, they could resume their work in the mines. However, Gulch and Murtessa began to argue about who should speak first. Vangelis tried to intervene but was interrupted every time he spoke. As Murtess and Gulch refused to serve him, Vangelis accepted their defiance and ordered the Re-Awakened to tear down the wall between them.

When Grief-Bringer broke through the cave, Lloyd agreed to Vangelis' deal, offering to turn the ninja in if he would spare the Geckles and Munce. However, Lloyd made it clear that the prisoners should not be sent back to the mines. Vangelis agreed to the terms, and the ninja were escorted out by Grief-Bringer. Murtessa reminded Vangelis to keep his promise by leave the tribes in peace. However, Vangelis revealed that he had no intention of keeping his word, had the Re-Awakened capture the Geckles and Munce.

#### The Upply Strike Back!

Vangelis taunts the now caged ninja and voices his intentions to have Grief-Bringer destroy them in front of the re-imprisoned Geckles and Munce. He also reveals his identity to them and confirms that he did in fact steal the Blades of Deliverance from the tribes.

Later, when Cole retrieves the Blades and the Upply free the imprisoned workers, Vangelis confronts Cole, mocking him for putting faith in the swords. The two engage in fierce combat as the battle for Shintaro Mountain begins.

#### The Son of Lilly

While fighting him, Vangelis tells Cole the Blades of Deliverance are just regular swords and that his mother gave them to give the Geckles and Munce hope. Vangelis soon used the Skull of Hazza D'ur to destroy them, and he starts taunting Cole by insulting his mother. Cole soon realized the power his mother used to destroy Grief-Bringer was actually the Spinjitzu Burst and unlocks it, destroying the Skull in the process and turning Vangelis back to normal as well as destroying the Re-Awakened and Grief-Bringer once more. He tries to beg for forgiveness, but Cole tells him to beg for it from everyone he enslaved and abused. He tries to explain his actions to Vania but she simply had the Winged Guards arrest him, and he is dragged away, protesting that he is their king. He was eventually dethroned, and Vania becomes queen, succeeding her father.

Vangelis was then put in a big cell reminiscent of a classic Shintaro room in his palace.

### Crystalized

#### Ninjago City vs. Ninja

While Vangelis was spending the night sitting on the bed and playing a lyre, a hole appeared in a ceiling of his cell. When part of the ceiling fell in front of him, the former king was startled. Then he watched the crystal spiders crawl into the room through the hole and then he grabbed the Skull Sorcerer's mask the spiders had brought. He then listened to the message from the Kabuki Mask that he was invited to join the Council of the Crystal King. Vangelis accepted the offer eagerly and put the mask on his face that immediately began to glow a pinkish hue.

#### The Council of the Crystal King

Vangelis has subsequently left the cell, got new Shintaro wings, and went to the Crystal Temple. When Lloyd, disguised as the Mechanic, entered the meeting room, Vangelis was sitting at the table with the other villains, Aspheera, Pythor, and Mister F. Vangelis asked Lloyd who he was, and when Lloyd introduced himself to him as the Mechanic, the former king asked if he should know the name. As the Kabuki Mask entered the room and explained to the villains that he was not the Crystal King but only his herald, Vangelis muttered mockingly that he was his servant. However, the Kabuki Mask warned him not to talk to him like that, because he would send him back to his cell.

When the Kabuki Mask then revealed that there was an impostor among them, Vangelis was shocked like the others, and when Aspheera accused him of being the impostor because he was the only one wearing a mask, he objected that Mister F did the same. When Lloyd tried to escape after the reveal of the impostor, Vangelis flew to him to stop him, but Lloyd threw him on the table using Spinjitzu. However, Lloyd was eventually stopped by Mister F and the Kabuki Mask revealed his secret identity: Harumi. Lloyd then blacked out.

#### The Fall of the Monastery

Vangelis and the rest of the Crystal Council attack the Monastery of Spinjitzu from the emergency elevator. Vangelis and the rest go on to attack the defenders. Vangelis attacks Nya but is kicked back by her, but Pythor manages to catch her with his Anacondrai invisibility, allowing Vangelis to grab Nya and throw her on the ground. Vangelis attacks Master Wu. Aspheera, the Mechanic and Vangelis attack Wu, Vangelis hits Wu in the air and he is thrown back to an area with monitors. The Council take the Weapons of Spinjitzu, with Vangelis taking the Scythe of Quakes, telling the Mechanic to arm the Crystal Spiders so they can detonate the Monastery.

#### Darkness Within

After raiding and destroying the Monastery, Vangelis with the Crystal Council return to the Oni Temple with the four Golden Weapons. Around the big crystal, he placed the Scythe of Quakes around it as Aspheera uses her new staff and its powers to transform the Golden Weapons into the Weapons of Destruction through a ritual and through that, they bring the Overlord back into the world of Ninjago, now known as the Crystal King.

#### The Coming of the King

Shortly after gaining his new form, the Overlord used his powers to empower the Crystal Council, giving them new armor as well as their signature Weapon of Destruction. Happy with what he got, Vangelis thanked the Overlord in return as well as bowing towards him. When Lloyd managed to free himself and tilted the Crystal Temple to one side, the Crystal Council and the Overlord held on to prevent himself from sliding down. After Lloyd fled the area, The Overlord ordered his council to pursue and kill the Green Ninja. During the chase, he managed to corner Lloyd, who tries to warn them that their master will destroy everything. When they all threw their weapons at Lloyd, the Green Ninja easily avoided them and the Weapons of Destruction collided, which caused a powerful explosion that knocked the Crystal Council to the ground. As Lloyd was willing to jump off the temple while Harumi tries to get him on her side, the Vangelis with the Council arrived to watch. He was left shocked and confused as Lloyd jump down from the Crystal Island with Harumi. Knowing that jumping after the two is too risky, Pythor and Vangelis went back into the temple while Aspheera and the Mechanic argue on who should jump after Lloyd and Harumi.

#### Return to Primeval's Eye

Vangelis chases Lloyd and Harumi on Dragonides.

#### Quittin' Time!

After Ninjago City was crystalized, the Council was ordered by the Overlord to bring the ninja to him.

#### An Issue of Trust

Vangelis meets the Overlord with the rest but is reprimanded by the Overlord due to his failure to secure the Ninja before Harumi and Mister F reveal that they know where the ninja are. He and the Council later surround the Resistance with their army to overwhelm them.

#### Dragon Form

Vangelis helps the Crystal army overwhelm the ninja but after their allies: the NPCs, Sky Folk, Upply, Keepers, Merlopians, and others join to fight them, the ninja achieve Dragon Form and fight their respective enemies. He slams Cole down with his Dragonide, but it knocked was down by Vania. He then proceeds to attack Korgran but gets defeated by Cole after he uses the Scythe of Quakes to trap Vangelis underground.

After the battle, Vangelis was arrested and sent to Kryptarium Prison.

## Other appearances and mentions

### Distress Calls

Cole mentions Vangelis on his call to Vania.

## Relationships

### Allies

* Hazza D'ur † - Former Advisor
* Re-Awakened † - Former Subordinates
* Grief-Bringer † - Former Subordinate
* Overlord - Former Master and Attempted Killer
* Crystal Army
	+ Crystal Warriors †
	+ Crystal Spiders † - Rescuers
	+ Dragonides †
* Council of the Crystal King
	+ Aspheera
	+ Pythor
	+ Mechanic
	+ Mr. F

### Enemies

* Upply
	+ Korgran - Attempted Victim
	+ Plundar
	+ Fungus
	+ Adam
* Munce - Former Prisoners
	+ Murtessa
	+ Murt
* Geckles - Former Prisoners
	+ Gulch
	+ Gleck
* Ninja
	+ Cole - Archenemy, Temporary Ally and Attempted Victim
	+ Lloyd Garmadon - Temporary Ally and Former Prisoner
	+ Kai - Temporary Ally and Former Prisoner
	+ Jay - Temporary Ally and Former Prisoner
	+ Zane - Temporary Ally and Former Prisoner
	+ Nya - Temporary Ally and Former Prisoner
* Wu - Temporary Ally
* Army of Shintaro - Former Allies and Former Subordinates
	+ Hailmar
* P.I.X.A.L.
* Skylor
* Garmadon
* Harumi - Former Superior and Former Buyer

## Appearance

Vangelis, like all of the other Sky Folk, has white skin. He has black hair and a purple symbol on his forehead, and dons white robes with golden accents on the torso sides, and light blue clothing underneath, with a gold V-neck with black trimmings and sash around his waist. He usually has some Shintaro wings on his back.

As the Skull Sorcerer, he wears a black hat and white mask with visible gray detailing and glowing, yellow-green eyes. His face has now changed to black, although his actual face is not seen besides the sets due to the mask covering it. However, his hands are still the same white coloring. He dons a black garment with dark green patterning and gold detailing's. His Shintaro wings also change to resemble large, bat like wings that are black in color with green spikes on them.

After being empowered by the Overlord, Vangelis keeps his mask and hat from before, but now the eyes are glowing magenta and no longer have the gray detailing. Due to wearing his mask prior to his transformation, Vangelis' face is black again, as well as his hands. He wears the same armor as the other Crystal Council members wear, consisting of a purple suit with metal on the torso, glowing magenta detailing, and the Overlord's symbol on it. His legs are black with metallic gray detailing on it. On his shoulders, Vangelis has infectious crystals. His wings also revert to the way they were as the Skull Sorcerer, only the spikes are now pink.

## Personality

*“My father is a good man but very strict. If he knew the ninja had defied him and gone into the mountain, he would be quite upset.”*

— Vania, "The Two Blades"

He had initially shown himself to be a very benevolent individual as he welcomed the ninja into his palace.

He was a loving father as he lied to his daughter about the truth of her imaginary friend to protect her from the real horrors that were supposed to be kept secret from her and the other young people of the Kingdom of Shintaro. He also forbade her from accompanying the ninja into the Dungeons of Shintaro.

This ultimately proved to be a façade, as he has proven to be a very deceptive individual as he lied to his followers and daughter about how he is the Skull Sorcerer. In contrast to his persona as a loving father, he showed no remorse as he condemned his daughter to fall into the Pit along with his enemies after revealing his true purposes and he blamed it on her pet. However, he is shown to have mercy, when he gives Vania the choice of jumping into the Pit or not and was implied to generally love her, calling her "my heart". Eventually after she played her role in his defeat, he pins all the blame on Cole, roaring to the Master of Earth during their last confrontation that he blamed Cole for Vania's desertion.

He is a very greedy person, as he forced the Munce and Geckles tribes into slavery and profited from the selling of the Vengestone they mined to keep his kingdom. Not surprisingly for his two-faced actions, he is deceptive, as he had no qualms in taking back his part on the deal to the ninja about sparing the Munce and Geckles tribes by quickly putting them back to slavery.

After he was stripped of his power, Vangelis resorted to begging for mercy. He was also desperate to beg his daughter for help, to no avail.

Despite his cruel personality, Vangelis was highly diplomatic and treated his ally, Harumi, respectfully and politely, not reacting with anger when she furiously reminded him his city was dependent on her gold to continue to maintain its luxury. This respectful treatment, however, does not extend to his fellow Council of the Crystal King members, and he constantly butted heads with Aspheera especially.

## Weapons and abilities

### Weapons

* **Skull of Hazza D'ur** - Before its destruction, Vangelis' source of Dark Magic came from the Skull of Hazza D'ur, which he obtained after tasking the Upply to bring it to him.
* **Naginata** - During the battle for Shintaro Mountain and the raid of the Monastery of Spinjitzu, Vangelis wielded a black and silver naginata.

### Abilities

1/2

* **Flight** - By using a pair of Shintaro wings, Vangelis can fly.
* **With the Skull of Hazza D'ur** - While in possession of the Skull of Hazza D'ur, Vangelis had all of Hazza D'ur's abilities.
	+ **Resurrection** - Vangelis was able to bring back deceased beings in their skeletal forms to make them work for him, as he was able to resurrect the Re-Awakened and Grief-Bringer after their deaths.
	+ **Beam emission** - Vangelis was to project beams of concentrated dark magic out of the Skull of Hazza D'ur's eyes.

### Artistic

* **Playing a lyre** - Vangelis can play a musical instrument, the lyre.

## Vehicles

### Dragons

* Grief-Bringer
	+ A large dragon that terrorized the Munce and Geckles until it was killed by Lilly.
	+ He first appeared in Gliff's flashback in "The Two Blades."

## Official descriptions

### *Shintaro Secrets Revealed!*

*Wearing the skull of the dark magician Hazza D’ur gave him incredible powers - he is now able to bring skeletons to life! He uses them to control the cave dwellers, forcing them to mine Vengestone. The Skull Sorcerer stole the Blades of Deliverance from the Geckles and Munces, using them divide the two tribes.*

### *Monstrous Mission!*

*The Skull Sorcerer is the master of the dungeons! He wants to mine as much Vengestone as possible. His powers come from the Skull of Hazza D’Ur, and with it he can turn skeletons into invincible warriors. With his boney army behind him, this villain can control the monsters and tribes of the underworld. can our ninja heroes stop this dangerous enemy?*

### *LEGO Life*

*King Vangelis is the ruler of the Kingdom of Shintaro, famous for being the most perfect kingdom on NINJAGO Island. He's very powerful and popular among his loyal subjects. Under his command is the royal guard known as the Winged Army of Shintaro. His daughter, however, is not always quite as easy to command. (Maybe that's not such a bad thing, actually.)*

### *Character Encyclopedia New Edition*

*Shintaro seems like a perfect city, but its king, Vangelis, has a guilty secret. He lives a double life as the wicked Skull Sorcerer, who has enslaved the kingdom's underground tribes and made them dig for Vengestone. In this disguise, Vangelis wears a ghostly mask and flies on batlike wings.*

### The Big Baddie Check!

*When it comes to magic, this dude relied on a skull instead of lightning. His plans were spoiled when the ninja united the Munce and Geckles against him. We only rely on ourselves and our cool purple flashes.*

### Crystalized

*Once the King of Shintaro, the NINJAGO® world’s most perfect kingdom, Vangelis’s reign ended in dishonor when the ninja unmasked him as the evil Skull Sorcerer. What path lies ahead for this dangerous, Vengestone-obsessed foe?*

### Very Bad Bunch

*Under his kingdom of Shintaro, **the former Skull Sorcerer** mined the Vengestone. It goes without saying that **Vangelis** - as he is now called - is an important part of the Crystal Council.*

### LEGO.com

*The former King of Shintaro went by the alias Skull Sorcerer when he secretly ruled the dungeons beneath his city. It was there that the ninja unmasked and defeated him, but he has risen again with an invitation to join the Council of the Crystal King. His new ruler gives him a pair of Shintaro wings and the Scythe of Destruction to exact his revenge against the ninja. King Vangelis was succeeded by his daughter Vania as the ruler of Shintaro.*

## Appearances

### Sets

* 71721 Skull Sorcerer's Dragon (as the Skull Sorcerer)
* 71722 Skull Sorcerer's Dungeons (as the Skull Sorcerer)
* 892174 Skull Sorcerer (as the Skull Sorcerer; no wings)
* 71770 Zane's Golden Dragon Jet (crystalized)
* 892299 Vangelis (crystalized)

### *Ninjago*

#### Season 13: Master of the Mountain

* 145. "Shintaro" (mentioned)
* 146. "Into the Dark"
* 147. "The Worst Rescue Ever"
* 148. "The Two Blades" (as the Skull Sorcerer)
* 149. "Queen of the Munce" (mentioned; as the Skull Sorcerer)
* 150. "Trial By Mino" (pictured; as the Skull Sorcerer)
* 151. "The Skull Sorcerer"
* 152. "The Real Fall"
* 153. "Dungeon Party!" (flashback)
* 154. "Dungeon Crawl!" (mentioned; as the Skull Sorcerer)
* 155. "Grief-Bringer"
* 156. "Masters Never Quit" (mentioned)
* 157. "The Darkest Hour" (as the Skull Sorcerer)
* 158. "The Ascent" (mentioned)
* 159. "The Upply Strike Back!"
* 160. "The Son of Lilly"

#### Season 15: Crystalized

* 187. "Ninjago City vs. Ninja"
* 188. "Kryptarium Prison Blues" (mentioned)
* 191. "The Fifth Villain" (screen)
* 192. "The Council of the Crystal King"
* 193. "A Sinister Shadow" (flashback)
* 195. "The Fall of the Monastery"
* 196. "Darkness Within" (no lines)
* 197. "The Coming of the King"
* 198. "Return to Primeval's Eye"
* 206. "Compatible" (mentioned)
* 207. "Distress Calls" (mentioned)
* 208. "An Issue of Trust"
* 209. "Dragon Form"

### Ninjago Magazine

* 65. *Fightseeing Tour* (mentioned)
* 67. *Hail or Fail, Prince Jay!* (mentioned; as the Skull Sorcerer)
* 67. *Order Must Prevail!* (mentioned; as the Skull Sorcerer)
* 69. *Fighting Techniques* (mentioned)
* 70. *Through the Mountain* (mentioned; as the Skull Sorcerer)
* 71. *Stranded* (mentioned; as the Skull Sorcerer)
* 94. *Fury in the Forest!*

## Behind the scenes

* He was originally named the "Ashmonger."
* He shares a name as that of the late Greek musical composer. "Vangelis" is originally a Greek name (gr. Βαγγέλης) and a fairly common one in Greece.
* He is the first *Ninjago* Minifigure to have wings.
	+ He reuses the wing pieces of the Bats from *Legends of Chima*.
* He is the second main villain to have the 2018 slope piece, the first being Unagami. Unlike Unagami, he has no back printing on the slope piece.
	+ Both Vangelis and Unagami were the main villains of 2020.
* As the Skull Sorcerer, the symbol on his torso is called the triquetra, which is also known as the Triple Moon.
	+ A triquetra is an ancient symbol used by pagans to represent the threefold nature of the goddess: maiden, mother, and crown.
	+ It also symbolizes the goddess' three faces: mind, body, and spirit.
	+ It is also commonly used to reference the Holy Trinity in Christianity, being the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
* As the Skull Sorcerer, the words "Dead Rise" in Ninjargon text are written on his torso and extending to the slope piece in the sets.
	+ However, in the show, the words are incorrectly spelled "Dead Irse."
* As the Skull Sorcerer, he has only black eyes on his mask in the sets while he has a mouth, green eyes, and highlighted features on his mask in the show.
	+ In his crystalized form, his mask loses the mouth, making it more accurate to the minifigure.
* The concept of the Skull Sorcerer is reminiscent of Skeletor from the show *He-Man.*
	+ Korgran also bears similarity to the title character from that show.
* He is similar to Hela from the *Thor: Ragnarok*, as both of them use green and black as their main colors, use the triquetra symbol, resurrected dead beings for their army, and are both royalty that were later imprisoned by their own family.
	+ However, in Hela's case, the father imprisoned the daughter, while in Vangelis' case, the daughter imprisoned the father.
* He uses the hairpiece of Doc Brown from *LEGO Dimensions*, also used on Bob the Intern and Engelbert.
* In the Polish dub of the season, Vangelis was voiced by Mikołaj Klimek, an actor who passed away July 12, 2020. The dub was released posthumously on October 10, 2020.
	+ Mikołaj Klimek also voiced Soul Archer.
	+ Mikołaj Klimek was replaced by Jacek Kopczyński in *Crystalized*, the same situation happened with Netflix's *Carmen Sandiego* character Gunnar Maelstrom, whose also Polish VA was Mikołaj Klimek and was replaced by Jacek Kopczyński.
	+ This was also the case in the French dub where his voice actor: Erwin Grünspan also died on December 29, 2021, he was replaced by Jean-François Rossion for Crystalized who had already voiced Daddy No Legs, Okino, and Hailmar.

## Trivia

* He is the eighth known king in *Ninjago*, the first eight being Pythor, Skales, Khanjikhan, Nadakhan (in an alternate timeline), Mambo V, Grimfax, and Atta the Ratta.
* He is the third main villain to have a child who is a protagonist. The first was Garmadon with Lloyd and the second was Chen with Skylor.
	+ However, Vangelis is the first main villain to have a child who was a protagonist from the beginning, as Lloyd and Skylor were originally antagonists.
* He is the sixth major villain to have an identity hidden from the ninja. The first was Pythor, who was the stranger who helped the Overlord; the second was Krux, who was as Dr. Saunders; the third was Harumi, who was the Quiet One; the fourth was Zane, who was the Ice Emperor; and the fifth was Unagami, who was *Prime Empire* itself, rather than Milton Dyer as the ninja initially thought.
* He is the fourth villain to have a dragon. The first three being the Overlord with the Nindroid MechDragon, Morro with Morro's dragon, the Ice Emperor with Boreal, and Unagami with the Empire Dragon.
* He is one of the five main antagonists that doesn't appear in the first episode of their season, the others being Pythor, the Preeminent, Kalmaar, and the Crystal King.
* He is the fourth villain, after Yang, Iron Baron, and Vex, not to pose a direct threat to Ninjago City, as this he was the main antagonist of a season that didn't feature Ninjago City.
* He is one of the six known villains that had no intentions to take over Ninjago, as his main goal was to keep the Kingdom of Shintaro.
	+ The other five being Yang, Iron Baron, Vex, Unagami, and Ronin.
* Vangelis is also similar to Kalmaar:
	+ They served as the evil member of their families.
		- Both families also have a good member (Vania and Benthomaar), who helped the ninja and learn the truth of the evil family member.
	+ They brought back a creature that was known for terrorizing people: Vangelis brought back Grief-Bringer while Kalmaar brought back Wojira.
	+ They tricked their own guards by telling tell them that the ninja were the enemies: Vangelis tricked the Army of Shintaro while Kalmaar tricked the Maaray Guards.
	+ They both also have backstory about working together with some of the ninja's allies (Vangelis with the Upply and Kalmaar with Benthomaar) to find something important (the Skull of Hazza D'ur and the Temple of Wojira), but later betray them after they found it.
		- However, unlike Kalmaar, Vangelis first intended to destroy the skull to keep Shintaro safe, but later changed his mind.
	+ They seek glory for their kind, despite lying to them: Vangelis lied to the Sky Folk while Kalmaar lied to the Merlopians.

## References

1. ↑ "Dungeon Party!"
2. ↑ "The Upply Strike Back!"
3. ↑ "The Skull Sorcerer"
4. ↑ https://youtu.be/uwvezZyxItw?t=3733
5. ↑ Skull of Hazza D'ur#Using His Head
6. ↑ File:The Dungeons of Shintaro.jpg
7. ↑ *Jailbreak!*
8. ↑ https://www.lego.com/en-us/kids/campaigns/dojo
9. ↑ *Water Dragon!*
10. ↑ https://www.lego.com/en-us/kids/characters/ninjago/king-vangelis-47aead43fb784eed8d7b5c686d155a44
11. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv50SXrjeOc