Prime Empire

*“I am the game. I am Prime Empire. I can choose any form I wish. Do you really think this will stop me?”*

— Unagami, "The Temple of Madness"

## Prime Empire

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* Poster 4

## Title Card

***Prime Empire*** is the twelfth season and the fifteenth installment of the *LEGO Ninjago* series. It was originally released on July 19th, 2020. Jay is the focus character of this season, and Unagami is the main antagonist. The Red Visors serve as the villainous faction.

It is the second installment in the Book of Elements arc. This season encompasses the **Lightning Chapter**, and the villainous faction retellings are the Nindroids in the Red Visors. Jay is the focus character, as this season delves into his obsession with video games, and how he makes his way through the digital world of Prime Empire to save his friends. The collectible weapon for this season are the Key-Tanas.

In January 2020, six shorts that take place shortly before and during the twelfth season were released.

It is preceded by *Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu* and followed by *Master of the Mountain.*

## Plot Summary

The ninja face all new levels of threats in the three game worlds of Prime Empire! From Terra Karana, a beautiful, ancient realm, to Terra Technica, a futuristic world of speed racing, and finally Terra Domina, home of the terrifying Temple of Madness where the evil Unagami rules. Traps, pitfalls, vicious villains, epic dragons and helpful heroes await those who enter the game… Who can they trust? Super racing drivers Racer Seven, the Whack Rats, and Scott? Game programmer Milton Dyer? And watch out for Okino the Samurai, Sushimi, the mad sushi chef! Get a sneak peek at all the epic new ninja adventures.'

There is no room for error in the Speedway Five Billion race! Prime Empire drivers in the legendary race have the race cars, the skills, and the will to risk it all for the main prize. Only the winner takes home the Key-tana – the key to unlock the next game world in the Prime Empire game!

As the ninja approach the Key-tana in the game world Terra Karana, they come face to face with the terrifying Red Dragon, also known as the Cyber Dragon. There may be hope for the ninja if they can use the dragon to their advantage. But the wrath of the devastating Cyber Dragon pales against the gruesome powers of Unagami’s brutal Empire Dragon. Get ready for colossal clashes with these digital giants!

Ticking time bombs, giant, swinging sledgehammers, revolving ninja stars, and fierce, fanged sushi rolls? Anyone who tries to go near Unagami’s Temple of Madness must be… well, mad! But the ninja have no choice – they have to beat the game and defeat Unagami! How will they make it past all the threats and traps and escape the maki-roll-throwing, mad sushi chef, Sushimi?

## Characters

* Avatar Harumi - Britt McKillip
* Beta Jay 137 - Andrew Francis
* Bob the Intern - Colin Murdock
* Cole - Kirby Morrow
* Cyrus Borg - Lee Tockar
* Dareth - Alan Marriott
* Dee-Jay 81 - Paul Dobson
* Fugi-Dove - Adrian Petriw
* Jay - Michael Adamthwaite
* Jaybird 64 - Kelly Metzger
* Jaywalkin 238 - Bill Newton
* Kai - Vincent Tong
* Lloyd Garmadon - Sam Vincent
* Milton Dyer - Mark Hildreth
* Mrs. Dyer - Mary Black
* Noble - Paul Dobson
* Nya - Kelly Metzger
* Okino - Alessandro Juliani
* P.I.X.A.L. - Jennifer Hayward
* Police Commissioner - Michael Donovan
* Racer Seven - Shannon Chan-Kent
* Red Visors - Sam Vincent
* Scott - Adrian Petriw
* Shifty - Allesandro Juliani
* Soto - Alan Marriott
* Sushimi - Vincent Tong
* The Mechanic - Michael Antonakos
* Tony - Michael Daingerfield
* Ultra Violet - Sharon Alexander
* Unagami - Dean Redman, Zion Simpson
* Wu - Paul Dobson
* Zane - Brent Miller

## Battles

* Ninja vs. Mechanic
* Ninja vs. Dyer Island Security
* Ninja & League of Jay vs. Red Visors
* Ninja vs. Wack Rats
* Ninja & Okino vs. Red Visors (x2)
* Ninja vs. Red Dragon
* Nya & Jay vs. Dance competitors
* Ninja & Scott vs. Red Visors
* Ninja vs. Speedway Five-Billion Racers
* Lloyd vs. Avatar Harumi
* Zane & P.I.X.A.L. vs. Laughy's thugs
* Zane & P.I.X.A.L. vs. The Mechanic and his crew
* Wu vs. the Mechanic's crew
* P.I.X.A.L. vs. Mechanic & his crew
* Jay & Nya vs. Shushi chefs and living sushi
* Jay & Nya vs. Sushimi
* Jay vs. Unagami
* Jay vs. Empire Dragon

## Locations Visited

* Ninjago
	+ Ninjago City
		- Mechanic's Lair
		- Borg Tower
		- Mrs. Dyer's House
		- Laughy's
	+ Endless Sea
		- Dyer Island
	+ Prime Empire
		- Terra Karana
			* Forest of Discontent
			* Cliffs of Hysteria
			* Maze of the Red Dragon
		- Terra Technica
			* Speedway Five-Billion
			* Scott's Garage
		- Terra Domina
			* Temple of Madness
			* Infinity Maze

## Sets

The sets background is based on Prime Empire. Jay is the mascot character, and the Key-Tanas are the collectible items. Most of the sets are based on the ninja's new vehicles from this season.

This was the first set wave to feature Arcade Pods.

* 71706 Cole's Speeder Car
* **71707 Kai's Mech Jet**
* 71708 Gamer's Market
* 71709 Jay and Lloyd's Velocity Racers
* 71710 Ninja Tuner Car
* 71711 Jay's Cyber Dragon
* 71712 Empire Temple of Madness
* 71713 Empire Dragon

### Arcade Pods

* 71714 Kai Avatar - Arcade Pod
* 71715 Jay Avatar - Arcade Pod
* 71716 Lloyd Avatar - Arcade Pod

#### *Ninjago: Legacy 2* sets

These sets were released during the same wave as the *Prime Empire* sets, and as such, most of the models are featured in the season.

* 71699 Thunder Raider
* 71700 Jungle Raider
* 71701 Kai's Fire Dragon
* 71702 Golden Mech

## Notes

* Although refered to as Season 12 by fans and several creators, this is not the official term for the season as LEGO no longer refers to the season number when advertising seasons after Season 10, referring to them mainly by their respective subtitles. It is technically **Season 2** of the new series.
* The title cards in this season resemble traditional title screens of retro styled video games. The episode title is written in the center in an 8-bit type with a scene from the episode being depicted in the background.
* Zane doesn't have a Digi suit in any of the known sets so far. His Digi suit was seen in a poster lift out from an issue of Ninjago Magazine and a trading card.
* According to Tommy Andreasen, this season was inspired by the Polybius urban legend.
	+ It was also inspired by *Blade Runner* and the 2010 sequel of *Tron*, *Tron: Legacy*.
	+ Other games that inspired the season were *Street Fighter II*, *Dance Dance Revolution*, *The Legend of Zelda*, *Super Mario Bros.*, *Contra*, and *WipeOut*.
* With this season having only 16 episodes (equal to eight 22-minute episodes), it is as long as Season 3 and Season 13 and tied with them as the second shortest seasons after Season 10.
* According to Bragi Schut, there was a small nod to a future *Ninjago* installment at some point near the end of the season, similar to how Milton Dyer was referenced at the end of the Ice Chapter in Season 11.
	+ It's possible that this refers to the ogre mentions in "Would You Like to Enter Prime Empire?" and "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back," foreshadowing the role of the Munce, an ogre-like species.
* According to Tommy Andreasen in the chat of a stream hosted by Joshua Deck on YouTube, there was an unproduced episode: "After the Speedway Five Billion, the Keytana was [stolen] by the rats. The ninja recruited the League and had to enter the highly glitchy sewers and face Atta the Ratta. The rat king was an unfinished mess that could only be remedied by the Keytana... The Rats weren't so bad after all."
* Kai regains the bottom half of his scar in "I am Okino," after missing it since animation switched from WILFilm ApS to WildBrain in 2019.
* According to Andreasen, there was a scrapped concept including Jay's mother being trapped in *Prime Empire* and Jay's Elemental Powers being crucial to her survival.
* This season has a total of 6 spin-off episodes dedicated to it.
* Amount of times a different character reads a title card:
	+ **Jay**: 6
	+ **Okino**: 2
	+ **Unagami**: 1
	+ **Kai**: 1
	+ **Cole**: 1
	+ **Nya**: 1
	+ **Lloyd**: 1
	+ **Racer Seven**: 1
	+ **Zane**: 1
	+ **P.I.X.A.L.**: 1

## Continuity

* This is the first season to feature Airjitzu since Season 7, although this season's Airjitzu is not real or physical, but rather a power-up in the game. This explains why it's able to be used now, when it is seemingly forgotten otherwise, because it is digital it does not rely on Edo magic.
* Cole uses the dance move Triple Tiger Sashay in this season during a dance off. He was taught this move by his father when he was growing up and performed it during the talent show in "*The Royal Blacksmiths"*
* The password to enter Superstar Rockin' Jay's hideout is "Mr. Cuddlywump," which is the name of Jay's stuffed teddy bear, that is first mentioned in *The Hands of Time*.
* Certain Wack Rats have the Sons of Garmadon insignia crossed out on their back. This likely doesn't mean much, just to show that they are wearing their old outfits.
* The Teapot of Tyrahn makes its reappearance in this season, after having been coughed up by Beohernie Clutch Powers is seen holding it in the intro to the first episode and disappearing in a puff of orange smoke afterward.
* The location Buddy's Pizza in Ninjago City makes a return for the first time since the Season 2 episode, "*Child's Play*."
* Kai's Avatar design is reminiscent of his Red Shogun outfit from the first episode of Season 4.
	+ Similarly, Superstar Rockin' Jay's design seems to be inspired by the flashy outfit that Jay wears as a TV show host in that same episode.
	+ Zane's Avatar outfit, while it doesn't appear in the show, is a reference to his pink ninja gi that is seen in the Season 1 episode, "*Can of Worms*."
	+ Similarly, Cole's avatar outfit also doesn't appear in the show, but it is a reference to Rocky Dangerbuff's design from Season 8.
* At the end of the season, Unagami in child form, Okino, and Racer Seven all enter Ninjago and begin to live there.
* When Cole begins to fall down the Cliffs of Hysteria he says, "Oh no not again!" this is a reference to "*The Fall,*" when he literally fell down and was presumed dead. This becomes a recurring joke in the series where Cole falls at some point.
* The Mechanic returns in this season, after somehow breaking out of Kryptarium Prison between seasons.
	+ He drives a Mr. Chen Noodles truck as a getaway car.
* It is revealed that Milton Dyer was developing several sequels to some video games that have been mentioned in the series before like *Fist to Face 4* and *Ukelele Legend*.
* Lloyd faces off against a digitally recreated memory of Harumi in "*Stop, Drop and Side Scroll*." He reminisces on their time together and thinks she can be trusted but is ultimately defeated by her. This shows that he still has feelings for her and is traumatized by what she put him through.
* In "*The Prodigal Father*," Zane is referred to by the Mechanic as "the Titanium Ninja," a term he has not been referred to very many times since *Possession*.
* In the final battle with the Empire Dragon, Jay connects with Unagami by telling him that he too was abandoned by his parents, referring to how his father Cliff Gordon left him at Ed & Edna's doorstep, and how his mother mysteriously vanished.
* Several Kryptarium inmates are broken out of jail this season, including the likes of Captain Soto and Ultra Violet. As of now, Soto's fate remains unknown, and it is revealed in the *Garmadon* comic series that Ultra Violet works under a new master, Master Mogra.

## Gallery

Book preluding the announcementPrime Empire END