Season 5: Marks of Possession

Official poster

The **fifth season** of LEGO Ninjago & My Little Pony: Masters of Friendship, subtitled **Marks of Possession**, was preceded by The Princess of Friendship and succeeded by The Changing Effect. Nya was the focus Ninja whereas Sunset Shimmer is the main focus, Morro, Starlight Glimmer, Principal Cinch and Midnight Sparkle served as the main antagonists, and the Ghost Warriors and Crystal Prep Students were the villainous factions of the season. Lloyd and Twilight Sparkle (as Sci-Twi) were the mascot characters of this season. The season is based on *Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu* Season 5, subtitled *Possession*, and *My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic* season five, along with a twisted plot for *My Little Pony: Equestria Girls - Friendship Games*.

## Synopsis

With the new Castle of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle and her friends can discover around Equestria for Friendship missions. In preparation for the Helping Hooves Music Festival, Twilight guides their way to discover more friendships it can be. However, in the human world, Sci-Twi, a student in Crystal Prep Academy makes her own pendant and absorbs all powers from the Elements of Harmony. A grieving Lloyd is possessed by the ghost of Morro – the Master of Wind and Wu’s first student. In Lloyd’s body, Morro renders the other Ninja powerless before stealing Wu’s staff. It contains three hidden symbols, the path to finding the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master. Wu knows that if Morro finds the tomb, he will claim the Realm Crystal. Aside from this, one of Celestia’s students, Starlight Glimmer, plans to steal all the cutie marks, so that everyone is equal, and travel back in time to stop the Sonic Rainboom! This relic has the power to open the fabric between realms, enabling the powerful Preeminent to enter the Ninjago world.

## Story

Following the defeat of Lord Tirek, the crystalline tree-castle is created from the mysterious chest that sprouted at the base of the Tree of Harmony in Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2. The chest is launched from the tree to a site on one side of Ponyville where, in a matter of seconds, the tree grows into its full size. The castle reacts to the Mane Six's cutie marks, and a crystal platform rises from the center of the throne room and creates a three-dimensional interactive map of Equestria. The map calls the Mane Six to a remote village to solve a friendship problem.

Lloyd is faced with the loss of his father and depression, after Garmadon sacrifices himself to save Ninjago and Equestria. However, the Mane Six encounter Starlight Glimmer, one of Celestia’s students and the founder of the Odd Smile Village, went to steal all their cutie marks in the Equestria, so that everypony is equal. But, when Lloyd is possessed by Morro, former student of Master Wu and the Elemental Master of Wind, the Ninja must stop him from finding the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master and cursing the Sixteen Realms by releasing his master, the Preeminent, while learning a new fighting style, Airjitzu, along the way.

In the human world, Sunset Shimmer encounters Twilight Sparkle (as Sci-Twi). She saw that she has a pendent to absorb all the Equestrian magic they found. Once she gets all of her magic in order to win Friendship Games, she transforms into a Oni-like demon named Midnight Sparkle, and teams up with the Preeminent to destroy both Ninjago and Equestria.

The Ninja become stronger as they find new friends, face their fears, and find secrets that have been hidden. The Ninja face many new adventures as Lloyd is possessed. They uncover the three secrets of Airjitzu, retrieve the Sword of Sanctuary, and locate the First Spinjitzu's Master's tomb. Even for the Cutie Mark Crusaders, they persuade to help the fillies to earn cutie marks, until they finally reach their destiny, having their own cutie marks.

Sensei Wu reveals that Nya can have the control over the element of Water as her mother did. She joins the Ninja and the Mane Six and unlocks her True Potential to save Ninjago and Equestria from being destroyed by the Preeminent.

## Episodes

1 & 2. Cutie Markless

**Part 1**: Twilight and her friends unlock a magical map in her new castle, which leads them to a rather mysterious village where the inhabitants have given up their cutie marks. Meanwhile, Morro possessed Lloyd to defeat the Ninja.

**Part 2**: The Mane Six attempt to retrieve everyone's cutie marks as well as their own. In the process, they discover a startling secret about the pony who took them away. The Ninja were on a journey to find the first scroll of Airjitzu. In the human world, Sci-Twi mentions what more is out there in Crystal Prep.

* **Songs**
	+ In Our Town by Starlight Glimmer and Villagers
	+ My Past is Not Today by Twilight Sparkle (Sci-Twi)

3. Stiix Sweet Stiix

The Ninja travel to the Village of Stiix to find the thief who stole the scroll of Airjitzu, but the self-serving Ronin isn't keen to sell it cheaply so the Ninja must figure out a way to make money on the docks - and when they fail to make enough cash, the Ninja decide to steal it - but have a run in with Morro and Soul Archer. Twilight's friends try to make it feel more like home, after finding out she's been avoiding her castle.

* **Song**: Make This Castle a Home by the Mane Six

4. Castle Mane-ia

As the mysterious presence follows Twilight Sparkle and her friends in Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's old castle, The Ninja hear of another way to learn Airjitzu - from the ghost of Sensei Yang at his haunted temple - but there's a warning; if you are trapped in it by sunrise, you will become a ghost, too. Meanwhile, doubting she's a Water Ninja, Nya quits her training to take Ronin to her Samurai X cave...but has a run in with Morro.

5. Princess Spike

Things go haywire when Spike starts making decisions under Princess Twilight's name.

* **Song**: What More is Out There by Twilight Sparkle (Sci-Twi)

6. Make New Friends But Keep Discord

When Discord learns that Fluttershy is taking a new friend to the Grand Galloping Gala instead of him, he goes to extreme lengths to prove that he isn't jealous.

7. Amending Fences

Twilight Sparkle returns to Canterlot with Spike to rekindle old friendships from before her move to Ponyville.

* **Song**: A Friend for Life by Twilight Sparkle

8. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?

Princess Luna enlists the Ninja and Mane Six to hunt down a magical force that turns dreams into nightmares.

9. Peak-a-Boo

Now that the Ninja know Airjitzu, they get briefed about how the next stage to finding the tomb is to get 'The Sword of Sanctuary' from Cloud Kingdom, which can only be reached from the top of the Wailing Alps. The Ninja go on the treacherous mission up the tallest peak in blizzard conditions using their mechs, but Cole struggles with his ghostly form. Back in Ponyville, Pinkie Pie finds out Princess Cadance and Shining Armor are going to have a baby, but she finds it a difficult secret to keep from her friends.

10. Slice of Life

While the Mane Six are busy battling a monster, the citizens of Ponyville try to get to a wedding on time. In Cloud Kingdom, a realm where destinies are written, the Ninja must get the Sword of Sanctuary, a powerful relic that can see past the traps surrounding the tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master - but tensions are high as Morro's escape from the Cursed Realm has put the future in chaos, and they won't give the Sword to the Ninja unless the Master Writer meets them personally.

11. Crusaders of the Lost Mark

Before preparing for the Helping Hooves Music Festival, the Cutie Mark Crusaders discover another side to Diamond Tiara when they help Pipsqueak run for class president against her. The Ninja now have all the items they need to get to the tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master but before they can figure out the last riddle that leads to the location of the tomb, Ronin steals the sword to give to Morro in exchange for his soul, and the Ninja and Nya are unable to stop him. However, Sci-Twi steals Sunset Shimmer's power, causing her to get angry.

* **Songs**
	+ We'll Make Our Mark (prelude) by the Cutie Mark Crusaders
	+ The Vote by Cutie Mark Crusaders, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon and other foals
	+ The Pony I Want to Be by Diamond Tiara
	+ Light of Your Cutie Mark by Cutie Mark Crusaders and Diamond Tiara
	+ The Pony I Want to Be (reprise) by Diamond Tiara
	+ We'll Make Our Mark by Cutie Mark Crusaders, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack and Diamond Tiara (deleted verse only)

12. Grave Danger

The Ninja are travelling on its way to the First Spinjitzu Master's tomb and pass three tests, in order to get the Realm Crystal. Meanwhile, an old friend of Applejack's, Coloratura, has become a huge pop star and Applejack fears that the singer's manager does not have her best interests at heart.

* **Songs**
	+ Equestria, the Land I Love by Countess Coloratura
	+ The Spectacle by Countess Coloratura
	+ The Magic Inside by Countess Coloratura
	+ Equestria, the Land I Love (reprise) by Countess Coloratura and the Cutie Mark Crusaders

13 & 14. Curseworld

**Part I**: Starlight Glimmer returns for revenge against the Mane Six and casts a spell that changes the course of Equestria's history, while the Crystal Prep classmates and Cinch forces Twilight to open the pendent. When Morro uses the Realm Crystal to open a portal to the Cursed Realm, ghosts take over the town - but the Ninja, in disguise, manage to get Lloyd to the center of the town and Lloyd steals the crystal...only to discover it's too late as the Preeminent arrives.

**Part II**: As the ghosts converge around and mobilize the Preeminent into a hulking giant behemoth, the Ninja use Airjitzu to fight the mobile beast in an attempt to slow it down — while, at the same time, Lloyd faces off with Moro, battling over the Realm Crystal; a fight that takes them in and out of different realms. Twilight Sparkle tries to stop Starlight Glimmer from changing history, but she fears her efforts may be in vain, as she turns into an Oni demon, Midnight Sparkle.

* **Songs**
	+ Unleash the Magic by Principal Cinch and the Crystal Prep students
	+ Friends Are Always There For You by Starlight Glimmer, the Mane Six and Ninja

## Trivia

* The collectible items featured in this season are the Aeroblades.
* This season, along with Season 4, aired in the same year. (Season 4 in the spring of 2015, and Season 5 in the summer of 2015). This marks the first time in the show that 2 seasons aired in the same year.
	+ The second is in 2018 with The Overlord Sons in spring and Hunted in Summer,
	+ The third is in 2019 with March of the Oni in spring and Rainbow Roadtrip in summer.
	+ In contradictions to this, this is the only year to not have a special along with two Seasons.
		- This is because Day of the Departed take place in a year later.
* This is the first season that aired in Latin America that in the USA. They only aired the first episode, Cutie Markless.
* This is the only season not to include any references to the Great Devourer. Through the series' run, the Devourer has always been mentioned in some capacity and has influenced many major events.
* This is the first season that features Airjitzu, as well as introducing Nya as the role of the Elemental Master of Water.
* This is the second season for a villain to be just a regular pony. Nightmare Moon was a dark alicorn with an ethereal mane, Discord was a draconequus, Queen Chrysalis was a changeling with the appearance of an insectoid alicorn, King Sombra was a demonic unicorn with a shadow form, and Lord Tirek was a centaur. The first is Sunset Shimmer in the third season. The third is Cozy Glow, as she becomes the main antagonist in Season 9: Hunted along with the Overlord and Iron Baron.
* This season has the highest kill count of any season to date. Chen, Morro, Garmadon, the Anacondrai Cultists, and the Ghost Warriors all die in Curseworld. Clouse and Cole additionally become ghosts in this season.
* The arc of Garmadon's death was finished in this season. It started in Season 4, when Garmadon was banished, and concluded in Episode 81 when he died.
* This season introduces the character of Ronin, who would go on to be an anti-hero and ally to the Ninja in following seasons.
	+ Ronin's character arc throughout the season is similar to that of Han Solo's from *Star Wars*. Both begin as criminals who go on to help the main protagonists for a payment. Yet by the end of the story, they assist the heroes simply because it is the right thing to do and develop relationships with the heroes.
* This is the second season in a row in which the Ninja lose their Elemental Powers. After losing their powers to the Staff of Elements in Season 4, they lose their powers in this season due to Morro possessing Lloyd's body. This is because Lloyd shares the rest of his Golden Power in "Codename: Sunset Shimmer."
	+ The third time where the Ninja lose their Elemental Powers is in Hunted when Cozy Glow used artifacts to suck up all the magic and the Elemental Powers in order to send it away into another realm.
* The season finale is similar to the third season, where Sci-Twi turns into a demon.
	+ Her fate is unknown when Sunset Shimmer defeated her. She returns in "Day of the Departed" as Twilight's Nightmare and in "Hunted" as Twilight't fear illusion.
* The season had a very clear darker theme than previous seasons.
* The season reveals Kai has a fear of water, Jay has a fear of attics, Zane has a fear of Morro and Cole has a fear of becoming a ghost.
	+ In Season 11: Rainbow Roadtrip, Lloyd has his fear of the Overlord and Nya has her fear of being a normal citizen instead of the Ninja. Zane also have another fear, having no life.
* This is the first season to not have the Serpentine, since their debut in Season 1.
* This is the first time that the Ninja learn a martial art related to Spinjitzu, in this case, Airjitzu.
	+ The second time it will be in Season 11 with the Forbidden Spinjitzu.
* A popular fan speculation was that Grogar would be the villain in the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Season 5 premiere since Tirek was rebooted as the Season 4 finale antagonist. However, this was proven false, and the real antagonist in the Season 5 premiere is Starlight Glimmer. However he ultimately becomes the show's main antagonist for Season 10: March of the Oni, along with the Omega.
	+ One interesting note is that in the episode "A Flurry of Emotions" where he was mentioned in the book, Grogar's fate has not been revealed. It is possible that it is a foreshadow that Grogar and Gusty are actually real (similar to Daring Do and Ahuizotl) and can potentially appear.
* This is the first season to involve time travel. The second is Season 7: The Pillars of Time.

### Focus characters

* Nya was the focus Ninja throughout the season. How Nya became a Ninja and use her True Potential to save Ninjago became the main storyline in this season.
	+ Nya had two focus episodes, which are episodes 78 and 81.
* Sunset Shimmer is a focus pony in this season. Her focus episodes were episode 74 and 81.
	+ Likewise, she is the first non-Mane Six to be her focus.
* Cole also had a great role in this season. Cole had his own focus episode, episode 71.
	+ In episode 72, how Cole adapts his form as a ghost is the focus.
	+ Cole was transformed to a ghost in "Castle Mane-ia," and remained a ghost throughout all of Season 6 and majority of "Day of the Departed."
* Lloyd had a relatively minor role in episodes 69-81, as he only made a few cameo appearances.
	+ However, he had a great role in the seasonal finale (episode 81), when Lloyd met his father, Sensei Garmadon for one last time and the battle between Lloyd and Morro in various realms.
	+ Lloyd's relationship with Morro, as Morro wanted the power that Lloyd had, and Lloyd dealing with the loss of his father gave him a much larger role in the beginning and end of the season.
* Twilight Sparkle makes a major role in a season, as a new Princess of Friendship. She also guides Starlight Glimmer to make new friends in the season finale.
* The Cutie Mark Crusaders make a biggest role in episode 78, as they have owned their Cutie marks for the first time.
* Wu had a more major role compared with seasons 1-4. His backstory with Morro is vital to the story of season 5.
* Kai also has a larger role in this season than Jay and Zane. The relationship between Kai and Lloyd was a key factor of the story as well.
* Pinkie Pie has her own focus in episode 72, when she kept her secret about the royal announcement later on.
* Jay and Zane's role this season was minor compared to the other Ninja.
* Applejack makes a minor role, as she learns about her old friend, Coloratura in Episode 79.
* P.I.X.A.L. made a few appearances, behind Zane, in episodes 68, 70, 72, and 81.
* Skylor made a brief appearance in episode 80.
* Sensei Garmadon made a brief appearance in episode 81. This was his last appearance as his human form, and his last appearance in the present until The Beginning of the End: Into the Breach.
* Misako had a bigger role than previous seasons, first helping Wu with the tea farm, then decoding the staff's clues and helping Nya train.
	+ This is the only season so far to feature Misako in every episode.
* This season featured the team only consisting of the original ninja, Kai, Jay, Zane, and Cole, which hasn't been seen since Snakes and Galloping Galas.
	+ The next time the team only consisting of the original ninja is Season 9: Hunted, where they got stranded in the Realm of Oni and Dragons, along with Wu and the alicorn princesses.

### Antagonists

* Starlight Glimmer, Principal Cinch, Morro and Midnight Sparkle served as the main antagonists.
* The Soul Archer served as the secondary antagonist.
* [[The Preeminent served as the overarching antagonist.
* Other important antagonists include the four masters in Ghost Warriors and the Tantabus.
* The Preeminent is the second physically largest enemy the Ninja had battled since the Great Devourer in Season 1. The third physically largest enemy is the Colossus in both Season 8 and Season 9 and the fourth is Fire Fang from Season 11.
* Morro's relationship with Wu and his motives are vital to the whole season. Morro was one of the main characters in the season.
	+ This is similar to how Sunset Shimmer reunites Princess Celestia in "Forgotten Friendship".
* Ronin was a thief and was not a friend of the Ninja, but he sided with them starting from the end of episode 78.
* The Ghost Warriors and Crystal Prep students were the villainous factions of the season.