Darkness

*You may be looking for Destruction, a similar elemental essence; Shadow, another element; or the Oni darkness cloud.*
**Darkness** (sometimes referred to as **Shadow**) is an elemental essence in Ninjago and Equestria. It is the second most powerful element in the two realms, generally associated with the color dark purple, the opposite of Golden Power.

## Depictions in the Series

### Pilot Episodes

#### Friendship is Magic

Lord Garmadon revealed that he sought the Golden Weapons not to conquer Ninjago and Equestria, but to escape the Underworld and find a means to control the combined power of the four weapons. When Samukai was overwhelmed by the weapons' power and transformed into a portal, Garmadon used it to travel to a dimension where Darkness had overcome the Light.

### The Friendship Continues

#### The Stone Army

Misako explained that Darkness came about as a natural counterbalance to Light, and the Overlord was its main manifestation. When the First Spinjitzu Master separated Ninjago into two halves, most of the Darkness (including the Overlord) were trapped on what would come to be known as the Island of Darkness.

### The Dark Island Trilogy

Clouse attempted to use the Dark Matter and Darkness to reunite Ninjago into a single landmass that he would control.

## Users' Abilities

* **Umbrakinesis** - It grants the user to manipulate, control, and shape Darkness (also Shadow).
	+ **Umbrakinetic Flight** - It allows the user their elemental power to propel themselves up. As seen in "Return of the Overlord," the Overlord used this ability to combat against Lloyd by using it as a advantage to quickly head back into the battle.
	+ **Darkness Materialization:** The Overlord was able to create his own Stone Army.
	+ **Absolute Darkness** - It allows the user to create a field of absolute impenetrable darkness. As seen in "Rise of the Spinjitzu Master," the Overlord (in dragon form) trapped his enemies inside the sphere of darkness.
	+ **Darkness Tentacles** - Allows the user to create tentacles of darkness. In the episode Rise of the Spinjitzu Master, the Overlord creates the tentacles to collect energy so he and the Stone Army invade Ninjago and Equestria.
	+ **Darkness Breath** - Allows the user to breath darkness and shadow commonly to attack or corrupt people.
		- **Corruption Inducement** - Gives the user the ability to corrupt people and their environment (as displayed by the Garmatron and the Overlord's dark breath attack). Symptoms of corruption include destruction of morality, glowing purple eyes, and sickly pale grey skin.
	+ **Dark Beam Emission** - Allows the user to project beams of darkness, usually to attack an adversary.
		- **Shadow Ball Projection** - The user can generate balls of darkness, commonly to trap or attack an adversary.
	+ **Hakai-Ergokinesis** - This ability gives the user the power to manipulate destructive energy (like in "True Potential," when the Overlord uses energy blasts to attack Lloyd).
		- **Destructive Energy Ball Projection** - The user can shoot balls of purple destructive energy (demonstrated in the episode "True Potential").
		- **Destructive Shield Generation** - As demonstrated by the Overlord, in "True Potential," it allows the user to use their destructive powers as a shield against enemy attacks, whereas the Overlord used this move to block Lloyd's Energy Blasts. In "School Raze: Magic Destiny," this power was used to resist against a massive amount of molten Metal generated by Firstbourne.
	+ **Destructive Blast** - As demonstrated by the Overlord in "School Raze" this power can be used to generate a massive explosion of pure destructive energy. This power was even strong enough to blast the Firstbourne, Lloyd, and Wu off of Borg Tower.
	+ **Destructive Summoning/Controlling** - As demonstrated by the Overlord in "The Glided Path," he was able to channel his Darkness Powers in the form of a weak destructive blast to summon and control his dark Creation, "Colossus."
	+ **Dark Strength Enhancement** - As demonstrated by the Colossus, it allows the user to enhance their strength with the element of Destruction. The Overlord also used this move to enhance his own strength.
	+ **Telekinetic Choking** - It allows the user to tear and choke objects and people apart on certain distances, just like the Overlord tearing apart Mr. E.
	+ **Elemental creation** - In "School Raze," the Overlord used this power to create four glowing purple swords.
* **Combat Empowerment** - As demonstrated by the Overlord, he gained power from fighting against his enemies and said, "it's the fight that fuels me."  His powers were enhanced as long as there was a fight going on between him and his opponent, but if the opponent resists, his powers start to weaken. After he lost his powers, he used this very same technique to regain his powers after sparring with the Ninja on their ship.
* **Telekinesis** - Allows the user to control, move, and manipulate objects by using telekinesis.
* **Invulnerability (Magma Armor)** - Turns the user's entire body into invulnerable stone and lava.
* **Multiple Arms/Enhanced Swordsmanship/Power Reflection** - Turns the user into a master swordsman with two additional arms and gives them the ability to absorb and deflect other people's powers. It also allows the user to react to attacks and send them at opponents at lightning-fast speeds.
* **Resurrection** - When all three Oni Masks are united a user can perform an ancient Oni ritual to bring back the Overlord back to the living world. To complete this ritual, it requires the three Oni Masks and a hair from each living the five Ninja and the four Alicorns. Harumi and the Sons of the Overlord performed this ritual to bring back the Overlord from the Shadow Realm to Ninjago.

## Notable Users

* The Overlord
* Kaguya

### Helmet of Shadows

* Garmadon (formerly)
* Dareth (formerly)

### Tools/Objects

* Helmet of Shadows
* Dark Matter
* Garmatron (destroyed)

## Locations

* Realm of Madness
* The Dark Island

## Appearances

### *LEGO Ninjago & My Little Pony: Masters of Friendship*

#### Season 2: The Friendship Continues

* 28. "The Stone Army"
* 34. "Return of the Overlord"
* 35. "Rise of the Spinjitzu Master"

#### Season 8: The Overlord Sons

* 125. "Dread on Arrival"
* 126. "True Potential"
* 127. "Big Trouble, Little Ninjago and Equestria"

#### Season 9: Hunted

* 129. "Iron & Stone"
* 130. "Radio Free Ninjago and Equestria" (recording)
* 131. "How to Build a Dragon"
* 133. "The Glided Path"
* 137. "Saving Faith"
* 139. "School Raze: Magic Destiny"

#### Season 10: March of the Oni

* 141. "The Beginning of the End: Into the Breach"
* 156. "The Summer Sun Setback"
* 162. "The Big Mac Question"
* 163. "The Ending of the End: The Fall"
* 164. "The Ending of the End: Endings"

## Trivia

* This element may have some relation to the elements of Shadow and Destruction.
* It is nearly identical to Destruction.
* It also allows immortality to more people than just the Overlord, as Garmadon was able to survive the Overlord's first defeat, despite the latter's "actual" body being reduced to ashes in the process.
* In the episode "Saving Faith," Darkness proved to be too powerful for Skylor to wield. Though, this may be due to the fact that she was trying too hard to control the Colossus. Also, she was struggling against the Overlord to control it, and the Overlord is the master of it.
* Darkness is one of the most powerful elemental essences due to the fact that Skylor, who was one of the most powerful Elemental Masters, could not stand the power it took to use Darkness.
* The Overlord is said by Mistaké to hold "a destructive power [she] has never seen," meaning he may be more powerful than any Oni. This may be because the power the Overlord uses is combined with Creation and Destruction, as he is said to have the power to "create and destroy."
	+ However, this is contradicted by how the Overlord himself fears the Oni even with his full potential unlocked, seeing the need to unite Ninjago and Equestria to be able to potentially go to war with the Oni and win. This could mean that while his strength is at least greater than a single Oni, he would be overpowered if he faced all the Oni alone.
		- It was shown that the Overlord is indeed able to overpower other Oni easily but he was outclassed in terms of power by the leader of the Oni, the Omega, as well as being at a disadvantage against Mistaké.
			* His former arch-nemesis, the First Spinjitzu Master and wielder of the Golden Power, the true form of Creation, is more powerful than any Oni as even the Omega fear him and the presence of his power kept them from invading Ninjago and he is, therefore, more powerful than the Overlord, making the First Spinjitzu Master the most powerful user of Destruction currently known.
* The ability the Overlord showed with telekinetically choking other beings is very similar to the ability Darth Vader possesses. Darth Vader has choked several Generals working for him when they fail to carry out his bidding, just like how the Overlord killed Mr. E and tried to kill Harumi when they failed to capture Lloyd and stop the Resistance from broadcasting their message respectively.
* After the Overlord returned in Season 8, his elemental power now feeds off of creating conflict with others because when Lloyd was fighting the Overlord, it made him stronger.
	+ Additionally, refusing to engage in conflict weakens it because when Lloyd and the princessed used the Art of the Silent Fist against the Overlord, they dissipated until they stopped working.
	+ It seems when an elemental master uses Darkness, the person seems to lose any sense of giving up and loses their rationality and by extension, their sanity. However, these effects are apparently temporary.