Season 10: March of the Oni

*“Endings will always come, whether we want them to or not. They are inevitable. All we can do is fight to make them good ones.”*
— Wu in the March of the Oni trailer

## *Season 10: March of the Oni*

### Season

10

The **tenth season** of *Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu*, subtitled **March of the Oni**, was preceded by Season 9 and Tales from the Monastery of Spinjitzu and succeeded by Season 11 and is the third part of the Oni Trilogy, continuing and concluding the story arc that began in Season 8. Cole is the intro character, but there is no mascot character, nor is there a focus character. The Omega serves as the main antagonist and the Oni serve as the season's villainous faction.

Bragi Schut, who previously worked on both Sons of Garmadon and Hunted, is the lead writer. The Hageman Brothers were involved with the creation of the story but were not the scriptwriters. Being only four episodes, the season has also alternatively been edited into a feature-length TV film, spanning 88 minutes (one hour and 28 minutes).

The first teaser was released on December 16, 2018. The first trailer was released on YouTube on January 4, 2019. It was made available on the US Cartoon Network app and On-Demand on April 12, 2019. The season premiered as a film in the United States on April 19, 2019. This season, along with Seasons 11, 12, and 13 became available on Netflix in the US starting November 1, 2020.

## Official descriptions

Teaser: *Bringers of doom, darkness, and destruction descend upon NINJAGO, and all hope seems lost. The ninjas must fight off the Oni invasion – but how can they defeat this destructive power and protect the NINJAGO legacy? There isn’t much time left - is this the end of NINJAGO, or will good defeat the powers of evil?*

Trailer: *The Oni are coming … As demonic darkness descends upon the realm of NINJAGO, the time has come for our heroes to rise again and protect the land that all Masters of Spinjitzu call home. It is a world filled with a rich history and legacy, and it is from here where our ninja heroes must unlock an even greater power to defeat the darkness that is marching towards them. What could these shapeshifting dark forces be, why do they want to destroy NINJAGO, and how can they be defeated?*

We Are Ninjago: *This is our history – and we’re going to fight for it! After years of training in the ancient arts to become Masters of Spinjitzu, after growing as both warriors and family, after protecting the realm from enemy after enemy, the ninja pitch an heroic last-ditch effort against the Bringers of Doom. They are fighting for the NINJAGO world and its rich history, and they are fighting for their legacy – and they will give it their everything. Why? Because they are Powerful. They are Family.*

## Cast

* Cole - Kirby Morrow
* Dareth - Alan Marriott
* Faith - Kathleen Barr
* First Spinjitzu Master - Jim Conrad
* Garmadon - Mark Oliver
* Jay - Michael Adamthwaite
* Kai - Vincent Tong
* Lloyd Garmadon - Sam Vincent
* Misako - Kathleen Barr
* Nya - Kelly Metzger
* P.I.X.A.L. - Jennifer Hayward
* The Omega - Zach LeBlanc
* Vinny - Gavin Langelo
* Wu - Paul Dobson
* Zane - Brent Miller

## Episodes

 2
 3
 4

## Sets

This remains the first and only season not to have a full set wave accompany it. 853866 NINJAGO Accessory Set 2019 was the only set made for this season, although it's a minifigure pack and not a full set. However, some elements of the first Legacy wave released in winter 2019 appeared in the show, specifically elements from 70669 Cole's Earth Driller and 70670 Monastery of Spinjitzu.

* 853866 NINJAGO Accessory Set 2019 (LEGO Store exclusive)

## Trivia

* Cole is the intro character of the season.
	+ As of this season, every ninja has appeared in the "Previously on Ninjago" opening shot of a season, though Nya only appeared in tandem with Kai in the Season 7 opening.
* Though Tommy Andreasen doesn't personally consider March of the Oni a season, it is officially recognized as Season 10.
* This is the last season:
	+ To have the "Masters of Spinjitzu" tagline. Future seasons are simply titled *Ninjago*.
	+ To have episodes that are 22 minutes in length.
	+ To be animated and produced by WILFilm ApS.
	+ To use the traditional "Previously on Ninjago..." sequence.
	+ To feature Jay with dark brown hair and Cole with his eyes relaxed.
* Tommy Andreasen stated that this season serves as "a conclusion of a 24 episode arc." This meant that the loose ends left open at the end of "Green Destiny" would be concluded by the end of this season.
	+ This was confirmed to be true in the season finale when the Oni were defeated.
* This is the second season in a row to not have a focus character.
* When asked for spoilers, Tommy Andreasen ominously replied with, ". . . one ninja will fall. . . ." He also stated ". . . one ninja will make a fatal mistake. . . ." and ". . . one director will try to downplay just how much pain those dear ninja will have to endure. . . ."
	+ It was revealed that Cole literally falls down into the Oni cloud, which is confirmed in "The Fall."
	+ He also stated that "one ninja will hold the fate of Ninjago in his hands." This was revealed to be Kai in "Endings" as he reforged the Golden Weapons which allows the ninja to create the Tornado of Creation once again.
	+ It was stated that "one ninja must let go of his love." This was Zane as proven by both his poster, as well as having to leave behind P.I.X.A.L. in "Into the Breach" in order to have someone stay behind and wait for Lloyd and Garmadon to return.
	+ The ninja that makes the fatal mistake is Nya, as in "The Fall," she accidentally steered the *Bounty* in reverse, causing Cole to fall off the ladder.
* The Monastery of Spinjitzu returns in this season, despite being burned down by the Hypnobrai in "Home" and again accidentally by Kai in "The Hands of Time." This is the first season since Rise of the Snakes in which it is fully restored.
	+ It was confirmed in the summary for *Fired Up!* that the Monastery was rebuilt by the ninja.
* As stated by Tommy Andreasen, this season's intro is very different than that of other seasons. It was revealed to be an animated sequence of the murals in the monastery.
* The season is dedicated to William "Scott" Godon-Decoteau, who was a driving force in the production of Skybound, "Day of the Departed," and The Hands of Time. He passed away in an accident on October 10, 2018.
* On November 16, 2018, Tommy Andreasen announced on his Twitter that the original four episodes announced at Comic-Con would be edited into a feature-length TV film, as well that production was nearly complete. They mentioned that it would "be the film fans of the TV canon deserve" and that it would be dedicated in memory of Godon-Decoteau's passing.
* Zane appears in his new titanium head print from the Sons of Garmadon and Hunted sets. His human cloak now has his LEGO Ninjago Movie/Snake Jaguar eyebrows.
* This is the first season since Rebooted not to have 10 episodes. It is also the shortest season of the series.
* This season marks the first time the Realm Crystal appears since "Misfortune Rising."
	+ The Realm Crystal is destroyed in this season, making it the second time to happen in the series. (Although the first time was in an erased timeline.)
* Nya has a new dress that resembles her original dress from the pilot episodes and the first two seasons, although it was only worn in "The Darkness Comes."
* Garmadon regains his powers in this season due to creating a small conflict with the ninja.
* The pack containing Oni villains was released as a LEGO Store exclusive on January 1. It is the only set for this season.
* Nya accepts Jay asking her to be his Yang in the season finale.
* The Tornado of Creation is performed for the first time since "Day of the Great Devourer." It is used to defeat the Oni.
* The Golden Weapons are reforged in their season, making this their first appearance as individual weapons since "Wrong Place, Wrong Time." They are reforged by Kai, who wears his original blacksmith from "Way of the Ninja" suit in the last episode of this season.
* The season's title most likely comes from an event in the season finale, where the Oni are literally marching towards the Monastery of Spinjitzu.
* This is the third season to not have Master Wu announce the episode title and to not have The Weekend Whip as the intro music. It is also the fourth season to not have the Serpentine since their debut.
	+ The Weekend Whip returns in Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu.
* Tommy Andreasen said that originally they did not intend to explain what happened with the Oni and bring them to Ninjago, but once they had the idea of this season, they put the clues in Hunted.
* Samukai, Kruncha, Nuckal, the Great Devourer, the Overlord, (in both his Dragon and Golden Master forms), Kozu, the Stone Army, the Nindroids, Chen (In his Anacondrai form), the Anacondrai Cultists, the Anacondrai generals, the Ghost Warriors, Morro (Possessing Lloyd), The Preeminent, Clouse (As a human), Nadakhan, Acronix, Krux, the Iron Doom, the Time Blades, Harumi, the Oni Mask of Hatred, the Colossus and Iron Baron, all appear in the season's intro.
* According to Tommy Andreasen, Chima would have been in this season, but it did not make the final cut.
	+ The production team planned "A shot of Chima under attack..."
* Cyrus Borg has a new hairstyle in this season, in addition to having slightly smaller glasses.
* This is the first season to have a set of animated gifs released alongside it, a precedent that would remain for the following seasons.
* The movie version of the season orders some scenes differently to make Cole's survival more surprising, and "Faith’s story also sits differently, there is a new title and credit sequence and some new music by Kramer and Vincent ... and other small trims."
* This is the only season not to introduce or largely expand on a notable location.
* An original idea for the ending had Garmadon flying away on Firstbourne with the four Golden Weapons to create a new realm as the First Spinjitzu Master had done.
* Tommy Andreasen stated that this was nearly a "satisfying exit" for him, and his mindset going into the story's creation was how he would, "like seeing the character end up if this was their last adventure".
* Bragi Schut does not wish to revisit the Omega's character, but he wishes the crew had had more time, such as 10 episodes instead of 4, to tell his story in this season.
* When asked if this season was intended to be the end of the show, Tommy Andreasen replied "I intended it to be an ending of sorts. A good exit point for people that felt like the series had run it’s course."

## Focus characters

### Protagonists

* There is no true focus character in this season.
* Garmadon plays a vital role in this season.
	+ He is focused on in Episodes 96, 97 and 98.
		- In Episode 96, he forces himself to go into Ninjago City to retrieve the Realm Crystal, to which Lloyd accompanies him. Their mission was the primary focus of the episode.
		- In Episode 97, he struggles with his emotions and contemplates the meaning of life after Cole's fall.
		- He battles the Omega in Episode 98 and showcases his true Oni form. His development builds up to him helping the ninja form the Tornado of Creation and defeating the Oni, and afterwards leaves his family, but not before giving him a final glance at his brother.
* Kai plays an important role in this season.
	+ He is focused on in Episodes 97 and 98.
		- He helps Jay propose to Nya in Episode 95, but was not the focus character.
		- In Episode 97, his sadness and reaction towards Cole's fall when he tried to turn the ship around is shown. Afterwards, he comforts Nya when Cole fell and the conversation between him and Nya when she reminds him that only he can melt and reforge the golden weapons and the fate of Ninjago is in his hands is a vital part of the season.
		- In Episode 98, his fire is the only thing that could melt and reforge the Golden Weapons which ultimately allows the ninja to create the Tornado of Creation which is crucial to defeating the Oni, since the tornado can only be used with the presence of the Golden Weapons [1].
* Cole also plays an important role in this season. He narrates the intro and reads the episode titles.
	+ He is focused on in Episodes 97 and 98.
		- In Episode 97, he accidentally fell of the bounty into the Oni clouds of Ninjago City. His fall impacted the other ninja, caused Nya to blame herself, and motivated Garmadon to learn there was more to life than survival, causing him to ultimately join the ninjas' Tornado of Creation.
		- In Episode 98, Cole recovered from his fall where he attempted to escape from the depths of the city. He ultimately managed to use his Earth Driller to leave the city and return to the Monastery in time to help the ninja battle the Oni.
* Lloyd plays a large role in this season. His adventures with Garmadon in the darkness are key to the story, as well as their fight with Omega.
	+ He is focused on in Episodes 96 and 97.
		- In Episode 96, he offers to join Garmadon in retrieving the realm crystal located in Ninjago City. This causes conflict between the two, however, they ultimately traverse through the city and find the crystal but encounter the Omega for the first time.
		- He and Garmadon attempt to escape the Oni in Episode 97 and are ultimately saved by P.I.X.A.L. Afterwards, he confronts Garmadon after Cole's fall and storms off.
		- In addition, he also meets his grandfather in Episode 98.
* The other ninja play somewhat significant roles throughout the story.
* Jay struggles to ask Nya to be his Yang throughout the course of the season. She later agrees to it in Episode 98.
* Nya's struggle with her emotions after being responsible for Cole's fall is featured throughout Episode 97, but she was not the focus character..
* P.I.X.A.L. plays a smaller role. Her struggle to venture into the darkness to rescue Lloyd and Garmadon in time is emphasized throughout Episode 97.
* Zane plays a small role in this season, having less to do than the other five ninja. He was forced to let go of P.I.X.A.L. in Episode 97 to help save the people of NGTV News.
* Wu has a smaller role in this season. He helps the ninja battle the Oni and to perform the Tornado of Creation in Episode 98.
* Misako had a cameo in Episode 95 and had an appearance in Episode 98 helping protect the people and monks.
* Dareth appears in Episodes 95 and 98.
* Cyrus Borg appears in Episodes 95, 96, and 98, and additionally marks his first appearance since Season 7.
* Skylor, Ronin, and Karlof make cameos in Episode 98.
* Faith makes a cameo in Episode 95 and returns in Episode 98 to help the ninja.

### Antagonists

* The Omega is the main antagonist of this season.
* The Oni are the villainous faction of this season.

## Videos

LEGO Ninjago Panel- Exclusive Season 9 Q&A with Fans - SDCC 2018Comic-Con video featuring the sneak peek.Official Season 10 Teaser - LEGO NINJAGO - Darkness Descends Upon NINJAGOSeason 10 Teaser TrailerOfficial Season 10 Trailer - LEGO NINJAGO - March of the OniWe Are Ninjago! – LEGO NINJAGO – History VideoNinjago Season 10 - March of the Oni - Full Official Trailer
## Gallery

### Promotional media

Textless posterTommy Andreasen announces the season will be a film.Tommy Andreasen's concept art of the ninja in action poses, released on International Ninja Day 2018.

### Gifs

Wu reading a book and performing Creation SpinjitzuLloyd performing Energy SpinjitzuCole performing Earth SpinjitzuKai performing Fire SpinjitzuJay performing Lightning SpinjitzuNya performing Water SpinjitzuZane performing Ice Spinjitzu
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtlLYV6DoQE
2. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1373311023541813249
3. ↑ https://twitter.com/bragischutjr/status/1074493358360293376
4. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1021274712960192513
5. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1063491911527350273
6. ↑ https://twitter.com/Tommy\_kalmar/status/1073668007417778176
7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtlLYV6DoQE
8. ↑ http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20190325cartoon51/
9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk9aQ2orSOU
10. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY9VKJPyHd4
11. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1021275233846636545
12. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1021533933664722949
13. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1052596821338537984
14. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1053328649171152896
15. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1053375072566677504
16. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1056223408181207040
17. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1057692415019106304
18. ↑ https://www.amazon.fr/dp/1338335367
19. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1023911951695532032
20. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1050726119538876416
21. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1063491911527350273
22. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1141313884046974976
23. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1302875780469395456
24. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1372908564482756608?s=20
25. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1119507679511293953
26. ↑ https://youtu.be/S3FqrPHYUmc?t=3816
27. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1392157349348093952
28. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1525462445006921729
29. ↑ https://twitter.com/bragischutjr/status/1408244372328488966
30. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1564333823374008324
31. ↑ https://twitter.com/bragischutjr/status/1074493358360293376