My favorite thing about the Arin and Lloyd dynamic is how Lloyd feels like he's almost PROJECTING onto Arin. Part of Lloyd's character has been his trusting nature and idealism; with such high expectations constantly thrust onto him. Lloyd sees a bit of himself in Arin, at least his younger self, and without even intending to, thrust those same great expectations onto Arin that he dealt with when he was younger. If it worked for him, then surely it must work for Arin, right? Note that he doesn't say these same things to Sora, even if Sora DOES become the “star student” in season two. Lloyd had his naivety practically beaten out of him with a metaphorical bat - I think part of him, whether or not he realizes it, doesn't want Arin to lose HIS innocence like he lost his own.
There is a small part in this season where Lloyd is worried about Wyldfyre putting too much pressure on herself , then Nya responds saying that he also puts much pressure on himself. It's a small part that not only shows how Nya knows Lloyd, but also that shows that Lloyd still has his own issues( and that the writers acknowledge the expectations that Lloyd had to go through)
I needed that analysis, Anime Jewel. I relate to Lloyd on a lot of levels, and I want to make sure that I don’t draw off of my experiences and end up mentoring others poorly. Oftentimes, I’m having to fight temptation to accidentally put pressures I grew up with on friends who closely follow me.
I think what’s crazy about Lloyd’s accidental lies to Arin about him becoming the “greatest ninja to ever live” is that’s *exactly* what Wu did with Morro. Wu always told him he’d become the green ninja and when he didn’t he turned on him for building him up to be something he’s not. Obviously, their stories aren’t 1:1, but I still think the parallels between Lloyd and Wu are crazy good. I was geeking out when I realized this lol.
@@TomTheCat29 What's kinda sad is that of they rock with Lloyds sensei ark kinda being the same as wu, Lloyd wont get much better at teaching. We see that when Wu wanted the ninja to go to space or when he got Morro to think that he would be the green ninja. Weve already seen that Lloyd has done the same thing with Arin that Wu did to Morro. And it didn't take that much for Sora to find her powers and like of the bat she easily got better, she kinda figured it out alone
Arin's also similar to Harumi 1- they looked up to the ninja until their parents were gone and they blame the ninja for what happened to them 2- they end up looking up to a dark lord. Garmadon for Harumi and Ras for Arin Imagine if Harumi meets up with Arin at some point, relates to him and becomes a catalyst to his redemption
I think it's so freaking clever that instead of going to Ras to learn Spinjitzu, Arin unknowingly learns his techniques through his trusted childhood friend Frak. It's a great way of continuing to sow his doubts in the ninja while also not forcing his switchup to Ras's "side"
What I love about both Arin and Sora’s stories is how they mirror eachother they are both in the complete opposite places by the end of season 2 Sora is Lloyd’s prized student and arin starts to fall behind on his training.
Yeah, and the fact that Sora struggles about the fact that she can't do spinjitsu while on the other hand Arin feels useless without elemental powers Sora even said it herself in that one episode "it's hard when your best friend is some spinjitsu prodigy..."
One more thing I love about Arin’s downfall to Ras’s side is how easy his teachings are. Lloyd keeps promising Arin that he’ll get better, but he hasn’t. Then Ras comes along and helps him get stronger and perform a perfect Spinjitzu tornado. It makes his turn believable and so fascinating to watch.
The fact it's seemingly corrupting him too is fascinating (Shatterspin trails on his Spinjitzu), the fact that he's pushing progress artificially and forcefully is going to bite him in the end, and maybe shatter the goodness inside of him
@@lovepreetsingh7549exactly!! It could just become a basic “good guy gets corrupted and then team saves them and they come back” storyline arc or him and Ras can actually genuinely develop a student pupil relationship and have Arin learn both techniques which could make us see new moves and etc. I would love it if Ras turned into an anti-hero and something of that sort and have him develop a relationship with Arin as I think it’ll make us like the character even more even though he’s an antagonist to the protagonists right now, it’s just so much we don’t know about him. His entire character is shrouded in mystery and I hope we get to learn more about him and where he comes from.
ngl the twist at the end had me spiraling but now I feel like Arin is one of my favorite characters due to his character diversity at the end of Dragons Rising S2.
Arin story is one I never thought I will be invested, but it’s one that I never been so invested in a while, and potentially am excited to see more than most character stories in the original show, and I couldn’t be more happier for the writers, and even the VA Devan Mack for providing a well thought out, and honestly fantastic character we have gotten in Ninjago in a while
As someone autistic, Arin resonates with me in a way no character ever has before. Him slowly losing confidence in himself as he struggles to do things that come so easily to everyone around him. Feeling let down by teachings that work for everyone else. The frustration of trying to harmonize with a world that he moves out of step with. I absolutely loved this video! It was super thorough and articulate, and it put so many of my thoughts into words as well as make me realize new things, like all the indications of Arin’s growing distrust in Lloyd. Lloyd telling Arin that he has potential, and Arin seeing it as an empty promise when he fails to meet that potential because Lloyd’s methods aren’t working for him… It’s so interesting (and another thing I deffo relate to, heh). I now keep thinking about the scene in S1 ep3 where Arin doesn’t win the pie contest, and Lloyd tells him he’ll win next year. (And then in the Elemental Mech shorts, he loses again.) Another empty promise. Like you said, it’s clear that this whole arc was planned right from the start. DRS1 was already a Top 5 season for me when it came out, and now the new installments keep retroactively making it better and better. Man this show is so good.
I don’t know if anyone noticed, but when Arin finally achieved perfect spinjitzu, if you look closely there were some parts of Shatterspin shooting out of his spinjitzu tornado
Arin is such an amazing character. You did an EXCELLENT job highlighting what about his personality makes him so relatable, and explaining the story from his point of view and what events pushed him into thinking how he thinks and making the decisions he does. He's trying SO HARD to be perfect, to be a good ninja for the sake of not only Ninjago and the Merged Realms as a whole, but to help his family, old and new. The dragons, the ninjas, his parents, they are all important to him, and that's what puling him apart. WHO should he prioritize? He just wants to help, to not be a burden, and then fact that everyone is progressing EXCEPT him, even his best friends, it's heartbreaking to see. So many people dunk on him for his decision to go with Ra's, but I feel like with everything that led up to that moment, IT MADE SENSE in a way. Why would he stay where he is "failing", where he is trapped waiting for the ninjas to help, when he can take the fast route and find his parents himself?? Can't say I would take the moral high ground either in the situation honestly.... Amazing video!!! Tysm!!
6:11 this is the coldest scene in ninjago history and to me this solidified Ras as a top 5 villain in ninjago history cause that ass whooping was generational Edit: I think sensei Garmadon and Morro could help Arin go on the right path, but there’s a small chance we see them again Edit x2: Well Morro is coming back, which is cool to see I hope they write him correctly
@@gtcproductions4097I’m pretty sure he will though, given how at the end he was in the monastery with the ninja. And his idolisation of Cole, and elemental power, makes him the perfect candidate to be Cole’s Wyldfyre, so to speak.
I’m so glad this video exists. Arin is literally so overhated bcuz most people don’t seem to understand him well. And I actually relate to him at some parts too and started liking him a lot bcuz of his amazing character development I can’t wait so see him in season 3
@@Gummybearsz I mean a lot of people would probably be Arin in this type of situation. Arin before the Merge had loving parents,a support system,and a community and he lost that. Something the Ninja had but unlike them Arin lost it in his development age when those things are mostly needed like around 10-13 years of age while the ninja were fully developed adults and Sora didn’t have it until after the merge. In a way it’s an issue that only Arin himself can understand and maybe he’s the only one that can save himself from that path. Generally Arin while what he’s doing is wrong in a way he is still a kid who lost everything he knew and had a growing community but in the end a kid given a choice to look for the people who were and still are his everything? Wouldn’t any kid/teenager take that chance?
@@ishashifar yes which can be good sometimes but it doesnt help that people still are betraying him ;cough cough arin. he never gets a break but i can tell that he is learning to find peace and calm by the way he meditates. hes come a long way.
Arin is such a great example of brilliantly written example of "wasted potential". (Not to say Arin is written poorly, he's absolutely brilliantly written, I'm mainly talking in-universe wasted potential) Lloyd's hollow praise and Arin continual trouble with improvement are great ways to show how difficult it is for a hero to be powerless in Ninjago's world. If Arin does end up coming back to the light he won't have an easy time fighting without elemental powers. He is always going to have it tougher than the others in the team. I'm fascinated to see how Ras could change Arin, but I'm even more interested to see if Ras will be changed by his time with Arin.
OMG YESSSS!!!! I agree with ALL OF THIS!!!! Arin is my second favorite DR character (my first is Sora) I relate a lot to Arin ngl. So I'm glad you made this video! His story is so good!
I pretty much agree with everything you said he is my second favorite character only behind sore I love arin so much I can’t to see more of him in season 3
You know who Arin reminds me of? Morro. They were both told they were gonna be the greatest ninja, they had high expectations, those expectations we crushed, and then they went down a dark path.
Him turning on Lloyd who he stated was his favorite ninja was harsh.But a enjoyable turn that made Arin soo interesting Im looking foward to season 3 with Evil arin!
With Arin not being with the ninja anymore, I’d love to see them take frak onto the team temporarily. It would be brilliant to see arin feel like they replaced him with his childhood best friend and i personally would love to see ras use it to manipulate arin more, using it to further prove he can’t trust his closest friends, old or new.
My only issue with Season 2 is that it feels like Wu didnt have enough time to explain The Merge to Arin, because the plot demanded it. Other than that, his arc did feel very natural and I'm curious to see where they'll go next with this. Always look forward to hearing your analysis videos on this new series!
It’s not just time, Wu’s spirit can’t seem to communicate well at all. From memory, I don’t think it says more than one word at a time, and even those seem really difficult. I think his conscious has been split somehow.
Really great video! Arin has slowly become my favorite out of the three new ninja, I'm really excited to see how his story continues in Season 3! Also, I love the Celeste music in the background
I love that Arin’s story is being so broken down to the point that he becomes so desperate he takes the short cut of strength like Ras did the character arcs in dragon’s rising have been so good and I can’t wait to see how it concludes.
I think one of the turning points where Arin becomes good again is realising that his parents wouldn't want him to do this.They wouldn't want want him to be the bad guy. Another thing I want to mention, he has a lot of parallels with Morro cuz they both had masters that had insane expectations and when they didn't meet their master's expectations they became evil. (Sorry if my grammer is bad, English is my second language)
Arin's boutta pull a harumi/morrow here ☠ Writing my thoughts here now, I assumed it was a bit of a stretch when people theorised Arin potentially becoming a villain in this series but holy shit, am I delightfully surprised. Frankly, it's rather gut-wrenching and painful to me to consider the possibility of Arin being a permanent major villain who turns on his loved ones, but holy shit is it so much more INTERESTING to watch and actually makes you even more invested in his character and story. I'd actually be really disappointed if they chose to pull out from here and made him easily go back to being on the heroes side after all this amazing set up and build up that we've witnessed so far. I feel as though I'm on the edge of my seat, anxiously but eagerly waiting to see what happens next. I don't know if it's been brought up, but I recall reading somewhere where somebody pointed out the looking "horns" on Arin's orange hoodie seeming rather similar to the representation of an Oni, whereas with Sora one of her designs (could be the 'cat ears' maybe) appeared similar to that of a dragons. Coincidence, perhaps? I don't know, but wouldn't it be cool if it wasn't'? Not saying that I believe this alludes Arin is part Oni but that Arin becomes what Oni represents- being the "villain" of the narrative and using powers that destroy (in this case, perhaps the dangerous teachings of Ras?). Overall, as angsty and heartbreaking as it'd be seeing Arin like this, it does make him so much more interesting. I am a lot more invested in him now that we've reached this point and I love it even more that it's something I didn't actually see coming, at least not entirely. Especially given the introduction of his character of being the "main hero" who is always optimistic and never quits. Would it be a story like that? Nah, hopefully we'd be watching the origin story of a major villain unfold here.
Id be fine if hes evil for a while but turns good after a while.Yeah this feels really similair to Harumi is Lloyd going to have to go through that again?
Arin's development has been one of my favorite things in the show, where he has gotten his progression and then regression, leading to the potential for his development. One theory I have about Arin is that he is the Elemental Master of Motion but hasn't developed his powers as much as Sora. I state it being Motion due to how that speech from Egalt made me think that this could be his Element since it's integral to Spinjitzu. There is also how Motion can be transferred from one object to another, which explains his ability to transfer Spinjitzu to objects.
Arin is one of the most relatable of the Ninja for me, due to his feelings of inadequacy about how easily the others can do what he can’t. His idols can use powers and do spinjitzu, Sora has powers. Frak has powers. Heck, Wyldfyre was able to solve the murder mystery, which was likely intentional as another way to show how lowly Arin feels
I love how when Arin does Spinjitzu (actual Spinjitzu), you can see glimpses of shatterspin in it. Just a neat visual way to show how even though he can do it now, something's not right about it.
16:56 Theres also Arin's "perfect spinjitzu" have energy that has the same colors as shatterspin,probably implying that he's shattering his soul. But thats just a theory, a Ninjag theory
Agree with everything you said. S1 Arin didn’t wow me at the time, but seeing S2 really just shot him up as one of my favorite characters in Dragons Rising, and I can’t wait to see what they do with him next season
Arin is one of the best written characters in the whole ninjago franchise, argue with me, idc. He isn’t strong, he isn’t perfect, he isn’t good at much. He’s a teenager with SO many flaws. Arin is a big ninja fan. And he thinks, that having a power will make him just like them. And the way he’s been isolated his whole life kinda ruins the way he socialises with them (he’s always talking about needing power.) Comparing him with Sora, who has an elemental power, she doubts herself BECAUSE she has elemental powers. She starts off super unenthusiastic about training, and doubtful about herself. She thinks her powers bring her nothing but bad luck on people and herself, until she ultimately learns that the power doesn’t define what bad happens her life, and starts to love her power, and herself. Arin however is the opposite. He starts off enthusiastic until he starts thinking he isn’t good enough because he doesn’t equal to the others in power. He then starts to manifest being better at what he’s at by forcing spinjitzu. Even when he fails at his detective work, he thinks he failed his PARENTS. He really shows how isolation can make or break you. And I love how they portray him. he isn’t generically strong like the others. He’s proof of obsession, aswell.
Arin and Lloyd’s relationship is kind of like Wu and Morro. Wu at some point mentioned that there was a chance Morro could be the Green Ninja. Morro took it to heart and it became an obsession that brought out his worst qualities, ultimately leading him to his own demise. Lloyd is someone Arin looks up. Lloyd tells Arin that he could become one of the greatest ninja ever and continues giving him hope for what the future holds for him. But after awhile a slow and almost non-existent progression Arin starts having doubts which eventually causes him to seek guidance from other sources. This so far has lead him to follow a much darker path in the foreseeable future. Not to mention Lloyd and Wu (at the time) are still learning how to be a master\sensei constantly learning from their mistakes and victories.
If you pause at the right moment when Arin learned true Spinjitsu you can see that it is kind of black and red like Shatter Spin. Just pointing that out
From being a hero to a villain. It’s pretty interesting and pretty awesome. Season 3 should take things to the next level for Arin and maybe characters like Morro or Garmadon, would possibly return. Maybe Garmadon knew about Wu’s mistakes when the merge happened and would explain the situation to Lloyd and Morro would most likely ally with the ninja once he possibly escapes the departed realm… but yeah it’s really amazing. And maybe Arin might also bump into Harumi since she lost her parents and looked up to villains in order to get what she wants but later knowing the ugly truth. I feel like Arin would at some point know the ugly truth as well as Harumi.
I really appreciate what they've done with arin because one of my own characters for a personal project follow a similar plot! They stay pretty stagnant in all of their abilities despite the story progressing, and instead of finding peace after all the big bads are defeated, they only become worse and soon leave behind everything that's been built up around them to try and satiate that sense of emptiness within them. I've found that it's a very interesting type of character to write, since you know you're supposed to root for them, but just how many bad decisions could they start to make you lose hope in them?
I Really Like Arin in Dragons Rising Season 1 But I Absolutely Loved Him in Dragons Rising Season 2 and I’m Super Excited to See What He’ll Be Up To with Lord Ras in Dragons Rising Season 3🥷🔥
This might be unrelated to the video, but it’s been on my mind. In Season 3, I’d love to see an episode or moments that explore the connection between Lloyd and Arin, especially regarding their childhood friendships. While Arin is still somewhat in his childhood, the show mentions it’s been "years" since the merge, so there’s definitely room for exploration. I think Lloyd sees a lot of himself in Arin, and after Lloyd meets Frak and learns that he’s one of Arin’s childhood friends, it could really prompt some reflections. It would be interesting to see a flashback to young Lloyd at Darkley’s Boarding School for Bad Boys, perhaps featuring a scene with Brad that highlights their friendship. This parallel between Frak and Brad would emphasize the similarities in their experiences and deepen the connection between Lloyd and Arin. Just a fun thought I wanted to share with everyone!
I just realized how similar Arin is to Harumi. Both of them have lost their parents, and both of them feel like the Ninja have failed them. Harumi never saw the Emperor and Empress as her parents, and Arin doesn't see the Ninja as his family, at least not anymore. Harumi was blinded by her hatred and anger, whilst Arin is blinded by his desperation. And both of these characters have a gripe specifically aimed at Lloyd. Not only this, but Lloyd telling Arin that he'll be the strongest ninja ever, is also very similar to how Wu told Morro that he'll be the green ninja. Morro and Arin also eventually found their new master, for Morro it was the preeminent and for Arin it is Lord Ras. I think this direction for Arin is so interesting and can't wait to see more of him!
17:36 cool detail that Arin’s Spinjitzu has hints of the red and black from shatterspin. His spirit is literally shattered, and next his goodness will be.
In a way, Lloyd was the worst of all the ninja to Arin. As Egalt pointed out in Season 2, Lloyd was lying to Arin that he was doing great despite his setbacks. Ultimately Lloyd is too nice and kind a master (opposite of Ras) and accepting of failure (again direct opposite of Ras). Master Wu was balanced, he'd call out the ninja for their setbacks but treat them well and understand mistakes. I hope we see Lloyd realize this in season 3 and it possibly change how he views being a master to Sora and Wyldfyre. Great season overall.
Arins character is such a fresh breath of air for this series, dragons rising s2 is very quickly rising up to my personal top 5 favorite seasons (although they do really need to approach Zane and Pixal better...)
I felt the same way with Arin at first. I really liked what they did with Sora and Wyldfire but then there was Arin. With season 2, Arin as a character has gotten a lot more interesting. I am excited and curious what is in store for him.
“The best ninja to ever live” is really the beginning of Lloyd’s unintentional lies, he doesn’t really look at Arin’s other strengths unless it helps the team ie his detective skills. On the other hand Sora’s strengths that she love absolutely help the team so it doesn’t feel like she’s being forced since she loves it so much, unlike Arin who’s not really into tech he’s more into more childish things and domestic such as his pies. How would those pies help the ninja? In Lloyd’s mind it’s a nice skill but not at all helpful to the mission whereas Sora’s tech can get them anywhere. Yes Lloyd absolutely sees himself in Arin but with Sora’s abilities it gives unintentional favoritism. Something similar to Master Wu and Garmadon to their father, the First Spinjitzu master.
Well I wouldn't call Arin's Strengths as childish I think the best description is humanely and Realistic Like the thing with the pies Sure it's sometimes weird but think about this way. " Someone's having a bad day An Arin comes out of nowhere and offers them a pie To make them feel better and you know actually to build a bond betwin get to know each other just being nice to them" The reason why Percival and Frak Change was because Arin had them Questioning the ways of the people they trusted. The thing I love about Arin the most is that he Technique the fish out of water character and love those like Anne or Luz but the thing He's ways are different and sometimes weird but they work in there own way. But the problem is that Lloyd has see So many issues get solved by more strong Actions then powerful Emotions And doesn't encourage Arin to find his on a way to do things to Embrace who he is Instead accidentally forcing an image on to him of that he should be and that there only one way to get there. And the other ninja's don't exactly do much help for Arin as the do for Sora The ninja trust Sora's power & skills more than trust Arin's kindness & Uniqueness and Treat her like a true Game changer for team They are blind to Arin and that he can Truly Offer not just to the team but to the merge lands too.
@ I agree! I just had no other words on how to explain it! That last sentence you wrote was the best part, especially since they focus so much on Wyldfire and Sora because they actually have their elemental powers.
I was so excited when Arin actually followed through on his foreshadowing throughout the whole of DR. Most of the time when I see these signs of a character becoming more of a villain I’m entirely delusional and it never happens or maybe for one episode and they are immediately redeemed, and I was expecting the same from Ninjago, but all the foreshadowing and theming actually meant something and I could see Arin being an actual antagonist like you say. And this is a true twist that is hardly realized in media, where the protagonist set up actually becomes the antagonist!! I’m so excited for what’s to come! (That being said if anyone knows of any shows that have a twist protagonist into antagonist plz let me know it’s one of my favorite story types)
Somethig I like about Arin and Llouds relationship is that it reminds me of Wo's and Moro's relationship, the master puts thoughts of being the best of the best in the minds of their students the idea slowly eats at them until they turn evil
In the beginning of season 2 Arin started feeling stale and uninteristing. But that makes his turn more belivable in hindsight. Because he was so annoyed about his lack of progress his frustration and turn to Ras's teachings frlt earned. And it wasn't Ras he suddendly started to obey. It was his childhood friend who gave him actually good advice.
it's really great seeing dragons rising take it's characters and bringing themin such surprising and great directions basically making fun of those cookie cutter arcs that most kids shows or even normal shows usually have. I'm also planning to make a video on dragons rising s2 (not on this accoun tho) and i'll be sure to touch a bit on this topic as it's really one of the best parts of the show. Speaking of which i wanted to ask if it'd be a problem if i used your idea of maing edits before talking about a character or arc (of course i'll make my own) as i really thing it's one of the highlights in your videos and a part i always look forward to. That said great video as always bendo!
Arin is my favorite character in the new series. Folks don't give him a fair chance. However, my only problem with him is his self-doubt, and all the impulsive or short-sighted actions that doubt led him to do. Arin was always one of the most optimistic of the team, but his lack of improvement and the loss of his parents let his doubt consume everything did. Arin's doubt is overwhelming him so much that he can't see the good in him. Add in Ras' manipulative half-truths, Sora undermining his self-confidence, and discovering that Wu somehow caused the merge; this led Arin to doubt the very friends rooting him on. This is beyond infuriating. Arin knows Ras can't be trusted, even warning Frak of that very thing. But he still listens, and buys in to every word Ras tells him. Even if Ras was truthful, it's obvious to anyone but Arin that he held back some crucial information. So what if Wu caused the Merge? How did he do it? What allowed him to do it? Did he intend to cause the Merge? These are the questions Arin never stopped to think about. Instead, he went off half-cocked, shut out everyone who cared about him, and sided with the biggest snake since Pythor. Arin blaming the ninja for his lack of progression is just wrong. The ninja have to keep dealing with RAS' messes. If so many world-ending events weren't happening, maybe he'd actually get a chance to improve.
I've said this before, but I'll say it again: in episode 9 of the 2017-2018 mini-series "Decoded," the Ninja extrapolate on the core values of unlocking their true potentials from back in Season 1. Lloyd explains that his was that every team member has an equal responsibility, which puts pressure on Arin to do what he is expected to do. Nya's, however, was that failure is perfectly normal, and can even be good. Arin has been blindly following Lloyd's instructions, when maybe he should have been asking Nya for advice instead.
Sad fact:both times when Arin does perfected spinjutsu there are tiny flashes of the same reddish black in shatterspin maybe hinting towards him unlocking shatterspin setting him down into an even more dangerous path. Also he might actually become one of the strongest ninja but mainly due to him being able to do spinjutsu and shatterspin which no one has done
From how it explained it in the show it requires the user to shatter all goodness in their hearts. Arin is slowly going down the path of an antagonist who might learn shatterspin without the use of the mask.Arin was capable of learning spinjutsu without a teacher why not shatterspin with the help of Ras (the same person who’s second hand teachings managed to help Arin learn perfected spinjutsu)
@@chrissuxatgames2081 Shatterspin is a forbidden and highly developed version of Spinjitzu that was created by the Forbidden Five. Aside from its creators, this technique is only accessible to Elemental Masters wearing a Wolf Mask activated by the Gong and Mallet of Shattering,
Ngl, I like that Arin is just a normal kid, and I hope don’t end up giving him some sort of power bc I feel like that takes away from him. Realistically, the “normal person swept into a magical world” would play out like that. Getting battered down bc the stakes are growing way higher than he can feasibly reach. Plus it just shows how abnormal the Ninjas/Sora’s lives have been. It’s a reach and probably not gonna happen, but if they kept the idea of troupe reversals, it would be interesting to have the Ninja/Sora be faced with the idea that not everyone is like them. Not everyone is fine with leaving their family behind to go on adventures and not look back.
You’d think Lloyd would know better than to give his student such high expectations when he’s been possessed by the guy who was on the receiving end of that path.
I can see arin becoming a potential antagonist and thats super interesting to me cuz we haven’t seen ninjago do it like this. Dragons rising’s writing is such a breath of fresh air. The fact that ras has a lot of genuine points in his arguments makes me think that the ninja also won’t get around to him easy and thats also super interesting to me
I mean yeah I would expect arin to come back to his senses eventually but with how many times Dragons rising has subverted my expectations I really can't tell what to expect next
After watching "Transformers One", I understood that reference. And sometimes it makes me imagine that Arin has very similar vibes and is (slowly but gradually) becoming like Megatron, formerly known as D-16. If you are going to see or have already seen the film (who I would dare to say is one of the best animated films of the year) you would understand it, and you will find certain similarities between both characters: Arin and D-16.
Arin is officially the most relatable character in Ninjago now I feel like something that could (not really but who knows) happen in the next season or so is, Arin finally finds his parents but they end up dying, the ninjas can't save them and Arin successfully turns into a new villain for the ninjas But yeah maybe that's a bit too far fetch
Arin's story arc kinda reminds me of Anakin's story arc now, how they are so similar, especially when you realise that, they were both heroes who wanted in desperation to get what they lost, and being deceived by another person, who offers them both strength to get what they wanted.
This is another awesome analysis, BendoBricks! I had mixed feelings about Arin’s betrayal, but this video helped me see the good side of it in a story writing perspective and remember to better appreciate all of the intricate foreshadowing I and many other fans noticed.
What Frak taught Arin is familiar to the fighting skills of the Oni(on the contrary of the ninjas and dragons).So I think maybe Garmadon is a better teacher for Arin than lord Ras and Lloyd.Because he may make Arin powerful,but he will not corrupt Arin’s goodness.
While I at first didn’t like the dark blue as part of Arin’s colour scheme for his tournament suit it makes sense when watching the second half why it changed a small foreshadow to him leaving the ninja and joining Ras
I think Arin is quite similar to Anakin Skywalker. He starts on the path of the protagonists side, but by being manipulated by emperor palpatine ( Lord ras ), he turns to dark ambitions. Lloyd has similarities to Obi wan, guiding him to be a great Jedi/ninja, but in the end, his dark ambitions get the better of him. I think that Arin could be the main antagonist of dragons rising, with a constant rivalry between lloyd and Arin ( student and master!)
I love how history repeats with wu telling that Moro can become the green ninja and Loyld who wasn’t interested in being it becomes the green ninja. And now with Loyld telling arin that he can be the goat while sora who didn’t even care about being a ninja has just won the element tournament. The irony is that Loyld was possessed by Moro and failed to hear wu’s teachings of not placing high expectations. The Writers COOKED 🔥🔥🔥
Dude even tho I got spoiled for it, I was still SO IN SHOCK when it happened, I thought he was just like corrupted using magic but no of his own CHOICES AND RAS MANIPULATION???
I think one of the main reasons why Arin isn't getting any better is because of Lloyd's mental health. In season one Arin's progress is very much shown, for example he unlocks object spinjitzu. But in season two, he doesn't get any better. During this time, Lloyd's mental health is in an all time low for him, he struggles to take care of himself by ignoring his needs of sleep in fear of the visions. Arin, who has this idea of Lloyd in season one and how Lloyd promised him so many things fails to come through with those promises. How can Lloyd, who could barely take care of himself, fulfill the promises that he made to Arin. Those are empty promises. Arin has every right to feel like Lloyd has failed him, because he HAS. Even if he did indirectly over something Lloyd couldn't control. Arin spiraling to this place of desperation where Lloyd has not helped him to grow his skills since S1, and when after a year of trying to get better, he suddenly gets better but only by Ras's method, its understandable that Arin now believes that Ras can be the one to help him find his parents. Lloyd giving Arin empty promises and not being able to fulfill them is frustrating for him, and of course after no progress with Lloyd, he goes to Ras who HAS helped him to unlock perfect spinjitzu through the opposite of Lloyd's teachings. The writers are doing amazing with Arin and im genuinely so excited how hes adressed, I really hope they dont play it as Arin is evil now!! because he just wants his parents, he is desperate. I also hope they address Lloyd being a bad master to Arin in a way that is understandable that it's not fully his fault, but still taking accountability for the pain he has caused towards arin due to his mental absence. Great video! I love how these are formatted and scripted!
I also like how people have compared Lloyd and Arin's dynamic with Wu's and Morro's. JUST like Wu, Lloyd praised Arin and told him he could be something great pushing both Arin and Morro to break their limits and work harder to become that version of themselves their teachers portray. And how both Arin and Morro abandoned their masters of there own volition to head down a darker direction. Though their stories and motivations are different, the parallels are still there and it's super interesting.
Arin's development is nearly identical to that of Anakin Skywalker's. Both are told that they are meant to do great things by those they looked up to. But when they get lied to or told empty promises at every turn, they go down a darker path. Eventually, they are willing to do whatever it takes to save those who they love, even if it means embracing their darker side.
@@orlastarburst Sorry dont get me wrong I Love hate Harumi she was awesome in sons of garmadon and I think she is a better character then Rass.I hate her cause Lloyds my favorite.But I cant deny she was well excuted.
The LEGO Writing staff is just bafflingly good at their job. The Lego Movie, Lego Batman, Ninjago, Monkie Kid, every single one of those projects is hypercompetent.
![The TRUTH about the Merge! [Ninjago Theory]](/img/n.gif)
I think that him failing at detective work makes him feel like he failed his PARENTS, which is why he goes even lower
Indeed.💯
Indeed👏
@@liengamer1053 I hope you are doing well today.👍
*_insert complementary message_* 👌
@@dumflame I hope you are doing well today.👍
My favorite thing about the Arin and Lloyd dynamic is how Lloyd feels like he's almost PROJECTING onto Arin. Part of Lloyd's character has been his trusting nature and idealism; with such high expectations constantly thrust onto him. Lloyd sees a bit of himself in Arin, at least his younger self, and without even intending to, thrust those same great expectations onto Arin that he dealt with when he was younger. If it worked for him, then surely it must work for Arin, right? Note that he doesn't say these same things to Sora, even if Sora DOES become the “star student” in season two.
Lloyd had his naivety practically beaten out of him with a metaphorical bat - I think part of him, whether or not he realizes it, doesn't want Arin to lose HIS innocence like he lost his own.
There is a small part in this season where Lloyd is worried about Wyldfyre putting too much pressure on herself , then Nya responds saying that he also puts much pressure on himself. It's a small part that not only shows how Nya knows Lloyd, but also that shows that Lloyd still has his own issues( and that the writers acknowledge the expectations that Lloyd had to go through)
yes i agree Lloyds life was hard and arin is like his image of himself
I needed that analysis, Anime Jewel. I relate to Lloyd on a lot of levels, and I want to make sure that I don’t draw off of my experiences and end up mentoring others poorly. Oftentimes, I’m having to fight temptation to accidentally put pressures I grew up with on friends who closely follow me.
I think what’s crazy about Lloyd’s accidental lies to Arin about him becoming the “greatest ninja to ever live” is that’s *exactly* what Wu did with Morro. Wu always told him he’d become the green ninja and when he didn’t he turned on him for building him up to be something he’s not. Obviously, their stories aren’t 1:1, but I still think the parallels between Lloyd and Wu are crazy good. I was geeking out when I realized this lol.
Excactly! Lloyd is absolutely not intentionlly lieing to Arin hes trying to keep his spirit up.
@@TomTheCat29 What's kinda sad is that of they rock with Lloyds sensei ark kinda being the same as wu, Lloyd wont get much better at teaching. We see that when Wu wanted the ninja to go to space or when he got Morro to think that he would be the green ninja. Weve already seen that Lloyd has done the same thing with Arin that Wu did to Morro. And it didn't take that much for Sora to find her powers and like of the bat she easily got better, she kinda figured it out alone
Arin's also similar to Harumi
1- they looked up to the ninja until their parents were gone and they blame the ninja for what happened to them
2- they end up looking up to a dark lord. Garmadon for Harumi and Ras for Arin
Imagine if Harumi meets up with Arin at some point, relates to him and becomes a catalyst to his redemption
@@RobertJames-i8j absolutely! I thought that too!
@@RobertJames-i8j I hope they dont make Arin too similar though.We need some change.
I think it's so freaking clever that instead of going to Ras to learn Spinjitzu, Arin unknowingly learns his techniques through his trusted childhood friend Frak. It's a great way of continuing to sow his doubts in the ninja while also not forcing his switchup to Ras's "side"
What I love about both Arin and Sora’s stories is how they mirror eachother they are both in the complete opposite places by the end of season 2 Sora is Lloyd’s prized student and arin starts to fall behind on his training.
Yeah, and the fact that Sora struggles about the fact that she can't do spinjitsu while on the other hand Arin feels useless without elemental powers
Sora even said it herself in that one episode "it's hard when your best friend is some spinjitsu prodigy..."
Arin at the start of the show: oh, your typical shonen protagonist. huh.
Arin at the end of season 2: OH MY GOD THEY'RE COOKING
Oh, definitely, and I can not wait for season 3.
One more thing I love about Arin’s downfall to Ras’s side is how easy his teachings are. Lloyd keeps promising Arin that he’ll get better, but he hasn’t. Then Ras comes along and helps him get stronger and perform a perfect Spinjitzu tornado. It makes his turn believable and so fascinating to watch.
absolutely! the manipulation is excuted perfectly by Ras.
The fact it's seemingly corrupting him too is fascinating (Shatterspin trails on his Spinjitzu), the fact that he's pushing progress artificially and forcefully is going to bite him in the end, and maybe shatter the goodness inside of him
@@lovepreetsingh7549exactly!! It could just become a basic “good guy gets corrupted and then team saves them and they come back” storyline arc or him and Ras can actually genuinely develop a student pupil relationship and have Arin learn both techniques which could make us see new moves and etc. I would love it if Ras turned into an anti-hero and something of that sort and have him develop a relationship with Arin as I think it’ll make us like the character even more even though he’s an antagonist to the protagonists right now, it’s just so much we don’t know about him. His entire character is shrouded in mystery and I hope we get to learn more about him and where he comes from.
So weird Lloyd had trouble teaching Arin Spinjitsu when Master Wu did it perfectly with Aspeera
@@trexadvent4726 i know that seemed weirdto me too...
ngl the twist at the end had me spiraling but now I feel like Arin is one of my favorite characters due to his character diversity at the end of Dragons Rising S2.
Lloyd is my first favorite but Arin is very close hes definataly went up on my bar.
Arin story is one I never thought I will be invested, but it’s one that I never been so invested in a while, and potentially am excited to see more than most character stories in the original show, and I couldn’t be more happier for the writers, and even the VA Devan Mack for providing a well thought out, and honestly fantastic character we have gotten in Ninjago in a while
As someone autistic, Arin resonates with me in a way no character ever has before. Him slowly losing confidence in himself as he struggles to do things that come so easily to everyone around him. Feeling let down by teachings that work for everyone else. The frustration of trying to harmonize with a world that he moves out of step with.
I absolutely loved this video! It was super thorough and articulate, and it put so many of my thoughts into words as well as make me realize new things, like all the indications of Arin’s growing distrust in Lloyd. Lloyd telling Arin that he has potential, and Arin seeing it as an empty promise when he fails to meet that potential because Lloyd’s methods aren’t working for him… It’s so interesting (and another thing I deffo relate to, heh).
I now keep thinking about the scene in S1 ep3 where Arin doesn’t win the pie contest, and Lloyd tells him he’ll win next year. (And then in the Elemental Mech shorts, he loses again.) Another empty promise. Like you said, it’s clear that this whole arc was planned right from the start. DRS1 was already a Top 5 season for me when it came out, and now the new installments keep retroactively making it better and better. Man this show is so good.
So real bro
@@vegano5062 I hope you are doing well today.👍
This is something I 100% relate too
No way, I forgot that the elemental shorts had Arin losing the contest again ( someone give Arin a hug )
@@Angninjin22 I hope you are doing well today.👍
I don’t know if anyone noticed, but when Arin finally achieved perfect spinjitzu, if you look closely there were some parts of Shatterspin shooting out of his spinjitzu tornado
Is Arin becoming a shatterjitzu?
I noticed! I had a feeling afterwards that Arin is beginning to go down a spiral to a dark path.
That's what I said about his Spinjitzu turn
Its in haal is perfect spinjitzu tornado's but the most in the first
He learned perfect spinjitsu the shatter spin way I have a feeling he will combine both techniques to combat elemental masters
Arin is such an amazing character. You did an EXCELLENT job highlighting what about his personality makes him so relatable, and explaining the story from his point of view and what events pushed him into thinking how he thinks and making the decisions he does.
He's trying SO HARD to be perfect, to be a good ninja for the sake of not only Ninjago and the Merged Realms as a whole, but to help his family, old and new. The dragons, the ninjas, his parents, they are all important to him, and that's what puling him apart. WHO should he prioritize? He just wants to help, to not be a burden, and then fact that everyone is progressing EXCEPT him, even his best friends, it's heartbreaking to see.
So many people dunk on him for his decision to go with Ra's, but I feel like with everything that led up to that moment, IT MADE SENSE in a way. Why would he stay where he is "failing", where he is trapped waiting for the ninjas to help, when he can take the fast route and find his parents himself?? Can't say I would take the moral high ground either in the situation honestly....
Amazing video!!! Tysm!!
6:11 this is the coldest scene in ninjago history and to me this solidified Ras as a top 5 villain in ninjago history cause that ass whooping was generational
Edit: I think sensei Garmadon and Morro could help Arin go on the right path, but there’s a small chance we see them again
Edit x2: Well Morro is coming back, which is cool to see I hope they write him correctly
arin being subjected to the first spinjitzu master family curse of letting down their first student
LOL
NOOOOOO LOL
THATS WHAT IM SAYINN 😭
Lloyd might even let down Sora too
@@Avery_Productions if that happens I will cry( seriously)
The writers really like to torture anyone related to the FSM eh?
And in fact, the addition of Frak teases him even more about his past life. If Season 3 has Frak join the ninja team, Arin is going to lose it.
I’m really hoping that doesn’t happen. Arin’s already going through it.
@@gtcproductions4097I’m pretty sure he will though, given how at the end he was in the monastery with the ninja. And his idolisation of Cole, and elemental power, makes him the perfect candidate to be Cole’s Wyldfyre, so to speak.
I really hope they do
@@aegis84 Not to mention I would love that they break the formula just like they did for the 2 master dragons, and have a non-human be a ninja
I’m so glad this video exists. Arin is literally so overhated bcuz most people don’t seem to understand him well. And I actually relate to him at some parts too and started liking him a lot bcuz of his amazing character development I can’t wait so see him in season 3
Maybe that’s why people hate him. People tend to hate characters they relate too in a much more deeper way 🤷
@@corncake2.036 that’s understandable
@@Gummybearsz I mean a lot of people would probably be Arin in this type of situation. Arin before the Merge had loving parents,a support system,and a community and he lost that. Something the Ninja had but unlike them Arin lost it in his development age when those things are mostly needed like around 10-13 years of age while the ninja were fully developed adults and Sora didn’t have it until after the merge. In a way it’s an issue that only Arin himself can understand and maybe he’s the only one that can save himself from that path. Generally Arin while what he’s doing is wrong in a way he is still a kid who lost everything he knew and had a growing community but in the end a kid given a choice to look for the people who were and still are his everything?
Wouldn’t any kid/teenager take that chance?
This is the first time I'm truly enjoying a main protagonist slowly becoming bitter
Lloyd was good in Sons of Garmadon after Harumi betrayed him.He had some depression.
@@TomTheCat29true Lloyd does feel a lot more cynical at times ever since he met Harumi,he doesn't seem to trust people as easily as he used to
@@ishashifar yes which can be good sometimes but it doesnt help that people still are betraying him ;cough cough arin. he never gets a break but i can tell that he is learning to find peace and calm by the way he meditates. hes come a long way.
Arin is such a great example of brilliantly written example of "wasted potential". (Not to say Arin is written poorly, he's absolutely brilliantly written, I'm mainly talking in-universe wasted potential)
Lloyd's hollow praise and Arin continual trouble with improvement are great ways to show how difficult it is for a hero to be powerless in Ninjago's world.
If Arin does end up coming back to the light he won't have an easy time fighting without elemental powers. He is always going to have it tougher than the others in the team.
I'm fascinated to see how Ras could change Arin, but I'm even more interested to see if Ras will be changed by his time with Arin.
I absolutely live how everyone's character arcs are working together, and what everyone else is doing is affecting how another character acts
OMG YESSSS!!!! I agree with ALL OF THIS!!!! Arin is my second favorite DR character (my first is Sora) I relate a lot to Arin ngl. So I'm glad you made this video! His story is so good!
I pretty much agree with everything you said he is my second favorite character only behind sore I love arin so much I can’t to see more of him in season 3
You know who Arin reminds me of? Morro. They were both told they were gonna be the greatest ninja, they had high expectations, those expectations we crushed, and then they went down a dark path.
Oh no😢
I hope Ghost Wu points this out at some point so we can get that contrast.
let’s hope he follows the path of the other ninja who wanted to be the green ninja
Just wanted to comment that
@@herotrapinch9232 you mean you think he might make a turn around like Kai?
Him turning on Lloyd who he stated was his favorite ninja was harsh.But a enjoyable turn that made Arin soo interesting Im looking foward to season 3 with Evil arin!
With Arin not being with the ninja anymore, I’d love to see them take frak onto the team temporarily. It would be brilliant to see arin feel like they replaced him with his childhood best friend and i personally would love to see ras use it to manipulate arin more, using it to further prove he can’t trust his closest friends, old or new.
That would be interesting!
Most people hate on Arin so I’m glad there someone finally cutting him some slack
The people that hate Arin are actually idiots
@@Brick_kproduction I definitely agree with that
Yesss arin needs some love fr
We should cut these people some slack too, the writing is just too good for us mortals to bear
@@Brick_kproductionhe’s annoying so.
My only issue with Season 2 is that it feels like Wu didnt have enough time to explain The Merge to Arin, because the plot demanded it. Other than that, his arc did feel very natural and I'm curious to see where they'll go next with this. Always look forward to hearing your analysis videos on this new series!
It’s not just time, Wu’s spirit can’t seem to communicate well at all. From memory, I don’t think it says more than one word at a time, and even those seem really difficult. I think his conscious has been split somehow.
Really great video! Arin has slowly become my favorite out of the three new ninja, I'm really excited to see how his story continues in Season 3!
Also, I love the Celeste music in the background
Hes my favorite new ninja too!
Potato❤
I love that Arin’s story is being so broken down to the point that he becomes so desperate he takes the short cut of strength like Ras did the character arcs in dragon’s rising have been so good and I can’t wait to see how it concludes.
I think one of the turning points where Arin becomes good again is realising that his parents wouldn't want him to do this.They wouldn't want want him to be the bad guy.
Another thing I want to mention, he has a lot of parallels with Morro cuz they both had masters that had insane expectations and when they didn't meet their master's expectations they became evil.
(Sorry if my grammer is bad, English is my second language)
Arin's boutta pull a harumi/morrow here ☠
Writing my thoughts here now, I assumed it was a bit of a stretch when people theorised Arin potentially becoming a villain in this series but holy shit, am I delightfully surprised. Frankly, it's rather gut-wrenching and painful to me to consider the possibility of Arin being a permanent major villain who turns on his loved ones, but holy shit is it so much more INTERESTING to watch and actually makes you even more invested in his character and story.
I'd actually be really disappointed if they chose to pull out from here and made him easily go back to being on the heroes side after all this amazing set up and build up that we've witnessed so far. I feel as though I'm on the edge of my seat, anxiously but eagerly waiting to see what happens next.
I don't know if it's been brought up, but I recall reading somewhere where somebody pointed out the looking "horns" on Arin's orange hoodie seeming rather similar to the representation of an Oni, whereas with Sora one of her designs (could be the 'cat ears' maybe) appeared similar to that of a dragons. Coincidence, perhaps? I don't know, but wouldn't it be cool if it wasn't'?
Not saying that I believe this alludes Arin is part Oni but that Arin becomes what Oni represents- being the "villain" of the narrative and using powers that destroy (in this case, perhaps the dangerous teachings of Ras?).
Overall, as angsty and heartbreaking as it'd be seeing Arin like this, it does make him so much more interesting. I am a lot more invested in him now that we've reached this point and I love it even more that it's something I didn't actually see coming, at least not entirely. Especially given the introduction of his character of being the "main hero" who is always optimistic and never quits. Would it be a story like that?
Nah, hopefully we'd be watching the origin story of a major villain unfold here.
Id be fine if hes evil for a while but turns good after a while.Yeah this feels really similair to Harumi is Lloyd going to have to go through that again?
Arin's development has been one of my favorite things in the show, where he has gotten his progression and then regression, leading to the potential for his development. One theory I have about Arin is that he is the Elemental Master of Motion but hasn't developed his powers as much as Sora. I state it being Motion due to how that speech from Egalt made me think that this could be his Element since it's integral to Spinjitzu. There is also how Motion can be transferred from one object to another, which explains his ability to transfer Spinjitzu to objects.
Dragons Rising is blowing me away, I'm so impressed by how incredible it's turned out to be.
Arin is one of the most relatable of the Ninja for me, due to his feelings of inadequacy about how easily the others can do what he can’t. His idols can use powers and do spinjitzu, Sora has powers. Frak has powers. Heck, Wyldfyre was able to solve the murder mystery, which was likely intentional as another way to show how lowly Arin feels
Wyldfyre just at finished what Arin started and I guess Arin is suppose to be the Ninjago version of Batman
The parallels between him and Morrow are insane
I love how when Arin does Spinjitzu (actual Spinjitzu), you can see glimpses of shatterspin in it. Just a neat visual way to show how even though he can do it now, something's not right about it.
16:56 Theres also Arin's "perfect spinjitzu" have energy that has the same colors as shatterspin,probably implying that he's shattering his soul.
But thats just a theory, a Ninjag theory
a GOOD theory
Agree with everything you said. S1 Arin didn’t wow me at the time, but seeing S2 really just shot him up as one of my favorite characters in Dragons Rising, and I can’t wait to see what they do with him next season
Arin is one of the best written characters in the whole ninjago franchise, argue with me, idc. He isn’t strong, he isn’t perfect, he isn’t good at much. He’s a teenager with SO many flaws.
Arin is a big ninja fan. And he thinks, that having a power will make him just like them. And the way he’s been isolated his whole life kinda ruins the way he socialises with them (he’s always talking about needing power.)
Comparing him with Sora, who has an
elemental power, she doubts herself BECAUSE she has elemental powers. She starts off super unenthusiastic about training, and doubtful about herself. She thinks her powers bring her nothing but bad luck on people and herself, until she ultimately learns that the power doesn’t define what bad happens her life, and starts to love her power, and herself. Arin however is the opposite.
He starts off enthusiastic until he starts thinking he isn’t good enough because he doesn’t equal to the others in power. He then starts to manifest being better at what he’s at by forcing spinjitzu. Even when he fails at his detective work, he thinks he failed his PARENTS.
He really shows how isolation can make or break you. And I love how they portray him. he isn’t generically strong like the others. He’s proof of obsession, aswell.
He kinda makes me think maybe this is the path Lloyd could have went on.Its very interesting.
@@TomTheCat29 true!
@@shatterlogy Its cool!
Anakin in revenge of the sith: I’m not the Jedi I am supposed to be
Arin in Ninjago Dragons Rising Season 2: I’m not the ninja I am supposed to be.
Arin and Lloyd’s relationship is kind of like Wu and Morro.
Wu at some point mentioned that there was a chance Morro could be the Green Ninja. Morro took it to heart and it became an obsession that brought out his worst qualities, ultimately leading him to his own demise.
Lloyd is someone Arin looks up. Lloyd tells Arin that he could become one of the greatest ninja ever and continues giving him hope for what the future holds for him. But after awhile a slow and almost non-existent progression Arin starts having doubts which eventually causes him to seek guidance from other sources. This so far has lead him to follow a much darker path in the foreseeable future.
Not to mention Lloyd and Wu (at the time) are still learning how to be a master\sensei constantly learning from their mistakes and victories.
Arin is for real going through a Luz Noceda character regression
If you pause at the right moment when Arin learned true Spinjitsu you can see that it is kind of black and red like Shatter Spin. Just pointing that out
From being a hero to a villain. It’s pretty interesting and pretty awesome. Season 3 should take things to the next level for Arin and maybe characters like Morro or Garmadon, would possibly return. Maybe Garmadon knew about Wu’s mistakes when the merge happened and would explain the situation to Lloyd and Morro would most likely ally with the ninja once he possibly escapes the departed realm… but yeah it’s really amazing. And maybe Arin might also bump into Harumi since she lost her parents and looked up to villains in order to get what she wants but later knowing the ugly truth. I feel like Arin would at some point know the ugly truth as well as Harumi.
Bendo always hits us with the most well-written video essays.
Arin is fantastic new character he second favorite character behind sora but I still love arin and what he went through in season 2 was amazing
the way i saw my favorite boy begin to fall down a terrible path.... NOOOOOO ARIN MY GOAT!!!!!! BUT ALSO YAYYYYYY MORE MESSY MCS
I really appreciate what they've done with arin because one of my own characters for a personal project follow a similar plot! They stay pretty stagnant in all of their abilities despite the story progressing, and instead of finding peace after all the big bads are defeated, they only become worse and soon leave behind everything that's been built up around them to try and satiate that sense of emptiness within them. I've found that it's a very interesting type of character to write, since you know you're supposed to root for them, but just how many bad decisions could they start to make you lose hope in them?
I love it when my favs become morally gray.
I Really Like Arin in Dragons Rising Season 1 But I Absolutely Loved Him in Dragons Rising Season 2 and I’m Super Excited to See What He’ll Be Up To with Lord Ras in Dragons Rising Season 3🥷🔥
I love the detail of his full spinjitsu having streaks of the shatter spin colours
This might be unrelated to the video, but it’s been on my mind. In Season 3, I’d love to see an episode or moments that explore the connection between Lloyd and Arin, especially regarding their childhood friendships. While Arin is still somewhat in his childhood, the show mentions it’s been "years" since the merge, so there’s definitely room for exploration.
I think Lloyd sees a lot of himself in Arin, and after Lloyd meets Frak and learns that he’s one of Arin’s childhood friends, it could really prompt some reflections. It would be interesting to see a flashback to young Lloyd at Darkley’s Boarding School for Bad Boys, perhaps featuring a scene with Brad that highlights their friendship. This parallel between Frak and Brad would emphasize the similarities in their experiences and deepen the connection between Lloyd and Arin. Just a fun thought I wanted to share with everyone!
i love arin's characyer, ninjago has never done something so risky, and i love it
I just realized how similar Arin is to Harumi. Both of them have lost their parents, and both of them feel like the Ninja have failed them. Harumi never saw the Emperor and Empress as her parents, and Arin doesn't see the Ninja as his family, at least not anymore. Harumi was blinded by her hatred and anger, whilst Arin is blinded by his desperation. And both of these characters have a gripe specifically aimed at Lloyd. Not only this, but Lloyd telling Arin that he'll be the strongest ninja ever, is also very similar to how Wu told Morro that he'll be the green ninja. Morro and Arin also eventually found their new master, for Morro it was the preeminent and for Arin it is Lord Ras. I think this direction for Arin is so interesting and can't wait to see more of him!
I hope they dont make Arin too mean too lloyd in season 3 Lloyd has suffered enough he doesnt need another Harumi.
@@TomTheCat29 i dont think i can i have much interaction
@@thanasisbrailas3636 what do you mean?
They gave Arin some amazing character development
They really did give him amazing development I can’t wait to see more of him in season 3
the ending of season 2 was so good!
17:36 cool detail that Arin’s Spinjitzu has hints of the red and black from shatterspin. His spirit is literally shattered, and next his goodness will be.
I was gonna comment it to and damn is it a good teaser
7:16 OMG ITS RESURRECTIONS FROM CELESTA. WHAT A GREAT CHOCIE OF SOUNDTRACK
Arin is one of my new favourite character
I’m very happy we have someone that understands how good of Character arin can be
In a way, Lloyd was the worst of all the ninja to Arin. As Egalt pointed out in Season 2, Lloyd was lying to Arin that he was doing great despite his setbacks. Ultimately Lloyd is too nice and kind a master (opposite of Ras) and accepting of failure (again direct opposite of Ras). Master Wu was balanced, he'd call out the ninja for their setbacks but treat them well and understand mistakes. I hope we see Lloyd realize this in season 3 and it possibly change how he views being a master to Sora and Wyldfyre. Great season overall.
Arins character is such a fresh breath of air for this series, dragons rising s2 is very quickly rising up to my personal top 5 favorite seasons (although they do really need to approach Zane and Pixal better...)
I felt the same way with Arin at first. I really liked what they did with Sora and Wyldfire but then there was Arin. With season 2, Arin as a character has gotten a lot more interesting. I am excited and curious what is in store for him.
me too! I cant wait!
Arin might be my favourite character from the new wave of characters coming out of dragons rising. He's literally me!
“The best ninja to ever live” is really the beginning of Lloyd’s unintentional lies, he doesn’t really look at Arin’s other strengths unless it helps the team ie his detective skills. On the other hand Sora’s strengths that she love absolutely help the team so it doesn’t feel like she’s being forced since she loves it so much, unlike Arin who’s not really into tech he’s more into more childish things and domestic such as his pies. How would those pies help the ninja? In Lloyd’s mind it’s a nice skill but not at all helpful to the mission whereas Sora’s tech can get them anywhere. Yes Lloyd absolutely sees himself in Arin but with Sora’s abilities it gives unintentional favoritism. Something similar to Master Wu and Garmadon to their father, the First Spinjitzu master.
Well I wouldn't call Arin's Strengths as childish I think the best description is humanely and Realistic Like the thing with the pies Sure it's sometimes weird but think about this way.
" Someone's having a bad day An Arin comes out of nowhere and offers them a pie To make them feel better and you know actually to build a bond betwin get to know each other just being nice to them"
The reason why Percival and Frak Change was because Arin had them Questioning the ways of the people they trusted. The thing I love about Arin the most is that he Technique the fish out of water character and love those like Anne or Luz but the thing He's ways are different and sometimes weird but they work in there own way. But the problem is that Lloyd has see So many issues get solved by more strong Actions then powerful Emotions And doesn't encourage Arin to find his on a way to do things to Embrace who he is Instead accidentally forcing an image on to him of that he should be and that there only one way to get there.
And the other ninja's don't exactly do much help for Arin as the do for Sora The ninja trust Sora's power & skills more than trust Arin's kindness & Uniqueness and Treat her like a true Game changer for team They are blind to Arin and that he can Truly Offer not just to the team but to the merge lands too.
@ I agree! I just had no other words on how to explain it! That last sentence you wrote was the best part, especially since they focus so much on Wyldfire and Sora because they actually have their elemental powers.
I was so excited when Arin actually followed through on his foreshadowing throughout the whole of DR. Most of the time when I see these signs of a character becoming more of a villain I’m entirely delusional and it never happens or maybe for one episode and they are immediately redeemed, and I was expecting the same from Ninjago, but all the foreshadowing and theming actually meant something and I could see Arin being an actual antagonist like you say. And this is a true twist that is hardly realized in media, where the protagonist set up actually becomes the antagonist!! I’m so excited for what’s to come! (That being said if anyone knows of any shows that have a twist protagonist into antagonist plz let me know it’s one of my favorite story types)
this arc is more brilliant because (if jay and arin both gets redeemed) they would be super relatable with eachother
Somethig I like about Arin and Llouds relationship is that it reminds me of Wo's and Moro's relationship, the master puts thoughts of being the best of the best in the minds of their students the idea slowly eats at them until they turn evil
In the beginning of season 2 Arin started feeling stale and uninteristing. But that makes his turn more belivable in hindsight. Because he was so annoyed about his lack of progress his frustration and turn to Ras's teachings frlt earned. And it wasn't Ras he suddendly started to obey. It was his childhood friend who gave him actually good advice.
it's really great seeing dragons rising take it's characters and bringing themin such surprising and great directions basically making fun of those cookie cutter arcs that most kids shows or even normal shows usually have. I'm also planning to make a video on dragons rising s2 (not on this accoun tho) and i'll be sure to touch a bit on this topic as it's really one of the best parts of the show. Speaking of which i wanted to ask if it'd be a problem if i used your idea of maing edits before talking about a character or arc (of course i'll make my own) as i really thing it's one of the highlights in your videos and a part i always look forward to. That said great video as always bendo!
Classic main fish out of water character.
If you seen amphibia,the owl house or maybe even the dragon prince you would know.
🐲💎🐍🌩
Amazing work I can tell you work hard on it.👍💯
Thanks for the heart it means a lot to me.👍
Arin is my favorite character in the new series. Folks don't give him a fair chance.
However, my only problem with him is his self-doubt, and all the impulsive or short-sighted actions that doubt led him to do.
Arin was always one of the most optimistic of the team, but his lack of improvement and the loss of his parents let his doubt consume everything did.
Arin's doubt is overwhelming him so much that he can't see the good in him.
Add in Ras' manipulative half-truths, Sora undermining his self-confidence, and discovering that Wu somehow caused the merge; this led Arin to doubt the very friends rooting him on.
This is beyond infuriating. Arin knows Ras can't be trusted, even warning Frak of that very thing. But he still listens, and buys in to every word Ras tells him. Even if Ras was truthful, it's obvious to anyone but Arin that he held back some crucial information.
So what if Wu caused the Merge?
How did he do it? What allowed him to do it? Did he intend to cause the Merge?
These are the questions Arin never stopped to think about.
Instead, he went off half-cocked, shut out everyone who cared about him, and sided with the biggest snake since Pythor.
Arin blaming the ninja for his lack of progression is just wrong. The ninja have to keep dealing with RAS' messes. If so many world-ending events weren't happening, maybe he'd actually get a chance to improve.
I've said this before, but I'll say it again: in episode 9 of the 2017-2018 mini-series "Decoded," the Ninja extrapolate on the core values of unlocking their true potentials from back in Season 1. Lloyd explains that his was that every team member has an equal responsibility, which puts pressure on Arin to do what he is expected to do. Nya's, however, was that failure is perfectly normal, and can even be good. Arin has been blindly following Lloyd's instructions, when maybe he should have been asking Nya for advice instead.
Sad fact:both times when Arin does perfected spinjutsu there are tiny flashes of the same reddish black in shatterspin maybe hinting towards him unlocking shatterspin setting him down into an even more dangerous path.
Also he might actually become one of the strongest ninja but mainly due to him being able to do spinjutsu and shatterspin which no one has done
Umm yeah you don't know what shatterspin is do you ? Or how it works ?
@@alexmc973 Explain please? I want to learn more about this show anyway
From how it explained it in the show it requires the user to shatter all goodness in their hearts. Arin is slowly going down the path of an antagonist who might learn shatterspin without the use of the mask.Arin was capable of learning spinjutsu without a teacher why not shatterspin with the help of Ras (the same person who’s second hand teachings managed to help Arin learn perfected spinjutsu)
@@chrissuxatgames2081 Shatterspin is a forbidden and highly developed version of Spinjitzu that was created by the Forbidden Five. Aside from its creators, this technique is only accessible to Elemental Masters wearing a Wolf Mask activated by the Gong and Mallet of Shattering,
@@alexmc973appreciate the explanation
Ngl, I like that Arin is just a normal kid, and I hope don’t end up giving him some sort of power bc I feel like that takes away from him.
Realistically, the “normal person swept into a magical world” would play out like that. Getting battered down bc the stakes are growing way higher than he can feasibly reach. Plus it just shows how abnormal the Ninjas/Sora’s lives have been.
It’s a reach and probably not gonna happen, but if they kept the idea of troupe reversals, it would be interesting to have the Ninja/Sora be faced with the idea that not everyone is like them. Not everyone is fine with leaving their family behind to go on adventures and not look back.
You’d think Lloyd would know better than to give his student such high expectations when he’s been possessed by the guy who was on the receiving end of that path.
I can see arin becoming a potential antagonist and thats super interesting to me cuz we haven’t seen ninjago do it like this. Dragons rising’s writing is such a breath of fresh air. The fact that ras has a lot of genuine points in his arguments makes me think that the ninja also won’t get around to him easy and thats also super interesting to me
I mean yeah I would expect arin to come back to his senses eventually but with how many times Dragons rising has subverted my expectations I really can't tell what to expect next
Lloyd: We could've protected the future together.
Arin: I don't think so.
After watching "Transformers One", I understood that reference.
And sometimes it makes me imagine that Arin has very similar vibes and is (slowly but gradually) becoming like Megatron, formerly known as D-16.
If you are going to see or have already seen the film (who I would dare to say is one of the best animated films of the year) you would understand it, and you will find certain similarities between both characters: Arin and D-16.
Arin is officially the most relatable character in Ninjago now
I feel like something that could (not really but who knows) happen in the next season or so is, Arin finally finds his parents but they end up dying, the ninjas can't save them and Arin successfully turns into a new villain for the ninjas
But yeah maybe that's a bit too far fetch
Wow again amazing summary, good job 👍
Arin's story arc kinda reminds me of Anakin's story arc now, how they are so similar, especially when you realise that, they were both heroes who wanted in desperation to get what they lost, and being deceived by another person, who offers them both strength to get what they wanted.
The writers looked at Anakin Skywalker and said "Yeah, I can cook with that."
And I say, let them cook
This is another awesome analysis, BendoBricks!
I had mixed feelings about Arin’s betrayal, but this video helped me see the good side of it in a story writing perspective and remember to better appreciate all of the intricate foreshadowing I and many other fans noticed.
I love the parallel of wu‘s first student morro and loyds first student Aaron
“That their nailing” WHAT ABOUT JAY😂😭💙always will be my favorite
What Frak taught Arin is familiar to the fighting skills of the Oni(on the contrary of the ninjas and dragons).So I think maybe Garmadon is a better teacher for Arin than lord Ras and Lloyd.Because he may make Arin powerful,but he will not corrupt Arin’s goodness.
While I at first didn’t like the dark blue as part of Arin’s colour scheme for his tournament suit it makes sense when watching the second half why it changed a small foreshadow to him leaving the ninja and joining Ras
I think Arin is quite similar to Anakin Skywalker. He starts on the path of the protagonists side, but by being manipulated by emperor palpatine ( Lord ras ), he turns to dark ambitions. Lloyd has similarities to Obi wan, guiding him to be a great Jedi/ninja, but in the end, his dark ambitions get the better of him. I think that Arin could be the main antagonist of dragons rising, with a constant rivalry between lloyd and Arin ( student and master!)
I love how history repeats with wu telling that Moro can become the green ninja and Loyld who wasn’t interested in being it becomes the green ninja. And now with Loyld telling arin that he can be the goat while sora who didn’t even care about being a ninja has just won the element tournament. The irony is that Loyld was possessed by Moro and failed to hear wu’s teachings of not placing high expectations. The Writers COOKED 🔥🔥🔥
Dude even tho I got spoiled for it, I was still SO IN SHOCK when it happened, I thought he was just like corrupted using magic but no of his own CHOICES AND RAS MANIPULATION???
I love how when Arin uses Spinjitzu there are Shatterspin spakrs, because it was thanks to Ras and what he taught to Frak.
I have a feeling Arin’s spinjitsu is slowly becoming shatterspin..
Same! If Arin dose learn shatterspin and uses agenst the Ninja EPIC BATTLE SHOWDOWN!!!
YESS SOMEONE ELSE WHO SEES IT. When he was able to do perfect spinjitsu there were bits of dark red in it which looked like shatterspin fragments
@@Gummybearsz EXACTLY
@@Random_User130YEAH
I think one of the main reasons why Arin isn't getting any better is because of Lloyd's mental health. In season one Arin's progress is very much shown, for example he unlocks object spinjitzu. But in season two, he doesn't get any better. During this time, Lloyd's mental health is in an all time low for him, he struggles to take care of himself by ignoring his needs of sleep in fear of the visions. Arin, who has this idea of Lloyd in season one and how Lloyd promised him so many things fails to come through with those promises. How can Lloyd, who could barely take care of himself, fulfill the promises that he made to Arin. Those are empty promises. Arin has every right to feel like Lloyd has failed him, because he HAS. Even if he did indirectly over something Lloyd couldn't control. Arin spiraling to this place of desperation where Lloyd has not helped him to grow his skills since S1, and when after a year of trying to get better, he suddenly gets better but only by Ras's method, its understandable that Arin now believes that Ras can be the one to help him find his parents. Lloyd giving Arin empty promises and not being able to fulfill them is frustrating for him, and of course after no progress with Lloyd, he goes to Ras who HAS helped him to unlock perfect spinjitzu through the opposite of Lloyd's teachings. The writers are doing amazing with Arin and im genuinely so excited how hes adressed, I really hope they dont play it as Arin is evil now!! because he just wants his parents, he is desperate. I also hope they address Lloyd being a bad master to Arin in a way that is understandable that it's not fully his fault, but still taking accountability for the pain he has caused towards arin due to his mental absence. Great video! I love how these are formatted and scripted!
I also like how people have compared Lloyd and Arin's dynamic with Wu's and Morro's.
JUST like Wu, Lloyd praised Arin and told him he could be something great pushing both Arin and Morro to break their limits and work harder to become that version of themselves their teachers portray. And how both Arin and Morro abandoned their masters of there own volition to head down a darker direction.
Though their stories and motivations are different, the parallels are still there and it's super interesting.
Arin's development is nearly identical to that of Anakin Skywalker's. Both are told that they are meant to do great things by those they looked up to. But when they get lied to or told empty promises at every turn, they go down a darker path. Eventually, they are willing to do whatever it takes to save those who they love, even if it means embracing their darker side.
fire video man keep it up
Dude raz is suck a good manipulator, like even *I* started to believe him
better than harumi
@@TomTheCat29 frr
@@orlastarburst Sorry dont get me wrong I Love hate Harumi she was awesome in sons of garmadon and I think she is a better character then Rass.I hate her cause Lloyds my favorite.But I cant deny she was well excuted.
@@TomTheCat29 same ngl
Like Herumi said:
“Desperate people take desperate actions”
yes indeed that is true.
Cynthia theme in the background is a nice touch.
Hopefully Arin learnt truth of merge and find his parents. And join back to ninjas team
Arin is one of my fav ninja but at the end if s2 it leaves you at the edge of your seat because he joined ras
Arin is a good guy and I fill bad for him because sora lied to Arin and La-loyd (Lloyd) gives Arin empty promises 😢
The LEGO Writing staff is just bafflingly good at their job. The Lego Movie, Lego Batman, Ninjago, Monkie Kid, every single one of those projects is hypercompetent.