I can see why you don't like Skylor in the 2nd half of ToE, but honestly I think that her changing sides shows how great of a character Kai is. As it eas because of Kai's loyalty to his friends that he resised Skylor's mind games, and that willingness to do the right also gave her the courage to go through with betraying her father. So that's why she's shocked when Kai succumbs to the powers of Chen's staff, as Kai was the only one who didn't give up on her and helped her change for the better. But with that being said, I do still think your take on Skylor is valid and I do wish that the writers utilised her more in other seasons, especially the ones where the ninja aren't protecting Ninjago.
I agree with practically everything you said here except for one thing: I do buy Skylor falling for Kai. She doesn’t buy his bullcrap, and is honestly a more grounded person than him. She balances out his ego by outsmarting him and seeing him for the total dork he really is. I feel like she saw it as a bit endearing that he thinks he’s got it all but is clueless. That’s just me anyway- but I can still totally see where you’re coming from. Great video as usual!
Chen is the perfect "silly villain", because despite his funny behavior, he's actually sort of creepy, and his actions reflect a much deeper and more calculating personality. This is paralleled by Clouse, who on the exterior is a cool, calculating assistant, but at heart is still the jealous boy who lost to Garmadon unfairly. Chen manipulating all of them, and so effectively, is fascinating to watch.
I actually don’t mind skylor allying with the ninja especially after she realizes that her father just sees her as a pawn and doesn’t really care about her, also I don’t mind kailor either I just wish in the later episodes of the season they developed an actual bond bc it feels a little rushed imo but there dynamic and chemistry in later seasons is great especially in crystallized. (one of the few character dynamics it did justice)
This was the first arc I ever watched of Ninjago, renting it from a library. Years later I watched it on Netflix for my summer binge watch along with the rest of the series. What a fantastic introduction to the series
A season that does something similiar to Tournament of Elements is Skybound which also slowly knocks out the Ninja from the main story and reveals secrets of Djinn's while the season goes on like Tiger Widow's Poison and what happens when a Djinn marries
I prefer Possession a bit more, but season four is a close second for me as the best season. It is just amazing from beginning to end. I really like the ending for scenes like Chen telling Skylor that he's done everything because he doesn't want to be "insignificant", Garmadon talking about how the real Anacondrai wanted peace, but Chen deceived both sides, and how the Anacondrai ghosts save the day, with them calling the ninja the greatest warriors in history.
14:20. Now that I think about it. Skylor becoming Kai’s love interest is like if Harumi actually had a redemption arc and became Lloyd’s love interest by the end of it.
Yeah, except for Harumi did a lot more than Skylor did and didn’t play into Kai’s fears directly like Harumi does. She does not hurt Kai on a personal level. Meanwhile Skylor just was on her father’s side because that’s all she’s ever known, while Harumi just wanted revenge on the ninja.
I remember when this first aired on Cartoon Network and the feeling of "what will happen next" was the reason I actually watched a full Ninjago Season. After that I became a Fan. What good first Impression.
One of the things I love about TOE is how they get to go all out on the martial arts for the ninja and the other elemental masters, I do agree on how the last part felt alright it would've been more cooler if it was to get the elemental masters to work with the ninja to show they have trust issues after what happened with Chen to make the final battle a lot more rewarding still a good season tho.
Tournament of elements will always be my fav season of ninjago the way it fleshes out the world and we see more elemental powers it so cool the only season the comes close to this for me is seabound
And don't forget the amazing lore that we got from garmadon flashback, i remember that i loved it when i first saw it and even now i still very like that flashbacks.
Another thing I loved about this season was how every character got a small arc. Many seasons focus on a specific ninja, but this season gave character development to everyone involved, including Nya and Garmadon. I loved the two subplots in this season: Cole helping everyone break out of the noodle factory, and Nya & Dareth attempting to infiltrate the island. Everything came together in Episode 7 for an explosive finale. Unfortunately the season went downhill after that, but it's still one of the best seasons ever made!
This season had it all - Robot zane - Wu - Garmadon - Engaging villan - Engaging villan sidekick what else would you want? Well, maybe flintlocke. FLINTLOCKE THEY DID YOU SO DIRTY. I MUST AVENGE YOU!
I completely agree about the last few episodes of the season. It’s always felt to me as if ToE suddenly abandoned all of its tournament and character aspects which makes it so great.
Glad I’m not the only soon to be adult still watching this show. I never watched past skybound when I was younger, but I started rewatching this show a month ago. Soon finished with season 5.
Tournament of Elements is tied with Sons of Garmadon as my favourite Ninjago season for many of the reasons you listed in this video. I personally don't mind the second half, since the season was clearly building up to it anyways and it still managed to keep up the high stakes of the first half. I agree with everything else tho
Really great video here! Tournament of Elements is probably my favourite season, and I love the way you highlighted its strengths and weaknesses. Would definitely be interested in a deep dive into this season. I really adore the tournament premise and how it builds intrigue and interesting character dynamics. The subplot of Garmadon's history with Chen, Clouse and the Anacondrai is great. Along with him having to sacrifice himself again is really tragic to see how he has to basically give up everything due to past decisions he regrets.
This was an awesome video it is nice to watch someone’s opinion on things like different seasons because I can see other people’s perspective also just to clear up any confusion I did already like tournament of elements.
Genuinely such a well-made analysis. Usually, when I see ninjago analysis videos, there's typically some bias or omitting of important information or rephrasing or misinterpreting of the show, but this is about as objective you can get. S4 was my favorite season as a child, and you've helped put into words why it feels like there's such a divide between the first half of the season and the second, all while acknowledging the season's biggest flaws. 10/10 video, will watch again
I really like how Kailor develops from Kai being a simp for Skylor and she's put off by him to an actual potential couple judging by the ending of Hunted
holy moly another masterpiece from bengoat bricks. this dude's analysis' are jus so deep and good bro. like a lot of stuff people ain't ever thought of like the whole skylar thing was amazingly put together into words. bengoat's videos are exactly what the ninjago community desperately needed for so many years man cuz this content is just top tier. wowzers.
Another great video, legit kinda opened my eyes on Skylor, haha. Would love to see your thoughts on Seabound or Hands of Time since those two are my personal favorites
@@ZeroJump yeah but I’d like to see some in depth reasons. I have my own reasons for liking hands of time and always like to see why ppl dislike it, because aside from a few dialogues and a few poorly animated scenes, I personally think it’s one of the best stories we’ve gotten
Most people seem to think that the Overlord is the Ninjago equivalent to Darth Sidious, but I would actually argue that Chen is a lot more close: Both of them are strategic geniuses playing two sides against each other to create a war for their own benefit (In Star Wars it's the Clone Wars, in Ninjago, it's the Serpentine Wars.), both of them had one of the heroes as their apprentice (in Star Wars, it's Anakin, in Ninjago, it's Garmadon.), both have a tendency to be very theatrical, especially with their laugh (Just look at all the TH-cam compilations of Palpatine laughing.), both of them steal other's power or energy at one point (Granted, with Palpatine, it happens in Rise of Skywalker, so...) and both of them wear cape-like clothing. This is so interesting because it shows the power of Chen's show: He tries to look all goofy and stupid on the outside, when in reality, he is this manipulating strategist. And he pulls off this facade so well, even the audience believes it.
you've completely summarized my love for ToE into words i couldnt before! the season knows how to unfold its drama and engage its audience while maintaining a wide cast of characters. chen being one for the dramatics himself is one of my favorite parts about him, it makes his plot and antics believably wacky and entertaining. another really good video!!
Ive been rewatching ninjago as I really only remember watching up yo season 7. When I got to touramemt of elements I got very exicted cause I remembered really liking it when I was younger
ToE has always been one of my favourite seasons, though I honestly like all the seasons. I don't have ones I dislike, like some people do. Just ones I like better, and ones I like a bit less better lol. I agree with most everything you said here, I would add one more though, the humour. Most of the public now completely downplays how important this is. How it adds to the charm. There is a new trend, especially in the USA, to make things so SERIOUS. Dark, gritty, distressing even. It just makes me YAWN, and I don't want to be disturbed. Some levity thrown in makes all the difference in the world, and makes you bond more with the characters. Sorry, this is a bit long, but I can't do a video to say the same things. Just a couple of things I don't agree with though, and I encounter this a lot in the fan base....what is with people thinking Kai is such a dork, and arrogant? lol. Truly, I'm just honestly baffled by this. I dunno, maybe I just have different taste? I'm autistic. Does that make a difference in how I am seeing his character? He's my favourite along with Garmadon. But I think people are totally misreading him all the time. He's not arrogant at all. Arrogant people think they are better than everyone else, and they are obnoxious, and immoral. Kai is a fundamentally good person, who is loyal to his loved ones, and always does the right thing, even if it's not in his personal best interest. He doesn't actually think he's better than anyone, he just has a healthy dose of self love, and that's a good thing. He also gets a bit insecure sometimes, and so likes to show off. Big deal. There are far worse things a person can do. When he sees Karloff trying to harass Skylor, and talks about honour, so fights Karloff, people think this is lame somehow, and Skylor says, 'I can handle myself'....well, I'm going to maybe piss some people off, and I'm a feminist also, but Yes, the 'strong, and independent female that can fight 'like a man', and doesn't need help ever'.....YAWN again. I'm so tired of this trope, and it's also totally false. Everyone needs help sometimes, and no, women are not as strong as men. There I said it. Yes, you can fight also, good for you. But a guy wanting to jump in and help doesn't make the woman 'weak', and it doesn't make him a dork, or sexist show off. It just means he has values. If only more people irl were like that. So things like that, if people are judging it, that just makes me roll my eyes so hard. I think his attitude is charming, and amusing. It's hilarious when he sees a portrait of himself and says 'SO handsome!' or is in the hospital, and chirps, 'Of course I'm in the hospital, my hair is SICK!' lol. Gold! Why am I saying this stuff? Cause it's bugged me for years, and well, it ties into the rest of it. I also don't see Skylor as a villain. I know she was meant to be, according to Chen's design, but it's actually explained later, and it makes sense to me. Yes, she was manipulating Kai initially, but not out of evil intentions, (and yes this matters, unlike cough, Harumi for example, hate her....) but as she later said, 'I have to obey my father', and 'He holds all the power'. She felt she had no choice. She didn't actively choose to do so. Her alternative was what? Risk jail or worse? She's stuck on this island with him, and his minions. She couldn't go against him, but once she made friends, she had the opportunity to do so. And yeah, she was starting to fall for Kai the whole time, but she was conflicted obviously. Her seeming like she was put off by his antics, was really her feeling guilt over what she knew she was doing. So it all makes sense really, and I don't see her as being this bad person. She did the right thing in the end, and I'm happy with their bond. What I do find a bit weird, is how little interaction they had throughout the rest of the series. Harumi in contrast, acted purely out of evil, is a total psycho, and imo, is totally irredeemable, and it makes me so angry that they had Lloyd still have feelings for her, AND try to redeem her at the end of Crystalized, but I digress.
Also often I see a villainous trio or duo that is antagonistic for a season of TV, but often one of them decides to turn good - this can be written well (the Flash season 4 did it very well I'd say) but it doesn't work for Skylor here. Edit: Past me is crazy what. Skylor is fine here. Decided that clearly she felt guilty about what she did with Kai, and was trapped by her father who didn't care about her, not really.
Sons of Grsmdon is my personal favorite season but tournament of elements is my second favorite and the only thing I would change would be that the second half would still focus on the tournament.
I love your analysis man. You’re good at picking apart what makes a story good, I would love to hear your ideas on how you would rewrite some Ninjago seasons, I’d definitely watch that if you made a video about it
I'd honestly be interested in seeing ur reviews on every Ninjago season (including Pilot season, Day of the Departed, & the Island) like how u did Crystalized
casual reminder that in crystalized they completely forgot about the crystals that could absorb powers from shen's island(who is tecnically skylor's property) and instead the ninja choose what got them arrested
I wish Tournament of Elements focused more on the Tournament, I know that sounds weird but the Tournament aspect was by far the most exciting story, instead it was just a battle royale and Round of 16 before Chen decides to yeet everyone. It just felt really disappointing, especially as in the end it was cut short for an underdeveloped Serpentine War. Also I have a major nitpick I cannot defend and find hard to forgive: 1. Why is it that the mystery to everything, about Chen stealing the powers of everyone was hidden under Kai's bed? Why would you make a bed that will reveal your secret plan to probably your most heroic opponent? If this didn't happen, Chen would most likely have succeeded. Other than that it's a good season, one of Ninjago's best. Note: also why did Shade run? He literally had no reason to, 😂 I can forgive this but it's so stupid.
I always excuse the bed plothole as Chen just wanting drama in the Tournament since he didn't only orchestrate the Tournament for his plans, but also for his own entertainment. And what would create more drama than a couple of contestants knowing that "There's something moreeeeee!" (Man, "Enter the Tournament" is such an underrated song!)
@@pjklockner5683 Yeah but then a villain handicapping his own plan for laughs doesn't exactly make him as cunning as the narrative sets him out to be, also if the villain doesn't take his plan seriously enough that he makes it fail for drama, why should the audience take him or his plan seriously?
@@TooSweet353 Considering that the Ninja knowing doesn't really seem to be an issue for Chen until the Tournament is already over anyway, I would say it makes him even more cunning: He may create his own problems, but that's just because he is able to deal with them. It is in-character for him to do something like this.
@@pjklockner5683 Uh... No. The Ninja knowing, led to the whole investigation in the first place, everything built-up to another. If the Ninja didn't know, Nya wouldn't have to sneak in and find out about the whole Anacondrai spell, Skylor would never be revealed abruptly as the spy, no seeds of doubt sewn among Tournament Members and the Ninja would very much have been too late to stop Chen from taking over Ninjago. Also having a simpler plan, handicapping it just to have a more complicated fix to the problem is very stupid and doesn't make Chen cunning at all, it makes him stupid. If I plan to go on a diet and exercise to get fit for a month, on the 1st week, I eat all sorts of junk food and gain lots of weight, just to revert and go back on the 2nd week to try to get back to the original plan, it's not me being cunning, it's me being stupid as I've made things needlessly hard for myself.
Can you do a video about season 5 Possesion? I think it’s a fan favorite. This season it’s a complete journey and the most cinematic of all of them. It was also cool that 80% of the season was only with the original 4 ninjas
i fully agree with what was said here, tournament of elements is a great season, the last 3 episodes just drag on and aren't captivating in the slightest
Really enjoyed the vid, actually inspired me to go binge it, but I was curious why you didn’t talk about any of the Zane elements or some of the really corny dialogue, I get it doesn’t relate specifically to the topic at hand but I felt it was an important aspect of the season
Kailor is the worst "canon" ship in the show. It just starts as: *Me boy you girl we kiss* 🦍 Then the finale and rest of the show goes with it. Doesnt change the fact I love TOE
Can you make a vidoe talking about how kai never truly had a focus season, he was the focus in the pilot but it's just a 44 minute special and not a season, he got season 4 and he had a great focus but it didn't really feel like a kai season, he was the focus in season 7 but he shared it with nya, s11 was marketed as a kai season but it's really not a kai season, fire chapter was a team season and the ice chapter was a Lloyd season, so yeh kai really deserves a stand alone season and I love to hear you're thoughts on it
About the plot, it's basically a kid friendly version of mortal kombat with klaus the shifty second in command sorcerer being most obvious example. Yet slighty off like the rest! Would you agree b.b.?
I'm pretty sure sky might've played along with her father's plan long as they didn't come between them. Garmadon=mr incredible,skylar=mirage,chen=syndrome! Else?
my favorite seasons are season 4 and 5 so i like that a lot of people think the same about this season. hoever, i would really like to hear your opinions on season 5, because i've been hearing a lot of mixed messages about the season online.
The ending in episode 8 should have been the ending of the season. Kai should have solved this seasons problem and Garmadon died too early in my opinion. The rest of the season was great
There’s a reason to on why Garmadon’s death happened, the writers think that there are TOO many senseis/masters. Which I find it to be really dumb since there’s like two present from the time. That’s what I found about 😓
Skyler start evil and didn't love Kai, after change, good personality, powers, story and look. New Skyler is a great hero, i wish see more, she is my second favorite charcher after Zane
Can you make a vidoe talking about how season 3 isn't really a Zane season cause it really felt like a team season with Zane having a little bit of a focus compared to the other ninjas
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 85 | คู่เอก "ยอดเหล็กเพชร vs ผึ้งหลวง"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Qq_19bnnxEo/mqdefault.jpg)
This is honestly the best example of how to do a tournament arc in any show.
They also do a great job with a possession arc to
S4 was best kai season kai vs ash
@@zerodiamond4206and a genie arc
I can see why you don't like Skylor in the 2nd half of ToE, but honestly I think that her changing sides shows how great of a character Kai is. As it eas because of Kai's loyalty to his friends that he resised Skylor's mind games, and that willingness to do the right also gave her the courage to go through with betraying her father. So that's why she's shocked when Kai succumbs to the powers of Chen's staff, as Kai was the only one who didn't give up on her and helped her change for the better.
But with that being said, I do still think your take on Skylor is valid and I do wish that the writers utilised her more in other seasons, especially the ones where the ninja aren't protecting Ninjago.
Yeah such as in the ice chapter or Prime empire or any wildbrain seasons for the most part
I agree with practically everything you said here except for one thing:
I do buy Skylor falling for Kai.
She doesn’t buy his bullcrap, and is honestly a more grounded person than him. She balances out his ego by outsmarting him and seeing him for the total dork he really is. I feel like she saw it as a bit endearing that he thinks he’s got it all but is clueless. That’s just me anyway- but I can still totally see where you’re coming from.
Great video as usual!
And I also think it shows how good of a character Kai is, as he doesn't change his ideals to be with her, and Skylor has to rethink hers instead.
@@dangerbuffrocky That’s such a great point too!
Can’t believe *the* Rocky Dangerbuff replied to me, that’s crazy
I feel like she appreciates how he isn’t hiding behind any sort of facade like everyone else she knows. Kai kind of wears his heart on his sleeve
Tournament of Elements has one of my favourite and most charismatic villains i've seen in any TV series. I freaking love Chen.
He does love his buttons.
Chen is the perfect "silly villain", because despite his funny behavior, he's actually sort of creepy, and his actions reflect a much deeper and more calculating personality. This is paralleled by Clouse, who on the exterior is a cool, calculating assistant, but at heart is still the jealous boy who lost to Garmadon unfairly. Chen manipulating all of them, and so effectively, is fascinating to watch.
Gotta appreciate the spoiler warning for a season that’s 8 years old (I’m being serious btw)
Bro people can't find that season anywhere some people still wouldn't have watched it if it weren't for the Ninjago media project
@@Crystalz-OnYTwhat do you mean? Almost all of Ninjago (including tournament of elements) are on Netflix.
"For free" left the chat.
Im sorry if that sounded rude
@@Crystalz-OnYTit’s on Netflix lol
One more thing I love about the season is its outstanding antagonistic force and the usage of the Nya and Dareth B plot
I actually don’t mind skylor allying with the ninja especially after she realizes that her father just sees her as a pawn and doesn’t really care about her, also I don’t mind kailor either I just wish in the later episodes of the season they developed an actual bond bc it feels a little rushed imo but there dynamic and chemistry in later seasons is great especially in crystallized. (one of the few character dynamics it did justice)
This was the first arc I ever watched of Ninjago, renting it from a library. Years later I watched it on Netflix for my summer binge watch along with the rest of the series. What a fantastic introduction to the series
A season that does something similiar to Tournament of Elements is Skybound which also slowly knocks out the Ninja from the main story and reveals secrets of Djinn's while the season goes on like Tiger Widow's Poison and what happens when a Djinn marries
Yeah but the ending makes it a waste
no it fartin doesnt
@@shewannameetcarti7070 yes it fucking does
if you saw the ending then it happened
I prefer Possession a bit more, but season four is a close second for me as the best season. It is just amazing from beginning to end. I really like the ending for scenes like Chen telling Skylor that he's done everything because he doesn't want to be "insignificant", Garmadon talking about how the real Anacondrai wanted peace, but Chen deceived both sides, and how the Anacondrai ghosts save the day, with them calling the ninja the greatest warriors in history.
14:20. Now that I think about it. Skylor becoming Kai’s love interest is like if Harumi actually had a redemption arc and became Lloyd’s love interest by the end of it.
Yeah, except for Harumi did a lot more than Skylor did and didn’t play into Kai’s fears directly like Harumi does. She does not hurt Kai on a personal level. Meanwhile Skylor just was on her father’s side because that’s all she’s ever known, while Harumi just wanted revenge on the ninja.
I remember when this first aired on Cartoon Network and the feeling of "what will happen next" was the reason I actually watched a full Ninjago Season. After that I became a Fan. What good first Impression.
One of the things I love about TOE is how they get to go all out on the martial arts for the ninja and the other elemental masters, I do agree on how the last part felt alright it would've been more cooler if it was to get the elemental masters to work with the ninja to show they have trust issues after what happened with Chen to make the final battle a lot more rewarding still a good season tho.
Tournament of elements will always be my fav season of ninjago the way it fleshes out the world and we see more elemental powers it so cool the only season the comes close to this for me is seabound
S.A.M.E.
And don't forget the amazing lore that we got from garmadon flashback, i remember that i loved it when i first saw it and even now i still very like that flashbacks.
Another thing I loved about this season was how every character got a small arc. Many seasons focus on a specific ninja, but this season gave character development to everyone involved, including Nya and Garmadon. I loved the two subplots in this season: Cole helping everyone break out of the noodle factory, and Nya & Dareth attempting to infiltrate the island. Everything came together in Episode 7 for an explosive finale. Unfortunately the season went downhill after that, but it's still one of the best seasons ever made!
This season had it all
- Robot zane
- Wu
- Garmadon
- Engaging villan
- Engaging villan sidekick
what else would you want? Well, maybe flintlocke. FLINTLOCKE THEY DID YOU SO DIRTY. I MUST AVENGE YOU!
I can't believe you haven't covered Possession yet. Would absolutely love to hear your take on the season!
Possession is my favorite season of all
I completely agree about the last few episodes of the season. It’s always felt to me as if ToE suddenly abandoned all of its tournament and character aspects which makes it so great.
Glad I’m not the only soon to be adult still watching this show. I never watched past skybound when I was younger, but I started rewatching this show a month ago. Soon finished with season 5.
17:10 YES! Definitely interested, in fact I wish you make one for most seasons
Tournament of Elements is tied with Sons of Garmadon as my favourite Ninjago season for many of the reasons you listed in this video. I personally don't mind the second half, since the season was clearly building up to it anyways and it still managed to keep up the high stakes of the first half. I agree with everything else tho
Really great video here! Tournament of Elements is probably my favourite season, and I love the way you highlighted its strengths and weaknesses. Would definitely be interested in a deep dive into this season.
I really adore the tournament premise and how it builds intrigue and interesting character dynamics. The subplot of Garmadon's history with Chen, Clouse and the Anacondrai is great. Along with him having to sacrifice himself again is really tragic to see how he has to basically give up everything due to past decisions he regrets.
This is honestly so true❤
This was an awesome video it is nice to watch someone’s opinion on things like different seasons because I can see other people’s perspective also just to clear up any confusion I did already like tournament of elements.
I feel like SoG is the best season but ToE is the most entertaining. I always liked the ending a lot more than most people.
Genuinely such a well-made analysis. Usually, when I see ninjago analysis videos, there's typically some bias or omitting of important information or rephrasing or misinterpreting of the show, but this is about as objective you can get. S4 was my favorite season as a child, and you've helped put into words why it feels like there's such a divide between the first half of the season and the second, all while acknowledging the season's biggest flaws. 10/10 video, will watch again
When a season is so good that you have to overly inflate a minor thing into a huge problem to get the usual "problems with" part of the video made.
Unpopular opinion: tournament of elements>possession
I really like how Kailor develops from Kai being a simp for Skylor and she's put off by him to an actual potential couple judging by the ending of Hunted
Another spintacular video Bendo! I think another great title for this would the "The Element of Engagement"
holy moly another masterpiece from bengoat bricks. this dude's analysis' are jus so deep and good bro. like a lot of stuff people ain't ever thought of like the whole skylar thing was amazingly put together into words. bengoat's videos are exactly what the ninjago community desperately needed for so many years man cuz this content is just top tier. wowzers.
Kai Launching skylar with just his arm Kai is absolutely strong when throwing skylar; he is a blade user often.
Great video! Really impressed by that take on Skylor,never heard it before
Another great video, legit kinda opened my eyes on Skylor, haha. Would love to see your thoughts on Seabound or Hands of Time since those two are my personal favorites
@@ZeroJump yeah but I’d like to see some in depth reasons. I have my own reasons for liking hands of time and always like to see why ppl dislike it, because aside from a few dialogues and a few poorly animated scenes, I personally think it’s one of the best stories we’ve gotten
would absolutely love a long video essay of this season like the crystalized one!
Most people seem to think that the Overlord is the Ninjago equivalent to Darth Sidious, but I would actually argue that Chen is a lot more close: Both of them are strategic geniuses playing two sides against each other to create a war for their own benefit (In Star Wars it's the Clone Wars, in Ninjago, it's the Serpentine Wars.), both of them had one of the heroes as their apprentice (in Star Wars, it's Anakin, in Ninjago, it's Garmadon.), both have a tendency to be very theatrical, especially with their laugh (Just look at all the TH-cam compilations of Palpatine laughing.), both of them steal other's power or energy at one point (Granted, with Palpatine, it happens in Rise of Skywalker, so...) and both of them wear cape-like clothing.
This is so interesting because it shows the power of Chen's show: He tries to look all goofy and stupid on the outside, when in reality, he is this manipulating strategist. And he pulls off this facade so well, even the audience believes it.
fellow star wars fan, i agree. lets start hating on the sequels again tho
you've completely summarized my love for ToE into words i couldnt before! the season knows how to unfold its drama and engage its audience while maintaining a wide cast of characters. chen being one for the dramatics himself is one of my favorite parts about him, it makes his plot and antics believably wacky and entertaining. another really good video!!
My favorite Ninjago season. Its just so amazing
Love this review! Finally my video isn’t alone on this. Thanks for giving this season more attention!
Ive been rewatching ninjago as I really only remember watching up yo season 7.
When I got to touramemt of elements I got very exicted cause I remembered really liking it when I was younger
ToE has always been one of my favourite seasons, though I honestly like all the seasons. I don't have ones I dislike, like some people do. Just ones I like better, and ones I like a bit less better lol.
I agree with most everything you said here, I would add one more though, the humour. Most of the public now completely downplays how important this is. How it adds to the charm. There is a new trend, especially in the USA, to make things so SERIOUS. Dark, gritty, distressing even. It just makes me YAWN, and I don't want to be disturbed. Some levity thrown in makes all the difference in the world, and makes you bond more with the characters. Sorry, this is a bit long, but I can't do a video to say the same things.
Just a couple of things I don't agree with though, and I encounter this a lot in the fan base....what is with people thinking Kai is such a dork, and arrogant? lol. Truly, I'm just honestly baffled by this. I dunno, maybe I just have different taste? I'm autistic. Does that make a difference in how I am seeing his character? He's my favourite along with Garmadon. But I think people are totally misreading him all the time. He's not arrogant at all. Arrogant people think they are better than everyone else, and they are obnoxious, and immoral. Kai is a fundamentally good person, who is loyal to his loved ones, and always does the right thing, even if it's not in his personal best interest. He doesn't actually think he's better than anyone, he just has a healthy dose of self love, and that's a good thing. He also gets a bit insecure sometimes, and so likes to show off. Big deal. There are far worse things a person can do. When he sees Karloff trying to harass Skylor, and talks about honour, so fights Karloff, people think this is lame somehow, and Skylor says, 'I can handle myself'....well, I'm going to maybe piss some people off, and I'm a feminist also, but Yes, the 'strong, and independent female that can fight 'like a man', and doesn't need help ever'.....YAWN again. I'm so tired of this trope, and it's also totally false. Everyone needs help sometimes, and no, women are not as strong as men. There I said it. Yes, you can fight also, good for you. But a guy wanting to jump in and help doesn't make the woman 'weak', and it doesn't make him a dork, or sexist show off. It just means he has values. If only more people irl were like that. So things like that, if people are judging it, that just makes me roll my eyes so hard. I think his attitude is charming, and amusing. It's hilarious when he sees a portrait of himself and says 'SO handsome!' or is in the hospital, and chirps, 'Of course I'm in the hospital, my hair is SICK!' lol. Gold! Why am I saying this stuff? Cause it's bugged me for years, and well, it ties into the rest of it.
I also don't see Skylor as a villain. I know she was meant to be, according to Chen's design, but it's actually explained later, and it makes sense to me. Yes, she was manipulating Kai initially, but not out of evil intentions, (and yes this matters, unlike cough, Harumi for example, hate her....) but as she later said, 'I have to obey my father', and 'He holds all the power'. She felt she had no choice. She didn't actively choose to do so. Her alternative was what? Risk jail or worse? She's stuck on this island with him, and his minions. She couldn't go against him, but once she made friends, she had the opportunity to do so. And yeah, she was starting to fall for Kai the whole time, but she was conflicted obviously. Her seeming like she was put off by his antics, was really her feeling guilt over what she knew she was doing. So it all makes sense really, and I don't see her as being this bad person. She did the right thing in the end, and I'm happy with their bond. What I do find a bit weird, is how little interaction they had throughout the rest of the series. Harumi in contrast, acted purely out of evil, is a total psycho, and imo, is totally irredeemable, and it makes me so angry that they had Lloyd still have feelings for her, AND try to redeem her at the end of Crystalized, but I digress.
I just love tournament arcs in general so entertaining
An 8 year old season is better than most shows/movies these days
I LOVEd the archs in ninjagos TOEs
not in the bad way
you made me realise why i love this season so much!
Chen is my guy.
Such a unique villain even outside of Ninjago.
Just subbed! I love your video essays on the show. It's a nice way to jump back into Ninjago.
Also often I see a villainous trio or duo that is antagonistic for a season of TV, but often one of them decides to turn good - this can be written well (the Flash season 4 did it very well I'd say) but it doesn't work for Skylor here.
Edit: Past me is crazy what. Skylor is fine here. Decided that clearly she felt guilty about what she did with Kai, and was trapped by her father who didn't care about her, not really.
I would definitely be interested in a long form ToE video
Great video essay man, absolutely love tournament of elements
Sons of Grsmdon is my personal favorite season but tournament of elements is my second favorite and the only thing I would change would be that the second half would still focus on the tournament.
Can’t wait for the monkie kid S4 special
10 year old me was obsessed with this season
Gen 5 music is always such a joy to listen to =)
I love your analysis man. You’re good at picking apart what makes a story good, I would love to hear your ideas on how you would rewrite some Ninjago seasons, I’d definitely watch that if you made a video about it
I'd honestly be interested in seeing ur reviews on every Ninjago season (including Pilot season, Day of the Departed, & the Island) like how u did Crystalized
this is to this day my favourite ninjago season lmao
that roller rink episode did not need to go that hard
This was the GOAT of Ninjago seasons because after the revival season the writers needed to cook
This season also had a fun af mobile games I don’t know if anyone else remember
Possession and TOE are the best IMO with skybound being close behind
My favorite season
casual reminder that in crystalized they completely forgot about the crystals that could absorb powers from shen's island(who is tecnically skylor's property) and instead the ninja choose what got them arrested
I wish Tournament of Elements focused more on the Tournament, I know that sounds weird but the Tournament aspect was by far the most exciting story, instead it was just a battle royale and Round of 16 before Chen decides to yeet everyone. It just felt really disappointing, especially as in the end it was cut short for an underdeveloped Serpentine War.
Also I have a major nitpick I cannot defend and find hard to forgive:
1. Why is it that the mystery to everything, about Chen stealing the powers of everyone was hidden under Kai's bed? Why would you make a bed that will reveal your secret plan to probably your most heroic opponent? If this didn't happen, Chen would most likely have succeeded.
Other than that it's a good season, one of Ninjago's best.
Note: also why did Shade run? He literally had no reason to, 😂 I can forgive this but it's so stupid.
I always excuse the bed plothole as Chen just wanting drama in the Tournament since he didn't only orchestrate the Tournament for his plans, but also for his own entertainment. And what would create more drama than a couple of contestants knowing that "There's something moreeeeee!" (Man, "Enter the Tournament" is such an underrated song!)
@@pjklockner5683 Yeah but then a villain handicapping his own plan for laughs doesn't exactly make him as cunning as the narrative sets him out to be, also if the villain doesn't take his plan seriously enough that he makes it fail for drama, why should the audience take him or his plan seriously?
@@TooSweet353 Considering that the Ninja knowing doesn't really seem to be an issue for Chen until the Tournament is already over anyway, I would say it makes him even more cunning: He may create his own problems, but that's just because he is able to deal with them. It is in-character for him to do something like this.
@@pjklockner5683 Uh... No. The Ninja knowing, led to the whole investigation in the first place, everything built-up to another.
If the Ninja didn't know, Nya wouldn't have to sneak in and find out about the whole Anacondrai spell, Skylor would never be revealed abruptly as the spy, no seeds of doubt sewn among Tournament Members and the Ninja would very much have been too late to stop Chen from taking over Ninjago.
Also having a simpler plan, handicapping it just to have a more complicated fix to the problem is very stupid and doesn't make Chen cunning at all, it makes him stupid.
If I plan to go on a diet and exercise to get fit for a month, on the 1st week, I eat all sorts of junk food and gain lots of weight, just to revert and go back on the 2nd week to try to get back to the original plan, it's not me being cunning, it's me being stupid as I've made things needlessly hard for myself.
Can you do a video about season 5 Possesion? I think it’s a fan favorite. This season it’s a complete journey and the most cinematic of all of them. It was also cool that 80% of the season was only with the original 4 ninjas
i fully agree with what was said here, tournament of elements is a great season, the last 3 episodes just drag on and aren't captivating in the slightest
OH MY GOD LITTLEBIGPLANET MUSIC AT THE START
Really enjoyed the vid, actually inspired me to go binge it, but I was curious why you didn’t talk about any of the Zane elements or some of the really corny dialogue, I get it doesn’t relate specifically to the topic at hand but I felt it was an important aspect of the season
What happens if you lose? "No one wants to lose, do they?"
You should do a video on talking on some of the evilest villians, such as Kalmar, vex, and iron baron
Nice vid bro❤
Tornament of Elements is the definition of what Ninjago is trying to do today… suprisingly Dragons Rising might rival this season.
Kailor is the worst "canon" ship in the show. It just starts as:
*Me boy you girl we kiss* 🦍
Then the finale and rest of the show goes with it. Doesnt change the fact I love TOE
Can you do Possession or Hunted?
ToE is like the Steel Ball Run of Ninjago, but only the "undisputed best piece of its series"
Nice use of the LittleBigPlanet music :)
Can you make a vidoe talking about how kai never truly had a focus season, he was the focus in the pilot but it's just a 44 minute special and not a season, he got season 4 and he had a great focus but it didn't really feel like a kai season, he was the focus in season 7 but he shared it with nya, s11 was marketed as a kai season but it's really not a kai season, fire chapter was a team season and the ice chapter was a Lloyd season, so yeh kai really deserves a stand alone season and I love to hear you're thoughts on it
great video
Best seasion of Ninjago let’s go!!!!!!!! Chens noodles boi!!!!!!
About the plot, it's basically a kid friendly version of mortal kombat with klaus the shifty second in command sorcerer being most obvious example. Yet slighty off like the rest! Would you agree b.b.?
im just commenting to say your choices for music are based as fuck
I'm pretty sure sky might've played along with her father's plan long as they didn't come between them. Garmadon=mr incredible,skylar=mirage,chen=syndrome! Else?
my favorite seasons are season 4 and 5 so i like that a lot of people think the same about this season. hoever, i would really like to hear your opinions on season 5, because i've been hearing a lot of mixed messages about the season online.
But they love each other Kai still likes her after all she did become, good
The ending in episode 8 should have been the ending of the season. Kai should have solved this seasons problem and Garmadon died too early in my opinion. The rest of the season was great
There’s a reason to on why Garmadon’s death happened, the writers think that there are TOO many senseis/masters. Which I find it to be really dumb since there’s like two present from the time. That’s what I found about 😓
Skyler start evil and didn't love Kai, after change, good personality, powers, story and look. New Skyler is a great hero, i wish see more, she is my second favorite charcher after Zane
Having a longer toe video would be cool
Eh I might aswell do a re-watch on a staple of my childhood.
omg bengoat bricks uploaded a new vid omg i actually pooped my pants for the first time
Hot take: Ninja Ball Run was the best episode of the season. And I'm totally not saying it because it was my first time watching a Ninjago episode.
I mostly like ,,The forgotten element,,
@@prek8232 yeah, if I was unbiased I would say the same thing.
Pokemon music
another bendo banger
Tournaments of elements or possession? i think ill have to go with possession because of the ending and carry over into the next season.
Bendo, I know it’s unrelated, but do you have any negative thoughts on lmk season 4 special? It’s one of the best things I’ve ever watched
Can you make a vidoe talking about how season 3 isn't really a Zane season cause it really felt like a team season with Zane having a little bit of a focus compared to the other ninjas
The fall off in the last few episodes is crazy
For my current opinion I like this season. But when I first watched this season and possession, it scared me and I didn't want to watch it lol
I hated that my…hubby sacrifices, himself!
dude how are your analyses so well made aaajdjfjdxcsdf