Ten years of LEGO NINJAGO!
Posted by CapnRex101,
NINJAGO was introduced during 2011, following the heroic exploits of talented ninja and quickly becoming exceedingly popular to surpass even LEGO's own expectations for its success!
This extraordinary theme is now celebrating its tenth anniversary and encompasses more than four hundred sets between NINJAGO and The LEGO NINJAGO Movie.
View the official press release with a timeline of NINJAGO history after the break and watch for further NINJAGO articles throughout the day...
The LEGO Group calls on all masters of Spinjitzu to celebrate a decade of LEGO NINJAGO with the launch of a LEGO retail exclusive set, exciting collaborations and a nostalgic look back at some of the theme’s key milestones.
In 2011, the LEGO NINJAGO journey started and changed the lives of children all over the world. Today, the LEGO Group is commemorating ten years of the beloved range that continues to inspire children and teens to re-enact and build epic scenes while developing their ninja skills.
Many kids have grown up with LEGO NINJAGO and the LEGO NINJAGO Masters of Spinjitzu television series, where Master Wu and the ninja Kai, Cole, Zane, Jay, Lloyd and Nya have taught them valuable lessons about life, while using their courageous ninja skills to fight the forces of evil.
In a world where many children and young adults feel insecure and an intense pressure to live up to expectations, NINJAGO has taught fans how to master ninja skills or “Be Ninja” in real life, teaching them values of inclusivity, friendship, confidence, and staying true to oneself. Through its stories and morals, as well as its building and play experiences, NINJAGO has positively influenced fans and helped them navigate the path into young adulthood and its many challenges. “There comes a time when we all must grow up. When that time comes, it's important not to forget the lessons of our childhood. Because our childhood is the greatest training ground one will ever have.” – Master Wu.
‘’It has been an amazing journey to see a product range turn into something that kids have enjoyed for 10 years,” says Michael Svane Knap, Design Manager at the LEGO Group, who has been working on the LEGO NINJAGO product line since 2013. “Some have grown up with LEGO NINJAGO and are now expressing their gratitude and telling us how they have learned lifelong skills. In my opinion, that is the best thing about LEGO NINJAGO. Kids learn about friendship, confidence and much more... And of course, that ninjas are cool!’’ he adds.
Beyond the pilots and 13 TV show seasons and several mini-movies, the franchise has included an abundance of different LEGO sets and merchandise, several video games and app games, a movie, magazines, colouring books, graphic novels, children's books, hotel rooms and a theme park ride at LEGOLAND.
“Originally, the NINJAGO theme was supposed to end after season 2 in 2012,” says Tommy Andreasen, Sr. Manager, Entertainment Development at the LEGO Group, who worked on the LEGO NINJAGO product line and show from the beginning. However, sets of the theme were still planned to be on sale throughout 2013. The continued success led to both the TV series and products continuing to the current day. “It just shows an incredible commitment from our fans that we are still going strong 10 years later,” he adds.
Marking the 10th anniversary, the LEGO Group is releasing 11 LEGACY sets throughout 2021. As an added bonus, six of the LEGACY sets comes with a limited edition collectible golden ninja minifigure. February 1st sees a LEGO retail exclusive three-level LEGO NINJAGO City Gardens set launch as a true tribute to a decade of NINJAGO. The set showcases some of the main moments of the TV series and includes a golden Master Wu.
Moreover, the LEGO Group is teaming up with stylish streetwear and clothing brands to create special anniversary merchandise collections. The first collaboration is LEGO NINJAGO x HYPE, which was revealed last week and will launch on January 15th. The inspiration behind the streetwear collection was the futuristic and colourful city ‘the Prime Empire’ from the 2020 LEGO NINJAGO TV series. Exciting collaborations with several other clothing brands will be coming soon and are not to be missed.
On www.LEGO.com/ninjago10anniversary there will be anniversary content telling the story of LEGO NINJAGO through the years and showcasing amazing fan created content including fan art, LEGO builds and toy photography. LEGO House will also mark the occasion by hosting an in-depth exhibition celebrating ten years of NINJAGO fandom.
Have you been a NINJAGO fan since the beginning? I still remember purchasing 2504 Spinjitzu Dojo and 2505 Garmadon's Dark Fortress on the 1st of January, 2011!
Look out for more NINJAGO articles throughout the day.
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36 comments on this article
2019 added fractions?
I'm definitely of those who prefer the story-less Ninja themes from long ago. One of the issues with licenses is that you end up having so many copies of the main characters, which in term of regular sets can become annoying once you buy into a line. It was a nice way to reach young kids though, in a way only Bionicle had done before: it's an engaging theme with tons of content. So I'll do give the merits it deserves. The movie was alright, but the 3 sets released from it are fantastic, and every modular fan probably has this Asian-looking district by now.
Now the obvious questions are: since it was an inspiration for Monkie Kid and to some extent Hidden Side, are those doing quite as well, or was it just a stroke of luck/genius that made good use of the specific theme of ninjas in a modern setting?
In my opinion the best set in the series is still the Temple of Airjitzu D2C, it was near faultless and had incredible building techniques
At the beginning I hated NINJAGO but after years I came to peace with the theme specially after some really nice sets. But still, I have some mix feelings because I feel that NINJAGO is the reason for TLG never bring Castle Theme (My favorite) back.
the season 14 set images are out in HD. they should be included with this press release, but they are up on thebrickfan.com!
I was just finishing middle school when Ninjago began, and now I'm almost done with college, and throughout all of those 10 years Ninjago has been something I've looked forward to every single year. Sure, Ninjago has had its ups and downs and times of inconsistency, but despite all that I still love the theme and where it has went.
The entire team of product designers, voice actors, directors, and everyone behind Ninjago should be really proud of themselves for delivering a theme that made thousands upon thousands of children's childhoods awesome.
@Samie said:
"At the beginning I hated NINJAGO but after years I came to peace with the theme specially after some really nice sets. But still, I have some mix feelings because I feel that NINJAGO is the reason for TLG never bring Castle Theme (My favorite) back."
Medieval Castle coming next summer with the creator line ;)
Happy birthday Ninjago, a toast for 10 more years!
Ninjago had a good run, but I feel like they should end the line relatively soon. The fact that we aren't getting nearly as much original action-adventure themes nowdays is because Ninjago takes up most of the market space in that category... which is not a good thing in my opinion. Still, I do respect the line and everything it has achieved so far, even if I still have my own personal issues with it.
Ninjago is just so good right now. Every year they keep making headway in every way for the Lego system. Certainly fewer combat based sets and more sets like this are great for growth...now, to get the idea into more affordable sets.
I can’t wait for the next ten years and hopefully lego will be able to free itself from its licensed theme addiction...ughggg!!
You count me as one of those who grew up with Ninjago. I still remember when my friend received 2258 as a gift from his aunt and brought it to my house so we could build it together. Not long after that I got my own first Ninjago set in the form of 2260.
I have a lot of good memories tied with this theme.
Am reminded of a comment I read somewhere that ninjago makes for a good "incubator" theme for ideas that would not hold up on their own as playthemes. I think that's what I like most about the theme overall. Wouldn't have gotten cool/fun stuff like sky pirates without it!
Happy Birthday Ninjago! Love your mechs, keep'em comin'! ;)
Some very happy little ninjas in this household who are looking forward to reading brickset throughout the day!
that concept art for season 11.... I need more of that. the truck jay is driving looks amazing!
Well, I am really happy that I collected all first wave ninja spinners, as well as the second wave with dragon torsos, which was not quite easy, because as far as I know, tha Dragon Jay spinner was only in skeleton bowling set 2519, or as I got it in multipack 66383. With 2254 and spinjitzu monastery, that was a nice way to collect all golden weapons. I did not buy any other series, but I like what they did with legacy sets, I have few smaller of them, like 70666 golden dragon and 70680. Only thing I regret, is that I did not bought the big Destiny Bounty when it was available.
I will always find a space for the temples 2507, 70505, 70643, 70728, fantastic dragons and other sets. But there are just too many hi-tech vehicles and mechs for me, although I understand that these are the main appeal for the kids who are the main audience and to tie in with the cartoons.
@ambr said:
"I will always find a space for the temples 2507, 70505, 70643, 70728, fantastic dragons and other sets. But there are just too many hi-tech vehicles and mechs for me, although I understand that these are the main appeal for the kids who are the main audience and to tie in with the cartoons. "
Absolutely - the temples are so well designed you are spoilt for choice and the value of the larger sets tends to be pretty good too.
@LegoDavid said:
"Ninjago had a good run, but I feel like they should end the line relatively soon. The fact that we aren't getting nearly as much original action-adventure themes nowdays is because Ninjago takes up most of the market space in that category... which is not a good thing in my opinion. Still, I do respect the line and everything it has achieved so far, even if I still have my own personal issues with it.
"
It’s still doing sooo well though (the Lego products that is)
I remember watching the pilot episodes with my family (and the rest of the series) and some of my first sets being Ninjago. I have the original Golden Dragon and it still stands proudly on display on my desk; the Golden Ninja minifigure is still in my opinion one of the best minifigures ever made. Happy 10 years Ninjago!
@Phoenixio said:
"I'm definitely of those who prefer the story-less Ninja themes from long ago. One of the issues with licenses is that you end up having so many copies of the main characters, which in term of regular sets can become annoying once you buy into a line. "
Just make factions of them. I did that with all my kais who are Fire masters in my lore. Costumes represents ranks or a job.
Congratulations Ninjago!
In it’s 10 year span, nothing has ever beat out the OG season one spinners
I think this is all good for Ninjago fans and it is an appropriate way to celebrate 10 years. What is however deplorable to the highest level is the pitiful 1x3 beam produced for the 40 years of Technic with mostly very lacklustre models in that given year. Compound to that the equally underwhelming 'souvenir' brick for the 60 anniversary of the brick as we know it. Ah well, it seems like we have to tell them everything; let's see what they do for the 50th anniversary...
I’m putting back together my Fire Temple and setting it out with some of the rest of my 2011 sets. It’s kind of crazy how far LEGO has come, specifically NINJAGO. Compare 2504 to the Legacy Monastery of Spinjitzu, for example.
Happy birthday 10 years of Ninjago!
I remember how i disliked the theme in the first years, for being too high-tech and all that. Me and my 2 sons also got into Nexo Knights first, which we all adored.
But then the definite 'click' was made. Today most of our lego-sets are Ninjago! (almost 100 of them) and we're still running! Season 14 with the island looks great too. And we still have to assemble one set of the Skull Dungeons-boardgame, which was stunning.
My first set of 2021 to pick up one of these days, will be the new tournament of elements with the 3 last elemental masters i need. Yes, recently i bought 2 Ultra Agents-sets including Mr. Pale and Toxikita, to have them all!
That's how we're totally into Ninjago nowadays! And we have to thank the designers and writers for making a good series, which we never get bored of, and lots of excellent sets!
So again, happy 10th birthday, and may Kai and his friends encounter many more adventures in the years to come!
Ninjago has certainly given us some great minifigures over the years. A 10-year retrospective of the minifigures and accessories alone warrants a Brickset article.
Ninjago has also provided us with some outstanding builds including the best brick-built creature LEGO has ever produced, 70612 Green Ninja Mech Dragon. I modded mine to represent a beast, not a mech. Either way, it's superb.
I was 11 or 12 when they first came out. Nostalgia!
Honestly, I feel like Ninjago is to the 2010s what Bionicle was to the 2000s for quite a lot of LEGO fans. I think it's pretty amazing that LEGO has managed to keep it fresh and innovative for so long. (Even if they had stumbled in that here and there.) The fact that they can release huge and wildly popular sets like the Ninjago City sets alongside the normal theme, and have people who very often poopoo the normal themed sets clamoring over it speaks volumes to the world building and development the LEGO team has done for the theme. I fully believe that LEGO would be in a much weaker position today if they had not had Ninjago, whether you like the theme or not. And with that said, grats LEGO on 10 years of a great theme, and here's to another 10 years of great stories and amazing sets!
for my birthday In 2011, I was given $50, and shortly after that, my brother also got his birthday $50. He tried to convince me to get the fire temple with him, but for some reason, my eyes were set on the spinjitzu dojo. to this day still don't have fire temple. one of the worst decisions of my life lol.
I didn't really think anything of this theme when it launched. However the last few years it's had some really amazing sets. I definitely would have been all over it when I was a kid.
@lordofdragonss said: "Just make factions of them. I did that with all my kais who are Fire masters in my lore. Costumes represents ranks or a job."
Yes! We've done the same thing with our multiple ninjas, especially the Kais. At this point, the Kai Army is probably large enough to take on all of our various stormtroopers.
I like Ninjago for the sets and happily nominated 70620 for Set of the Millennium, but I love Ninjago because our almost five-year-old daughter and I watched all of Seasons 1-5 together. Happy birthday, Ninjango (as my daughter calls it)!
I loved Ninjago as a kid but fell out of it a bit in middle/high school. Now I'm back to loving it and finally catching up on the show! I can't wait to see what comes next and I'm so happy that I got a chance to be involved with one of my favorite LEGO themes.
Although I’ve grown out of it now, I still remember Ninjago fondly in it’s early days, particularly the spinners. I think I was eight at the time. I also remember the excellent sets based on the movie, even if I wasn’t a fan of the film itself.
Anyway, happy anniversary Ninjago!
@legoninjago69 said:
"for my birthday In 2011, I was given $50, and shortly after that, my brother also got his birthday $50. He tried to convince me to get the fire temple with him, but for some reason, my eyes were set on the spinjitzu dojo. to this day still don't have fire temple. one of the worst decisions of my life lol."
That's too bad, but to be fair the Fire Temple retailed for $120 USD, so between you and your brother both couldn't afford it.
@OptimShi said:
"2019 added fractions?"
Yes, when factions splinter even further, you end up with Fractions of Factions.
Ninjago first started when I was 7, and I remember the first two seasons of the show. I used to play the online games on the LEGO website, and I really enjoyed that and I probably fell in love with the theme, despite not owning many sets. I didn't particularly enjoy season three, but I really enjoyed season four, but after that I lost my interest in the show, and ultimately the theme, as I slowly transitioned to my dark age.
Present day, and I'm back collecting LEGO, with my love for it being restored. As for Ninjago, I'm not really interested in the theme anymore, I haven't really stayed in the know to make an informed opinion.
Regardless, I feel quite privileged to be there and remember it all when it first started - I listened to the first couple of minutes of the music LEGO posted on their website, and just listening to the theme hit me like a truck full of nostalgia. I still own a couple of the Ninjago sets I bought, such as 9449 Ultra Sonic Raider, which is one of my favourite LEGO sets of all time.
Deep down, I think Ninjago is my second favourite theme ever, and I might catch up on the show for old times sake, but growing up with Ninjago was great, and I hope others, past and present, will enjoy it as much as I did.
Here's to Spinjitzu!