Ninjago

Now that the summer sets are out, I naturally am thinking about what may be coming next year. Of course I don't really have any ideas for what setting(s) next year's waves will take place in. But there are a few sets I would like to see:

• Garmadon's Mech-the four armed one from season two of the animated series; it's a sweet mech in spite of only appearing in one episode. Villain builds have grown increasingly rare in Ninjago lately, but the nice thing about Ninjago Legacy is that it's introduced a few builds based on concepts previously exclusive to the TV series. Since Legacy continues to revisit the earlier years of the series, I see no reason we couldn't get something based on season two next year.

• The Preeminent-same deal as Garmadon's Mech, though if anything even more deserving of a set. Garmadon's Mech was a one-off vehicle: the Preeminent was THE big bad of season five, and even made a return appearance back in season eleven. Sure, a gelatinous Lovecraftian horror doesn't necessarily translate the best into Lego, but I think a set could be pulled off based on the excellent designs we've seen previously.

• Nya's Elemental Dragon-this is the one that appeared in season six, not the Seabound version. Nya was the only one of the six Ninja not to get a set based on their Elemental Dragon (unless you count the Fusion Dragon, but that's a unique case). Admittedly Cole and Kai's weren't that great, and could do with improved Legacy versions. However, something is better than nothing, and I think Nya could use some more love.

• P.I.X.A.L.'s Kaiju Mech-this beast of a mech could either be a Legacy set or an addition to a new wave, given that it appeared in season eleven and more recently in Seabound. Though featured only briefly, this mech takes P.I.X.A.L's 2018 Samurai X Mech and buffs up the concept-literally-into something more along the lines of Lloyd's Titan Mech, the Fire-Stone Mech, or the Legacy version of Zane's Titan(ium) Mech. It would thus be quite nice to see a set version to stand alongside those big bruisers, and allow you to recreate P.I.X.A.L.'s season eleven showdown with the Preeminent.

I’ve recently come across a couple of videos stating that the Skulkin are warriors who were unable to come to terms with their demise and thus live on as undead beings. Anybody aware of the source/legitimacy of this?

Anybody know if there's a place where I can find these to read? Not sure I want to go to the effort of hunting down nearly 80 magazines...

As it’s Mother’s Day, I thought it appropriate to reflect on the mother characters from my current favorite theme. These fall into three categories: physical Minifigures, TV characters, and others who have only been alludes to/implied to exist. In considering the latter of the three, I will only touch upon those who have had a father figure appear without a mother accompanying them. There are of course exceptions to this, as artificial intelligence characters like Zane and P.I.X.A.L. only had one “parent” as it were.

Jay’s adopted mother Edna, Kai and Nya’s mom Maya, and Lloyd’s mother Misako have all received physical Minifigures-several in Misako’s case. Cole’s mom Lilly, Harumi’s biological and foster mothers, Jay’s biological mom, Nelson’s mom, and Selma the Serpentine have only appeared in the TV show and printed media. Skylor and Nadakhan’s respective mothers were mentioned but never seen, while Wu and Garmadon, Vania, and Prince Kalmaar’s moms are all absent with no real explanation.

Here’s to the moms of Ninjago; may they receive the attention they deserve as the theme moves forward.

Anyone know where I can watch an unpirated version of this, preferably in English?

The Story of Cole's Mother Lilly (FULL COMIC) - LEGO Ninjago Magazine Overview - YouTube

A breakdown of the known Elemental Masters of the series by gender. I did not include any elements that don’t have a physical minifig or that borrowed their Minifigures from non-Ninjago themes.

There’s a definite male bias, though a couple elements have also only had female wielders. Might be nice to see the next generation make some progress in that regard, if we ever reach that point.