Riyu

Unrated

Riyu

Theme:

Ninjago

Species:

Dragon

Years:

2023-2026

Appearances:
See appearances

Riyu, also known as Baby Riyu, is a gray dragon from the Ninjago theme.

Description[]

Several versions of Riyu have appeared across multiple sets. Originally being depicted by a single molded piece in 2023, he would go on to receive brick-built versions in 2024 and 2025. These alterations reflect Riyu’s in-universe growth from an infant dragon to a more mature specimen.

History[]

Dragons Rising Season One[]

Born one of the Mountain Dragons, Riyu was abducted while still an infant by the Claws of Imperium. Managing to escape, he ended up meeting Arin and Sora. During the resulting confrontation with the Claws, Riyu boosted Sora’s inherent and previously unknown Elemental Power of Technology. Unfortunately, the three were soon defeated and captured when Lord Ras appeared to support his buffoonish underling Rapton.

However, an unexpected rescuer came to the aid of Riyu and his new friends: Lloyd Garmadon, the Green Ninja. The four managed to escape the Claws after Riyu gave Sora another power boost. Riyu then led his new friends to find his tribe, only for the Mountain Dragons to also be attacked by the Claws. Fortunately, the dragons and their human allies were able to drive off the enemy.

Riyu-whose name first became known to the others through their speaking with the Dragon Matriarch-elected to remain with his new friends. He thus took up residence at the Monastery of Spinjitzu, where Arin and Sora began training as Ninja. Not long after this, the trio would sneak out to the Crossroads Carnival, with Riyu in disguise. They would end up in a battle with Dorama, who would become a recurring enemy of theirs in league with Imperium.

At this point, Sora began attempting to use her powers without Riyu’s assistance. Finding this difficult, she started to think that the powers were Riyu’s and not hers. Riyu would join the Ninja in a mission to aid the Craglings, who were being menaced by a pair of Earth Dragons. Though the Craglings mistrusted Riyu as a result, he would end up being their salvation. After his latest boost to Sora failed to defeat the other dragons, Riyu boosted the dragons’ power instead, overwhelming them and forcing their retreat.

Riyu would also assist Sora during a battle in the Cloud Kingdom, though she was initially reluctant to accept his help. Later he joined her, Arin, and Lloyd in infiltrating Imperium. Riyu’s efforts enabled his three friends to escape after being captured, but he and Arin became separated from the others. Worse yet, they then encountered the Imperium Teen Protection Force, one of whom captured Riyu and delivered him to Empress Beatrix.

Beatrix would order that Riyu be drained of all his energy over the protests of Lord Ras. Luckily, Dr. LaRow and her assistant Jordana were prevented from doing this by Arin and Sora. Riyu’s efforts enabled would play a key role by boosting Sora’s powers as they battled Lord Ras, who arrived to join the fray. The entire group would then join their fellow Ninja and several dragons in escaping back to the monastery.

Riyu would join the Ninja on their visit to the Temple of the Dragon Cores. Afterwards, as the Ninja split up to pursue the various Dragon Energy Cores, Riyu would accompany Sora and Nya. Unfortunately, they soon discovered that the core they had set out to find had disappeared. Worse, an attempt to locate the core using artifacts from Djinjago resulted in Nya and Sora being cursed.

The two, Riyu, and the adult dragons Jiro and Zanth were thus forced to contend with a pair of Howlers. Thanks to meeting the Djinn Arrakore, however, the group not only defeated these enemies but received guidance in their search for the Dragon Core. Following this direction to the Land of Lost Things, Riyu and his friends found not only the core but the long missing Ninja Cole and his friends the Finders. Imperium forces ended up seizing the core, but Riyu helped Sora to neutralize a technological menace known as the Hoarder.

Riyu would soon assist Sora again, enabling her to craft armor for Jiro. Using this, Jiro was able to blast through Imperium’s defensive shields so that the group could penetrate the city. They soon found most of the other Ninja engaged in battle with Empress Beatrix and her battle mech. Jiro would take over the fight after telling Riyu to lead the Ninja and their new Imperium allies to safety.

Shortly thereafter, Riyu joined Arin and Sora on a mission to broadcast the truth about Empress Beatrix’s villainy to all the Imperians. This forced them into an unlikely and uncomfortable alliance with Rapton, as well as a fight with Dorma that ended with Riyu knocking the villain out. They then succeeded in making their broadcast, but were then forced to contend with Empress Beatrix wielding a weapon that opened MergeQuake rifts. Riyu would end up being drawn into one such rift, but returned after Lloyd succeeded in using the cores to reverse the damage done by Beatrix and stabilize the Merged Realms.

Riyu would then accompany Lloyd in visiting the trapped Source Dragon of Energy, to whom Lloyd offered the Dragon Cores so that he could escape his prison. Impressed by the offer, the dragon also took note of Riyu, deeming the small dragon “special.” Afterwards, Riyu returned to the monastery and found Sora at work on her mech. However, when Riyu offered to assist her, Sora politely declined, having learned in Riyu’s absence what had been preventing her from using her powers unaided.

The Elemental Mechs[]

Riyu would later accompany his friends to watch the latest Mech Master 5000 race. This would be disrupted by the Mechanic, but the Ninja were ultimately able to defeat him. Later, Riyu and his friends became involved in a confrontation between several Lava-Tides and a pair of Ice Dragon Creatures. They soon discovered that the Lava-Tides had stolen the dragons’ eggs, and managed to return them-though they ended up covered in noodles in the process.

Dragons Rising Season Two[]

Riyu underwent a significant growth spurt, becoming larger than his Ninja friends. He also continued to aid the Ninja in dealing with various challenges. Arin, Riyu, and Sora later received a note from their former adversary Kreel, who reported mysterious intrusions in her junkyard. Learning of several other such break-ins, the trio eventually identified the next likely target and staked it out.

This activity led to the first confrontation between the Ninja and the Wolf Clan, a villainous group now led by their old adversary Lord Ras. When these villains demonstrated the overwhelming power of the forbidden art of Shatterspin, the Ninja and Riyu set out to find a means of countering it. This led them to the Dragon Masters Egalt and Rontu, creators of the Rising Dragon technique. Riyu soon found himself under the tutelage of Rontu alongside Sora.

Though Riyu had yet to achieve flight, Rontu was determined to instruct him in Spinjitzu, and he soon began to progress. Unfortunately, it was all too soon that the Blood Moon, key to a ritual the Wolf Clan intended to perform to free the Forbidden Five from imprisonment, rose and turned the Dragon Masters to stone. The Ninja and Riyu were thus forced to set out in hopes of preventing the ritual, as only Kai had managed to perform Rising Dragon even once.

As the group traveled, the Destiny's Bounty 5.0 was brought down by a magical storm. Riyu and Arin became separated from their friends, but continued to travel towards Shadow Dojo. They later spotted Jordana, now in league with Ras, transporting a captured Bonzle. Riyu managed to fly for the first time as they pursued Jordana’s vehicle, which they successfully commandeered.

The pair's success wouldn’t last, as Lord Ras soon tracked them down and defeated them both with ease before taking back the vehicle and Bonzle. However, Riyu and Arin soon reunited with Lloyd and Nya and completed their journey to Shadow Dojo. A fierce struggle then ensued, with the Ninja managing to achieve victory. However Nokt, one of the Forbidden Five, was freed, and Kai was seemingly lost forever as well.

Riyu later accompanied Arin and Sora to the Administration headquarters when they searched for info about Arin’s missing parents. They were soon distracted by the sight of the Matriarch of Riyu’s tribe crash landing near the Cragling village, where she soon perished. However, they discovered her young child still alive in one of her pouches, and set out to reunite her with the rest of the tribe. Riyu took the lead in this adventure, and the Ninja soon succeeded in their quest.

The Ninja were soon visited by the Source Dragon of Motion, who informed them of the murder of other dragon leaders. The heroes were then hidden to take part in the Tournament of Sources in hopes of discovering the identity of the culprit. Under Lloyd’s tutelage, the Ninja began preparing, and eventually traveled to the place where the tournament site could be reached. Having not been invited to the tournament, the group were forced to make their way in uninvited, which led to Arin and Riyu encountering Arin’s old friend Frak.

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