Ninjago Episode Plots

Darkness Shall Rise

Synopsis
Just as the rebuilding effort in Ninjago begins, the four ninjas come to realize that evil has started to resurface with Lord Garmadon forging the ninjas' lost Golden Weapons into a Mega-Weapon with unspeakable powers.

Plot
The Falcon flies through the air, watching the ninja help rebuild Ninjago City when Sensei Wu and Nya ride up telling them they found a new home. Meanwhile, Skales is attempting to convince the Serpentine to let him be their leader, when Lord Garmadon appears and tells them they should follow him. After reconstructing the destroyed Destiny's Bounty, creating the Black Bounty, and threatening the Serpentine should they not follow him, they agree. However, instead of flying the Bounty to Ninjago City, Garmadon flies in the opposite direction to the Golden Peaks, to unlock the full potential of the Four Golden Weapons. He tells the Serpentine that he doesn't plan to destroy Lloyd, but rather, the ninja and Wu so that Lloyd won't reach his True Potential.

Meanwhile, the ninja are house-hunting. The only place they can afford turns out to be a one-bedroom, one half bath apartment without lighting. Jay and Kai argue that they need a better place to train Lloyd, and the ninja agree to buy an expensive hero suite that's out of their price range. To make enough money for rent, they each search for jobs. Jay takes up a job delivering pizza, Cole becomes a security guard at the bank, Zane becomes a chef at a restaurant, and Kai works as a party entertainer. However, the jobs end up being so difficult that when they return home, they're too tired to train Lloyd and they are nowhere close to making rent.

The Serpentine generals are not about to let Garmadon lead the Serpentine, and they brainstorm on a diabolical plan to convince the Serpentine to follow them. While delivering a pizza to them, Jay overhears their plan but is captured by Acidicus before he can alert the other ninja.

The first step of the plan is for the generals, excluding Skales, to rob the bank. Since Cole was too busy napping, he is unable to stop the generals before they get away, but he overhears them saying they're heading for the Ninjago Metro. Kai and Zane are instantly alerted but are fired when they leave or are distracted from their jobs. After Cole is fired for sleeping on the job, the three ninja head off to stop the Serpentine. They head to the subway and manage to infiltrate the Serpentine's train and fight the Serpentine, but they have difficulties without their weapons. The Serpentine reveal their plan wasn't to steal the money, it was to distract the ninja so Skales could kidnap Lloyd and use him as leverage against Garmadon so that he can be the new Serpentine leader.

In the apartment, Lloyd is alone playing a video game when Skales breaks in. Although Lloyd attempts to get out, the door is locked and he can't unlock it. Just before Skales could get Lloyd, they both hear Sensei Wu and Nya on the opposite side of the door. Lloyd screams for their help from the other side of the door.

Back on the subway, Cole reminds everyone that they have to save Lloyd and Zane shows the others the makeshift weapons they can use to fight the generals off. The ninja manage to corner them, but before they can defeat them, Cole notices the train is heading straight for Jay. They find that the train is automatically controlled and pull the break before it can hit Jay, which gives the Serpentine time to get away.

The ninja head back to the apartment to find it empty. They instantly regret taking the jobs and agree that losing Lloyd was their greatest loss. However, Sensei Wu and Nya appear in the doorway with Lloyd. The ninja realize they didn't need all of the fancy stuff and only need each other. Upon realizing this, they move to the crowded apartment they were first shown so they won't be distracted and can train Lloyd. When Kai asks what happened to Skales, Sensei Wu reveals that he's been thrown in jail. In prison, Skales swears to return.

On the Golden Peaks, Garmadon successfully manages to merge the Four Golden Weapons into the Mega Weapon. Although it appears to be painful, he tells the Serpentine he's never felt more powerful, stating he will destroy the ninja once and for all. Garmadon releases an evil laugh that is show to ring throughout Ninjago. Meditating, Sensei Wu says that he fears "there is a great disturbance in the force."