Ninjago: Prime Empire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ninjago: Prime Empire |
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Prime Empire poster
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| Country of origin | Canada |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
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| Original network | Cartoon Network |
| Original release | July 19 – August 30, 2020 |
Prime Empire is the twelfth season of the awesome Ninjago TV show. It's a computer-animated series, meaning it's made with computers. The show was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen. This season aired from July 19, 2020, to August 30, 2020. It came after Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu and before Master of the Mountain.
The main idea for this season is video games! A new, super cool video game world called "Prime Empire" shows up in the Ninjago universe. The story follows the ninja heroes as they try to find the person who made this game. This happens after the game mysteriously reappears in Ninjago City. Soon, players start getting stuck inside the game, including Jay, one of the main ninja! So, the ninja have to go into the game themselves to save their friend. Inside Prime Empire, the ninja must play through different games and challenges. Their final goal is to face the game's big boss, who is called Unagami.
Contents
Who Are the Voices?
Main Characters
- Sam Vincent as Lloyd Garmadon, the Green Ninja.
- Vincent Tong as Kai, the red ninja who controls fire.
- Michael Adamthwaite as Jay, the blue ninja who controls lightning.
- Brent Miller as Zane, the white ninja who controls ice.
- Kirby Morrow as Cole, the black ninja who controls earth.
- Kelly Metzger as Nya, Kai's sister who controls water.
- Paul Dobson as Sensei Wu, the ninja's wise teacher.
- Jennifer Hayward as P.I.X.A.L., a robot friend.
- Dean Redman as Unagami, the main villain.
Other Characters
- Mark Hildreth as Milton Dyer, the game creator.
- Michael Antonakos as The Mechanic.
- Adrian Petriw as Scott.
- Alessandro Juliani as Okino and Shifty.
- Shannon Chan-Kent as Racer Seven.
- Michael Donovan as Police Commissioner.
- Sharon Alexander as Ultra Violet.
- Paul Dobson as Warden Noble.
- Bill Newton as Fred Finely.
- Adrian Petriw as Fugi Dove.
- Lee Tockar as Cyrus Borg.
- Alan Marriott as Dareth.
- Colin Murdock as Bob the Intern.
- Sam Vincent as Ritchie.
- Mary Black as Mrs Dyer.
- Vincent Tong as Sushi Chef.
- Michael Daingerfield as Tony the Bartender.
- Zion Simpson as Child Unagami.
How the Show Was Made
Tommy Andreasen, one of the show's creators, shared on Twitter that Prime Empire was inspired by a cool old story. It's about a made-up 1980s arcade game called Polybius. People used to say it was a secret game that caused strange things to happen.
When It Came Out
A short 30-second video was released on February 5, 2020. It was on the Lego YouTube channel to get fans excited for the season. Then, a longer official trailer came out on March 10, 2020. The season first aired on Cartoon Network on July 19, 2020. The first episode was called Would You Like to Enter Prime Empire?. New episodes came out through July and August 2020. The last episode, Game Over, aired on August 30, 2020.
What Happens in the Story
A very old video game called Prime Empire suddenly reappears. Soon, players start vanishing into the game, including Jay, who loves video games! The ninja find out that the game's creator, Milton Dyer, also disappeared years ago. They think Dyer might be the villain, Unagami. So, Lloyd, Cole, Kai, and Nya go into the game to stop him. Meanwhile, Zane and P.I.X.A.L. stay in the real world to find the real Dyer.
Inside the game, the ninja meet "The League of Jay," a group of Jay's fans. They lead the ninja to a player named Scott. Scott explains that players only have four lives in the game. If they lose their last life, they turn into digital cubes and disappear! When the ninja finally find Jay, they all travel through three game zones. Their goal is to collect three special "Key-Tanas." These keys will unlock the final challenge at the Temple of Madness.
As they travel, Unagami's digital soldiers, the Red Visors, hunt them. In the first game zone, Terra Karana, they meet a friendly game character named Okino. He helps them through many dangerous challenges. In the big boss battle, the ninja defeat the Red Dragon to get the purple Key-Tana.
Next, they get the yellow Key-Tana by winning a dangerous race called the Speedway Five-Billion. This race is in the second game zone, Terra Technica. Lloyd gets another game character, Racer Seven, to help them. But the Red Visors follow her. Scott bravely sacrifices himself to help the ninja escape, and he turns into a digital cube. The ninja win the race, but Kai and Cole also turn into cubes during the race. Lloyd, Jay, and Nya keep going to find the last Key-Tana in the third game zone, Terra Domina. There, Lloyd has to fight a game version of Harumi. He wins and gets the orange Key-Tana, but he also loses his last life and turns into a cube.
In the real world, Zane finds out where Dyer is, but then the Mechanic captures Zane. When P.I.X.A.L. finds Dyer, he tells her that Scott was a test player who got stuck in the game, which was called Unagami. Dyer had wanted Scott to have a super intense game experience. Dyer then shut the game down, but Unagami somehow survived. Zane is forced to give the Prime Empire computer part to the Mechanic. The Mechanic uses it to open a portal from the game into the real world.
Back in Prime Empire, Jay and Nya reach a digital sushi restaurant. But Nya loses her last life and turns into a cube after being defeated by a game character named Sushimi. Jay reaches the final level and faces Unagami. Unagami turns into a huge Empire Dragon! Jay follows him through the portal into the real world, riding his Cyber Dragon. In the real world, Jay leads Unagami to the top of Borg Tower. Dyer says sorry to Unagami, and Unagami forgives him. Unagami agrees to free all the players and game characters stuck inside the game. Unagami, who now looks like a small child, and Dyer are finally together again.
Episodes
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
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| 129 | 1 | "Would You Like to Enter Prime Empire?" | Wade Cross | Alisha Brophy & Scott Miles | July 19, 2020 | |
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The Mechanic searches for a special computer part. The ninja try to stop him but don't know why he wants it. They find an old game called Prime Empire. Jay puts the part in, and the game starts. Jay accidentally makes all arcade games in Ninjago City turn into Prime Empire.
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| 130 | 2 | "Dyer Island" | Daniel Ife | Alisha Brophy & Scott Miles | July 19, 2020 | |
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Jay disappears into the game. The ninja try to get answers from the Mechanic. They learn all arcade games are now Prime Empire. The ninja go to Dyer Island to find Milton Dyer, the game's creator. They think Dyer is the villain, Unagami.
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| 131 | 3 | "Level Thirteen" | Shane Poettcker | Alisha Brophy & Scott Miles | July 19, 2020 | |
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More people vanish into the game. The ninja take the game to Cyrus Borg for help. Unagami frees prisoners, including the Mechanic, to get the game back. Cole plays the game and reaches Level Thirteen, letting the ninja enter Prime Empire.
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| 132 | 4 | "Superstar Rockin' Jay" | Wade Cross | Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt | July 19, 2020 | |
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The ninja arrive in Prime Empire and are chased by Red Visors. A group called the League of Jays saves them. They learn their ninja powers don't work here. They also find out they have four lives, and losing them turns them into energy cubes.
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| 133 | 5 | "I am Okino" | Daniel Ife | Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt | July 26, 2020 | |
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Okino is a samurai who guides players through dangers in Terra Karana. He doesn't know he's in a game. Many players fail and turn into cubes. Okino loses faith but then meets the ninja, who ask for his help.
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| 134 | 6 | "The Glitch" | Shane Poettcker | Bragi Schut | July 26, 2020 | |
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Okino leads the ninja into the Forest of Discontent. They fight off Whack Rats. A rat named Richie tells Lloyd about a "glitch" to skip traps. Okino realizes Prime Empire is a game. He helps the ninja escape a Red Visor ambush.
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| 135 | 7 | "The Cliffs of Hysteria" | Wade Cross | Bragi Schut | August 2, 2020 | |
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The ninja reach the Cliffs of Hysteria and buy cheap ropes. Unagami's drones spot them, and Red Visors chase them up the cliffs. Kai saves Cole. They learn Unagami is using the energy cubes to build a portal to Ninjago City.
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| 136 | 8 | "The Maze of the Red Dragon" | Daniel Ife | Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt | August 2, 2020 | |
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Unagami tries to make Okino betray the ninja. Okino refuses and helps the ninja fight the Red Dragon. He reveals its weak spot. The ninja defeat the dragon and get the first Key-Tana.
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| 137 | 9 | "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back" | Shane Poettcker | Alisha Brophy & Scott Miles | August 9, 2020 | |
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The ninja enter Terra Technica, the second game zone. They need to win the Speedway Five-Billion race to get the next Key-Tana. Jay and Nya win a dance competition to earn enough game credits to enter the race.
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| 138 | 10 | "Racer Seven" | Wade Cross | Bragi Schut | August 9, 2020 | |
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Scott helps the ninja find race cars. Lloyd watches a race and is impressed by Racer Seven. He asks her to help them win the Speedway Five-Billion.
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| 139 | 11 | "The Speedway Five-Billion" | Daniel Ife | Bragi Schut | August 16, 2020 | |
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Red Visors find Scott's garage, and Scott sacrifices himself. The ninja enter the race. Cole and Kai bravely sacrifice themselves to help their team. With Racer Seven's help, they win the second Key-Tana.
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| 140 | 12 | "Stop, Drop and Side Scroll" | Shane Poettcker | Alisha Brophy & Scott Miles | August 16, 2020 | |
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Sad about Cole and Kai, the remaining ninja go to Terra Domina, the third game zone. Lloyd faces a game version of Harumi. He defeats her and wins the final Key-Tana, but he also loses his last life.
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| 141 | 13 | "Ninjago Confidential" | Wade Cross | Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt | August 23, 2020 | |
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Zane and P.I.X.A.L. search for Milton Dyer. They find him, but the Mechanic kidnaps Zane. Dyer tells P.I.X.A.L. that Unagami "is the game" and that he tried to shut it down because it was too dangerous.
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| 142 | 14 | "The Prodigal Father" | Daniel Ife | Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt | August 23, 2020 | |
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The Mechanic captures Master Wu to make Zane reveal the motherboard's location. Wu activates a tracker. P.I.X.A.L. and Dyer arrive too late. Zane is used to power a gate, which makes him pass out.
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| 143 | 15 | "The Temple of Madness" | Shane Poettcker | Alisha Brophy & Scott Miles | August 30, 2020 | |
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Jay must face Unagami alone after Nya loses her lives. Jay learns Unagami is the game's AI, not Milton Dyer. Unagami uses Nya's energy cube to finish the portal and goes into the real world. Jay follows him.
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| 144 | 16 | "Game Over" | Wade Cross | Bragi Schut | August 30, 2020 | |
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Unagami enters the real world and attacks Ninjago City. Jay frees Zane. Jay chases Unagami to Borg Tower, where Dyer apologizes to Unagami. Unagami understands and agrees to free everyone trapped in the game.
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Awards and Recognition
In 2021, Prime Empire was nominated for three awards at the Leo Awards. These were for Best Art Direction, Sound, and Voice Performance in the Animation Series category. Kenny Ng won the award for Best Art Direction for the episode Superstar Rockin' Jay.
Other Cool Stuff
Before the season aired, six short films were released. They were called Prime Empire Original Shorts and could be watched on the Lego YouTube channel. These shorts introduced some of the main characters you see in the season, like Unagami and The Mechanic.
