@bluetorchsky THIS IS GOING TO BE LONG SO I'M MAKING A SEPARATE POST! The green cousins are, in fact, Morro and Lloyd!! Keep in mind this is almost entirely headcanons!!
So, these two are dubiously cousins- Lloyd is the son of Garmadon, and Morro was sorta-adopted by Sensei Wu who is Garmadon's brother. Now, these cousins were born like- decades years apart, mind you. Morro was born about 40 years before the start of the series, and Lloyd was ~10 when the series began. One of the biggest connections between them is the prophecy of the Green Ninja- that one ninja will rise above the rest to defeat the evil Lord Garmadon and save Ninjago. When the four Golden Weapons were placed before the Green Ninja, they will rise and glow to signal his presence.
So, starting with Morro!
Morro was a homeless orphan, roaming the streets for years. This kid was feral- illiterate, no home training, barely speaking, no name, nothin. Zeph was about 8 and working with 2 older kids when he was found digging through Wu's trash for food. The older kids bolted and left zeph there, and Wu took pity on zephyr. He began leaving food and water out for Morro, and before too long he was able to coax the boy into the monastery. Wu's brother had left mere months before, and the guy was lonely despite the few students already in his care.
At first, Morro was just staying in the monastery- zeph was in horrible shape and Wu felt it would only hurt zeph if they were to train with the others, despite zephyrs growing interest in it. One day, Wu noticed Morro's fascination with kites and birds- really anything that flew- so he bought the boy a kite! He gave Morro the gift, then hurried to pull his kettle from the stove; when he returned, he saw Morro flying the kite by controlling the wind, and with incredible skill at that. Morro was an elemental master, the Master of Wind!
Wu knew the prophecy, knew that an elemental master was most likely to be the Green Ninja- so he told Morro. Wu told Morro of the prophecy, and that Morro could be the one to fill it. Morro, who had lived all his life just trying to survive, being treated like scum, was suddenly told that he could have a higher purpose, could be the one to save the world. That's a lot for an, at this point, barely 9 year old kid. Morro began training, and he trained relentlessly, with Wu being three times as harsh and stern to him in comparison to the other students. By the time zeph was 10, zeph was able to hold his own against Wu himself.
At this point, Wu feels zeph is ready, and sets up the ceremony... only for the weapons not to respond to Morro's presence.
Wu is heartbroken. Morro is even more so. The kid looks up to his sensei, his master, his father, and sees no reassurance. "You are not the green ninja," Wu says, taking away that green gi that symbolized everything Morro wanted to be. Morro became hysterical- that was his! His destiny, his purpose! What was he if not the green ninja?! Wu had promised!
Over the next few months, Morro would become obsessed with proving destiny wrong, with proving himself to be worthy- throwing himself into worsening danger with Wu having to save zephyr. It wasn't long until it all came to a head in an explosive argument, and Morro took off into the sunset in search for the Tomb of the First Spinjitsu Master- surely that would prove destiny wrong. Wu left the monastery doors open for zephyr, desperately hoping his son would return.
Morro died in the Caves of Despair at 14, trapped alone in the firey depths, body left to rot away without a proper burial. Their soul was sent to the Cursed Realm, where the Preeminent whispered lies and stoked the flames of their wrath and bitterness- promised them the great destiny they craved if only zephyr could free Her.
Lloyd was born to Garmadon- not yet fully corrupted by the venom of the Great Devourer, by pure unfiltered Evil- and Misako- a simple archeologist who had played the hearts of both brothers. Things were okay, for just a few months- a husband, a wife, and their perfect baby boy.
Garmadon was barely allowed time to know his beloved son before the venom took hold and he was banished to the Underworld, yet the limitless love for the boy remained a glowing light in his darkened, twisted soul. There was little he could do to reach out to his son- he could only work to escape and trust Misako to make sure their boy was kept safe and raised right.
Misako did not do that. Instead, she abandoned Lloyd at Darkly's Boarding School for Bad Boys at about 4 years old in favor of hunting down clues on how to stop the prophecy from playing out. She knew, deep down, that Lloyd would be the Green Ninja, and she wanted to do whatever possible to save her family- to free Garmadon of the venom, to prevent Lloyd from becoming a ninja, to prevent their inevitable fight to the death. She didn't want Wu to find out about Lloyd, didn't want a repeat of Morro.
Lloyd was raised desperately trying to be as evil as his dad, only to be told he wasn't bad enough. He was too kind-hearted, too vulnerable- evil villains didn't help protect others, didn't cry over their losses, didn't care, according to Darkly's. He was only 9 when he was kicked out to the streets after standing up for a student who had been harmed by a teacher. He was only 9 when he released the Serpentine from their ancient tombs and had his trust and desperation for love taken advantage of by Pythor the Anacondri.
Lloyd was only 9 when Wu took him in, when he was used as a lesson for Kai, Cole, Jay, and Zane. "The best way to defeat your enemy is to make them your friend," Wu had said, standing between the scowling teenagers and his nephew who was falling asleep safe for the first time in 5 years. It would take patience to handle this young boy, to undo the training and traumas given by Darkly's. Patience, love, and gentleness, the same Wu had shown all those years ago with Morro.
Lloyd was only 9 when the Golden Weapons responded to his presence. Lloyd was only 10 when he told the ninja to throw the Tomorrow's Tea, taking the hit alongside the Grundle- and the Lloyd that stood back up on trembling legs was 16. His childhood was gone, and it would only be a year or two before he would have to kill his father, and the green gi against his skin symbolized the weight of the world on his too old yet too young shoulders.
Lloyd was 17 when he watched his father get sacrificed in order to end the Second Serpentine War. Lloyd was only 17 when Morro slipped through the rift between worlds with a plan for vengeance, possessing Lloyd and using his body to complete the journey Morro had died to complete.
A child denied the destiny zeph craved, a child for ed into a destiny he did not want. They are a fucking tragedy.
