I think the headcannon of Abaddon and the boy he possessed both share the same space is a fun concept, but I donāt think thatās what happened in Abaddon case.
Itās been 300 years, and Abaddon was bounded to the boys body. He claims the Priest was very skilled, but the story was told in his perspective. Abaddon is known for lying and being unreliable; I donāt think his story was a lie, but the version were given might not be the most accurate to what actually happened.
Personally I think that since Abaddon was bounded, he is the only thing in the vessel, which is why the vessel can't die. In terms of behavior, i dont think its necessarily "childish" in the sense of him and the child merging together, he's just appearing 'childish' because hes perceived AS a child. If he acted out the exact same in his true form, he'd be perceived in a much fearful way. Its not different than being hissed at by a kitten; you think its innocent and cute, but the animal is actually pissed off, which is the closest analogy I can think of for Abaddon.
But i do also really like the headcannon that Abaddon isn't an "adult" as a demon, either. Demons are known for their deception, and Abaddon is not good at deceiving. His front is trying to come off as big and scary as possible to be feared, not a silent evil that's known for tricking and lying, and this lack of 'maturity' ( for lack of a better word ) mightve played into why Hell was so eager to ( presumably ) get rid of him.
the vagueness of his character is really, really fun to explore and i like how most headcannons arent 'right' or 'wrong', but i cant wait for season 2 to hopefully give us more lore
for funs, i also reviewed the ninjago movie during my rewatch
The Ninjago Movie has a lot of flaws but i just see it as a film following in the trends of previous Lego Movies ( The Lego Movie and the Lego Batman movie that came out in the same year ) where comedic effects came first
I see how the movie can be perceived as something disappointing since it was so drastically different from the show and changed SO much about the characters in a way that dumbs them down to their base levels, yet I can also see why the decision was made since it opened the world to a much bigger audience to bring in both old fans AND new fans
The Movie re-introduces the characters, the general premise of the show, and a rough idea of the world.Ā Ninjago had 7 seasons prior to the movies release, had it done something different and follow the show more closely it wouldāve catered to a much smaller audience of Ninjago fans, and leave MORE at stake since movie adaptations have much higher expectations from fans
Putting these characters in a completely new setting, separate from the canon storyline, allowed for a very funny film that didnāt entirely deface the original material since it was never trying to be or sticking close too.Ā This made it possible for existing fans to see their favorite characters in a much different, less serious light, and brought in new fans who meet these characters in a non-canon environment and encourages to them to seek the original show for numerous reasons ( wanting more ninjago content, taking a real interest in the media, curiosity on the source material, etc. )
In terms of designs, Iām glad the show changed the characters designs like the movie in s8 because I think the new designs add SO much more character than before. Ā The og will always be good, but the new style gives them so much more depth.Ā Even in the world around them thereās a positive change in quality that I think benefit the show more.
And, it works out well, since there is a time skip between s7 and s8, on top of a shift in tone, the characters are older now and will be facing new challenges; they are going to change.Ā Ā
But my favorite thing about the Ninjago movie, which is my BIGGEST reason to why I like it, was the dynamic between Lloyd and Garmadon.Ā It was executed in a very funny but so painfully accurate way.Ā I related to Lloyd SO much in that movie and even though Lloyd always had a similar dynamic to his father in the show, seeing it follow Lloyd in s8 up to the newer seasons ( to my knowledge ) is so real.Ā I could never hate Movie!Lloyd, he just wants his dad, and Garmadon, knowing he was there and HAVING Lloyds number, never actually bothered to be in his life or change to the end of the film hurt so personally, I love how it was written, even if it was also written to be funny.Ā Ā
I was the demographic of new fans brought to Ninjago because of the movie, and Lloydās relationship with Garmadon alone was probably why Ninjago became so personal to me.Ā Thereās alot of media where characters have a absent parent, but not alot where the character and the parent have some connection with each other, and the parent chooses not to reach out.Ā I have never felt so seen and related to a character more before the Ninjago Movie
Letās not forget Meowthra, she is UNDERRATED!!!Ā Please give Ninjago itās giant catzilla monster back, I love her
Ultimately I think the movie falls into a very 50/50 state.Ā Itās not for everyone, and is definitely deserving of criticism, but itās not the worse movie adaptation ever made and works well on a stand alone. Ā At the end of the day, the movie was funny, not canon, and did something entirely new with the Ninja and that alone makes it an enjoyable watch.Ā The setting and designs are fun, and doesnāt ( and shouldnāt, imo ) ruin the original Ninjago, even if the show faced changes because of its release.
i finished Sons of Garmadon in my rewatch, I have so much to say
While it was the Ninjago movie was what brought me into the fandom, SoG was the first season of Ninjago I watched, and it stayed in my favorite seasons even after I watched the previous seasons.Ā It plays heavily into nostalgia.Ā Ā
However, established opinions aside; Season 8 was peak.Ā I feel S7 ended the original era on a weak note, and SoG came in full force and completely reset the bar.Ā Between the soundtrack, writing, and animation, everything was a breath of fresh air and a beautiful start to this era of the show.
In regards to the characters redesigns, I do prefer them over the originals.Ā They all look older ( in every positive way, theyāre growing up! ) and they fit their personalities much better.Ā Even other characters who didnāt have a big change in design, like Misako and Dareth, Wu in flashbacks too, still look cleaner than before.Ā Ā
The animation is beautiful here, so much love and attention to detail was put in, and it shows. Ā The scenes and backgrounds were lively and not as flat too.Ā I loved how it leaned into New Ninjago City's cyber theme without becoming overly technology-aesthetic, the locations didnāt overpower each other, and everything seamlessly blended in like it belonged.Ā The soundtrack and audio have also upgraded, my only gripe with it was the new intro theme instead of keeping the Weekend Whip.Ā But my gripe with that is very small, because the new theme had a very serious undertone to it, and it reflected the season well.Ā Sons of Garmadon is dark compared to the previous era.
The writing for this season was handled the tone perfectly.Ā While there were a few minor plot-holes or character actions that werenāt needed, the writers still made sure to reflect it.Ā It worked especially with Harumi's intentions; there were so many little things that were mentioned in passing, or little goofs the characters didnāt think wouldnāt matter greatly, came right back.Ā Stakes were high, and it was taken seriously.Ā Of course the previous seasons didnāt treat threats as anything different, but extra care went into making it known how big of a deal it truly was.Ā It fits the characters growth as well, theyāve all matured, they are getting older.Ā Despite not having Wu, the Ninja broke apart healthily.Ā They all had their own missions and were happy to reunite at the start of the season, and theyāve expanded on their team on their own, notably shown by the new tech their utilizing, but also the way they handled things.Ā All of their decisions were made as a team, not just following one persons orders.
Lloyd's characterization was something I wanted to highlight too. Ā The weight of not having Wu has affected him, and his emotions have begun slipping through the cracks.Ā His chemistry with Harumi was something he needed, and ultimately became one of the most heartbreaking plots that didnāt feel fake or cheesy.Ā The way he grappled with his emotions and internal debates boiled over the course of the season and blew up realistically. Ā Even though he did irrationally go confront Garmadon himself and not see through Harumi's trap, he doesnāt let himself be consumed by it and turn the way Harumi wanted him too.Ā This is one of the best examples of exploring character layers and flaws while still staying true to the characters core.
The villains and Emperor Garmadon technically āwinningā is refreshing twist on season finales.Ā They are truly malicious and dangerous antagonists, them being ānormalā people and not having extra abilities or powers highlights this too, adding Garmadon into that mix triples the threat they already are.
This season was very fun, but truly engaging and impactful.Ā It knew when to be silly and when to take things seriously, and it was an exciting start to this era.Ā SoG and Possession are tying for top place in my favorite seasons.Ā S8 gets a 10/10.
holy yapper!! hereās my take on how the tomorrow tea affected Lloyd + the Ninjas ages kinda
Iāll make a proper timeline and whatnot one day, I just did a lot of thinking about the tomorrows teaš
The Ninja are implied to be teenagers at the start of the series, roughly 15-16. According to the Ninjago Wiki, it was stated at he was less than 10 during RotS, and Jillian Micheals told Brent Miller in an interview that Lloyd was ā10 years old when he was first introduced and became 14 years old after using the Tomorrows Tea.ā <- I have no idea how accurate that is, and since there is no canon specifications of ages otherwise thatās the closest I think weāll get- and the one I agree with the most.
Iād like to think there was a couple months to half a year at most that took place between S1 and S2; the City had time to recover at the Great Devourers attack and the Ninja were still getting back on their feet after. With that I say S1 and 2 conjoined took a total of a year and a half roughly, so Lloyd would be 9-10, while the Ninja are 16.
When we get to Child's Play and the use of the Tomorrows Tea, Lloyd ages to 14-15 roughly. Wu mentions that because he grew physically older, the countdown to fighting Garmadon has gotten closer. Time and context seems to play a very prevalent role when using the Tomorrows Tea, since it reverse the aging of the Grundle and turned the Ninja back to their original ages. It set things right, where things need to be.
Lloyd was destined to fight Garmadon in the final battle. With all the rush on the villains side; Lloyds age was altered to catch up. I imagine he was aged to be Nyaās age; younger the Ninja, but just old enough to help. Thatās the point Lloyd was aged too.
In the episode as well, we see the Ninja still retained their mental ages when they were aged down to children. Because of that alone, I donāt think Lloyd aged mentally because of the tea. It was just physical. The entire season was focused on training Lloyd to be ready to fight Garmadon anyway, so it only makes sense that only his body changed.
As well, after he aged and confronted Garmadon again, every instance he fought him he either hesitated, or couldnāt actually bring himself to hurt his father. Itās a heavy toll on anyone, regardless of age, but in Lloyds case especially, he is a child, itās a much larger obstacle to overcome. We see Lloyd prioritizes physical training more in this situation, he himself overlooking the fact that just yesterday it was okay for him to do childish things. I donāt think Lloyd realizes that heās not entirely āolderā, and if he did I feel like that wouldnāt change his feelings, if anything it might push him to train harder so thereās nothing holding him back.
That said, I donāt think the teaās affects are permanent either. Lloyds mindset is still growing, just behind his physical age. I think Lloyd will be āstuckā being 14 until he becomes 14, and once both of his ages line up again, he will continue to age as normal.
Because of the amount of change that happened between S2 and S3, Iām going to say there was at LEAST a year timeskip between the Seasons. The Ninja are now 16-17, Nya at 15-16, and Lloyd, though physically 14, now 11-12 at most.
I donāt like the headcannon that Lloyd doesnāt know his own age or his birthday ( even if it was funny ), but I still imagine heās still grieving his own childhood, even though he doesnāt have too. I believe it was said somewhere that Lloyd was off training in the first part of the S3 due to his Golden Power, I like to think Lloyd felt the need to dive into his own training, both to distract from what heās lost, and because of his own belief that, since heās older, he has to act older. Iām sure this was encouraged by the others / his father too, but not something he was pressured into doing; Lloyd seemed very eager to train late S2 and during S3, I just headcannon that itās a bit of coping mechanism as well, even if itās a little bittersweet.
i think during the events of Morros possession Lloyd initially wasnt too 'bothered' by it because he understood the stakes of needing to take back control and to help stop Morro, so when Lloyd WAS free from the possession he was fairly quickly able to jump right back in and help the others ( though seeing how easily Morro was able to manipulate Lloyd at first in regards to Garmadon I do think Lloyd was a little out of it but tbf thats a reasonable given š)
but it wasnt til after the Preeminent was destroyed and for things to settle down that Lloyd started to be affected by it. I kinda bothered him at first cuz it felt irrelevant to have nightmares and anxiety about something that already happened. It wasnt something easy to talk about because everyone else had 'moved on', he's kind of stuck with it
