Garmadon grew up learning the art of the ninja alongside Wu. Garmadon would get bitten by the Great Devourer. The effects of the Devourer's venom would lead Garmadon down a darker path through which he would be continually tempted during his time as a hero. Around the time of the Serpentine War, Chen had Garmadon sign Wu's love letter for Misako, leading her to choose Garmadon. He and Misako had a son and named him Lloyd. Ultimately, he lost himself to the venom's influence and became an evil warlord, banished to the Underworld after a climactic battle with Wu.
After allying with the Skulkin and Serpentine to claim the Golden Weapons, Garmadon later joined The Overlord—only to be used as a vessel for his return. After Lloyd defeated The Overlord, Garmadon was purified of evil and reunited with his family, hoping to atone for his misdeeds.
A criminal syndicate known as the Sons of Garmadon sought to resurrect Garmadon's Oni side. Harumi led the group to success, reviving Garmadons with his worst traits prevalent. After seemingly defeating the ninja, Garmadon reigned as Emperor Garmadon and wreaked havoc across Ninjago City but Lloyd would defeat Garmadon by refusing to fight, leading his father to lose his powers.
When the Oniinvaded, Garmadon managed to convince Lloyd to release him in order to help the ninja fight. After using the Tornado of Creation with Wu and the ninja to vanquish the Oni, he headed off to parts unknown. He encountered the people of Two Moon Village, fought against Kuma's bears and the Red Crows, led by his old traitorous enemy, Mogra, and came to realize that what he really wants deep down is redemption.
Now determined to redeem himself, he moved in with Vinny, and continued to learn about empathy. However, once The Overlord and his Crystal army attacked Ninjago City, Garmadon broke his vow of peace and helped to fulfill the final prophecy of Quanish the Elder and stop the Overlord once more.
Appearance
Appearance[]
“First it was four arms, then you became a dragon. Would you mind picking a body and sticking with it, please?”
Garmadon is an Oni-like man with a demonic visage, red eyes and faint silver face markings. Following his resurrection in Sons of Garmadon, Garmadon gained a modified appearance of his "Lord" form from The LEGO Ninjago Movie. He wore a black samurai armor that had the characters "evil" in Ninjargon, was torn on the left side of his chest and exposed his rib-cage, which had purple ooze dripping out of smaller cracks on his body, along with a towering horned helmet. Beneath his helmet is long white hair pulled back into a top-knot. The sash around his waist was navy blue and he was similar to his appearance before he was turned good, a difference being that the glint in his eyes is now yellow instead of dark gray and his teeth weren't always visible. When he transformed into an Oni, his head morphed into the shape of an Oni Mask with black curved horns. After the Oni's invasion, Garmadon formerly stopped wearing his helmet and removed his shoulder pads on his upper armor, he wore a rope sash to keep his sword on his back when living in the forest. When fighting Mogra for the freedom of Two Moon Village, Garmadon gained a new Oni Form, now keeping his human head shape, with horns on his head and his long white hair loose.
After more than a year since the Oni's invasion, Garmadon reemerged to fight the Crystal army, with his appearance further altered, most notably is the lack of his two extra arms due to Oni shapeshifting with purple gloves covering his hands. His armor has been repaired and he now sports a black robe with a silver trim over his armor with a circular symbol on the back. His sash is now purple like that of his original lord form and he has silver knee pads. When he transforms into his Oni Form, he regains his two extra arms with the addition of bat-like wings similar to the Skull Sorcerer. The armor he wears while in his Oni Form resembles that from The Lego Ninjago Movie but with broader segmented plates and purple sashes on the middle section. His head is still shaped like an Oni Mask but his horns are now silver and more straight and his face is more inhuman like a true Oni with triangular purple eyes and razor sharp teeth with more visible jagged silver markings on his face and the back of his head. When living at Vinny's apartment, Garmadon wore a tan and sometimes gray bathrobe on top of a purple robe covering his chest. He uses a purple belt to keep his bathrobe in place and wore gray sandals.
In his youth, he had brown hair that varied in shade but is typically depicted on the darker side. As a child, Garmadon appeared as a normal boy with a bowl-cut, he wore a white tunic with a red and sometimes purple lotus symbol and dark tan pants. Originally, his face appeared identically to his son's at the same age, while his eyebrows have changed and his eyes appear larger in more recent appearances. After he was bitten by the Devourer, his eyes briefly turned red. As a young teenager, he had long, tousled hair tied up with a purple bandana, identical to Lloyd in The Island. He had a small scar on his left cheek. He wore a dark blue chest plate and pants with a purple belt and brown knee pads. He also wore brown shoulder pads. As a young adult, he had a swept-back, tousled hairstyle similar to Lloyd's original teenage form, and his eyes glowed red while being tempted by the venom. He wore a black kimono with red kanji and hanzi (roughly meaning "spin ninjutsu"), showing his status as a Spinjitzu Master.[4] Because of the Great Devourer's bite, in the final stages of his corruption, his skin became pale and his eyes turned red permanently, like the evil ninja he created.
Upon being struck by lightning and falling into the Underworld, he gained a very similar appearance to Mystake's true form. His body became completely black, with silver facial markings and visible glowing ribs and teeth. His hair gained a spiked/on-end appearance while turning black like the rest of his body. He wore a purple sash around his waist, his old ninja-obi with the upper part torn off, and later gained Samukai's helmet—a silver samurai helmet with a bone on it.
His time in the Realm of Madness gave him four arms and a segmented silver chest plate. After arriving on the Island of Darkness, he claimed a new helmet that also gave him control over the Stone Army, which he wore until Dareth took possession of it.
At the end of "Rise of the Spinjitzu Master", Garmadon was reverted to a normal man, free of the evil energy that had corrupted him. He appeared as an old man similar in appearance to Master Wu, but with a full head of graying hair instead of a white beard. His old outfit had been transformed into the "special" kimono he wore in "Battle Between Brothers," a predominantly black kimono with white sleeves and silver Chinese characters written on the front of the kimono.
In Rebooted, his face is slightly different, and he has donned an official master gi that was mostly black with a white sleeved, gray overcoat and a green belt, along with a crest of a black dragon in a gold circle. This same symbol appears on his back.
In Tournament of Elements, his gi remained mostly black, but its design was altered to have gold accents. His hair appears to be a darker shade of gray than before. It was also revealed that he had an Anacondrai tattoo on his back from his days as Chen's right hand. He later turned into an Anacondrai but was reverted to normal after his banishment to the Cursed Realm.
Age
Age[]
Garmadon is thousands of years old. He and his younger brother's long lifespan is a result of them being the sons of the First Spinjitzu Master, who also lived for thousands of years before finally succumbing to his mortality. According to Mystake in "Two Lies, One Truth," this is due to their Oni blood, in addition to their dragon heritage. According to Tommy Andreasen, Garmadon might be 4,000-5,000 years old, but it's unclear.[5]
Garmadon and his brother have a peculiar aging pattern. Ages ago, they were children when he was bitten, and they grew to be young men by the time their father passed away.[6] Their aging stagnated at some point, and millennia later, they were still physically in their late teens during the events of the Serpentine War, as Garmadon stated in "Only One Can Remain" that he was Lloyd's age (physically) while training under Chen. Decades later, they were physically in their early 30s when he was banished.[7] Only a mere decade later, by the beginning of the events of the series, they both appeared as old men, though Garmadon would only show his true age after he was purified of his evil.
For possible explanations on Garmadon and Wu's seemingly rapid aging, see the Trivia section.
As a small child, Garmadon was described as being "thoughtful and caring". While his younger brother, Wu, was impatient and reckless, he was cautious of disobeying their father.[11] He appeared to have a stubborn streak, as he was frustrated when he couldn't understand his father's wisdom and refused to trust Aspheera on the grounds of her being a snake, nearly coming to blows with Wu over the latter after learning his brother was teaching her Spinjitzu. However, he was willing to put aside his differences with his brother to defeat the sorceress. After Garmadon and Wu stopped Aspheera's rule over Ninjago and both lost their father's trust, their personalities changed, with Garmadon becoming reckless and impatient while Wu became the responsible one.[12][13]
This as a result, led to Garmadon being bitten by the Great Devourer, and beginning to take on darker, more megalomaniacal aspects to himself, which caused him to turn against his family even when they sought to help him. He would suddenly become temperamental and experience aggressive outbursts. As a teenager, he was in denial over the fact that anything was wrong with him, while it was clear to his brother and father he was no longer the same boy. He did his best to fight the evil within him, showing great determination by keeping the beast's venom from fully controlling him for ages.
Garmadon struggling with his corruption.
Under Chen's influence, the Great Devourer's venom would continue to grow and pester at him. As a result of his master's teachings, Garmadon felt the need to win at all costs and would even resort to blatant cheating in order to achieve his goals. He would even go so far as to lie in order to win Misako's heart, though, despite all this, his true, good side managed to prevail at times, such as through guilt and virtue.
Likewise, when Chen sought to ally with the Serpentine, Garmadon managed to summon enough of his strength to resist the temptation given to him by both his master and the venom and refused, siding with his friends and family. During the war, he went on to fight with bravery and displayed great intelligence after creating the Serpentine's only known weakness, the Sacred Flutes.
Garmadon completely consumed by the evil within.
Decades after his victory during the Serpentine War, despite his love of Misako and their son, Garmadon eventually was unable to fight on any longer and ultimately succumbed to the influence of the Great Devourer's venom. Under its control, he became noticeably far greedier and more sinister and megalomaniacal, reflected on his desire to shape the world into his image, even going as far as to try to steal the Golden Weapons, while ruthlessly insulting his father's legacy and showing no hesitation attempting to murder his brother over the Golden Weapons. Upon being banished to the Underworld, his evil continued to fester as he mercilessly stole Samukai's authority, refusing to give up, even in exile.
From there, he would hone his skills of manipulation, showed how he let the Ninja to gather most of the Golden Weapons and then lured Kai away from the others so that he would both retrieve the last weapon to then be easier to take it from him, all while Samukai and the other skeletons would retrieve the other weapons by catching the Ninja off-guard. He would also display a mocking sarcasm towards his enemies, relishing in their dilemmas. He was also noticeably vengeful towards his brother, even more so as a result of his banishment and because he blamed Wu for the Great Devourer infecting him.
One thing that the venom of the Devourer failed to suppress, however, was his love for Misako and Lloyd; this same quality was enough for Garmadon to briefly side up with Wu in order to rescue Lloyd from the Serpentine, even saving Wu several times and genuinely thanking him for watching over Lloyd. Even if his love for his family was not enough to motivate him to fight his evil side, it was enough to give them their best chance, as he chose to give Lloyd a chance to choose the person he really wanted to be. Likewise, he was unable to bring himself to harm Lloyd. After learning his son was fated to defeat him, instead of trying to get rid of him, Garmadon only ever tried to prevent the Ninja from training him into becoming the Green Ninja. Even under the influence of the Overlord, he would feign eagerness to fight, when in reality he was insecure over his deteriorating relationship with his loved ones. Indeed, he would also fight back the venom by offering to save Misako by having her rule at his side and also showing betrayal upon learning she had tricked him.
After countless years of inner torment, Garmadon was finally at peace.
After being purged of the Great Devourer's venom after a decade of scheming and manipulating, Garmadon's true, good side finally began to show through. However, as a result of his crimes, he was left to feel tremendous guilt. To cope, he began to live in solitude, training pupils to defend themselves, and was extremely pacifistic, relying exclusively on the Art of the Silent Fist in combat and rejecting any form of weapon, even banishing them from his own monastery. Despite this, he was unwilling to let his personal guilt place his loved ones in danger, and he promptly withdraws his vow in order to later rescue his son and friends. Additionally, Garmadon would later refuse to take hostages, regardless of who they were, in order to accomplish any goals.
As a master, Garmadon was also noticeably different in that while his brother was generally more cryptic and vague, Garmadon was far more down-to-earth and practical, making his advice and instruction to the ninja more direct and not hesitating to emphasize their wariness of his former master Chen. He also acted very fatherly to his son and built a greater relationship with him.
Ultimately, without the venom of the Great Devourer, Garmadon proved to be incredibly selfless as well; upon the need, he willingly had himself banished to the Cursed Realm in order to save Ninjago from the Anacondrai warriors and likewise emphasized the defeat of the Preeminent over his own safety. He had came to also realize that, even if he desired to shape the world into his image, he was already doing that through Lloyd. Because of his virtuous and altruistic side, for a time, Garmadon changed his legacy from that of a vile Dark Lord to a benevolent hero, his good side being remembered forever by his friends and family.
The newly-reborn Garmadon, supposedly soulless and devoid of all of the light in his heart.
Once resurrected via the Oni Masks, initially it appeared that all of Garmadon's positive traits were obliterated; he himself proclaiming that of all his previous roles, only one returned—destroyer. All of Garmadon's love for his son and family, something even the Great Devourer's venom could not destroy in his previous evil self, had all but vanished. This was seen when Garmadon had shown no remorse or hesitation in attacking his son, wife, and de-aged brother.
It seemed that his desire for destruction and power was all that remained in his soulless heart. Despite this, Lloyd still believed there was some part of his father left within him and desperately attempted to bring this out of the newly reborn Garmadon, but to no avail.
Since then, Garmadon has shown his brutality and willingness to do anything to stay in power, whether that be threatening or even killing members of his own loyal forces, even Harumi herself, should they fail him. As Ninjago's dictator, he shows little mercy to those who ally with or may harbor his son, capturing them should they be found.
Garmadon struggles with his hesitance to destroy his son and reach his full potential.
In spite of all this, a strange oddity exists within his behavior. Garmadon has shown slight bits of mercy. Besides, not killing any of the ninja's allies and sparing Harumi, despite her failures, Garmadon has shown mercy to Lloyd. Initially facing him without holding back, and thus, unlocking his True Potential, Garmadon didn't finish Lloyd off. This was seen again, when he did the same as his Colossus creation was on the verge of crushing his son and his friends and stopped after hearing his son's pleas.
Confused by his own persistent hesitance, Harumi helped Garmadon realize that though only his Oni side resurrected, his affection for Lloyd still encompassed all parts of him. When Harumi became his honorary daughter and she died, Garmadon was deeply saddened and enraged at Lloyd and tried to destroy Ninjago City. Despite this rage, Garmadon later saved Lloyd from certain death twice and ordered him to fight him rather than holding back and dodging his attacks. Garmadon revealed that his true motivation for unlocking his True Potential was to become powerful enough to defend Ninjago against a dark new threat he witnessed while in the Departed Realm, showing that despite his evil, he truly wanted to protect Ninjago and greatly respected what his father created, though his desire was to ultimately conquer it. This wish to protect his home realm is one of the few traits he retained from his old self, eclipsing his previous attachments, whether entirely for selfish reasons or some lingering sense of duty.
Garmadon gave up after he lost his powers, asking Lloyd to finish him. Too dejected to show rage when Lloyd spared him, he warned him of the incoming darkness, and repeated himself as he was taken to Kryptarium Prison. He made no attempt to resist the officers, as he had no hope that anyone but himself at full power had any chance against the Bringers of Doom, not even his own son.
Garmadon tries to understand the meaning of life.
Garmadon's desperation to save Ninjago from the Oni makes him fully willing to actually call his son and ask for his help. Although he was still considered the ninja's archnemesis and he treated them rather condescendingly, he is not heartless, as shown by how he repeatedly saves Lloyd even though he claimed it was to increase their chances of victory and attempts to fathom the ninja's sadness after Cole was thought to have died, failing to understand why would they dwell on the loss of something as (to his perception) frivolous as friendship, when their survival was at risk. His time with the ninja during the Oni invasion impacted him to the point he developed a longing to understand humans and be one of them; he even willingly gave the Armor of the Golden Master to them so that they can reforge the Golden Weapons to battle the Oni. With the understanding about Garmadon's true intent clear to them, the ninja are more than happy to let Garmadon battle against the Oni leader Omega in return. Although at first, he refused to join the ninja to create the Tornado of Creation, Garmadon had a change of heart once he saw the Oni's darkness begin to spread over the monastery's mural wall, covering a picture of Lloyd's face. He immediately aided them in defeating the Oni for good. Despite being relieved that the Oni were gone and the ninja were victorious, Garmadon decided to leave. However, Garmadon did take time to look back at Wu, who briefly bids him farewell, leaving on an amicable note in spite of his crimes.
Garmadon contemplating after helping the ninja in the Oni's invasion.
After his experiences in the fight with the Oni, Garmadon was clouded by uncertainty, as he was usually the one conquering Ninjago, not defending it.
Eventually, he decided to go to Vinny, of NGTV news after encountering him on the Destiny's Bounty, as he was the one to give some clarity over what could be more important than survival. Vinny eventually let him in his apartment, on the condition of a vow of peace. He then proceeded to teach him the nature of goodness. Deciding to try it, Garmadon shapeshifted until he had only two arms, finding that as being more suitable to try to connect with others.
Garmadon learns how to empathize by caring for a plant.
Vinny then gave him a plant, which was the key factor to Garmadon letting go of his anger. Naming the plant Christofern, Garmadon began to learn about compassion through caring for it. Christofern flourished under his care, and Garmadon became very devoted to it; even putting up a vow for non-violence by restraining himself away from any battle that befalls on Ninjago for the next couple of months; even Wu himself is quite surprised to see that Garmadon has come a long way of rethinking his life.
Upon witnessing the Crystal army attacking the apartment complex and damaging Christofern, Garmadon withdrew his vow for non-violence as he furiously attacks the Crystal Warriors before personally agreeing to help Wu and the Ninja in defeating the Overlord and his armies. Upon being told by Lloyd that he's incapable of showing compassion, Garmadon tries to prove this wrong by presenting Christofern (in a soda can) as a very good example, but Lloyd angrily claims that plants don't count and that they can't feel anything like people do, which left Garmadon very saddened. However, upon witnessing Garmadon taking down a crystallized Serpentine without killing him, Lloyd finally realizes that the plant is helping Garamdon in developing compassion, and apologizes to Garmadon by admitting that he may have a slight chance of showing it.
Despite getting himself in good graces with his family again, Garmadon finds himself upset because no one trusts him due to his past crimes. He even admitted that he truly understands the Ninja's mistrust towards him and assured that in spite of their past feud with him, he makes good on his intent to help them out; even trying to help Lloyd achieve his Oni Form by all means necessary. Before heading over with Lloyd to confront the Overlord, Garmadon demanded to know if Lloyd trusts him, though he is frustrated when Lloyd tries to avoid the issue by giving him a complexed answer.
With a proper understanding between each other despite everything that has happened, both Garmadon and Lloyd willingly worked together to put up a fight against the Overlord; Garmadon even voiced his disappointment towards Harumi for siding up with the Overlord. He even became furious upon learning that the Overlord was the one who created the Great Devourer that turned him evil in the first place, which drove Harumi to turn against the Overlord (as her family was murdered by the Great Devourer) and side with Garmadon and Lloyd. Garmadon also makes good on his intent to help Lloyd unleash his Oni Form by faking his death after being defeated by the Overlord, though it was all for nothing, as Lloyd repressed his Oni form after seeing his reflection on the central crystal, allowing the Overlord to knock him off the temple, much to Garmadon's disappointment, which he expresses after the battle.
Garmadon patching things up with Lloyd
Following the defeat of the Overlord and his armies, Garmadon happily reunites and reconciles with his family; even helping Lloyd vouch for Harumi when the ninja stared at her. He then replants Christofern in a hill before announcing his intent on spending the rest of his life helping his family and the others rebuild Ninjago. He even passes a floorboard for Lloyd to use while giving a genuine smile as they help rebuild the Monastery, implying that he's making good on his intent to show empathy and rectify his past crimes to become a better person.
Weapons and abilities
Weapons and abilities[]
Abilities[]
Spinjitzu - Like his brother Wu, Garmadon has the ability to perform Spinjitzu, with his version channeling the power of Destruction.
Catjitzu - Using a special form of Spinjitzu, invented by Nineko, Garmadon can walk on ropes, jump high with the help of Spinjitzu tornado and jump down in the same way.
Destruction - Garmadon has the ability to control the elemental essence of Destruction. He is able to invoke Destruction daggers to help him in combat, and he is able to gain more power by battling opponents. After being bitten by the Great Devourer, his power became unbalanced and his Oni side became more prominent.[14][15]After being purified of evil after the Overlord's defeat, Garmadon's Destruction returned to balance.[16] However after being resurrected by the Oni Masks, his Oni side has become dominant again, and he uses Destruction in combat for the first time, manifesting it as purple energy, in the form of blasts, shields and strong explosions. He can also use Destruction to telekinetically choke and even tear apart others from certain distances, as he did with Mr. E, as well as enhance his strength to superhuman levels, which makes him able to easily break through brick walls. He was even powerful enough to blast both his son, his brother, and Firstbourne off the top of Borg Tower greatly weakening all three of them. His powers over Destruction were likely enhanced by Darkness, albeit through the Great Devourer's venom, since his powers were described as a gift from the Overlord.[17]
Colossus - He controlled the being with his Destruction element that is created by his dormant control over Creation. As seen in "The Gilded Path", he was able to channel his destructive powers in the form of a weak destructive blast to summon and control his dark creation Colossus.
Dark Magic - Despite his dislike for dark magic, Garmadon manage to use dark magic summon weapons, and cast various spells that banish people to other realms.
Weapon summoning - Garmadon can summon weapons from a distance or from thin air. This was shown in "Once Bitten, Twice Shy," where he summoned 4 weapons (a bo staff, a double-bladed dagger, a staff with shurikins, and a scythe) from a distance. He later summoned 4 swords by pulling them out from his back in "The Royal Blacksmiths." In his current form, he can create Destructive daggers, which he used to fight Lloyd and Wu at the top of Borg Tower.
Shapeshifting - Due to being part Oni, Garmadon has their capacity of Shapeshifting. He is notably able to change parts of his body like get rid of his two extra arms and grow them back at will as seen in "Christofern" or to grow wings from his back when he was in his Oni form (see below). Garmadon being able to grow two more arms during his journey in the Realm of Madness was maybe thanks to his Oni Shapeshfting power and being empowered by the dark magic in the realm.
Oni Form - Due to being part-Oni, Garmadon can reach a Oni form and enhance his strength and other capabilities, using Destruction and channeling his anger, letting his Oni side take over, similar to an Elemental Master user in their Dragon Form. However, if weakened, he would revert back to normal.
Creation - Despite Destruction being his primary element, Garmadon is part Dragon and could access the power of Creation after unlocking his true potential, even though he is mostly Oni in form. Using his full power, he was able to use the environment to create an enormous Colossus. Unlike Wu's, Garmadon's comes in the form of purple energy.
Animation - Garmadon was able to give life to an inanimate collection of rocks to create the Colossus.
Visions - During the events of Shatterspin, Garmadon experienced visions of the ancient wolf clan and their downfall.
Family psychic link - As seen in "Green Destiny" and "Big Trouble, Little Ninjago" Garmadon and Wu are able to sense each other's presence probably because of their particular link and their special heritage. Garmadon notably sensed Wu's presence when he returned from the first Realm with the four ninja and told him he knows they're here.He also sensed his son's presence when the latter was in Borg Tower and close enough to him.[18]
Shadows - In his first appearance, Lord Garmadon was able to summon and duplicate shadows, dark entities able to harm physical beings while the latter could not do the same. Similarly, during his stay in the Underworld, he had the ability to use his powers to create a shadow duplicate of himself in order to interact with Ninjago to some extent.
Wielding the Golden Weapons - During his time in the Realm of Madness, he gained the power of doing what was seemingly impossible for him to achieve: to wield all four Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu at once. In addition to this newfound ability, he gained two extra arms to help him hold each weapon more easily—though this new power still left him feeling weak upon using the Mega Weapon. Upon being purified after the Overlord's defeat, Garmadon lost his extra pair of arms, and therefore, the power to wield all four Golden Weapons. It is unknown if he could wield the four Golden Weapons after his rebirth.
Skilled combatant - Garmadon is a skilled fighter, being proficient in martial arts and the use of many different weapons. Initially, after being cured, he repressed his power by refusing to fight, but he eventually returned to being an active combatant in order to save his son, defeating several Nindroid and Pythor himself. He is also skilled in swordsmanship as he often wields two identical katanas and later four after he gained 4 arms. Even powerless, while they were caught off-guard, he still outmatched all of the ninja and later several Oni (while also protecting Lloyd) with only one sword. During his battle with the Time Twins, Garmadon, unlike Wu gained the upper hand while fighting each of the twins.
Art of the Silent Fist - As Master Garmadon, he created the Art of the Silent Fist during his vow of pacifism. He was able to overcome multiple nindroids with ease with it and teach it to the ninja as well. After his resurrection, Garmadon returned to using Destruction and stopped using this art, even though he most likely remembers it and knows how to use it.
Expert Leader/Strategist - During the Serpantine War, Garmadon was able to lead the Elemental Alliance and farmers against the five Serpentine tribes. He also lead the Children of the Wolf against Lord Argus. Later while fighting the Time Twins, Garmadon was able to lead the Elemental Alliance to fight the twins while his brother Wu had Ray and Maya forge the Time Blades.
Fishing/Swimming - Garmadon is very good at fishing and has often been with his father, brother, or both to fish when he was a child.[19] He can also swim, as he and his brother Wu often went swimming in the lake.[11]
Mega Weapon (formerly): Garmadon eventually fused the Golden Weapons into the Mega Weapon, which he wielded until its destruction in "Wrong Place, Wrong Time."
Bo staff (formerly): During the Serpentine War, Garmadon used a staff and fought Arcturus forcing him to flee. Following his purification, Garmadon vowed against using weapons, though he used the bo staff as a walking stick, much like his brother Wu.
Katanas: Garmadon also wielded katanas during his youth. Before he gained 4 arms he often duel-wield two katanas in battle. Following his evil side, he often wielded four swords. After his resurrection, Cole reluctantly gave him a sword to defeat the Oni. However this katana was destroyed by The Omega when he attempted to destroy the Realm Crystal. Garmadon still owned several katanas as seen in his flashback in "Christofern".
Sensei Wu's evil brother who was banished to the underworld after he failed to collect all the four golden weapons. Now plotting to rise to power once again and recreate Ninjago in his own image.[20]
Rebooted
Garmadon is the brother of Sensei Wu. As a young man, he was bitten by The Great Devourer and became Lord Garmadon.
Merciless and sinister, he became an enemy of Sensei Wu and the ninja team.
It was only when the Overlord was defeated that Garmadon was freed from the darkness.
He no longer believes in violence of any kind, and is focused on trying to raise his son, Lloyd, the right way.
But is he really reformed, and can he stick to being peaceful in the face of the Nindroid threat?[21]
Tournament of Elements
Element: All
Height: Four and a half bricks
Hobbies: Spending time with his son and trying to make up for past evil acts
Home base: Ninja DB X
Weapon: Nin-Jo
Garmadon is the brother of Sensei Wu. As a young man, he was bitten by The Great Devourer and became Lord Garmadon.
Merciless and sinister, he became an enemy of Sensei Wu and the Ninja team.
It was only when the Overlord was defeated that Garmadon was freed from the darkness.
He no longer believes in violence of any kind, and is focused on trying to raise his son, Lloyd, the right way.
But is he really reformed, and can he stick to being peaceful in the face of the Nindroid threat?[22]
Tournament of Elements (Ninjagopedia)
Garmadon is my brother and has, for better and worse, always been my greatest adversary. When we were children, we sparred together. When we grew older, he won the heart of the woman I loved. While he was the evil Lord Garmadon, I fought his reign and prevented him from conquering Ninjago. But now he is back to his old self and making up for lost time by being Misako’s husband and Lloyd’s father. He is a very wise man and a skilled Spinjitzu fighter. We are very alike in many ways. He holds all the elemental powers within him. We also share the same love for avoiding battle and when we are forced to fight, our favorite weapon is the simple Nin-jo staff.[23]
Bitten by the Great Devourer as a child, Wu’s brother slowly filled with evil to become Lord Garmadon, the arch nemesis of good ninja everywhere. When his son Lloyd defeated the Overlord, he was finally freed of the poison that flowed through his veins! Master Garmadon has now taken the oath of peace. He helps mentor the ninja, though his training methods are very different from Wu’s. Garmadon is a man of tradition and doesn’t like modern technology at all.
Evil mastermind Lord Garmadon is trapped in the Underworld, so he orders Samukai to find all four Golden Weapons. But when the four-armed skeleton king recovers them, he tries to take their power for himself, only to be instantly vaporised! This opens a portal to another realm, giving Lord Garmadon a possibility to escape. He knew that their power would corrupt even the most loyal henchman. This was his plan all along![24]
Rise of the Serpentine (Museum)
There’s much more to Lord Garmadon’s story than meets the eye. We see him mentor his son, even though they’re destined to meet in battle, and as we delve into his shared past with the ancient Serpentine tribes, we discover he didn’t choose to be the way he is. Can he avenge himself on the ancient horror that cursed him all those years before?[25]
Legacy of the Green Ninja (Museum)
With the help of the Serpentine, Lord Garmadon forges the Mega Weapon from the four Golden Weapons. This unspeakable power gives him new ways to try and destroy the Ninja. But when he is betrayed by the Serpentine and abandoned on an island, he meets the Overlord. Garmadon learns that fate has brought him there for a destiny far greater and more sinister than even he had ever imagined.[26]
Rebooted (Museum)
Garmadon, Lloyd’s father and the ninja’s former enemy, has been cured of the poison that turned him evil. He is particularly focused on rebuilding his relationship with Lloyd and helping his son unlock his potential as the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master. Garmadon hopes to teach Lloyd to focus on his mind and not just rely on his powers.[27]
Tournament of Elements (Museum)
Garmadon is confronted by the ghosts of his past during the Tournament of Elements adventure. He accompanies the ninja to Chen’s Island because he knows all too well the depths of evil and treachery in his former teacher’s heart. He also faces the revelation that he won Misako’s heart long ago through trickery. In the end, Garmadon sacrifices himself to save the world and atone for his past.[28]
Sons of Garmadon
Bitten by the Great Devourer as a child, Wu’s brother turned evil and became Lord Garmadon. When his son Lloyd defeated the menace of the Overlord, Garmadon was finally freed of the poison that flowed through his veins. He became a loving father to Lloyd. When last seen, Garmadon had sacrificed himself to save the NINJAGO® world and was lost in the Cursed Realm.[29]
2019
Garmadon – the ninja bitten by evil!
The son of the First Spinjitzu Master and elder brother of Wu, who went on to train a team of ninja heroes, Garmadon’s life could have turned out quite differently. But he was bitten by the Great Devourer as a child, poisoned with evil and became a warlord intent on destruction.
Him and his wife Misako had a child, Lloyd, who grew up to be a good and skilful ninja under the tutelage of Wu. And it was Lloyd who defeated the Overlord and finally freed his father Garmadon of the poison that had flowed through his veins.
Garmadon became a loving father to Lloyd, going on to sacrifice himself to save NINJAGO® world. The story didn’t end there though, as Harumi and a crime syndicate called the Sons of Garmadon resurrected him in his evil form!
This complex character is at the centre of so many NINJAGO stories and kids love role-playing with the Garmadon minifigures that feature in lots of action-packed LEGO® NINJAGO® building toy playsets.[30]
Wu's older brother and a son of the First Spinjitzu Master. Bitten by a vile snake as a child, Garmadon gradually filled with evil to become Lord Garmadon, the greatest villain in the world of Ninjago.
15 Years of LEGO® NINJAGO®
Garmadon, the firstborn son of the First Spinjitzu Master, Wu’s older brother and Lloyd’s father, wasn’t always known as the Master of Destruction. As a child, he was bitten by the Great Devourer, infecting him with evil and leading him down a dark path of temptation. Ultimately, he lost himself to the venom and became the evil master we know today.
The name "Garmadon" was created by mixing up most of the letters of the word "Armageddon."[31] This was most likely thought of by a writer named Robert Henley.[32] He was originally meant to be called "Demic", from the word "pandemic".[33][34]The Hageman Brothers and Tommy Andreasen disliked the name "Garmadon", but because "Demic" could not be cleared by the legal department, "Garmadon" is what they settled with.[35]
Behind the scenes
Behind the scenes[]
In early concepts, Garmadon was the one intended to release the Serpentine instead of Lloyd.[36]
Though Garmadon is his first and only name, it became his son's last name, which is a custom in some real-world cultures.[37] He and his brother do not have a last name.[38] This is because the First Spinjitzu Master did not have a last name.[39]
Despite the fact that he still had Destruction,[16] his Spinjitzu color was erroneously different in the Tournament of Elements intro, being a dull silver color instead of dark purple.[40]
It was also a dull silver in art for Tournament of Elements.[41]
According to Tommy Andreasen, the reason for Garmadon's death in Possession was that the Hageman Brothers felt that there was only room for one master, and to progress Lloyd's character.[42][43]
Garmadon and the Overlord are the only villains to be the main antagonists in more than one season.
Garmadon is similar to Anakin Skywalker, as both gained a nefarious reputation when turned to the dark side, transformed into a black-clad entity, manipulated by a greater evil who brought them to the dark side (The Overlord for Garmadon and Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious for Anakin), and finally able to redeem themselves with help of their archenemy that turned out to be theirson.
The difference, however, whereas Anakin died in peace soon after he redeemed himself, Garmadon survived longer.
Their LEGO minifigures also have the same hair , albeit in different colors. Garmadon had the exact same hair piece as Anakin's minifigures from Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith and The Clone Wars.
Garmadon is also similar to Scar from Disney's The Lion King franchise as both turn against theirbrothers after being bitten by asnake and corrupted by its venom.
Garmadon also shares similarities with Sasuke Uchiha as both were bitten by a snake (the Great Devourer for Garmadon and Orochimaru for Sasuke), and corrupted by it's venom, ultimately leading them to face their best friend/brother (Wu for Garmadon and Naruto for Sasuke).
In February 2018, Tommy Andreasen stated that Garmadon may not have found his True Potential.[44] This was confirmed when he reached his True Potential in the penultimate episode of Sons of Garmadon.
In his reborn form, the word "evil" is written on his armor in Ninjargon.
Garmadon is the third character to announce the title card at the beginning of an episode, having first announced it in "Big Trouble, Little Ninjago", the second being Lloyd throughout the rest of Season 8.
Garmadon in Season 9 is similar to Logan from Fable III; both were thought to be some tyrant to rule their respective areas and had a resistance against them led by someone related to them but they were really trying to prevent coming darkness that the protagonists now has to deal with.
As Lord Garmadon, he has six minifigures with different appearances: original, with four arms, possessed, Reborn, and Legacy (with 4 arms and another with 2 arms).
On the LEGO website, a picture of the Overlord was inaccurately shown on Garmadon's description,[45] though this was later corrected.[30]
Garmadon's March of the Oni characterization is Tommy Andreasen's favorite portrayal of him because he is "both intimidating, scheming, playful, sarcastic, funny, and with some compassion. Struggling to understand himself and humanity."[46]
Tommy Wu (left), purified Garmadon (middle), and Master Garmadon (right)
Purified Garmadon in "Rise of the Spinjitzu Master" and "The Surge" has Wu's face without the beard and 3D mouth. This face design is also used for "Tommy Wu" in the 2012 blooper reel. Purified Garmadon's face design was changed for the subsequent seasons, possibly in order to more easily differentiate Garmadon and Wu.
According to Tommy Andreasen, the in-universe reason for Garmadon's face design change could be age.[47]
Garmadon is the most frequently appearing villain in sets because he appears in most seasons, those being the pilot, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (in his master form), 8, 9, 10, and 15.
Mark Oliver compared the resurrected Garmadon to the monster from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, describing how Garmadon lacked full awareness and was in awe at the environment around him at first, which can be heard through his more primitive-sounding voice.[48] The Hageman Brothers also said they and Oliver "talked literary references when discussing the new Garmadon."[49]
When asked why Garmadon has white hair in his comic series, Tri Vuong replied: "It seemed natural to me that Garmadon's hair would be white because his eyebrows are white! I know he had black hair before but for some reason, I feel like the modern Garmadon would have white hair and had assumed that's what other people thought too. Didn't realize it would come as such as shock but I'm glad its been pretty well received so far."[51]
Lord Garmadon has led four of the twenty major villainous factions at some point in the original series: the Skulkin, the Serpentine, the Stone Army, and the Sons of Garmadon.
"Spellbound" explains the reason Garmadon was called "Lord Garmadon" at the beginning of the show: he defeated Clouse to attain the title of Lordship from Chen. It also explains how he won Misako's heart by signing the love letter written by Wu, which Chen intercepted.
Garmadon is the only villain to appear in an intro opening shot as of Hunted.
In "Curseworld, Part II," in the Preeminent, he appears to be a physical being, not a ghost. This is because when someone is sent to the Cursed Realm, their physical body remains intact; it's only when they leave the Cursed Realm that they become a ghost, as seen with Clouse.[53]
He is the first villain who appears in the series to have a vendetta against Wu, followed by Morro, the Time Twins, and Aspheera.
There have been many parallels between Garmadon's statements or teachings from before and after he was evil or from before and after his initial death.
In many episodes when he was evil, he said he wanted to make Ninjago into his own image, and in "The Corridor of Elders," a statue of him was carved into the stone in the Corridor of Elders, literally making part of Ninjago into his image. In the episode, he told Lloyd, "I yearned to make the world in my image. I never realized I already had, in you."
In "All of Nothing," Garmadon told Lloyd that "Every boy has a choice to grow up to be whoever they want to be," reflecting on how Lloyd was able to choose his own destiny, unlike Garmadon. Later in the episode, before saying goodbye, he told Lloyd, "You're a good boy. Soon, you'll be a great man." In "Curseworld, Part II," Garmadon's final on-screen words to his son were "There comes a time when every boy must become a man. What sort of man, is up to him."
In "Curseworld, Part II," he told Lloyd, "Whatever happens to me, wherever I am, I will always be with you." This is reflected when Lloyd draws strength from the memory of his father when fighting Pythor and lifting one of the broken Corridor of Elders statues in "Day of the Departed."
In "The Forgotten Element," Garmadon told Lloyd that "Chen grows strong by taking from others. But real power does the opposite. It empowers those around you. Like the way you've empowered me." Lloyd used a similar sentiment against Garmadon in "Radio Free Ninjago," where he said that "fighting me may make you feel powerful, but you're about to see what real power is."
In "Blackout," when Garmadon was struggling to climb the mountain and Lloyd jokingly told him about his four arms, he replied by wishing he still had his four arms.
The Great Devourer's venom did not introduce evil into Garmadon's body; rather, it amplified the negative qualities that were already present.[54] Specifically, "It enhanced the destruction which was already in him."[55]
According to Tommy Andreasen, though this statement shouldn't be considered canon, he theorized that the Great Devourer's venom also unlocked the Oni side of Garmadon.
It was later confirmed on LEGO.com that the bite of the Devourer made his Oni side more prominent.[56]
He has Oni and dragon blood like his father, brother, and son.
At the end of "True Potential," Harumi refers to Garmadon as "Emperor Garmadon." He later goes on to declare himself the emperor of Ninjago before being defeated by Lloyd and sent to Kryptarium Prison in "Green Destiny".
Garmadon's dominant power is Destruction, but he has the power of Creation as well (in order to use it, he had to unlock his True Potential).
Although in "True Potential," he denied Lloyd as his son. But during Hunted, he still refers to him as "my son," possibly hinting at his fondness for him returning.
Garmadon's original "Lord form" has a striking resemblance to Mystake's true form.
During his confrontation with Wu in "Green Destiny," Garmadon is able to correctly call the Dragonbone Blade his father's sword. How Garmadon knew this is unknown, as he was not in the First Realm nor had Wu known about it prior to its retrieval.
It is revealed in "The Fall" that Garmadon has lost some of the memories from his pre-resurrection life. However, he does recognize the Golden Armor.
In Tommy Andreasen's opinion, Wu and Garmadon are twins while Garmadon was created first.[57]
According to Tommy Andreasen, there are three possible reasons for why Wu and Garmadon aged so quickly between "Battle Between Brothers" and the beginning of the series, despite having been young for so long.[58]
In an interview with Brent Miller, he hinted it had to do with Wu and Garmadon being apart from each other and from the Golden Weapons, as Garmadon was banished to the Underworld and Wu hid the weapons shortly after.[59]
In the live-chat of an episode of the Eljay Johnsen Show, he confirmed a fan's theory that one reason may be that Wu and Garmadon share an intrinsic connection of some sort that was severed by Garmadon being banished to the Underworld, affecting their mortality.[60]
He also said another explanation could be tea.
The reason Garmadon and Wu were designed to look much younger in "Battle Between Brothers" is likely because at that time, the idea of Lloyd's character did not exist, so there was no need for a shorter time gap between Garmadon's banishment and the beginning of the series. A description from a 2011 LEGO Club Magazine supports this, stating that Garmadon had been gone for thousands of years.[61]
According to Nya in "Rise of Garmadon," "Garmadon wasn't truly evil or truly good. [...] There were always elements of both, Lord or Master."
It's unconfirmed whether he can create an energy dragon like his brother can.[62]
The evil ninja's eyes and pale skin are identical to Garmadon when he was younger and under the Great Devourer's influence, most likely due to being created by him.
He is the first main villain to have a child who is a protagonist. The second was Chen with Skylor and the third was Vangelis with Vania.
It is the only relationship out of three that also appears in more than one season, as the relationship between Chen and Skylor only appeared in Tournament of Elements and the relationship between Vangelis and Vania only in Master of the Mountain.
Garmadon once said, "We can win a thousand times, yet all it takes is one defeat for everything to come undone."[63]
Even in his original Lord form and his resurrected form, Garmadon is not always a villain in terms of the story structure. In Rise of the Snakes and March of the Oni, he was an anti-hero, helping the ninja in various ways.
His appearance is the opposite of his brother, because Garmadon has no beard and has hair, while Wu only has a long beard and no hair. Garmadon's main color is black, while Wu's is white. Garmadon's element is Destruction, while Wu's is Creation, which are also polar opposites.
Garmadon is responsible for coming up with solutions relating to two notable conflicts in history: he was the one to realize the Sacred Flutes could defeat the Serpentine in the Serpentine War, and he came up with the idea to hide the Reversal Time Blade in the Boiling Sea after the Battle for All Time.
In Tommy Andreasen's opinion, Wu and Misako have been in a romantic relationship since the Second Serpentine War.[64][65] Andreasen also believes Garmadon would have approved of Wu and Misako's relationship as part of his redemption for the wrong he did in the past.[66]
Garmadon's resurrection in "Dread on Arrival" by a cult that worships him is nearly opposite of how he originally died after he sacrificed himself in "The Corridor of Elders" to defeat a cult that worshiped the Anacondrai.
When asked if Garmadon would get 6 arms after using the Mask of Vengeance, Tommy Andreasen said that the power of Oni is probably already in him,[69] so it would have no special effect and he would be an Oni with an Oni Mask.[70]
He is the first most frequently appearing main villain in a single wave, as he was released in up to three sets with exactly the same appearance. The other four are Vex, Unagami, Kalmaar, and the Crystal King.
According to Mark Oliver, he and Monstrox from Nexo Knights would not be friends because Garmadon would be upset with the heavy-handedness of Monstrox.[71]
It is possible that resurrected Garmadon has some connection to the Oni. He correctly remembered that he knew the Dragonbone Blade was his father's. He also knew the Oni were coming, which may be another reason for his eagerness to learn how to use his power from Harumi.
The physical variant of his Oni Form depicts him with two arms, silver horns, and red eyes, while in the show, he has four arms with an upper torso piece similar to his movie upper torso piece, wings, pink eyes, and white horns.
He seems to prefer his upper right arm when he shakes people's hands.[72]
Sometimes he internally refers to himself as "G".[73]
Garmadon is taller than average humans with his four arms, however, when only retaining two arms he appears to be the regular size of a normal human.[74]
Garmadon and Wu, sons of the First Spinjitzu Master
Garmadon was born to the First Spinjitzu Master, along with his younger brother, Wu. Garmadon was born with the powers of Creation and Destruction, his dominant ability being Destruction, after his father's Oni heritage.[1]
Note: These events are listed in no particular order
One day, when the brothers were very small, the First Spinjitzu Master explained to his sons that one day they would become bearers and teachers of the legacy of Spinjitzu.[2]
Garmadon's and Wu's first Spinjitzu
Wu and Garmadon often trained their ninja abilities while their father watched them while he was drinking tea and admonishing them when they did something wrong. The brothers also often listened to stories about Ninjago's creation and wanted to be like him. Despite their connection, they often fought, although their father told them that the brothers should not fight each other.[2] Wu and Garmadon soon learned about the djinns from their father, who described them as a powerful enemy. Eventually, Garmadon had lessons with his father how to speak their language.[3]
Wu and Garmadon trained every day to prepare for their first Spinjitzu. Before dawn, they always stretched their arms, legs, necks, shoulders, backs, eyes, and ears because their father told them it helped relax their minds. Then they always crossed the obstacle course their father had prepared for them. Their father always just drank tea and said "failed," when they didn't make it. Then he and his father practiced Spinjitzu movements. The First Spinjitzu Master told the brothers that Spinjitzu movements included rotation and spin. Therefore, he gave them the task of finding examples of rotation in everyday life. The brothers have found that rotation is used, for example, when mixing tea, rotating behind people to talk to them, or rotating clay when making vases on a potter's wheel.[2]
One day, the First Spinjitzu Master sent his sons to Ouroboros to buy tea. After the brothers bought tea and wanted to return home, they were attacked by several bullies who wanted to steal their tea. Without thinking, the brothers applied what they had learned during the training and performed their first Spinjitzu, through which they scattered these bullies across half the city.[2]
At one point in their childhood, Garmadon and Wu often played a game on the playground called Templegate Tigers, in which Garmadon threw the ball and Wu would hit it, and they never lost.[4]
Although the next part comes from a canonical book, this part is different from the events of the show.
When Wu and Garmadon were young, they were searching in their father's library trying to find a cookbook to replace their regular meal of noodles. Garmadon found a book called The Art of Broth, and when he picked it up a scroll fell out. Garmadon picked the scroll up and said that it felt hot. He tried to read it, though Wu did not want to. Their father came in and took it from Garmadon. He told them never to touch the Scroll of Forbidden Spinjitzu and ordered them to leave.
The next day, Garmadon went back to the library to find the scroll. Garmadon stated that he did it because it was "calling" him. Wu did not tell their father, though he followed his brother. Garmadon became frustrated when it was not there, to Wu's relief. Wu wanted to know what secrets it held, though not as much as Garmadon.[2]
Trespassing into Serpentine territory[]
Thousands of years before the siege at the Monastery, during a trip to the lake, Wu told Garmadon of his intentions to venture into Serpentine territory. Garmadon tried to dissuade his brother but the latter persuaded him and after they trespassed into Serpentine territory they were imprisoned.
Child Garmadon and Wu
An angry Garmadon blamed his brother before a serpentine named Aspheera approached them and told them of how she was training to be a sorceress and offered to free the brothers, in exchange for them helping her in the future and they agreed. Aspheera freed them and told them to keep their promise in due time. Returning home, Garmadon and his brother found their father creating the Scroll of Forbidden Spinjitzu. He asked them where they had been for so long and Garmadon lied to him that Wu caught a fish, but it broke the line and they spent the rest of the day trying to re-catch it. He then told them not to tamper with the scrolls and they must go to bed.
Garmadon didn't try to uphold the promise but grew suspicious of his brother's behavior before he caught him teaching Aspheera Spinjitzu. Garmadon warned him of how she can't be trusted but Wu didn't believe him.
One night, Garmadon was reading a book when his brother came and begged him for his help, as he revealed what Aspheera has done with Garmadon understanding his plight and agreeing to aid him. They armed themselves with the Scroll of Forbidden Spinjitzu to have an edge against her and confronted her. As Wu fought Aspheera and achieved victory, Garmadon similarly defeated her minions. Thanks to them, Aspheera was subsequently imprisoned after Mambo took back power. The brothers left Serpentine Territory and left Aspheera to be imprisoned in the pyramid. But after they left, Garmadon began to become the reckless one while Wu decided to become more responsible.[5]
When the brothers returned home, their father was angry that they had used the scrolls, he took them from them and hid them in unknown places.[6]
Fishing trip[]
Note: The placement of Wu and Garmadon's fishing trip with their father is unconfirmed, but is here due to being shown before the Devourer's bite when Wu regained his memories.
On a fishing trip with his family
At one point, Garmadon went on a fishing trip with his brother and father. After both experience anger with not catching a fish, their father tells them to have faith. With this inspiration, Wu was able to get a fish, but Garmadon threw his fishing rod in anger.[7]
At some point after this, the family began living in the Monastery of Spinjitzu.[8] One day, the two brothers were sparring and Wu's katana was accidentally knocked over the wall of the monastery. Despite his father's warnings to stay within the safety of the monastery, Garmadon went to retrieve it as Wu was too scared, and found the katana easily. Before he could pick it up, he was bitten by a strange green snake and passed out.
Bitten by the Devourer
Garmadon was ill for a time, tended to by his father and brother. Unbeknownst to anyone at the time, Garmadon had been bitten by the Great Devourer, a pawn of his father's old nemesis, the Overlord, sent out to infect the youth's very being with pure evil and awaken an undying thirst to destroy. As a result, Garmadon momentarily became violent and selfish, blaming Wu for his change and telling his father that he hated him.[9] This initial effect was not permanent and his normal personality returned, but it was a harbinger of things to come. With no existing cure, Garmadon was doomed to someday lose himself to the venom's wicked influence, as the Overlord intended to use Garmadon to escape the Dark Island and return to Ninjago.[10] At the same time, Wu blamed himself for his brother's fall to darkness in the years that would follow.[9][11]
Shortly after Garmadon was bitten, the First Spinjitzu Master told his sons about the prophecy of the Green Ninja, but Garmadon wasn't interested in it.[2]
During Wu's training in the monastery, he discovered what damaging effects Spinjitzu could do if it is not used properly. As he tried a movement called "Kick of Mantis", he turned his pelvis more than he had and kicked Garmadon so that he flew over the support beam and almost caused the entire roof fell on them. Garmadon then attacked Wu with such anger as Wu had never seen before. In his anger he did not use Spinjitzu properly and almost destroyed the whole monastery. However, his father managed to stop him. The First Spinjitzu Master then understood that Garmadon needed a special kind of training to help him get back on the right path.[2]
Ever since Wu and Garmadon defeated Aspheera, their father had been furious and hardly spoke to them for many years until one day, he allowed them a chance to redeem themselves by sending them on a quest to find a special tea to help purify Garmadon. Before the next sunrise, Wu woke up Garmadon and ended up having to splash him with water when he refused to get out of bed.[12]
Garmadon and Wu leaving the monastery
They headed off afterwards and stopped by a village for food along the way. Then, they continued on towards the north and came to a forest with heavy fog. Wu suggested they walk around but Garmadon thought it would take too long and they both head off into the forest. Soon, Wu complained that he couldn't see but Garmadon told him to just keep walking straight and there seemed to be a light ahead. Wu replied the lights looked like eyes and Garmadon retorted that it was probably his imagination. But before he could finish, a beast with glowing eyes and lots of sharp teeth leaped at them.[12]
Although the next part comes from a canonical book, this part is different from the flashbacks that were featured in Spinjitzu Brothers.
As part of Wu's and Garmadon's training, their father sent them into the world to survive the wonders of the realm he had created, to meet the humans who inhabited it, and to learn about the challenges to be faced in protecting Ninjago. Wu hoped that on this trip his closeness to his brother would be restored, as when they were younger. They therefore wrote down the places and tasks they would like to do on the trip, but despite the fact that they went on the same expedition, their journeys took them to different places. Their list included a trip to the Corridor of Elders, where they wanted to take their climbing equipment, climb to the Wailing Alps, where they wanted to enjoy the view and take their earplugs, go to "Cross-country racing with Treehorns" in Birchwood Forest, then they wanted to go for a seafood dinner in Stiix and finally for a trip to the Holy City of Domu, where their father recommended many good books from their library.[2]
Death of the First Spinjitzu Master[]
When Wu and Garmadon were young men,[13] their father had them vow to protect the Golden Weapons before he passed away.[14] Garmadon and Wu would remain allies and a team against evil, and at one point, the brothers ended up in the Underworld, where they fought and defeated Samukai.[15]
When Garmadon and Wu learned of a blacksmith who had absorbed the powers of the Elemental Masters, they sought him out in Metalonia and tried to stop him. The Master of Amber tried to use the Urn of Enmity to absorb their powers, but the urn sucked his spirit instead. The brothers thought it was a fitting punishment for him so they sealed the urn away in a tomb.[16]
Training under Chen[]
Learning under Chen
Tempted by the growing evil inside him, Garmadon sought more controversial teaching and trained under Master Chen.[17] At some point, Garmadon traveled with Chen to his island and trained there. Garmadon became acquainted with some of the island's jungle environment, including a river, waterfall, and temple garden.[18]
Back at Chen's monastery, Garmadon was granted lordship and became Chen's right-hand by emerging as the victor in a battle against rival Clouse despite cheating. This is where he gained the title of Lord Garmadon. Under Chen's advice, Garmadon reluctantly agreed to sign a love letter that Wu had written to Misako, a girl both brothers loved. As a result, Misako fell in love with Garmadon.[17]
It was around this time that a war broke out between Men and Serpentine. Garmadon expressed appreciation for Chen’s mentorship as he left to join his brother to fight against the Serpentine. Chen tried to convince Garmadon to stay and help the Serpentine. He told Garmadon it would end the war. Garmadon refused, stating he would never turn on Ninjago. As a parting gift, Chen gave Garmadon a map and a key in the shape of a medallion. He told Garmadon about the Forbidden Five and their power. He said Garmadon must find the Shadow Dojo, located in the Wyldness, if he desired to learn the five’s art of fighting and win the war. He warned Garmadon of the dangers. Garmadon left and went to meet Wu.
When he arrived in the forest, Garmadon tried to sneak up on Wu. He failed and his brother caught him in the act. Garmadon showed his disbelief in their ability to win the war. Garmadon told Wu that he had found real power they would need to win the war. He said will have to travel far to get it. Wu tried to convince Garmadon to stay but he did not believe they could win with the villagers and Elemental Alliance. Wu told him to have faith in others.
Garmadon wandered through the desert, looking for the entrance to the portal. He took out his binoculars and, to his shock, saw a building in the distance. He unraveled a map and realized it was a match. While he drank water, a giant one-eyed creature that looked to be a scorpion surfaced from the sand. It lunged one of its pincers at Garmadon. He dodged, causing its pincer to damage his cloak instead. Angered, he jumped up and cut off its stinger with both his swords. Garmadon pointed his sword at the creature and gave it time to run away. His compassion towards the creature reminded him of Master Chen and how he told Garmadon mercy was a sign of weakness before he left.
Garmadon entered the mysterious building. He was confused on how to enter the Wyldness. When he took out the key Chen gave him, the circular floor suddenly started to glow. It lowered Garmadon into a room with a pool. He jumped in and swam through it under the assumption it was the portal. He arrived in the Wyldness, gasping for air. A figure watched him get out of the portal from a distance.
As Garmadon walked through the realm, he noticed a small bit of the figure’s hair that stuck out from a rock. He used his sword to cut it. He threw the hair on the ground and walked away, believing it was nothing. The figure was terrified by what happened. Garmadon reached the end of the forest and saw a beautiful landscape of mountains and a red moon in the sky. Meanwhile Asa, the mysterious figure, found four other children looking at the bones of an animal, discussing their next meal. Through a series of actions, he explained to the rest of the children that Garmadon came out of the portal and cut some of his hair off.
Garmadon stood outside the Shadow Dojo. He called out to the Forbidden Five. He said he sought their knowledge and power. The door to the dojo opened. Garmadon walked into the dojo. He saw the Gong of Shattering at the back of the room and the Mallet of Shattering lying on the ground. Thinking Chen manipulated him to leave Ninjago, Garmadon picked up the mallet and threw it in a fit of rage. The mallet hit the gong and rang it. The force from the hit pushed Garmadon through the walls of the dojo and further into the Wyldness. The children, all of which were standing outside the dojo and wondering how its doors opened, witnessed this. Knowing the Lycan King will have heard the gong ring, they tried to find Garmadon.
Garmadon landed among statues of Wolf Warriors. What seemed to be the ghost of a warrior came out of a statue. The ghost said that Garmadon had undone all the warriors had sacrificed. As the ghost told him to take the Mallet of Shattering far away, more ghosts-like beings appeared. Garmadon insisted the Wolf Warriors told him the secrets of the Forbidden Five. He claimed he was worthy. The ghost refused and told Garmadon that he was corrupted. To explain what the Forbidden Five’s powers would do to him, the Wolf Warriors entered Garmadon’s mind and showed him what happened to the Wolf Clan. Garmadon’s eyes turned white and he passed out in the process. The children found him lying on the ground, unconscious. Warby tried to wake Garmadon up by slapping him multiple times to no avail. Just then, the Lycan King stared down at the children.
Balun carried the unconscious Garmadon to the gorge when the Lycan King struck it, causing it to crumble. Garmadon woke up with a headache and saw Asa on top of him. When the rest of the children emerged from the rubble and realized they were trapped, Warby blamed Garmadon for their situation. Garmadon asked Asa for the mallet, and he threw it in hopes it would help them escape, but it was to no avail. The confused Garmadon wondered why throwing it at the rubble had no effect when the Lycan King prepared to howl. Garmadon tried to get them out of the gorge when suddenly, his eyes flashed blue, and voices spoke to him. They instructed Garmadon, and he followed. He managed to perform Shatterspin and punched the rubble while using its power. Garmadon asked the children what happened when the Lycan King howled. Garmadon and the children dodged the attack. Afterward, Balun told them to get on the boat, and they all sailed away.
Garmadon asked the children what the Lycan King was and who they were. Iriel explained to him that the Lycan King was a beast that haunted the woods. She, along with Balun, Warby, and Asa, introduced themselves to Garmadon, and he introduced himself too. Zuri reminded Iriel that Garmadon was their prisoner, and he approved of the former's decision to not be so friendly to him. Outside Mama Mawa's house, Garmadon explained to Mama Mawa how he found the Mallet of Shattering in the Shadow Dojo and seemed to have learned a different fighting style after entering it. They all went inside her house to discuss further.
Inside, Mama Mawa asked Garmadon if he had come from another realm. He confirmed her suspicions and added how he came out of a need for a power that could stop a war in Ninjago but only found the dying land. Iriel explained that the Wyldness used to be beautiful, and Garmadon asked what caused the realm's devastation. Garmadon heard Mama Mawa tell Zuri that his heart was clearly in turmoil and refuted her claim, saying he knew who he was and why he was there, but Mama Mawa was doubtful. Mama Mawa went on to explain how the Forbidden Five used to rule the Wyldness and lead the Wolf Clan. Mama Mawa told Garmadon that with Shatterspin, he could win all wars or even fix the destitution of the Wyldness. Garmadon asked what would happen if someone without an Elemental Power rang the Gong of Shattering. Balun and Iriel explained that one would lose everything. Garmadon realized someone rang the gong before and caused the fall of the Wolf Clan. He asked who did so, and Mama Mawa explained it was Lord Argus. She told Garmadon the story of Lord Argus and how he became the Lycan King.
After the story, Garmadon asked if all of the Wolf Clan members were transformed to stone. Mama Mawa responded, saying not all of them were and that the five children before him were the last Children of the Wolf. She told Garmadon that only the children could defeat the Lycan King, but they needed to learn the ways of their ancestors to do so. She told him that he would be their teacher.
In spite of being promoted to the Master of the Children of the Wolf, Garmadon spent most of the next week ignoring them as he communed with the spirits of the Wolf Mask Warriors. A few days later, Garmadon began to practice his abilities over Shatterspin, unaware that Zuri was watching him from the branches of a nearby tree. When the girl slipped out of the tree, Garmadon caught her just before she hit the ground but instigated a verbal dispute when he demanded to know the reasons behind her actions. This called the attention of the rest of the Children of the Wolf, further escalating tensions until Garmadon exploded and stormed off, declaring that he would teach them whenever he would teach them.
Sitting by the edge of the river, stewing in his thoughts, Garmadon rose after sensing a nearby presence. Turning to see it was Mama Mawa, Garmadon conversed with her about his frustrations relating to the children. After the elder patiently informed Garmadon that he could not claim to be a master unless he could successfully teach someone, Garmadon finally relented and admitted his internal doubts over his abilities to teach. Gently, the elder suggested for the young man to perhaps get to know them a bit better, rhetorically asking if he even knew their names. When Garmadon was unable to answer, Mama Mawa nodded and walked off, simply stating that Garmadon had proven her point.
Later that night, Garmadon approached the children as they sang and danced around a campfire. For starters, he gave Asa a haircut and then urged the rest to get some sleep, for their training would begin in the morning. The next morning, Garmadon lined up his four students and taught them proper etiquette. First, he explained, he would bow to them as master to students. Then, they would bow to him in return as students to master; and finally, they would all bow once more to their ancestors. Once this was done, training began in earnest with the first test he would give to the children: carrying a heavy bucket of water in each hand with outstretched arms. When the children began to question his methods, ranging from why Asa didn't have to train to how long they were expected to hold the buckets, Garmadon answered each question with patience: for the former, it was because Asa was too young and for the latter, they had to hold them until Asa awoke from his nap. Iriel then dropped her buckets in reaction to Garmadon's second answer, earning a smirk from him in response. With a sly grin, Garmadon informed his students that should any one of them fail during their tests, all of them would fail. And their punishment? Only a mere one thousand push-ups.
For their second test, Garmadon began to explain that explosive speed was essential towards unlocking Shatterspin. Unfortunately, to his irritation, Garmadon realized that none of his students were paying attention, instead focusing on the bird that Asa was roasting. Nevertheless, Master Garmadon saw a potential teaching moment and informed the Children that whoever could race to the top of a nearby mountain and return first with the flag he had planted before Asa finished cooking, would get to enjoy the bird. To his surprise, the children were already dashing off to the mountain before he could even finish his sentence. Unfortunately, his students failed this test too and Garmadon punished them with more push-ups while he and Asa enjoyed the bird.
Eventually, Garmadon deemed the Children of the Wolf to have made 'acceptable' progress with their training - enough for them to be taught the first basic attack of Shatterspin. After demonstrating it to them, he then instructed each child, one after another, to repeat his actions. After the first three failed in various ways, Zuri was able to impress Garmadon by successfully performing a Shatterspin strike. As all celebrated this early success later that night, Garmadon conversed with Mama Mawa about his teaching style, admitting that he owed it to the many teachers he had himself in his life. Iriel then approached Garmadon and asked him to join her and the other children in their dance, though the orders were quick to point out that she had forgotten to address him by his title of "lord," adding that she now had to perform one thousand push-ups! With a brief chuckle, Garmadon turned from his students and walked a bit into the forest where he communed once more with the Wolf Mask Warriors, informing the spirits that he had done all he could for the children while praying it would be enough to satisfy them.
Having deemed his students as making sufficient enough progress in their training, Garmadon now moved towards their final test. After tying a scarf to the handle of the Mallet of Shattering, Garmadon instructed his students to stealthily stalk and pursue him in an effort to capture the scarf from the mallet's handle.
After some time, Garmadon waded through one of the Wyldness' wetlands when he was ambushed by Warby and Iriel, both of whom had used the surrounding terrain to conceal their movements and advances. Although both students fought well, Garmadon was quick to point out the flaws they had made in their moves but applauded them as well for using the environment to their advantage. At that moment, Balun revealed himself from the beneath the waters behind Garmadon, surprising him long enough for Zuri to pounce in an effort to grab the scarf. For his part, Garmadon managed to recover quickly enough to catch this move as well, dodging Zuri's blow as he revealed that he was still in possession of the scarf. With a grin, Zuri ordered her friends to carry out Plan B as each child struck a nearby tree, felling them to cave inwards upon Garmadon. Caught off guard by this, Garmadon moved to protect himself with the Mallet of Shattering - exactly what his students wanted him to do as they all pounced upon him in unison. Swiftly, Garmadon managed to knock them all away with the Mallet of Shattering, but Iriel managed to capture the scarf amid the chaos! Upon discovering this, Garmadon laughed and conceded victory to his students.
Afterwards, Garmadon and his students began to make all necessary preparations before setting off in search of the Lycan King. While his students prepared their boat, Garmadon retreated to the river and washed his face. As he did so, the spirits of the Wolf Mask Warriors communed with him once more, offering some cryptic riddles that left the newly minted lord confused. Before he could press the spirits for more, Zuri interrupted Garmadon and he returned with her back to the docks. Upon returning, Garmadon discovered Balun doing an impression of Garmadon's teaching methods, in which the boy suggested that Garmadon was a 'smelly dumb-dumb who doesn't like anything except bullying children.' Unimpressed with the less than flattering impression, Garmadon ordered him to perform one-thousand pushups.
While Balun began his punishment, Zuri pulled Garmadon aside and asked him of what his future plans were once the Lycan King was defeated. In response, Garmadon affirmed that he would have to return to Ninjago, for there was a war brewing that he hoped to stop before it could begin. Upon noticing Zuri's crestfallen expression, Garmadon offered to bring her and the other Children of the Wolf with him when he returned. When Zuri was surprised by this offer, noting how she wasn't even sure if Garmadon even liked her or her friends, Garmadon admitted that he was not very good with words and began to say that he was proud of her and the others, but was cut off by the arrival of an exhausted Buck Buck.
Garmadon journeyed onwards to Lupindor alongside Mama Mawa and the Children of the Wolf in search of Asa, who had been taken there by the Lycan King. As they entered the flooded and ruined city, Zuri offhandedly mentioned how rumors held that the spirits of the Wolf Clan members who fell in battle against Zaiden Kane still haunted these ruins. Seeing the spirits for himself, Garmadon muttered under his breath in response that the rumors were true. After reaching the Hall of Wolves, Garmadon ordered for his students to stay back and to not engage the Lycan King while he retrieved Asa. After rounding a hallway, Garmadon spotted the boy and called out to him.
Unfortunately, this caught the attention of the Lycan King, who promptly attacked Garmadon from behind and instigated a fight between the two. Contrary to Garmadon's orders, the Children of the Wolf launched their attacks upon the Lycan King, striking against his Runes of Binding from all sides. Unfortunately, their timing had been off and as such, they failed to destroy the runes. Now, Garmadon could do nothing but watch as his students were petrified by the Lycan King's howl.
After Asa attacked the Lycan King and destroyed all four runes, Garmadon struck as well, leaping towards the dazed Lycanthrope's brow to knock the Spectral Crown from atop his forehead. As the crown rolled to a stop beside Mama Mawa, Garmadon ordered her to quickly destroy it. To his dismay, unfortunately, Mama Mawa revealed that their true identity was none other than Zaiden Kane, and now that they were once again in possession of the Spectral Crown, their conquest of the Wyldness could resume once more! Kane then gloated about their master plan and how Garmadon had played his part in it perfectly before ordering the Lycan King to petrify Garmadon. Fortunately, Asa dove in just in time to save him from the blast and the two fled from Lupindor and back towards the Shadow Dojo.
After arriving at the chamber that held the Gong of Shattering, Garmadon informed Asa that they were left with no other options than to hope to unlock the true power of Shatterspin. Knowing of the fate that befell Argus, transforming him into the Lycan King, Garmadon warned Asa that if anything were to happen to him, the boy was to flee immediately and to seek out the portal to Ninjago. ,With a deep breath, Garmadon stepped towards the gong with the mallet in hand, but paused as he prepared to strike. Now experiencing a vision, Garmadon saw his future self staring menacingly at him, begging for Garmadon to ring the gong and set him free. Snapping out of the vision, Garmadon rejected the evil building up inside of him and fell to his knees in despair. At that moment, Asa placed his hand on Garmadon's shoulder and spoke.
To his surprise, Garmadon watched as Asa placed a Wolf Mask over his face and rung the Gong of Shattering, unlocking the true power of Shatterspin. When Kane and the Lycan King broke into the dojo, Asa ferociously attacked the pair and ultimately destroyed the Spectral Crown, but at the cost of his own life. When the dust cleared, Garmadon wept as he discovered all that remained of Asa: a scorched and torn piece of cloth that the boy had once worn. As sunlight now peaked through the eaves of the Shadow Dojo for the first time in a long time, Garmadon turned to see the faces of his students running up towards him. As he embraced them in a warm hug, Garmadon expressed his surprise to see that they had been restored to life, to which they responded by thanking him and Asa for defeating Kane and ending Argus' curse. When they inquired about Asa however, Garmadon's expression hardened. After some hesitation, he told them the truth about the boy's sacrifice while holding back his own tears.
Eventually, the day came for Garmadon to leave. Gathering around the portal to Ninjago, Garmadon embraced his students and expressed the great pride he felt for all of them. Focusing on each of their greatest strengths, Garmadon cited Zuri for her courage, Iriel for her sweet nature, and Balun for his thoughtfulness. When he reached Warby, Garmadon admittedly could not think of a particular trait held by the boy and simply settled on saying he would miss the boy in his entirety once he had gone. Turning now towards the restored Wolf Mask Warriors, Garmadon was bestowed with the Mallet of Shattering and was asked to take it back to Ninjago, far away from the Wyldness as possible. When he asked what the Wolf Clan now intended to do, the Warrior explained that they now intended to rebuild their lives and their future, far away from here and the shadow of the Forbidden Five, all under the guidance of Zuri, their new leader. After exchanging some final words with Zuri about Asa's fate, Garmadon bid his students farewell and dove into the pool, returning to Ninjago. After arriving home, Garmadon destroyed the temple that housed the portal to the Wyldness and began the long journey back, leaving behind great memories as he set off to confront the uncertain future that lay ahead for himself and his home.
The sons of the First Spinjitzu Master led the Elemental Masters into battle against the Anacondrai in Birchwood Forest. During the battle, Garmadon saw a warrior named Mogra siding with Chen and the Serpentine with the intention of becoming a king, raged by his betrayal, Garmadon clashed against the warrior, who told him that Garmadon and the alliance would stand no chance against the Serpentine, Garmadon started to doubt the alliance's victory and briefly considered joining Mogra, until Wu arrived with backup. Together, the two brothers defeated Mogra using spinjitzu. Shortly before being taken away to his presumed execution, Mogra told the brothers that their greatest battle will arrive when the snake in the garden is gonna become a serpent. Wu asked Garmadon what he was talking about, with Garmadon just telling him that Mogra was a madman.[19]
End of the War[]
The Elemental masters had an opposing chance at winning the battle, however, due to Chen's manipulation, the battle turned sour and the Alliance was forced to flee. While regrouping in Jamanakai Village, Garmadon noticed a flute player controlling a small snake, thus inspiring the masters to use Sacred Flutes to lock the Serpentine away in tombs.
Banishing the generals
Arcturus and the other Anacondrai generals, however, were put on trial by the humans and deeming them guilty of war crimes, Garmadon banished them to the Cursed Realm. Meanwhile, Chen and Clouse were exiled to Chen's Island for their war crimes,[17] and Garmadon swore never to return to the island.[18]
Not long after, the two Elemental Masters of Time, Krux and Acronix, would betray the Elemental Alliance after assuming their element was the strongest in all of Ninjago. After most of the masters are defeated in a fight between the Time Twins and Elemental Alliance in the forest below the Monastery of Spinjitzu, Garmadon questioned what they should do, with Wu getting an idea.[20]
Fighting Krux with the powerless Reversal and Pause Time Blades.
Wu had Maya and Ray forge the Time Blades to absorb the element of Time from Krux and Acronix.[11] As Wu returned to the monastery with a bag, Garmadon questioned if they were ready, to which his brother replied that they were. Acronix and Krux soon arrived, and after a lengthy battle at the monastery, Garmadon and Wu successfully managed to absorb the twins' power from them. Knowing Time was too dangerous for anyone to control, Garmadon and Wu used the Time Blades to open a time vortex, where they discarded the blades. However, Krux and Acronix broke free from their captors and soon followed the blades, and thought to be lost in time, though Wu saw a vision of when Acronix would return in 40 years, within the vortex.[20]
The Elemental Alliance being confronted by the future versions of Krux and Acronix.
Garmadon questioned what happened to the Time Twins, with Wu stating that they chose to be lost in time than face their punishment. At that moment, the Iron Doom lands in front of the monastery, with the future versions of Krux and Acronix emerging from the device. Garmadon, Wu, and the Elemental Masters fight a legion of Vermillion warriors and are eventually joined by Kai and Nya, who pose as Ray and Maya.
Acronix summoned the Vermillion, and their component snakes are absorbed by the Iron Doom. Garmadon and his allies continued fighting the weapon but proved no match for it. Kai and Nya formed the Fusion Dragon, which helped turn the tide of the battle. Garmadon and Wu watched as the Iron Doom and Fusion Dragon disappeared into the Time Vortex, but not before Wu received the Reversal Time Blade from his older self. But when Kai, Nya, Krux, and Acronix left this timeline, the Elemental Alliance used Obscuritea to erase their memory of the battle with the future versions of Krux and Acronix.[21]
Peace returned to Ninjago and at some point, Garmadon and Misako married and eventually had a son, Lloyd. Even though the Devourer's venom continued to corrupt him, Garmadon remained deeply fond of his family, retaining his feelings for Misako and hoping that Lloyd wouldn't follow the path of evil he was slowly being drawn toward.[22][23]
Garmadon with Wu and Misako sometime before his banishment.
Garmadon confronting his brother over the Golden Weapons.
Around this time, Garmadon finally succumbed to the Devourer's poison, attempting to claim the Golden Weapons for himself. Just before he could claim victory over his brother in their climactic battle, the protection spell emblazoned on Wu's kimono reacted, summoning a lightning bolt that struck and transformed Garmadon.[14] Disfigured and dazed, he fell to the Underworld, where he was confronted by Samukai, King of the Underworld, and Skulkin general. Determined to escape his new prison and claim the Golden Weapons, Garmadon defeated Samukai in a duel, allowing him to take control of the Underworld and the Skulkin Army so he could take over and rule Ninjago.[15]
Not long after this, Garmadon had Samukai resurrect and imprison Dr. Julien, an old inventor, in order for him to build vehicles for the Skulkin army.[24] While this was Samukai's idea, Garmadon took credit for it.[25]
After a decade, Lord Garmadon sent the skeletons to steal the map leading to the Golden Weapons from Kai and Nya's blacksmith shop, Four Weapons. Kruncha and Nuckal claimed the map and captured Nya, who Garmadon decided would be a useful asset.
When the Skulkin failed to retrieve the first Golden Weapon, Garmadon changed tactics; he ordered Samukai to pursue Cole, Jay, Zane, and Kai on their search for the weapons, but to hold back just enough to let the ninja claim them.
Once the ninja secured three of the four weapons, Garmadon tricked Kai into going into the Fire Temple by using a false image of Nya to lure him. He then forced Kai to use the Sword of Fire to free Nya, before summoning Shadows to take the powerful Sword. Master Wu arrived just in time to save Kai, but he was not able to stop Garmadon from awakening the Fire Dragon to stop them from leaving. In desperation, the master used the Sword of Fire to cut off a platform of rock and fall into the Underworld. Garmadon then ordered Samukai, who had already stolen the Scythe of Quakes, the Nunchucks of Lightning, and the Shurikens of Ice, to return to the Underworld and retrieve the Sword of Fire.
Master Wu snuck into Garmadon's Dark Fortress and confronted his evil brother in the throne room. Garmadon sent a horde of Skulkin to retrieve the Sword of Fire, but Master Wu easily defeated them with Spinjitzu. Unperturbed by this, Garmadon sat on his throne and forced Wu to battle Samukai, who was wielding the other three Golden Weapons. The Skulkin general was victorious and took the Sword of Fire.
However, Samukai refused Garmadon's order to give the weapons to him, planning to use the weapons to reclaim control of the Underworld. At this Garmadon laughed, revealing that Samukai's betrayal was the final step in his plan. As the Skulkin general disintegrated and transformed into a portal, Lord Garmadon explained that not even he could wield the power of all four Golden Weapons at once—instead, he had intended to create a portal to a realm where he could become strong enough to do so. With that, Lord Garmadon entered the portal, vowing to return one day and claim the Golden Weapons so that he could remake Ninjago in his own image.
Upon arrival, Wu immediately discovered Lord Garmadon, who had developed an extra set of arms in order to possess the Four Golden Weapons. Garmadon dueled his brother with new weapons and a group of mud monsters, but halted his attack when Wu managed to warn him that Lloyd was in the hands of the Serpentine, who are now led by Pythor who's planning to unleash the Great Devourer. Forming an alliance with his brother in order to save his son, Garmadon led Wu across the wastelands in search of a way to return to Ninjago. During the journey, Garmadon was told that things have been rough for Lloyd ever since Garmadon's departure and that he opened the tombs in hopes of following his footsteps. Admitting that he never wanted Lloyd to go down a dark path like once he did, Garmadon genuinely thanks Wu for watching over Lloyd.
As they climbed the Mountain of Madness, Garmadon and Wu were beset by Craglings. The brothers used Spinjitzu to fend off the rock beasts and continued their journey. Eventually, they found a portal that sent them back to Ninjago.
Once Master Wu returned to the Destiny's Bounty, he explained the situation; Lord Garmadon would be staying with them until Lloyd was rescued from the Serpentine. Although the ninja were skeptical of his cause, they agreed, and promptly discovered that their old foe had picked up several odd habits, such as brushing his teeth with a dagger, "sunbathing" in the middle of a raging storm, and eating nothing but condensed evil. During his stay, Garmadon was forced to deal with the suspicions of Kai, who was the most distrustful of his motives. The two ended up fighting after Kai spotted Garmadon holding the Golden Weapons. Kai eventually triumphed—however, to his disappointment, Garmadon allowed himself to be defeated as he was only gathering the Weapons at Wu's request. Despite the other ninja's disapproval, Kai remained highly suspicious of Garmadon.
Garmadon and Lloyd finally reunited
Lord Garmadon accompanied the ninja to the Fire Temple, in order to both retrieve a Fangblade and save Lloyd from the Serpentine. There, Lord Garmadon defeated several Serpentine and saved Lloyd, but the temple ended up collapsing due to the volcano's instability, causing Lloyd to lose his footing and become separated from the group. Despite his protests, Garmadon was forced to leave with the other ninja before the volcano could erupt. Fortunately, Kai managed to save Lloyd by unlocking his True Potential. Back on the Destiny's Bounty, Garmadon was reunited with Lloyd at last, and he genuinely thanks Kai for saving Lloyd. Kai also admitted that part of the reason why he locked his True Potential is that he was destined to protect Lloyd, who is is destined the true Green Ninja. Upon learning this, Garmadon is initally proud that his son will be destined for a greater future, but he and Lloyd are shocked to learn that this means that they will be destined to fight each other for the fate of Ninjago; even Wu and the ninja aren't very happy about this either.
Lord Garmadon stayed aboard the Destiny's Bounty while the ninja were searching for the final Fangblade. When Lloyd suggested that they instead focus on retrieving the other three, Lord Garmadon pointed out that they had no idea where the Serpentine were hiding. This led Nya to realize that the snakes were hiding underground, and the two Garmadons remained aboard the ship while the ninja investigated the main base located in the Constrictai Tomb.
Lloyd orders him to leave
Unable to resist such an opportunity, Garmadon attempted to hack into the Destiny's Bounty computer systems to gain information on the ninja. When Lloyd discovered him and accused him of betraying the ninja's trust, Garmadon admitted that he couldn't help it, having evil literally running through his blood. He also took the opportunity to tell Lloyd that Master Wu had a great destiny set for him and that Lloyd could still make whatever choices he wanted for his life. When Nya reported that they were captured by the Serpentine and being held hostage, Lord Garmadon attempted to help, but Lloyd refused to allow him, demanding for his father to leave instead.
With the Skulkin Army
However, Lord Garmadon returned in short order, breaking into the Serpentine's underground fortress with the Skulkin Army in tow—thanks to Lloyd, he had realized that he did have a choice: the choice to fight the Serpentine and ensure that he would be the one taking over Ninjago. While the skeletons fought the snakes and Lloyd freed the ninja, Lord Garmadon personally engaged Pythor in combat, although the Anacondrai quickly broke off the battle to make his escape. After retrieving the Fangblades from Pythor, Lord Garmadon and the Ninja escaped back to the Destiny's Bounty.
Garmadon bids farewell
With the Fangblades in the ninja's possession, Garmadon decided to depart, believing that he was no longer needed. Before he left, he assured Lloyd that he was very proud of his son's destiny, even if it meant that they were destined to battle each other for the fate of the world.
Unfortunately for Lord Garmadon, Pythor snuck aboard the ship and reclaimed the Fangblades, allowing him to return to the Lost City of Ouroboros and awaken the Great Devourer. As Lord Garmadon was visiting Ninjago City's tea shop, looking to return to the Realm of Madness, a news report showing the ninja struggling to contain the Devourer came on the nearby television. He immediately hurried to the battlefield, arriving just after the Great Devourer defeated the Ultra Dragon, and told the ninja that the only way to defeat the Devourer was to use all four Golden Weapons at once—which only he could do.
Garmadon about to destroy the Great Devourer.
Despite their suspicions, the ninja relinquished their weapons to Garmadon, informing him about the weak spot on the Devourer's head. Lord Garmadon asked the ninja to prevent the beast from moving so he could get a clear shot at her weakness, before running off with an evil laugh. He proceeded to observe the ninja's battle against the Great Devourer from atop a skyscraper—when the serpent was immobilized, he dealt the finishing blow, proclaiming it was out of revenge for turning him evil. He disappeared in the aftermath of the Devourer's destruction, taking the Golden Weapons with him.
After sneaking out of Ninjago City, Garmadon found the remaining Serpentine and won them over by demonstrating his newfound powers, recreating the destroyed Destiny's Bounty as the Black Bounty. Offering the new ship to the Serpentine, Lord Garmadon gained the allegiance of the snakes—apart from Skales and the other Generals—and led them aboard the Black Bounty.
Lord Garmadon directed the Black Bounty to the Golden Peaks, the birthplace of the Golden Weapons, where Garmadon could uncover the secrets pertaining to the power of the Golden Weapons. He also informed the Serpentine of the prophecy of the Green Ninja, explaining that he must prevent Lloyd from reaching his true potential. Chokun suggested killing Lloyd, only to be sent to the brig under Garmadon's orders who subsequently forbidding the Serpentine from hurting Lloyd. Instead, Garmadon explained that they would focus on destroying Master Wu and the other four ninja—without his teachers, Lloyd would never reach his full potential, and Garmadon's plans could continue. Eventually, the Black Bounty arrived at the Golden Peaks, where Lord Garmadon united the Golden Weapons into the Mega Weapon.
Shortly after, the Serpentine generals (apart from Skales) joined Garmadon's cause and he proudly presented the Mega Weapon before them. However the generals began to question if Garmadon actually knew what the weapon did, causing Garmadon to note that he just didn't have anything to use it on. At that moment, a serpentine entered the bridge and reported that they had sighted the Ultra Dragon. Realizing this to be the perfect opportunity to use his new weapon, he ordered the Black Bounty to pursue. Though he tried to use the weapon to destroy, it did nothing and eventually the dragon got away.
Hastily blaming the Serpentine's poor navigation skills for ruining his shot, he retreated to his cabin to angrily ponder why the weapon refused to obey him. In the process, he stumbled upon the journal of Captain Soto, the original owner of the ship, and wished for a better crew to man the Black Bounty. This time, the Mega Weapon responded, recreating Captain Soto and his crew of pirates, but Garmadon was severely drained of energy in the process. He then realized that the Mega Weapon could only create, not destroy, shortly before being locked in the brig (along with the rest of his Serpentine crew) by the pirates. After Captain Soto's crew was apprehended, Lord Garmadon reclaimed control of the Black Bounty and escaped from the ninja.
Now aware of the Mega Weapon's power and limitations, Lord Garmadon called his Serpentine together for a brainstorming session on how to beat the ninja. Despite claiming that there were no bad ideas, he had several Serpentine thrown overboard for their poor suggestions (such as creating another group of pirates, recreating the Great Devourer, or making a really big ham sandwich) before hitting upon the idea of making evil mirrors of the ninja themselves. Using spare clothes the ninja left aboard the ship, Garmadon used the Mega Weapon to create the evil ninja and sent them to eliminate their counterparts. When the evil ninja were destroyed, Garmadon contacted the ninja's Ultra Sonic Raider to vow that he would get his revenge, only for Lloyd to cut the transmission with his newly-honed powers over lightning.
For his next attempt, Lord Garmadon created a false company, "Darnagom Enterprises," and attempted to destroy Dareth's dojo, where the ninja were training Lloyd. To get the money they needed to save the dojo, the ninja entered the annual Ninjaball Run—when Garmadon found out, he joined the race himself with the Black Bounty. When the ship's cannon fire missed the Ultra Sonic Raider (thanks to the Ultra Dragon bumping into the Black Bounty, and the Serpentine warriors failed to prevent the ninja from refueling on the fly, Garmadon used the Mega Weapon to create a vast chasm that the ninja would never be able to cross.
Unfortunately for him, Nya had recently installed a flight mode in the Raider, allowing the ninja to catch up to the Black Bounty and narrowly win the race. Enraged and disbelieving, Lord Garmadon left his ship to protest the results—thereby giving Lloyd the chance to reclaim the Black Bounty with his Ultra Dragon. Still weakened from the use of the Mega Weapon, Lord Garmadon was only saved from arrest when Skales pulled up in the Charter Bus, forcing him to allow the Serpentine Generals back into his army in return for the escape.
Lord Garmadon led the Serpentine into the Ninjago Museum of History, where he used the Mega Weapon to revive a prehistoric monster called the Grundle. The ninja interfered with the process, forcing the villains to retreat, but the Grundal was still revived—unbeknownst to Garmadon, the ninja themselves had also been reduced to children as a side effect. Due to departing, Garmadon did not witness the ninja's confrontation with the Grundal, or Lloyd's defeat of it using a magic tea that turned time forward again. As a result, the Grundal gets fossilized yet again, the four ninja were returned to their proper ages, and Lloyd aged out of childhood.
Bent on destroying the ninja once and for all, Lord Garmadon retreated to Ouroboros, which he apparently repaired at some point to make it livable again. While preparing his forces for a final assault, he was ambushed by the ninja, including a teenage Lloyd. Shocked at his son's growth and improved powers, Garmadon fled, wishing that the ninja had never existed in the first place. This gave him the idea to create a portal to the past and change the future to ensure that Lloyd would never become the Green Ninja.
Talking with his past self
Disguising himself as a Skulkin, Lord Garmadon snuck aboard the Skull Truck and deliberately prevented the skeletons from abducting Nya, intent on removing Kai's motivation to become a ninja. On the way back to the Underworld, he overheard Nuckal commenting that he thought he saw two Kais and realized that the ninja of the present had followed him to the past. Lord Garmadon was in the Skulkin camp in the Forest of Tranquility when the ninja secretly delivered Nya to the skeletons; to counter the ninja's interference, Garmadon sought the aid of his own past self, quickly explaining the situation and formulating a new plan.
Facing Past Kai
When Past Kai saved Nya in the Fire Temple, he found himself attacked—not by his own shadow, but by the present version of Lord Garmadon. The present ninja were forced to intervene, but Garmadon held them off until Jay suggested using the Golden Weapons of the past against the Mega Weapon. The combined energies sent the Mega Weapon into space and undid all of the changes to the past—with the present apparently changed so that Garmadon never created it in the first place.
With his Mega Weapon destroyed, Lord Garmadon pursued other means of gaining power; namely, seeking out the Island of Darkness mentioned in Captain Soto's journal. Taking the Serpentine Generals along, Garmadon rode a Rattlercopter over the Endless Ocean, looking for any sign of the island. At that point, Skales tricked Garmadon by claiming to see the island—when Garmadon went to look, the Hypnobrai General pushed him out of the Rattlercopter and declared himself the leader of the Serpentine.
Ironically, Skales's betrayal led Garmadon to the object of his quest; when he came to, he found himself on the shores of the Island of Darkness. The Overlord, having waited millennia for his machinations to bring Garmadon before the dark entity, appeared before him and led him to a large boulder with four handles, telling Lord Garmadon that this was the first step towards his true destiny. When Garmadon turned the dials, the full Island of Darkness arose from the sea, and the Overlord revealed his plans to upset the balance of the world so that Garmadon could remake Ninjago in his own image.
To Lord Garmadon's dismay, the next step towards his destiny involved scaling a series of rugged cliffs and mountains. He demanded to know why he had to prove his evil worth to the Overlord, but the enigmatic entity merely urged him onward, promising that a great power awaited at the end of the trial.
Gritting his teeth, Garmadon carried on, eventually arriving in front of a strange clock with a dark helmet on a pedestal. At the Overlord's command, Garmadon took the helmet, causing the clock's hands to begin moving—the Overlord revealed that the former would give Garmadon control over the Stone Army, while the latter was counting down to the final battle between light and darkness.
Pleased with this new development, Garmadon triumphantly announced his return to the darkened skies above.
With the Stone Army at his command, Lord Garmadon began traveling the Island of Darkness, observing the army's operations. He was confused to see most of the soldiers working in mines, but the Overlord explained that they were searching for a dark material made of concentrated evil, which they could use to build an ultimate weapon against the ninja. Garmadon laughed maniacally at this, declaring that he liked the sound of that.
Lord Garmadon proceeded to set up a base camp where the ultimate weapon could be constructed, monitoring the Stone Army's progress on both building the weapon and mining Dark Matter. The Overlord appeared again there, warning him that the ninja had made it to the Island of Darkness in search of the Temple of Light. Garmadon deployed his forces to capture the ninja, only to eventually learn that the heroes had succeeded in their quest, enhancing their powers far beyond their previous limits—worse yet, Lloyd had gained the power of the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master, making him even stronger.
Atop the cliff where the Celestial Clock rested, Garmadon commented that the Overlord's army wasn't as indestructible as they had thought. The Overlord was unperturbed, claiming that their strength was also growing—the ultimate weapon would be completed just as the countdown reached zero, and then nothing would stop darkness from overwhelming light at last.
As the Celestial Clock continued to count down, Lord Garmadon began increasing the defenses around his camp, worrying that the ninja might try to attack him directly before the ultimate weapon could be completed. The Overlord commented that his resolve seemed to be wavering, despite Garmadon's denials. The Overlord's prodding over his reluctance to kill Lloyd eventually caused Garmadon to snap at nearby soldiers, telling them to double their effort on the ultimate weapon's development.
When General Kozu came in to report capturing a prisoner, Garmadon was surprised to see his wife, Misako. The former couple argued about Garmadon's path to evil, and the villain admitted that he had wanted Misako to see things his way so she could rule by his side. As he lamented that Misako was one of a very small number of people who could truly understand him, Garmadon realized that he had been tricked—Misako had stolen the Helmet of Shadows in a last desperate attempt to halt the Celestial Clock.
Enraged at the deception, Garmadon pursued Misako and the ninja in a massive, four-armed robot that proved immune to anything his foes threw at him. When the Overlord reminded him that the ninja could turn the Stone Army against him if they wore the Helmet of Shadows, Garmadon resolved to chase them down personally, conducting a furious chase through the jungle. Just when he finally had the Earth Driller in his grasp, Lloyd arrived and disabled the robot with a powerful blast.
Lord Garmadon emerged from the wreckage, weakened and vulnerable, but his son hesitated to kill him, allowing the Stone Army to catch up with the ninja. Garmadon left the rest of the chase to his minions as he regained his strength, but eventually noticed a strange beam of energy soaring over the trees. The Overlord told him that the countdown had ended and the final battle was about to begin, leading Garmadon back to the base camp and revealing that the ultimate weapon was finally complete. Presented with the weapon—dubbed "Garmatron" by the Overlord—Lord Garmadon gleefully declared that it was more beautiful than he could have imagined and joined the Overlord in laughing triumphantly.
Shortly after the completion of the Garmatron, the Stone Army arrived before Garmadon, presenting his recovered helmet as well as a prisoner—Nya. Garmadon tested the Dark Matter on Nya, transforming her into a loyal servant. Ordering Nya to ambush the heroes if they followed him, Lord Garmadon boarded the Garmatron and set out for the coast, accompanied by the Overlord and the Stone Army.
After arriving on the coast, Garmadon ordered the Stone Army to begin loading Dark Matter into the Garmatron's main cannon, but his actual attack was delayed when Lloyd, Misako, and Master Wu arrived. Garmadon furiously denied their pleas to stop his actions, declaring that he was too far gone for any hope of redemption—the only way he could reunite with his family was to make them (along with the rest of the world) as evil as he was. With that, Garmadon activated the Garmatron's main cannon, only to discover that the weapon required a twenty-second warm-up period. Lloyd attempted to stop the countdown and briefly grappled with his father before Kozu pinned him down, allowing the Garmatron to fire on the village of Ignacia. Trying to prevent Garmadon from firing again, Lloyd summoned his powers in an attempt to escape Kozu's grip. In response, Garmadon used a hidden trapdoor to drop Kozu and Lloyd out of the Garmatron.
With Lloyd out of the way, Lord Garmadon fired his next Dark Matter missile at Jamanakai Village, upsetting the balance of light and darkness enough for the Overlord to begin manifesting in Ninjago, something which Garmadon didn't expect. Taking delight in this turn of events, the Overlord reveals that he was using Garmadon as a pawn in his true plan to take over Ninjago for himself instead of letting Garmadon do it. Realizing this, Garmadon furiously berates the Overlord for using him, but the ultimate evil simply laughed as he starts possessing Garmadon's body. During the metamorphosis, Garmadon screams in pain as the Overlord's possession transforms his body into a more unnatural form. It was then the horrified ninja realized that the Lloyd was actually destined to fight the Overlord and that Garmadon is being used as a vessel for the Overlord. Knowing now that the Overlord will not show any mercy, Lloyd is more determined to face against him.
During Lloyd's battle against the Overlord, the former asserted that Lord Garmadon was still alive and unwilling to harm him. At this, Lord Garmadon attempted to resist the Overlord's control of his body, leaving himself open for Lloyd's assault. Unfortunately, the Overlord proved to be too strong and regained control, completely subduing Garmadon's mind before defeating Lloyd, cruelly telling him that Garmadon is gone. The Overlord then triumphantly leads his Stone Army (including the corrupted Nya) to a portal to Ninjago City, leaving the ninja stranded and defeated for the time being.
The ninja were eventually able to return to Ninjago City, but by that time, the Overlord has turned nearly everyone in Ninjago City evil. It is also revealed that the Overlord also turned Garmadon's body into his original form as a giant dragon. Eventually, Lloyd finally unlocks his True Potential and defeats the Overlord, supposedly obliterating him and reverting all of Ninjago and its civilians (including Nya) back to normal.
At first, Garmadon was thought to have been destroyed following the Overlord's defeat, but Garmadon awoke amid the rubble calling for Lloyd, completely purified of evil—not only was he himself again, but the dark magic that had given him four arms and the Devourer's venom that had turned him evil in the first place had all disappeared. Surprised at his new appearance, Garmadon happily reunited with his family, telling Master Wu that it felt good to be free of evil at last. He was last seen walking off with Misako and Lloyd, eager to catch up on the bonding time he had missed due to his curse.
Fleeing from the Overlord, the five ninja and Nya traveled to Garmadon's Monastery to seek refuge. That night, they partook in Garmadon's lesson on the Art of the Silent Fist, a martial arts style that involves misdirection and avoiding the attacks of enemies. He handily defeated Lloyd in a sparring session, invoking his son's anger, but cautioned his son against giving in to such feelings, having been overcome by rage himself in the past. Upon learning that the Nindroids are seeking Lloyd for his golden powers, Garmadon volunteered to travel with Lloyd and get as far away from the Overlord's grasp as possible.
Garmadon falls asleep in Proto Sam-X.
Traveling to Nya's old Samurai X Cave, Lloyd and Garmadon took her all-terrain vehicle to help expedite their journey. As night fell, the pair stopped by a nearby river to drink. However, they were subsequently tracked down and attacked by the Nindroid MechDragon. As they fled Garmadon accidentally fired the vehicle's cannons while attempting to find an afterburner to increase their speed, much to his dismay. Just as the dragon was about to capture them however, the ninja succeed in shutting down the power to all of Ninjago, and the Dragon collapsed in front of them. Though Lloyd believed they should return, Garmadon remained firm in continuing to put distance between themselves and New Ninjago City until the Overlord has been permanently deleted.
As father and son passed through a rocky gorge, Garmadon paused to teach Lloyd about the importance of balance by having the Green Ninja balance rocks. Upon placing a boulder atop the pile, Lloyd lost control and the rock tower collapsed. Giving up, Garmadon determined that they should continue forward, though without the use of the Golden Dragon.
Encouraging Lloyd
Garmadon and Lloyd eventually came to a broken bridge, prohibiting their path forward. Garmadon saw this as an opportunity for Lloyd to unlock more of the First Spinjitzu Master's powers and ordered his son to move the mountain in front of him to create a path across. Though the Golden Ninja managed to move pieces into place, he lost focus at the end and the bridge crumbled. Frustrated, Lloyd summoned the Golden Dragon to create a Golden Path for them, much to Garmadon's dismay.
Dangling off the mountain
Their path eventually took them to a large mountain that they were forced to scale. Lloyd joked that Garmadon's former extra set of arms would have come in useful here, though Garmadon noted that his son's sense of humor lacked in comparison to his Golden Power. As the master reached the top of the mountain, he was alarmed to see that Lloyd had stopped to help a Ravture youngling. As he feared, the father was not far away and attacked the duo. Garmadon began to frantically climb away only to be grabbed by the father ravture and thrown off the mountainside. It was then that Lloyd found himself able to move mountains and managed to create a hand to catch his father.
Watching the Falcon's message
The father and son ravture were reunited and left, while Lloyd created a stairway down the mountain with his newfound abilities. On their way down, the Falcon arrived with a message from Nya warning them of a mysterious Stranger who had taken the hard drive containing the Overlord. As the message ended, Garmadon noted that they were near Hiroshi's Labyrinth and determined they should head there to hide. Lloyd agrees and they descended into the forest to get lost.
Garmadon and Lloyd make it inside of Hiroshi's Labyrinth, and Lloyd comments that whoever made it through the jungle was better than him. Garmadon also comments that there is an oasis in the middle of the jungle, that no one but Hiroshi has seen before.
Garmadon held captive
When they make it to the oasis, however, they only have a moment to rest as Techno Wu and a squad of Nindroids ambush the duo. Garmadon faces his brother again as Lloyd escapes, yet Wu is victorious and Garmadon is taken aboard the MechDragon. When Pythor nullifies Lloyd's power, the Overlord comments that Garmadon is no use to them, and he throws him overboard. As the MechDragon flies off, Garmadon surfaces and vows that he will find Lloyd again.
Garmadon followed the MechDragon back to New Ninjago City where he disguised himself as a Nindroid to sneak into Borg Tower. He arrived in Borg's Office just as Techno Wu was about to suspend the program, thereby trapping the ninja in the Digiverse. Garmadon flung his assimilated brother out the window before revealing himself and attacked Pythor, as the latter expressed surprise that Garmadon broke his oath. Garmadon claimed that as they took his son, he had done away with his oath never to fight again.
Disguised as a Nindroid.
After the Serpentine managed to escape in a Hover-Copter, Garmadon slid down the side of the building where he faced Techno Wu again. The battle quickly turned against Garmadon's favor and he was forced to retreat to the very edge of the cell tower. However just as Techno Wu prepared to finish him off, the ninja successfully reboot the system, thereby returning Wu to his regular self.
The brothers returned to Borg's Office where the ninja, P.I.X.A.L., and Nya celebrated their success.
Garmadon accompanied Wu and the other ninja back to the Temple of Light wherein Lloyd returned his elemental powers to the four ninja. Garmadon voiced his disprovable of the plan to Wu, who in return reminds him that it was Lloyd's choice, not his, and encourages the ninja to take risks. Garmadon remained optimistic, knowing that as the protectors of Ninjago, they were without the luxury of rest.
Once back in New Ninjago City, Garmadon arrives at Borg Tower where P.I.X.A.L. and Wu are busy trying to figure out the Nindroid's mysterious project Arcturus. Garmadon comments that he and Wu once defeated an ancient Serpentine General by the same name during the Serpentine War. They later discover that the Overlord intends to retrieve the Golden Weapons from space, where they were sent following the Mega-Weapon's destruction-an event that only Garmadon and the four ninja who traveled back in time can remember due to their involvement in it. P.I.X.A.L later discloses this to Kai who sets for the truck carrying some of the parts of the rocket. He, Wu, Nya, and P.I.X.A.L. follow the rest of the ninja (except Kai, who was captured) to Ouroboros just in time to witness Arcturus launch with all five ninja aboard. Garmadon is outraged that Wu would allow such a thing but nevertheless watched as the rocket departed for the heavens.
Garmadon returned to Borg Tower with Wu, Nya, and P.I.X.A.L. where they were able to contact the ninja and provide help in their attempt to take over the comet-bound ship. However, their communications were discovered by Pythor who lead a squad of Nindroids to attack Borg Industries.
The four managed to escape to Garmadon's monastery and re-established contact with the ninja.
The ninja manage to return to Ninjago City by salvaging the parts of the Nindroids' ship to create a new, smaller, more cartoonish one. They meet with Garmadon and their other allies before heading into the city, which has been occupied and ransacked by the Overlord, in an attempt to reach the Temple of Fortitude. Garmadon and Master Wu meet the other ninja there, with Cyrus Borg giving them a pill they can use to shrink the Overlord while Garmadon and Wu devise a plan to make him consume it.
The ninja, along with Garmadon and his brother, run across rooftops towards the Overlord. The Overlord's powers don't affect them due to their Stone Warrior armor, which wards off the golden power. Upon reaching Borg Tower, where the Overlord has created a massive "spider-web" using his golden powers, Garmadon and Wu work together to propel the pill towards their ancient adversary, but Pythor intervenes and devours it. The Overlord then seizes Garmadon and the other ninja, except Zane, who sacrifices himself to freeze the Overlord, with both being destroyed in the process.
Garmadon attends Zane's funeral and joins his brother and the ninja as they crowd around each other and watch snow fall from the sky.
Garmadon reflected in his journal on the loss of Zane, writing that he and Wu would have to let the ninja deal with the grief on their own. The brothers trusted the ninja would come back stronger, and Garmadon speculated on the possibility of Zane's survival due to his mysterious power source.
Weeks later, Garmadon scolded Lloyd for spending hours watching TV. After the two saw that Jay was the game show host on the TV, Garmadon supported his son's newfound drive to find and reassemble the ninja team.
Garmadon was going to join his brother and Nya in rebuilding Destiny's Bounty. He went to ask his son for help but the latter told him that he was going on a fishing trip with his friends as Garmadon was happy they reconnected. Lloyd then asks his father if there were others with elemental powers like him and the ninja. Garmadon questions Lloyd why he asked him that, to Lloyd's response with nothing. He feels suspicious of his son and then heads towards his son's room where he found that he cast the fishing rod against the wall and left it there. As Garmadon looks around and questions what is going on, he notices and spots a symbol on a takeout carton and realizes Chen was involved with his son's mysterious behavior.
With this knowledge, Garmadon deduces that Lloyd and the other ninja were going to Chen's Island. He immediately followed them to the docks, where the Elemental Masters began boarding Chen's ferry. While there Garmadon encountered his old rival Clouse, who is still working with Chen. Garmadon tries to stop the ninja but they are insisted on going because Zane may still be alive and this was a chance to find him. After failing to dissuade his son from going, Garmadon decides to join him on the journey. Clouse initially refuses to let Garmadon on the ship stating there was no room, but Garmadon boards anyway after knocking off a grunt and Clouse allows this act.
On the ferry, Garmadon tells the ninja about Clouse being a dangerous wizard and Chen's second-in-command. Soon, the ninja meet various people using different kinds of powers as Kai asks Garmadon why he or Wu never told them there were others with abilities like them. Garmadon explains there were things they didn't want them to know as he tells the ninja about the Elemental Masters. As they travel through the ferry, Garmadon gives details about several of the current masters, revealing they are descended from previous elemental users. When Kai notes the same went for him and his sister, Garmadon tells a confused Kai that Nya might have an element that just needed to be unlocked. Garmadon makes note of a few of major Elemental Masters. Clouse then announces to everyone that they're about to reach Chen's Island before calling Chen himself and telling him that Garmadon has returned. Garmadon tells the ninja that he swore never to return to the island while the ninja contemplate whether they'll be able to find Zane.
After arriving on the island, Clouse speaks to Garmadon and states that Chen will be pleased to see him again while tensely referring to him as Sensei.
Garmadon reveals to the ninja that Master Chen was previously his master, during a period in Garmadon's life when he took the path of evil. During the Serpentine War, Chen betrayed the Elemental Masters by siding with the Serpentine before being exiled to his island fortress as part of a deal for his surrender. After the tournament bracket is revealed he is kicked out of Chen's fortress by Clouse but sneaks back in during the first round. After catching Clouse using his dark magic to sabotage Lloyd, Garmadon attacks him, the grapple enabling Lloyd to claim one of the Jadeblades. He then takes part in the group's discussion regarding the urgency of finding Zane.
After suffering continued ill-treatment from Chen's minions, Garmadon joined the others in observing various battles, including Kai's fight with Ash and the confrontation between Bolobo and, Neuro. Garmadon expressed confidence in Neuro's ability to succeed and was proved right despite Bolobo's early advantage. Unfortunately, the ninja were soon forced to contend with an unpleasant development: Chen changing the tournament roster so that Jay and Cole were forced to battle each other. He wisely reasoned that the pair would have to reconcile or fail, and was pleased when they renewed their friendship. Unfortunately, Cole was forced to forfeit to ensure that at least one of them would continue to advance in the tournament.
Garmadon joined his pupils in observing a battle between Skylor and Jacob Pevsner and noted that Jacob's power over Sound had grown since he had last encountered him. After hearing the ninja speculate as to whether Skylor and Kai might be related due to her use of Fire, Garmadon revealed that she was the Master of Amber. He would then tell the ninja that they should try to befriend their competition or they would try to defeat them.
He joined Clouse and Chen in observing Lloyd's Thunderblade battle with Chamille and intervened when Clouse attempted to sabotage Lloyd with his Dark Magic.
Garmadon and the remaining ninja were heartened by the fact that they had managed to ally with the other competitors, only for Chen to mislead the group by telling them that he intended to award his Staff of Elements to the winner of the tournament.
Things start looking up as they learn from a disguised Nya—who had infiltrated Chen's Kabuki—that there was a spy in their midst. The ninja soon receive a fortune cookie from Skylor that says Cole and Zane will be breaking out very soon as they express relief that Cole managed to find their friends. Garmadon later joined the ninja in attempting to uncover the spy, providing the helpful hint that a minion of Chen would have an Anacondrai tattoo on their back like his.
Garmadon and the remaining contestants boarded Chen's blimp and were flown high above the island, where they learned that the next task would be hunting the fugitive Nya. However, as they were dropped onto the island, it was determined that the parachutes left for them by Chen were one short given Garmadon's presence. As he and Lloyd fell, Lloyd struggled to summon his Elemental Dragon, which Garmadon revealed was due to his fear. Both grabbed onto a parachute, and Garmadon attempted to sacrifice himself so that Lloyd could use it, but Lloyd refused. After Lloyd opened the parachute for him, Garmadon who was shocked said "What have you done!?"
A few seconds later Garmadon was happy that his son successfully managed to summon his dragon. Working together, the pair soon discovered that Nya had left a false trail for her pursuers and a real one for her friends.
Garmadon and Lloyd learn Chen's true plan
Along the way, Garmadon revealed to Lloyd the full details of his previous allegiance to Chen and how he received the title of Lord from him after defeating Clouse. Likewise, he explained their involvement in the Serpentine Wars, including his adding his signature to Wu's letter to Misako. He also revealed that he had never told Misako or Wu the truth, but that he didn't regret it being that Lloyd wouldn't exist as a result. Lloyd then encouraged him to come clean with his wife and brother, and Garmadon agreed to do so. Unfortunately, they found Nya just in time to learn Chen's true plan: to use the stolen powers to turn him and his Anacondrai Cultists into Anacondrai.
Garmadon, Nya, and Lloyd soon assault Chen's Fortress in a bid to rescue the others and stop Chen's plan. Garmadon was forced to battle Clouse, who gained the upper hand due to his use of an Anacondrai Blade. Captured and imprisoned alongside Nya, Garmadon was mocked by Chen and Clouse, who visited them to taunt them over his victory over Lloyd. Garmadon angrily questioned the location of his son as Chen stated he will take Lloyd's power at the ceremony which Garmadon can't attend as Chen was still hurt at his leave. Nya wondered how Chen beat Lloyd which Chen stated he had help revealing Kai was the one who did so.
Garmadon was angered Chen turned the ninja against each other as he did their ancestors before grabbing Skylor, attempting to use her as a way to be released but Chen and Clouse called his bluff. With Nya, Garmadon was left at the mercy of Clouse's Anacondrai serpent, while the villains leave though not before Kai winks at them revealing it was all a ruse relieving them. Sometime later, Clouse's pet serpent arrived which Garmadon viewed as karma accrued by his role in destroying the Great Devourer. However, a jailbreak of the Elemental Masters—aided by Cole, Zane, and Jay in the Roto Jet—resulted in their escape, and they soon intervened in Chen's ceremony returning the powers to the Elemental Masters, forcing Chen, Clouse, and a few henchmen to flee.
Following much of the Anacondrai warriors' capture, Garmadon was with the five ninja, exclaiming his pride within the five, saying that they did what the original Elemental Masters could not: stick together. After getting a message from Griffin Turner from Neuro, Garmadon and Cole used the Roto-Jet to help assist in finding Chen's remaining forces and the captive Skylor. Unfortunately, the pair got into a dogfight with Clouse and Chen, the former leaping onto the Roto-Jet to sabotage it. Garmadon exited the craft to engage his former classmate and knocked him off the plane. Their battle resumed on the ground, with Clouse opening a portal to the Cursed Realm to rid himself of Garmadon and claim his old title of Lord. However, Garmadon managed to drag Clouse into the portal before climbing over him to escape it, which caused him to remark on his dislike of Magic.
Garmadon turned into Anacondrai.
Sadly, Garmadon's victory would be short-lived, as Chen used Skylor's powers to fuel his spell and turn the Anacondrai warriors—including Skylor and Garmadon—into Anacondrai. Garmadon assured a sad Lloyd he was still on his side as Chen's forces soon overpowered the Elemental Masters with sheer strength, speed, and numbers causing them to retreat to the palace. While there, Garmadon was nearly attacked by Jay, who confused him for one of the Warriors, but Lloyd quickly explained it as Jay told Garmadon to pick a body and sticking with it. The Masters then watched as Chen's army escaped the island, leaving Garmadon and his young allies stranded. However, Zane and Kai's success in summoning a Titanium Dragon and Fire Dragon inspired the others to overcome their fears summon forth their Elemental Dragons, and they set out for Ninjago. Garmadon rode on Lloyd's Dragon and told the Masters a battle from the past had returned but stated they will rise to face off against it.
Flying back on Lloyd's Dragon, Garmadon and the others arrived back in New Ninjago City only to find that Chen's forces had yet to attack. Having their allies watch the city, the ninja made their way to the Samurai X Cave where they were reunited with Wu and Misako, who was surprised at his appearance. Wu's pleasure at seeing him reminded Garmadon of his shameful secret, but they accompanied the ninja to Kryptarium Prison to see Pythor. Chen's forces came looking for the snake as well, and a drop of Pythor's venom fell on Garmadon's hand, transforming it again as Zane realized that was why the Warriors came for Pythor: to maintain the transformation. Now aware of Chen's reason for not attacking, Garmadon, along with his brother and son, attempted to escape with the last true Anacondrai in tow. During this, the trio learned that Chen had lied to both sides during the Serpentine War. Unfortunately, they were confronted by more Warriors, resulting in a battle in which they lose Pythor to the Anacondrai warriors and were forced to prepare for the inevitable invasion.
Back at the Samurai X Cave, Misako took note of Garmadon's sad look and grabbing his hand, she asked him about it as he attempted to tell his wife the truth about the letter but was interrupted with the power shutting off. Much to the horror of the allied heroes, the Anacondrai warriors succeeded in luring the Elemental Masters away from New Ninjago City and various settlements, allowing them to invade unopposed. After Wu stated their fears have come true, Garmadon sadly remarked "The new Serpentine War has just begun."
The Destiny's Bounty was soon in the air and Nya attempted to communicate with the ninja, though Chen took control of the airwaves. Chen then told everyone about Garmadon's secret about his letter which was actually Wu's, infuriating Wu upon discovering that his brother claimed his letter as his own. Before a fight could break out, Skylor calmed Wu down before anyone could get hurt. He was reunited with Lloyd, who noticing Wu and Misako shunning him was because they found about the letter.
He is later seen on the Bounty at the cannons helping their allies take down the Anacondrai warriors at the Corridor of Elders. Despite their efforts, Chen's army it through the path just as Lloyd appears on the ship with Pythor who tells in order to save Ninjago, Garmadon would need to be banished to the Cursed Realm so the Anacondrai Generals' spirits could curse Chen and his army. Garmadon willingly accepted this, feeling that he couldn't make up for all the evil he had done with what time he had left in his life. Wu and Misako were initially resistant, but in the end supported his choice having forgave him for his deceit while Lloyd was angered at his father's choice and left.
Garmadon sacrifices himself to defeat Chen.
Wu recited the banishment spell as he tells his brother and wife to apologize to Lloyd for him but the latter appeared and accepting his father's reason finished the spell himself, banishing Garmadon and releasing the Anacondrai Generals who cursed and banished Chen and his army. Garmadon's likeness was then carved into the Corridor alongside those of the other fallen Elemental Masters.
At the moment he was imprisoned in the Cursed Realm, Garmadon transformed from his Anacondrai form back to his normal self.[26]
After being tricked by Morro, Lloyd eventually awakened in the Cursed Realm and began searching around. Soon enough, he finds his father bound in chains. Lloyd tried to break the chains but to no avail. Seeing Lloyd's despair over his inability to save his father and stop Morro, Garmadon gives him the confidence to keep fighting. He promises to always be with Lloyd no matter where he is and says that at some point every boy must become a man, but it's their decision as to what kind of man they want to be. By some means, Lloyd obtained his father's robes and departed the Cursed Realm to face Morro.
As the ghost invasion draws to a close, Nya unlocks her True Potential, creating a giant tidal wave that drowns the Preeminent. The Cursed Realm is consequently destroyed; all its inhabitants are killed, including Garmadon, who passes on to the Departed Realm. Following the battle, Lloyd expressed his feelings that his father was "in a better place."
In the Departed Realm, Garmadon saw and was deeply frightened by the Oni. He wished to return to Ninjago and use his Destruction to prevent the Oni from invading the realm.[27][28]
Having successfully acquired the three Oni Masks, the Sons of Garmadon gather in the Temple of Resurrection in the Royal Palace to finally revive him. Harumi performs the ritual using the masks and hair taken from his family: Lloyd, Wu, and Misako. A portal to the Departed Realm is opened, and Garmadon's spirit can be heard howling in pain on the other side. Harumi chants and calls out to him, and he groggily answers back, laughing maniacally. Before Harumi succeeds in her plan, the ninja use Spinjitzu to halt the resurrection process, seemingly preventing Garmadon's rebirth. The Sons of Garmadon are arrested and the ninja think themselves victorious, but a dark hand can be seen rising from the pedestal at the temple afterward. Lord Garmadon returns to Ninjago, corrupted, and with all light absent from his soul.
Garmadon appears before Lloyd in Kryptarium Prison.
Now resurrected, Lord Garmadon makes his presence known by scaring two garbage men, repeatedly saying "She calls me." He later steals their truck to break Harumi out of custody before taking over Kryptarium Prison and freeing all of the members of the Sons of Garmadon. While using the basketball field to practice, Harumi tells him in order to reach his True Potential, he must face Lloyd. His son soon arrives later that night and they fight, with Garmadon gaining the upper hand, all the while rejecting Lloyd's pleas. During their fight, Garmadon unleashes his element of destruction, which severely weakens his son. He soon throws Lloyd through a wall into a locker room, leaving Lloyd struggling to breathe before continuing to fight him with ease due to his injury.
After proclaiming he has no son, Garmadon throws a defeated Lloyd outside of the prison. Harumi soon proclaims they can spare Lloyd so he can see Garmadon's reign. They then prepare to head to Ninjago at dawn, so Garmadon can be proclaimed its new emperor.
With his new potential, Garmadon conquers a village by demonstrating his powers over creation, creating the giant "Colossus." The Colossus rampages through Ninjago City, destroying much in its path. While this happens, Garmadon tells Harumi that his brother is close before leaving her side to find him. Soon enough, Garmadon confronts Misako and Toddler Wu as they leave Dareth's apartment. Before Garmadon can destroy Misako with his powers, Nya arrives and saves her. After Lloyd escapes with Toddler Wu, Nya and Misako fight off Garmadon. After the ninja's near destruction at the hands of the Colossus, and their departure from Ninjago to the Realm of Oni and Dragons, Garmadon, turned emperor, takes control of Ninjago while Lloyd, Misako, Nya, and P.I.X.A.L. go into hiding.
Prior to Hunted
Prior to Hunted[]
Garmadon reigned as the Emperor of Ninjago, plunging the city into a state of oppression and fear. The Sons of Garmadon helped to maintain his rule over all of Ninjago.
With complete control over the city, Garmadon outlawed the color green and has ordered the Sons of Garmadon to hunt down the remaining ninja and anyone affiliated with them to end any opposition to his rule.
As he watches over the city from his new throne on Borg Tower, Harumi reported to Garmadon that Lloyd still hadn't been caught and he was confused by Lloyd's defiance to him since Lloyd had nothing while he had everything. Garmadon was posed to use the Colossus to destroy half the city to draw him out but Harumi stopped him as that action was unnecessary.
Harumi suggested sending Mr. E who is more than capable to find and procure Lloyd, accepting of the latter's talents, Garmadon orders him to find his son.
Lord Garmadon requests Harumi, Mr. E, Ultra Violet, and Killow's presence at the top of his palace in the Borg Tower. The soulless Garmadon demands to know who failed to capture his son. They all secretly tremble in fear, until Mr. E steps forward. Despite Harumi's protests to defend him, Garmadon still kills Mr. E and threatens Harumi and her remaining generals that he will tear them apart next if they fail to capture his son again.
Garmadon nearly discovers Lloyd and his friends but cannot see through their cloak.
Lord Garmadon summons Harumi again to the top of his palace; when she fearfully approaches him, he tells her that his son is near. Although Harumi assures him that Lloyd would be a fool to come anywhere near Borg Tower, she quickly withdraws her statement when Garmadon angrily asks her if she thinks he is a fool. She then assures him that she will take care of security. When Garmadon wanders Borg Tower looking for Lloyd, he is about to see past Skylor's efforts to camouflage the group, until Harumi arrives from the elevator, asking Garmadon if he is okay. He tells her that he believes Lloyd and the others are on the next floor, ordering Harumi to follow him. This slip in judgment gives Lloyd and company the time needed to break in the broadcast room and encourage the public to rise up against their self-proclaimed Emperor. Lloyd also challenges his father, forcing Garmadon to angrily growl at the top of the tower as he watches the broadcast.
Lord Garmadon requests Harumi, Killow, and Ultra Violet's presence at the top of the Borg Tower. Harumi willingly but fearfully admits that she failed to stop Lloyd's broadcast, and Garmadon agrees. Ultra Violet accuses Harumi of letting it happen, after which Garmadon prepares to tear her apart with Destruction, although Harumi begs him to spare her since she brought him back from the dead. Garmadon then retorts that he has no heart and no mercy, and he is about to kill Harumi until she reveals that she knows the location of the Resistance's base. He ultimately spares her, and upon learning the base is in the garbage depot, then sends a Sons of Garmadon battalion to the base.
After Lord Garmadon's forces captured most of the Resistance, the dark lord appeared on a roof and used his Destructive Powers to control the Colossus, having it chase after Lloyd, Nya, Skylor, and Dareth. When the Colossus had cornered them, he attempted to crush their vehicle with them inside of it. After sensing Lloyd begging him to stop, Garmadon momentarily hesitated, but then continued.
However, P.I.X.A.L. used this distraction to shoot him with her samurai armor, breaking his focus and control over Colossus, allowing Lloyd, Nya, Skylor, and Dareth to escape. The enraged Garmadon then shot her out of the sky with a Destructive Blast allowing Killow to capture her. Garmadon could only stare in disappointment as his son escaped the city.
After, the raid on the Resistance's HQ, Garmadon's forces sent the captured Elemental Masters and their supporters to Kryptarium Prison.
Garmadon tells Harumi of a new evil found in the Departed Realm.
After this successful ambush, Garmadon seemed to disappear, confusing the likes of Killow and Ultra Violet. When Harumi finds him, he is confused by his hesitation to crush Lloyd. He is struggling with his lingering affection for his son, having believed only the darkness and brutality of his Oni side were brought back. Harumi corrects him, stating that "a child isn't born from a side, a child encompasses all." Meaning that Lloyd came from all parts of him, including his Oni side, and thus his love for Lloyd still existed.
Garmadon accepts Harumi as his "child."
Harumi attempts to convince him to cast aside Lloyd as his son, in order to escape what holds him back and fully unlock his True Potential, and embrace her as his daughter. Garmadon reveals to Harumi that his true reasoning behind seeking strength and conquering Ninjago was to defeat an "endless night" he saw during his time in the Departed Realm, which struck fear into him and threatens his "father's realm."
After his revelation, the dark lord accepts Harumi as his new daughter, the princess promising to do whatever it takes to help her "father" defeat this evil.
Mystake, disguised as Harumi, comes before Lord Garmadon with the "captured" Skylor. Unknown to Garmadon, Harumi was captured by his son and the Resistance plans to have Skylor absorb Garmadon's power in order to control his Colossus. Just as Garmadon approaches Skylor, Ultra Violet warns him that "Harumi" forgot to add that Skylor is the Master of Absorption. Garmadon then becomes suspicious, although Mystake, still disguised as Harumi attempts to talk her way out of the situation when the real Harumi and Killow arrive at the top of Garmadon's Palace in the Borg Tower.
Upon seeing two Harumis, Garmadon lets the newly-arrived one speak in order to deduct who the real Harumi is. After learning the first "Harumi" is Mystake in disguise, he congratulates the real Harumi for her efforts. Garmadon then convinces Mystake to show her true Oni form, and a fight commences between them. He is losing for most of the fight, until Mystake uses her powers to make a smokescreen around them, giving Skylor the opportunity to absorb his Destruction power. With Mystake now powerless after making the smokescreen, Garmadon murders her off-screen.
Lloyd, Nya, and Dareth help Skylor as she attempts to take control of the Colossus using Garmadon's element. Realizing his creation is being hijacked, Garmadon regains control of it, but Skylor attempts to regain control. The two struggle for possession of the Colossus; during the chaos, Harumi flees the roof of Borg Tower and runs into a nearby apartment building. After helping a family escape, she tries fleeing the building, but the Colossus crashes into it—causing the apartment to collapse. Garmadon is devastated by the loss, which only stokes his rage further, as he now intends to raze the city in pursuit of Lloyd.
Garmadon senses his brother's return, realizing that he is still alive. He also sees the ninja are still alive too and sends the Colossus to destroy them while Wu and Lloyd continue onto his palace.
From the shadows, Garmadon greets his family and declares them as enemies, Garmadon battles Wu and Lloyd before knocking Wu out of the battle and facing only Lloyd. Garmadon continues to attack Lloyd—and nearly knocks him from the tower twice—but saves him every time. Lloyd then attempts to convince his father to change back to how he used to be, but Garmadon proclaims that people don't change, they only reveal who they truly are.
After hitting the Dragonbone Blade out of Lloyd's hand, and watching it fall down to the city, Garmadon screams at Lloyd to get up and fight him. When Lloyd refuses, Garmadon angrily continues to attack him, but Lloyd uses his father's own technique to resist him. Because Garmadon gets his power from fighting, when Lloyd refused to fight him, his Destruction power got progressively weaker until it completely faded away. Now defeated, Garmadon orders Lloyd to finish him off, and when Lloyd refuses to deliver the final blow Garmadon then warns his son that "they are coming."
Garmadon arrested for subjugating the city.
Lloyd then brings his defeated father down to the streets where he is swarmed by many police officers before he is arrested. Garmadon pleads to Lloyd to believe him by rambling that "they" will come before being taken to Kryptarium Prison along with the Sons of Garmadon.
Locked in a special chamber called cell one, Garmadon greeted Lloyd, acknowledging him as the famous Green Ninja, and asked why he had come. Lloyd reminded him that he had been urgently summoned. Garmadon seemed indifferent to the matter, disappointing Lloyd. As a result, Lloyd began to leave. However, Garmadon remembered the reason for the meeting and reminded Lloyd of his previous warning about an impending threat. He expressed his willingness to assist in fighting against the darkness and destruction that threatened Ninjago. Garmadon emphasized his desire to avoid being destroyed alongside his son. Lloyd inquired about their adversary, prompting Garmadon to disclose that it was the Bringers of Doom. Garmadon went on to assert that Lloyd and his fellow ninja were no match for their foe. He further proclaimed that only he possessed the power necessary to thwart the threat. In an attempt to persuade Lloyd to release him, Garmadon held out the promise of a chance to win. However, Lloyd resolutely refused, stating that he could never place his trust in Garmadon again. Undeterred, Garmadon predicted that Lloyd would eventually return to him.
The ninja arrived at Kryptarium to meet Garmadon after the Oni took over Ninjago City. Upon their arrival, Garmadon greeted them with a sardonic tone. Lloyd asked about how they can stop the Oni. Garmadon responded that it was impossible to do so, explaining that the only way to defeat an Oni is with another Oni, which is why they need him. Jay laughed at the suggestion, but Lloyd acknowledged their limited options. He commanded the cell to open, and Garmadon cackled with evil glee.
Once on the ninja's ship, Garmadon often stalks and creeps up on the ninja. He once accidentally turned off their engines and claimed that that button should be labeled. When Lloyd reluctantly takes Garmadon on a "tour" around the ship were Garmadon sees a picture of himself and Lloyd in his human form before his death. Garmadon tossed that picture away before claiming that if you want to defeat the Oni, you need to be like them. After they arrive at the city, Garmadon told the ninja that the Oni came through the Realm Crystal and to stop them it must be destroyed. He also told them that he is the only one who can do this because he is Oni. When Lloyd told that he is part Oni, Garmadon said he can't go into the city because the Oni magic will most likely kill him since he is mostly human.
After Lloyd decided he will go with his father into the city, Cole gave Garmadon a sword, only for Garmadon to seemingly turn on the ninja and attack them. However, he was just sparring with them to get his Elementalpowers back before jumping off of their ship to fight the Oni. When Lloyd followed him, Garmadon told him that was foolish and he might have died. When they spotted the Oni, Garmadon and Lloyd attacked them with their combined Elemental Powers and Katanas. After Garmadon saved Lloyd's life multiple times, he coldly retorted that the reason he did this was that the two of them stood a better chance, before continuing their way to the vault where the Realm Crystal was hidden in Borg Tower. When they made their way to the vault the two of them tried to destroy the crystal only for something to stop them and appear out of it. Garmadon then attempted to defeat it by using Destruction to summon four glowing purple daggers and attack it, only to be hurled towards a wall. After defeating Lloyd, it introduced itself as the Omega, leader of the Oni. When the Omega asked Garmadon why he is defending Ninjago if he is an "Oni," insulted him and replied that if anyone were to destroy Ninjago, it would be him. Omega then declared that he and Lloyd will be destroyed.
After a brief conversation with the Omega, the trio continued fighting. Lloyd was launched into a display containing the Sword of Sanctuary. However, the sword's reflection failed; he instead went for the Realm Crystal while Garmadon distracts the Oni. The Omega explained the crystal was only the key needed to open the portal and destroying it won't do anything. More Onis are summoned and Son and Father retreated. They are surrounded but noticed the Oni feared the Golden Master's armor. They managed to escape Borg Tower but were surprised to learn the ninja had to leave with the Bounty due to a distress call. Instead, P.I.X.A.L. entered the dark clouds, and being a Nindroid, was able to save them. When she did, she noticed she was running out of fuel.
Lloyd and Garmadon are then surrounded by the Oni, but P.I.X.A.L. saved them on time. She ran out of fuel and they began to fall until the others arrived with the Bounty. The ninja then told them that Cole was gone. After Garmadon told them they are wasting time mourning, he showed them the Golden Master's armor, suggesting that they use it to fight back against Oni. However, everyone was upset at Garmadon for his lack of concern over Cole and started leaving.
Garmadon, once again, looked at the photos in the ninja's cabinet. Vinny accidentally came in when looking for the bathroom. He introduced himself and Garmadon asked him a question about what is more important than survival. Vinny replied that friendship, trust, truth and courage are the things more important than survival, and that there would be no point in life without these great qualities. Understanding the answer, Garmadon thanks Vinny and allows him to leave peacefully, finally understanding what the ninja are going through. Around the same time, Nya finally decided to take Garmadon's advice to use the Golden Master's armor, suggesting that they should melt it down and reforge the Golden Weapons to battle against the Oni.
Along with the ninja, Garmadon entered the Monastery of Spinjitzu carrying the Golden Armor and tossed it to Wu, telling him to have it melted down so that the ninja can forge the Golden Weapons to battle against the Oni. He also confessed his remorse over his past encounters with Misako, admitting that he understands how much his past self cared for her. As the Oni approach, Garmadon went outside the monastery to fight with the other ninja, proclaiming that he'll take on the Omega himself, to which the ninja happily obliges to. He and Wu also admitted to each other that they weren't expecting to fight alongside each other again, though Wu stated that life itself has a few surprises left for both of them.
Garmadon in his Oni form
During the fight against the Oni, Garmadon used his power to transform into his Oni Form to take down more Oni, just as Cole arrives and rejoins the ninja. Unfortunately, the powers of the Golden Weapons are still not enough to ward off the Oni as they are still surpassing in numbers; even the Omega manages to beat down both Garmadon and Lloyd, proclaiming that he can sense Garmadon's hesitation to completely give in to the dark side and that his hope to regain his lost humanity makes him weak. As such, Garmadon and the ninja are forced to retreat back to the monastery. Just when all hope seems lost, Lloyd came up with the solution for them to recreate the Tornado of Creation. Garmadon initially refuses to join by stating that he isn't one of the Ninja, but Lloyd states Garmadon is still part of Ninjago's history along with the Ninja. Upon hearing this and seeing a painting of Lloyd getting swept over by an Oni tentacle, Garmadon had a change of heart and joins in the Tornado of Creation to finally wipe out the Omega and the Oni for good.
Garmadon saying goodbye to Wu
With the Oni gone, Garmadon stands apart when everyone was mourning Lloyd, who was thought to have died in the Tornado. However, Lloyd miraculously wakes up, much to everyone's relief. Despite frowning to himself, Garmadon is somewhat relieved that Lloyd is safe and that Ninjago is finally safe from the threat of the Oni for good. However, he decides to leave to parts unknown, believing that he has no place with his family anymore due to his crimes. Before leaving, Garmadon gazed at Wu, quietly entrusting him to look out for Misako and Lloyd, and Wu quietly bids Garmadon farewell in return, seeing that he still has a sense of good left in him in spite of his atrocious crimes.
Wu visiting Garmadon in the mountains
Wu giving his hat to Garmadon
After leaving the monastery Garmadon sat on a rock overlooking the Mountains of Impossible Height, when Wu came to him, who told him that he was glad to have caught him. He also told him that it was strange how Ninjago owed his rescuer and former conqueror, who sided with the light using the Tornado of Creation. Garmadon replied that he was always just on his own side, but Wu wasn't convinced. The younger brother then took his helmet and replied that although he thought he was only on his side, he could not expel the good that resided in him. Then Wu threw the helmet behind his back down from the mountain after turning. When Garmadon became enraged and threatened to unleash his very anger, Wu told him that there was enough with the theatrics, as it was just a helmet. Then he took off his own hat and put it on his brother's head. When Wu turned and began to climb the steps to the monastery, he told Garmadon that the hat would be more suitable for the journey. When Garmadon said he thought they would never travel together again, Wu agreed with him and told him that he had to go on this journey alone. And that no matter which side he chooses, he will always be his brother.[29]
Garmadon then left the mountains, he began to travel from Ninjago City until one day he decided to spend the night in the woods. While he was asleep, he heard a call and therefore got up from the ground and followed the voice, shouting at him to appear. Eventually, the enemy really showed up to him, revealing that he was Garmadon. Subsequently, they embarked on a duel, and although the real Garmadon thought he could win, his shadow self broke his sword without being touched and told him he would never defeat him. But then Garmadon woke up and realized it was just a dream. Then he got up, put on Wu's hat, packed his things, and began to wander on.
During his journey, he first crossed the rope bridge, climbed a mountain, and crossed the river until he reached Glimwillow Woods. There he saw a lake, so he caught a few fish in it, which he began to roast on the fire. Then he heard a roar.
Garmadon after saving Min and Saeko
When he reached the place where he heard the roar and noticed the mother and daughter attacked by a bear, he immediately began to fight it. Then he bit into the bear's body, but the bear threw him away with its paw. Garmadon therefore became very angry and was about to destroy the bear with his Destruction power, but he failed to use it. The bear almost killed him then, but the girl distracted him while Garmadon cut off the trunk of a tree that had fallen on the bear and scared him, so he ran away. Saeko and Min, as the mother and the daughter were called, thanked him, but since Saeko had an injured leg and could not walk, they decided to persuade Garmadon to help them. Under the promise of a feast in their village, he eventually helped them take the baskets of Glimwillow Lilies, but since Saeko was still sighing because of her leg, Garmadon allowed her to come out and he carried her.
Garmadon using his powers after drinking Two Moon Tea
Upon arrival in the village of Min and Saeko, they told everyone that they had been saved by Lord Garmadon, for whom they were all grateful. Renzo, one of the elders of Two Moon Village, then brought Saeko tea to heal her. Despite Garmadon's doubts, it worked and he finally decided to drink tea too. However, the tea did not heal his wounds, but intensified his Destruction power by accidentally blowing a hole in the village wall. Garmadon was excited about the Two Moon Tea and asked them if it would not be good to start mass production, but the villagers told him that the lilies could only be harvested on a full moon, and then there were bears in the woods. When he suggested that they drink tea themselves, they explained to him that tea only healed human wounds while strengthening otherworldly beings. However, the villagers asked him if he would help them with the bears, and in return they would give him a full wagon of tea. Garmadon finally agreed, as he could use it to conquer Ninjago.
By the next evening, Garmadon, Min, and the Two Moon Village Commandos set out in search of Kuma's lair. Pausing in their journey to rest, Garmadon dreamt of his actions following the Oni's invasion but was awoken by the Commandos who reminded him that they had been asked to wake him once night fell. Continuing on their journey, the group eventually reached Kuma's lair: a large, bear shaped cave that stood beside a lake where Glimwillow Lilies grew. Watching the surrounding bears feed on the lilies, Garmadon asked the Commandos if anyone of them knew which bear was Kuma, though they all sheepishly admitted to having never seen her before. At that moment, a larger black bear whose body was covered in scars emerged from the underbrush, with the entire group surmising that this surely must have been Kuma.
Breaking off from the rest of the group, Garmadon dove into the lake's waters and made his way to the scarred bear as it fed. Just as it noticed him, Garmadon lunged out of the water and struck the bear with a mighty uppercut, flinging it onto its back. As he then climbed atop the felled beast, Garmadon unsheathed his sword and pointed it towards the other bears who had gathered around, proclaiming himself as the new ruler of Glimwillow Woods while challenging the others to oppose him. In response, all of the surrounding bears attacked Garmadon, much to his delight as he fought back against them. Garmadon's joy would be cut short, however, for the scarred bear had recovered from the former dark lord's mighty blow and snapped him up within its powerful jaws. Although Garmadon's strength was nearly enough to forcibly pry open the bear's jaws, Bron's clumsy aim resulted in Garmadon being struck by the barrel of two-moon tea, causing him to instinctively release his hold over the bear's jaws which then snapped shut.
Trapped within the stomach of the scarred bear, Garmadon argued once more with his inner thoughts, denying his reliance on evil as the source of his powers. Instead, Garmadon drank from the barrel, which had been swallowed alongside him, and took on his Oni form. With his strength returned, Garmadon forced his way out of the bear's mouth and blasted it away with a burst of destruction, proclaiming victory as the scarred bear splashed hard into the lake. Minutes later, Kuma revealed herself, showing to Garmadon's surprise that the legends were true after all; Kuma was indeed as tall as a mountain and Garmadon was eager now for the true battle to begin!
Enraged by the villagers' presence, Kuma demanded to know if the humans had grown as bold as to steal lilies directly from her cave before catching a whiff of Garmadon. Detecting the Oni blood in his veins, Kuma furiously attacked the group, aiming predominantly towards Garmadon, as the battle began. Formulating a plan, Garmadon vaporized several lily flowers, enraging Kuma as well as turning her focus solely onto Garmadon rather than his allies. With the bear's attention trained on him, Garmadon leapt across the cave that made up the bear's lair, jumping and weaving as he swiftly dodged all of her attacks. When Kuma roared that he could not run forever, Garmadon replied with a snide smile that he no longer had to run. Realizing his ploy, Kuma turned towards the ceiling as it now began to crumble upon her; Garmadon had tricked her into destroying her own lair's supports! Finally victorious, Garmadon and his allies stood outside of the collapsed lair as he reverted to normal. Exhausted but nevertheless exalted by his victory, Garmadon declared it would be time to return to Two-Moon Village so he could collect his reward.
Returning to Two-Moon Village, Garmadon sat atop their wagon and devoured chicken legs while Min and the Commandos pulled the wagon and played instruments, singing songs in his honor. As they rounded the hill just outside the village, Min stopped playing her drums, catching Garmadon's attention. As he turned to see what the girl was looking at with terror stricken eyes, Garmadon saw that the entire village was burning.
Following Min into the burning village, Garmadon made his way to her home, intervening just before Killow could strike Min. Surprised by the presence of his former general, Garmadon called out to Killow and asked why the Sons of Garmadon were attacking the village. Although Killow balked at the sight of his former emperor and stammered as he thought for an adequate response, the other biker in the home shouted that the Sons of Garmadon were no more, having since reformed under Lord Mogra as the Red Crows. Disappointed by this news, Garmadon asked Killow if what the biker had said was true, and after several minutes of stammering, the big man admitted to the truth of the biker's words. Unimpressed with the answer, Garmadon hurled Killow and the other biker through the roof of the home.
Stepping back out into the village courtyard, Garmadon addressed the rest of his former subordinates, promising to mete out severe punishment for forsaking him. But first, he demanded of Ultra Violet to explain the why and how of the Red Crows' change in allegiance. When Ultra Violet reached the point in her story about how the Sons of Garmadon were freed by Lord Mogra, Garmadon asked in a completely bored tone as to who that was. The answer to his question was delivered seconds later as Garmadon was struck in the back by the titular warlord and hurled some distance away. Coming face to face with his attacker, Garmadon addressed Mogra with a grin and noted the warlord now wore his discarded helmet. Mogra affirmed this and ordered Ultra Violet to begin loaded a wagon with barrels of two-moon tea. With his grin growing ever wider, Garmadon ordered Ultra Violet to belay Mogra's order, laughing as Mogra yelled back at his subordinates in frustration when they began carrying out Garmadon's orders. Garmadon then mocked his adversary, telling him that the Sons of Garmadon would always serve him, a fact Mogra conceded. Nevertheless, the warlord declared his intention of becoming a legend himself by ending the legend of Garmadon. With a smile, Garmadon accepted this challenge, remarking that he had already forgotten the warlord's name.
In their fierce battle, both warriors exchanged blow after blow, further ravaging Two-Moon Village in the process. As the two fought to a standstill, Garmadon decided to break the deadlock by gulping down some two-moon tea, regaining his powers once more as he transformed into his Oni form. In spite of Mogra's protests, Garmadon blasted him with an immense beam of Destruction, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. Satisfied, Garmadon ceased his attack and declared victory. Unfortunately, this declaration would soon be proven premature, and when the dust cleared, Garmadon saw to his horror that not only had Mogra survived, but he too could empower himself with two-moon tea. The battle soon turned against Garmadon and the winged warlord began to literally pound the former dark lord into the ground. After several beatings, Mogra grasped Garmadon and flew with him into the air, high above Two Moon Village. "You still don't recognize me, do you?" asked the warlord as Garmadon quickly dismissed him as being 'nobody.' When Mogra replied that he was the sins of Garmadon's past, Garmadon's eyes widened in terror as he realized Mogra's voice sounded familiar from somewhere. With a gasp, Garmadon exclaimed that Mogra's presence was an impossibility, for he had died long ago. Satisfied with this answer, Mogra acknowledged Garmadon's comment and released him while breathing fire down Garmadon's face, leaving the defeated dark lord screaming as he fell all the way down to the ground.
Having crashed hard enough upon the forest floor to leave a massive impact crater, Garmadon now periodically drifted in and out of consciousness. In one of his more lucid moments, as he was approached by Min, Garmadon mistook the young girl for his son, Lloyd. The girl then hauled Garmadon's unconscious body atop her horse and began wandering across the forest with him. While unconscious, Garmadon recalled his time in the Serpentine War and his history with Mogra.
After being brought back to the encampment where Saeko, Renzo, Kenzo, and the Two-Moon Village Commandos waited, Saeko reluctantly poured the last of the group's two-moon tea into Garmadon's mouth, triggering a reaction as his body was enveloped in blinding white light. In his new dream, Garmadon found himself confronted again by his past self, who demanded to know why the former dark lord continued to carry this memory throughout his journey. Refusing to answer, Garmadon snapped at the specter to leave him alone, only to watch in horror as countless more materialized before his eyes. As he screamed, Garmadon found himself back at the beginning, back to at the Monastery of Spinjitzu the day he was bitten by the Great Devourer. As the memory played and faded as he remembered it, Garmadon's past self confronted him once more, demanding to know if this truly was what happened, or was it just how Garmadon remembered it? When Garmadon dismissed the question as having no meaning, stating that he was destined to walk the path of darkness, his past self noted how Garmadon had already walked that path to its end; what would he do once it was over? Do it all again? Seek a new path? Transforming back into his childhood appearance, the past Garmadon asked once more, "What is it that you want?" Hesitantly, Garmadon admitted the answer: "I don't know." Garmadon's past self smiled and noted that this answer was the first step in restoring his divided soul.
Back in the real world, the white light surrounding Garmadon faded as his body was restored of its injuries.
The next morning, Garmadon stood by the edge of a river, gazing solemnly at his reflection in deep thought. When the villagers approached from behind, Garmadon turned and stated they shouldn't expect any thanks from him for healing his injuries. After quietly stating his expectation that the villagers wanted his help in retaking Two-Moon Village, Garmadon would be surprised when instead, they declined his help. Seemingly almost disappointed, Garmadon uttered 'bye' and began to walk away. Before he could go very far, Min ran up to him and embraced him with a long hug, declaring that while the former dark lord may not be able to help being bad, he didn't have to be evil. Stunned, Garmadon watched in silence as Min ran back to the villagers and extended an invitation for Garmadon to come visit them sometime after they retake their home.
In silence, Garmadon wandered alone throughout the forest for hours until his quiet contemplations were interrupted by rustling in the nearby brush. Encountering the scarred bear again, Garmadon at first asked in derision if the bear had returned for a rematch before noticing the wounds on its body; these were fresh injuries. Finding himself face to face with the rest of the bears of Glimwillow Woods and discovering sets of motorcycle tracks, Garmadon realized the bears had fought to defend their home from the Red Crows - and lost. Sympathizing with their plight, Garmadon had a change of heart and turned back to rejoin with the villagers.
Riding atop the scarred bear, Garmadon interrupted the villagers' plans for attack and proposed a better use for the dynamite they carried; instead of using it to blow a hole in the village's walls, they would instead use it to free Kuma. Noticing Garmadon's change of heart, Min cheekily asked the former dark lord as to why he had returned. Although Garmadon insisted it wasn't to save the villagers, but rather to exact his revenge on Mogra, Min saw through these claims and teased him over it, flustering Garmadon who insisted that his rage was 'unquenchable.'
When Kuma was freed, Min urged Garmadon to apologize to her, a request Garmadon obliged with...by dismissively stating that while he and Kuma had a good fight, she was no match for him! This almost provoked a second attack by the Guardian of Glimwillow Woods, but she halted her attack after Garmadon threw himself over the villagers to shield them from her attack. While still distrustful of Garmadon's Oni roots, Kuma agreed to assist him and the villagers in retaking Two-Moon Village from Mogra and the Red Crows.
At sundown, the combined forces of bears and villagers arrived outside the newly fortified village, where Garmadon called out for Mogra to face him. As the battle for Two Moon-Village begun, Garmadon fought against his former subordinates before finally turning his focus to Mogra. Tackling the winged warlord, Garmadon began to forcibly empty the warlord's containers of two-moon tea into his mouth, overloading Mogra with power. As Mogra's body began to burn up, unable to contain let alone control all this excessive power, he hurled Garmadon back towards the ground and began dive-bombing towards the village, determined to end everyone with him. As he watched, Garmadon's inner voices rang throughout his head, asking him why he was here in this moment, what was it he was fighting for, and what is it he wanted out of all this? Making peace with himself, Garmadon declared, "Redemption," before undergoing his Oni form without the usage of two-moon tea. Unleashing a powerful burst of Destruction at the falling warlord, Garmadon didn't stop until Mogra was seemingly disintegrated by blast, collapsing once he was finished.
After recovering, Garmadon penned a note to Min that simply read, "Bye. Hold onto my helmet if you find it," and left it in his quarters. While the rest of Two-Moon Village rebuilt their home, Garmadon discreetly left the village to continue on his journey. However, by the time Min retrieved Garmadon's helmet, all that remained of Mogra, and excitedly rushed to his quarters to discover the letter, the former dark lord had in actuality hardly gone beyond the village limits. With one final, wistful look back, Garmadon smiled and began his journey once more.
Sometime during the year after the Great Flood, Garmadon, wanting to know more about life, went straight to Vinny for advice, and he allows him to live in his apartment, but had indirectly been keeping him up all night.[30] Over time, Garmadon attempted to smile and try to be polite, although his efforts led to failure before Vinny gave him a plant as a housewarming gift for him to look after as part of learning about life, which he named Christofern.
As Garmadon, Lloyd, Wu, stood facing one another, Garmadon broke the silence with a nonchalant "Hmm," prompting Lloyd to question his lack of response. Garmadon expresses his disappointment at not receiving a pizza, suggesting that they might be delivering for Buddy's Pizza. Wu and Lloyd step further into the apartment, and Garmadon informed them to wipe their feet, noting that Vinny has just vacuumed. Meanwhile, a news report on the TV announces the approach of the crystal army and the Crystal Island, which Garmadon dismissively turns off. Lloyd, confused and frustrated, demands to know why Garmadon is in Ninjago City, insisting that it doesn't make sense. Wu, equally perplexed, urges Garmadon to explain his presence in Ninjago City and the strange newspaper clippings. Garmadon admits he was hoping to avoid this discussion but decides to share his story, recounting how he felt lost after saving their lives from the Omega and his army. He reflected on his past as a conqueror of Ninjago, revealing his confusion about his newfound role as a savior. Garmadon shared his internal struggle with the concepts of good and evil, admitting he knew much about the latter but little about the former. Observing the struggles of ordinary humans, he realizes he has the power to assist them in their seemingly trivial tasks. Lloyd interjects, defending the importance of those goals, but Garmadon interrupts him with a burp, asking if he can continue without further interruptions.
Continuing his story, Garmadon explained how he sought out help from the wisest individual he knew: Vinny of NGTV News! After seeing out Vinny, and being welcomed with 'open arms,' Garmadon swore an oath of non-violence and learned from him the ways of being good. One day, Vinny brought a potted plant to Garmadon, believing that taking care of it could help him to let go of his anger. Although he was initially reluctant and skeptical of the idea, Garmadon heeded Vinny's suggestion and took good care of the plant, dubbing it "Christofern," which had since flourished under his care. While Garmadon danced in circles with a slice of pizza to imitate his love for the plant, Lloyd cut off the rest of his story to declare that Garmadon could never change.
Changing the topic to the newspaper clippings, Lloyd and Wu demanded to know more about them. Garmadon explained then that he had sensed evil and anger building up through the world, naturally heralding the Overlord's rise once more. After being chided as to why he didn't do anything about it, Garmadon simply expressed that he had desired to be left alone, adding that he knew if he had said anything, the Ninja would beg him for his help once more. As Wu and Lloyd began to leave the apartment in frustration, the Crystal army attacked the apartment, heavily damaging Christofern in the process. Deeply saddened by the state of the plant he had spent so long caring for, Garmadon flew into a rage and transformed into his Oni form before savagely attacking the Crystal Army below.
Kai was curious about how Wu learned about the Oni Form, to which Garmadon responds that he learned from him. Wu explained that they witnessed Garmadon using the Oni Form to destroy the Crystal Warriors. Furthermore, since Lloyd is part Oni, there is a chance that Garmadon can teach him how to achieve his Oni Form, which could be crucial in their battle against the crystal army. Garmadon acknowledges the ninja's mistrust but assured them that he had changed and will be a kind and patient teacher to Lloyd. However, he was not satisfied with Lloyd's performance. He emphasized that the Oni Form comes from within and instructs Lloyd to embrace his anger and frustration. Garmadon explains that Lloyd needs to engage the connection between his mind and soul in order to find and crush it. He emphasizes that only when Lloyd has mastered his inner form can he control his outer form. Despite Lloyd's attempts, Garmadon found his performance even worse and was frustrated. The ninja defend Lloyd, stating that he was following Garmadon's instructions, while they accused Garmadon of changing the rules. Garmadon explained that everything has an opposite, and to achieve the Oni Form, Lloyd must do the opposite of what he had been taught. Wu interrupted, acknowledging Garmadon's statement about opposites and suggesting the existence of a Dragon Form. He proposed seeking Misako's help at the Library of Domu for further research. Garmadon urged Lloyd to continue working while Wu and P.I.X.A.L. went off.
Garmadon's frustration with Lloyd's training continued to grow. He expressed his disappointment, claiming that teaching dogs to speak would be easier than training Lloyd. Garmadon recounted his experiences in various realms, emphasizing that he had never felt as hopeless as he did now. He accused Lloyd of wanting Ninjago to fall to the Overlord, suggesting that even Harumi would have understood his intentions better. In a moment of anger, Lloyd's hands started to glow with Destruction. Panicked, he quickly shook his hands, causing the power to disappear. Garmadon questioned Lloyd's actions, urging him not to stop. He explained that he was trying to save the city from the Overlord himself and criticized Lloyd for losing his nerve at the first sign of success. Wu intervened and defended Lloyd. However, Garmadon dismissed this, claiming that Lloyd's best was inadequate. He blamed Wu for being too lenient with Lloyd, suggesting that he was a poor teacher.
Zane expressed his concern about the urgency of the situation, emphasizing that time was of the essence. Garmadon was resigned to the fact that some people couldn't be helped, despite his instructions. Highlighting his ignorance on the matter, he questioned how they could defeat the Crystal Warriors if they could nullified Elemental Powers and rendered vehicles. P.I.X.A.L. then stepped in and presented a solution. She revealed that she had shielded the ninja's vehicles to withstand the energy-draining properties of the crystals. Instead of being drained, the Crystal Island would actually provide a power boost for the vehicles and weapon systems. Garmadon, however, mentioned to Wu that the ninja still didn't stand a chance against the Overlord.
Following the original four ninja onboard Destiny's Bounty, Garmadon stood silently in the control center while Lloyd and Nya monitored the boys' vehicles. When Wu entered the cabin wearing the golden dragon armor, Garmadon scoffed at his brother's confidence, stating that the armor would be incapable of protecting him against the Overlord. This comment greatly angered Lloyd, who sarcastically asked if his father had anything positive to say. In response, Garmadon dryly and bluntly repeated his beliefs, stating now that he was positive they were going to lose. Lloyd stormed out of the cabin in frustration upon hearing these words, leaving an abashed Garmadon behind. Disappointed by his son's rejection, Garmadon pulled out the soda can carrying a fragment of Christofern and gazed lovingly upon the plant. When Nya inquired about Christofern, Garmadon explained how it was the only bit of green in his life and that he hoped one day, under his care, it would thrive and eventually forgive him. When Nya suggested that he could have been using the plant as a metaphor for his relationship to someone else, Garmadon quickly denied it. Nya then explained that Christofern was a Baracis ninjagai - a particularly hardy species, and that it only required water to revitalize itself. As Nya walked away, Garmadon looked back at Christofern and wondered if the former water ninja's words were true.
When the Bounty was attacked by the Crystal King's horde of Dragonides, Garmadon initially did nothing to aid in repelling their attack. However, after being knocked over by an explosion from Nya's cannon fire, Garmadon dropped the can holding Christofern. When a Dragonide crushed the can beneath its foot, Garmadon reacted at first with horror, then anger as he assumed Oni form and joined the battle proper, destroying many Dragonides with his power over Destruction. As he fought ferociously against the crystalline beasts, Garmadon caught sight of Harumi glaring at him from atop the Crystal Island, leaving him momentarily speechless as he recognized her and her new servitude towards the Crystal King. Once the shock wore off, Garmadon resumed attacking the Dragonides, briefly halting to observe Wu's climbing of the Crystal Island, commenting that his brother's actions were brave, brave but foolish.
Following Wu's defeat to the Crystal King, Garmadon gasped in surprise when he saw his brother falling from the island's summit but made no move to assist him in any way. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to, for Wu recovered just in time and activated his armor's wing pack, allowing for Garmadon to return to the Bounty. Alongside Lloyd and Nya, Garmadon observed the Crystal King's next move, though only Garmadon recognized that the King was gathering his power for a massive attack. Unfortunately for him and the others, the King's next attack was poised right at the Bounty itself, downing the magnificent flying ship. In spite of Nya and Lloyd's best efforts, they were unable to save the ship, which cracked in half from its sustained damages and plummeted to the ground, stranding Garmadon and Lloyd on the backside and Nya on its bow.
Garmadon survived the impact of the Destiny's Bounty and climbed out of the rubble to survey his surroundings. After hearing his son's groans, Garmadon grew concerned and began hastily digging through the rubble to find his son. After asking if Lloyd was injured, Garmadon offered to help pull him out, though Lloyd refused Garmadon's assistance and instead lambasted him for not providing enough aid during their earlier battle with the Crystal King. In response, Garmadon plainly stated that their assault was doomed to fail and emphasized again his belief that Oni form was the only way to defeat the Crystal King. After a brief spat, Garmadon suggested to Lloyd that it would be better now for them to cut their losses and flee the city while they still could, a suggestion that only further upset Lloyd.
At that moment, a police van drove up, interrupting the pair's argument. When Lloyd ran up to the driver and recoiled in shock to see that it was once again, Hounddog McBrag, Garmadon listened in on his son's argument with McBrag with little interest. Eventually realizing that McBrag only served as an obstacle towards their goals, Garmadon plainly told Lloyd that he would handle McBrag and began charging up a burst of Destruction to kill the police marshal with. Horrified by his father's intentions, Lloyd tackled Garmadon and caused him to misfire at a nearby traffic sign. He and Lloyd then fled into the sewers.
After wandering the sewers for some time, Garmadon and Lloyd came across a library. When Garmadon expressed confusion over the existence of a library in the sewers, Lloyd realized that they had arrived at the Serpentine's library. Although Lloyd tried to look around for any sign of the snakes, Garmadon dismissed the effort as pointless and reminded Lloyd again that the only way to defeat the Overlord was through Oni form. When Lloyd resisted again, Garmadon grew just as frustrated and demanded to know why Lloyd refused to embrace his heritage.
Lloyd then revealed that his greatest fear was becoming like his father - someone who had no compassion, no care, or concern for others. In response, Garmadon denied the last bit of Lloyd's claim and insisted that he did have compassion and care for others. When Lloyd demanded for him to prove it, Garmadon produced the soda can holding Christofern as evidence. Unfortunately, Lloyd refuses to accept this by claiming that plants don't count, and Garmadon looked sadly towards Christofern.
Garmadon and Lloyd continued to wander the abandoned library when the latter received communications from Wu. Due to lacking a set of ninja comms, Garmadon was unable to listen in on the conversation directly and tried his best to overhear from Lloyd's comms to no avail. Throughout the conversation, Garmadon tried asking Lloyd if Wu was speaking, and if so, to tell him that they were not home or for what Wu was saying about him; Lloyd ignored all of his father's requests.
As Lloyd found no trace of the Serpentine, Garmadon considered Lloyd's chances a failure. Lloyd insists that they need allies and cannot face the Overlord alone, but Garmadon believed that embracing his Oni side would reveal his true strength. The two argued about the importance of compassion and caring, with Lloyd asserting that his humanity isn't weak and that relying on others doesn't make him weak. Garmadon claimed he's learning how to have compassion, although Lloyd dismissed it as ridiculous. Lloyd, frustrated by the lack of progress, left a message for the Serpentine on the blackboard. But he heard a crash and believed there may still be someone present. He rushes off, followed by Garmadon leaving Christofern on a table.
Lloyd and Garmadon searched where the noise was coming from. But Garmadon warned Lloyd against being so loud until three infected Hypnobrai arrived. Lloyd defeated one of the Serpentine, expressing satisfaction in releasing his frustrations. Garmadon ran toward another Serpentine and trapped him in a barrel. Lloyd was surprised by Garmadon's change in behavior, as destroying used to be Garmadon's typical response. Garmadon explained his change in attitude towards destroying the Serpentine, mentioning that he considered how he would feel if he were in their position and wouldn't want to be destroyed himself. Lloyd acknowledged Garmadon's change and referred to it as a moment of compassion.
When Lloyd noticed that Garmadon was empty-handed, he asked about Christofern, and Garmadon revealed that he left it at the Serpentine library. When Lloyd questioned why, Garmadon coldly responded by quoting what Lloyd said to him before about caring. Realizing how much value Christofern has in helping Garmadon in developing compassion, Lloyd apologized for his previous comment by admitting that he was wrong; he even admits that given to Garmadon's care over the plant, it might be possible for an Oni to learn to care, so he suggests that he and Garmadon should go back and retrieve Christofern.
At the newspaper warehouse, Garmadon and the ninja rendezvoused with Wu and the rest of the Resistance; even Ronin, Ultra Violet, Killow and Fugi-Dove are among those who joined in. It was there that Wu began to elucidate the final prophecy of Quanish the Elder. Garmadon, upon hearing the mention of Quanish, couldn't help but mention the belief that Quanish was always regarded as a fool. Wu acknowledged the truth in Garmadon's statement but also revealed that Quanish had prophesied about a final battle where the Elemental Masters would attain Dragon Form. This revelation piqued Garmadon's curiosity, prompting him to inquire about the specifics of achieving this transformation. Regrettably, Wu disclosed that Quanish had not provided any details regarding the process of attaining the Dragon Form. Garmadon couldn't help but criticize Quanish for omitting such a crucial piece of information, deeming it a typical characteristic of the prophet's work.
Garmadon and Wu observed the ninja's attempts to unlock Dragon Form, but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. However, after multiple failed tries, they realized that the key to achieving Dragon Form lies in the unity of their allies. Suddenly, the ninja became aware that the Overlord was aware of their location and has dispatched the crystal army there. While the ninja struggled to find a solution, Garmadon confidently suggested that his powers can be utilized to launch a surprise attack on the Overlord while he was preoccupied with others. Wu cautioned Garmadon that even he alone may not be a match for the Overlord. Lloyd insisted on joining Garmadon, reminding him that he had previously defeated the Overlord without relying on his Oni Form.
As the ninja secured the warehouse, P.I.X.A.L. wished Lloyd good luck and walks away, disregarding Garmadon. Lloyd suggested to Garmadon that perhaps P.I.X.A.L. was simply not accustomed to having him on their team. But Garmadon believed that she didn't trust him. Lloyd questioned Garmadon's hesitation to transform. Garmadon asked Lloyd if he trusted him. Lloyd reluctantly admitted that he did think he trusted Garmadon, given the circumstances. Garmadon, not satisfied with Lloyd's response, probed further. He questioned whether Lloyd's trust was based on certainty or mere speculation. Lloyd, growing exasperated, urged Garmadon to focus on the task at hand and save the discussion for later. With that, Lloyd left in his mech, leaving Garmadon to transform into his Oni Form. As he frightened a paperboy, Garmadon couldn't help but wonder why he was not trusted as he left to the Crystal Island.
The Overlord eagerly awaited updates on the final battle when suddenly, he was caught off guard by Garmadon's surprise attack. Garmadon voiced his disappointment towards Harumi for siding up with the Overlord by ironically stating her astonishment at his unexpected arrival. Garmadon confirmed his decision to fight alongside the ninja against the Overlord because it is the right thing to do, using his attack on the Overlord as evidence of his choice. However, this made the Overlord so furious that he vows to make Garmadon perish along with the ninja and everyone else.
Garmadon and Lloyd continued to battle against the Crystal King but were forced to halt their advance when the King began to transform, changing into a titanic centaur-like form. Although Garmadon used his Oni form to battle hard against the King's monstrous new appearance, his previously effective blasts of Destruction inflicted barely scratched the King's powerful new form; as for the King's counter-attack, Garmadon was nearly hurled off the side of the Crystal Island had Lloyd not managed to catch him in time. When the King then advanced onto Lloyd, Garmadon let out a massive "NO!" and flew in to intercept, blasting the King but was swatted away like a minorly inconvenient insect.
In spite of these setbacks, Garmadon continued to fight against the King but struggled to inflict any meaningful damage upon him. After several failed attacks, the King hurled both Garmadon and Lloyd to the ground and began shocking them with bolts of Darkness, leaving both screaming and writhing in pain. While shocking them, the King boasted about his victory and revealed that he was responsible for Garmadon's miserable lot in life: being the one who created the Great Devourer and setting it against Garmadon in the first place. This monologue led to Harumi's realizing the true culprit behind the death of her parents, causing her to turn against the King and to join Garmadon and Lloyd in their fight against him. Even with Harumi's help, however, Garmadon and Lloyd still could not defeat the Crystal King and were blasted to the ground by a wave of Darkness as the King declared his victory.
Garmadon, Lloyd, and Harumi came to the realization that they needed to put a stop to the Overlord's use of the central crystal. Garmadon continued to use Destruction against the Overlord. However, in the midst of the conflict, the Overlord managed to electrocute Garmadon once again, sending him crashing into a crystal. Garmadon resorted to a desperate plan to convince Lloyd to unlock his Oni Form. He pretended that he was about to die as he reverted back to his original form. He apologized to Lloyd and urged him to prioritize his own safety.
After Lloyd's victory over the Overlord, Garmadon quickly rose to his feet and urgently informed Lloyd and Harumi to leave quickly before the Crystal Island detonates. Garmadon expressed his disbelief when Lloyd questioned whether he was dying, clarifying that he was not. Lloyd was taken aback, realizing that Garmadon had been pretending all along. Garmadon defended his actions, explaining that he had been trying to assist Lloyd in achieving his Oni Form. Lloyd expressed his frustration, saying that he did not need Oni Form and that it didn't beat the Overlord. Garmadon countered, suggesting that it would have been successful if Lloyd had not been frightened by his own reflection. Despite this, Garmadon, Lloyd, and Harumi rode on the Golden Ultra Dragon and met up with the ninja. However, the ninja became suspicious of Harumi. To ease their concerns, Lloyd assured them that Harumi was now on their side; even Garmadon backs up Lloyd's claim that Harumi had helped as well, although he acknowledged that he had done more.
A week later, Garmadon took a moment to plant Christofern in a hill. He reflected on the importance of roots and how they're a symbol of strength rather than weakness. Garmadon realized that people are stronger together and that he cannot carry Christofern around forever. He then decided to leave and help the ninja rebuild the Monastery of Spinjitzu. As he walked away, he contemplated the idea of an Oni building instead of destroying and wondered what else the future may hold. Garmadon (along with rest of the ninja's allies and former enemies) joined with the ninja in their reconstruction of the Monastery of Spinjitzu. As he made his way, Garmadon exchanged a smile with Wu, acknowledging their shared purpose. Later on, Garmadon extended his support to Lloyd by offering him a wooden plank, implying a sense of appreciation and reconciliation.
Wu warned the ninja that Garmadon would likely return, which was seemingly proved right moments later according to Nya, who said he was spotted approaching Jamanakai Village. However, when the ninja arrived, it turned out to only be Garmadon's son, Lloyd.
Later, the ninja interpreted the Dark Lord in the Green Ninja prophecy to be Garmadon.
Lloyd tried to convince himself that he was not scared when he entered the Cemetery of Souls to unleash the Fangpyre from their tomb, saying that he was the son of the Dark Lord and loves the dark.
In Zane's dream, Garmadon appeared on the Destiny's Bounty to steal Zane's Shurikens of Ice. The Green appeared and saved Zane, battling Garmadon and ultimately kicking him off of the ship.
At the Ninjago Museum of History, the Night Watchman played with the animatronics, including one of Garmadon in his Lord form, saying that Ninjago wouldn't be seeing the likes of him anymore.
Later, when the ninja helped the Ninjago City Aquarium by catching a mutant Fangfish, Kai told Lloyd that Garmadon would be proud and that Lloyd was becoming a great leader.
When Lloyd went to the museum, Morro, possessing the Night Watchman, said that the Allied Armor of Azure could summon spirits from the Cursed Realm. This caught Lloyd off guard, and he responded that his father was there. Shortly before possessing Lloyd, Morro said that when Garmadon opened a door to the Cursed Realm, he should have been more careful what came out.
When Lloyd was about to destroy the Realm Crystal, Morro said that in doing so, he would destroy any chance of seeing his father again. Morro claimed to have seen Garmadon in the Cursed Realm waiting for Lloyd, though Lloyd told Morro that his father would do everything to save Ninjago. However, his hesitation provided enough time for the Preeminent to cross over into Ninjago and pull Lloyd into the Cursed Realm.
Garmadon in his Lord form was seen in a vision when Wu meditated and recalled his past adversaries to try and identify the recent source of darkness in Ninjago.
In his journal, Wu wrote that he and his brother were the sons of the First Spinjitzu Master, that Chen's manipulation had led Misako to choose Garmadon when both brothers had feelings for her, that Lloyd had once tried in vain to be a villain like his father and later opposed him, and that Wu had originally gathered the ninja to prevent Garmadon from obtaining the Golden Weapons.
In his journal, Wu recalled that Clouse had trained alongside Garmadon under Chen, and Clouse lost to Garmadon in their fight for Lordship because the latter cheated. This earned Garmadon the lifelong hatred of Clouse, who had journeyed to the Dark Island in order to finally prove himself as worthy of the title.
Wu also recalled that Garmadon had once said to him, "We can win a thousand times, yet all it takes is one defeat for everything to come undone."
Lloyd and Misako traveled to the Corridor of Elders to memorialize Garmadon with a lantern on the Day of the Departed. When they were attacked by Pythor, who was eager to send Lloyd to join his father in the Departed Realm, the memory of Garmadon gave Lloyd the courage and resolve to fight back and force Pythor to retreat.
Garmadon was seen fighting alongside Wu in a painting of the Battle for All Time, and Lloyd called them Ninjago's two greatest Elemental Masters, wondering if he'd ever live up to their legacy.
Before their battle at the Monastery of Spinjitzu, Acronix remarked to Wu that his brother wasn't there to bail him out, and Wu said that he and Garmadon did what they had to do to protect Ninjago.
Garmadon was again seen in the painting of the Battle for All Time, Kai later told Krux that hisparents had helped Wu and Garmadon defeat him once and that he'd do it again.
When Nya encountered the new Samurai X, the samurai used Garmadon's voice as part of a series of voice imitations in an attempt to confuse Nya. However, Nya told the figure that Garmadon sacrificed himself and was gone forever.
Morro appeared in Wu's hallucination, hatching out of a Vermillion egg clad in Vermillion armor and telling Wu that he failed him by letting him fall to the darkness.
After Mr. E escaped with the Oni Mask of Vengeance, Lloyd showed the other ninja a photo of the symbol on his parachute, which resembled Garmadon. Zane explained that this was the symbol for the Sons of Garmadon.
Garmadon was later indirectly mentioned by Harumi when she related to Lloyd saying that she lost her parents too.
After Mystake told Jay and Lloyd the story of the First Spinjitzu Master's heritage, she stated that the First Spinjitzu Master's Oni side had manifested in his son, Garmadon, but that the evil in him had been vanquished by the love of his son. However, in his absence, a new darkness had arisen, that being the Sons of Garmadon, who wanted to resurrect Garmadon in his evil form.
On the Destiny's Bounty, Harumi noticed a photo of Lloyd and Garmadon in his Master form, and Nya commented that, as Lord Garmadon, he made some mistakes but had since made up for them. Harumi said she'd heard so many stories of him and asked how he changed, and Nya said that Lloyd helped him. Lloyd then revealed to them that Sons of Garmadon planned to resurrect him.
Lloyd told Harumi that his father had told him about Dead Man's Squall, and Harumi asked if she remembered much of Garmadon before he left Lloyd as a child, and she also mentioned it must be difficult knowing the Sons of Garmadon were trying to bring him back.
Harumi asked if Lloyd if any part of him wanted to see his father again, and Lloyd responded that he missed him. Before he could say what scared him most, Harumi guessed it was that he wouldn't be the man he recognized, to which Lloyd agreed. Harumi then said that the Quiet One, not Garmadon, was Ninjago's greatest villain.
Garmadon was mentioned several times by Lloyd and Harumi, most notably when the latter revealed that, having lost her parents to the Great Devourer, she blamed the ninja and considered Garmadon to be the real hero as he was the one to ultimately defeated the creature.
Jay, Kai, and Cole incorrectly guessed that Garmadon had been the one to betray Aspheera, until they returned to the Monastery and Wu told them it had been him.
Lloyd told Akita about the events surrounding his father's resurrection. When Akita revealed her human form, Lloyd felt betrayed and couldn't believe all he'd told her about his father and Harumi and so on.
The First Spinjitzu Master was Garmadon and Wu's father, and their childhood master. Garmadon loved his father and was trained under him along with his brother in the arts of Spinjitzu. Garmadon always found a bit of jealousy towards his favouritism towards Wu, such as when they went fishing and the First Spinjitzu Master gave advise to Wu. When bitten by the Great Devourer and infected by evil, he lashed out against his father, despite the latter's attempts at trying to tend to him after the accident.
Millennia later, the evil inside him caused Garmadon to become bitter at how Wu was always praised by their father, despite him loving both his sons equally, to the point that he angrily lashed out that Wu was the favorite when Wu tried to remind him that their father wouldn't have wanted this terrible fate for him. After he was freed of the venom's influence, it is unknown how exactly Garmadon felt about his father, but he had likely regained his fondness for him.
After he was resurrected as his evil self, it was shown in "Two Lies, One Truth" that Garmadon is so motivated to gain his True Potential and conquer Ninjago because his goal is to protect what his father created after seeing an impending doom in the Departed Realm, which eclipsed all his attachment to his family. This showed that Garmadon still respected his father to an extent, at least for what he had created. Also, despite claiming earlier that his power was greater than even his father, Garmadon later acknowledged that the power that the Omega planned to extinguish was the First Spinjitzu Master's power of Creation, showing he still respected the tremendous power possessed by his father.
Wu is Garmadon's younger brother whom he cherished as a child. In their youth, they were very close and always had each other's backs. This was best seen during the many times they aided each other in combat.
Garmadon and Wu after draining the Time Twins's power
Garmadon warned Wu to not venture into the Serpentine territory. He also warned him to not trust Aspheera after he taught her Spinjitzu. Despite this, Garmadon still helped his brother in facing Aspheera after the latter betrayed his trust and they defeated her, resolving to never speak of it again. Sadly, those times were destined to someday end once Garmadon was bitten by the Great Devourer and was infected by evil, which turned him against his brother, as he blamed him for the accident. Though they would never be the same again, this did not end their friendship and they remained close, the two remaining a force against evil for countless years following the death of their father. While serving Chen, the latter revealed he had stolen a love letter that Wu wrote for Misako and gave Garmadon the option to stay by his side and have her. For years, Garmadon would feel guilty but he gave into the corruption and forged his signature, which won Misako's affections. Despite committing a heinous act against his brother, it was kept a secret, and Garmadon sided with Wu in the Serpentine War and in fighting the Time Twins.
After Garmadon finally succumbed to the Devourer's venom, he attempted to steal the Golden Weapons, and the two brothers came to blows which ended in Garmadon being defeated and banished to the Underworld. Years later, Wu assembled a team of ninja to fight against him and his Skeleton Army. Despite their rivalry, Wu is completely aware that Garmadon cares for Lloyd; even informing him in person that Lloyd has been captured by Pythor, who plans to unleash the Great Devourer. It was this event that Garmadon agreed to temporarily team up with Wu to save Lloyd and stop the Devourer in its path; he even genuinely thanked Wu for watching out for Lloyd's back; implying that he still holds some respect for his brother despite their enmity. Eventually, once Garmadon was purified of his evil following the Overlord's defeat, Wu was thrilled to have him back.
Wu lashing out at Garmadon
Eventually, Garmadon decided to come clean with Wu and Misako about what he did with Wu's letter, but unfortunately, Chen already beat him to it, and Wu was infuriated at his brother's actions and felt him unworthy of being a master until Skylor put a stop to it. After that, Wu was silently hostile to his brother, not bothering to speak to him at the cave as Garmadon was sad at losing him. However, when Garmadon decides to sacrifice himself to the Cursed Realm to stop Chen and his army and give true penance for what he did, Wu was very hesitant by this decision before sadly accepting it, implying that he is willing to forgive Garmadon. This seemed to be the case as he proudly dubbed Garmadon as Lloyd's master, showing that he had taken back his earlier statement that his brother was no master.
After his resurrection, Garmadon searched for his de-aged brother intending to kill him, even while he was a defenseless toddler. Shortly after, he nearly used the Colossus to destroy him and the ninja. Garmadon was unaware that his brother was transported to the birthplace of their father.
Garmadon fighting Wu
During "Green Destiny," Wu returned to Ninjago, and Garmadon sensed him realizing he was still alive. Wu confronted his brother with Lloyd and they fight, as Garmadon declares his family as his enemies. Wu tried to talk sense into him but Garmadon mocked Wu by saying that just because he has their father's sword does not mean he is their father's equal. Despite this, however, Garmadon did not bother to finish off Wu, instead continues to engage Lloyd.
Garmadon departing from the monastery
In spite of this, Garmadon still held some respect for Wu as he willingly handed over the Armor of the Golden Master to him so that he can melt it down and reforge the Golden Weapons for the Ninja to battle against the Oni. Before the final battle against the Oni, both Garmadon and Wu calmly admitted to each other that it was inevitable for them to team up again despite their expectations against it, with Wu adding that life has a few surprises left for both of them. Following the defeat of the Oni, Garmadon and Wu share a brief look at each other just the former leaves for parts unknown. Knowing fully well that Garmadon rightfully warned about the arrival of Oni and genuinely helped the Ninja in stopping them, Wu gave a brief smile and bid farewell to him, seeing that Garmadon still has some good left in him despite his atrocious crimes.
“I know this journey you must travel on your own. But know this, regardless of whatever path you choose, you will always be my brother.”
After finding Garmadon sulking at the mountain, Wu told Garmadon that Ninjago owed him a debt of gratitude for helping the Ninja defeat the Oni for good. Upon hearing that Garmadon intends to go on a journey to reflect over his actions and nature, Wu took Garmadon's helmet and threw it away before giving him his hat and left, proclaiming to Garmadon that he was still his brother in spite of which path he chose.
During their separation, Garmadon had been anonymously sending Wu random newspaper clippings with a tag of his apartment number, which confused him. When the Overlord returned as the Crystal King, Wu unexpectedly reunited with his brother, who had been squatting at Vinny Folson's apartment, having been the one sending the clippings before explaining they were warnings about the Overlord's return and was willing to listen to his story, as opposed to the stubborn Lloyd. Seeing that Garmadon had taken a vow of non-violence, Wu reluctantly accompanied Lloyd as they leave, until the apartment was attacked by Crystal Warriors, destroying Garmadon's plant Christofern in the process. Seeing Garmadon's Oni form was immune to the crystal warriors as Garmadon viciously attacks the warriors in revenge for destroying his plant, it inspired Wu to have Garmadon teach Lloyd how to unlock his.
Garmadon and Wu watching the ninja train
While discussing about the final prophecy of Quanish the Elder, both Garmadon and Wu agreed with each other that Quanish was a fool until they understood about the true message in the prophecy that requires the ninja's allies to unite against the Overlord and his armies, which came true minutes later.
After the Overlord's defeat, Wu and Garmadon were once again on friendly terms, as they smile at each other while Wu puts an arm around Garmadon's shoulder while expressing how proud he is towards Garmadon for helping out and redeeming himself to everyone's eyes. Garmadon even came by to help Wu and their family rebuild the monastery, implying that he may have a chance to fix his relationship with Wu and their family for good.
Misako is Garmadon's wife. In his younger years, Garmadon always had eyes for her and she was the one person to cause him control of his evil. While serving Chen, the latter revealed he had stolen a love letter that Wu wrote for Misako and gave Garmadon the option to stay by his side and have her. Garmadon felt guilty but he gave into the corruption and forged his signature, which won Misako's affections. His feelings for her were enough to cause Garmadon to cease his affiliation with Chen to join his brother in the Serpentine War and protect her. At the war's end, they married and had a son Lloyd. In return, Misako loved him dearly and wanted to find a way to free him of his evil so she could be with him again. After Garmadon was purified of the evils, he was reunited with his happy wife as he was able to finally be with her. They were happy together as the two reconnected as a couple.
“Misako, will you ever forgive me for the letter?”
Despite returning to her, he confided in Lloyd how he earned Misako's affections and lied to Misako even committing a heinous act against his brother. However, Garmadon did not regret his choice as he was able to have happiness before his evil fully corrupted him. Once he was purified of the evil, Garmadon reunited with his happy wife but kept this news from his wife out of fear of losing her again. When telling Lloyd this tale, the latter persuaded him to be honest with her and Wu as not telling would hurt him even more as Garmadon agreed. After returning to her, she noticed he was sad about something and told him to tell her as he was her husband. Garmadon then tried to tell Misako and Wu the truth about the letter, but unfortunately Chen beat him to it. However, Misako forgave Garmadon before he was banished to the Cursed Realm by Lloyd. She paid respect to him in "Day of the Departed," along with her son.
Garmadon fighting Misako
When Garmadon was resurrected, he came back as his evil self and told Lloyd that he played many roles one of which was a brother, husband, and father, but now he's a destroyer. Garmadon later attacked Misako without hesitation, showing he may have lost his affections for her since he was completely consumed by evil. However, given the fact he did not kill her but instead imprisoned her may imply, he still cared for her enough to spare her, but has no qualms putting her away so he can save Ninjago by uniting it and unlocking his True Potential.
In "Endings", Garmadon met Misako again, and she is surprised to see him bringing over the Armor of the Golden Master to the ninja so that they can use it to fight against the Oni. Garmadon bluntly told her that he was no longer the man that would say sweet things to her, but didn't show any animosity towards her apart from that.
In "An Issue of Trust", Garmadon and Misako met up again, though they have no interactions in the season. In spite of this, they work together alongside Wu and the ninja to fight against the Overlord and his massive army of Crystal Warriors. Following the Overlord's defeat in "Roots", Garmadon reunited with Misako and their family before helping them rebuild the monastery.
Lloyd is Garmadon's son; he loved him very much since the day he was born. Lloyd idolized him and even dreamed of being just like his father by following in his footsteps and becoming a supervillain. Garmadon didn't want his son to be like him, and instead, he wanted Lloyd to be his own person. When Garmadon found out Lloyd was the Green Ninja, he was sad that he had to face his own son and vice versa. After he was purified from evil, the first thing Garmadon asked for was Lloyd, who was happy that he was finally reunited with his father and the two used this as an opportunity to spend time with each other. When dealing with the Overlord, Garmadon came to his son's aid with no hesitation telling Pythor who brought up his oath of not fighting that when he stole his son all promises were broken.
Garmadon and Lloyd after his transformation
When Lloyd was about to go off to Chen's Island with his friends to find Zane, Garmadon quickly tried to stop him but joined him on his journey after he saw it was pointless to hinder him. It was there that Garmadon revealed to his son of some shocking details about his past namely Chen was his master and that he signed a love letter written by his uncle which caused his mother to fall in love with him. Lloyd was surprised but persuaded his father to tell Wu and Misako about his past after he admitted his fear of losing them after he got both of them back in his life. Garmadon also assured Lloyd he was on his side no matter what after the latter was sad that he turned into Anacondrai and Lloyd was quick to stop Jay from attacking Garmadon after he mistook him for Anacondrai warrior. Before the battle with Chen, Lloyd noticed Wu and Misako shunning Garmadon, asking if they knew about the letter as Garmadon sadly confirmed it. When fighting Chen's forces he was openly against the idea of having to banish his father to the Cursed Realm defeat Chen but relented and personally banished him to see him off though was sad at the outcome.
“Whatever happens to me, wherever I am, I will always be with you. There comes a time when every boy must become a man. What sort of man, is up to him.”
In "Curseworld, Part II," Garmadon was reunited with his son while traversing the cursed realm and attempted to free him but to no avail. Lloyd was distraught when he realized that to defeat the Preeminent he'd have to sacrifice his father who told him no matter what he'll always be a part of him. After the defeat of the Preeminent, Lloyd returned to the Cursed Realm and stated his father was in a better place. On "Day of the Departed," Lloyd and his mother pay their respects before Pythor attacked them and while fighting the Anacondrai, he realized that no matter what, Garmadon would always be there for him.
“As Wu had previously taught the ninja, you too can unlock your True Potential, a dark potential. But to achieve it, you must overcome the one obstacle that has always stood in your way. The one person who has always held you back.”
In "Dread on Arrival," Garmadon was resurrected, devoid of all love for his son, proclaiming in the following episode to be "Destroyer," with all previous aliases being dropped. After his resurrection, Harumi tells him that to reach his True Potential and unlock the power of Creation, he must overcome his love for his son and defeat him. Garmadon does as he is told without a second thought, unlocking his True Potential while shattering the bond he had with his son. Garmadon later fought his son who tried getting through to him but he told him he was no longer his father but a destroyer before he left his son in a critical state, though let him escape.
In "Firstbourne," when Harumi reported to Garmadon that Lloyd still hasn't been caught, he was confused by Lloyd's defiance to him and was posed to use Colossus to destroy half the city to draw him out but agreed with Harumi's suggestion of sending Mr. E instead. Garmadon also called Lloyd his son which was a contrast to his earlier declaration of having no child.
Garmadon looking for Lloyd
During "Radio Free Ninjago," Garmadon continued the search for Lloyd and was angered by the attempts of his followers. He has even shown the ability to sense his son's presence and almost came close to finding him before he was interrupted. Later on, he watched his son's broadcast and was issued a challenge by him and was seething in rage as Lloyd garnered support from the public.
In "The Gilded Path," Garmadon encounters his son once more and nearly kills him by crushing him with the Colossus. However, he hears Lloyd's pleas at not doing so and relents, marking the first time he has shown hesitance after his revival. This reluctance allowed Lloyd to escape his grasp, much to his ire.
In "Two Lies, One Truth," Garmadon berates himself for not finishing Lloyd and believes it to be his lingering love for him that is keeping him from getting stronger. This shows that he still cares for him, despite coming back as his evil self. However, he attempts to give up his love for Lloyd by taking Harumi, the one who revived him, as his daughter.
“No matter what you've done, or what you've become, I have to believe this isn't you. You can change!”
“Youthful ignorance! People don't change. They only reveal who they truly are!”
During "Green Destiny," Garmadon is confronted by his son along with Wu who returned and they fight as Garmadon declares them as his enemies. Garmadon ignored Lloyd's pleas for him to come to his senses but he showed himself to be unable to bring himself to kill him, as whenever Lloyd was moments away from falling to his doom throughout the fight, Garmadon pulled him back up even if harshly while claiming it was to toy with him longer. This act of overconfidence led to his downfall, as Lloyd soon stopped fighting and resisted his father long enough for the latter to lose his power and him to regain his own. Before going to prison, Garmadon warned Lloyd that now that he was powerless, there was nothing that could stop Ninjago from being overcome by the approaching darkness. Despite no longer trusting his father, Lloyd heeded Garmadon's words about the darkness and feared the coming of the Oni.
“Every moment you delay risks our survival!”
“There's more to life than SURVIVING!! AUGH!! (Stomps off in anger.)”
When they reunited to face the Oni, Garmadon showed his remaining love for his son by saving him several times, although he claimed it was to increase their chances of winning, much to Lloyd's annoyance. Lloyd was even more upset that Garmadon is focused on everyone's survival when the Ninja are mourning for the apparent loss of Cole. Despite this, Lloyd was surprised to see that his father was making good on his intent to protect Ninjago from the Oni; even during the final battle, Lloyd willingly rushed to Garmadon's aid when the latter got beaten down by The Omega. Before they joined together to form the Tornado of Creation to stop the Omega and the Oni, Lloyd admitted that even though Garmadon himself isn't one of the ninja, he is still part of Ninjago's history alongside the ninja, implying that he still retained a little respect for his father. Following the disappearances of the Omega and the Oni, Garmadon quietly parted ways with Lloyd.
“You are most confusing. So ... you think it may be possible for an Oni to learn to care?”
Upon reuniting a few years later, unexpectedly, Lloyd was annoyed at Garmadon once again not intending to fight anymore, and even more annoyed when the latter tried to teach him how to unlock his Oni form by forgetting everything Wu taught him. When the stern section of the Destiny's Bounty came down in "Return of the Ice Emperor," Garmadon tried to help Lloyd out, but he refused, even preventing the former from attacking Hounddog McBrag, which led them to the Serpentine village, where Lloyd and Garmadon slowly work their differences, mainly over Garmadon's plant in "Safe Haven" and "Compatible." In "An Issue of Trust," Garmadon wondered if Lloyd trusts him after seeing him be hugged by P.I.X.A.L., but the latter briefly wastes time, claiming he thinks he might before they confront the Overlord and Harumi. This noncommittal answer enrages Garmadon, but he follows him toward the battle.
Garmadon smiling at Lloyd
In "Roots," Garmadon successfully managed to get Lloyd to achieve his Oni form by playing dead, but was reprimanded by the latter for the action as Lloyd's Oni form wasn't enough to stop the Overlord. However, Garmadon correctly pointed out that Lloyd's Oni form would've worked if Lloyd didn't get scared by his own reflection in the first place, something which Lloyd realized. Sometime later, Garmadon helps out in rebuilding the monastery, where he manages to properly smile when he hands Lloyd a floorboard, implying that he may have a chance to fix his relationship with Lloyd and their family for good.
Initially, he served as the main foe of the ninja and would try to steal the Golden Weapons but they were forced to enlist his aid to save Lloyd. On the Destiny's Bounty, Garmadon was treated as a guest by the ninja, but had a rivarly with Kai, who belived to become the Green Ninja. Eventually, Garmadon helped the ninja defeat the Great Devourer, though he betrayed them in the end.
After the evil left his body, Garmadon became a valuable ally to the ninja and served as a second master to them. He sacrificed himself to save Ninjago from Chen's forces, the ninja were to him for this but sad at his loss. They chose to honor his memory by looking out for his son in his place.
After his resurrection, Garmadon used the Colossus to destroy the ninja. Garmadon was unaware that his foes were sent to the birthplace of his father.
During "Green Destiny," the ninja returned to Ninjago, and Garmadon sensed them realizing they were alive. The ninja defeated his followers and the Colossus before they watched as he was arrested after his defeat.
Garmadon on the Bounty
In Season 10, the ninja maintain their distrust towards Garmadon due to his nature and crimes, but they are forced to team up with him after heeding his warnings about the arrival of the Oni. Despite their uneasy alliance, the Ninja are surprised to see that Garmadon is making good in his intent to help them stop the Oni; he even willingly gave them the Armor of the Golden Master so that they can reforge the Golden Weapons to battle against the Oni. As of that point, it became clear to the Ninja that Garmadon may still hold a sense of good in himself despite his evil nature; they even happily obliged to let him battle against the Omega (the leader of the Oni) for good measure. Garmadon also made true to his word by joining Wu and the ninja in the Tornado of Creation to destroy the Omega and the Oni. Following the defeat of the Omega and the Oni, Garmadon quietly parted ways with the Ninja. The Ninja in return seemed to be content with letting Garmadon go free as long as he continues to remain neutral and keep out of their affairs.
Garmadon trying to train Lloyd
In Crystalized, they were shown to still have some hostility as they got into a fighting pose when he made his presence known in the Samurai X Cave, but were talked down by Wu, who explained that he brought Garmadon over to help Lloyd unleash his Oni form. When Nya learns that Garmadon is caring for a plant that he named Christofern (which was damaged by the Vengestone monsters), she reassures him by pointing out that it's growing out new buds. Even during the Ninja's attempt to assume Dragon Form that resulted in failure, Cole agreed with Garmadon that Quanish the Elder (the man who came up with the prophecy that involved Dragon Form) was a fool, that is before they all learned the true message behind the prophecy. After the Overlord's defeat, it is possible that the Ninja is willing to put aside their feud with Garmadon for good as he helped them rebuild the monastery.
“What could possibly be more important than survival?”
“Oh, well. Lots of things. Friendship, man, and-and-and love, and harmony, and trust, and truth, and courage, and you know, all the stuff that makes life worthwhile. Without those, I mean, what's the point? Right?”
Like many citizens since his resurrection, Vinny feared Garmadon. It wasn't until on the Destiny's Bounty after Cole fell into the Oni cloud and Lloyd chewed him for caring only for survival, Vinny stumbled across Garmadon, who wanted to know more, and Vinny just sprouts a lot of words before leaving. After the Oni were defeated and during the year after the Great Flood, Garmadon, who still had the yearn to learn about life, went to Vinny at his apartment. Frightened by him, Vinny intended to call the police, only for Garmadon to tell him he wanted to know about life from him, and Vinny allowed him to move in.
When Garmadon and Wu first met Shezada, they were both were thought to be enemies by the treasure hunter until they told her that they're both on the same side. After she introduced herself, Garmadon began to trust her while trying to prevent her from knowing about the Devourer's bite. After awhile, Garmadon began to develop a small crush on Shezada, and got jealous of Wu every time she was paying attention to him instead.
Garmadon and Samukai came into conflict years ago. With help from his brother Wu, he was defeated and sent to the Underworld. When Garmadon himself was banished to the Underworld, Samukai eagerly confronted his nemesis, gloating over his predictions of the former's banishment turning true. Seeking revenge on Garmadon through plans to subject him to an afterlife of pain and suffering, Samukai clashed with his old foe. However, he was ultimately defeated when Garmadon used Spinjitzu, and Samukai was humiliated by his victorious opponent who donned the helmet that had once signified his own authority. As a result, he was demoted back to only the Skulkin General of Fire.
Samukai then proceeded to help Garmadon is obtaining the Golden Weapons, but the Skulkin secretly planned to use them to overthrow him. However, Garmadon saw this coming and watched as Samukai is destroyed by the weapons.
Harumi had always worshiped Garmadon since he saved Ninjago by defeating the Great Devourer and would go onto form an organization dedicated to following him called the Sons of Garmadon. She tried her best to resurrect him and her efforts were successful, as he broke into the police station to rescue her, much to her joy.
After Garmadon subjugated the city in Season 9, Harumi worked closely with him and became an adviser to him.
In "Firstbourne," it was her suggestion to send Mr. E to procure Lloyd rather than letting him use the Colossus to destroy their territory. Garmadon appears to value her input as he agreed and sent her off to complete the mission.
However, in "Iron & Stone," Garmadon was angered by Mr. E's failure and Harumi was scared as he destroyed the Nindroid in front of her. Garmadon turned his attention to her, threatened to do the same should she fail him as her colleague did, and she was terrified and complied with his order.
During "Two Lies, One Truth," Garmadon talked with Harumi and told her his love for Lloyd was keeping him from getting stronger, he also explained an impending danger to her. When she offered for him to give up his love for Lloyd by taking her as his child, he accepted the offer since she was the one who revived him and made her his honorary daughter.
In "Saving Faith," Harumi's death left Garmadon grief-stricken and enraged, and as a result, further tore apart Ninjago City in order to destroy Lloyd and the Resistance, though he would end up being defeated and sent to prison.
In "A Sinister Shadow", following her death, Harumi became upset as the Overlord played on her insecurities by declaring her decision to follow Garmadon to be a very poor one as it led to her death and being abandoned once again. Because of this event, Harumi abandoned whatever ties she had with Garmadon and pledged her new allegiance to the Overlord, who revived her in return.
In "Christofern," when Wu told Garmadon that Harumi has been revived and is serving the Overlord, Garmadon sadly mentioned that she was like a daughter to him, implying that he still cared about her and that he was very disappointed with her for serving the Overlord.
In "Brave But Foolish", while fighting against the Dragonides, Garmadon was shocked to see Harumi on the top of the Crystal Island with the Overlord. However, Harumi coldly glared at Garmadon before boarding on another Dragonide, implying that she no longer idolized Garmadon anymore and instead saw him as an enemy.
During the battle with the Overlord, Garmadon met Harumi again and expressed his disappointment towards her for serving the Overlord by ironically declaring that she seems surprised to see him again, but Harumi coldly declared to Garmadon that he and Lloyd aren't strong enough to stand a chance against the Overlord. However, when the Overlord revealed that he was the one responsible for corrupting the Great Devourer that killed Harumi's parents in the first place, Harumi realized her mistake and fought along with Garmadon and Lloyd. Following the Overlord's defeat, Garmadon and Lloyd later spoke up for her, telling the other ninja that she switched sides after learning about the truth about what happened.
The very same reptile that corrupted him as a small child. Garmadon resisted the effects of its venom for centuries but he always remembered the beast even after being completely consumed by evil.
To achieve this goal, he temporarily made a truce with the ninja to fight his foe. Garmadon was able to get his revenge on the creature and destroy it with the Golden Weapons and was satisfied at his deed.
Indirectly, Garmadon's actions would help him as his victory formed the Sons of Garmadon who would worship and work to resurrect him, which they succeeded in.
“You grow wiser in your years, Garmadon. There's nothing to save you. Take in your last moments, Lord Garmadon, and know that it was I who defeated you. And I who will take your title. I, Lord Clouse!”
His former fellow apprentice under Chen and one of his rivals.
They often trained together as both wanted to earn a place as Chen's right hand. Garmadon's victory over Clouse is what gave him his title as Lord and would earn him Clouse's hatred.
Years later, the two met again and both were not pleased to see one another but hid their contempt under false pleasantries.
Garmadon fought Clouse once more and the latter attempted to banish him to the Cursed Realm and taunted him on his impending defeat. However, Garmadon was able to escape the spell and send Clouse to the realm instead.
“There's a valuable lesson here, son. If you turn your back on your first evil sensei in an effort to go straight, you may not be served creamy biscuits.”
His former master in the ways of evil, Garmadon sought to better himself in the eyes of Chen. When he and Clouse fought, Chen encouraged it by declaring that the winner would become his right-hand man and be granted lordship. Garmadon cheated and used Spinjitzu to win, which Chen had forbidden, though the master dismissed it, and even praised Garmadon for his deception while granting him the title of Lord. Later, Chen presented Garmadon with a letter he had intercepted. It was a love letter which was written by Wu and addressed to Misako. Chen convinced Garmadon to sign his own name, further stimulating the young lord's dark impulses. This also set in the path of Lloyd's birth by doing this.
When the Serpentine War broke out, Chen decided to ally himself with the Serpentine and asked Garmadon to aid him, though he refused and instead left to help his brother, to Chen's irritation. At the end of the war, Chen was banished to an island but swore revenge.
They met again and by this time, Garmadon was freed of his evils and Chen was now in charge of a criminal empire. Chen took note of his former pupil's presence while he was less pleased to see him again.
Garmadon knew Chen was up to something but didn't know though warned his son. In Spellbound, Chen nearly caused Garmadon to fall to his death but Lloyd saved him. During The Forgotten Element, Chen visited the captured Garmadon and Nya to taunt them with his victory over Lloyd and taunting them overturning Kai to his side. He states he will take Lloyd's power while telling Garmadon that he can't witness it, as he is still a little hurt at his desertion. Chen and Clouse then laugh when Garmadon threatens Chen's daughter Skylor, stating they know he can't do it as he is now a good guy. He leaves as Clouse states that his pet serpent will feast on Garmadon and Nya while mocking his foe.
Garmadon broke free and helped the ninja in pursuing Chen's forces. However, because of his past allegiance, he was turned into an Anacondrai.
During Chen's invasion of Ninjago, Chen told Wu of Garmadon's past actions of forging his signature on Wu's letter to Misako and took pleasure in watching his loved ones turn on him. Garmadon also stopped Chen's plans by banishing himself from the Cursed Realm. This also released the cursed Anacondrai generals to be freed and banish Chen and his followers as well.
A young Garmadon and his brother fight the Time Twins
Once good allies turned enemies after they sought to take over Ninjago. Garmadon aided his younger brother in fighting them to impede their plans.
Even after forty years, the twins continue to detest him as much as they do Wu for halting their progress and trapping them in the Temporal vortex and extend this to his son as well. However, the three never met again, due to Garmadon's death and Wu defeating them instead as well sealing them away again before Garmadon's resurrection.
“Did you truly think you could defeat me? Your powers were a gift from me. It was I who possessed the serpent that bit your hand! It was I who corrupted the Great Devourer and set him against you! All that has happened was by my design! The Devourer was merely a pawn! Set in motion by me, to provide a worthy vessel for my return! Now, at last, I have such a vessel! I am complete! Thus does Garmadon, son of the First Spinjitzu Master, meet his end.”
— The Overlord revealing that he's responsible for turning Garmadon evil and making him turn against his family in the first place
Garmadon meets The Overlord's spirit.
Garmadon met The Overlord in the Dark Island, where the embodiment of evil convinced Garmadon to form an alliance.
After Garmadon disrupted the balance, The Overlord possessed his body and commenced a metamorphosis that would lead to the Dark Lord regaining his original draconic form. Lloyd eventually defeated The Overlord and purged not only the Dark Lord, but also the Devourer's venom from his father, freeing Garmadon from millennia's worth of evil.
The Overlord resurfaced, with help from Pythor, and tried to kidnap Lloyd. By this point, Garmadon had tried to become a peaceful master but called off his promise to protect his son.
During the final battle against The Overlord, Garmadon attacks The Overlord by using his Oni powers of Destruction. The two are sworn enemies at this point, as when The Overlord asks if Garmadon is on the Ninja's side, Garmadon brutally confirms this, and the Crystal King informs Garmadon that he can then perish along with the rest of the Ninja. Upon defeating Garmadon and Lloyd in combat, The Overlord taunts Garmadon by admitting that he was the one who created the Great Devourer, thus he is the reason why Garmadon became evil in the first place. Because of this, Garmadon furiously stares at The Overlord, rightfully holding him responsible for ruining his life. Garmadon even furiously attempts to attack The Overlord more with Destruction, but The Overlord easily manages to overpower and injure Garmadon. Eventually, justice was served when Lloyd (with the help from the Golden Ultra Dragon) defeats The Overlord, thus providing full closure for Garmadon.
“If anyone is going to destroy Ninjago, it'll be me, not some Oni usurper with a walking stick.”
— Garmadon
Garmadon confronted by The Omega
The Omega is one of Garmadon's new enemies.
Garmadon met him in "Into the Breach," where he personally challenged him over who had the right to rule Ninjago. Garmadon didn't think highly of him and insulted the latter, initiating a battle.
During "Endings," the Omega and Garmadon fought again, and the latter mocked Garmadon for his weakness. He also berated him for yearning to be human again in order to understand the feelings of those around him.
At some point in his early life as a child, Garmadon and Wu were rescued by Aspheera after they were locked up for trespassing in Serpentine land. While they promised to help her, Garmadon was said to not want to uphold it and told Wu to not trust Aspheera. Garmadon's warning was accurate, as Aspheera took advantage of Wu teaching her Spinjitzu to overthrow her King and launch an invasion. When informed of this, Garmadon aided his brother in defeating Aspheera who was sealed in a pyramidal tomb for a thousand years. Garmadon and Wu never spoke of the incident after it was done.
When the ninja accidentally released Aspheera, she became obsessed with exacting revenge on Wu. While it is unknown how she feels about Garmadon, she may detest him as well since he helped with locking her away, although Wu noted that Aspheera was not after Garmadon but him, suggesting that though she likely resents him, she prioritized getting revenge on Wu. Fittingly, Aspheera was locked away in the cell of Kryptarium Prison that formerly housed Garmadon after his own defeat.
Mogra was once an acquaintance of Garmadon's prior to the Serpentine War. Their relationship soured however after Garmadon discovered that his former ally had betrayed the Elemental Alliance and sided with Chen and the Serpentine. Although they fought one another in the Battle of Birchwood Forest, Mogra briefly attempted to remain cordial with his former ally, offering Garmadon the opportunity to join him, promising that once the war was over, they could overthrow Chen and rule Ninjago together. Any cordially between the two however, would be extinguished after Garmadon refused Mogra's offer and, alongside his brother Wu, defeated Mogra, leading to his execution.
Although Garmadon's memories of Mogra faded over the years, relegating him as nothing more than a footnote in his long history, the warlord's resent of Garmadon continued to linger. After returning to power sometime after the Liberation of Ninjago, Mogra claimed Garmadon's helmet for himself as well as Garmadon's former followers, the Sons of Garmadon, reforming them into his Red Crows. All of this was done by the warlord in an effort to emulate his old rival, though the now reborn Garmadon did not return the same intensity of hatred, initially failing to even recognize Mogra, and was even willing to abandon the fight against the warlord after the Villagers of Two Moon Village declined his assistance.
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Minifigures
Minifigures[]
Lord (two-armed)
Lord (four-armed)
Lord Garmadon (Overlord)
Sensei (Rebooted)
Sensei (Tournament/Jungle)
Lord (Resurrected)
Lord (Legacy; four-armed)
Lord (Legacy; two-armed)
Santa
Oni
Reformed
Lord (Legacy; two armed version 2)
Young
Face prints
Face prints[]
Lord (2011 - 2013)
Sensei (2014 - 2015)
Lord (Resurrected, 2018)
Lord (Legacy/resurrected, 2019 - 2023)
Lord (Legacy, 2026)
Young (2026)
Promotional media
Promotional media[]
Lord Garmadon's artwork
Garmadon in the Garmatron in the background of a promotional poster for Legacy of the Green Ninja.
Possessed Garmadon on the LEGO website
CGI Sensei Garmadon
Sensei Garmadon 2015 poster
With other villains in an image on LEGO.com
Young Garmadon in an official trading card
Garmadon in the background of Sons of Garmadon concept art
Garmadon (right side) with the Mega Weapon, behind the Stone Army in the Legacy of the Green Ninja mural. Note that he only has two arms instead of four.