Overview
Long Live the King is the sixth episode of the fourteenth season of Ninjago and the 170th episode overall. It aired on April 18, 2021, paired up with "The Wrath of Kalmaar." It released in the US on November 19, 2021, alongside The Island and the rest of the episodes of Seabound.
Synopsis
Synopsis[]
Prince Kalmaar deceives the Merlopians and turns the ninja into fugitives.[1]
Extended: After the Bounty rescues Nya and Maya, they're all escorted to Merlopia to face King Trimaar - however, Kalmaar betrays his own people and turns the ninjas into fugitives who must now escape a flooding palace. Benthomaar learns the truth about his brother's intentions and realises that the ninjas aren't to blame.[2]
Plot
Plot[]
The ninja aboard the Hydro Bounty
Nya and Maya are swimming very fast to escape the Ripper Sharks but fail as the sharks surround the two. Nya uses her powers to attack the sharks, but as the last shark charges at Nya, her APS suit is damaged and is unable to do anything. Lloyd and Jay soon show up with their blasters, shooting away the shark. At the Temple of Wojira, Kalmaar sees that his prisoners had escaped. Gripe appears behind him and tells that even though the prisoners escaped that he had let the Ripper Sharks out on them. Kalmaar is not happy with the news and reprimands Gripe saying that he needs them in order to learn the location of the Island of the Keepers. Glutinous appears telling the prince that the Hydro Bounty was somehow repaired and that the ninja escaped on it. Kalmaar uses this information to his advantage by sending troops to get the ninja.
Kalmaar confronting his father Trimaar
The ninja have no choice but to go with the Merlopians to avoid being sunk again and are taken to Merlopia. In the Merlopian Palace, the ninja meet King Trimaar, who is angry at them for almost disrupting peace between Merlopia and Ninjago. But the ninja explained all that truly happened and the King calls his son. Kalmaar denies all that happened but admits to sinking the Hydro Bounty. Trimaar reminds his son of the peace that they have with Ninjago, but Kalmaar argues that the humans are parasites and don’t deserve to live, but Trimaar has heard enough and says Kalmaar will stop as he is his father and king.
Kalmaar lying to Benthomaar about Trimaar's fate
Knowing that he can do something about the latter, Kalmaar pulls out his trident and attacks his father. After attacking the guards that witnessed the coupe, he blames the ninja for his actions. The ninja run to escape from the Merlopians. Benthomaar walks into the throne room and asks if Trimaar is safe but Kalmaar lies says that the ninja have committed the act. Benthomaar tries to help his father meanwhile Kalmaar tries to terminate the ninja. As the ninja are still attempting to escape the palace. Water floods the place and the ninja put on their masks to avoid drowning. P.I.X.A.L. remarks on how Zane doesn’t need one, but Zane likes how it completes his attire.
Kalmaar becomes king
The Ripper Sharks find the location of the ninja and but Zane builds a Ice wall. Jay mocks the sharks but only makes them angry and more determined to break down the wall. Lloyd is trying to open the door and asks for help, to which the rest help him. Benthomaar caries Trimaar assuring him everything will be alright. Trimaar, with his last remaining strength tells the truth of what happened and wants Benthomaar to promise him that he’ll get the ninja out of Merlopia and to stop Kalmaar before it’s too late. In the throne room, Kalmaar picks up the crown, but Gripe appears behind him, scaring him again, and calling him prince. To which, Kalmaar responds no longer as a prince but as King Kalmaar.
Appearances
Appearances[]
Characters[]
Cast[]
- Benthomaar - Cole Howard
- Glutinous - Sam Vincent
- Gripe - Brian Drummond
- Jay - Michael Adamthwaite
- Kalmaar - Giles Panton
- Lloyd Garmadon - Sam Vincent
- Maaray Guard - Michael Adamthwaite
- Maya - Jillian Michaels
- Nya - Kelly Metzger
- P.I.X.A.L. - Jennifer Hayward
- Trimaar - Ron Halder
- Zane - Brent Miller
Creatures[]
- Wojira (pictured)
Items[]
Events[]
- Great Flood (indirectly mentioned)
Vehicles[]
Locations[]
- Endless Sea
- Tartarus Trench
- Merlopia
- Merlopian Palace
- Throne room
- Merlopian Palace
- Island of the Keepers (mentioned)
Species[]
- Humans
- Merlopians
- Nindroids
- Oni/Dragon/Human hybrids
- Ripper Sharks
Trivia
Trivia[]
- Narrator: Kalmaar
- In the Czech version of the episode, the narrator is Trimaar instead of Kalmaar.
- In the Japanese version of the episode, the narrator is Zane instead of Kalmaar.
- The title of the episode is based off the phrase "long live the king," a traditional proclamation whenever the heir succeeds to a throne upon the death of the preceding ruler.
- The episode provides an in-universe explanation on why Zane wears a scuba mask even though he doesn't need one: he wears one because he feels it completes his attire.
- Lloyd and Jay are completely fine diving in the waters surrounding Tartarus Trench at the start of the episode despite the fact that the water pressure at such a depth would be lethal without a pressurized vehicle; in fact, that was why they required the Hydro Bounty to travel to the trench in the first place.
Cultural references[]
- Trimaar's death could be a likely reference to the Disney animated film The Lion King, where Scar, the brother of the lion king Mufasa and the main antagonist of the film, uses the line, "Long live the king." before sending Mufasa to his death at the hands of stampeding wildebeests.
Continuity[]
- Referring to the Ripper Sharks, Maya says, "Don't they know metal tastes terrible?" There have previously been creatures in the series known for eating metal, these being Starteeth and astro parasites.
- The ninja and later Kalmaar's conversation with Trimaar about Kalmaar awakening Wojira in this episode is similar to Cole, Vania, and Wu's conversation with Vangelis about the Skull Sorcerer and the Dungeons of Shintaro in "The Skull Sorcerer."
- As result from both conversations, the main antagonists end up in something terrible (Kalmaar kills Trimaar while Vangelis reveals the Skull of Hazza D'ur and his identity as the Skull Sorcerer).
- This is the first time a parricide and regicide, meaning the killing of a parent or other relative, is directly shown in Ninjago.
- This is the first time a deliberate murder has been committed aimed at a specific character directly on-screen (Samukai does not count because he has died once and Mr. E does not count because he is a Nindroid).
- This is also the first time someone has been murdered with a firearm.
- Kalmaar tricking the Maaray Guards into believing that the ninja killed Trimaar is very similar to "The Real Fall," in which Vangelis tricks the Army of Shintaro into believing that Chompy attacked Vania.
- When the palace is flooded with water, P.I.X.A.L. has a black frame around her face, just like in Hunted and March of the Oni.
- Trimaar wanting Benthomaar to promise him that he'll help the ninja and stop Kalmaar before he awakened Wojira, is similar to Cole's flashback in "Dungeon Crawl!" and "The Son of Lilly", in which Lilly wants Cole to promise her to always stand up to those who are cruel and unjust.
- This is the only episode where Benthomaar appears, but his arrows do not.
- The reason for this may be that Benthomaar is carrying Trimaar on his back in this episode, and a quiver with arrows could obstruct him.
Errors[]
- P.I.X.A.L.'s shoulder pads are briefly missing when she and the other are washed away by the flood.
- After Trimaar dies, the are at least three Maaray Guards in the background that appear to have their tridents red despite Kalmaar not becoming the new king until the very end of the episode.
