How to Watch Ninjago in Order: The Complete Timeline

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Find out the best order for the series, shorts, specials, and more

Co-authored by Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: July 30, 2026 Fact Checked

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Main Story Watch Order

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Other Installments

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Complete Watch Order

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Where to Watch

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Ninjago is a fun fantasy series where LEGO ninjas use Spinjitzu to fight evil. It’s a series that can be enjoyed by fans of all ages—perfectly appropriate for kids, but deep enough for teens and adults. Whether you’re planning to watch it for the first time or rewatching and want to get the storyline order right, we’ve got you covered. First, we’ll share the main story watch order, which includes the main canon entries in the series. We’ll also go over the additional installments, then finish with a comprehensive watch order. Let’s get started!

What is the best order for watching Ninjago?

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Pilot Episodes
Pilot Mini Movies
Seasons 1–6
TV Special: Day of the Departed
Seasons 7–9
Shorts: “Tales from the Monastery of Spinjitzu”
Seasons 11–13
Mini-Series: The Island
Seasons 14–15
Dragons Rising

Section 1 of 4:

Main Story Watch Order for Ninjago

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Follow this watch guide to see the entire series in canon order. This list covers the original episodes, along with the main TV specials and canon mini movies/shorts. (Looking for something more comprehensive? Don’t worry—we’ll cover the rest of the content in our section on Additional Installments, followed by a Complete Watch List that includes all the add-ons.)
- Pilot Episodes—Aired January 14, 2011^{[1]
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  - Episodes: 4
- Pilot Mini Movies—Aired September 21, 2011^{[2]
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  - Episodes: 6
- Season 1: Rise of the Snakes—Aired December 2, 2011
  - Episodes: 13
- Season 2: Legacy of the Green Ninja—Aired July 18, 2012
  - Episodes: 13
- Season 3: Rebooted—Aired January 29, 2014
  - Episodes: 8
- Season 4: Tournament of Elements—Aired February 23, 2015
  - Episodes: 10
- Season 5: Possession—Aired June 29, 2015
  - Episodes: 10
- Season 6: Skybound—Aired March 24, 2016
  - Episodes: 10
- TV Special: Day of the Departed—Aired October 29, 2016
  - Run time: 44 minutes
- Season 7: Hands of Time—Aired May 15, 2017
  - Episodes: 10
- Season 8: Sons of Garmadon—Aired April 16, 2018
  - Episodes: 10
- Season 9: Hunted—Aired August 11, 2018
  - Episodes: 10
- Shorts: Tales from the Monastery of Spinjitzu—Aired December 19, 2018
  - Episodes: 6
- Season 10: March of the Oni—Aired April 19, 2019
  - Episodes: 4
  - Note: This originally aired as a special, but is widely regarded as the 10th season.
- Season 11: Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu (Fire & Ice Chapters)—Aired June 22, 2019
  - Episodes: 30
  - Note: This is broken into two sections—Fire and Ice—but is still considered one season.
- Season 12: Prime Empire—Aired July 19, 2020
  - Episodes: 16
- Season 13: Master of the Mountain—Aired September 13, 2020
  - Episodes: 16
- Special Mini-Series: The Island—Aired June 17, 2021
  - Episodes: 4
  - Note: This is sometimes considered a season but is usually classified as a special
- Season 14: Seabound—Aired July 14, 2021
  - Episodes: 16
- Season 15: Crystalized—Aired May 20, 2022
  - Episodes: 30
  - Note: This was aired in 2 parts but is considered a single season
- Ninjago: Dragons Rising—June 1, 2023
  - Seasons: Currently 3

Section 2 of 4:

Additional Ninjago Installments

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In addition to the main Ninjago TV series, TV specials, and mini-series, there are also graphic novels, web series, and even a play that expand the world of Ninjago. Here’s a list of some of the most important ones, along with whether they’re canon and where you can find them:
- The Realm of Shadows: A Ninjago play that was staged at LEGOLAND in Malaysia and Dubai in 2017.
  - Is it canon? Mostly
  - When to watch: Between Ninjago Seasons 5 and 6.^{[3]
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  - Where to watch: There isn’t an official recording of the stage production, but you can find fan recordings of the play, like this one from @CrayonCheryl, on YouTube.
- Dark Island Trilogy: A series of graphic novels
  - Is it canon? Yes
  - When to watch: After Ninjago Season 6 (“Skybound”) and before the Day of the Departed special
  - Where to read: Dark Island books on Amazon
- Operation Heavy Metal: A series of 4 mini-movies
  - Is it canon? Yes
  - When to watch: Watch these during Season 7 (“Hands of Time”) between Episodes 4 and 5.
  - Where to watch: Fan compilations on YouTube, like this one from @Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Samurai X Rising: Mini-episode
  - Is it canon? Yes
  - When to watch: During Season 7 (“Hands of Time”) between Episodes 8 and 9.
  - Where to watch: The official LEGO YouTube channel
- The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017)
  - Is it canon? No
  - When to watch: Between Seasons 7 and 8 (the character designs in the show change in Season 8 to be more similar to the movie)
  - Where to watch: HBO Max
- Ninjago: Reimagined: 5 mini-episodes
  - Is it canon? Only “Golden Hour” is considered canon
  - When to watch: Most fans recommend watching “Golden Hour” after Season 8. Since the rest of the shorts aren’t canon, you can watch them anytime.
  - Where to watch: The official LEGO YouTube channel
- Ninjago: Garmadon: 5-issue comic series
  - Is it canon? Yes
  - When to read: Between Seasons 10 and 11
  - Where to find: Amazon
- Spinjitzu Brothers: 4-book series
  - Is it canon? Yes
  - When to read: After Season 11
  - Where to find: Amazon
- Prime Empire Original Shorts: 6 mini-movies
  - Is it canon? Yes
  - When to watch: Watch the first two shorts—”Let’s Dance” and “Upgrade”—after Season 11. Watch the remaining 4 shorts during Season 12 between Episodes 2 and 3.
  - Where to watch: The official LEGO YouTube channel
- Quest for the Lost Powers: Ninjago book
  - Is it canon? Yes
  - When to read: After Season 15
  - Where to read: Amazon
- Elemental Mech Shorts: 3 Dragons Rising shorts
  - Is it canon? Yes
  - When to watch: Between Dragons Rising Seasons 1 and 2
  - Where to watch: Official LEGO YouTube channel (1, 2, 3)

Section 3 of 4:

Complete Ninjago Watch Order

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Want to see it all put together? That’s what we’re here for! This is a full list of all of the major Ninjago installations—mostly canon, with a few notable non-canon entries (we’re looking at you, Ninjago movie!). Check it out!
- Pilot episodes
- Pilot mini movies
- Ninjago seasons 1–5
- The Realm of Shadows
- Ninjago season 6
- Dark Island Trilogy
- “Day of the Departed”
- Ninjago season 7, episodes 1–4
- Operation Heavy Metal
- Ninjago season 7, episodes 5–7
- “Samurai X Rising”
- Ninjago season 7, episodes 8–10
- Ninjago season 8
- Ninjago: Reimagined: (Particularly “Golden Hour”)
- Ninjago season 9
- “Tales from the Monastery of Spinjitzu”
- Ninjago season 10
- Ninjago: Garmadon
- Ninjago season 11
- Spinjitzu Brothers
- Prime Empire Original Shorts, episodes 1–2
- Ninjago season 12, episodes 1–2
- Prime Empire Original Shorts, episodes 3–6
- Ninjago season 12, episodes 3–16
- Ninjago season 13
- “The Island” miniseries
- Ninjago seasons 14–15
- Quest for the Lost Powers: Ninjago
- Ninjago: Dragons Rising season 1
- “Elemental Mech”
- Ninjago: Dragons Rising seasons 2–3

Section 4 of 4:

Where to Watch Ninjago

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You can watch most of Ninjago on Netflix. Currently in the US, Netflix is the best place to watch the Ninjago series. However, you can also find much of it on the LEGO YouTube channel. We’ve also noted above where you can find some of the harder-to-find Ninjago installations, like the stage play and graphic novels.