document_title: Caffeine

question_text: where does caffeine come from in energy drinks

question_tokens: where does caffeine come from in energy drinks

text: Caffeine

text: Use

text: Medical

text: Caffeine is used in:

text:
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature infants for both prevention[18] and treatment.[19] It may improve weight gain during therapy[20] and reduce the incidence of cerebral palsy as well as reduce language and cognitive delay.[21][22] On the other hand, subtle long-term side effects are possible.[23]
Apnea of prematurity as a primary treatment,[24] but not prevention.[25][26]
Orthostatic hypotension treatment.[26][27]

text: Enhancing performance

text: Cognitive

text: Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that reduces fatigue and drowsiness.[10] At normal doses, caffeine has variable effects on learning and memory, but it generally improves reaction time, wakefulness, concentration, and motor coordination.[28][29] The amount of caffeine needed to produce these effects varies from person to person, depending on body size and degree of tolerance.[28] The desired effects arise approximately one hour after consumption, and the desired effects of a moderate dose usually subside after about three or four hours.[7]

text: Caffeine can delay or prevent sleep, and improves task performance during sleep deprivation.[30] Shift workers who use caffeine make fewer mistakes due to drowsiness.[31]

text: A systematic review and meta-analysis from 2014 found that concurrent caffeine and L-theanine use has synergistic psychoactive effects that promote alertness, attention, and task switching;[32] these effects are most pronounced during the first hour post-dose.[32]

text: Physical

text: Caffeine is a proven ergogenic aid in humans.[33] Caffeine improves athletic performance in aerobic (especially endurance sports) and anaerobic conditions.[33] Moderate doses of caffeine (around 5 mg/kg[33]) can improve sprint performance,[34] cycling and running time trial performance,[33] endurance (i.e., it delays the onset of muscle fatigue and central fatigue),[33][35][36] and cycling power output.[33]

text: Specific populations

text: Adults

text: For the general population of healthy adults, Health Canada advises a daily intake of no more than 400 mg.[37]

text: Children

text: In healthy children, caffeine intake produces effects that are "modest and typically innocuous".[38] There is no evidence that coffee stunts a child's growth.[39] For children age 12 and under, Health Canada recommends a maximum daily caffeine intake of no more than 2.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Based on average body weights of children, this translates to the following age-based intake limits:[37]

text:
Age range
Maximum recommended daily caffeine intake

4–6
45 mg (slightly more than in 12 oz of a typical soft drink)

7–9
62.5 mg

10–12
85 mg (about ½ cup of coffee)

text: Adolescents

text: Health Canada has not developed advice for adolescents because of insufficient data. However, they suggest that daily caffeine intake for this age group be no more than 2.5 mg/kg body weight. This is because the maximum adult caffeine dose may not be appropriate for light weight adolescents or for younger adolescents who are still growing. The daily dose of 2.5 mg/kg body weight would not cause adverse health effects in the majority of adolescent caffeine consumers. This is a conservative suggestion since older and heavier weight adolescents may be able to consume adult doses of caffeine without suffering adverse effects.[37]

text: Pregnancy and breastfeeding

text: The UK Food Standards Agency has recommended that pregnant women should limit their caffeine intake, out of prudence, to less than 200 mg of caffeine a day – the equivalent of two cups of instant coffee, or one and a half to two cups of fresh coffee.[40] The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) concluded in 2010 that caffeine consumption is safe up to 200 mg per day in pregnant women.[16] For women who breastfeed, are pregnant, or may become pregnant, Health Canada recommends a maximum daily caffeine intake of no more than 300 mg, or a little over two 8 oz (237 mL) cups of coffee.[37]

text: The evidence for or against the importance of limiting caffeine intake during pregnancy is insufficient and of low quality.[41] There are conflicting reports in the scientific literature about caffeine consumption during pregnancy.[42] A 2011 risk analysis review found that caffeine consumption during pregnancy does not appear to increase the risk of congenital malformations, miscarriage or growth retardation even when consumed in moderate to high amounts.[43] There is some evidence that the hormonal changes during pregnancy slow the metabolic clearance of caffeine from the system, causing a given dose to have longer-lasting effects (as long as 15 hours in the third trimester).[44] There is some evidence that higher caffeine intake by pregnant women may be associated with a higher risk of giving birth to a low birth weight baby,[45] and may be associated with a higher risk of pregnancy loss.[46] A systematic review, analyzing the results of observational studies, suggests that women who consume large amounts of caffeine (greater than 300 mg/day) prior to becoming pregnant may have a higher risk of experiencing pregnancy loss.[47]

text: Side effects

text: Physical

text: Caffeine can increase blood pressure and cause vasoconstriction.[48][49][50] Coffee and caffeine can affect gastrointestinal motility and gastric acid secretion.[51][52][53] Caffeine in low doses may cause weak bronchodilation for up to four hours in asthmatics.[54] Caffeine increases basal metabolic rate in adults.[55][56][57] In postmenopausal women, high caffeine consumption can accelerate bone loss.[58][59]

text: Doses of caffeine equivalent to the amount normally found in standard servings of tea, coffee and carbonated soft drinks appear to have no diuretic action.[60] However, acute ingestion of caffeine in large doses (at least 250–300 mg, equivalent to the amount found in 2–3 cups of coffee or 5–8 cups of tea) results in a short-term stimulation of urine output in individuals who have been deprived of caffeine for a period of days or weeks.[60] This increase is due to both a diuresis (increase in water excretion) and a natriuresis (increase in saline excretion); it is mediated via proximal tubular adenosine receptor blockade.[61] The acute increase in urinary output may increase the risk of dehydration. However, chronic users of caffeine develop a tolerance to this effect, and experience no increase in urinary output.[62][63]

text: Psychological

text: Minor undesired symptoms from caffeine ingestion not sufficiently severe to warrant a psychiatric diagnosis are common, and include mild anxiety, jitteriness, insomnia, increased sleep latency, and reduced coordination.[28][64] Caffeine can have negative effects on anxiety disorders.[65] According to a 2011 literature review, caffeine use is positively associated with anxiety and panic disorders.[66] At high doses, typically greater than 300 mg, caffeine can both cause and worsen anxiety.[67] For some people, discontinuing caffeine use can significantly reduce anxiety.[68]

text: In moderate doses, caffeine may reduce symptoms of depression and lower suicide risk.[69]

text: Some textbooks state that caffeine is a mild euphoriant,[70][71][72] others state that it is not a euphoriant,[73][74] and one states that it is and is not a euphoriant.[75]

text: Reinforcement disorders

text: Addiction

text: Whether or not caffeine can result in an addictive disorder depends on how addiction is defined. Some diagnostic models, such as the ICDM-9 and ICD-10, include a classification of caffeine addiction under a broader diagnostic model.[76] Some state that certain users can become addicted and therefore unable to decrease use even though they know there are negative health effects.[77][78]

text: Caffeine does not appear to be a reinforcing stimulus, and some degree of aversion may actually occur, with people preferring placebo over caffeine in a study on drug abuse liability published in an NIDA research monograph.[79] Some state that research does not provide support for an underlying biochemical mechanism for caffeine addiction.[1][80][81][82] Other research states it can affect the reward system.[83]

text: "Caffeine addiction" was added to the ICDM-9 and ICD-10. However, its addition was contested with claims that this diagnostic model of caffeine addiction is not supported by evidence.[1][2][84] The American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5 does not include the diagnosis of a caffeine addiction but proposes criteria for the disorder for more study.[85][86]

text: Dependence and withdrawal

text: Withdrawal can cause mild to clinically significant distress or impairment in daily functioning. The frequency at which this occurs is self reported at 11%, but in lab tests only half of the people who report withdrawal actually experience it, casting doubt on many claims of dependence.[87][88] Mild[1] to increasingly severe physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms may occur upon abstinence, with greater than 100 mg caffeine per day;[88] some symptoms associated with psychological dependence may also occur during withdrawal.[5] Caffeine dependence can involve withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue, headache, irritability, depressed mood, reduced contentedness, inability to concentrate, sleepiness or drowsiness, stomach pain, and joint pain.[1][5] Withdrawal headaches are experienced by roughly half of those who stop consuming caffeine for two days following an average daily intake of 235 mg.[89]

text: The ICD-10 includes a diagnostic model for caffeine dependence, but the DSM-5 does not.[3][84] The APA, which published the DSM-5, acknowledged that there was sufficient evidence in order to create a diagnostic model of caffeine dependence for the DSM-5, but they noted that the clinical significance of this disorder is unclear.[3] The DSM-5 instead lists "caffeine use disorder" in the emerging models section of the manual.[3]

text: Tolerance varies for daily, regular caffeine users and high caffeine users. High doses of caffeine (750 to 1200 mg/day spread throughout the day) have been shown to produce complete tolerance to some, but not all of the effects of caffeine. Doses as low as 100 mg/day, such as a 6 oz cup of coffee or two to three 12 oz servings of caffeinated soft-drink, may continue to cause sleep disruption, among other intolerances. Non-regular caffeine users have the least caffeine tolerance for sleep disruption.[88] Some coffee drinkers develop tolerance to its undesired sleep-disrupting effects, but others apparently do not.[44]

text: Risk of other diseases

text: A protective effect of caffeine against Alzheimer's disease is possible, but the evidence is inconclusive.[90][91][92] Caffeine increases intraocular pressure in those with glaucoma but does not appear to affect normal individuals.[93] It may protect people from liver cirrhosis.[94] Caffeine may lessen the severity of acute mountain sickness if taken a few hours prior to attaining a high altitude.[95]

text: Overdose

text: Consumption of 1–1.5 grams per day is associated with a condition known as caffeinism.[97] Caffeinism usually combines caffeine dependency with a wide range of unpleasant symptoms including nervousness, irritability, restlessness, insomnia, headaches, and palpitations after caffeine use.[98]

text: Caffeine overdose can result in a state of central nervous system over-stimulation called caffeine intoxication (DSM-IV 305.90).[99] This syndrome typically occurs only after ingestion of large amounts of caffeine, well over the amounts found in typical caffeinated beverages and caffeine tablets (e.g., more than 400–500 mg at a time). The symptoms of caffeine intoxication are comparable to the symptoms of overdoses of other stimulants: they may include restlessness, fidgeting, anxiety, excitement, insomnia, flushing of the face, increased urination, gastrointestinal disturbance, muscle twitching, a rambling flow of thought and speech, irritability, irregular or rapid heart beat, and psychomotor agitation.[96] In cases of much larger overdoses, mania, depression, lapses in judgment, disorientation, disinhibition, delusions, hallucinations, or psychosis may occur, and rhabdomyolysis (breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue) can be provoked.[100][101]

text: Massive overdose can result in death.[102][103] The LD50 of caffeine in humans is dependent on individual sensitivity, but is estimated to be 150 to 200 milligrams per kilogram of body mass (75–100 cups of coffee for a 70 kilogram adult).[104] A number of fatalities have been caused by overdoses of readily available powdered caffeine supplements, for which the estimated lethal amount is less than a tablespoon.[105] The lethal dose is lower in individuals whose ability to metabolize caffeine is impaired due to genetics or chronic liver disease[106] A death was reported in a man with liver cirrhosis who overdosed on caffeinated mints.[107][108][109]

text: Treatment of mild caffeine intoxication is directed toward symptom relief; severe intoxication may require peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, or hemofiltration.[96]

text: Interactions

text: Alcohol

text: According to DSST, alcohol provides a reduction in performance and caffeine has a significant improvement in performance.[110] When alcohol and caffeine are consumed jointly, the effects produced by caffeine are affected, but the alcohol effects remain the same.[111] For example, when additional caffeine is added, the drug effect produced by alcohol is not reduced.[111] However, the jitteriness and alertness given by caffeine is decreased when additional alcohol is consumed.[111] Alcohol consumption alone reduces both inhibitory and activational aspects of behavioral control. Caffeine antagonizes the activational aspect of behavioral control, but has no effect on the inhibitory behavioral control.[112]

text: Tobacco

text: Smoking tobacco increases caffeine clearance by 56%.[113]

text: Birth control

text: Birth control pills can extend the half-life of caffeine, requiring greater attention to caffeine consumption.[114]

text: Medications

text: Caffeine sometimes increases the effectiveness of some medications, such as those for headaches.[115]

text: Pharmacology

text: Pharmacodynamics

text:
Structure of a typical chemical synapse

Postsynaptic
density
Voltage-
gated Ca++
channel
Synaptic
vesicle
Neurotransmitter
transporter
Receptor
Neurotransmitter
Axon terminal
Synaptic cleft
Dendrite

text: In the absence of caffeine and when a person is awake and alert, little adenosine is present in (CNS) neurons. With a continued wakeful state, over time it accumulates in the neuronal synapse, in turn binding to and activating adenosine receptors found on certain CNS neurons; when activated, these receptors produce a cellular response that ultimately increases drowsiness. When caffeine is consumed, it antagonizes adenosine receptors; in other words, caffeine prevents adenosine from activating the receptor by blocking the location on the receptor where adenosine binds to it. As a result, caffeine temporarily prevents or relieves drowsiness, and thus maintains or restores alertness.[6]

text: Receptor and ion channel targets

text: Caffeine is an antagonist at all four adenosine receptor subtypes (A1, A2A, A2B, and A3), although with varying potencies.[6][116] The affinity (KD) values of caffeine for the human adenosine receptors are 12 μM at A1, 2.4 μM at A2A, 13 μM at A2B, and 80 μM at A3.[116] Knockout mouse studies have specifically implicated antagonism of the A2A receptor as responsible for the wakefulness-promoting effects of caffeine.[116] Antagonism of adenosine receptors by caffeine stimulates the medullary vagal, vasomotor, and respiratory centers, which increases respiratory rate, reduces heart rate, and constricts blood vessels.[6] Adenosine receptor antagonism also promotes neurotransmitter release (e.g., monoamines and acetylcholine), which endows caffeine with its stimulant effects;[6][117] adenosine acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter that suppresses activity in the central nervous system. Heart palpitations are caused by blockade of the A1 receptor.[6]

text: Because caffeine is both water- and lipid-soluble, it readily crosses the blood–brain barrier that separates the bloodstream from the interior of the brain. Once in the brain, the principal mode of action is as a nonselective antagonist of adenosine receptors (in other words, an agent that reduces the effects of adenosine). The caffeine molecule is structurally similar to adenosine, and is capable of binding to adenosine receptors on the surface of cells without activating them, thereby acting as a competitive antagonist.[118]

text: In addition to its activity at adenosine receptors, caffeine is an inositol trisphosphate receptor 1 antagonist and a voltage-independent activator of the ryanodine receptors (RYR1, RYR2, and RYR3).[119] It is also a competitive antagonist of the ionotropic glycine receptor.[120]

text: Effects on striatal dopamine

text: While caffeine does not directly bind to any dopamine receptors, it influences the binding activity of dopamine at its receptors in the striatum by binding to adenosine receptors that have formed GPCR heteromers with dopamine receptors, specifically the A1–D1 receptor heterodimer (this is a receptor complex with 1 adenosine A1 receptor and 1 dopamine D1 receptor) and the A2A–D2 receptor heterotetramer (this is a receptor complex with 2 adenosine A2A receptors and 2 dopamine D2 receptors).[121][122][123][124] The A2A–D2 receptor heterotetramer has been identified as a primary pharmacological target of caffeine, primarily because it mediates some of its psychostimulant effects and its pharmacodynamic interactions with dopaminergic psychostimulants.[122][123][124]

text: Caffeine also causes the release of dopamine in the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens core (a substructure within the ventral striatum), but not the nucleus accumbens shell, by antagonizing A1 receptors in the axon terminal of dopamine neurons and A1–A2A heterodimers (a receptor complex composed of 1 adenosine A1 receptor and 1 adenosine A2A receptor) in the axon terminal of glutamate neurons.[121][125] During chronic caffeine use, caffeine-induced dopamine release within the nucleus accumbens core is markedly reduced due to drug tolerance.[121][125]

text: Enzyme targets

text: Caffeine, like other xanthines, also acts as a phosphodiesterase inhibitor.[126] As a competitive nonselective phosphodiesterase inhibitor,[127] caffeine raises intracellular cAMP, activates protein kinase A, inhibits TNF-alpha[128][129] and leukotriene[130] synthesis, and reduces inflammation and innate immunity.[130] Caffeine also affects the cholinergic system where it inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase.

text: Off-target effects

text: Caffeine antagonizes adenosine A2A receptors in the ventrolateral preoptic area (VLPO), thereby reducing inhibitory GABA neurotransmission to the tuberomammillary nucleus, a histaminergic projection nucleus that activation-dependently promotes arousal.[125] Disinhibition of the tuberomammillary nucleus is the chief mechanism by which caffeine produces wakefulness-promoting effects.[125]

text: Pharmacokinetics

text: Caffeine from coffee or other beverages is absorbed by the small intestine within 45 minutes of ingestion and distributed throughout all bodily tissues.[132] Peak blood concentration is reached within 1–2 hours.[citation needed] It is eliminated by first-order kinetics.[133] Caffeine can also be absorbed rectally, evidenced by suppositories of ergotamine tartrate and caffeine (for the relief of migraine)[134] and chlorobutanol and caffeine (for the treatment of hyperemesis).[135] However, rectal absorption is less efficient than oral: the maximum concentration (Cmax) and total amount absorbed (AUC) are both about 30% (i.e., 1/3.5) of the oral amounts.[136]

text: Caffeine's biological half-life – the time required for the body to eliminate one-half of a dose – varies widely among individuals according to factors such as pregnancy, other drugs, liver enzyme function level (needed for caffeine metabolism) and age. In healthy adults, caffeine's half-life is between 3–7 hours.[6] Smoking decreases the half-life by 30–50%,[44] while oral contraceptives can double it[44] and pregnancy can raise it to as much as 15 hours during the last trimester.[44] In newborns the half-life can be 80 hours or more, dropping very rapidly with age, possibly to less than the adult value by age 6 months.[44] The antidepressant fluvoxamine (Luvox) reduces the clearance of caffeine by more than 90%, and increases its elimination half-life more than tenfold; from 4.9 hours to 56 hours.[137]

text: Caffeine is metabolized in the liver by the cytochrome P450 oxidase enzyme system, in particular, by the CYP1A2 isozyme, into three dimethylxanthines,[138] each of which has its own effects on the body:

text:
Paraxanthine (84%): Increases lipolysis, leading to elevated glycerol and free fatty acid levels in blood plasma.
Theobromine (12%): Dilates blood vessels and increases urine volume. Theobromine is also the principal alkaloid in the cocoa bean (chocolate).
Theophylline (4%): Relaxes smooth muscles of the bronchi, and is used to treat asthma. The therapeutic dose of theophylline, however, is many times greater than the levels attained from caffeine metabolism.[54]

text: 1,3,7-Trimethyluric acid is a minor caffeine metabolite.[6] Each of these metabolites is further metabolized and then excreted in the urine. Caffeine can accumulate in individuals with severe liver disease, increasing its half-life.[139]

text: A 2011 review found that increased caffeine intake was associated with a variation in two genes that increase the rate of caffeine catabolism. Subjects who had this mutation on both chromosomes consumed 40 mg more caffeine per day than others.[140] This is presumably due to the need for a higher intake to achieve a comparable desired effect, not that the gene led to a disposition for greater incentive of habituation.

text: Chemistry

text: Pure anhydrous caffeine is a bitter-tasting white odorless powder with a melting point of 235–238 °C.[8][9] Caffeine is moderately soluble in water at room temperature (2 g/100 mL), but very soluble in boiling water (66 g/100 mL).[141] It is also moderately soluble in ethanol (1.5 g/100 mL).[141] It is weakly basic (pKa of conjugate base = ~0.6) requiring strong acid to protonate it.[142] Caffeine does not contain any stereogenic centers[143] and hence is classified as an achiral molecule.[144]

text: The xanthine core of caffeine contains two fused rings, a pyrimidinedione and imidazole. The pyrimidinedione in turn contains two amide functional groups that exist predominately in a zwitterionic resonance the location from which the nitrogen atoms are double bonded to their adjacent amide carbons atoms. Hence all six of the atoms within the pyrimidinedione ring system are sp2 hybridized and planar. Therefore, the fused 5,6 ring core of caffeine contains a total of ten pi electrons and hence according to Hückel's rule is aromatic.[145]

text: Synthesis

text: The biosynthesis of caffeine is an example of convergent evolution among different species.[150][151][152]

text: Caffeine may be synthesized in the lab starting with dimethylurea and malonic acid.[clarification needed][148][149][153]

text: Commercial supplies of caffeine are not usually manufactured synthetically because the chemical is readily available as a byproduct of decaffeination.[154]

text: Decaffeination

text: Extraction of caffeine from coffee, to produce caffeine and decaffeinated coffee, can be performed using a number of solvents. Benzene, chloroform, trichloroethylene, and dichloromethane have all been used over the years but for reasons of safety, environmental impact, cost, and flavor, they have been superseded by the following main methods:

text:
Water extraction: Coffee beans are soaked in water. The water, which contains many other compounds in addition to caffeine and contributes to the flavor of coffee, is then passed through activated charcoal, which removes the caffeine. The water can then be put back with the beans and evaporated dry, leaving decaffeinated coffee with its original flavor. Coffee manufacturers recover the caffeine and resell it for use in soft drinks and over-the-counter caffeine tablets.[155]
Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction: Supercritical carbon dioxide is an excellent nonpolar solvent for caffeine, and is safer than the organic solvents that are otherwise used. The extraction process is simple: CO2 is forced through the green coffee beans at temperatures above 31.1 °C and pressures above 73 atm. Under these conditions, CO2 is in a "supercritical" state: It has gaslike properties that allow it to penetrate deep into the beans but also liquid-like properties that dissolve 97–99% of the caffeine. The caffeine-laden CO2 is then sprayed with high pressure water to remove the caffeine. The caffeine can then be isolated by charcoal adsorption (as above) or by distillation, recrystallization, or reverse osmosis.[155]
Extraction by organic solvents: Certain organic solvents such as ethyl acetate present much less health and environmental hazard than chlorinated and aromatic organic solvents used formerly. Another method is to use triglyceride oils obtained from spent coffee grounds.[155]

text: "Decaffeinated" coffees do in fact contain caffeine in many cases – some commercially available decaffeinated coffee products contain considerable levels. One study found that decaffeinated coffee contained 10 mg of caffeine per cup, compared to approximately 85 mg of caffeine per cup for regular coffee.[156]

text: Detection in body fluids

text: Caffeine can be quantified in blood, plasma, or serum to monitor therapy in neonates, confirm a diagnosis of poisoning, or facilitate a medicolegal death investigation. Plasma caffeine levels are usually in the range of 2–10 mg/L in coffee drinkers, 12–36 mg/L in neonates receiving treatment for apnea, and 40–400 mg/L in victims of acute overdosage. Urinary caffeine concentration is frequently measured in competitive sports programs, for which a level in excess of 15 mg/L is usually considered to represent abuse.[157]

text: Analogs

text: Some analog substances have been created which mimic caffeine's properties with either function or structure or both. Of the latter group are the xanthines DMPX[158] and 8-chlorotheophylline, which is an ingredient in dramamine. Members of a class of nitrogen substituted xanthines are often proposed as potential alternatives to caffeine.[159][unreliable source?] Many other xanthine analogues constituting the adenosine receptor antagonist class have also been elucidated.[160]

text: Some other caffeine analogs:

text:
Dipropylcyclopentylxanthine
8-Cyclopentyl-1,3-dimethylxanthine
8-Phenyltheophylline

text: Precipitation of tannins

text: Caffeine, as do other alcaloids such as cinchonine, quinine or strychnine, precipitates polyphenols and tannins.This property can be used in a quantitation method.[161]

text: Natural occurrence

text: Around sixty plant species are known to contain caffeine.[162] Common sources are the "beans" (seeds) of the two cultivated coffee plants, Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora (the quantity varies, but 1.3% is a typical value[163]); in the leaves of the tea bush; and in kola nuts. Other sources include yaupon holly leaves, South American holly yerba mate leaves, seeds from Amazonian maple guarana berries, and Amazonian holly guayusa leaves. Temperate climates around the world have produced unrelated caffeine-containing plants.

text: Caffeine in plants acts as a natural pesticide: it can paralyze and kill predator insects feeding on the plant.[164] High caffeine levels are found in coffee seedlings when they are developing foliage and lack mechanical protection.[165] In addition, high caffeine levels are found in the surrounding soil of coffee seedlings, which inhibits seed germination of nearby coffee seedlings, thus giving seedlings with the highest caffeine levels fewer competitors for existing resources for survival.[166] Caffeine is stored in tea leaves in two places. Firstly, in the cell vacuoles where it is complexed with polyphenols. This caffeine probably is released into the mouth parts of insects, to discourage herbivory. Secondly, around the vascular bundles, where it probably inhibits pathogenic fungi from entering and colonizing the vascular bundles.[167] Caffeine in nectar may improve the reproductive success of the pollen producing plants by enhancing the reward memory of pollinators such as honeybees.[168]

text: The differing perceptions in the effects of ingesting beverages made from various plants containing caffeine could be explained by the fact that these beverages also contain varying mixtures of other methylxanthine alkaloids, including the cardiac stimulants theophylline and theobromine, and polyphenols that can form insoluble complexes with caffeine.[169][clarification needed]

text: Products

text:
Caffeine content in select food and drugs[170][171][172][173][174]

Product
Serving size
Caffeine per serving (mg)
Caffeine (mg/L)

Caffeine tablet (regular-strength)
1 tablet
7002100000000000000♠100
—

Caffeine tablet (extra-strength)
1 tablet
7002200000000000000♠200
—

Excedrin tablet
1 tablet
7001650000000000000♠65
—

Hershey's Special Dark (45% cacao content)
1 bar (43 g or 1.5 oz)
7001310000000000000♠31
—

Hershey's Milk Chocolate (11% cacao content)
1 bar (43 g or 1.5 oz)
7001100000000000000♠10
—

Percolated coffee
207 mL (7.0 US fl oz)
7001800000000000000♠80–135
7002386000000000000♠386–652

Drip coffee
207 mL (7.0 US fl oz)
7002115000000000000♠115–175
7002555000000000000♠555–845

Coffee, decaffeinated
207 mL (7.0 US fl oz)
7000500000000000000♠5–15
7001240000000000000♠24–72

Coffee, espresso
44–60 mL (1.5–2.0 US fl oz)
7002100000000000000♠100
7003169100000000000♠1,691–2,254

Tea – black, green, and other types, – steeped for 3 min.
177 millilitres (6.0 US fl oz)
7001220000000000000♠22–74[173][174]
7002124000000000000♠124–418

Guayakí yerba mate (loose leaf)
6 g (0.21 oz)
7001850000000000000♠85[175]
7002358000000000000♠approx. 358

Coca-Cola Classic
355 mL (12.0 US fl oz)
7001340000000000000♠34
7001960000000000000♠96

Mountain Dew
355 mL (12.0 US fl oz)
7001540000000000000♠54
7002154000000000000♠154

Pepsi Max
355 mL (12.0 US fl oz)
7001690000000000000♠69
7002194000000000000♠194

Guaraná Antarctica
350 mL (12 US fl oz)
7001300000000000000♠30
7002100000000000000♠100

Jolt Cola
695 mL (23.5 US fl oz)
7002280000000000000♠280
7002403000000000000♠403

Red Bull
250 mL (8.5 US fl oz)
7001800000000000000♠80
7002320000000000000♠320

text: Products containing caffeine are coffee, tea, soft drinks ("colas"), energy drinks, other beverages, chocolate,[176] caffeine tablets, other oral products, and inhalation.

text: Beverages

text: Coffee

text: The world's primary source of caffeine is the coffee "bean" (the seed of the coffee plant), from which coffee is brewed. Caffeine content in coffee varies widely depending on the type of coffee bean and the method of preparation used;[177] even beans within a given bush can show variations in concentration. In general, one serving of coffee ranges from 80 to 100 milligrams, for a single shot (30 milliliters) of arabica-variety espresso, to approximately 100–125 milligrams for a cup (120 milliliters) of drip coffee.[178][179] Arabica coffee typically contains half the caffeine of the robusta variety.[177] In general, dark-roast coffee has very slightly less caffeine than lighter roasts because the roasting process reduces caffeine content of the bean by a small amount.[178][179]

text: Tea

text: Tea contains more caffeine than coffee by dry weight. A typical serving, however, contains much less, since tea is normally brewed more weakly than coffee. Also contributing to caffeine content are growing conditions, processing techniques, and other variables. Thus, teas contain varying amounts of caffeine.[180]

text: Tea contains small amounts of theobromine and slightly higher levels of theophylline than coffee. Preparation and many other factors have a significant impact on tea, and color is a very poor indicator of caffeine content. Teas like the pale Japanese green tea, gyokuro, for example, contain far more caffeine than much darker teas like lapsang souchong, which has very little.[180]

text: Soft drinks and energy drinks

text: Caffeine is also a common ingredient of soft drinks, such as cola, originally prepared from kola nuts. Soft drinks typically contain 0 to 55 milligrams of caffeine per 12 ounce serving.[181] By contrast, energy drinks, such as Red Bull, can start at 80 milligrams of caffeine per serving. The caffeine in these drinks either originates from the ingredients used or is an additive derived from the product of decaffeination or from chemical synthesis. Guarana, a prime ingredient of energy drinks, contains large amounts of caffeine with small amounts of theobromine and theophylline in a naturally occurring slow-release excipient.[182]

text: Other beverages

text:
Mate is a drink popular in many parts of South America. Its preparation consists of filling a gourd with the leaves of the South American holly yerba mate, pouring hot but not boiling water over the leaves, and drinking with a straw, the bombilla, which acts as a filter so as to draw only the liquid and not the yerba leaves.[citation needed]
Guaraná seeds ("beans") are used in making the commercially sold beverage Guaraná Antarctica, which originated in Brazil and is currently the fifteenth most popular soft drink in the world.[citation needed]
The leaves of Ilex guayusa, the Ecuadorian holly tree, are placed in boiling water to make a guayusa tea, which is both brewed locally and sold commercially throughout the world.[citation needed]

text: Chocolate

text: Chocolate derived from cocoa beans contains a small amount of caffeine. The weak stimulant effect of chocolate may be due to a combination of theobromine and theophylline, as well as caffeine.[183] A typical 28-gram serving of a milk chocolate bar has about as much caffeine as a cup of decaffeinated coffee. By weight, dark chocolate has one to two times the amount of caffeine as coffee: 80–160 mg per 100 g. Higher percentages of cocoa such as 90% amount to 200 mg per 100g approximately and thus, a 100 gram 85% cocoa chocolate bar contains about 195 mg caffeine.[171]

text: Tablets

text: Tablets offer the advantages over coffee and tea of convenience, known dosage, and avoiding concomitant sugar, acid and fluid intake. Manufacturers of caffeine tablets claim that using caffeine of pharmaceutical quality improves mental alertness.[citation needed] These tablets are commonly used by students studying for their exams and by people who work or drive for long hours.[184]

text: Other oral products

text: One U.S. company is marketing oral dissolvable caffeine strips.[185] Another intake route is SpazzStick, a caffeinated lip balm.[186] Alert Energy Caffeine Gum was introduced in the United States in 2013, but was voluntarily withdrawn after an announcement of an investigation by the FDA of the health effects of added caffeine in foods.[187]

text: Inhalants

text: There are several products being marketed that offer inhalers that deliver proprietary blends of supplements, with caffeine being a key ingredient.[188] In 2012, the FDA sent a warning letter to one of the companies marketing these inhalers, expressing concerns for the lack of safety information available about inhaled caffeine.[189]

text: Combinations with other drugs

text:
Some beverages combine alcohol with caffeine to create a caffeinated alcoholic drink. The stimulant effects of caffeine may mask the depressant effects of alcohol, potentially reducing the user's awareness of their level of intoxication. Such beverages have been the subject of bans due to safety concerns. In particular, United States Food and Drug Administration has classified caffeine added to malt liquor beverages as an "unsafe food additive".[190]
Ya ba contains a combination of methamphetamine and caffeine.

text: History

text: Discovery and spread of use

text: According to Chinese legend, the Chinese emperor Shennong, reputed to have reigned in about 3000 BCE, accidentally discovered tea when he noted that when certain leaves fell into boiling water, a fragrant and restorative drink resulted.[191] Shennong is also mentioned in Lu Yu's Cha Jing, a famous early work on the subject of tea.[192]

text: The earliest credible evidence of either coffee drinking or knowledge of the coffee tree appears in the middle of the fifteenth century, in the Sufi monasteries of the Yemenin southern Arabia.[193] From Mocha, coffee spread to Egypt and North Africa, and by the 16th century, it had reached the rest of the Middle East, Persia and Turkey. From the Middle East, coffee drinking spread to Italy, then to the rest of Europe, and coffee plants were transported by the Dutch to the East Indies and to the Americas.[194]

text: Kola nut use appears to have ancient origins. It is chewed in many West African cultures, individually or in a social setting, to restore vitality and ease hunger pangs.

text: The earliest evidence of cocoa bean use comes from residue found in an ancient Mayan pot dated to 600 BCE. Also, chocolate was consumed in a bitter and spicy drink called xocolatl, often seasoned with vanilla, chile pepper, and achiote. Xocolatl was believed to fight fatigue, a belief probably attributable to the theobromine and caffeine content. Chocolate was an important luxury good throughout pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and cocoa beans were often used as currency.[citation needed]

text: Xocolatl was introduced to Europe by the Spaniards, and became a popular beverage by 1700. The Spaniards also introduced the cacao tree into the West Indies and the Philippines. It was used in alchemical processes, where it was known as "black bean".[citation needed]

text: The leaves and stems of the yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) were used by Native Americans to brew a tea called asi or the "black drink".[195] Archaeologists have found evidence of this use far into antiquity,[196] possibly dating to Late Archaic times.[195]

text: Chemical identification, isolation, and synthesis

text: In 1819, the German chemist Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge isolated relatively pure caffeine for the first time; he called it "Kaffebase" (i.e., a base that exists in coffee).[197] According to Runge, he did this at the behest of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.[198][199] In 1821, caffeine was isolated both by the French chemist Pierre Jean Robiquet and by another pair of French chemists, Pierre-Joseph Pelletier and Joseph Bienaimé Caventou, according to Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius in his yearly journal. Furthermore, Berzelius stated that the French chemists had made their discoveries independently of any knowledge of Runge's or each other's work.[200] However, Berzelius later acknowledged Runge's priority in the extraction of caffeine, stating:[201] "However, at this point, it should not remain unmentioned that Runge (in his Phytochemical Discoveries, 1820, pages 146–147) specified the same method and described caffeine under the name Caffeebase a year earlier than Robiquet, to whom the discovery of this substance is usually attributed, having made the first oral announcement about it at a meeting of the Pharmacy Society in Paris."

text: Pelletier's article on caffeine was the first to use the term in print (in the French form Caféine from the French word for coffee: café).[202] It corroborates Berzelius's account:

text: Caffeine, noun (feminine). Crystallizable substance discovered in coffee in 1821 by Mr. Robiquet. During the same period – while they were searching for quinine in coffee because coffee is considered by several doctors to be a medicine that reduces fevers and because coffee belongs to the same family as the cinchona [quinine] tree – on their part, Messrs. Pelletier and Caventou obtained caffeine; but because their research had a different goal and because their research had not been finished, they left priority on this subject to Mr. Robiquet. We do not know why Mr. Robiquet has not published the analysis of coffee which he read to the Pharmacy Society. Its publication would have allowed us to make caffeine better known and give us accurate ideas of coffee's composition ...

text: Robiquet was one of the first to isolate and describe the properties of pure caffeine,[203] whereas Pelletier was the first to perform an elemental analysis.[204]

text: In 1827, M. Oudry isolated "théine" from tea,[205] but it was later proved by Mulder[206] and by Carl Jobst[207] that theine was actually caffeine.

text: In 1895, German chemist Hermann Emil Fischer (1852–1919) first synthesized caffeine from its chemical components (i.e. a "total synthesis"), and two years later, he also derived the structural formula of the compound.[208] This was part of the work for which Fischer was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1902.[209]

text: Historic regulations

text: Because it was recognized that coffee contained some compound that acted as a stimulant, first coffee and later also caffeine has sometimes been subject to regulation. For example, in the 16th century Islamists in Mecca and in the Ottoman Empire made coffee illegal for some classes.[210][211][212] Charles II of England tried to ban it in 1676,[213][214] Frederick II of Prussia banned it in 1777,[215][216] and coffee was banned in Sweden at various times between 1756 and 1823.

text: In 1911, caffeine became the focus of one of the earliest documented health scares, when the US government seized 40 barrels and 20 kegs of Coca-Cola syrup in Chattanooga, Tennessee, alleging the caffeine in its drink was "injurious to health".[217] Although the judge ruled in favor of Coca-Cola, two bills were introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1912 to amend the Pure Food and Drug Act, adding caffeine to the list of "habit-forming" and "deleterious" substances, which must be listed on a product's label.[218]

text: Society and culture

text: Regulations

text: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States currently allows only beverages containing less than 0.02% caffeine;[219] but caffeine powder, which is sold as a dietary supplement, is unregulated.[220] It is a regulatory requirement that the label of most prepackaged foods must declare a list of ingredients, including food additives such as caffeine, in descending order of proportion. However, there is no regulatory provision for mandatory quantitative labeling of caffeine, (e.g., milligrams caffeine per stated serving size). There are a number of food ingredients that naturally contain caffeine. These ingredients must appear in food ingredient lists. However, as is the case for "food additive caffeine", there is no requirement to identify the quantitative amount of caffeine in composite foods containing ingredients that are natural sources of caffeine. While coffee or chocolate are broadly recognized as caffeine sources, some ingredients (e.g., guarana, yerba maté) are likely less recognized as caffeine sources. For these natural sources of caffeine, there is no regulatory provision requiring that a food label identify the presence of caffeine nor state the amount of caffeine present in the food.[221]

text: Consumption

text: Global consumption of caffeine has been estimated at 120,000 tonnes per year, making it the world's most popular psychoactive substance. This amounts to one serving of a caffeinated beverage for every person every day.[222]

text: Religions

text: Some Seventh-day Adventists, Church of God (Restoration) adherents, and Christian Scientists do not consume caffeine.[citation needed] Some from these religions believe that one is not supposed to consume a non-medical, psychoactive substance, or believe that one is not supposed to consume a substance that is addictive. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has said the following with regard to caffeinated beverages: " . . . the Church revelation spelling out health practices (Doctrine and Covenants 89) does not mention the use of caffeine. The Church's health guidelines prohibit alcoholic drinks, smoking or chewing of tobacco, and 'hot drinks' – taught by Church leaders to refer specifically to tea and coffee."[223]

text: Gaudiya Vaishnavas generally also abstain from caffeine, because they believe it clouds the mind and over-stimulates the senses. To be initiated under a guru, one must have had no caffeine, alcohol, nicotine or other drugs, for at least a year.[citation needed]

text: Caffeinated beverages are widely consumed by Muslims today. In the 16th century, some Muslim authorities made unsuccessful attempts to ban them as forbidden "intoxicating beverages" under Islamic dietary laws.[224][225]

text: Other organisms

text: Recently discovered bacteria Pseudomonas putida CBB5 can live on pure caffeine, and can cleave caffeine into carbon dioxide and ammonia.[226]

text: Caffeine is toxic to birds[227] and to dogs and cats,[228] and has a pronounced adverse effect on mollusks, various insects, and spiders.[229] This is at least partly due to a poor ability to metabolize the compound, causing higher levels for a given dose per unit weight.[230] Caffeine has also been found to enhance the reward memory of honeybees.[168]

text: Research

text: Caffeine has been used to double chromosomes in haploid wheat.[231]


document_title: Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu (TV series)

question_text: when does ninjago season 9 come out in america

root

text: Origins[edit]

text: In the year 2009, LEGO proposed to make a series about ninja, deciding that there would be four ninjas with elemental powers. Later, Tommy Andreasen and Thomas Fenger created the martial art of Spinjitzu.

tag: p

text: Overview[edit]

text: The show is set in the fictional world of Ninjago, a place inspired by East Asian myths and culture. While featuring several historically designed buildings and traditional clothing, Ninjago is in a modern setting, incorporating large metropolises with skyscrapers, current-age (and futuristic) vehicles, modern electronics and semi-robotic exo-suits, and other futuristic technology. It includes elemental masters, pirates from another realm, and a criminal gang known as the Sons of Garmadon are all included in this series.

text: Plot[edit]

text: Pilot season[edit]

text: The pilot episodes feature Sensei Wu struggling to train four teenage ninja in the ways of an ancient battle art called Spinjitzu (which manifests as an elemental spinning movement faster than any normal fighting style) to defeat his corrupted brother Lord Garmadon, ruler of the Underworld, to stop him from gaining power through the Four Golden Weapons - The Sword of Fire, Scythe of Quakes, Nunchucks of Lightning, and Shuriken of Ice. Travelling across Ninjago, Wu and his four elementally-attuned students, Kai (Fire), Jay (Lightning), Zane (Ice) and Cole (Earth) recover the Golden Weapons. Kai rescues his sister Nya, whose capture fueled his desire to become a Ninja, from skeletons, and makes peace with the Dragon guardians of the Golden Weapons. However, in order to keep the Sword of Fire from Garmadon, Wu travels to the Underworld to fight his corrupted brother. The four ninja follow Wu down on the dragons, who have the capability to travel between the worlds. After defeating the Skeleton Army with the ultimate Spinjitzu move, the Tornado of Creation, they come upon Wu fighting the general of the Skeleton Army, Samukai, who is in possession of three of the Golden Weapons (the nunchucks, shuriken and scythe - stolen from the Ninja earlier while they rested in the forests near the Fire Temple). Wu is defeated and Samukai tries to take the sword for his own, but is destroyed due to their combined power, which no one can withstand except the First Spinjitzu Master himself. This allows Garmadon to escape through a portal between space-time, but he vows to one day return with enough power to wield the Golden Weapons. With Garmadon gone, the balance is temporarily restored, and the Ninja prepare to train themselves for the day the Dark Lord returns.

text: Season 1: Rise of the Snakes[edit]

text: Season one opens with the Ninja trying to determine which one of them will become the Green Ninja of a prophecy, the warrior destined to face the Dark Lord, determining the fate of Ninjago. The story focuses on Lord Garmadon's young son Lloyd Garmadon, a trouble making little boy who has released an ancient evil: an army of four snake-like tribes known as the Serpentine who are united under Pythor, the last member of the extinct fifth Anacondrai tribe. Wu manages to convince Lloyd to join their side ("The best way to defeat your enemy...is to make him your friend") while the Ninja are aided by Nya in her Samurai X battle suit. A four-armed Garmadon returns to help them deal with the Serpentine as they attempt to summon a large serpent called the Great Devourer, but their plan backfires when Pythor is eaten and the Serpentine are driven into hiding. Lloyd is revealed to be the Green Ninja, and Lord Garmadon uses the Golden Weapons to destroy the Great Devourer before running off with them.

text: Season 2: Legacy of the Green Ninja[edit]

text: In Season two, the Ninja prepare to train Lloyd to become the Green Ninja. The Ninja train Lloyd so that he can face his father one day and save Ninjago, something which Lloyd was afraid to do, for the sake of his bond with Garmadon. Meanwhile, Garmadon works to thwart the Ninja's plan by recruiting the Serpentine and forging the Golden Weapons into one powerful Mega Weapon. After Garmadon's last attempt ends with Lloyd aging to a teenager like his four mentors, Garmadon attempts to change the events of the past. The original four ninja follow Garmadon into the past, and use the Golden Weapons of the past to destroy the Mega Weapon, restoring the timeline and sending the Golden Weapons into space. While Garmadon ends up on an island with a disembodied voice called the Overlord, the venom of the Great Devourer seeps into catacombs beneath Ninjago and awakens the Stone Army, who are indestructible warriors who fought with the Overlord against the First Spinjitzu Master, trapping the Serpentine underground in the process. Along with Misako, Lloyd's mother, the Ninja travel to the Dark Island to stop Garmadon, meeting Zane's father, Dr. Julian, who helped them in their fight against the Overlord and his army. The Ninja then discover the Temple of Light, where they receive elemental powers and help Lloyd unleash his true potential (the Golden Dragon). The Ninja fail to stop the countdown to the final battle, and the Overlord is revealed to be the Dark Lord from the prophecy. He possesses Lord Garmadon and heads to Ninjago, with the Ninja in tow. Lloyd uses his new-found Golden Power to defeat the Overlord, purging his father Garmadon of his evil in the process and "making him normal" again.

text: Season 3: Rebooted[edit]

text: In Season three, Ninjago City has been rebuilt into a futuristic metropolis and renamed New Ninjago City. The Ninja, striving for action, learn that the Overlord has survived the final battle and entered the Digiverse, an electronic world. The crippled cyborg Cyrus Borg, creator of Borg Industries, realizes this and gives the Ninja the Techno Blades, which could be used to destroy the Overlord by rebooting the Digiverse system. The Overlord uses P.I.X.A.L. (a nindroid who works at Borg Industries) to create a Nindroid army from Zane's blueprints. The Overlord plans to capture Lloyd, as Lloyd's golden power will help the Overlord escape the digital realm. The hard drive containing the Overlord is later stolen by Pythor, who is revealed to have survived being eaten by the Great Devourer. Pythor captures Lloyd, and the Overlord drains Lloyd of most of his Golden Power. Though the Ninja defeat the Overlord in the Digiverse, the Overlord escapes the digital realm half-formed. Lloyd then splits his remaining golden power among the four ninja, knowing that the power would be a big responsibility for him to bear alone. The Overlord, needing to complete his transformation, sends the Nindroids to space to retrieve the Golden Weapons from the constellation Arcturus, which the Ninja failed in retrieving. The Overlord becomes the Golden Master, fulfilling an old Serpentine prophecy, and wreaks havoc on New Ninjago City. With no other option, Zane sacrifices himself to destroy the Golden Master.

text: Season 4: Tournament of Elements[edit]

text: During Season four, the Ninja take part in the "Tournament of Elements" when they learn that Zane is still alive, having rebuilt himself using titanium. The tournament, run by Master Chen (an Anacondrai fanatic and Garmadon's former evil mentor) and his assistant Clouse, who knows dark magic and trained alongside Garmadon, is host to many elemental masters who the Ninja never knew existed. When one is eliminated from the tournament, Chen secretly uses his "Staff of Elements" to steal their powers. Eventually, Nya goes looking for the Ninja, and finds out that Chen intends to use the stolen powers to transform him and his followers into Anacondrai. Though Kai destroys the Staff of Elements, Chen finds that the spell can be completed with his daughter Skylor, due her elemental power of absorption. Chen manages to complete the spell, and everyone possessing the Mark of the Anacondrai (including him, Skylor, and Sensei Garmadon) turn into Anacondrai. Chen and his followers go to Ninjago to start a second Serpentine War, while the elemental masters pursue on their elemental dragons. Chen uses Pythor to make the spell permanent, and the elemental masters' only hope is to stop him at the Corridor of Elders. When they cross the line of no return, Garmadon sacrifices himself to defeat the Anacondrai-wannabes by releasing the spirits of the Anacondrai generals, who were banished to the Cursed Realm in the original Serpentine War. The Ninja mourn over Garmadon's sacrifice as they burn the spellbook that banished Garmadon.

text: Season 5: Possession[edit]

text: During Season five, after Garmadon's sacrifice, Morro (the elemental master of Wind and Wu's first ever student) escapes the Cursed Realm, and possesses Lloyd. Morro does this so that he can find the Realm Crystal, so he can bring his master, the Preeminent, to the physical world to curse, and eventually rule, all sixteen realms. The four ninja, along with Wu, Nya (who is revealed to be the elemental master of Water), and Misako travel to uncharted lands to find the First Spinjitzu Master's tomb and retrieve the Realm Crystal before Morro does. Morro steals the Allied Armor of A'zure, a piece of armor that can summon allies and summons an army of ghosts to help him. After taking the Aeroblades (which can defeat a ghost) from Ronin, learning Airjitzu from the ghost of Master Yang (at the price of Cole becoming a ghost himself), and retrieving the Sword of Sanctuary from the Cloud Kingdom (one of the sixteen realms), the Ninja discover the tomb is underwater. The Ninja find the Realm Crystal, but decide to save Lloyd (who is now free from his possession) rather than take it. Morro and his Ghost Warrior allies bring the Preeminent to Ninjago. While the Ninja are evacuating everyone from the city of Stiix, Nya unlocks her true potential and creates a wave which drowns the Preeminent. Morro, who feels remorseful, gives Wu the Realm Crystal and drowns with his master instead of staying with Sensei Wu. The Ninja use the Realm Crystal to bring back Lloyd, who is ready to begin his training to become a Master, as he received his father's robes while the two were briefly together in the Cursed Realm.

text: Season 6: Skybound[edit]

text: During Season six, the Ninja are popular, thanks to saving Ninjago from The Preeminent, but trouble rises when Clouse returns after having escaped the Cursed Realm. Clouse frees Nadakhan, a Djinn who can grant three wishes, and captures people by forcing them to 'wishing it all away'. Nadakhan frames the Ninja for crimes they didn't commit while the Ninja are in Stiix. Misako tries to rescue them in the Bounty, but she and the ship are captured by the police, later being captured by Nadakhan along with Wu. The Ninja try to escape the police, but they are caught and arrested by Ronin in exchange for a clean reputation. The Ninja are thrown in Kryptarium Prison, but escape with the help of Captain Soto, who tells them how to find the only thing that can stop Nadakhan: Tiger Widow Venom. Meanwhile, Jay uses his first two wishes and finds out he was adopted. Nadakhan uses the Realm Crystal to free his crew, attack Ninjago City, and capture Kai. The Ninja sail to Tiger Widow Island to obtain the venom, but Zane is captured, Jay is kidnapped by Nadakhan, and Nya, Lloyd and Cole are stranded on the island until Ronin and the Police Commissioner come to rescue them, after finding out what side they were on. After attacking Misfortune's Keep, Jay and Nya are the only two remaining Ninja. They hide in Dr. Julien's lighthouse, where they meet Echo Zane, Zane's counterpart. Jay is forced to escape while Nya is kidnapped. Jay teams up with Echo Zane, Ronin, the Commissioner, Soto, Skylor and Dareth to save the others. Nadakhan gets Infinite Wishes and freezes everyone except Jay, but Nadakhan is poisoned by the venom. Incidentally, the venom hits Nya, and she dies. A disheartened Jay uses his last wish to erase recent events and ensure Clouse didn't find the Teapot of Tyrahn in the first place, thus removing the events of the season from the timeline. As a result, Nadakhan is never released and Jay and Nya, who are the only ones who remember the erased events, renew their relationship.

text: TV special: Day of the Departed[edit]

text: In a 44-minute TV special, Cole faces his struggles againist Sensei Yang, the creator of Airjitzu and the one responsible for Cole's ghostly appearance. He resurrects the past villains from their statues in the hall of villainy and each one goes after a ninja. Samukai fights Jay, Pythor fights Lloyd, Kozu fights Dareth, Cryptor fights Zane, Chen fights Kai and Nya and Morro fights Wu. Yang fights Cole but stop when they realize that they have something in common: Both were forgotten. The lunar eclipse is almost closing and Cole and Yang Airjitzu their way to the rift. Yang stays behind while only 99% of Cole makes it through the rift, leaving the 1% as a green scar. The Ninja defeat the resurrected villains and celebrate in peace.

text: Season 7: The Hands of Time[edit]

text: In Season seven, the Ninja fight Acronix and Krux, the Hands of Time, who have the power to manipulate time. When the Ninja first face Acronix at the old monastery, Acronix teleports away with his time blade after hitting Wu with the 'time punch', accelerating Wu's aging. The Ninja think Acronix was defeated, but when something attacks Zane, they look into his memories and slow it down just enough so they can see that Acronix attacked Zane while he was distracted by Dr. Saunders, AKA Krux. The Time Twins then gather up an army called Vermillion which are samurai snake warriors. They steal all the metal and the most skilled producers in Ninjago to help build the "Iron Doom", which if they collect all 4 time blades (Fast-Forward, Slow Down, Pause, and Reversal), they could travel wherever they wanted in time. Kai finds out that he and Nya's parents, Ray and Maya, are still alive, having been captured by Krux and forced to work for him. Soon after Kai and Nya retrieve the fourth and final Time Blade, the Reversal Blade, Acronix hits Ray with the time punch. Upon completion of the Iron Doom, the Time Twins go back to during the Serpentine Wars, 40 years in the past, where they first got banished into time. They try to win the battle against the elemental masters, but luckily, Kai, Nya and Wu traveled back with them, and they defeated them. With the Reversal Blade, the two ninja stop Wu's rapid aging. Acronix and Krux decided to go far into the future, but when they discover they have stowaways, (Kai, Nya and Master Wu), a battle breaks out on the Iron Doom, ending with Sensei Wu pulling the Reversal Blade from the Iron Doom and pushing Kai and Nya into the present, while staying on the Iron Doom to finish the battle, and Acronix, Krux, and Wu get lost in time. Kai saves Ray with the Reversal Blade, and Lloyd goes from "Temporary Master Lloyd in Training", to Master Lloyd, who plans to find Wu.

text: Season 8: Sons of Garmadon[edit]

text: About a year after the events of Master Wu being lost in time, Lloyd Garmadon encounters a group of skilled biker-themed thugs who steal one of the three prized Oni Masks (The Mask of Vengeance) from a vault in Borg Industries. After these events, Lloyd learns that the group who stole the mask was part of a criminal syndicate known as the Sons of Garmadon (S.O.G) and are after the two other Oni Masks (The Mask of Deception and The Mask of Hatred) in order to resurrect Lord Garmadon from the dead. In light of the crime spree committed by the Sons of Garmadon, the Ninja are paid to be temporary guards to the Royal Family, but Sons of Garmadon succeed in stealing the second Oni Mask from the Royal Family's palace in Ninjago, destroying it in the process and leaving only Harumi, the Princess and Lloyd's love interest, the sole survivor. During their attempt to infiltrate the Sons of Garmadon, Cole ends up imprisoned and rescues a baby that the Sons of Garmadon believe is the key to the Mask of Hatred, discovering a map on the baby's blanket. They soon discover the baby is a regressed Master Wu, who is recovering from the excessive use of the Reversal Time-Blade in the previous season. Eventually, the Sons of Garmadon succeed in obtaining all three Oni Masks, but with help from the police, the Ninja stop them, unfortunately, it was too late as Garmadon was resurrected and when Lloyd tries to reason with him, he ends up defeated and powerless. When Garmadon creates Colossi and terrorizes Ninjago, four of the six Ninja attempt to keep Wu safe from his brother, but end up in the Realm of Oni and Dragons after using Traveller's Tea to escape the Colossi's grip. Meanwhile, back in Ninjago, Garmadon takes over the world and declares himself Emperor of Ninjago while the remaining Ninja, Misako and P.I.X.A.L. assume that Kai, Jay, Cole, Zane and Wu are dead. In this season, many things are explained, as the origin of the First Spinjitzu master, which is as follows: in the First Realm, two beings existed: the Oni and the Dragon. The Dragon had the power to create, while the Oni had the power to destroy. A child was born from both of them: the First Spinjitzu Master. When he was pressed on which side to choose, he left the First Realm and created Ninjago. The season also explains how Zane inherited his Ice power, which was given to him by his ill predecessor off-screen, the identity of the new Samurai X, which is revealed to be P.I.X.A.L. in a new body, and the identity of a new villain, dubbed "The Quiet One", who is the mysterious leader of the S.O.G, revealed to be Harumi and has been around since the beginning, believing Garmadon is the real hero as he killed the murderer of her biological parents: The Great Devourer.

text: Season 9: Hunted[edit]

text: While Lloyd and Nya resist Emperor Garmadon’s oppressive hold on Ninjago City, Young Wu and the rest of the Ninja are stranded in the First Realm, the birthplace of the First Spinjitzu Master that was once dominated by Dragons and the sadistic Oni. Wu and the Ninja are hunted by Iron Baron and his barbaric gang of Dragon Hunters, while Lloyd and Nya are assisted by Mistaké, Dareth, Misako, P.I.X.A.L, and the other Elemental Masters, as they oppose the Sons of Garmadon. Wu and the Ninja seek the golden Dragon Armor, which was worn by the First Spinjitzu Master as he rode Firstbourne, the mother of all Dragons. As the Ninja struggle with the Dragon Hunters, Lloyd's Resistance faces off against Garmadon's followers; Garmadon demands his followers find his son, and he executes Mr. E for his failure to do so. The Resistance soon discovers that Mistaké is an Oni in disguise; she sided with Wu's father instead of trying to hunt him like the other Oni. In the First Realm, Wu continues aging back to his normal self, while the Ninja ally with a rogue Dragon Hunter named Faith, who tries helping them find the Dragon Armor. In Ninjago City, Mistaké is killed by Garmadon, while a struggle between Skylor and Garmadon for control of the Colossus leads to Harumi dying in a building collapse. Wu ages back to his normal self, and Iron Baron forces him to find the Dragon Armor. Though they succeed, Firstbourne incapacitates Baron, allowing Wu to put on his father's armor and ride his Dragon. Using their newfound Dragons, Wu and the Ninja return to Ninjago, where they begin fighting against the Colossus. Wu and Lloyd face Lord Garmadon atop Borg Tower, with Lloyd facing him alone after Wu falls from the structure. As Wu, the Ninja, and the people of Ninjago bring down the Colossus using Vengestone chains, Lloyd uses his father's old tactic of "fighting without fighting"; by avoiding his father's blows and destructive energy blasts, Garmadon slowly loses his element - allowing Lloyd to regain his. This causes the Colossus to collapse, ending the conflict. Garmadon then warns Lloyd that his element was the only thing that could battle back a coming darkness, which Lloyd realizes is the Oni. Though Garmadon and his followers are arrested, and the Ninja celebrate their victory, Lloyd expresses his concern to Wu, regarding whether his father was right about the Oni's return.

text: Characters[edit]

text: Main Characters[edit]

text:
Master Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon (voiced by Jillian Michaels in seasons 1–7 and Samuel Vincent in seasons 8-present), the legendary Green Ninja destined to save Ninjago, and the leader of the team. He is the son of Garmadon and Misako and the nephew of Master Wu.
Kai (voiced by Vincent Tong), the hotheaded Red Ninja of Fire and Nya's elder brother.
Jay Walker/Gordon (voiced by Michael Adamthwaite), the quick-witted and motormouthed Blue Ninja of Lightning and Nya's boyfriend.
Zane (voiced by Brent Miller), the intelligent and calculating White Ninja of Ice.
Cole (voiced by Kirby Morrow), the grounded and solid Black Ninja of Earth.
Nya (voiced by Kelly Metzger), the Grey/Maroon Ninja of Water, original Samurai X, Kai's sister and Jay's girlfriend.
Sensei/Master Wu (voiced as an adult and teen by Paul Dobson, as a baby by Caleb Skeris, as a child by Madyx Whiteway), the wise, old master and mentor of the Ninja. He is Lloyd's uncle and Garmadon's younger brother.
Lord/Master/Emperor Garmadon (voiced by Mark Oliver), Lloyd’s father and Wu's older brother. Garmadon was a main antagonist for the first two seasons but was later cleansed of evil and became a Sensei to the Ninja. He was later sacrificed to the Cursed Realm to stop Master Chen's Anacondri Army. Garmadon was revived in season 8 by the Sons of Garmadon as a being of pure evil and proceeded to conquer all of Ninjago and proclaimed himself as the Emperor. However at the end of season 9, Garmadon's reign of terror was finally brought to an end and he and the Sons of Garmadon were all locked up in Kryptarium Prison.

tag: ul

text: Ninja Allies[edit]

text:
Misako (voiced by Kathleen Barr), an archaeologist who is Lloyd's mother and Garmadon's wife.
Dareth (voiced by Alan Marriott), the bumbling self proclaimed "Brown Ninja" and Grand Sensei of Dareth's Mojo Dojo is a frequent ally of the Ninja both by choice and coincidence.
P.I.X.A.L. (voiced by Jennifer Hayward), originally an assistant to Cyrus Borg who joined the Ninja after being influenced by Zane. She was later disassembled but then uploaded into Zane's systems as an AI. She secretly rebuilt herself and became the new Samurai X. She often provides technical support to the Ninja.
Cyrus Borg (voiced by Lee Tockar), a tech genus and head of Borg Industries who has invented all sorts of cutting edge electronic tools and gadgets.
Ronin (voiced by Brian Dobson), a mercenary motivated by self interest who will assist the Ninja if it suits his needs.
Police Commissioner (voiced by Michael Donovan), head of Ninjago police.
Dr. Julian (voiced by Mark Oliver), the inventor father of Zane. He passed away between seasons 2 and 3.
Ed Walker (voiced by Colin Murdock), the adoptive father of Jay and the husband of Edna Walker, as well as the co-owner of Ed & Edna's Scrap N Junk.
Edna Walker (voiced by Jillian Michaels), the adoptive mother of Jay and the wife of Ed Walker, as well as the co-owner of Ed & Edna's Scrap N Junk.
Lou (voiced by Kirby Morrow), Cole's father and a notable member of the Royal Blacksmiths, a famous song and dance troupe.

text: Skulkin[edit]

text:
Samukai (voiced by Michael Kopsa), the four-armed former ruler of the underworld until Lord Garmadon defeated him in single combat and took over. He led the attacks on Ninjago, sent by Garmadon to retrieve the four Golden Weapons. He attempted to betray Garmadon by keeping the weapons for himself but, unable to control the power of the four golden weapons at once, was instead overloaded with power and killed. His body created a portal to another realm with Garmadon traveled though to amass more power. He temporarily returned on the Day of the Departed seeking revenge on Jay.
Kruncha (voiced by Brian Drummond), the brutish Skulkin General of Earth. He served under Samukai and was part of the raids to retrieve the Golden Weapons. After the Skeleton Army's defeat, he found himself roaming Ninjago and taking odd jobs with Nuckal.
Nuckal (voiced by Brian Drummond), the crazy Skulkin General of Lightning. He served under Samukai and was part of the raids to retrieve the Golden Weapons. After the Skeleton Army's defeat, he found himself roaming Ninjago and taking odd jobs with Kruncha.
Wyplash (voiced by Michael Dobson), the Skulkin General of Ice. Unlike Kruncha and Nuckal, he was not part of the Golden Weapon raids. After the Skeleton Army was defeated, he attempted to ambush Nya but was soundly beaten by the lone warrior.

text: Serpentine[edit]

text:
Pythor P. Chumsworth (voiced by Michael Dobson), the last remaining member of the Anacondrai Tribe. He is a frquent enemy of the Ninja who united the Serpentine Tribes to release the Great Devourer, allied himself the Overlord, and plotted to kill Lloyd on the Day of the Departed.
Skales (voiced by Ian James Corlett), the current general of the blue Hypnobrai Tribe and leader of the Serpentine following the perceived death of Pythor. He was originally ranked as a warrior, but became general after challenging and defeating the then current general Slithraa. After being defeated time and time again by the Ninja he and the rest of the Serpentine found themselves trapped trapped underground by the Stone Army. The Serpentine then reformed, took an oath of pacifism, and have began to live peacefully alongside the other inhabatinst of Ninjago. Skales settled down, started a family, and has assisted the the Ninja in matters relating to snakes. Like all Hypnobrai, Skales can hypnotize his foes if they stare into his eyes. He is also a master of the ancient art of Fang-kwon-do.
Fangtom (voiced by Mackenzie Gray), the two-headed general of the red Fangpyre Tribe. He is old friends with Skales and, like all Fangpyre, has the ability to turn anyone or anything into a snake by bitting and injecting them with his poisonous venom.
Skalidor (voiced by Michael Dobson), the powerful general of the black Constrictai Tribe. Like all Constrictai, Skalidor has the ability to burrow underground and possesses abundant strength.
Acidicus (voiced by Paul Dobson), the intelligent general of the green Venomari Tribe. Like all Venomari, Acidicus has the ability to spit venom at his foes which causes fear inducing hallucinations.
Slithraa (voiced by John Novak), the former general of the Hypnobrai Tribe. After accidently hypnotizing himself, he became a servant to Lloyd Garmadon and led his tribe in accomplishing the childish schemes of the young boy. Frustrated by being ordered around by a boy, Skales saw an opportunity to rise in power. After another failed scheme, Slithraa was challenged by Skales to a match in the Slither Pit for the right to lead the Hypnobrai. Slithraa was subsequently defeated by Skales and demoted to warrior.
General Arcturus (voiced by Scott McNeil), the former head general of the Anacondrai Tribe and Serpentine during the First Serpentine War. He and the other Anaconda generals were banished to the Cursed Realm after being defeated by the Elemental Alliance. The ghosts of the Anacondrai Generals were later freed in order to defeat Chen's Anacondrai Cultist Army.

text: The Overlord's Forces[edit]

text:
The Overlord (voiced by Scott McNeil), an ultimate evil who fought the First Spinjitsu Master to a draw.  Lloyd defeated the Overlord in the Season 2 finale when by unlocking his Golden Powers.  The Overlord returned in Season 3 as a digital entity who seeped into and took over the technology of New Ninjago City.
General Kozu (voiced by Paul Dobson), the four-armed leader of the Overlord's Stone Army. He is the only member of the Stone Army that can speak English.
General Cryptor (voiced by Richard Newman), commander of the Overlord's Nindroid Army.
Min-Droid (voiced by Michael Adamthwaite), a member of the Nindroid who is shorter the rest of his robotic brethren because the factory that produced them ran out of metal. He is highly sensitive about his size and teasing at the hands of the other Nindroids have given him a short-tempered and vicious disposition. Despite his size, he is actually a capable and observant fighter.

text: Anacondri Cultists[edit]

text:
Master Chen (voiced by Ian James Corlett), the eccentric and deceitful leader of the Anacondri Cultists. He was exiled to an island after allying himself with the Serpentine during the first Serpentine War. He later attempted to steal the powers of the elemental masters to transform him and his followers into powerful Anacondri worriers to conquer Ninjago but was defeated and banished to the cursed realm.
Clouse (voiced by Scott McNeil), Master Chen's right hand man and master of dark magic. He and Garmadon has previously trained under Master Chen before the First Serpentine War. He was sent to the cursed realm after being defeated by Garmadon, but escaped and is currently a ghost.
Eyezor (voiced by Michael Donovan), the smug and aggressive one-eyed general of Chen's cult. He oversaw transportation of goods from the noodle factory to Chen's off island noodle house.
Zugu (voiced by Brian Dobson), a hulking and immovable general of Chen's cult. He oversaw production of goods Chen's noodle factory as well as the prisoners who were forced to make them.

text: Current Elemental Masters[edit]

text:
Skylor (voiced by Heather Doerksen), the Elemental Master of Amber and Master Chen's daughter. She has the ability to copy other elemental powers.
Karlof (voiced by Scott McNeil), the Elemental Master of Metal and metalworker from Metalonia. He has the ability to turn his entire body into metal and grow slightly in size.
Griffin Turner (voiced by Doron Bell), the Elemental Master of Speed. He has the ability to move at super speeds.
Shade (voiced by Andrew Francis), the Elemental Master of Shadow. He has the ability to disappear and move in shadows.
Neuro (voiced by Paul Dobson), the Elemental Master of Mind. He has the ability to read minds.
Paleman (voiced by Kirby Morrow), also known as Mr. Pale, the Elemental Master of Light. He has the ability to turn invisible.
Tox (voiced by Ian James Corlett), the Elemental Master of Poison.
Krux (voiced by Michael Daingerfield), one of the co-Elemental Masters of Time and brother to Acronix.
Acronix (voiced by Ian Hanlin), one of the co-Elemental Masters of Time and brother to Krux.

text: Ghosts[edit]

text:
Morro (voiced by Andrew Francis), the Elemental Master of Wind. A former pupil of Master Wu who was believed to be the legendary Green Ninja. When the Golden Weapons did not react to Morro (proving that he was not destined to be the Green Ninja), an enraged Morro left Master Wu's care, determined to prove destiny wrong. He was eventually banished to the cursed realm and returned as a ghost. The jealous Morro then possessed Lloyd and simultaneously schemed to both unleash his new master, the Preeminent, and steal the mantle of Green Ninja from Lloyd.
Soul Archer (voiced by Brian Dobson), Morro's second in command and a ghost warrior who wields a bow and arrows that can turn its targets into ghosts. He once won a bet with Ronin and seeks to collect.
Wrayth (voiced by Michael Adamthwaite), a tough ghost warrior who wields a chained whip that can turn its targets into ghosts.
Ghoultar (voiced by Paul Dobson), a dimwitted ghost warrior who wields a scythe. He is often distracted by food.
Bansha (voiced by Kathleen Barr), a ghost sorcerer who wields a double-bladed dagger. She had telepathic powers, the ability to create sonic screams, and can possess targets from a great distance.
Master Kodokuna Yang (voiced by Michael Donovan), the creator of Airjitzu and current guardian of Temple on Haunted Hill. He accidentally turned himself, his temple, and his students into ghosts after arrogantly attempting to use the Yin Blade to gain immortality.

text: Sons of Garmadon[edit]

text:
Princess Harumi (voiced by Britt McKillip), also known as the Jade Princess and the Quiet One. Harumi became the adopted daughter of the Emperor and Empress of Ninjago after the Great Devourer killed her parents. She blamed the Ninja for her parent's deaths and accordingly idolized Garmadon after he defeated the Devourer. She secretly created and led the Sons of Garmadon (a criminal biker gang) to uncover the three Oni Masks in order to resurrect Garmadon and exact revenge on the Ninja. She orchestrated an attack on the royal palace to capture the Second Oni mask which resulted in her adoptive parents' deaths. She gained the Ninja's trust by exploiting their sympathy and pretended to be in love with Lloyd, who promised to protect her from the Sons of Garmadon. Harumi used the Ninja's protection as a cover to locate the whereabouts of the third Oni Mask. Though the Ninja eventually discovered she was the Quiet One, they did not succeed in preventing the resurrection of Lord Garmadon, resulting in the fall of Ninjago. She and the Sons of Garmadon currently rule Ninjago as underlings of Lord Garmadon. She frequently wears the Oni Mask of Hatred as well she becomes Lord Garmadon's daughter of darkness. After saving a family from a collapsing apartment building so they would not suffer the same fate as her, she redeemed herself and died when the building collapsed.
Mr. E (voiced by Brent Miller), the silent and robotic general of the Sons of Garmadon. He frequently wears the Mask of Vengeance but gets destroyed by Emperor Garmadon for failing to catch Lloyd.
Ultra Violet (voiced by Maggie Blue O'Hara), the unhinged general of the Sons of Garmadon. She frequently wears the Mask of Hatred.
Killow (voiced by Garry Chalk), also known as the Big Man. The hulking general of the Sons of Garmadon. He frequently wears the Mask of Deception.

text: Dragon Hunters[edit]

text:
The Iron Baron (voiced by Brian Drummond), the leader of the Dragon Hunters. He wants to get revenge on the Firstbourne but in doing so he gets himself killed by the dragon.
Faith (voiced by Kathleen Barr), also known as Heavy Metal. Iron Baron's second-in-command and original wielder of the Dragonbone Blade. She was the first Hunter to defect upon discovering Wu is a son of the First Spinjitzu Master, destined to look for the Dragon Armor. Following Iron Baron's death, she takes over as leader of the Dragon Hunters.
Muzzle (voiced by Brent Miller), the right hand man to Daddy No Legs. He speaks in a language only the Dragon Hunters can understand.

text: Episodes[edit]

tag: table

text: Release and reception[edit]

text: Broadcast[edit]

text: In the United States, two pilot episodes, later split into four episodes total, were shown on Cartoon Network on January 14, 2011. They were released in Europe on January 24, 2011.[3] The pilot episodes focused on Kai as he goes from being a blacksmith to a Ninja to save his sister, Nya. Due to the popularity of the pilot episodes, the first season was launched from December 2011 – April 2012 alongside a new line of sets marketed as "Rise of the Snakes". The pilot episodes were released on DVD in March 2011, and the first season became available on DVD in Region 1 on June 26, 2012.[4] The series as a whole has an estimated budget of kr 37 million (approximately £4.6 million or US$6.7 million).[5]

text: Due to the positive reception of the pilot, a full series was commissioned and began broadcast in December 2011. The first five episodes of season 1 aired in Canada on November 25. The season once again aired in Canada from January 11, 2012, to April 11, 2012. The first two episodes of season 1 aired in the United States on December 2. The season aired again in the United States from January 11, 2012, to April 11, 2012. Season 1 focused on the four original ninjas (Kai, Jay, Cole and Zane) as they try to find out who will be the Green Ninja.

text: Lego Ninjago was recommissioned for a second season, which premiered on July 18, 2012, to an audience of 2.8 million. Season 2 focused on Lloyd as he trains to become the Green Ninja in order to face his father.

text: In June 2013, Warner Bros. announced that a movie based on the toyline would be made, though it would take a different approach to the TV series. It was written by the Hageman brothers, who also wrote the story for The Lego Movie.[6] It was released on September 22, 2017.

text: A third season, "Rebooted", premiered on January 29, 2014. Season 3 focused on Zane as he and the other Ninja help a designer deal with old enemies, ending with Zane's death.

text: In the United Kingdom, the series premiered on 21 July 2014 on Cartoon Network.[7]

text: Season 4 premiered on February 23, 2015 in North America and Great Britain on Cartoon Network.[8]Season 4 focused on Kai as he and the other Ninja try to find a new and improved Zane on a secluded island, where they participate in a tournament.

text: On June 8, Lego released the trailer for the fifth season, titled "Possession."[9] It premiered on June 29 in the United States. Season 5 focused on Nya during her training to be the Water Ninja while the others fight Wu's first student, who's ghost has possessed Lloyd.

text: Season 6, "Skybound", was released on June 8, 2016. It tells the story of Nadakhan, a djinn, and his pirate crew who are trying to bring Ninjago to the skies. Season 6 focused on Jay as he and the Ninja are framed by a Djinn, who grants each of them three wishes. Jay's last wish erases all the events. [10][11]

text: A Halloween special called "Day of the Departed" was released on October 29, 2016. It focused on the villains of the past return - and Sensei Yang as the mastermind. The special focused on Cole, who is fading from existence.

text: A seventh season, titled "Hands of Time" was released in May 2017. The plot focused on Kai, Nya and their parents, with the main villains being the Elemental Masters of Time (Acronix and Krux) and their army of Vermillion warriors, trying to rewrite history.[12][13]

text: The eight season, "Sons of Garmadon" featured redesigns to closely resemble visually The Lego Ninjago Movie, and was released April 16, 2018 in the US. It focused on the Ninja trying to prevent Garmadon's resurrection, albeit with no good in him, by a criminal organization, the Sons of Garmadon (SoG), via three Oni Masks, but failed.[14]

text: The ninth season, "Hunted", will premiere on June 30, 2018 in Australia. It is the first season where they'll be no focus character due to two separate plot lines. The first trailer, released in Japan confirms that the Elemental Masters will return as part of the resistance.

text: The series has been nominated twice for awards. Peter Hausner was nominated at the 39th Annie Awards for his direction, but lost to Simpsons director Matthew Nastuk. The composers, Michael Kramer and Jay Vincent, were nominated for the BMI TV Music Award, which they won.[15]

text: All episodes feature a theme song called "The Weekend Whip", performed by The Fold, except for Seasons 8 and 9. In each season, the song is remixed.

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: On the whole, the series has been very well received by fans and critics.[needs update?][16]

text: The pilot and episodes received overall positive reception, with people praising the characters, plot, music and overall exciting and new tone brought to this new LEGO theme.

text: The first season received genuinely positive reviews, more so than the pilots. Fans and critics praised the character development, score, pacing, storytelling and fun nature of the series. Mixed reception was aimed towards the annoying nature of the Serpentine, however this was an extremely minor complaint. People continued to praise how unique and surprising this theme continued to be and how well a full LEGO TV-series could work.

text: The second season received high critical acclaim. The first half of the season was not as acclaimed as the second half however, due to the filler nature the first six episodes had to them. The second half of the season continues to be viewed as the best run to come out of the entire franchise. The storytelling, continued character development, score and cinematic tone the second season contained lead to continuous praise and positive reviews. Fans and critics alike felt as if the season was "the perfect way to close off this incredible TV series." While many fans and critics were saddened that the series was supposed to conclude after this season, everyone saw it as "the highest note for the series to go out on."

text: Following the theme's revival in 2014, the third season, much like the second, received high critical acclaim. Fans and critics appreciated the change in tone in introducing technology as the main focus, as well as the season's pacing. The character development and score continued to receive praise, however the airing of the season in which two episodes were released every two months highly irritated majority of fans. The season finale was a high point of critical acclaim, still standing out as one of the series' best episodes. Many praised the season for developing the character of Zane and Garmadon, as well as the introduction of P.I.X.A.L.

text: The fourth season continued to receive high amounts of critical praise. The new characters - mainly Skylor, Chen and Clouse - were major highlights to majority of fans. The Mortal Kombat tone present to the season was highly praised by fans, as well as the character development, tone, music, pacing and focus on Garmadon's character. Fans describe the season as "a major step in the right direction to keep this franchise feeling fresh, fun and exciting." As of 2018, this season is often looked at as either the best or second best season of the entire series. Fans praised the introduction of other Elemental Masters, and often look at this season as Ninjago's biggest step forward into new territory.

text: The fifth season has received mixed to generally positive reception from fans. Critics and fans praise the genuinely darker tone to the season, as well as the characters of Morro and Ronin, as well as Nya's character arc throughout the season. The idea of ghosts and possession was also praised by fans alike. However this season holds the most criticism of any Ninjago season. The Cloud Kingdom, the more somber pacing and crossover with LEGO Legends of Chima were the main points of criticism here. However the season still received mainly positive reviews.

text: The sixth season received much more positive reviews however. Fans and critics commented on how unique the season is and how it stand out from other seasons. The focus on Jay and Nya and the character of Nadakhan are main points of critical praise here, as well as the higher focus on action and character development, with many people commenting on how far Ninjago has come since its beginning in 2011. Much like the fourth season, this season is seen as one of, if not, the most unique season in the Ninjago franchise, and is seen as one of the series' best seasons.

text: The halloween special Day of the Departed received mainly mixed reception. Whilst fans and critics praised the dark tone, recurring old characters and story idea, majority of reception was negative. This is due to the lack of development for Cole, being the focus character, the short and underwhelming action sequences and a disappointing conclusion. An alternate version of the special was released on January 31st, 2017, released for countries such as China. Though produced in Chinese, this version was far more critically applauded than the original, with many addressing how it's overall nature and pacing were "more fun and thrilling" and the fight scenes were "intense and well choreographed".

text: The seventh season also received mainly mixed reception. The introduction of the Elemental Power of Time was well received, as well as the story conclusion of Kai and Nya's parents - Ray and Maya - and the masters of Time themselves, Acronix and Krux. The negative reception was aimed at the more somber and dull tone present throughout the season. The animation of the seventh season was also a high point of criticism. The season finale was a high point of critical praise however. The season is often considered to be the weakest season of the series, just in front the Day of the Departed special and behind the fifth season.

text: The eighth season has received critical acclaim, receiving the most amount of praise since the second season. The animation, more complex storytelling, a deeper yet darker tone, new characters and in-depth character development have been extremely high point of praise so far. Prior to the season premiere however, the redesigning of the Ninja was a strong point of hate within the community. Over time however, said complaints have lowered as fans have adjusted. However, said hatred still exists. Fans and critics have referred to the eighth season as their favourite, with writers Dan and Kevin Hageman themselves called season eight their favourite. The character development of Lloyd, Zane and Cole have been high points of praise, as well as the new characters of Harumi, Mr. E and Ultra Violet. The character of Harumi in particular has been highly praised for having more complex and mature motivations compared to previous Ninjago villains. Her characterization, relationship with Lloyd, and portrayal by Britt McKillip has also been extremely well received.

text: The first trailer for the ninth season has been loved by fans alike so far, with many describing it as "the next perfect step for the series" and "a perfect companion season for the eighth, yet still strong enough to be its own story".

text: Home media[edit]

text: The pilot episodes were released on DVD March 27, 2012.[17][better source needed]

text: Season 1 was released June 26, 2012,[18] and the second season was released on DVD March 5, 2013.[19]

text: In late September 2012, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced that it would be releasing the first part of the second season ("Darkness Shall Rise" to "The Stone Army") under the title Rise of the Green Ninja on November 27, 2012 (though this was later pushed forward to December 11),[20] while the complete second season and the complete series has been released on March 5, 2013.[19]

text: Season 3 was divided into 2 volumes with volume 1 being released on August 5, 2014[21] and volume 2 being released on January 20, 2015.[22]

text: Season 4 was released on July 21, 2015.[23]

text: Season 5 was released on February 16, 2016.[24]

text: Season 6 was released on March 14, 2017, and Day of the Departed was released on February 7, 2017.

text: Season 7 was released on October 6, 2017.