Level Thirteen is the third episode of the twelfth season of Ninjago and the 131st episode overall. It aired on March 29, 2020, in Asia, paired up with "Superstar Rockin' Jay". It aired in the US on July 19, 2020, but was released on the Cartoon Network app on July 10.

Synopsis[]

Cyrus Borg discovers a shocking secret about Prime Empire, while the ninja battle an escaped Mechanic in their attempt to reach Level Thirteen and enter the game themselves.^[1]

Extended: More and more people are disappearing in Ninjago City, while the ninja scramble to unlock the secrets of the Prime Empire arcade game. They decide to take the game to Cyrus Borg, hoping he can help them decode the programming and release all the players who have been taken (including Jay). Meanwhile, the Mechanic and his henchmen are resting in Kryptarium Prison when the jail's security systems begin acting up. Unagami hacks the security system and releases the prisoners, ordering them to get the Prime Empire arcade game back from the ninja. Mechanic, Ultra Violet and Captain Soto escape, rush to Borg Tower and begin their assault, fighting their way past the building's security systems to reach the 100th floor. Borg tells the ninja that there is only one way to release the trapped players - by stopping Unagami. Cole plays the arcade game and tries to reach Level Thirteen.^[2]

Plot[]

Fred Finely is reporting live about gamers mysteriously disappearing after reaching level thirteen on Prime Empire. To combat the loss, police started removing arcade cabinets from Benny's Arcade Emporium much to Benny's dislike since he was making a huge profit off the games.

Meanwhile, at Kryptarium Prison, Warden Noble is passing by all the cells and taunts the Mechanic for his return. However, the Mechanic whispers about change in the air which ends up coming true when Unagami hacks into the security system of Kryptarium Prison, allowing all of the prisoners to be free. Ultra Violet and Captain Soto are about to leave with the other inmates, but the Mechanic encourages most of the convicts to work with him, for they would be rewarded by Unagami if they succeeded. Fugi-Dove volunteers to join, but the Mechanic turns him down.

Back at Ninjago City, the ninja head to Borg Tower to check on the diagnostics Cyrus Borg ran on the arcade cabinet recovered from The Mechanic's headquarters. Borg compliments the complex code of Prime Empire and Kai responds by telling Borg that Milton Dyer had a better security system on his island which included robot dogs. Borg briefs the ninja about Prime Empire saying that Jay and over eight-hundred players are trapped inside the virtual world and the game is controlled by Unagami, to their horror. Borg gives them two options: find Milton Dyer in the real world, who everyone assumes is operating Unagami, or enter the Prime Empire and destroy Unagami. In addition, Borg also reveals that Zane and P.I.X.A.L. should not enter the game or else their programming could be changed, something that causes them to decide to stay behind. With the plan set, Cole starts playing Prime Empire.

Concurrently, all of the escaped detainees who decided to help arrive at Borg Tower. The Mechanic informs everyone that they must search the entire building to find the arcade cabinet which causes Ultra Violet to criticize the Mechanic for not bringing Fugi-Dove, as he could make the task easier. At the same time, Fugi-Dove is walking down the streets of Ninjago City in style despite the awkward looks he got from a couple of people.

The Mechanic and the inmates begin their invasion as they quickly rushed Borg Tower while tying up two officers. They all make it inside an elevator, but a snapshot is taken by a droid. This catches the attention of the ninja and Borg who question how the prisoners escaped. The ninja want to fight the escaped captives, yet Borg refuses to let them leave citing his new security system could mistake the ninja for the enemies. The ninja still want to fight, still, Borg tells them to fight the enemies of Prime Empire. They check back on Cole; however, he's having a hard time choosing an avatar.

In an effort to slow down the prisoners, Borg shuts down the elevator, so the prisoners head for the stairs. Borg then activates his Nindroid Sentries, but the Mechanic's team easily defeats them. Then they get past the invisible lasers after the Mechanic tracked the droids movement, which Soto also criticized the Mechanic for not bringing Fugi-Dove, who is feeding pigeons and a chicken. In addition, they get pass a fake brick wall and stairs that turn into a ramp.

While Cole is playing the video game, while the rest of the ninja fought the prisoners. During the fight, Lloyd questions why the Mechanic is working for Unagami, and the Mechanic replies by talking about a new revolution and being his number two when it happens. Cole then reaches level thirteen and the portal opens. Kai, Lloyd, Nya, and Cole are able to enter the game while Zane, Borg, and P.I.X.A.L. evacuate the tower. On the other hand, the Mechanic tries to play the game, but cannot for some reason to his anger.

Aboard Borg's helicopter, P.I.X.A.L. worries over the Mechanic holding the original game but Zane is not, as he revealed took the Prime Empire motherboard with him after Cole went through.

In the meantime, the trapped ninja marvel after entering Prime Empire. While they marvel after entering, an aerial drone passes by in the air.

Appearances[]

Characters[]

Cast[]

• Benny - Andrew Francis
• Cole - Kirby Morrow
• Cyrus Borg - Lee Tockar
• Elevator Voice - Sharon Alexander
• Fred Finely - Bill Newton
• Fugi-Dove - Adrian Petriw
• Game Voice - Mark Hildreth
• Kai - Vincent Tong
• Lloyd Garmadon - Sam Vincent
• Noble - Paul Dobson
• Nya - Kelly Metzger
• P.I.X.A.L. - Jennifer Hayward
• Soto - Alan Marriott (uncredited)
• The Mechanic - Michael Antonakos
• Ultra Violet - Sharon Alexander
• Unagami - Dean Redman
• Zane - Brent Miller

Non-speaking[]

• Adventure-Ready Woman
• Joey
• Old Guard
• Whack Rats

Miscellaneous[]

• Ed (TV screen)
• Lou (TV screen)
• Red Visors (pixelated)
• Skales (TV screen)
• Slithraa (TV screen)
• Sushimi (pixelated)
• The Royal Blacksmiths (TV screen)

Mentioned[]

• Jay
• Milton Dyer

Events[]

• Take Back Ninjago (TV screen)

Items[]

• Arcade cabinets
  • Original Prime Empire arcade cabinet
• Gis
  • Armor
  • Mountain climber (Cole; TV screen)
• Prime Empire motherboard
• Robo-arm
• Robot dogs (mentioned)

Vehicles[]

• Cyrus Borg's private helicopter

Locations[]

• Ninjago (realm)
  • Ninjago
    • Hypnobrai Tomb (TV screen)
    • Tallest mountain of Ninjago (TV screen)
    • Ninjago City
      • Borg Tower
      • Benny's Arcade Emporium
      • Ninjago News Center
      • The Mechanic's headquarters (mentioned)
    • Kryptarium Prison
    • Sea of Sand
      • Ed & Edna's Scrap N Junk (TV screen)
  • Dyer Island (mentioned)
• Prime Empire
  • Terra Karana (pixelated)
    • Forest of Discontent
  • Terra Technica
    • Marketplace
      • Weapon Shop
      • Key-Tana Stall (pixelated)
  • Terra Domina (pixelated)
    • Temple of Madness
• Digiverse (mentioned)

Species[]

• Chickens
• Humans
• Nindroids
• NPCs
• Oni/Dragon/Human hybrids
• Pigeons

Transcript[]

For the transcript of the episode, click here.

Trivia[]

• Narrator: Cole
• Several TV screens in Borg Tower feature scenes from the Pilot episodes and the first season, such as Cole's flashback from "The Golden Weapon," the Romance film and Skales duel against Slithraa from "Home," Ed working in the Junkyard from "Snakebit" and the Royal Blacksmiths performing in "Day of the Great Devourer."

Cultural references[]

• Fugi-Dove walks down the street in a similar manner to Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Spider-Man 3, even making similar hand movements. Similar music plays in the scene as well.
  • According to Tommy Andreasen, this was the animators' idea, as "The original scene in the script had FugiDove in a bathtub playing with a rubber duckie. But executing the cut-away this way would require no new assets to be created."^[3]

Continuity[]

• Soto, the Mechanic, Ultra Violet, and Fugi-Dove escape Kryptarium Prison in this episode.
• The ninja split up into two teams in this episode with Lloyd, Cole, Kai, and Nya traveling to Prime Empire, while Zane and P.I.X.A.L. stay behind to look for Milton Dyer.
• This episode marks some firsts for a few characters:
  • This is Cyrus Borg's first appearance since "Endings" and his first speaking role since "Lost in Time."
  • The Nindroid Sentries make their first appearance since "Public Enemy Number One."
  • Captain Soto's first speaking role since "The Way Back."
• Cole's Digi suit made a cameo when Cole was selecting the clothes for his avatar, though the suit was lacking gloves.
• The newspaper Fugi-Dove reads, upside down, is the newspaper on Zane's whereabouts in "The Absolute Worst."

Errors[]

• On Netflix, it states that Kai narrates the title in the subtitles though Cole actually read it.
• Alan Marriott was not credited for voicing Captain Soto in the credits.

Video[]

LEGO Ninjago Masters of Spinjitzu S2E03 Level Thirteen Cartoon Network

Ninjago - Stealing the Prime Empire Disc - Cartoon Network UK

Gallery[]

For the gallery of the episode, click here.

Translations[]

References[]