Lloyd II

screenshot redraw of one of my fav Kai moments the screen shot ↓

I think that probably the most realistic scene in Crystalized is the fight between Jay and Kai.

They're both stressed out. They're both grieving. They're both trying to cope, just in a different way, and sometimes, grief can get the best of us.

But I'm actually surprised that Kai hadn't snapped sooner. Because Nya, the reason he joined the ninja in the first place, Nya, his sister who he basically raised, his family – is dead.

And Jay has the audacity to act as if no one else cared that she was gone. As if he was the only one affected.

Kai is trying to hold it together. He's trying to move on, because he knows he can't change what Nya has done. And he knows that Jay is grieving too and he does his best to not blame him.

Yes, he accidentally knocked the glass of water, but he instantly apologized for that, knowing what it means to Jay.

In other words, I'm on Kai's side on this one. I think that he had every right to point out Jay's bullshit. He should have done it sooner.

what if ninjago just renamed all fire hazard signs to kai hazard ones

I don't think so either Zane

Sibling judgment

[Cole, Ray, and Kai hanging out in the kitchen]

Kai: oh hold up let me get you a plate

(Climbs on the counter like a five year old)

Cole: Kai?

Kai frustrated because he still can’t reach: what?

Cole: you want some help?

Kai: shut up cole I can do it myself dickhead

Ray: Haha wow kid I didn’t think you’d come out this short. Wonder we’re you got that from? Your mom and I are pretty tall.

Kai: Well yeah that’s what malnutrition will do to you

-heavy silence-

-Rays face of horror and realization-

Cole barely holding back laughter: kai what did you just say?

Kai: Malnourishment is a bitch.

Kai getting off the counter: haha! Finally! Stupid plate-

Turns around to see Ray face and Cole laughing his ass off

Kai: uh? Did I miss something?

Yes I am in love with this thought process guys

For the longest time I've been like "huh, it's kinda weird how Zane has these visions and it's never elaborated on, it's just a cute little quirk." I just feel like that's something that would've been explained by now??? But then I realized, maybe that's just part of him being the master of ice? Like, Cole has super strength, Jay had super speed in the pilots. Also there were the future reflections in the Ice Labyrinth? The place full of ice that's also connected to the FSM showed people their futures??? So maybe that's just what the element of ice does. (Now why ice and the future...idk? Like I see the connection that rocks are strong/you need strength to move rocks, and lightning is fast, but ice and the future??? Because ice can be reflective and it can save things for the future? Maybe???)

But then this raises the question: what's Kai's extra little power? If Cole has super strength, and Jay has (forgotten) super speed, and Zane has prophetic visions, what does Kai get?

Yes yes yes i know big great crystalized just dropped and everyone’s worked up about it but look at this

WHY DIDN’T FIRE CHAPTER GO LIKE THIS

THIS LOOKS SO COOL

Like imagine the ninja somehow losing Kai in the pyramid and thinking he’s dead

But him getting lucky and surviving, waking up, seeing all this chaos and kinda just assuming that the others are dead

And the main fire chapter plot being about Kai going on this solo adventure, living in his car, fighting Pyro Vipers all over Ninjago, mourning his friends’ “deaths” and being realllly depressed, kinda like Lloyd in S9

While the ninja are fighting Aspheera in Ninjago City and mourning Kai

There are a lot of details to figure out, but come on, this would’ve worked

Art by Matt Betteker

Kai Version: Isn't it so incredibly interesting how both smith siblings handled their trauma in drastically different ways?

Kai  has low self esteem/self worth (depends on people, powers, and statements to determine his value), constantly needs to prove himself, and is immensely dependent on external validation (his obsession social media is a prime example of this). He invalidates himself, dismissing his emotions/feelings, and needs regular reassurance (tendency to blame out-of-control situations on himself, likely derived from the mindset that his parents purposely left him because he wasn't good enough, and i’ll bet my soul he stayed awake  nights wondering that if nya was firstborn, would his parents still leave?) .

His fear of being useless is also likely derived from that same mindset and as such he portrays himself through a cocky/prideful ‘persona’. This is false portrayal of himself, simply to appear stronger in the eyes of others, because if others think he’s of value they won’t leave him, because with or without this ‘mask’ not even he knows who is truly is.

He tends to dissociate during emotionally intense/overwhelming situations, or go into a state shock/confusion. He developed unhealthy coping mechanisms (violently self destructive) with situations regarding loss and grief. All of these things are results of and/or mechanisms he developed from his childhood trauma.

but. despite everything i’ve written above.  he loves nya. raised her. protects/supports her. took lloyd under his wing. he loves lloyd. throws heaps of physical affection towards cole. he loves cole. accepted jay as a brother in law, was so supportive of jaya and helped jay in proposing. he loves jay. makes things fun for zane, reassures him. he loves zane. showed master wu to believe in himself. he loves wu. he loves his entire team and expresses it in ways that value each of them individually. he makes friends with dragons. he loves dragons. he taught/worked with kids. he loves kids. despite what the disappearance of his parents did to him and nya, despite nya’s refusal to show her parents love (valid, btw) kai loved maya. he loved ray.  he loved his parents all over again, he loved his parents again so easily. he loved and loves and keeps loving.

trauma gave him self-destructive mechanisms. trauma instilled insecurity in him. trauma took away his sense of self worth. trauma emptied him of self-love. trauma stole his sense of identity. but kai held on to the ability to protect others, to care for others, to help others. he held them close to his chest. because like hell he’d let his trauma take that.

kai refused to let trauma strip his ability to love. his ability to love is unmatched.

Inspired by this post:

https://sugarglider-s.tumblr.com/post/692022087001473024/every-single-day-of-my-life-i-think-about-how-kai

raging over the fact ninjago is ending without giving us major rgb plot content