Family[]
Wu[]
Lloyd Garmadon[]
The growing and complicated father son relationship between Garmadon and Lloyd.
Lloyd is Garmadon's son and only child. According to Misako, Lloyd’s birth was a miracle and a blessing for Garmadon, as he was the proudest and happiest with his son. However, despite Garmadon’s love for his son, he was banished to the Underworld by Wu after posing a threat with stealing the Golden Weapons. Despite little to no memory of his father, Lloyd initially sought to be like him at every turn. However, their relationship changes throughout the series, with Garmadon’s greatest wish being to one day earn his son's forgiveness.
After Garmadon's resurrection, Lloyd started referring to Garmadon as "Father" more often than "Dad," symbolizing how distant they've become.
As time went on, Garmadon regretted how he treated Lloyd during the Oni trilogy and still sought to redeem their relationship. After saving the Two Moon Village, he realized he wanted true redemption and to right his wrongs to the people he formerly repressed. Taking a vow to non-violence, he seemed quite content with life in Vinny's apartment but developed a strange obsession with a plant he nicknamed Christofern. Eventually, Nya realized that his obsession with the plant and his need to fix it was merely a metaphor for his Garmadon wanting to mend his father-and-son relationship with Lloyd. The two would eventually reconcile after the Battle of Ninjago City, fixing the Monastery together.
Romance[]
Misako Garmadon[]
Allies[]
Ninja[]
Cole[]
Cole and Garmadon didn't interact much in the series until he became the Ninja's secondary mentor in Wu's absence. In "The Green Ninja," Garmadon started staying with the Ninja. Cole still got irritated with having to share an entire household with Garmadon, especially since he made it hard to live with.
In the series finale of Season 1, Cole reluctantly gave up his Scythe of Quakes so Garmadon could wield all four of the golden weapons and kill the Great Devourer.
Nya[]
Garmadon ordered his skeleton army to capture Nya so he could have an advantage over Kai. He held her captive until she proved useless after he acquired the Sword of Fire. The Ninja were able to temporarily defeat Garmadon, who recalled that the Ninja needed their master, and his brother, to rescue them. In "The Green Ninja," unlike her brother, Kai, and friends, Nya seemed more comfortable with Garmadon around, reasoning that he was Wu’s brother and that he still held a place in their sensei’s heart despite them being on opposite sides. As Garmadon continued staying with the Ninja, Nya got irritated with him crashing a movie night date she was having with Jay by changing the channel.
One day, Kai started eavesdropping on Wu and Nya, Garmadon scolded him for spying on Wu's brother and Nya's sister. Once Wu and Nya exited their room, Garmadon informed Nya that her brother had been watching her. She confessed that she didn't want to be the Green Ninja or a ninja at all because Kai's obsession leads him to make bad choices. In a moment of poor judgment, Kai attacked Garmadon fiercely after witnessing him take the Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu. However, Wu simply instructed his brother to retrieve the weapons and suggested that it might be better if Kai never achieved his full potential, as he attacked Garmadon thoughtlessly, which could seriously injure someone. Nya was shocked to see how obsessed her brother was becoming with being the Green Ninja, to the point of engaging Garmadon in a pointless fight. Nya assisted Garmadon, referring to him as a 'poor thing,' which Garmadon seemed to enjoy, having manipulated the situation and taking it as a win to see Nya momentarily turn against her brother.
After Garmadon returned from the dead, Nya tolerated him at best in Season 10 and Season 15 because he was her sensei's brother and Lloyd's father.
In Season 15, Nya, like Jay, Kai, Zane, and Cole, was annoyed by how Garmadon was teaching Lloyd, with Jay calling the old master out on his terrible teaching methods, because Lloyd was trying his best. After Wu thought of a way to defeat the Overlord with a Dragon Form if Lloyd never mastered his Oni form, Lloyd abandoned his father's lessons.
In "Brave But Foolish," Garmadon started talking to his plant, saying that he hoped he could raise it because it was the only green thing he had in his life. Garmadon hoped that it would one day forgive him. Nya asked if he was talking about the plant, and Garmadon quickly (and embarrassingly) clarified he was. However, Nya realized that his obsession with the plant and his need to fix it was merely a metaphor for his desire to mend his father-son relationship with Lloyd. She told him that his plant was something that was tough to get rid of, as her mother is a horrible gardener, and even Christofern's plant species can't be destroyed in Maya's wreckage. Nya told Garmadon that he just needed to give it water, so it would grow.
Kai[]
Kai and Garmadon were immediate enemies when Garmadon ordered his skeleton army to capture Kai's sister, Nya, so he could have an advantage over Kai. He held her captive until she proved useless after he acquired the Sword of Fire. He hallucinated that Nya lured Kai to him, telling him to get the Sword of Fire in exchange for his sister.
The Ninja were able to temporarily defeat Garmadon, who recalled that the Ninja needed their master, and his brother to rescue them.
In "The Green Ninja," Kai gestured to Garmadon that he was watching him while he was on board, much to Nya's frustration. She dragged Kai away from the room before he did something he would regret.
As Garmadon continued staying with the Ninja, Kai hated that their new roommate was the Lord of Darkness.
After Kai overheard a conversation between Wu and Nya, Garmadon caught him and began to reprimand him. Once Wu and Nya left the room, Garmadon informed Nya that her brother had been spying on her. Nya confessed that she didn’t want to be the Green Ninja or a ninja at all because Kai’s obsession often leads him to make poor decisions. In a moment of misguided judgment, Kai attacked Garmadon furiously, believing he was trying to steal the Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu. However, Wu clarified that he had sent his brother to retrieve the weapons. He suggested that it might be better if Kai never reached his true potential, as his impulsive attack on Garmadon could seriously harm someone. Garmadon seemed to take pleasure in making a fool of Kai, allowing himself to be defeated. He had manipulated the situation to his advantage, particularly enjoying the moment when Nya turned against her brother, even if it was just temporarily.
However, during the mission to the Fire Temple, Kai saved Garmadon's beloved son, Lloyd, from the volcano. Garmadon genuinely thanked Kai for saving his son, thus earning the dark lord's begrudging respect. After Lloyd was revealed to be the Green Ninja, however, Kai was sad to see that Lloyd would have to fight his own father.
After Garmadon's blood was purified of the Great Devourer's influence, Kai told his friends to give Lloyd, Misako, and Garmadon a moment because they all deserved it.
At the end of the fourth season, Kai honored Garmadon's sacrifice after he willingly traded places with the Anacondrai Generals. He told the Ninja they would continue fighting in Garmadon's honor. He also promised to look after Lloyd after he lost his father, as Kai also empathized with the loss of a parent.
When the two were reunited in Season 15, Kai readied to attack Garmadon when he showed himself at the Samurai X cave. Also, like Nya, Jay, Zane, and Cole, Kai was annoyed by how Garmadon was teaching Lloyd because Lloyd was trying his best. After Wu thought of a way to defeat the Overlord with a Dragon Form if Lloyd never mastered his Oni form, Jay laughed, saying it beat that over "stupid Oni form," causing Garmadon to glare at Jay, who simply laughed nervously at seeing the Dark Lord's snare.
Jay Walker[]
In Season 3, Jay noted how Garmadon dressed now that he was human again. However, Garmadon overheard Jay, so he hit him over the head with his staff. As Garmadon became a second teacher to the Ninja, he was more direct in his training methods, unlike his brother Wu's teachings. Upon seeing the Techno Blades, Garmadon started stressing out about his monastery being a weapons-free zone. However, Jay assured him they weren't weapons and could help reboot P.I.X.A.L.
In Season 4, Jay stated that "Speed" was not an element, causing Garmadon to sarcastically remark that neither was Lightning. Cole was amused by this and laughed at Jay for being owned by Garmadon's statement. Later, when Garmadon was under the spell of the Anacondrai, Jay yelled at Garmadon, telling him to pick a body, between a serpentine, a human, and a guy with four arms.
Later, Jay honored Garmadon's sacrifice after he willingly traded places with the Anacondrai Generals.
Jay was annoyed by how Garmadon was teaching Lloyd, with Jay calling the old master out on his terrible teaching methods, because Lloyd was trying his best. After Wu thought of a way to defeat the Overlord with a Dragon Form if Lloyd never mastered his Oni form, Jay laughed, saying it beat that over "stupid Oni form," causing Garmadon to glare at Jay, who simply laughed hed nervously at seeing the Dark Lord's snare.