Lego’s “Ninjago Legends: Duskfall” anime-style shorts are premiering in Korea this weekend ahead of a worldwide release on the Lego Group’s YouTube channel. The three interconnected shorts, each three minutes long, premiered Friday at a “Ninjago Legends: Duskfall” fan event at the Park Mall Yongsan in Seoul. They hit the platform on Saturday, Sept. 19.
The shorts bring back familiar voices from the original “Ninjago” show and “Ninjago Dragons Rising.” They also mark the fifteenth anniversary of the franchise, offering fans who grew up with the show a chance to see the characters in a new style.
Shorts, Directors and Their Titles
The series consists of three shorts, each with its own title and director lineup. Here is how they break down:
- “The End Begins,” directed by David Cazeaux and Charles Lefebvre
- “Terminus,” directed again by Cazeaux and Lefebvre
- “Epilogue,” directed by Cazeaux, Lefebvre and Hugo Cierzniak
The shorts are short by design. Three minutes each means the series is a quick watch, though the interconnected titles suggest a larger arc than the runtime would imply on its own.
“Save the Elementals, I’m coming.”
That line comes from the trailer, which opens with a female voice asking Kai to promise he will walk away if he makes it out alive. The trailer then cuts to action before Kai, in his red ninja outfit, delivers the line above. The female voice responds with a warning about what they are fighting now: “We’re not fighting demons or monsters anymore, they call us warriors. Protectors. Ninja.”
The Voices Behind the Show
Several original cast members return for the shorts. Andrew Francis reprises his role as Cole alongside Kelly Metzger as Nya and Vincent Tong as Kai. Brian Drummond returns as Diviner and Runt. Adrian Petriw returns as Scott. Sabrina Pitre, the voice of Sora in “Dragons Rising,” appears as a reporter.
The returning cast gives the shorts a sense of continuity.
What the Shorts Mark
“Ninjago Legends: Duskfall” is created to mark the fifteenth anniversary of the “Ninjago” franchise. The shorts offer fans who’ve grown up with the show an opportunity to watch the characters in a new way, with many hoping the anime-style shorts will be expanded into a full series.
The shorts are described as anime-style, which suggests a distinct visual approach for the franchise. Whether that style translates to a full series remains to be seen.
The Trailer’s Opening Line
The trailer opens with a female voice delivering a line that sets the tone for the shorts. She asks Kai to promise he will walk away if he makes it out alive. That line is a classic setup for a story about leaving behind danger.
The trailer then cuts to plenty of action before Kai delivers his own line about saving the Elementals. The female voice’s response about warriors and protectors suggests a shift in what the characters face. They are no longer fighting demons or monsters, she says — they are fighting something else entirely.
The Premiere in Seoul
The premiere took place at the Park Mall Yongsan in Seoul, South Korea. The shorts will be released on the Lego Group’s YouTube channel on Saturday, Sept. 19. That means viewers outside Korea will have to wait until then to see the full series.
A Small Package With a Big Name
Three shorts, three minutes each, two directors, three titles — it’s a small package of spectacle with a name like “Duskfall” attached to it. The shorts are a way to keep the audience engaged between larger releases. They are also a way to test the appetite for a new visual direction.
Whether the shorts lead to a full series is an open question. Many hope they do. For now, the shorts exist as a marker of where the franchise has been and where it might go next.
The shorts are a reminder that even a fifteen-year-old franchise can still surprise its audience. The fifteenth anniversary is a milestone, and the shorts are a fitting way to mark it.
See the video the story is built around at Variety.
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