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NINJAGO CITY TRIBUNE Above the fold, October 15
WHERE IS BLUE? Mysterious Ninja's Absence Sparks Public Concern
The Blue Ninja, known to fans as the Master of Lightning, has been notably absent from recent conflicts, appearing in only 3 of the last 12 documented incidents involving the ninja team. While representatives for the ninja cite "other responsibilities," the marked decrease in Blue's public presence has led to speculation about...
[Image: Blurry phone photo of five ninja in action, conspicuous gap in the formation]
@NinjagoNews October 18
JUST IN: Fire and Water Ninja respond to warehouse district Serpentine incident. Earth, Ice, and Green Ninja arrive as backup. Blue Ninja not present. This marks the 5th consecutive incident without Blue's involvement.
💬 2.4K comments | 🔁 8.9K | ❤️ 15K
Top reply: is anyone else worried? like what if he's hurt and they're not telling us
Reply: or what if there's team drama 👀
Reply: yall are so dramatic he probably just has other stuff going on
Reply: yeah but what could be more important than THIS
REDDIT: r/NinjagoTheory October 22 | 15.6K upvotes
[MEGATHREAD] Blue Ninja Absence - Theories & Discussion
u/LightningTracker: Okay so I've been documenting Blue's appearances for the last 9 months and the pattern is clear. He's fading. Look at this chart [image attached]
u/SerpentineSlayer: Could be injured? Long-term recovery?
u/LightningTracker: For NINE MONTHS? That seems extreme.
u/ElementalFan23: What if he's not actually that powerful and the team is covering for him? Like maybe he was always more PR than actual combat?
u/DefendBlue: That's bullshit and you know it. Did you SEE what he did during the Oni invasion?
u/ElementalFan23: Yeah but we haven't SEEN him do anything like that recently have we?
u/NinjaWatcher: conspiracy time: what if he died and they replaced him and that's why "he" never shows up, they can't find a good enough replacement
u/cephalopod_feelings: ...that's the dumbest thing I've ever read
u/TruthSeeker_NC: OR the government has him in custody doing classified work and the "Blue Ninja" we see occasionally is a body double
u/DefendBlue: yall are reading way too much into this. ninja have lives too. maybe he's just busy
u/User_09347875: …maybe “he” is actually a “she” and also maybe in their thirties the ninja have been really good at covering up that one of them is PREGNANT! What if we get a little ninja baby?!
u/DefendBlue: …a puddle is humbled by the depth of your intelligence
u/franklymydeal: okay but also he doesn't have to be a she to be pregnant just saying
u/LightningTracker: anyway here's the updated chart
[+863 more comments]
INSTAGRAM: @NinjaMerch_Official October 25
🔥 NEW DROP ALERT 🔥 Complete your ninja collection!
[Image: Action figures of all six ninja lined up]
Red, Green, Black, White, Silver available NOW! 💙 Blue Ninja - SOLD OUT (Restock date TBD)
❤️ 45K | 💬 3.2K comments
Comments:
@collector_kai: why is Blue ALWAYS sold out
@NinjaMerch_Official: @collector_kai Limited production run due to lower demand
@lightning_fan_01: "lower demand" ok but he's literally sold out so clearly there IS demand??
@merchant_of_ninjago: Scarcity marketing 101. Make him "rare" to drive up value
@blue_defender: or maybe they make less because he's less popular because he's NEVER AROUND
@theory_crafting: or he's not actually real and they're phasing him out slowly so we don't notice
@NinjaMerch_Official: We can assure you all ninja are equally valued! Blue will restock soon! 💙
@lightning_fan_01: you didn't answer the question about why you make less in the first place
[View 2,972 more comments]
TIKTOK: @ninjago_daily October 28 | 2.3M views
[Video: Compilation of recent ninja press conferences, Blue's chair conspicuously empty each time]
Text overlay: "notice anything missing? 👀"
Comments:
@user847392: guys i'm actually concerned what if something happened to him
@ninja_stan: THE EMPTY CHAIR I CANT 😭
@conspiracy_corner: they're HIDING something
@reasonable_person: or maybe he just doesn't like press conferences? not everyone wants to be famous
@media_analysis: notice how they rearrange the chairs each time so the gap isn't as obvious
@ninja_stan: @media_analysis OH MY GOD YOU'RE RIGHT
NINJAGO CITY UNIVERSITY CAMPUS NEWSPAPER November 2
OPINION: The Blue Ninja Phenomenon and Public Accountability By Sarah Chen, Senior Staff Writer
When does a public figure's right to privacy end and the public's right to know begin? The Blue Ninja's prolonged absence raises questions about transparency and accountability in modern heroism...
TWITTER: @NinjaCentralNews November 5
BREAKING: Green Ninja addresses Blue's absence at charity event. "Blue is handling important personal matters. He's fine, just busy. We support him completely." Declines to elaborate.
💬 5.8K | 🔁 12K | ❤️ 28K
Reply chain:
@concerned_citizen: "important personal matters" what does that MEAN
@trust_lloyd: it means it's personal and none of our business???
@news_junkie: they're public figures they don't GET personal matters
@ethics_question: uh yeah they do actually they're still human beings
@suspicious_mind: "personal matters" for NINE MONTHS though
@trust_lloyd: some things take time? family stuff? health stuff? why do we need details?
@news_junkie: because we deserve to know if one of our protectors is compromised
@lightning_loyalist: "compromised" he's a PERSON not a weapon
CAMPUS COFFEE SHOP - OVERHEARD CONVERSATION November 14
"Did you see the ninja fight yesterday?"
"Yeah, on the news. They took down those Stone Warriors pretty fast."
"I didn't even see the blue one. What's his name again?"
"I...actually don't know. Does he have a name?"
"The Blue Ninja? Master of Lightning?"
"No, like, a real name. The others are Kai and Lloyd and—"
"Oh. I don't think they've ever said."
"Weird. I wonder why."
"Maybe he's shy?"
"Or maybe he's hiding something."
"...that got dark fast."
NINJAGO NEWS NETWORK November 14
[Anchor 1]: "And in other news, the annual Ninja Appreciation Ceremony is this Friday. Joining us via satellite is Dareth, PR representative for the ninja team. Dareth, any word on whether the Blue Ninja will be attending this year?"
[Dareth, visibly uncomfortable]: "Blue sends his regrets. He has prior commitments that unfortunately conflict with the ceremony."
[Anchor 2]: "This marks the third year he's missed the ceremony. Can you elaborate on these commitments?"
Dareth: "I'm afraid those are private matters."
[Anchor 1]: "Private matters seem to take up a lot of Blue's time. Is there anything you can share with concerned citizens about his wellbeing?"
Dareth: "Blue is healthy, active, and contributing to the team's mission. Beyond that, I have to respect his privacy."
[Anchor 2]: "Even at the cost of public trust?"
TWITTER TRENDING Nov 17
#WhereIsBlue - 287K tweets
#NinjaTransparency - 156K tweets
#BlueNinja - 89K tweets