LEGO Ninjaga 70751 User manual

70751

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TEMPLE OF AIRJITZU
This is the place where Sensi Yang invented the lost art
of Airjitzu. Sensei Yang had been training most of his
life to master this airborne style of fighting, but once he
finally did, he had become a very old man. He decided
to pass on his legacy and started accepting students. In
the beginning he was a respected and admired master,
and students even raised a statue in front of the temple
in his honor. But knowing his time was coming to an end,
he became impatient and was very hard on students
who failed to live up to his strict code of discipline and
unusual training methods. Locking up his students in the
attic to give them time to reflect on why they failed in an
Airjitzu training session, was common practice.
Very little is known of what went on behind the temple
walls, but the fact that none of his students ever left
the temple gave rise to much speculation, legend and
rumors. Master Yang became known as ‘The Sensei
without Students’ and people made sure to keep their
distance from the temple.
It is now believed that the ghost of
Sensei Yang haunts the temple and
anyone who enters and does not exit
again before sunlight will themselves
become a ghost. Over the years the
temple has fallen into disrepair and
has become a popular tourist site.
That was the grim history of the Temple of Airjitzu …
but what does the future hold for it? You will have to
make up your own story or keep following the story of
Ninjago. It would be a pretty cool headquarters for the
Ninja, wouldn’t it?!

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Temple of AIRJITZU
Little is known about the origin of this historic
location in Ninjago. No-one knows who built it
and when, but it has been around since the edo-
period, though many suspect that it is much older
than that and once was the dojo of the First
Spinjitzu Master.
NINJAGO CITY
The biggest city in all of Ninjago. It has seen its
share of action and was the main site of attacks
from the Great Devourer, the Overlord, the Stone
Warriors, evil Nindroids and the Golden Master.
But Ninjago city has always prevailed and though
the city has seen much conflict, destruction and
transformation, the citizens are still
honest, hardworking people.
THE WAILING ALPS
Home to the highest and coldest peaks in Ninjago.
The chilling winds that rush this mountain range
make a distinct and frightening sound. The Wailing
Alps is the location of the Hybnobrai tomb, and a
huge tornado, called the Blind Man’s Eye, that rages
through the area is said to be a passageway to
another realm.

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DESIGN PROCESS
The model, close to its final version as we know it.
The symmetrical layout started to take shape and
the different height buildings made for an interesting
outline. You can tell there’s a focal point where the
statue is in the middle of the fountain and the sides
extend to fit the two extra buildings. I really get
attached to small details such as the tree shade on
the rooftop of the blacksmith, so I ended up adding
dried leaves to get a similar effect.
Rough quick
sketches
which helped
me get
comfortable
with the
difficult to
build shapes
that oriental
buildings are
so full of.
The smuggler’s market has mostly stayed untouched
with its open structure, the difficult part was
deciding on a roof style. The garage door segments
allowed me at least two options of soft shapes to
reflect the symbolic style. In the end the more
recognizable and intricate double roof was chosen.
Details were added over time, such as the fishing
rods, crates and a pathway. I am very fond of the
two chickens that took up residence in the vicinity,
probably lured in by the smell of baguettes.

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DESIGN FACTS
A very modest looking house
which, in the early days of
development, set the tone of
voice all the way to the final
version. At this point I knew
I wanted to include at least
one building that had an
interesting wooden structure
within its walls. This came to
life in the blue blacksmith.
Early on in the process of designing I was inspired by the freedom a model
this size has to offer. Detailed cliffs and wild trees were things I’ve always
wanted to build as part of a model. The cliff went down in size and was
replaced by the Pagoda-inspired structure. In this early sketch the direction
was different and I wanted to throw in some references to Darkley’s
Boarding School For Bad Boys and the Ninjago City Museum, although it
made little sense for these to stand side by side.

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AN INTERVEIW WIth The DesIGNERS
Can you explain a little about the process of designing the
Temple of Airjitzu model?
Sure! When I started working on the Temple of Airjitzu I
had already been working on all things Ninjago for more
than four years, so you could say I was very familiar with
the universe, the tone of voice and of course our team
of Ninja. We have been equipping our Ninja with state-
of-the-art vehicles, glorious dragons and frightening
enemies year after year, but we felt they’ve been
missing something to give context. A chance to build
a large model came up and my mind was made up on
the direction from the start. I could finally use all the
bits and builds I have been keeping in boxes around
my desk. Ultimately, the model still reflects a strong
Ninjago fantasy-inspired look, with some features that
might not be based on reality.
How did you get the inspiration for this set?
It’s difficult not to be inspired when digging up
references on Asian architecture. The main idea for
the model and the layout was to provide our main
characters with an environment where they could
take a break from saving the land of Ninjago. The
centerpiece pagoda is luxurious and intricate while the
blacksmith’s shop has a humble feel to it. The contrast
is clear in the differences between the buildings such
as the color, roof styles, windows, and the purpose
they serve. Too much contrast can cause confusion so
I set up the base layout to be visually symmetrical with
the fountain serving as the center.
What were some of the challenges you faced?
Knowing when to stop! The village had the potential
to grow in so many different directions, but it was
important to represent the essentials. The idea of
the shadow theater came later in the
process, which meant that it had

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to be thought out efficiently and as quickly as
possible. Determining how to cast the shadows
on the foil screen was a complicated process. Some
of the early versions had overlapping elements
that created interesting shapes and even dragons
with the light-brick turned on. One version involved
more movement but turned out to be too finicky.
Another challenge with the theater was building the
mechanism that activates the turntable and light-brick
simultaneously, since we can’t allow the light to be
triggered constantly as it would run down the battery.
Challenges like these are fun at the end of the day
when it all comes together and works as it should.
What’s your favorite part of the model?
It’s tricky to pinpoint one favorite part, but I am
definitely happy with the visual effect of the shadow
play, as it’s the first feature of this kind to be added
in a model. I have found myself staring at it as if it’s
telling an old folk tale with its minimal language.
What was the toughest part of the model to design?
The temple (pagoda) has proven to be the trickiest.
The unique layout it has, being situated in the corner,
came with unexpected surprises. Each level had to
be different in width because the first floor has a
passage on the outside which means the walls had
to be pushed in, and they would pop out by a stud on
the next floor only to be narrowed down again on the
last floor. The smooth curves of the roofs that have to fit
with the rigid base shape of the building were a tough
challenge from day one. The temple roof layout was
built very differently at first, using tiny ball-joints to get
the angles just right. It looked nice, but was needlessly
complex.
Tell us a little about how you came to work at the LEGO
Group.
I graduated with a degree in Industrial Design and have
been putting LEGO bricks together since 2010. My very
first models were designed for Ninjago. I was happy
to discover that the people who were interested in
hiring me had known about my models that I had been
building with LEGO bricks in my spare time as an AFOL.
What’s your favorite LEGO Ninjago set?
The Fire Temple still holds a special place in my heart,
and a close second would be the second Destiny’s
Bounty. I tend to get drawn in by ridiculous features that
seem to be the signature of so many
Ninjago sets.

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CHARACTER OVERVIEW
NINJA
KAI JAY ZANE
COLE LLOYD NYA WU
Although any one ninja is
powerful, as a team they
are almost unstoppable.
The Ninja help each other,
support each other, and
in battle they are always
watching each other’s
backs. While they have
their share of arguments,
each one will risk
anything for his friends
and the team.

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The Postman
CLAIRE
MISAKO
DARETH
JESPER
The hardest working
man in Ninjago. A
former post office
worker, this postman
decided as he
reached retirement
age that he needed
to get more fresh air
and exercise. He
started delivering the
mail (and packages
with new ninja outfits)
himself, but alas he had
not taken into account how
dangerous Ninjago could be.So, he
developed a wide variety of strange
vehicles to help him get the mail out
to even the most remote locations.
Employed to make
Yang’s haunted
temple into a pristine
tourist attraction, he
unfortunately hasn’t
been doing a very
good job. It’s difficult
to take care of a
haunted temple when
you’re afraid of ghosts.
He is a very skilled
landscaper and gardener
but his fear keeps him
at a distance, and the grounds far from
the temple are much better kept than the
temple itself. But if the temple is one day
cleared from its ghoulish reputation, he will
undoubtedly do a great job. Until then, it’s
good that he has his daughter…
The polar opposite of her
father, she hangs around
the temple all the time, not
afraid to do some
repairs and whatever
else her father is
too frightened to do.
In fact, she LOVES
ghost stories, and in
secret she spends as
much time as she can
investigating the haunted
temple. She knows every
nook and cranny, and has
pretty much unraveled all the mysteries
and dark secrets of the temple… But she
keeps them to herself because she
doesn’t want to scare anybody. Especially
her father.
Misako is an
archaeologist
for the Ninjago
Museum of History
and Lloyd’s mother.
Her commitment
to her research,
particularly in figuring
out how to prevent the
prophecy of the Green
Ninja, kept her away from
Lloyd throughout much
of his life. Her knowledge
and expertise become key
to the Ninja’s epic journey.
Dareth is the
owner of a small
dojo called Grand
Sensei Dareth’s Mojo
Dojo, where he teaches
a small group of
students. Dareth is a
laid-back teacher,
but a little full of
himself, and tries to
prove that he’s good
enough to be one of the
Ninja, though he fails
miserably. Nonetheless,
Dareth remains a devoted
teacher and friend to the Ninja.

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Shadow THEATER
v
The Shadow Theater in the model tells a story that is simple
enough to be interpreted in many different ways. The
silhouettes might even be spirits trapped under the temple,
forever reliving their moment of glory… learning how to master
the secrets of Airjitzu in an epic fight. But was it their last fight?
The snake, for me, represents the Great Devourer, the ultimate
baddie in the year of the snake, and one of the most impactful
villains in the Ninjago universe. The mini Great Devourer could
be sneaking in for a bite, and spinning in circles is the best
way to defend against the venomous fiend. If you try moving
the snake closer to the light-brick the shadow will grow, and
you can recreate a scene of Garmadon and his brother, Wu,
fending off their powerful foe.

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THEATER FACTS
It was through a coincidence that I came up with the Shadow
Theater. It just so happened that the Temple of Airjitzu was
being designed at the same time I stumbled upon this
alternate use of the light-brick, so I knew I had to add this
fun new function to the model. The use of shadows can be
very symbolic, and it seemed like a perfect fit in the context
of Ninjago. It’s also an exciting new way of using the light-
brick, since its 2x3 size can make it a bit clumsy to fit into
certain models.
In the days designing the theater and the mechanics behind
it, I started playing around with different elements that had
interesting effects, such as transparency or odd pieces
that projected different kinds of shadows. Once I decided
on using the tiny yet adorable trophy figure to represent
the characters, the next step was adding movement. A
fun challenge was linking the functions together, giving it
this old-time kinetoscope feel. You will also notice how the
shadows of the characters grow and shrink in size depending
on their distance from the light. If the stone steps are
removed on the left side, you can also remove the light-brick easily by tapping the wall.
Shadow play has served as a simple yet captivating form
of storytelling since ancient times, and has been a part of
mythology and entertainment throughout history. Long before
the invention of film, the original shadow theater came to
be in ancient China, and quickly spread throughout Asia as
a traditional art form. Groups of traveling artists would set
up plays using myths and legends as subjects and music to
accompany the story. I have also heard it brings good luck!
I think it’s a very fun and original function that I hope everyone
will enjoy. You can add to it to create your own story, and there
are no limits to its functionality. Some say it tells the story of
two brothers fighting an unstoppable foe, but I like to think of it
as open to interpretation.

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