And The Winner Of The Biggest Daddy Issues Contest By A Long Shot Is Lloyd Garmadon!

And the winner of the Biggest Daddy Issues contest by a long shot is Lloyd Garmadon!

I can’t say I’m surprised. From being destined to fight him at such a young age to being forced to banish him to a cursed realm, only to have him resurrected in his worst, evilest form, most of Lloyd’s traumas are related to his father. He even almost beat Lloyd to death, declaring he has no son, attempted to kill his friends in a very gruesome way, and finally, replaced him with a potted plant. That’s messed up on so many levels.

But to tell you the truth, Mao Mao is the one who inspired me to make this poll. Shin Mao favored his older daughters and neglected his son all his life to the point he never even got his name or age right, but Mao Mao still looked up to him, giving him unconditional love and unquestioned respect. I think the last part is what truly makes it tragic. Shin Mao doesn’t treat Mao Mao half as badly as Garmadon treated Lloyd and is described as passive-aggressive, rather than downright abusive. Yet it amazes me how many episodes focus on the long-lasting psychological effects that Shin’s treatment had on Mao. Mao Mao’s self-esteem is extremely fragile and inconsistent to the point where he’s either egotistical or self-depreciative with almost nothing in between, and there are a lot of suppressed fears, insecurities, emotions, and desires that constantly bubble up and affect Mao and everyone else around him.

Despite all this, he still tries to be the best father figure for his little apprentice, encouraging her dream and reassuring her of her own fears and insecurities.

While Lloyd’s past with his dad is the most scarring, he rarely shows those scars, unlike Mao whose entire personality and day-to-day struggles are based on it. Lloyd and his friends are often shown processing their traumas in their different ways (usually in the first episode of the season), but after a while, we return to the status quo and there are very few notable changes in the ninja’s personalities. Like, let’s wrap this up quickly, guys, there’s a new villain in town! This, to be fair, makes sense given the overarching story of Ninjago whereas Mao Mao’s more slice-of-life, over-the-top cartoon hijinks style allows for more moments in which the characters can breathe, get a good look at themselves, and address their personal issues. Mao Mao even goes to a therapist every Thursday, which is something we’ve all agreed for years that Lloyd desperately needs.

Monkie Kid is somewhere in between, having both a lot of lore, but also some more laid-back episodes, especially in the first seasons. Since unlike Lloyd and Mao, Red Son isn’t the main character, his relationship with the Demon Bull King doesn’t get as much spotlight, but it’s still pretty tragic when you think about it. Red Son waited for centuries after his father was imprisoned under a mountain, and the first thing the Bull King does after he returns is treat him like a henchman rather than a son. They do get noticeably better after a while though.

Anyway, thank you to everyone who voted!

I didn't expect so many people to be interested so I decided to turn this into a full Daddy Issues tournament. Feel free to check it out if you'd like.