In the name of King Kalmaar of Merlopia, surrender and perish!
Gripe to the citizens of Ninjago City
Gripe is a former Maaray Guard who served as Kalmaar's merservant. After the Great Flood, he was considered a traitor of Merlopia and was exiled for his crimes.
History
Prior to Seabound
Gripe served as a Maraay Guard for his kingdom and eventually became Kalmaar's merservent.
After Kalmaar got mad at Trimaar for not letting him entering the Tartarus Trench, Gripe told him that he agreed with Trimaar about the trench being dangerous. When Kalmaar stated he needed someone to swim through the Tartarus Trench so he could get to the Temple of Wojira, Gripe thought that he meant himself and questioned it.[1]
Prior to Five Thousand Fathoms Down
As Kalmaar's merservant, Gripe became part of his plan to reawake Wojira, thus betraying his king.
Five Thousand Fathoms Down
Gripe was with Kalmaar when the latter told Glutinous that he was tired of his failed attempts to awaken Wojira.
The Wrath of Kalmaar
While Kalmaar was threatening Nya with his trident, Gripe startled him and informed him that Trimaar requested his presence at the Merlopian Palace. Later, Gripe was ordered by Kalmaar to make Nya and Maya tell him where the Island of the Keepers at so they could get the Storm Amulet. However, after Nya and Maya escaped, Gripe ordered Glutinous to release the Ripper Sharks after them.
Long Live the King
After Trimaar learned that Kalmaar intended to awaken Wojira, he ordered the Maaray Guards to bring in Kalmaar and Gripe to him. Once the two arrived, Gripe listened to Kalmaar and Trimaar's argument until he saw Trimaar being fatally shot by Kalmaar. He then ordered the other Maaray Guards to capture the ninja and later announced Kalmaar as the new king.
Escape from Merlopia
Gripe startles Kalmaar again to warn him of the Ripper Sharks failure to end the ninja. He assists him in attempting to sink the Hydro Bounty. As the Maaray Guards fired on the ninja, Gripe noticed that they were destroying their own kingdom and alerted his king, but Kalmaar ordered him to continue what Gripe had obeyed.
The Storm Amulet
Glutinous came to him and Kalmaar and told them that the Island of the Keepers is located at the storm belt. Although Gripe said nothing's there, Kalmaar corrected him.
Papergirl
During the Merlopians' invasion on Ninjago City, Gripe told the Ninjago Police to surrender and perish, but Jimmy and another police officer look at each other in confusion.
Master of the Sea
Kalmaar, Gripe, and the other Merlopians walked through the docks at Ninjago Harbor, but Wu, Kai, Cole, Ray and Misako got in their way. Kalmaar ordered Gripe and the other Maaray Guards to attack them.
On the newly fixed Hydro Bounty, Gripe used his trident to shoot down Benthomaar. He then flees with Kalmaar back to Merlopia.
Assault on Ninjago City
During the Great Flood, Gripe and the Maaray Guards attacked the ninja and Benthomaar. During the battle, Benthomaar tried to tell the Maaray Guards about the truth of Trimaar's death, but Gripe prevented them from knowing.
Nyad
After Kalmaar ordered the Maaray Guards to look for the ninja, Gripe took him to the Police Commissioner, thinking that he knows where the ninja are. After taking him to the Commissioner, he told him that he might be a king.
The Turn of the Tide
After Kalmaar seemingly killed Nya, Gripe and the other Maaray Guards attacked the ninja while Kalmaar fought against Jay and Benthomaar. However, after Wojira was freed from Kalmaar's control and ate him, Gripe and the other Maaray Guards escaped.
Back to Merlopia!
Because of being considered as a traitor to Merlopia by the other Merlopians, Gripe allied himself with some renegade Maaray Guards and planned to takeover Merlopia while King Benthomaar was away. When the ninja traveled to Merlopia to put a stop to Gripe's plan, he and the Maaray Soldiers battled the ninja until both sides reached Merlopia's throne room. After reaching the throne room, Gripe attempted to take control of all of Merlopia. But in the end, he was forced to surrender after being confronted by Kai and was sent to exile for his crimes.
Great Droids Think Alike
Not too long after his last encounter with the ninja, Gripe and three other Maaray Soldiers were spying on Zane, who was testing his new mech. Gripe and his soldiers had the idea to steal the mech and use it to reclaim Merlopia. Gripe and the others attacked Zane, who was driving his mech but Zane was able to defend himself, but accidentally ejected his unconscious body and had his consciousness stuck in the mech. Gripe and the others were able to steal Zane's body. Gripe and his soldiers tried to go back to the sea, but they were attacked by an upgraded mech that was controlled by Zane, luckily they were able to outrun him shortly before it came back with a giant shuriken. The mech destroyed Gripe's submarine and recovered Zane's body. Gripe and the Maaray Soldiers ran away shortly before Zane was able to connect his consciousness back to his body.
Personality
Gripe is very obedient and loyal to his master, Kalmaar. He is his merservant and commander of the army of the Maaray Guards, so he often gives orders and determines tasks. He also has a reasonable fear of Kalmaar, and prefers to hide from him that Nya and Maya have fled so that nothing will happen to him.
Gripe is also a little foolish, as he had the Ripper Sharks released on Nya and Maya, rather than catching them alive. He also once dropped an anchor on his foot instead of into the sea. He seems to be quite nervous in Kalmaar's presence, and whenever he accidentally interrupts him, he apologizes.
As the merservant of Kalmaar, he was somewhat corrupt as he was aware of Kalmaar's villainous actions and voluntarily helped him with them, even when Kalmaar killed his father. He was even willing to deceive his people when Benthomaar tried to convince them that Kalmaar had killed the king. However, he also seems to have a humane side, as he did not want to destroy his kingdom or endanger his fellow Merlopians by attacking the ninja.
Appearance
Like other Maaray Guards, Gripe is black in color and has an eel-like body with legs and light green eyes, teeth, gloves, body parts, and neck scales. He wears big golden armor with a shoulder pad on his right shoulder over a black vest with light green details.
Weapons
- Trident: Gripe owns a powerful trident that is able to shoot powerful electrical bolts capable of injuring someone.
Relationships
Kalmaar
Allies
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Enemies
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Appearances
Ninjago
Season 14: Seabound
- 168. "Five Thousand Fathoms Down" (no lines)
- 169. "The Wrath of Kalmaar"
- 170. "Long Live the King"
- 171. "Escape from Merlopia"
- 172. "The Tale of Benthomaar" (flashback)
- 173. "The Storm Amulet"
- 175. "Papergirl"
- 176. "Master of the Sea"
- 178. "Assault on Ninjago City"
- 179. "Nyad"
- 180. "The Turn of the Tide"
Ninjago Magazine
- 82. In the Belly of the Whale
- 84. Here Comes the Flood!
- 87. Back to Merlopia!
- 88. Great Droids Think Alike
Etymology
His name means "to complain about something in a persistent, irritating way", or "to grasp something tightly".
Behind the scenes
- Gripe is the only major character in Season 14: Seabound who was never released as a physical minifigure.
- This is probably due to the fact that his minifigure would require a recolored head mold with a green color, while Glutinous, for example, which has a slightly smaller role in the season, did not need to recolor the head mold.
Trivia
- He has a smaller version of the shoulderpads on the
Hero armor.
- A running gag within Seabound is Gripe startling Kalmaar, and him denying him being startled.
- He is the only Maaray Guard who is confirmed to know that Trimaar was killed by Kalmaar and not by the ninja.
- He is similar to Char, because they are both leaders of the respective armies with a different color scheme than the others of their kind, have the same head mold, similar body movements and are voiced by Brian Drummond.
- He is similar to the Wolf Boss from Kung Fu Panda 2, as both are commanders of respective armies of their species (Maaray Guards and the Wolves) and at the same time merservants of their lords (Kalmaar and Lord Shen) of their kingdom (Merlopia and China). Both also doubted the overly violent actions of their lords and wanted to protect their own people (Gripe did not agree to shoot at Merlopia while hunting the ninja and the Wolf Boss did not agree to shoot into the middle of the battle where his own people were). The notable difference, however, is that while Gripe never stood openly against his king, the Wolf Boss eventually stood against Lord Shen and was killed by him.
- Although Gripe first appears in the same scene as Kalmaar in "Five Thousand Fathoms Down," when Kalmaar begins to threaten Glutinous, Gripe is replaced by another Maaray Guard for the rest of the episode.[2]
Gallery
Sticker
Concept art
In Ninjago
