Zane‘s Father Last Seen Imprisoned in the Lighthouse During the Nindroid War

As a quick recap for those unfamiliar with LEGO‘s hit animated Ninjago series, Zane is one of the titular ninja heroes – the reserved yet lovable Nindroid (Ninja Android) who wields the elemental power of ice. Zane was created by a brilliant inventor known as Dr. Julien, who took on the role of Zane‘s father and mentor.

So where exactly is Zane‘s father now? Well strap in, because his fate has taken some tragic turns across Ninjago‘s sprawling lore…

The History of Dr. Julien

Dr. Julien was clearly a genius ahead of his time, constructing the incredibly advanced Nindroid Zane while hiding away in secluded Birchwood Forest. He taught Zane life skills like cooking as any father would, all while dealing with the solitude and pressure of evading evil forces hunting his android creations.

Some key events in Dr. Julien‘s backstory:

• Year 0 – Dr. Julien creates Zane, takes him under his wing in Birchwood Forest
• Between Year 0 and Year 32 – Dr. Julien dies mysteriously, leaving Zane alone
• Year 32 (Season 1) – Zane joins Wu and the Ninja, no sign of his father
• Year 33 (Season 2) – Shockingly, Dr. Julien is alive! But soon perishes again…
• Year 34 (Season 3) – Zane mourns his now deceased father

Quite the rollercoaster right? Now let‘s analyze those key turning points in more detail.

The First Death

Dr. Julien is never shown dying on screen, but it is revealed he passed away when Zane was still young, approximately between Year 0 and 32 by my speculation. How he died during this hidden stretch of time is unknown – perhaps he fell gravely sick or had a fatal accident while testing inventions alone.

As a protective father, he turned off Zane‘s "memory switch" right before passing to prevent Zane from grieving. This caused Zane to forget about his beloved dad until much later rediscovering buried memories.

The Shocking Revival

In Season 2‘s episode "Tick Tock", Zane discovers Dr. Julien is in fact alive! But he is being held captive by Samukai in a dastardly Skeleton plot to exploit Dr. Julien‘s technological brilliance.

This twist revelation poses many questions – how did Dr. Julien cheat death the first time? Did Samukai use dark magic or technology to forcefully revive and imprison him? What was Zane‘s emotional state realizing his father survived all those years somehow?

Perhaps most tragic is Dr. Julien perishing yet again not long after reuniting with Zane. Curtly saying he "passed away off screen between Seasons 2 and 3" massively undersells this profound story beat.

As a fan myself, I imagine Zane desperately trying administer aid to stabilize his now elderly father‘s condition before losing him once more. It was much too brief a reunion – just another creul twist of fate for the constantly tested Zane.

Coping With More Loss

In the early episodes of Season 3, Zane struggles privately with his revived grief over Dr. Julien‘s second death. You can imagine how emotionally conflicted he felt finding his father alive on the brink of rescue only to then lose him again in such short order. My heart goes out to poor Zane!

Fellow Ninja teammate and buddy Kai notices Zane seems particularly depressed and tries to cheer him up, but gets brushed off. Zane felt isolated by the uniquely painful ordeal as a robot missing his creator, but his Ninja friends emphasized they still considered him family no matter what.

Ultimately Zane found catharsis over this loss while heroically sacrificing himself to defeat the Overlord. His later memorial statue reads "In memory of Zane, Ninja, Brother, Son" showing he came to terms with Dr. Julien‘s passing.

So Where Is Dr. Julien Now?

To directly answer the original question – Dr. Julien is still presumed deceased as of the most current Season 15. His last known whereabouts were the Lighthouse Prison back in Season 2.

Could he suddenly return again somehow in a future season? Potentially, but it seems unlikely at this stage as most fans and official wiki lore considers him permanently gone after his last ambiguous death.

I suppose you can never fully rule out another inexplicable revival with LEGO Ninjago‘s fantastical storytelling! But barring a truly epic twist, Zane‘s dear father Dr. Julien tragically rests in the great beyond. His memory will live on as inspiration driving Zane to fight ever harder as the lovable Nindroid hero we know and adore.

Zane‘s Hero‘s Journey

Across Ninjago‘s sprawling saga featuring world-ending threats, reversals of fate, and clashing rival ninja factions, Zane has endured towering highs and gutting lows. But throughout his journey discovering his own origins, purpose, and self-identity, Zane always carried the lessons and love of his father Dr. Julien in his heart‘s metaphorical hard drive.

I can only imagine the immense pride Dr. Julien would feel seeing the "son" he raised become an iconic and noble hero protecting all of Ninjago for years now. Zane has fully embraced the bonds of brotherhood with his fellow Ninja and the wider citizens he defends, even those who once shunned him out of anti-Nindroid prejudice during the Overlord fiasco.

While death continually takes beloved characters away far too soon both in Ninjago‘s storyline and the viewers‘ living rooms, their undying influence continues driving the next generation of heroes – much like Dr. Julien inspiring Zane to realize his destiny.

So let‘s pour one out for the tragic genius Dr. Julien, gone but never forgotten in spirit. His creation Zane carries on that legacy spectacularly by making each new day in Ninjago safer thanks to the power of family and forgiveness. I can‘t wait to see where Zane‘s journey takes him next!

Let me know your own thoughts and feelings on this pivotal character in the comments section below. And as always, remember to like and smash subscribe for more Ninjago lore content like this!