| "I finally get it now. My anger at you rocks is really my anger at myself! But I shouldn't be mad. This rock body is a gift. I'm going to use it to destroy Jestro and the Cloud of Monstrox and any other evildoer who stands in my way. They say revenge is a dish best served cold. And I am very cold. And I am very, very hungry." |
| — Clay in "The Stranger in the Halps" |
Sir Clay Moorington is the leader of the Nexo Knights and the firstborn of the Moorington family, a family gifted with the innate ability to wield magic. A gifted knight, he is a true follower of the Knight's Code and puts chivalry above all else.
After being struck by the magic lightning of the Cloud of Monstrox, Clay began gradually transforming into stone, eventually fully succumbing to his affliction after saving Queen Halbert. He was later struck again, this time transforming him shortly into the Gray Knight and awakening the magic and evil within him.
History[]
- Main article: Clay Moorington/History
Abandoned as a child by his sorceress mother Wanda Moorington, he was taken into the care of Merlok, a sorcerer and magician. He gained an appreciation for knighthood and chivalry and entered the Knights' Academy. In his younger years, he befriended a young jester named Jestro.
He joined his teammates, the Nexo Knights, in graduating from the Academy. He attempted to save his father figure Merlok from Jestro, now turned evil, and the Book of Monsters, but failed. He nearly gave up being a knight before Merlok was uploaded into the system, making him digital.
After going through many adventures, he was able to obtain the Book of Betrayal, but eventually betrayed the Knights and traded the Book for Jestro. However, he was then nearly sacrificed to become Monstrox's human form, but he was able to use Techcalibur and destroy Monstrox.
While hiding from Monstrox, now reborn as the Cloud of Monstrox, he was struck by his lightning and began his transformation to stone. During this time, he began training Aaron Fox to become his new replacement as the leader. He fully turned to stone when trying to save Queen Halbert from his then-unknown mother.
After being found as a statue, the Knights kept him on the Fortrex, wanting to follow in his example. However, Monstrox was able to electrocute him, transforming him into the Gray Knight, a villain who served Monstrox. When attempting to destroy the Knights, Merlok struck him with a powerful spell, causing him to lose the evil inside him.
He helped them for a while such as infiltrate Monstrox’s camp but because of his anger issues, the Knights accidentally drove him away, causing him to attempt meditation, but failing. He also had an inability to hurt Ruina Stoneheart, a sorceress, before realizing that she was his mother. Devastated, he placed himself in a solitary chamber to protect anyone, but when Macy reopened the chamber, he managed to sacrifice himself.
After awakening thanks to his newly-found magic abilities, he used his magic to assist in battling the Stone Colossus. He downloaded Nexo Powers into himself and was able to control the Fortrex to hit the heel of the Colossus, destroying it.
After their victory, Clay became determined to find his mother and learn how she became who she was.
Personality[]
Often referred to as the "uptight knight," Clay's defining characteristics are that he likes to be organized and dedicated to knighthood. Though sometimes coming across as somewhat reserved, Clay is also quite emotionally-driven, and values justice above all. He can be shown to be somewhat shy, embarrassed, nervous, or otherwise bashful when he is shown on the big screens unexpected in public. But when it comes to interviews, he can also show to be brave and daring to answer the questions asked. He states that he has based his entire identity on The Knight's Code and its values.
Though usually confident in his abilities and skills, sometimes to almost arrogant degrees at times, he has a fear of failing to save somebody,[4] especially in failing to uphold the values of the Knight's Code. Obsessed with training, he prefers to spend every waking hour either training and preparing for battle, or actually battling the forces of evil. He only sleeps two hours a night.[5] He is commonly seen training in the Holo-Gym at 5:30am in the morning.[6]
Valuing hard work and practice with a need to micromanage and lead, this often causes Clay to butt heads with Lance often due to their conflicting values and beliefs. However, even though they don't always quite see eye-to-eye, the two respect each other.
Clay can also often be seen trying to hide a smile when Lance is cracking a joke or making a pun, or sometimes even joining along with his antics, implying they share a similar, corny sense of humor. Similarly, he usually disapproves Aaron's childish and immature behavior. But despite that, the two are quite good friends and Clay can see the potential within Aaron and asked him to become his successor temporarily when he is absent.
Appearance[]
Clay has spiky, brown hair. He has thick eyebrows and is usually seen with a serious expression. Other than that, his defining facial features remain limited. He often wears dark blue or blue armor fitted with darker blue highlights.
In the third season, Clay slowly begins to turn to stone. His body slowly becomes grayer and stiffer, and he is seen mostly in his Battle Suit. In "Hot Rock Massage," his condition worsens to the point where only his head isn't stone. In "In Charge," he completely turns to stone.
In the fourth season, he is reborn as the "Gray Knight," with his eyes turning yellow to show that he is evil/angry. He is later removed of the evil for a bit. His hair also turns blue and rigid in the process.
After being reborn in "March of the Colossus," his hand becomes imbued with blue magical energy coursing through his vein, later becoming orange after downloading Nexo Powers into himself.
Weapons and abilities[]
Weapons[]
- Claymore sword: Clay is most experienced in the use of a claymore, having trained since childhood.[7]
Abilities[]
- Advanced fighting skill: Being a knight of the realm and having trained since youth, Clay is adept at fighting and is familiar with the Knight's Code's strategies.[8]
- Magic: Due to his heritage, Clay has an incredible ability with magic and is stated to be even more powerful than his mother or uncle.[9]
- Magic blasts: Clay is capable of releasing blue magic blasts from his hands.[9]
- Magic sword: Clay was able to conjure a magical sword to use in combat.[10]
- Nexo Power absorption and transmission: Clay downloaded the entire Nexo Power system directly into himself and was able to transmit Magic Crystal Fall to Mechlok.[10] He was also able to force Merlok to download a Nexo Power.[9]
- Technokinesis: Clay was able to control the Fortrex using his magical abilities.[10]
- Improved stamina: A diligent knight, Clay is capable of running one hundred laps around the Fortrex without tiring himself and consistently battling monsters on two hours of sleep.[11][12]
- Improved accuracy: Thanks to his training, Clay's ability to throw his claymore is noticeably accurate.[13]
- Acrobatic skill: Clay is capable of performing backflips and scaling buildings by climbing at a rapid pace.[10][14]
- Craftsmanship: Clay is able to craft designs with his sword, though they only last for a short while.[15]
- As the Gray Knight:
- Augmented fighting skills: During his tenure as the Gray Knight, Clay's fighting skills were noticeably enhanced due to his increasingly volatile anger making him more aggressive in combat. It is said he destroyed majority of Jestro's army, leaving him with two Pebblers.[16]
- Disintegration: Clay's innate magic abilities allowed him to disintegrate Stone Monsters without the use of a Combo Nexo Power[16] or even a weapon.[17]
- Stone body: Being made of stone, Clay's body was impervious to attacks.
- Enhanced strength: Clay was easily capable of picking up and throwing Garg around, as well as putting Lance, Robin and Jestro in a chokehold.[9][18][19]
- Forbidden Power destruction: Clay was capable of destroying Forbidden Powers with one strike.[9][20]
Vehicles[]
Cars[]
- Rumble Blade
- An all-terrain vehicle that can separate into two smaller bikes and a sword-shaped jet.
- It first appeared in "The Power of Merlok."
Motorcycles[]
- Knight Cycle
- A small bike used by Clay when he was turned to stone.
- It only appeared in "Heart of Stone."
Jets[]
- Falcon Fighter Blaster
- A large flying vehicle capable of fast and silent flight.
- It first appeared in "The Cloud."
Mechs[]
- Battle Suit
- A mech capable of uploading Combo Nexo Powers, and aided Clay when he was turning to stone.
- It first appeared in "Rotten Luck."
- Clay's mech
- A mech able to combine with a Battle Suit and hold Merlok 2.0.
- It was meant to appear in the unproduced Season 5.
Official descriptions[]
LEGO.com2016Clay is all about being a knight. He grew up as an orphan and spent every day striving to become one. Now that his dream has come true, he spends every day training his moves, learning new skills or fighting evil. And when he finally sleeps, he dreams of all the heroic deeds he will perform tomorrow.[21] 2017As Clay grew up, he dreamed every day of becoming a NEXO KNIGHTS hero. Now he is the leader of the NEXO KNIGHTS team, the knightliest knight in the kingdom and the most dedicated defender of the realm. He has just been instrumental in destroying the Book of Monstrox, rescued his friend Jestro from evil and been hailed by the King and Queen. So now he can rest... Ha ha, very funny. Clay never rests. He knows that evil never sleeps. And if evil really does sleep, Clay is sure it is never more than a power nap. So now Clay is a teacher at the Knights Academy, training the next generation of NEXO KNIGHTS heroes. Clay expects a lot from his students and he is a hard teacher. Some of his knights in training say it is almost like he is made of stone. That is because fighting evil is no joke. Not with Clay as your teacher anyway. His pre-fight punchlines are just horrible.[22] StoneClay has always lived by simple rules. Be strong, valiant and true. Never let the enemy see your vulnerable side. Be hard as a rock against your adversaries. Well, now he has taken that last bit to a whole new level. The Forbidden Power that hit him has turned him completely to stone. And then the Cloud of Monstrux zapped him bad. Not good. If Clay was a great adversary in battle before, try fighting an indestructible, 10 times as heavy version of him. On top of all that Monstrux’ zap has awoken something in Clay and he is displaying mysterious powers and a lot of repressed anger. Could it have something to do with that mysterious witch Ruina Stoneheart? She has a certain hold on Clay.[link unavailable] Nexo Knights Handbook"I am the only one who truly lives by the Knights' Code!" To Clay, being a knight is serious business, so he takes training very, very seriously. He watches training films for fun, he has memories the entire Knights' Code, and he spends more time practicing his moves than sleeping. Clay loves to come up with stuff like training schedules and battle plans for the other knights. That means Clay can be bossy, but he backs it up with solid fighting skills and nerves as strong as the metal in his sword. When you're in trouble and need a hero, Clay is the guy you want to show up. Monsters don't scare Clay - but lazy teammates do. That's why he and Lance are constantly butting their helmeted heads! Character EncyclopediaRule KeeperClay's ambition is to be the best knight that he can possibly be. He expects his fellow fighters to be as hard-working and as dedicating as he is - and he tells them so, repeatedly. The Book of MonstroxClay MooringtonClay is the goodiest of the goody-goodies. What a Knight Scout! I've got some surprises in store for him. When I can get to him (getting to him is Evil Plan #57 in my Evil Plan Book) the other Knights will be putty in my hands. I know, I know - I don't have hands. There just aren't enough clichés for a cloud to use! Try to Turn the Grey KnightOoooh, I think we're gonna have one of the Knights on OUR side for a change! I zapped a statue but what I didn't know was that this self-righteous Clay Moorington guy was hiding behind it. When I brought the statue to life - ZAP! - he got hit! And he started turning to stone! He's going to become 'the Grey Knight'. (Get it? GRA-NITE? Rock humour... I love it.) His body is like a rock and he'll be almost as evil as I am. Totally how I planned it. AHEM! |
Appearances[]
Etymology[]
Inherently, Clay Moorington is a play on his weapon of choice, the claymore. However, the name Clay on its own is a name of British origin that means "clay worker," which may reference his hard work and dedication to knighthood.
Interestingly, the name Clay can also mean "mortal," and is considered an earthy name due to the material it comes from, which may reference his affliction and bodily situation during the third and fourth seasons.
Behind the scenes[]
- A LEGO sculpture of Clay was presented at the London Toy Fair 2016.
- His facial features are used as a generic template for civilians and other characters.
- Clay is actor Giles Panton's most meaningful Lego character, as he was his first.[23]
Trivia[]
- His favorite Nexo Power is Power of United Knights.[12]
- When asked if Clay would have mastered his magic abilities in season 5, Giles Panton, Clay's voice actor, stated: "Lots of paths Clay could take. But he's very driven and focused...so I think he'd end up mastering those powers at some point. May not have finished that journey in season 5 though."[24]
- This contradicts Tommy Andreasen's notes for Season 5, which showed Clay combining his power of magic with his swordsmanship.[25]
- His greatest fear is not being able to save somebody.[26] He is also afraid of snakes,[27] and public speaking, as per Giles Panton.[28]
- According to Giles Panton:
- If Clay met Kalmaar from Ninjago, a great battle would ensue.[29]
- If he was framed for the murder of Kalmaar's father, "Knighton would certainly be in trouble."[30]
- He finds mint chocolate chip ice cream invigorating.[31]
- He stands for the principle that "love is love."[32]
- He would call Lance "Prince Charming" in a teasing way to build camaraderie.[33]
- According to Mark Hoffmeier, Clay has a sly sense of humor.[34]
- According to Tommy Andreasen, Clay and Macy's relationship is purely platonic.[35] They were never intended to be romantically involved.[36]
Gallery[]
- Main article: Clay Moorington/Gallery
References[]
- ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1282072182739304452
- ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1104814888151584768
- ↑ https://youtu.be/aLgqJos1ipA
- ↑ "Fright Knight"
- ↑ "The Power of Merlok"
- ↑ "Back to School"
- ↑ "Knights of the Realm - Part 1"
- ↑ "The Knight's Code"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 "Heart of Stone"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 "The Fall"
- ↑ "Knight Out"
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 The Knight's Code: A Training Guide
- ↑ "Back to School"
- ↑ "The Book of Total Badness"
- ↑ "The King's Tournament"
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "The Stranger in the Halps"
- ↑ "In His Majesty's Secret Service"
- ↑ "The Gray Knight"
- ↑ "The Good, the Bad and the Tightwad"
- ↑ "Krakenskull"
- ↑ https://www.lego.com/en-us/kids/characters/nexoknights/clay-8f7547831eee4e69a18a99dc85b547cc
- ↑ https://www.lego.com/en-us/kids/characters/nexoknights/clay-a1565fb2e65d4fafbc26dc1a6378e78f
- ↑ https://x.com/G_Panton/status/1665189108451532800
- ↑ https://twitter.com/G_Panton/status/1415871268088258560
- ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1072810735875645440
- ↑ "Fright Knight"
- ↑ "Snake Den"
- ↑ https://twitter.com/G_Panton/status/1779632481261793413
- ↑ https://twitter.com/G_Panton/status/1413747028190851072
- ↑ https://twitter.com/G_Panton/status/1434940765411622914
- ↑ https://x.com/G_Panton/status/1672431386006024192
- ↑ https://x.com/G_Panton/status/1666310553281916928
- ↑ https://x.com/G_Panton/status/1588383426222387200
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ac5dZRFaFM
- ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/947499083660394496
- ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1069702104581922817