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Ninja are common stock characters in both Japanese and foreign popular culture. Depictions range from anywhere between realistic to fantastically exaggerated. Ninja characters are often identified by their use of traditional bladed and missile weapons in modern and even science-fiction settings. Though depicted as powerful warriors (especially when they are the heroes of the story), they are often conversely depicted as disposable cannon fodder to be dispatched by the hero. Ninja are also often a subject of parody.
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Summary
In Japan, ninja-based films and books became a popular culture craze during the 1950s and early 1960s. The theme remained popular, expanding into numerous comic books and video games. In Japan, the word Shinobi and its variants are often used instead of ninja. The first major appearance of the ninja in Western popular culture was in the James Bond film, You Only Live Twice in which the Japanese secret service employs a top secret ninja force to play a critical role in helping the British spy stop SPECTRE's grandest scheme. Western fascination with the ninja bloomed in the 1980s, especially in the United States. Several American ninja movies starring Sho Kosugi were released in the 1980s, largely responsible for introducing the ninja to the American pop culture (Kosugi is to return in the upcoming movie The Return of the Ninja[1]). Modern entertainment has shown ninja as either expendable redshirts attacking in large numbers, or as nearly invulnerable solitary warriors (who are often unmasked in contrast). An example of both depictions can be found in the American Ninja and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, where a small group of protagonists (ninja) easily defeat waves of incompetent enemy ninja on multiple occasions only to have far more trouble when facing a more competent lone ninja. This seemingly inconsistent portrayal is jokingly explained by fans using the sarcastic "Inverse Ninja Law", which states that ninja are weaker when they are in larger groups. As far back as the late 19th century, erotic art was made using the ninja theme. Usually the images were ones of violent entry and rape. The ninja, using his strength and ability to gain entry to any place, would tie up or slay men and rape women at their pleasure. Japanese Ninja literature and cinema still contain a powerful element of eroticism, including some pornography, often focusing on ninja women.
Ninjutsu in popular culture
Ninjutsu, sometimes called Ninpô or just Jutsu, rather than simply referring to the art of fighting as a ninja, have referred to special skills ninja are able to emit according to both popular and classic Japanese fiction, as well as Japanese myths.
- Hand signs: Originally based on the Kuji-in, these hand signs are performed by ninja in different combinations and in rapid succession in order to call upon more mythical ninja powers.
- Elemental Powers: Ending in "-ton" (Japanese for "release") these jutsus resemble magic by having the ninja summon an element in some form. Often seen are Katon ("fire release"), Suiton ("water release") and Raiton ("lightning release"), and though other forms may be seen, they are less common. Seen, for example, in the video games Final Fantasy IV or Seiken Densetsu 3 and the cartoon Naruto.
- Kage Shibari: Also called "shadow pin", this move involves freezing an opponents moving completely by standing on his shadow or pinning it to the ground with a knife or Kunai. Also common is a ninja "diving" into a shadow in order to reappear from somewhere else, most of the time from the enemy's shadow. Shikamaru of Naruto is famous for using attacks of this type. Freezing an enemy by standing on his shadow is also done in Yuyu Hakusho at one occasion.
- Water-Walk: Ninjas literally walking across water. This stems from Japanese myths, created by Ninjas who indeed were able to do so, using special shoes with rice mats tied to the soles.
- Kemuridama: A "smoke bomb" is used to escape from enemies or blind them.
- Bunshin, or sometimes called Kage Bunshin, involves a ninja creating a visual clone of himself.
- Kawarimi Jutsu: Involves the ninja vanishing, usually in a cloud of smoke, and replacing his body with a piece of log. The ninja will then appear from another direction in order to attack the enemy.
- Shuriken: Ninja often use shuriken throwing weapons, though sometimes they will use oversized versions called "Fuuma Shuriken" (Yuffie of Final Fantasy VII uses such a weapon as does Espio the Chameleon of the Sonic the Hedgehog series).
Books
- Fukuro no Shiro
- The Japanese novelist, Ryotaro Shiba wrote this novel as well as a collection of short stories called Saigo no Igamono. Both were made into hit movies.
- Kage Kara Mamoru!
- The series of light novels. Also an anime and manga adaptations.
- Tales of the Otori
- The Tribe is an entity of five families of ninja with powers such as invisibility, splitting themselves temporarily, a stare that induces sleep, sharper hearing and eyesight, faster reflexes etc.
- The Kouga Ninja Scrolls
- A novel by Futaro Yamada about two rival ninja clans, the Iga and Kouga.
- The Ninja
- 1980 series of thrillers by Eric Van Lustbader featuring a half-Japanese, half-white character who received ninjutsu training in his youth.
- You Only Live Twice
- A James Bond novel by Ian Fleming.
Role-playing games
- Dungeons & Dragons
- A character class in the most-known role-playing game.
- Ninja Hero
- Genre book for Hero System.
- Legend of the Five Rings
- Quasi-Japan themed game including the dedicated Way of the Ninja sourcebook.
- The Way of the Tiger
- Gamebook series.
Comic books
Marvel Comics
In the Marvel Comics universe, ninja have been featured as exotic antagonists and allies, such as the White Ninja from Spider-Man, Ghost Rider foe Death Ninja, as well as Shriker. Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja is an American ninja during World War III. In the Marvel Mangaverse, Spider-Man is the last member of a clan of ninja. Livewires features a character named Hollowpoint Ninja. The sinister ninja cult the Hand is featured in several comic series, particularly X-Men and Daredevil. The Hand and their associates were responsible for the martial training of Psylocke, Kitty Pryde, Elektra, Wolverine, and Daredevil. The non-Hand ninja of these series universum include Revanche (the original owner of Psylocke's Asian body), Mariko Yashida and Ogun.
G.I. Joe
The G.I. Joe series of comic books featured ninja far more than the cartoon series, and many story arcs revolved around Scarlett, Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow, Jinx, Kamakura, Firefly and the Arishikage ninja clan, which consisted of an extended family of ninja characters never featured in the toyline or cartoon. Other characters in the comic who received ninja training from the Arishkage clan and their associates were Cobra Commander's son Billy, and the shapeshifter Zartan. The massive popularity of the ninja characters completely overtook the more conventional army characters, and creator Larry Hama was pressured by Hasbro to create more ninja for the series.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
In the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) series, all four main characters and many of their friends and foes are ninja, including the deadly Foot Clan (pastiche of Marvel's The Hand). The comic archived a massive popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s, which resulted in a franchise of four movies, three animated series, numerous video games, and a wide range of toys and merchandise.
DC Comics
Characters with the sort of mystical and superhuman martial arts abilities attributed to the ninja occur in the DC Comics universe. In the 1980s, Batman's traditional fisticuffs were dropped for more stylized hand to hand combat techniques, capitalizing on a youth pop interest in martial arts and retconning dojo training into his origin story. The retconned stealth and martial arts training of these most recent Batman incarnations, condensed in the Batman origin film, Batman Begins, has led many latter day Batman fans to assume, falsely, that Batman is a ninja. In fact, the various martial arts training sessions Batman or Bruce Wayne underwent were never explicitly associated with ninja or ninjutsu - rather, the association is likely the product of the Western proclivity to regard all black clad martial artists or employers of stealth as ninja. Another character who is portrayed in a fashion similar to a ninja is master martial artist and assassin Lady Shiva. The most recent Batgirl, Cassandra Cain also has the qualities of the Western perception of a ninja.
Other
- Chastity
- Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos
- Short lived comic involving Chuck Norris fighting ninjas.
- Kabuki
- The series concerning a member of a government-backed circle of masked and costumed female assassins in the near-future Japan.
- Mail Order Ninja
- Original English-language manga book.
- Masters of the Universe
- Features Ninjor, an evil ninja.
- Mortal Kombat
- Based on a series of video games featuring numerous ninja and ninja-like characters.
- Ninja High School
- A ninja/furry comedy series.
- Ninjak
- Shi
- Comic series about the modern-day "shadow war" between descendents of the warrior monks of medieval Japan.
- Sin City
- A noir-like graphic novel series by Frank Miller featuring a ninja woman named Miho.
- The Tick
- The Tick fights ninja enemies and has a female ninja ally. In the Tick's universe, most ninjas in America are generally bumbling characters who are seen as more of a nuisance than a threat. Their lair is a ninja-themed amusement park.
- TIN The Incompetent Ninja
- A webcomic series.
- Usagi Yojimbo
- Features various ninja in it. The major clans being the, Neko ninja, Mogura ninja, and the Komori ninja.
- Y: The Last Man
- Features mercenary ninja woman named Toyota.
- Zen the Intergalactic Ninja
Manga and anime
- Angel Blade
- Hentai (adult) OAV series.
- Azumi
- Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls (Basilisk Kōga Ninpō Chō)
- Manga and anime series based on The Kouga Ninja Scrolls. All of the many main characters are ninja from two rival clans during the rule of Tokugawa shogunate.
- Blade of the Immortal (Mugen-no-Jūnin)
- Realistic historical manga series featuring several ninja-like characters.
- Bleach
- Popular manga and anime series featuring the characters of Yoruichi Shihouin and Soifon, both commanders of the special forces.
- Short drama/mythology OAV series set in the feudal Japan.
- Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture and Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle
- Two anime movies based on a video game series.
- Flame of Recca (Rekka no Honō)
- The series about Recca Hanabishi and his rival half-brother Kurei, who came from the Hokage ninja clan which perished during the time of Oda Nobunaga. Also features several other ninja characters.
- Gundam (primarily Musha Gundam universe)
- Many characters in the different Gundam series, including several Super Deformed Gundam series, are ninja. Among them is Kyoji Kasshu (Mobile Fighter G Gundam).
- Himawari!
- A comedy TV series about a ninja school.
- Hininden Gausu
- A H-anime set in medieval Japan and featuring several ninja women.
- Inuyasha
- Featuring several ninja characters.
- Jubei-chan: The Ninja Girl (Jūbei-chan)
- A mostly comedic manga and two TV series in the modern setting.
- Shadow Hunters (Kage Gari)
- La Blue Girl
- Several ninja-themed hentai manga and OAV series.
- Labyrinth of Flames
- Legend of the Mystical Ninja (Anime Ganbare Goemon)
- Lone Wolf and Cub (Kozure Ōkami)
- Quasi-realistic samurai saga in the Edo period of Japan.
- Lupin III
- Animated TV and movie series that features several ninja characters in the modern setting, including Goemon Ishikawa XIII, descendant of the historical Goemon.
- Masked Ninja Red Shadow (Kamen no Ninja Aka-Kage)
- Naruto
- The very popular anime series, Naruto is the most famous ninja-themed anime worldwide. Based on the manga by Masashi Kishimoto, the Naruto anime series is currently around episode 252 and the manga currently has about 37 volumes; there are also four movies.
- Ninja Nonsense (Ninin Ga Shinobuden)
- Comedy manga and anime TV series.
- Ninja Cadets (Ninja Mono)
- Short comedy-action OAV series.
- Ninja Resurrection (Makai Tenshō: Jigoku-hen)
- Short OAV series.
- Ninja Robot Tobikage (Ninja Senshi Tobikage)
- Ninja Scroll (Jūbei Ninpūchō)
- A movie and a TV series loosely based on the works of Futaro Yamada.
- Rantaro the Ninja Boy (Nintama Rantarō)
- An anime series aimed at young children, featuring the adventures of Rantarou and his friends and teachers at the ninja school.
- Path of the Assassin (Hanzo no Mon)
- Story of the life of Hattori Hanzo, the famous historical ninja in the service of the shogunate.
- Rurouni Kenshin
- The manga and TV series features the Oniwabanshu group (including Shinomori Aoshi, Makimachi Misao, and Kashiwazaki) and. There are also several episodical ninja characters in the OAV series.
- Sailor Victory
- Ninja police mecha robots.
- Samurai Pizza Cats (Kyattou Ninden Teyandē)
- The title characters were originally in fact ninjas (in the Japanese release), and they often face off against ninja enemies.
- Sasuga no Sarutobi
- A comedy manga by Fujihiko Hosono and a 69-episodes TV series about a modern high school for ninjas.
- Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman)
- Five young International Science Organization operators, dressed in bird-like suits, are trained in the ninja arts.
- Shadow
- Sgt. Frog (Sergeant Keroro)
- Two of the main characters, Dororo and Koyuki, are both skilled in various forms of ninjutsu.
- The Dagger of Kamui (Kamui no Ken)
- Largely realistic and historically accurate manga series based on the novel series by Tetsu Yano. Later it was also loosely turned into an animated movie of the same title.
- The King of Fighters: Another Day
- Short original net animation series bases on the video game series.
- The Last Kunoichi (Kunoichi Bakumatsu Kitan)
- An action H-anime. Several kunoichi are caught by the struggles of the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate.
- Yotoden (Yōtōden)
- Three members of otherwise destroyed ninja clans confront the demonic ruler Oda Nobunaga and his minions. While fantasy in nature, the series is based around the historical events.
Minor roles
- Bastard!! - The character of Ninja Master Gara, one of Dark Schneider's generals.
- Dragonball - One of the episodical villains is a ninja.
- Ginga Legend Weed
- Hyper Police
- Kinnikuman - Features the character called The Ninja.
- Kirby: Right Back at Ya! - Several guess characters in an episode called, Visiting Ninja, Benikage!, better known in the USA as Ninja Binge.
- My-HiME and My-Otome - The character of Akira Okuzaki.
- Negima!: Magister Negi Magi - Schoolgirl Kaede Nagase.
- Oh My Goddess - An mini-arc of both the main manga series and spin-off anime The Adventures of Mini-Goddess.
- Outlaw Star
- Ranma 1/2
- Saber Marionette
- Samurai Champloo - The episodes Bogus Booty and Baseball Blues both deal with characters who are ninja or former ninja.
- Samurai Deeper Kyo
- Samurai Girl: Real Bout High School
- Yami to Bōshi to Hon no Tabibito
- Yakitate! Japan
- YuYu Hakusho - The Shadow Channelers (Team Masho in the anime) are referred to by Kurama as the shinobi of the demon world.
Movies
Japanese
- Azumi and Azumi 2: Death or Love
- Chō Ninja Tai Inazuma! series
- A direct-to-video comedy series.
- Demon Spies (Oniwaban)
- Kagemaru of Iga
- Lady Ninja (Kunoichi ninpô chô) series
- Series of fantasy adult films.
- Lone Wolf and Cub (Kozure Ōkami)
- Series of six samurai movies based on the manga of the same title.
- Modern times comedy.
- Ninja Vixens (Kunoichi Ninpo-cho) series
- A series of adult comedies.
- The Ninja Wars (Iga Ninpôchô)
- Fantasy movie in a historical setting.
- Owls' Castle (Fukuro no Shiro)
- Mostly realistic historical ninja film; remake of Castle of Owls.
- Red Shadow (Aka Kage)
- A remake of the 1969 movie .
- Samurai Spy
- Seventeen Ninja
- Shadow Hunters (Kage Gari) series
- Series of two movies about a trio of ronins working as ninja killers.
- Shadow Warriors (Kage no Gundan: Hattori Hanzō)
- Ninja, a Band of Assassins (Shinobi no Mono) series
- Realistic and historically accurate series of eight movies, which were largely responsible for the original craze in Japan. The first movies in the series told the story of the life of Ishikawa Goemon.[2]
- Shogun's Ninja (Ninja Bugeicho Momochi Sandayu)
- Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (Shinobi)
- Fantasy movie based on The Kouga Ninja Scrolls.
- Torawakamaru the Koga Ninja (Ninjutsu Gozen-Jiai)
- Watari the Ninja Boy
- Zatoichi series
- Numerous samurai-themed films.
- Zipang
Foreign
- 3 Ninjas
- Children movie about three young boys, with several sequels and similar films (such as Surf Ninjas).
- 9 1/2 Ninjas!
- Parody of the ninja genre.
- American Ninja movies
- A series of B movies starring Michael Dudikoff, who played the lead character and was dubbed as "the James Dean of the Ninja movies". The movie turned out to be a hit, and spawned four sequels.
- Around the World in 80 Days
- Has a ninja group called the Ten Tigers.
- Batman Begins
- Bruce Wayne is trained by ninja-like cult leader Henri Ducard and battles many of his ninjas in the film.
- Beverly Hills Ninja
- Cats & Dogs
- The movie features ninja cats.
- Challenge of the Lady Ninja
- Double Dragon
- Ninja appear in the film.
- Duel to the Death
- Enter the Ninja
- Elektra
- Several scenes in the film depict supernatural ninja warriors.
- Five Element Ninjas
- Heroes of the East
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie
- The Rangers have ninja powers and Zords.
- Ninja III: The Domination
- Ninja Academy
- Comedy in the style of Police Academy.
- Ninja Death
- Ninja in the Deadly Trap
- Ninja in the Dragon's Den
- Ninja Mission 2000
- Ninja Over the Great Wall
- The Octagon
- B-movie starring Chuck Norris.
- Pray for Death
- Revenge of the Ninja
- Robocop 3
- Features ninja robots serving a Japanese corporation.
- Sin City (film)
- The adaptation of the comic book.
- Surf Nazis Must Die
- The Hunted
- Features a modern ninja clan in an ancient feud with a samurai clan, both using traditional weapons only.
- The Challenge
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies
- Series of several TMNT movies for a children's audience, and a CGI-animated film.
- You Only Live Twice
- James Bond joins a group of government-employed ninja in Japan.
Godfrey Ho movies
There were several dozen of "Ninja"-titled Z-movies by the Hong Kong-based low budget director Godfrey Ho, with the titles such as Full Metal Ninja, Vampire Raiders: Ninja Queen, Ninja in the Killing Fields, Ninja Operation: Licensed to Terminate, Ninja the Violent Sorcerer, or Zombie vs. Ninja (which featured no zombie).[3] Minor roles:
- Blade II
- Bowfinger
- License to Kill: James Bond movie featuring a pair of ninja agents.
- My Lucky Stars: Jackie Chan fights several ninja assassins.
- Mortal Kombat movies
- The Last Action Hero
- The Last Samurai: The film depicted an unlikely ninja attack on the samurai during Meiji-era Japan.
- The Master of Disguise
- The Pacifier
- The Punisher
Television
- Lone Wolf and Cub/Iron Samurai (Kozure Ōkami)
- Masked Ninja Red Shadow (Kamen no Ninja Aka-Kage)
- Henshin Ninja Arashi
- Ninja Warrior (Sasuke)
- Japanese sports entertainment show, aired on G4 TV channel under the name of Ninja Warrior. There is also a women spin-off called Kunoichi.
- Phantom Agents (Ninja Butai Gekkô)
- 1960s series about a group of modern ninja agents working for the Japanese government.
- Sekai Ninja Sen Jiraiya
- Shadow Warriors (Kage no Gundan)
- Several Japanese TV series and a direct-to-video miniseries about Hattori Hanzō.
- Shintaro the Samurai
- Shuriken School
- The series about a school with the same name as the show that trains children and teenagers to be ninja.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Two animated (1987 and 2003) and a live TV series of the TMNT franchise.
- The Master
- A ninja action-adventure TV series which aired in 1984 on NBC. The show starred Lee Van Cleef as John Peter McAllister, an aged American veteran and ninja master who returns to the United States, and also featured Timothy Van Patten and Sho Kosugi.
- The Samurai
- The 1960s Japanese TV series which was responsible for a significant wave of interest in ninja among younger viewers in Japan and other countries where the series was screened. It is notable, however, that the series was only screened in a few countries outside Japan (including Australia and Philippines) and the impact of the ninja phenomenon was not felt in other western countries until considerably later.
- Zatoichi
- Long-running samurai series in the 1970s.
Super Sentai shows & Power Rangers
There have been two ninja-themed Super Sentai series, Ninja Sentai Kakuranger and Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger. The American Power Rangers has also featured ninja-based powers and Zords in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers season three and Power Rangers: Ninja Storm. There are also many ninja-themed villains. In Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers season one, there is the Dark Warrior/Dora Ninja. In Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger and Power Rangers: Wild Force, there is the evil Ninja Org Duke Dorodoro/Onikage. In Mahou Sentai Magiranger, there is the Hades Beastman Ninja Kirikage. In GoGo Sentai Boukenger, the Negative Syndicate Dark Shadow is composed of ninjas. In Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive Kamdor had temporary ninja henchmen.
Minor roles
- The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius: An episode of the show had ninjas in it.
- American Dragon: Jake Long: The characters Rose, The Huntsman and the Huntsclan are ninja.
- Arthur: An episode of the show had ninjas in it.
- Batman: The Animated Series: It has an episode entitled "Night of the Ninja"
- Big Brother Australia: The people who have to enter the house to do things such as maintenance are referred to (even by Big Brother himself) as "Ninjas".
- Chuck: In the first episode Chuck is attacked by a ninja. There also is a ninja in the show's opening
- Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos: Chuck Norris fights ninjas as enemies.
- Codename: Kids Next Door: There are the villains called Teen Ninjas.
- Esurance: Ninjas appeared in an Esurance commercial.
- Family Guy: In the episode Wasted Talent the character Jerry Nelson is a ninja.
- Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends: One episode involed ninjas.
- Jackie Chan Adventures: Features the ninja Kahn Shadowkhan
- Kim Possible: Episode Monkey Ninjas in Space.
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Conan and Jim Carrey fought ninjas.
- MadTV: A Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme parody had "Dads Cancer" and "Cocaine addiction" ninjas. Another skit had the character mis Swan being captured by ninjas. One time there was a Steven Seagal When Harry Met Sally parody that had a ninja in it.
- Mortal Kombat: Conquest: Based on a series of video games featuring numerous ninja characters.
- Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm
- Mythbusters: A ninja special of the show, in which classic myths were tested such as walking on water, catching a sword, and catching an arrow appeared on the show.
- Robot Chicken: One episode had the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in it.
- Samurai Jack: In the episode Samurai versus Ninja Jack faces a robot ninja.
- Shōgun : Features a realistic ninja attack.
- Skunk Fu: The show has ninja monkeys.
- South Park: In the episode Good Times with Weapons the kids pretend to be super ninjas. Another South Park episode called Fantastic Easter Special featured ninja mercenaries who worked for the Vatican.
- Teen Titans: In the episdoe masks Beast Boy has a video called Super Ninja Showdown 8.
- The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3: Episode Sneaky Lying Cheating Giant Ninja Koopas, obviously a spoof of the TMNT.
- The Venture Bros.: One of the episodes involved ninjas.
- Xiaolin Showdown: Features Tubbimura, an overweight ninja.
- You Don't Know Jack: In an episode the host was attacked by ninjas.
- The Simpsons: In the episode The Telltale Head Bart Simpson disguises as a ninja, sneaks out of his house, and sawed off the head off from Springfield's founder's statue. In another episode Lisa plays a video game with ninjas in it; still another episode has Homer dreaming his workplace was attacked by ninjas. In the episode Treehouse of Horror XVIII one of the aliens is dressed as a ninja. In the eisode Husbands and Knives Comic Book Guy has ninja weapons.
Video games
In fighting games as well as role playing games, ninja are typically quick to strike and dodge well but lack power and defense. In MMORPGs, ninja can be used as an adjective to describe a player who has stolen another players item. If a player is labelled a ninja in MMORPG they are often rejected by the community and find it difficult to join guilds or raid parties. There also are game developing units that use the name, such as Team Ninja, Ninja Studio, and Ninja Theory.
Major roles
- Aero Fighters
- The Japanese aircraft is flown by a ninja pilot Hien, who appears in all games from the series.
- Aggressors of Dark Kombat
- The character of Kotaro Fuuma from World Heroes, another game by SNK.
- Battle Raper series
- The characters include ninja women Mai Kisaragi and Setsuna Yagami.
- Breakers Revenge
- Fighting game featuring the ninja called Saizo.
- Bushido Blade series
- An attempt at a realistic fighting game involving weapons.
- Captain Commando
- One member of the Commandos Team is Ginzu (known as Sho in Japan), a ninja trained in the fictional art of Bushinryu ninjitsu. The game also has ninja as enemies.
- City of Heroes and City of Villains
- Both games allow the player to create their own hero or villain. In both games, players are able to create a ninja, and customize much of their appearance, and some of their skills.
- Cy Girls
- Dark Seal
- Dead or Alive series
- From the creators of Ninja Gaiden, this fighting game series features several ninja characters including Ryu Hayabusa, Ayane, Hayate, and Kasumi, the runaway ninja who is the main character of the series.
- Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories
- The siblings Yukimaru and Fubuki.
- Ehrgeiz
- Final Fantasy series
- Ninja appeared in the first installment of the series as an upgrade from the Thief character class, while in Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy V Final Fantasy Tactics, and Final Fantasy XI the Ninja is available as a job. Shadow, Edge, and Yuffie Kisaragi are the only dedicated ninja characters in the series.
- Galaxy Fight
- Fighting game featuring the character of Kazuma.
- Ganbare Goemon series
- The fantasy series of games loosely based around the historical character of Ishikawa Goemon, the titular character is a ninja, as well as recurring characters Ebisumaru, Sasuke and Yae.
- G.I. Joe series
- Characters from the comic book series.
- Gotcha Force
- Guild Wars Factions
- Assassin, a new profession is available in this expansion of the MMORPG Guild Wars. The Assassin sports armor and weapons highly akin to that of ninja.
- Guilty Gear series
- The character Chipp Zanuff takes up the fighting style after being saved from the mafia by a ninja master.
- Heavenly Sword
- The main characters, Nariko and Kai, and some of the enemies resemble ninja.
- I-Ninja
- Iga Ninjutsuden
- Inindo: Way of the Ninja
- Dedicated role-playing game about the Iga ninja in their quest of revenge against Oda Nobunaga.
- Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja
- Kasumi Ninja
- Kaiser Knuckle
- Kessen
- Kid Niki: Radical Ninja
- The King of Fighters and Fatal Fury series
- Feature several ninja characters, most prominently female ninja Mai Shiranui.
- Killer Instinct series
- The siblings Jago and Black Orchid who appear to be the main characters of the fighting game series.
- Kid Niki: Radical Ninja
- Knuckle Bash
- Last Blade series
- The Last Ninja series
- Series of 8 and 16-bit games featured a vengeful time-travelling ninja as the protagonist.
- Lemmings 2: The Tribes
- The Shadow Lemmings tribe.
- The Legend of Kage
- The hero and most of the enemies are ninja.
- MapleStory
- One of the level 2 job classes available in this free online RPG is a shuriken-throwing assassin.
- Martial Champion
- Fighting game featuring Rachel, an American ninja woman.
- Metal Gear Solid series
- A stealth-action video games that includes Gray Fox, commando known as "Ninja" fitted with a powerful exoskeleton and a high-tech ninja sword; Olga Gurlukovich, a Russian woman who disguised herself with similar a robotic ninja suit; the Tengu Commandos of Solidus Snake's forces, and Raiden in upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
- Might & Magic series
- Ninja character class in some of the games.
- Mirai Ninja
- Magician Lord
- One of the Hero's forms is Shinobi, and there are a ninja girl enemies and boss.
- Mortal Kombat series
- A series of fighting games which depicts many ninja characters, including Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Reptile, Noob Saibot, Smoke, Rain, Ermac, Mileena, Kitana and Frost, Cyrax, and Sektor. However, in terms of story canon, the only "true" ninja of the group is Scorpion.
- Mystic Warriors
- N
- A Flash game.
- Namco x Capcom
- A crossover game featuring seveal ninja characters from the Namco and Capcom, including Strider Hiryu, Taki from the Soul series and Waya Hime from Bravoman as a playable characters.
- Nanoha no Ken
- Naruto games
- Many various games based on the hit manga & anime series.
- Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
- The Ninja
- A Sega Master System game
- Ninja Assault
- Shooting game featuring gun-toting ninjas in feudal Japan.
- Ninja Combat
- Ninja Commando
- Ninja Crusaders
- Ninja Five-O
- Side-scrolling game about a ninja cop battling ninja criminals.
- Ninja Gaiden series
- A video game series about Ryu Hayabusa, a powerful ninja in a futuristic setting with demons and magic.
- Ninja Jajamaru-kun
- Ninja Kid
- Ninja Massacre
- The Ninja Master
- Ninja Master's Haou Ninpou-ko
- Fighting game centered around a ninja named Sasuke.
- Ninja Mission
- Ninja Spirit
- Ninja Taro
- The Ninja Warriors
- A side-scrolling beat 'em up game about three ninja cyborgs (also a remake).
- Nobunaga Online
- Oni - The Ninja Master
- Onimusha series
- Several playable ninja characters, including the historical figure of Fūma Kotarō and fictional Iga ninja woman Kaede.
- Otoboke Ninja Colosseum
- Power Instinct series
- The character of Saizo Hattori.
- Power Rangers
- Several Power Rangers videogames have involved ninjas such as the SNES version of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, which has a ninja as a sub-boss.
- Red Ninja: End Of Honor
- An action/stealth game about a young female ninja out for revenge.
- Ragnarok Online
- A ninja character class was added to the expansion classes.
- Rising Zan: The Samurai Gunman
- Rumble Roses series
- Japanese wrestling games featuring female ninja character Benikage (Bloody Shadow) and her alter ego Yasha.
- Saboteur series
- The main characters of a male (in the first game) and a female ninja (in the second one).
- Samurai Shodown series
- A fighting game series which features a number of ninja characters including Kazuki Kazama, Sogetsu Kazama, Hattori Hanzo, and Galford D. Weller.
- Samurai Warriors series
- Savage Reign
- The characters of Gozu and Mezu.
- Sega Ninja
- Sengoku series
- All of the player characters in the third installment are ninja, as are many of the enemies in all three games.
- Sengoku Ace series
- Several player and enemy boss characters.
- Sengoku Basara series
- Features several ninja characters including Sarutobi Sasuke and the ninja woman Kasuga. All Japan references were removed in the export version.
- Sengoku Ninja Tai
- Shadow of the Ninja
- Shadow Warrior
- A first-person shooter about Lo Wang, a Chinese ninja.
- Shounen Ninja Sasuke
- Shining series
- RPG-meets-strategy series in which the ninja is a fairly common job class. Notable ninjas from throughout the series include Hanzou from Shining Force, Slade from Shining Force II, Akane, Doyle and Rodi from Shining the Holy Ark, and Baron from Shining Force Neo.
- Shinobi series
- A video game series that features the main character Joe Musashi from the Oboro clan. The PlaStation 2 game introduces new main characters Hotsuma and his brother Moritsune, while Nightshade (Kunoichi in Japan) which is a direct sequel of Shinobi (PS2) features a female ninja (kunoichi) named Hibana.
- Shinobido
- A stealth/action game from the original makers of the Tenchu series.
- Sonic the Hedgehog series
- Espio the Chameleon is an "expert ninja".
- Soul series
- A weapon-based fighting game series on several platforms that features two ninja characters: Taki, a kunoichi demon hunter who appears in Soul Edge as well as all the Soul Calibur titles, and Yoshimitsu who originated in the Tekken series.
- Soul of the Samurai
- One of the two main characters is a young girl ninja.
- Street Fighter and Final Fight series
- Both series feature Guy and Maki Genryusai of the Bushin clan, as well as the Street Fighter-only ninja Geki and a teenage ninja girl Ibuki.
- Strider series
- A videogame series in which the titular Striders are a group of futuristic ninja.
- Suikoden series
- Ayame and Watari in Suikoden III.
- Super Chinese
- A videogame series involving ninjas
- Sword of Honour
- An action-adventure game about a ninja warrior.
- Taikou Risshiden series
- Taimanin Asagi
- Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Phantasia
- JRPG games featuring ninja girls Sheena Fujibayashi and Suzu Fujibayashi.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games
- Many various games based on the TMNT franchise. One of them featuring Aska, the video games exclusive character.
- Tekken series
- A series of fighting video games that feature the ninja characters Yoshimitsu and Kunimitsu, as well as more recently added Raven.
- Tenchu series
- A series of stealth-action video games that feature the ninja characters Rikimaru and Ayame in a fantasy feudal Japan setting, credited as being the first attempt at a quasi-realistic ninja "simulation". The game's developer, Activision, used Sho Koshugi and his son, Kane Koshugi, as ninjutsuka references.
- Trio The Punch - Never Forget Me...
- Quiz & Dragons
- Ultima Online: Samurai Empire
- This Ultima Online expansion adds ninja as a character class.
- Way of the Tiger series
- Videogame adaptation if the gamebook series.
- Wizardry series
- Role-playing games featuring ninja character class.
- World Heroes series
- The fighting game featuring the main character of Hanzou Hattori and his rival Kotaro Fuuma (also in Aggressors of Dark Kombat).
- Wrath of the Black Manta
- Valhalla Knights
- A role-playing game including ninja job (character class).
- Variable Geo series
- Fighting game series featuring the character of a ninja/waitress Chiho Masuda.
- Vasara series
- Virtua Fighter series
- A series of fighting video games featuring the ninja Kage-Maru and his mother Tsukikage.
- X-Men games
- Zool series
- The main character is "a ninja from the nth dimension".
Minor roles
- The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius: Jet Fusion
- Age of Empires III: Ninja are powerful mercenaries with the ability to conceal themselves.
- Ape Escape 3: Both players can turn into the miracle ninja where they use swords, run on walls, walk tight-ropes, and glide through the air. All of which are ninja tactics.
- Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am
- Arkista's Ring: Some of the enemies towards the end of the game.
- Bad Dudes: The game, which full name is Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja, puts players in the shoes of two street brawlers bent on saving "President Ronnie" (Ronald Reagan) from a notorious gang of "Dragon Ninja".
- Baseball Simulator 1.000: "Ninja pitch".
- Baseball Stars: The game features the Ninja BlackSox team.
- Batman Begins: The game has ninja-like cult as enemies.
- Black Tiger
- Brawl Brothers: In the game Kazan is a ninja.
- Bravoman: Enemies include a female ninja robot called Waya Hime.
- Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon
- Brute Force
- Chrono Cross: NPC Grobyc uses fighting techniques and has an appearance reminiscent of ninjutsu.
- Crash Tag Team Racing: Features ninja penguins.
- Crime Wave: "The Evil Ninja" enemies in the subway level.
- Destroy All Humans 2: Features rival black and white-clad ninja factions, who both once wore gray.
- Dinosaurs For Hire
- Double Dragon (series)
- Donkey Kong Jungle Beat: Features Ninja Kong.
- Empire Earth: Art of Conquest: Features a cyber ninja unit only buildable by the Space-Age Japan Faction.
- Exploding Fist +: Enemies in the bonus stage.
- Gekido: Ninjas are enemies in the game.
- Gun.Smoke: Level boss.
- Half-Life: Features female ninja-commandos sent to "clean up" the Bleck Mesa incident (male in Half-Life: Opposing Force).
- Hitman 2: Silent Assassin: Many guards in the levels in Japan are ninja.
- Jade Empire
- James Bond 007: Nightfire: The evil Phoenix Corporation uses ninjas as assassins and guards, led by the ninja woman named Kiko.
- Kirby Super Star: Biosparks are minor enemies based on ninjas. Kirby can eat them to copy their abilities, which include throwing kunai knives for minor damage, clinging to walls, quickly killing enemies from up close, and briefly disappearing when hit. The Ninja ability also returns in Kirby: Squeak Squad for the Nintendo DS, though it is unknown what enemies will possess it. However, as one of the game's official pictures shows, one of the members of the Squeak Squad, a yellow mouse with a scarf and red sunglasses, throws some shurikens, which could make him a ninja.
- Kodure Ookami
- No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way: This 1960s-themed spy FPS features ninja women led by Isako as enemies in the first chapter and the epilogue.
- Mega Man 3: Shadow Man (one of the Robot Master bosses in the game) is a ninja.
- Mega Man X2: The Maverick known as Magna Centipede is a ninja.
- Oni: Features ninja enemies.
- Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
- Punisher computer and video games: Several of the games include ninja enemies.
- Rayman Raving Rabbids: In the plunger gun minigame, players are sometimes attacked by Rabbids dressed as ninjas, shouting "BANZAI!"
- Red Steel: The player will have to fight the fictional Komori clan towards the end of the game.
- Samurai Warrior: The Battles of Usagi Yojimbo: It featured ninjas as enemies.
- Shogun: Total War: A feudal-era Japan strategy game featuring ninja working as a spies and assassins.
- Soldier of Fortune: FPS which features male and female enemies in the Tokyo missions.
- Sonic Heroes: Espio the Chameleon studies ninjitsu.
- Splinter Cell: A stealth-action video game series featuring a spy whose missons require ninja-like skills; the main character, Sam Fisher, is referred to as being not unlike a ninja in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.
- Spyro: Year of the Dragon
- Stolen: Stealth games which includes a female ninja named Breeze as the heroine's nemesis.
- Streets of Rage series : In the second and third game there is a series of enemies that are ninjas (Kusanagi, Hanzou, Ryuohin, Ranzou, Yagasira, Setsura, Izayoi, Unsai, Tenzen, Genyosai, Kanzou, Jay, Buoh, Huwa and Mutsu), as well as the bosses called Shiva and Onihime and Yasha.
- Super Mario Bros Several game have a species of ninja enemies called Ninjis and Paper Mario has a group parodying the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
- Sword of the Samurai
- Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology one of the playable classes for the player's character is a ninja.
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: The Sheikah race closely resemble ninjas.
- The Simpsons (arcade game): One of the levels has ninja enemies.
- The Tick: The Tick fights ninja enemies and has a female ninja ally.
- Way of the Samurai series
- Wario Ware: The series features Kat and Ana, children ninja twins.
- Worms: The series feature a weapon called "ninja rope" which allows players to swing around the terrain.
Other
- Kawasaki Ninja
- A series of Kawasaki sport bikes.
- Lego Ninja
- A theme of Lego toys series.
- New Haven Ninjas
- American Football team.
- Ninja rocks
- Burglary tools.
- Super Ninja
- A ring name used by several professional wrestlers.
- The Ninja and Ninja
- Roller coasters
Music
Ninja was the name of one of the songs in the 1987 album . Some musicians and bands have the word ninja in their name, including Robot Ninja Dinosaur Bastards (independent record label), Vanilla Ninja, Ninja High School, Ninjaman, The Ninjas and Ninja. There is also Ninja Tune independent record label. The debut single of Lostprophets is called Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja, and the debut of Christina Aguilar is called Ninja. A band called 7 Seconds of Love and Taiwanese artist Jay Chou both have a song called Ninja, while Vanilla Ice has a song called Ninja Rap From the obvious reasons, the theme is popular in Japan, including a band called Ninja Girls. Fans of the Insane Clown Posse, commonly identified as juggalos, sometimes refer to themselves as ninjas as well.
Internet
There have been numerous popular dealing with the parody of the ninja, the most well-known including:
- Ask A Ninja
- A series of popular podcasts in which a ninja answers questions asked about ninjas.
- Enter The Ninja
- The "Best Ninja Website on the Planet!"
- Ninja Burger
- A humor website (as well as RPG, card game and a book) which purports that ninja run a fast-food delivery service.
- Ninja in a Can
- A humorous fictional product designed to protect people from bullies made famous by a commercial parody.
- Ninja Dynasty
- Ninja Spirit
- A series of short martial arts parody videos.
- Ninjai
- A Flash cartoon.
- Real Ultimate Power
- A humour website created by Robert A. Hamburger (as "Robert Hamburger", a 13-year-old character) about ninjas, whom he constantly describes with superlatives such as "totally sweet".
- The Adventures of Dr. McNinja
- A webcomic about an Irish doctor who is also a ninja and has a Batman obsession.
- White Ninja (webcomic)
- A webcomic that is part of the National Lampoon Humor Network.
There has also been a recent movement on the world wide web to celebrate International Creep Like a Ninja Day on December 5. In many online forums, posting the same thing, or something which renders the next post immaterial, between when the next poster begins composing their post and when they post it is called ninjaing that poster. This is often done by the next poster editing their post to "Augh, ninja'd". Recent internet spoofs have often pitted ninja against pirates and asked which would win in a Pirates versus Ninjas fight. In fact, a comic book dedicated to the concept of Pirates versus Ninjas exists, produced by Antarctic Press.
