With a new collection of some of the more recent Ninja Gaiden games being announced at Nintendo Direct, it only makes sense that we’d like to be a little better acquainted with the 3rd-person action-adventure hack-n-slash series.
There are a lot of changes that have taken place in the series since its humble beginnings as a super-hard NES sidescroller. The series follows our protagonist, Ryu Hayabusa, also known as “The Ultimate Ninja”. He strives to follow the ninja code as part of the Dragon lineage, and to maintain the world’s balance, but what else can we learn about him?
10 His Backstory Is Tragic
While there are varying accounts of Ryu’s history thanks to the fact that there are two different major plotlines going throughout the series because of a reboot effort, he has a constant dark background. The Black Spider Ninja Clan, the mortal enemy of the Dragon Clan, mounts an offensive on the camp where Ryu lives, killing most of his best friends in the process. It’s then that he plots revenge.
9 He Seems To Be An Unfeeling Killing Machine
While a lot of protagonists in video games are usually seen as “good”, Ryu might be a bit of an exception to this rule. While he meets his opponents with the appropriate type of decorum and respect, he also turns into a cold and heartless killer in the heat of battle, losing any regard for anything going on around him in the world other than the fight he finds himself immersed in.
8 He’s Kind Outside Of Battle
Ryu shows his ruthlessness when he’s in battle, but don’t assume that this means he’s altogether callous. Instead, while Ryu is outside of battle, particularly when dealing with those he cares about, he’s been described as kind and gentle.
This can be mostly seen when he’s talking to people from his clan, but also with Ayane, a friend who greatly admires him.
7 He Can Take On Hordes Of Hundreds
Ryu might just seem like a simple ninja who pretty much only really wanders around killing those who oppose him in the shadows, sneaking around to pick off his targets. This isn’t exactly true. He definitely has those skills when he requires them, however, he also has the ability to take on crowds of 100s at once or while fighting his way through tons of nameless enemies on his way to a destination.
6 There’s An Animal Spirit Linked To His Family
While there’s definitely something to be said for the existence of dragons in the franchise since they’re pretty much all over the place, they really aren’t even the most important animals/mythological creatures to show up. Instead, that might go to the animal spirit linked to the Hayabusa clan which is also the animal form of the armor that Ryu wears. This is the Peregrine Falcon.
5 The Dark Dragon Blade Haunts Him
Ryu is well-known for wielding the Dragon Blade, a weapon that’s been passed down within his clan since pretty much the beginning of their existence, made from the bones of a dragon.
The Dark Dragon Blade, however, is a weapon that was forged out of the bones of a dark dragon, which grows stronger every time someone is killed near it. It was eventually destroyed by his hand.
4 His Father Is The Leader Of The Clan
Jo Hayabusa is Ryu’s father, and the leader of the clan he’s from. Jo is a respected chief and gets along with pretty much everyone in the village. Ryu was taught pretty much everything he knows by Jo, who also serves to protect the village in times of strife, other than when Ryu is finally old enough to be the protector of the village, although Jo still helps when necessary.
3 He’s Been Contracted By The Military
Although it might not seem like it would be something that’s in Ryu’s wheelhouse, it only makes sense that eventually, the military of Japan would pick up on his combat prowess.
The Japanese Self-Defense Force eventually asks for his help. There’s a new threat, which is a terrorist cabal that is led by an alchemist of incredible power. Eventually, the alchemist is taken down by Ryu and the day is saved. He was able to take care of the problem when the military couldn’t.
2 He’s A Big Part Of Dead Or Alive
Weirdly enough, the Ninja Gaiden series is linked to the incredibly popular fighting franchise, Dead Or Alive. Dead Or Alive is a fighting franchise with a good few entries, a beach volleyball spin-off, and a much less serious tone. That being said, there’s a bit of crossover for some of the characters as they surprisingly exist in the same universe.
1 He’s Made Plenty Of “Best Of” Lists
When it comes to ranking video game characters, it’s obvious that people’s opinions are going to vary. However, when it comes to polls asking specifically about ninja characters, Ryu Hayabusa comes out close to the top, which definitely makes sense considering there really aren’t a ton of ninja games, unfortunately. That’s not to say that Ryu isn’t a great character, because the polls say otherwise.
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