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BLACK
STORY SYNOPSIS
By aaxe
Version 1.0
---------------------------
~~ COPYRIGHT INFORMATION ~~
---------------------------
Copyright 2005, aaxe
This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or
as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of
copyright. Just contact me via GameFAQs if you wish to reuse this material.
-------------
~~ HISTORY ~~
-------------
Version 1.0, 10-19-2005 - Initial Release Added official names. THANKS
VAMPIREHORDE.
-----------------------
~~ TABLE OF CONTENTS ~~
-----------------------
1. Story Synopsis
a. Introduction
b. Mythos
1. The Book of Genesis
2. The Book of Evil Deities
3. The Book of Dragons
4. The Book of the Fiends
5. The Book of the Future
c. Prologue
d. Chapter 1 - The Way of the Ninja
Fateful Encounter - Murai
e. Chapter 2 - The Hayabusa Ninja Village
Fateful Encounter - Doku's Samurai Cavalry, Masakado
f. Chapter 3 - The Skies of Vengeance
Fateful Encounter - General Dynamo
g. Chapter 4 - Imperial City Infiltration
Fateful Encounter - Black Spider Ninja Clan
h. Chapter 5 - City of Fiends
Fateful Encounters - Gallas, Hydracubus
i. Chapter 6 - Monastery
Fateful Encounter - Bone Dragon
j. Chapter 7 - Hidden Underground
Fateful Encounter - Alma
k. Chapter 8 - Tairon Under Alert
Fateful Encounter - Military Supply Base Main Gate
l. Chapter 9 - Military Supply Base
Fateful Encounters - Tank Battalion, Helicopter, Comm Tower
m. Chapter 10 - The Aqueduct
Fateful Encounter - Inazuma Worm, Paz Zuu
n. Chapter 11 - The Path to Zarkhan
Fateful Encounter - Doku, Lord of the Greater Fiends
o. Chapter 12 - The Caverns
Fateful Encounter - Inferno Worm, Yotunfrau, Smaugan the Flame Dragon
p. Chapter 13 - Fiendish Awakening
Fateful Encounter - Awakened Alma
q. Chapter 14 - Vengeful Spirit
Fateful Encounter - Doku's Spirit Form
r. Chapter 15 - The Core
Fateful Encounters - Marbus, Hydracubus, Yotunfrau, Nicchae,
Ishtaros, Holy Vigoor Emperor
s. Chapter 16 - The Dark Dragon Blade
Fateful Encounter - Dark Disciple
t. Epilogue
2. Character Breakdown
a. Heroes
1. Ryu Hayabusa
2. Ken/Joe/Joh Hayabusa
3. Ayane
4. Rachel
5. Kureha
6. Falcon
7. Muramasa
b. Evildoers
1. Murai/Dark Disciple
2. Doku, Lord of the Greater Fiends
3. Alma
4. Supreme Fiend Gogohn
5. Vigoor
6. Gamov
7. Black Spider Ninja Clan
8. Shadow Ninja Clan
9. Masakado
10. General Dynamo
11. Dark Dragon
12. Smaugan the Flame Dragon
13. Vigoorian Ninja Clan
14. Nicchae
15. Ishtaros
16. Beserkers
17. Marbus
3. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
4. Difficulty Disclaimer
5. Eternal Legend Disclaimer
6. Credits
--------------------
~~ STORY SYNOPSIS ~~
--------------------
This is a Story Synopsis. It tells the whole story, so be aware that this
entire document is a spoiler. With the help of several forum members and FAQ
writers, we have figured out most of the specific details to the story, as
there are a lot. Please note, that this information is currently up for
debate and, not all of these ideas are my own. See the credit section for
the forum members that have contributed to this guide.
Introduction
------------
I've read in most reviews that the story in this game ranges from "tacked on"
to "abysmal". I was frustrated in this, as Ryu Hayabusa has had a pretty good
back-story up to this point. To my surprise, I've found the story to be as
relevant as any other action adventure game I've played. Perhaps, I set my
sights low, but regardless, there are a lot of facets to this tale. Granted
it's not overly exceptional or original material, but there is plenty of merit.
Not too many games go through the trouble of not only creating a mythology for
the world to use, but to also find some way of tying that mythology to previous
games in the series. Additionally, the game is setup so that you might not
ever even see some of the mythos sections.
Itagaki commented in an interview that this story has nothing to do with the
original Ninja Gaiden trilogy on NES. However, the Xbox Ninja Gaiden game can
easily be seen as a prequel to the Ninja Gaiden trilogy. Nothing in this game
makes the trilogy impossible and likewise, nothing that happens in the trilogy
makes the Xbox game's story impossible.
Mythos
------
This section includes a literal transcription of the level caching screens.
This information is vital to understanding several facets of the game including
the Deity and Twin Serpent Statues.
1. The Book of Genesis - In the beginning, a great inconsistency flowed out
into the nothing; a nothing that was afraid of its own nothingness, a pure
terror without color, without sound and without smell. It formed the root of
all deification, and eventually it coalesced into the shape of the first Deity,
Gurdu. Gurdu gave birth to all elements and provided them with order and
function. In a remote area of space from where Gurdu provided order, there
existed the territory of chaos formed from elements without shape. This chaos,
which had been forgotten during the blessing of Gurdu, existed at first as only
an instinctual fear, but eventually the chaos begin to take shape and a
consciousness was formed within it.
At first this was just a small curious presence, but eventually grew and became
clearer. This marked the appearance of Hatred. The chaotic nature of Hatred
further evolved it, bringing it to the level of a Deity. Thus, the ancestor of
all Evil Deities, Vigoor, came into being, and the first conflict set into
motion.
2. The Book of Evil Deities - The ancestor of all Evil Deities, Vigoor, began
to devour the territory of Gurdu, beginning at its center. During endless
solar and lunar eclipses, the earth shook and split, the seas dried up only to
flood into existence again, and intense winds swept over everything, and fires
burned down all of existence ignoring even the concept of time itself.
Eventually Gurdu lost his strength, and the world once again plunged into the
chaos from which it had come.
Then a great change occurred. During the throes of unending destruction, the
body of Gurdu himself split into quarters. Each part became a Deity itself
controlling Sentiment, Wisdom, Creation and Immortality. Eventually, they
would come together to return shape to the world again, but in their
panic-stricken state after their birth, they still had little power.
3. The Book of Dragons - In this age of panic, the Serpent, Deity of Creation
was the only one of the Deities to keep some semblance of sanity. The Serpent
gave birth to a tiny presence, something that no other being would ever
notice... the seeds of life.
These seeds managed to take hold and grow in the storm of chaos and ever so
slightly began to evolve, eventually becoming the Thirteen Dragons, whose
destinies were to be found in battle. The Dragons waged an endless battle
against Vigoor who never ceased in his attempts to bring the world into a chaos
of Hatred. Eventually the Dragons were able to banish Vigoor to the very ends
of the world.
However, it was in this period that the youngest and lowliest in position of
the Dragons, the Dark Dragon, summoned the Hatred with its feelings of
inferiority. Due to this betrayal, Vigoor was able to keep from being
completely destroyed.
4. The Book of the Fiends - The Dark Dragon, now full of evil intent, joined
with Vigoor and his spawn of Evil Deities to further capture the territory of
Gurdu. This conflict continued throughout the eons of history and during its
struggle the first spark of human life appeared in the form of the Ancient
Tribes.
Of course, old conflicts never cease, and even in the age of the Ancient
Tribes, the Dragon Lineage and Evil Deities continued their battle for tens of
thousands of generations; a struggle that finally ended when members of the
Dragon Lineage were able to seal away the Evil Deities and their spawn.
However, in that age of chaos, all of the bloodlines of the Ancient Tribes were
mixed and the form and nature of the Ancients have been carried on by us, the
Fiends.
5. The Book of the Future - The land that the Evil Deity Vigoor once held as
his final territory has become this, the land of Vigoor. The treachery of the
Dark Dragon also occurred here, and this was where the Ancient Tribes lived.
That is why their descendants, us the Fiends, have taken over control of these
lands. With this land as a barrier, the power of Vigoor is limited only to
this Earth.
Vigoor is the Demon of Destruction and the Deity who creates history; when the
decadence of this world has piled up, he will return in a blaze of
all-destroying flame and recreate the world. Chaos, like the floods on the
banks of a great river, will fulfill this world once again, and we will be the
first recipients of this fulfillment. Evolution has and always will begin from
here, the land of Vigoor. It has been several hundred years, since the Supreme
Fiend Gogohn established what would eventually become the Vigoor Empire here on
these lands.
If a new warrior of the Dragon Lineage shall appear, the Holy Emperor shall be
infused with the power of the Evil Deities. After seven days, from the unity
of His Majesty with the Dark Dragon once again, we Fiends will be blessed with
an exquisite harmony.
Prologue
--------
The evil Dark Dragon Blade...
A legendary sword, said to have been carved out of the bones of a Black Dragon,
it brought plague and death to the world during the age of ancient myth. It
has been sealed by those of the Dragon Lineage since the dawn of history,
because of its incredible capacity for evil, made possible by the souls of the
vanquished Black Dragons that dwell within it. It is said that if the Blade's
seal were to be broken, it would gather the hatred and evil of mankind and
confer it upon the on who wields it, transforming him into the Devil incarnate;
however not even those of the Dragon Lineage who protect it know the true
extent of its power...
The Dragon Sword...
Another weapon protected by the Dragon Lineage since ancient times. This
sword, which is said to have been used by ancient warriors to slay the Black
Dragons, is now handed down from generation to generation in the Hayabusa Ninja
Clan, the modern descendants of the Dragon Lineage.
And now, the Dragon Sword is gripped firmly in the hands of young ninja Ryu
Hayabusa.
The story begins with a cinematic describing the Dark Dragon Blade and the
Dragon Sword, the two rival weapons of the game. Basically, the Dark Dragon
Blade was forged from the bones of a Black Dragon. Apparently, these Black
Dragons are very powerful creatures, and thusly, the Dark Dragon Blade has
several capabilities. It can absorb the souls of those it smites. In fact, it
has the ability to vaporize those unfortunate enough to actually be defeated by
it. Secondly, it can draw power from the evil committed in its vicinity. A
side effect to this feature is the fact that it can absorb all magical energy
directed at it; thereby nullifying the effects of Ninpo. Finally, once it has
been unsealed and reached its full potential, it has the ability to transform
its wielder into an all-powerful devil.
The foil to the Dark Dragon Blade is the Dragon Sword. The Dragon Sword was
carved out of the fang of a Dragon and was used by the Dragon Lineage to
destroy the Black Dragons. The true nature of the sword is not discovered
until later in the game, as the True Dragon Sword is a combination of the
Dragon Sword and the Dragon Eye. Once these two artifacts are combined, the
True Dragon Sword becomes a very powerful tool. In fact, Ryu shatters the Dark
Dragon Blade with it in one strike at the story's conclusion.
The Hayabusa Clan is composed of the descendants of the Dragon Lineage that
fought the Black Dragons and Ancient Tribes. There is a true bloodline though,
and it seems as though only Ryu and his father are direct descendants.
Apparently, the Black Dragons were wiped out, and the Fiends were nearly
exterminated. So, the Hayabusa Clan exists in a somewhat dormant state. Now,
it seems as though the Hayabusa Clan merely protects the three Dragon
Artifacts: the Dark Dragon Blade, the Dragon Sword and the Dragon Eye. Ryu's
father leaves the village to train in the "Sacred Wilderness" and entrusts the
Dragon Sword with him. Kureha, the Hayabusa Clan's Priestess, is the protector
of the Dragon Eye while the entire village is responsible for the protection of
the Dark Dragon Blade. This is probably due to the fact that it's not readily
apparent that the Dragon Sword and Dragon Eye can combine to form the True
Dragon Sword. Therefore, it is assumed that the Dark Dragon Blade is the most
dangerous of the three artifacts.
Chapter 1 - The Way of the Ninja
------------------------------
Location - The Shadow Clan Ninja Fortress
Fateful Encounter - Murai
Ryu begins his adventure by leaping off a waterfall and slaughtering his first
Shadow Clan Ninja in a single strike. He pauses to reflect upon this one
warrior's role in life, while Ayane, a member of the Mugen Tenshin, watches on.
She oversees his progress and helps him throughout his adventure by providing
him clues attached to Tulip Kunai scrolls.
There is a defector from the Hayabusa Clan, and his name is Murai. It is said
that he is Ryu's uncle and leaves the Hayabusa Clan. Ninja clans don't take
defection lightly, so it's assumed that Murai and the Shadow Ninja Clan that he
creates are sworn enemies to the Hayabusa Clan. Most likely, it is because of
this that Ryu slaughters the Shadow Clan with such abandon when Murai summons
him. Halfway through his invasion of the Shadow Ninja Fortress, he attains the
Fangs of the Samurai which give him access to the Inner Sanctum. Around this
time Ayane says that she is leaving to check upon other matters, but that
she will return later.
Since, Murai is Ryu's uncle (on his mother's side in all likelihood), Ryu
simply ceases his onslaught once they fight to a draw in Murai's Inner Sanctum.
What Murai says to entice Ryu to come to see him in the Shadow Ninja Fortress
is unknown. Regardless, Murai and Ryu carry on a conversation where Murai
inquires about the Dragon Sword and Dark Dragon Blade. Ryu seems both
apprehensive about answering his questions and reserved when discussing his
father's penchant with acquiring power. Murai comments how he is not of the
Dragon Lineage, and so he is unconcerned with the affairs of the Dark Dragon
Blade. At this point, Ayane interrupts their conversation with news of razing
of Hayabusa Village.
Ayane is a member of the Mugen Tenshin Clan and practices Hajin Mon. It is
apparent that she works for Murai, and it is possible that Murai uses her to
summon Ryu. She seems either startled or compassionate at Ryu's presence in
the Inner Sanctum despite the fact that she has been helping him with Kunai
scrolls on his entire journey to the Shadow Clan's Inner Sanctum. From the
Ninja Fortress's viewpoint, Hayabusa Village is clearly visible. It's evident
that something is terribly wrong, as there is a large amount of smoke billowing
up from the village. Ryu races back to the Village only to be put upon by the
forces of Doku.
Chapter 2 - The Hayabusa Ninja Village
--------------------------------------
Location - Hayabusa Village
Fateful Encounter - Doku's Samurai Cavalry
Doku is the Lord of the Greater Fiends and is sent by the Holy Vigoor Emperor
to retrieve the Dark Dragon Blade. Doku attacks Hayabusa Village with his
samurai army consisting of infantry, cavalry, archers, mages and one Cavalry
Captain, Masakado. Ryu arrives in the village and solemnly discovers the
corpses of many of his colleagues. Ryu discovers Ayane nearly unconscious
in a building. She warns him of a dark Samurai, and tells him that he must
find Kureha, the village Priestess. She presents him with a bow after
she stabilizes.
After killing several of Doku's samurai, Ryu visits an effigy to the
blacksmith Muramasa. He is able to communicate with Muramasa via these
statues and is now capable of outfitting himself. He concludes his business
with Muramasa and acquiring several armlets that can increase his offensive
and defensive abilities.
After Ryu dispatches most of the attacking force single-handedly, and he
destroys the Cavalry Captain and his entourage as well. Ryu then arrives at
the Hayabusa Clan Leader's Residence to see Kureha murdered. She reaches out
to Ryu on the footsteps of the residence and clutches the Dragon Eye in her
hand. But, she dies before Ryu can intervene. Doku then appears, retrieves
the Dark Dragon Blade and dispatches one last Hayabusa Clan ninja. He and Ryu
then square off and exchange a few blows. Doku proves the more powerful
duelist though, as he strikes Ryu twice, grievously wounding him.
It is a matter of debate now as to whether or not Doku kills Ryu at this point.
He strikes him first in the lower abdomen, which causes Ryu to cough up blood.
He then slashes him from shoulder to scabbard, and it appears as though the
sheath of the Dragon Sword at least partially protects him from the Dark Dragon
Blade's ability to absorb souls. It could be this or a combination of several
factors as discussed in the FAQ's section. The flames that engulf Hayabusa
Village eventually die down after consuming the area. We see Ryu lying
defeated on the ground, and he looks to be either very mortally wounded or
outright expired. It is wise to note that the fires have all extinguished at
this point, so Ryu has been lying motionless on the ground bleeding for at
least several hours. At this point, a lone falcon then flies in and observes
the scene. This is not the last time that the falcon is observed in this story.
Chapter 3 - The Skies of Vengeance
----------------------------------
Location - Passenger Zeppelin
Fateful Encounter - General Dynamo
Next we see Ryu totally healed and preparing for battle in his new outfit.
Murai watches on and councils him on who and what decimated his village. He
tells Ryu that Doku works for the Holy Vigoor Emperor and if he wishes to exact
vengeance, then he'll have to take the fight to them. Ryu then books passage
upon a zeppelin bound for the Vigoor Empire with the intent of destroying Doku
and retrieving the Dark Dragon Blade. Ayane explains the nature of the Vigoor
Empire, a xenophobic asiatic state. She says that one of the only remaining
routes takes Ryu to the skies.
Unfortunately for Ryu, the Vigoorian Internal Affairs Bureau intercepts the
zeppelin with the help of the Vigoorian military and General Dynamo, a
corpulent cybernetic soldier. At the head of the Vigoorian Internal Affairs
Bureau is a man called Gamov. How he happens upon Ryu's actions is revealed
later. They intercept the passenger zeppelin and all hands aboard are promptly
evacuated.
Ryu then must escape capture. He slaughters every MSAT (Mechanized Special
Attack Team) soldier that crosses his path, and happens upon another of
Muramasa's statue. Now, Muramasa has the materials needed to upgrade Ryu's
Dragon Sword. With this improvement, Ryu gains the Flying Swallow ability to
spontaneously fly through the air and decapitate his enemies.
He then finds a map of the Vigoorian Capital City Tairon, disables the power
system of the zeppelin and kills Dynamo. Whilst in the throws of malfunction,
Dynamo's rifle misfires several times and destroys the boarding zeppelin. His
systems then go critical, and he explodes, which destroys the passenger
zeppelin. Ryu escapes the destruction of both zeppelins by jumping off and
landing on high-tension power line towers. He then repels these lines using
only his arm bracelets into the outskirts of Tairon. Ryu isn't the only
survivor, however.
Chapter 4 - Imperial City Infiltration
--------------------------------------
Location - Tairon
Fateful Encounter - Black Spider Ninja Clan
The Dragon Lineage's last warrior must now infiltrate Tairon, but without
Ayane's assistance, he wouldn't know where to look for Doku. Ayane informs him
via Kunai scrolls that he needs to locate Han's Bar and to be on the lookout
for the rival ninjas belonging to the Black Spider Ninja Clan. Apparently,
they are out to capture the Dark Dragon Blade as well, however, they are
proving to be unsuccessful. Ryu happens upon many of their bodies throughout
this chapter and the rest of the story. Several of them carry diaries that
divulge pieces of the Clan's intentions. Their motivations become clear later.
In the first plaza he encounters, Ryu discovers an gigantic, ancient device
called the Twin Serpents Statue, which seems to forego modern technology for a
more mystic variety. To activate the Statue, it is clear that a Stone Tablet
is needed to awaken its machinations. What this will do is unclear at this
point, however. Ryu finally reaches Han's Bar, but is refused admittance
without a ticket. He discovers that Muramasa, the Blacksmith, is holding a
contest where a patron will receive one free ticket with any purchase.
Luckily, his shop is located in Tairon. Before Ryu leaves Han's Bar, Ayane
informs him that she has hidden a weapon of great power here. Ryu retrieves
it, and the weapon turns out to be a Windmill Shuriken that will return to Ryu
once it is thrown.
Upon one of bodies of the Spider Clan, Ryu discovers some Nunchaku. It seems
as though he has much fortitude to come across such powerful weapons, and he
puts them to good use. Additionally, he finds a diary of a Spider Clan ninja
named Suke that states that the Clan has spied upon a female of remarkable
skill and beauty. They question her intentions, but, up until now, Ryu had
remained oblivious to her presence.
Ryu then encounters his first group of Spider Ninjas. These foes prove
formidable with their advanced techniques and Incendiary Shuriken. Ryu must
utilize all of his talents to even survive the encounters with these assassins.
One technique in particular is interesting to Ryu where the ninja will hold his
sword out as he flips in the air. Ryu moves on after slaughtering the
opposition.
Ryu meets the decrepit Muramasa face-to-face, retrieves the ticket but
unfortunately doesn't need it, as something is amiss at Han's Bar upon his
return. At this point, he meets Rachel who appears to be very adept at killing
Fiends. She introduces herself and explains that she is a Fiend Hunter. Ryu
lays bare his intentions of killing Doku at which Rachel scoffs, doubting his
ability. She states that her ability to battle Fiends is tied to her tendency
to becoming a Fiend, because of her bloodline. Rachel then states that it was
Doku that took her sister from her. She promptly leaves the conversation via
grappling hook when she senses Fiends in the vicinity.
Suddenly, Gamov appears as he apparently survived the zeppelin catastrophe. He
makes it known to Ryu that he has been watching him. He also suggests that he
and Rachel are acquainted, and that she can take care of herself. Just as
abruptly as he appears, he disappears.
Chapter 5 - City of Fiends
--------------------------
Locations - Tairon, Han's Bar, Dworku
Fateful Encounters - Gallas, Hydracubus
Ayane hints that Doku's location could probably be discovered if Ryu were to
travel to the Monastery in Dworku, a district of Tairon. So, Ryu battles his
way there. He fights both the MSATs and Spider Ninja Clan where he arrives at
the Drawbridge to Dworku. Unfortunately, it is drawn up, so Ryu must activate
the bridge lowering mechanisms. He does so after fighting off many more Spider
Clan and eventually arrives at the gates of the Monastery. It is locked
unfortunately, so he goes to find another way in. He is again besieged by
MSATs, but after dispatching a couple of them, Ryu encounters his first batch
of Fiends. These beasts take the forms of large dragons, and they quickly
dispense with the SATs and turn their sites on Ryu.
After this battle Rachel (who was overseeing Ryu's performance) comments on
Ryu's ability and questions his bloodline. Ryu retorts curtly saying that his
talent stems from his training. Rachel questions this, and explains her
intentions. Her twin sister Alma is a Greater Fiend like Doku, and she intends
on releasing her sister from her Fiendish existence. The only way to do so is
to murder her. She relates that there are three greater Fiends, Doku, Alma and
another Greater Fiend that protects the Emperor. But, before she can
elaborate, a Hydracubus (a huge, fleshy mass composed of eyeballs,
tentacles and talons) promptly swallows her up. Ryu battles and dispatches
this monstrosity thereby rescuing Rachel. She tells Ryu that Doku is most
likely in the pathway under the Monastery. It's the best place to continue
looking.
Ayane then shows herself finally and relates some information about how the
Fiends' existences, like men, are tied to their bloodlines. She also says that
the Fiend Realm has been disturbed, possibly due to the presence of the Dark
Dragon Blade and the Dragon Sword. Rachel agrees that she can feel a stirring
in her blood. With this new information, Ryu asks Ayane to take care of Rachel
as he proceeds into the Monastery. It appears that Ayane has possibly switched
allegiances at this point.
Finally, a new character, the Dark Disciple is introduced and is shown talking
to Gamov on a balcony. It appears as though Gamov has ulterior motives as
well. The Disciple hears about Ryu's exploits so far and comments that he has
arrived just in time.
Chapter 6 - The Monastery
-------------------------
Locations - Dworku, The Monastery, Underground Cemetery
Fateful Encounter - Bone Dragon
Ryu heads back to gates of the Monastery from the inside of the wall that the
Hydracubus demolished. From now on, Fiends besiege Ryu, as it seems the
Monastery is some sort of focal point. Ryu encounters Monk Fiends guarding the
altar of the Monastery and dispatches them. He realizes that the altar seems
like the entrance point to the Underground Passage, but it appears as though a
book is needed to unlock the Cemetery. He happens upon the archives and begins
reading the volumes contained within. Here, he learns about the Holy Vigoor
Emperor and the structure of Vigoorian society. The Emperor is more than just
a figurehead as outlined in the books. It seems that he or she is the corner
stone of Vigoorian society and is an extension of Vigoor itself. Ryu also
happens upon the first Stone Tablet that appears to be connected to the Twin
Serpents Statue along with an Incendiary Shuriken. The same shuriken that have
proven so troublesome when dealing with the Spider Ninja Clan can now be used
against them.
Ryu explores the Monastery and discovers the Principal Monk's Office. This
Monk foolishly leaves his safe combinations in his ledger, so Ryu retrieves the
Book of Eons from the Monk's office safe. While he's at it, Ryu also retrieves
the first of 5 Deity Statues, Raptor, the Deity of Sentiment. He will return
to this safe on occasion and find that the Monk never learns how to keep his
save from being pilfered. Ryu returns to the altar, places the book upon it,
and descends into the Underground Cemetery.
Ryu fights his way through many dead things and eventually finds the Old Altar.
Occupying this cavern is the remains of a gigantic dragon but only the skeleton
remains. It's obvious that something needs to be offered here, so Ryu goes
about his way to find what it might be. Ryu acquires the Vigoorian Flail,
which proves to be an extremely useful tool in dealing with the creatures in
this chapter. After shuffling off many mortal coils, he arrives in a room with
a Grail. Ryu is immediately set upon by numerous flying abominations. But,
during the course of Ryu's butchering, a piece of one of these creatures falls
into the Grail. This sets in motion the reviving of all the corpses in the
Cemetery, the Ghuls. After Ryu dispatches the behemoths in his immediate
vicinity, he grabs the Grail and returns to the Old Altar.
Upon replacing the Altar that has given life to all of the death of the
Cemetery, it commits one more action, which is to breathe life back into the
corpse of the Dragon that occupies this space. After a decisive battle with
the Bone Dragon where Ryu attacks the creature's frail limbs, it tumbles to
the bottom of the shaft and crushes the floor to reveal the Underground Passage.
Chapter 7 - Hidden Underground
------------------------------
Locations - Underground Cemetery, Underground Passage, The Monastery
Fateful Encounter - Alma
The Last Warrior of the Dragon Lineage must navigate back down the Underground
Cemetery to the bottom of the cave where the Bone Dragon's body crushed the
floor. While navigating this Underground Passage, Ryu happens upon the second
Deity Statue, the Wolf.
During this adventure, Ryu must continually do battle with the undead hordes
and solve many ancient puzzles. After doing so, he is beset upon by a
reincarnation of the Hydracubus. After easily returning this creature to
the Underworld, Ryu begins to climb back to the surface. But, unfortunately,
the remains of the Dragon weakened the structure of this Cemetery, and a
torrent of water comes flooding in, sweeping Ryu away. He must now navigate
the flooded caverns by swimming through them. In an unflooded space, Ryu
locates an ancient looking platform but is unable to activate it. Instead, he
finds the elevator back up to the Monk's office, and escapes despite being
assaulted by another group of Spider Clan. They seem to be following his
progress closely.
Unfortunately, he is unable to exit the Monastery and is finally confronted by
Alma, the Greater Fiend. In a hopeless battle, Ryu does actually strike her
down, and in the process, Alma's Fiendish energy is released in a gigantic
explosion. Rachel spies this encounter and comes in to vanquish her sister but
is unable to do the deed. Alma dissolves seemingly to recover later.
Rachel laments that she was unable to kill her own sister, so Ryu suggests that
it's not safe for her here anymore. After Ryu leaves, Doku appears. He tells
Rachel that he should kill her for what she's done to Alma. He also comments
that it's a pity that she has to go to waste, as she might have been more
powerful than even Alma. Despite Rachel's attempts at combat, he kidnaps her;
unbeknownst to Ryu. Doku will attempt to use her in the Awakening.
Chapter 8 - Tairon Under Alert
------------------------------
Locations - Dworku, Tairon
Fateful Encounter - Military Supply Base Main Gate
With the destruction of the Monastery, the Vigoorian Military occupies Tairon.
Upon Ryu's egress from the Monastery, Ayane tells him that the city is under
martial law, and that the best way to continue his quest would be to knock out
the Communications Tower in the Military Supply Base. The Vigoorian Military
is fairly well equipped and Ryu has to deal with everything from standard
troops to an Assault Helicopter before he can complete this chapter. But,
before he sets off, Ryu returns to the ruin of the Monastery to find Rachel's
Warhammer lying amongst the ruins. He takes it.
The Dragon Ninja decimates the entire occupying force and destroys the Base's
Main Gate. During his assault on the gate, he has to survive an encounter with
an Assault Helicopter with nothing but his trusty Dragon Sword as a defense.
The Helicopter retreats after it is apparent that he proves difficult to kill.
He then retrieves a Strong Bow from a building overlooking the Main Gate and
invades the Supply Base.
Chapter 9 - Military Supply Base
--------------------------------
Location - Military Supply Base
Fateful Encounters - Tank Battalion, Helicopter, Comm Tower
Ryu now takes on ground troops, heavy artillery and air support while dealing
with the automated support drones as well. He discovers both APFSDS (armor
piercing) as well as Explosive arrows in his scouting of the base. Along the
way, he destroys their tank battalion and the Helicopter support that he
previously fought to a draw.
He disables the Communications Tower and afterwards Ayane confirms that the
Military Force is in shambles. Ryu then steals a train and proceeds to leave
the Base. Unfortunately, the train meets another train traveling in the
opposite direction, which causes a huge explosion that Ryu miraculously
survives.
Chapter 10 - The Aqueduct
-------------------------
Location - The Aqueduct
Fateful Encounter - Paz Zuu
Ryu now takes the fight to the Aqueducts under the city. Here he meets all
manner of Fiends and disposes of them accordingly. After reconfiguring the
water cisterns, Ryu meets again with Muramasa to acquire the Dabilahro, a
gigantic, two-handed sword. Ryu must then best several gigantic Inazuma Worms
while trying to find the path to Zarkhan. After defeating the first of these
creatures, Ryu gains the ability to channel his own bioelectricity outwards in
an Inazuma attack. He gains access to the Sanctuary and finds that he must
prove his valor before he can continue.
The Revenger of the Hayabusa Clan locates the Brand of Valor that matches a
depression in the floor of the cave and hastens back to it. He places the
Brand in the depression and watches as the cavern lights with energy. This act
summons a gigantic, Paz Zuu. The creature uses the remains of its wings
to launch physical assaults on Ryu, while its laser breath attempts to immolate
him. The creature in this lair proves challenging, but Ryu bests it and leaves
the Aqueducts to find the Dark Disciple looking over his progress.
Chapter 11 - The Path to Zarkhan
--------------------------------
Locations - Zarkhan, Tairon
Fateful Encounter - Doku, Lord of the Greater Fiends
Ryu disregards this new presence and takes to the water. He navigates the moat
of Zarkhan and finds more deceased Spider Ninja along the way. Had the Clan
possessed a greater organization, they might have fared better. Ryu must now
backtrack through several areas that he has encountered before, but now they
are flooded with bilgy water from the moat. Along the way, he acquires an
oxygen tank and a Harpoon gun, which he puts to use against the denizens of the
moat around Zarkhan. He eventually finds his way back to the ancient platform
in the Underground Cemetery that takes him to the Arena.
Here, Doku is waiting for Ryu with Rachel still imprisoned. Ryu demands to
know where the Dark Dragon Blade is now, and Doku responds that he has given it
to the Emperor. Doku chides him for the near destruction of Alma, and he
unsheathes Kitetsu, a blade of Fiendish power. They commit to mortal battle,
and despite Doku's immense power, Ryu strikes down his nemesis. Doku ponders
Ryu's fate, as he has never met a human more skilled. He observes that maybe
they are not so different. Regardless, his body levitates, and his corporeal
form disappears. But not before he mentions that the Awakening of Alma is to
take place.
This stirs Rachel, now conscious, into action, and she flies away on her
grapple.
Ryu then attempts to escape the Arena despite being set upon by a seemingly
countless number of Gallas. He brandishes Kitetsu, Doku's sword along with
the Tranquility Armlet that cancels out the evil blade's tendency to leech
life. Using Kitetsu's ability to transfer the life force of his enemies to
himself, he overcomes these odds and escapes the Arena to arrive in Zarkhan,
the home of the Emperor.
Chapter 12 - The Caverns
------------------------
Locations - Zarkhan, The Caverns
Fateful Encounter - Smaugan the Flame Dragon
Ayane sends another message to Ryu stating that Muramasa wishes to speak with
him. Ryu does so, but finds that the city has been overrun by Fiendish
versions of his previous foes. He fights his way through these horrors again
to return to Muramasa's shop. There, he learns that until this point the
Dragon Sword has not been serving its true purpose. Muramasa describes to him
an artifact that must be placed in the hilt to unlock the Sword's true power.
Ryu is stunned to discover that Muramasa is quite versed on both the Dragon
Sword and the Dark Dragon Blade. But, Muramasa assures Ryu that the True
Dragon Sword affixed with the Dragon Eye will prove more than a match for the
Dark Dragon Blade. Ryu must locate this artifact, though.
Ryu finally leaves Tairon after being tipped off that the Caverns outside the
city might hold the secret to locating Doku. The environment is the harshest
yet, with which Ryu has to contend. He battles many Fiends of fire and ice and
reconstructs the Caverns' locking system using the Shield of Vigoor and by
forging a cog from the iron ore strewn about the Caverns. Ryu finally locates
all of the pieces of the Stone Tablet for the Twin-Headed Serpent Statue as
well. Along the way, he comes upon a horrendous looking Yotunfrau and smites
it. He also locates the Eyes of Fire and Ice that gain him access to Smaugan
the Flame Dragon's Lair. While this magnificent creature proves to be Ryu's
greatest challenge so far, the Dragon Ninja destroys the beast much like his
ancestors destroyed the Black Dragons of long ago. For this, he is rewarded
the next Deity Statue, the Devil Deity.
The beast's body conveniently provides the path to the exit.
Chapter 13 - The Fiendish Awakening
-----------------------------------
Location - Tairon, Hayabusa Village, The Pyramid
Fateful Encounter - Alma Awakened
Ryu exits the Caverns through a previously shutoff route and returns to the
Twin-Headed Serpent Statue. He places the pieces of the Stone Tablet into its
holding place and the Statue moves to life. It is apparent now that the Statue
is a teleportation device constructed by the Thirteen Dragons of the Serpent
that Ryu may utilize. Ryu has found the Path to Zarkhan.
After traveling through the several of Twin-Headed Serpent Statue's
teleporters, Ryu arrives back at his home Village. He visits Kureha's grave
and realizes that her pendant is in fact the Dragon Eye. After showing his
respect to her memory, he affixes the Eye into the hilt of the Dragon Sword.
It begins to give off a faint glow, and it is obvious that Ryu now holds in his
possession the True Dragon Sword. He is truly able to take on the Dark Dragon
Blade, now. A scene is shown where the feminine form of Vigoor is shown
harnessing the power of the Dark Dragon Blade. She is actually breaking the
seal of the blade at this point.
During his escapades, Gamov and the Dark Disciple continue to plot and discuss
the Dark Dragon Blade's growing power. They comment on the blade's seal having
been broken, and how powerful the weapon is becoming. The Dark Disciple
questions Gamov's motives and wonders if maybe he'll attempt to take the blade
for himself. Gamov denies this charge, of course. Ayane watches their
exchange from afar.
Ryu follows the Path to Zarkhan to several more locations, and eventually finds
himself in an Aztec-like field with a Pyramid off in the distance. Ryu has
just teleported directly into Doku's Awakening Ceremony. To Ryu's surprise,
Rachel has been captured and is to be used in sacrifice to transform Alma into
a truly fierce-some creature. But, before Ryu can reach Rachel, Alma confronts
him and transforms into a much more heinous form. She does this because Doku
drains some sort of energy from Rachel which is then transferred to Alma. Had
Doku been able to complete his ceremony before Ryu arrived (that is, killing
Rachel), there is no knowing what form Alma would've taken on. They again
commit to battle with Ryu surgically defeating her. Her frail form slumps to
the ground as her life energy ebbs.
Ryu then hastens to the top of the Pyramid, as the now Spiritual Doku is about
to sever Rachel's life in exchange for Alma's. Alma appears to regain her
strength and chases Ryu feverishly up the precipice. Only, she knocks Ryu out
of the way and intercepts the killing blow from Doku that was meant for Rachel.
Doku's blade pierces the globe in Alma's abdomen as she catches her twin
sister. Alma looks peaceful as she cradles Rachel's limp form and explodes in
a light of Fiendish brilliance. What is left is a scene of Rachel cradling
Alma's now human form, in death. Doku's Spirit throws down his ceremonial
blade and vows that, "This is not over."
Ryu leaps off of the top of the pyramid (possibly to give Rachel and Alma their
privacy) to continue the hunt for the Spirit Form of Doku. Ryu smashes the
steps of the pyramid to find yet another maze to be solved. After replacing
several relics in their rightful places, Ryu receives the Deity of Creation's
Statue, the Serpent. He finds the exit to the Pyramid and proceeds to the
Labyrinth where he spies Doku's spirit form hastening to an unknown location.
Chapter 14 - Vengeful Spirit
----------------------------
Locations - The Labyrinth, Imperial Palace
Fateful Encounter - Doku's Spirit Form
The Vengeful Spirit finds the body of yet another expired Spider Clan Ninja,
Gen, where the motivation to capture the Dark Dragon Blade is revealed. While
this expired soul seems to be have been the leader of the force sent to Vigoor,
the leader of the Spider Clan in its entirety turns out to be a tea connoisseur
and wishes to grind the Blade into tea. Close by, Ryu has his first encounter
in the Fiend Realm where the 3rd of the Greater Fiends holds court. Ryu
defeats everything that Marbus summons to defeat Ryu, and returns to the normal
world.
Ryu chases Doku through the labyrinth taking on all manner of new Fiends. Once
particular abhorrence proves very challenging with its ability to grapple and
immolate Ryu. This creature appears very similar to the form that the Emperor
takes while harnessing the power of the Dark Dragon Blade. Regardless, Ryu
bests the fell beast and retrieves the key to the arena where he will finally
confront Doku. They battle one last time, and now that Ryu in his peak of
combat ability; he easily vanquishes the Spirit. Unfortunately, in his dying
breath, Doku curses Ryu to a Fiendish State that immediately takes hold. Ryu
is powerless to prevent the Fiendish transformation as his body changes to
reflect his newly Fiendish nature. It seems a hefty price to pay for simple
vengeance. Regardless, now Ryu's task is to reclaim the Dark Dragon Blade and
return to his former self.
Chapter 15 - The Core
---------------------
Locations - Imperial Palace, The Core, The Underworld
Fateful Encounters - Marbus, Holy Vigoor Emperor
Fiendish Ryu arrives at the fringe of the Imperial palace, but there doesn't
seem to be any way in. He explores around and locates a winding bridge that
seems impossible to navigate. But, since Ryu has been transformed into a
Fiend, he is actually able to traverse the span, which deposits him upside down
and under the Palace totally in opposition to gravity. A door bars the way to
the Core, unfortunately, and Ryu must backtrack. It seems as though Doku has
provided Ryu with more than he intended.
Ryu finds the decaying body of Dai, the last of the Spider Clan ninjas, at the
Imperial Gates holding the Decayed Soul Key. It's ironic to consider that
Ryu's greatest human adversaries have now given him the ability to complete his
quest.
Ayane watches on and reflects on the journey so far; and about how Ryu may not
find what he's looking for at the end of his journey.
He returns to the Core and proceeds to realize that he must climb up to the top
of the Core. In actuality, he is progressing down and the higher he seems to
get, the closer he gets to the Underworld.
He battles through the five levels of the Core fighting the most severe of the
Fiend forms. Each room in the Core is repugnant, and display everything from
sentient eyeballs to developing fetuses. At each level he places a Deity's
Statue on an altar as an offering, and after doing so, the room pulses with
energy, and unlocks the path to the next level.
When he finally reaches the pinnacle of the Core, it turns out to be the Gate
to the Underworld itself. But, to open the freestanding gate, he must offer
another Deity's statue. Gurdu only transformed into four Deities, so this last
offering is puzzling. Regardless, he finds another portal to the Fiend Realm
where, this time, it appears as though he will do battle with Marbus, the
protector of the Emperor. But before he can challenge him, he must do battle
with his previously vanquished foes that Marbus summons from the Underworld.
He vanquishes these nuisances again, and Marbus finally accepts the challenge.
Despite Marbus' ample power, Ryu is successful in smiting him along with his
summoned minions. Afterwards, the Statue of Demon, Deity of Destruction is
revealed. This figure is an icon to Vigoor itself and is the key to passage
into the Underworld.
It's interesting to note that the Demon Statue is the same statue that Jaquio
uses in the original NES Ninja Gaiden. It is an effigy to Vigoor in this story.
Using the Statue, Ryu opens the gate to the Underworld that reveals a skeletal
staircase that was, up until this point, invisible. Ryu climbs the staircase
at which point the stairs break up and begin to fall down. They then reverse
their direction to coincide with gravity and fall up.
The Fiendish Dragon Ninja falls into a field of white, red, yellow and blue
flowers like the Essences and spies a gigantic statue across it. The statue
resembles Alma, but above it lays the Dark Dragon Blade. The field promptly
withers and burns, transforming into a hellish cavern and the statue itself
awakens to do battle. It towers above Ryu, so Ryu uses his powers to create a
platform from the bedrock itself and levitates up to the statue. It appears as
though final battle with the Emperor has begun. Ryu attacks the Emperor's
armor and avoids her lasers and thrusts. After many blows, the statue crumbles
into the lava and the Emperor's true form appears as a mountain of skulls.
This is Vigoor, the God, himself. Ryu defeats this form as well, despite
Vigoor's substantial power. In doing so, he frees himself from the Fiendish
Curse.
Chapter 16 - The Dark Dragon Blade
----------------------------------
Location - The Core, Zarkhan
Fateful Encounter - Dark Disciple
Ryu dispatches the Emperor in both its effeminate and masculine forms and is
left alone in this hellish Underworld. Killing the Emperor somehow affects the
ability for Fiends to exist as Ryu reverts back to human form. He retrieves
the Dark Dragon Blade and seems resigned to die in this cavern. Fortunately,
Rachel finds him and they escape the pit together. As they are ascending via
Rachel's grappling device, an explosion from underneath launches the Dark
Dragon Blade into the sky. It falls down at the feet of the Dark Disciple and
Gamov. This explosion also destroys most of the Imperial Palace and
surrounding Zarkhan.
Rachel and Ryu climb out of the pit and the Disciple and Gamov address them.
Gamov excitedly relates what has happened to the Dark Dragon Blade due to all
the carnage as the Dark Disciple wields it. The shadowy figure promptly
decapitates Gamov saying that, "You've done well, Gamov." It's interesting to
note that Gamov's entire body dissolves and all that is left is a coat and
blood. This is obviously what happens to those that fall under the unsealed
Blade of the Dark Dragon.
The Disciple disrobes to reveal Murai. It is at this point when it becomes
obvious that everything has been set into motion by Murai. He most likely
tipped off the Emperor (via Gamov) to the location of the Dark Dragon Blade.
He summoned Ryu from Hayabusa Village so that the Blade be stolen, unsealed and
could grow to its true potential. He tipped Gamov off on Ryu's location aboard
the zeppelin and then watches as Ryu kills Fiend after Fiend, feeding the
Blade. Murai knew that only the Emperor would be able to break the seal on the
sword and that only Ryu would be able to defeat the Emperor, so, he waits at
the aperture of the Emperor's Palace. Murai then brandishes the blade and
transforms into a demonic abomination. Unfortunately for him, he did not count
on Ryu combining the Dragon Eye with the Dragon Sword to wield the True Dragon
Sword. Most likely, Murai probably didn't even know it existed. At this point
in the story, Ryu is extremely powerful and vanquishes Murai despite the Dark
Dragon Blade's ability to totally negate Ninpo and summon the Dark Dragon,
itself. Murai falls into the Underworld chasm after their battle.
Ryu kicks the Dark Dragon Blade into the air and shatters it in one strike. He
seems pensive due to all the horrible deeds that were both inflicted upon him,
and he himself committed. Rachel attempts to comfort him as Ayane looks on,
but Ryu simply turns around and replies, "It's over." With this, Ryu
transforms into a beam of light and teleports away. Ayane looks satisfied as
she wanders off.
Epilogue
--------
Ryu returns to Hayabusa village to replace the Dragon Eye in its rightful
resting place upon Kureha's grave. He then disappears into the night. He most
likely does this to prevent the True Dragon Blade from being easily captured as
now the only thing that could have possibly stood up to the True Dragon Sword
has now been destroyed.
-------------------------
~~ CHARACTER BREAKDOWN ~~
-------------------------
The following section contains breakdowns for each major character in the game.
Heroes
------
1. Ryu Hayabusa - Ryu is the protagonist of the Ninja Gaiden franchise. He is
known as the modern super ninja and is a member of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan.
This Clan protects the Dark Dragon Blade, the Dragon Sword and the Dragon Eye,
which are three artifacts of immense power. He and his father are the sole
survivors of the slaughter of his village. On his quest for revenge, Ryu
improves his technique and eventually turns into a Fiend himself. He smites
every foe in his way, destroys the Vigoor Emperor, kills Murai, destroys the
Dark Dragon Blade, returns to a normal state, returns the Dragon Eye and then
disappears.
2. Ken/Joe/Joh Hayabusa - Ryu's father. He has traveled away to the "Sacred
Wilderness" training ground and is training during the events of Ninja Gaiden
for the Xbox. It seems as though Ryu is concerned with his father's propensity
to continually strengthen himself. His whereabouts and condition at the
conclusion of the story are unknown.
3. Ayane - She is member of the Mugen Tenshin Ninja Clan. She practices Hajin
Mon and is the half sister of Hayate and Kasumi. Their shared mother's name is
Ayame. Ayane's biological father is Raidou whereas her adopted father is Genra.
Kasumi and Hayate's father's name is Shinden and their uncle is Raidou. Ayane
apparently runs errands for Murai and follows Ryu's progress throughout the
game. She assists him throughout his exploits by providing clues via Tulip
Kunai. Her intentions are unknown, but she seems to be a force for good. She
seems to switch allegiances midway through the story as she accepts a request
from Ryu to protect Rachel as a direct order. Of course, her intentions all
along could have been suspect. She seems to be a tragic character as her
demeanor changes greatly during the events of the Dead or Alive tournament.
4. Rachel - Vigoor Empire Fiend Hunter. She hunts Fiends throughout the Vigoor
Empire and seeks to release her own twin sister, Alma, from a Fiendish
existence by killing her. She, herself, is susceptible to becoming a Fiend,
and befriends Ryu when she learns that he's out to kill Doku. She also has the
innate ability to sense when a Fiend is nearby, possesses unnatural strength,
wields a gigantic War Hammer and possesses a grappling device for navigating
the environment. She is captured by Doku and used in sacrifice to awaken Alma
after Ryu defeats Alma. Alma then saves Rachel at the cost of her own life.
Later, Rachel saves Ryu after he defeats Vigoor, although this intervention
was probably unnecessary.
5. Kureha - Hayabusa Village Priestess. She holds sanctuary over the Dark
Dragon Blade and is the protector of the Dragon Eye, a relic that can awaken
the True Dragon Sword. She is killed by Doku in the slaughter of Hayabusa
Village.
6. Falcon - This creature is present when Ryu commits his two most miraculous
acts: surviving Doku's assault and teleporting away at the end. It is the
Guardian Spirit of the Hayabusa Clan. There was much speculation about the
nature of this creature. For reference, Hayabusa means Peregrine Falcon in
Japanese.
7. Muramasa - He is the elderly blacksmith that Ryu encounters throughout the
story. He is essential to Ryu's progress throughout his adventures, and it
seems as though the old man possesses a hidden vivacity as he remains in the
Tairon shop throughout the Military Occupation and the Fiendish Uprising. It
is interesting to note that Muramasa was actually a legendary blacksmith whose
mentor, Masamune, created the sword of the same name that is found in other
games (Soul Calibur and Chrono Trigger to name a few). To read about the
legend, see the following website. Thanks to NeoMorpheus for the find.
http://trixon.tripod.com/masamune.html
Evildoers
---------
1. Murai/Dark Disciple - Ryu's uncle. He used to belong to the Hayabusa Clan,
but has chosen a life of exile. However, he is not of the Dragon lineage,
which makes him Ryu's mother's brother. Or, he could just be called uncle by
affection. He left Hayabusa Village to begin his own ninja school called the
Shadow Ninja School. This makes him a Shinobi and is most likely seen as an
enemy by the Hayabusa Clan, as is his school. He sets the wheels of the story
in motion by summoning Ryu to his side during the invasion of Ryu's village.
He seeks the Dark Dragon Blade for himself, but knows that he is unworthy to
wield it. Secondly, he knows that its true power is dormant, so he manipulates
the characters of the game in such a way that the Dark Dragon Blade will be
fully capable by the time he intercepts it. In the end, he wields the Dark
Dragon Blade against Ryu, slays Gamov and turns into a devil himself. Ryu
defeats him, regardless.
He has a huge scar across his face, and is EXTREMELY muscle-bound.
2. Doku, Lord of the Greater Fiends - He is a Greater Fiend and captures the
Dark Dragon Blade for the Vigoor Emperor. He assists in the slaughter of Ryu's
village and personally kills Kureha. He also strikes down Ryu, initially. Ryu
returns and defeats Doku's corporeal form. But, then, Doku captures Rachel for
the purpose of awakening Alma. But, Alma betrays him and rescues Rachel at the
cost of her own life. Ryu then defeats Doku's Spirit Form. So, Doku curses
Ryu and turns him into a Fiend. Ryu removes this curse when he destroys
Vigoor. Doku means poison in Japanese.
3. Alma - She is a Greater Fiend and Rachel's twin sister. She was susceptible
to becoming a Fiend, and Doku transformed her. Ryu defeats her, and Rachel
moves in to end her sister's suffering. But, she stays her hand and spares her
life. Afterwards, Alma fights Ryu again in an Awakened State but is defeated
again. She sacrifices her life for Rachel's and disrupts Doku's Awakening
Ceremony. Her name might be derived from the Latin term "alma mater" which
means, "nourishing mother."
4. Supreme Fiend Gogohn - In the Mythos, he or she is responsible for the
creation of the Fiend Realm and the territory of the Vigoorian Empire. We
never see this creature throughout the game.
5. Vigoor - Ancestor of Evil Deities. It is the Deity that the Vigoor Empire
worships. It also acts as the Vigoor Empire's Emperor. The Emperor is able to
break the seal on the Dark Dragon Blade at some point in the story after it
is delivered to him or her. After Ryu regresses into a Fiend, he battles his
way through the Core and fights its two forms. It first appears in an
effeminate, angelic form, and then regresses into a more masculine, devilish
form. After Vigoor's destruction, Ryu escapes with the Dark Dragon Blade with
the assistance of Rachel and returns to human form. It is interesting to note
that the 2nd to last level, The Core, is actually completed upside-down. When
Ryu falls up before the final battle, he is actually falling down.
6. Gamov - Head of the Vigoor Empire Internal Affairs Agency. He is in league
with the Dark Disciple, but for unknown reasons. He also knows Rachel very
well, although it's probably due to the fact that she is a Fiend Hunter more
than anything else. Murai kills him after Ryu retrieves the Dark Dragon Blade
from Vigoor. He seems to be actively betraying the Vigoorian Empire by
aligning with the Dark Disciple rather than the Emperor and Doku.
7. Black Spider Clan - Rival Ninja Clan. Black Spider Clan ninjas are found
throughout the game both alive and dead. They get very far in their quest but
are ultimately unsuccessful due to the fact that they are unable to unlock the
Imperial Gates and bring the Decayed Soul Key to the Core. There are 7 members
whose bodies Ryu finds (Suke, Taro, Saru, Sabu, San, Gen and Dai) that keep
journals. The journals range in date from January 14th to February 29th. It
is revealed that the Leader of the Spider Clan only wants the Dark Dragon
Blade, so that he can turn it into tea.
Every one of these Black Spider Clan Ninjas is killed, obviously, and their
roles are thus. Suke is the powerful one that discovers Rachel and becomes
obsessed with her. He is killed by the MSAT. Sabu is the ninja in training
that doesn't accomplish much. Taro is concerned with Sabu's welfare and whom
Doku defeats personally. Saru first discovers the Fiend Realm taking over the
Vigoor Empire. Sen discovers the pieces of the Twin Serpent Statue's Stone
Tablet, which opens up the Path to Zarkhan. Gen is the leader and dies in
the Labyrinth wondering if Dai has completed his task. Dai retrieves the
Decayed Soul Key but fails to pass the Imperial Gates to bring the Key to the
Core. It's interesting to note that Dai's body is not at the top of the
Imperial Palace Gate before you enter into the Caverns. It only appears after
you have completed the Labyrinth. So, the date of February 29th is recent to
the events of the story.
8. Shadow Ninja Clan - Murai's Ninja Clan. Ryu slaughters this Clan on the way
to talk to Murai. It is interesting how unaffected by this bloodletting Murai
is when Ryu reaches him. Although Murai references it as "your training here"
when speaking to Ryu about his father's quest for power.
9. Masakado - This demonic fellow is the Fiendish, Mounted Samurai that Ryu
fights at the bridge to Hayabusa Village Clan Elder's residence. Both he and
his steed appear to be quite disfigured most likely due to their stature in the
Vigoor Empire. He commands a personal cadre of Mages as his entourage as well.
10. General Dynamo - This person is the rotund cyborg that Ryu does battle with
in Chapter 3. He seems to be a General in the Vigoor National Military due to
the star insignia on each of his lapels. There is virtually nothing known
about this character, although he seems to derive great pleasure from combat.
Ryu kills him, and the resulting explosion destroys the two zeppelins upon
which Ryu was attempting to get to the Vigoor Empire. He also commands a
battalion of SAT, but totally disregards their well-being.
11. Dark Dragon - This was the youngest of the Thirteen Dragons borne directly
from Serpent. It betrays its kind to align with Vigoor and rescue him from
destruction. Its bones are used to construct the Dark Dragon Blade. If Vigoor
were given seven days to exist with the Dark Dragon Blade, then the Fiend Realm
would've opened up to the world entirely.
12. Smaugan the Flame Dragon - Very little is known about this creature. But,
it protects the Devil Deity Statue.
13. Vigoorian Ninja Clan - A new Ninja Clan is introduced in the second
Hurricane Pack. It seems as though the Empire of Vigoor has trained lethal
assassins and have fabricated Ayane's "Legendary Weapon," the Windmill Shuriken.
These foes accompany Doku as well.
14. Nicchae - Ancient Greater Fiend. This creature seems to be the evil Shadow
of Alma. There appears to be no good in this enemy at all. Most importantly,
the globe in Alma's abdomen which represented her humanity is vacant altogether.
She is a servant of Marbus.
15. Ishtaros - Ancient Greater Fiend. This Fiend who resembles Rachel is
represented in the game as a huge female shape, perverted with a tentacle,
spikes, claws and a cloven head. An interesting detail is that she animates
backwards. She also serves Marbus.
16. Vigoorian Berserkers - These hellish beings are the most dangerous Regular
Enemy in Ninja Gaiden. They wield huge, two-handed swords very much like the
Dabilahro. They are alluded to in the Vigoorian Library, and just as fearsome
as they sound there. Once they are damaged sufficiently, they go berserk and
are much more difficult to kill.
17. Marbus - He is the 3rd Greater Fiend to which Rachel alludes. He resides
in the Fiend Realm and protects the Demon Statue that allows passage to the
Vigoor Emperor. He possesses the non-trivial ability to summon Fiends at
will. Ryu defeats him and takes the Demon Statue back to the Core.
--------------------------------
~~ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ~~
--------------------------------
This section contains the FAQs for the game.
Q. When does this story take place in the Ninja Gaiden timeline?
A. The official word from Team Ninja is that it is unrelated aside from
character names. I haven't found one piece of story that would preclude this
from being a prequel to the Ninja Gaiden trilogy. I treat it as such.
Q. Why does Ryu go to the Shadow Ninja Fortress in the first place?
A. He was most likely summoned there by Murai. Murai probably sent Ayane to
deliver a Kunai Scroll (as she does throughout the game). It probably would
not have taken much to get Ryu to come to the Fortress. Obviously, Murai wants
Ryu out of the village as Doku attacks. He makes a direct remark regarding his
quest when discussing Ryu's father. Murai meant Ryu's trip to the Shadow Ninja
Fortress to be training and addresses it as such, "Perhaps beginning with your
training here," inferring the battle to the Inner Sanctum.
Q. Why does Ryu slaughter the entire Shadow Ninja Clan, yet Murai doesn't seem
bothered by it?
A. Murai is a Shinobi, a runaway ninja. Therefore, he is most likely viewed
as an outlaw by the Hayabusa Clan. Since, he is Ryu's uncle, there is probably
an underlying affection between the two. The Shadow Ninjas would attempt to
kill any Hayabusa Clan ninja, so Ryu would have to defend himself. Of course,
Murai alludes to Ryu's summoning as a training exercise. However, had anyone
other than Ryu and his father defeated the Clan, they most likely would've
tried to kill Murai as well and died in the process. Given Murai's true
intentions, his disregard for his own clan is understandable.
Q. Who is that girl that dies in the beginning?
A. Her name is Kureha. She is a childhood friend of Ryu and a Priestess of
Hayabusa Village. She was entrusted with the Dragon Eye that Ryu later claims
and then subsequently returns.
Q. How does Kureha die?
A. You see her face Doku before Ryu witness her fall in front of the Clan
Leader's Residence. She shakes her head with a surprised expression on her
face. The Dragon Eye is still in tact on her chest in the necklace
around her neck. It looks as though she breaks the necklace as her knees hit
the boards of the Residence stairs, and the little pieces of it fall off.
She then has it wrapped around her hand. Most likely, she was given a fatal
blow before we even see her on the steps.
Q. Does Doku kill Ryu?
A. Update: The June 2004 issue of EGM has an interview with Itagaki (Ninja
Gaiden's Producer). He states that the Falcon is the Guardian Spirit of the
Hayabusa (Falcon) Clan. He resurrects Ryu. I'll keep the previous answer as
it was a contested thing for some time.
A. This is a hotly contested topic. I now believe that Ryu was killed, but
his soul was not taken. However, there are three schools of thought.
Ryu dies and is reborn - The argument for this point of view is very strong.
This is the rendition that I believe. Ryu confronts Doku and is sliced twice.
You see the energy from the Dark Dragon Blade flow diagonally down Ryu's back
on both sides of his sheath, and he twitches as this happens. It also
intersects the Dragon Sword's scabbard. As Ryu twitches, you can see a LARGE
pool of blood collecting under him. You can actually see the pool expanding on
the ground, and it completely encompasses Ryu. That is a LOT of blood. The
fires of Hayabusa village completely die out, and you see Ryu lying in the
moonlight. He looks very dead to me in this scene. It's almost certain that
he is as he has lain there with two grievous wounds for at least several hours
without moving. He even still grips the Dragon Sword. I would think that the
loss of blood would've killed him. The most compelling argument was offered by
kobudera101. It entails the idea that Ryu's soul is ejected from his body by
the DDB, and Ryu is killed. His soul is not absorbed because of several factors
already listed. Ryu's soul returns as the Falcon seen in the various cut
scenes in the game. Also, Ryu can be killed easily throughout the adventure,
and descriptions of several objects throughout the game talk about their
affects in the mortal world. That is, the Dragon Statues and the Scrolls of
Rebirth specifically state that they are tied to the events of the living; not
the deceased.
Ryu dies and returns as a "Vengeful Spirit" - This argument is not as solid.
Indeed, the only lasting piece of information that supports this is Ryu's
teleportation/disappearance at the end. However, he appears again after the
credits roll to return the Dragon Eye to Kureha's grave. He seems quite
corporeal there.
Ryu lives and heals - The very fact that you continue the game and can be
killed relatively easily is also a strong argument. On top of this, Murai
seems pretty natural when addressing him afterwards. You would think that he
would've shown some sort of emotion given that his ultimate adversary has just
returned from the dead. Lastly, when Gamov is killed by the DDB, he is
vaporized. Ryu does not evaporate, though, even when struck twice by it. This
could be caused by several factors such as Ryu's heritage, genetic structure
along with the fact that the DDB had not been fully charged from the deaths of
all of those enemies that Ryu slays (including the Emperor) and was still
sealed at the time. Ryu's conversations throughout the game make no mention of
the fact that he's either currently dead or has died.
Finally, Ryu has two wounds from the encounter with Doku, not one long one. He
gets slashed on the one side, which makes him cough up blood, and a pool
collects on the ground before he is struck the second time. That is why there
appears to be one long slash across his back.
It should be noted that Team Ninja did in fact borrow a lot of things from the
previous Ninja Gaidens (see the end of the FAQ section). One of these could be
the fact that the Dragon Sword has the ability to resurrect people. In The
Dark Sword of Chaos, the Dragon Sword resurrects Irene Lew. Of course, it
disappears in the process. However, Ryu is again armed with it in The Ancient
Ship of Doom.
Q. Who buries everyone in Hayabusa Village?
A. This is another question that doesn't have a concrete answer. The dates
between the first and last Spider Ninja Clan journals lead us to believe that
Ryu was recuperating for at least a month before he set out. As the Black
Spider Clan would not have begun pursuit of the Dark Dragon Blade until after
it was stolen from the Hayabusa Village. He could've used this time (with
Murai's assistance) to bury the dead.
When Ryu returns to the Village in Chapter 13, the bodies are no longer there.
Q. Why is Ryu the only one on the passenger zeppelin?
A. Well, that's not necessarily the case. When Gamov intercepts the zeppelin,
you can hear a warning claxon very clearly state that the vessel is about to be
boarded. The most obvious answer is that the crew and passengers were
evacuated. Seeing as Gamov also survives the destruction of the two vessels,
it would seem as though there was another escape route.
Q. What's up with the Falcon?
Update: The June 2004 issue of EGM has an interview with Itagaki (Ninja
Gaiden's Producer). He states that the Falcon is the Guardian Spirit of the
Hayabusa (Falcon) Clan. He resurrects Ryu. I'll keep the previous answer as
it was a contested thing for some time.
A. Hayabusa is Japanese for Peregrine Falcon. There are several ideas on
this. The Falcon is seen during both of Ryu's most miraculous acts: return
from (near, possibly) death and his little teleportation at the end. It's wise
to note that the bird is transparent at the end. One idea is that the Falcon
represents the spirit of the Hayabusa Clan, since they were all killed.
Another idea is that the Falcon represents the spirit of Ryu's father. I don't
like this theory because if Ryu's father is dead, this story doesn't fall in
line to precede the original NES trilogy. Yet another theory is that the
Falcon is a lookout for Ryu's father who oversees Ryu's progress, or that the
Falcon is Ryu's Father himself. Lastly, the Falcon might be Ryu's ejected
spirit that returns to his body. You would think that they would've made some
reference to this via cut scene, though.
Q. Where is Ryu's Father during all of this?
A. Who knows? Murai says that Ryu's father is off in the "Sacred Wilderness."
It is interesting that Team Ninja chose to specifically provide a way for
Ryu's Father to survive the slaughter of Hayabusa Village even when he is not
mentioned in the entirety of the game. Ryu's father plays no part in the
story whatsoever, but the designers specifically chose to have him away from
Hayabusa Village as it is invaded. There would be no other reason to set this
up other than to setup the next game, or to preserve the continuity between
this game and previous games.
Q. Why do they call Ryu's father Ken/Joe/Joh Hayabusa?
A. His father's name in the original trilogy was Ken Hayabusa. For whatever
reason, they refer to him as Joe in the manual of the Xbox game. There is a
Japanese given name, Joh, but it is unrelated to the Anglican name of Joe,
which is short for Joseph.
Ryu's Father's name in the Japanese version of the original Ninja Gaiden was
Joe Hayabusa as well, but it was changed for the stateside release. It is
also his name in the PCEngine/Turbo-Graphics 16 version of the game.
Therefore, all of the Joe/Joh/Ken Hayabusa's should be considered the same
man.
Q. Who is that ninja that Doku decapitates before striking down Ryu?
A. No one knows the identity of the ninja that Doku decapitates immediately
preceding his duel with Ryu. This person must've been very important indeed,
as he would've been the last line of defense for the Dark Dragon Blade. This
battle takes place in "The Hayabusa Village Leader's Residence" as told by the
map. Ryu's father is the Hayabusa Village Leader, so it implies that the
Residence is his and Ryu's house. I doubt that the ninja killed is Ryu's
father, though, as I would think Ryu would've mentioned it explicitly later on.
Closer inspection shows that the man decapitated is older. He is dressed like
the rest of the clan, but his face wrapping is gone revealing a beard and an
elderly face.
Q. From whose grave does Ryu take the Dragon Eye?
A. That was Kureha's grave. You can see that she is holding the Dragon Eye in
her left hand during the razing of Hayabusa Village. You may note that the
Dragon eye is in the shape of yin (from Chinese concepts of yin and yang). But,
it is also a shape commonly used in Shinto, which is Japanese.
Q. Where does Alma continue to get those columns she throws?
A. Well, the columns are intact before her first Column Throw, and you can
actually see them come undone when she first does the Column Throw. If you are
currently running up on one of them, you will fall to the ground. Very cool.
In Very Hard, she throws six columns whereas there are only four in the room,
but there are others outside the gate that is locked for battle. She summons
the columns to herself first, and then they proceed to fly at Ryu and shatter.
Presumably, she reconstitutes the columns out of the dust and fragments they
create when they shatter.
Q. How does Ryu survive the train wreck? You can see the explosion fill the
streets, yet he's standing there right beside it at the beginning of the
chapter.
A. A more pertinent question would be how he survived the zeppelin explosion.
We will chalk it up to Ninja Magic (and that nifty teleportation move he has).
Ryu seems to have a penchant for surviving catastrophic events.
Q. The Prima Guide says that the creature that you fight right before the
Emperor is Alma's 3rd form. WTF?
A. WTF indeed. This is incorrect. Alma was killed by Doku in Chapter 13,
Fiendish Awakening, and summarily released from her Fiendish stature. She
returns to human form after sacrificing herself for Rachel's life. Strategy
guides that are released alongside games typically show many inaccuracies. You
need look no further than the Prima Guide for Ninja Gaiden itself as it doesn't
have the location of all 50 scarabs, nor does it comment about how to correctly
attain Ninja Gaiden 2 and 3. Lastly, you can see in one of the cinematics the
winged form of the Emperor cradling the Dark Dragon Sword, before you have even
battled Alma the second time. This has nothing to do with Alma.
Q. So why does Ryu return from his Fiend state after the defeat of the Emperor?
A. The Emperor was most likely Vigoor itself. As outlined in the Mythos
section, once the Dragon Lineage Warrior has returned and the Dark Dragon has
been reunited with the Emperor (in this case in the form of the Dark Dragon
Blade), then the power of the Evil Deities shall be conferred unto the Emperor.
As such, the ability for Fiends to exist was directly tied to Vigoor's
existence and the existence of the Emperor. With the Emperor and Vigoor
destroyed, the rest of the Fiend Realm most likely collapsed with it.
Q. What were the two creatures that you fight before you fight Murai?
A. The two creatures are one in the same, Vigoor. It seems as though the
first, winged form is possibly the effeminate (yin) side, whereas the second
form is the more devilish, masculine (yang) side. Even though yin and yang
are Chinese philosophies, the idea is relevant here.
Q. So, those two creatures were versions of the Holy Vigoor Emperor?
A. Correct. The Emperor was most likely Vigoor itself. Although, there are
conflicting ideas on this, as a lot of societies deify their rulers. But, the
fact that Ryu returns to normal immediately after defeating the Emperor is a
good argument for the Emperor being Vigoor.
Q. Rachel says that there are three Greater Fiends. She says that the last
one is the Emperor's bodyguard. Who is the third?
A. Marbus in the Fiend Realm is the 3rd Greater Fiend. He possesses the Demon
Deity's Statue that grants passage to the Emperor. He actually seems much more
powerful than both Doku and Alma as he is able to recall Fiends from the
Underworld at will to fight for him. This ability could be an affect of the
Fiend Realm, though. One thing to consider is that, Doku is referred to as the
Lord of the Greater Fiends, so Marbus could just be the Lord of the Fiends.
Q. Why does Ryu fall up when the Spiral Staircase collapses?
A. Well, when Ryu crosses the bridge to the Core, you'll see that he actually
travels upside down. The Core is attached to the bottom of the Imperial
Palace, and Ryu spends the remainder of the level actually traversing down, not
up. So, when the bridge collapses, it initially falls up (down to Ryu), but
eventually rights itself, and both he and the bridge fall into the Underworld.
Q. What's up with the flowerbed?
A. It's probably meant to symbolize Heaven as far as the Emperor is concerned.
Would you actually want to live in a fiery cavern filled with lava? It's
interesting to note that the flowers are yellow, blue, red and white; the color
of the Essences.
Q. Why does Gamov vaporize when struck with the Dark Dragon Blade? Nobody
else that was struck with it did.
A. There are at most four people that fell under the Dark Dragon Blade. Two
of them are debatable. Kureha and that ninja in the Clan Leader's residence
were both killed by Doku, but it's not necessary that he used the Dark Dragon
Blade to do so. In fact, a blow with the DDB is accompanied by an electrical
discharge neither of which Kureha and that Ninja exhibit. Gamov vaporized,
because the Dark Dragon Blade took his soul. Ryu was not, as he was protected
by at least one of a couple things: his Dragon Lineage bloodline and the
Dragon Sword itself. At the beginning of the story, the Blade is still sealed,
so its true power is locked. When Gamov receives his haircut from it, however,
it has been unsealed by the Emperor and is at full power.
Q. Was Murai the Emperor?
A. No. There is no compelling argument to support this claim. It makes no
sense whatsoever. The Vigoor Empire predates Murai by sometime. Also, I would
think that it would be difficult to run an entire empire from the confines of
the Shadow Ninja Fortress.
Q. What was Ayane's motivation? Was she working for Murai the whole time?
A. It seems that around the time where Ryu rescues Rachel from the Tentacle
Fiend that she has switched allegiances to Ryu. She even takes a direct
request from Ryu as an order. I.e. she replies, "Understood," to Ryu's request
that she look after Rachel. Secondly, in the scene were Gamov and the Dark
Disciple are discussing the Dark Dragon Blade's powers, Ayane is seen looking
overthem. Had she known about Murai's intentions, she would've most likely
been included in that conversation. Lastly, in the ending scene, she appears
to be almost smiling after Murai's defeat. That would not be a proper response
to your boss being slaughtered.
From Darth Reven on the GameFAQs board:
"Murai's Connection to Ayane in DOA3? (SPOILERS!!)
Well most likely not, but check this out. Okay we all know Murai is Dark
Disciple if you look at the Dark Disciple's uniform thing, you will see several
'S'-like symbols on his clothes. Now you can look at them through NG's Movie
Theater. Look at the movie of when Dark Disciple reveals that he's Murai, and
you will see those symbols on his uniform.
Okay, here's my point. Those symbols are also on Ayane's black shinobi attire
(C1) in DOA3!! Theres my connection!
www.gamecovers.net/covers/dead or alive 3 booster disc [custom].jpg
"
Great Find.
Q. Dude! <Insert not-as-good-game's protagonist> could kill Ryu.
A. That's not a question. Regardless, Ryu Hayabusa is arguably the most well
rounded character in video game history. If you take into account every move,
skill and weapon that he has utilized throughout his videogame career (Ninja
Gaiden, Ryukenden, Dark Sword of Chaos, Ancient Ship of Doom, DOA 1, 2 and 3),
you'll see that he has an answer to almost everything that any other character
can throw at him.
He is largely unaffected by firearms. While he is vulnerable to large scale
munitions, he has the capability of avoiding them entirely whether deployed as
a supersonic projectile or a guided munition. Ryu can dodge or deflect with
the Dragon Sword every single projectile in the game. So, it would stand to
reason that no other projectile would be able to strike him either. Ryu's
melee skills are without peer. I can't think of a single character that could
even remotely compete with Ryu's combat abilities over the several games where
he utilizes them. There are obvious exclusions to this in the form of
all-powerful characters in games that aren't necessarily representative of that
character's true power without some sort of "god mode" activated. As, I am
capable of making Ryu unkillable in the Xbox version, I could argue that as
well.
In the end, however, Ryu is a fictional character, so it is by definition
impossible to factually assert that any other fictional character could defeat
him in combat. Besides. Ryu has the REAL ultimate power. All he has to do is
flip out and kill people. And if you don't think so, then you're a friggin'
moron who probably doesn't even like sweet guitars OR hot babes.
Q. Why are Ryu's eyes brown in the original Trilogy, but they're green in this
game.
A. Ninja Magic. Strictly speaking, green eyes are a recessive trait inherent
to the Caucasian race. The green or blue eye trait is caused by a lack of
pigment in the front layer of the iris. In most cases, both parents would have
to possess green eyes for the offspring to possess green eyes. But, there are
cases in Ainu and Chinese people where green or blue eyes were possibly
inherited from crossbreeding with European ancestors. Also, just like with
babies losing they're blue eyes upon reaching toddler hood, there are cases of
the eyes of adults darkening over their lifespan. Most likely, it was just a
design choice.
Q. How do you do Runaway Lightning? It's the move that is listed for the
Vigoorian Flail.
A. I can't find who initially found this trick out, as the thread is gone, but
props to him. Runaway Lightning is a just frame attack meaning, that when you
input the Y after the X determines whether or not you get Wide Heavens or
Runaway Lightning. If you input Y too early or too late, you'll get the move
where Ryu kicks the enemy up into the air. Ryu jumps into the air in Runaway
Lightning do a flip behind the enemy, and he strikes the enemy in the back of
the head. The frame window is pretty big, but you have to pause after hitting
X before hitting Y. Additionally, I've found that both hits from the X have to
hit cleanly (i.e. the enemy can't block or roll out of the way) for Runaway
Lightning to come out.
Q. Why would anyone use the Warhammer?
A. If you neglect to pick up Scarabs along the way, the War Hammer can be very
useful, as you won't have access to the Dabilahro for the Imps and Gallas. It
has at least two unique moves: Tremor of the Heavens and the Six Paths Spin.
Tremor is an Ultimate Technique that encompasses the ground totally around Ryu.
The same move for the Dabilahro (Asura Slash) sends a projectile along the
ground instead. However, the most useful move is without a doubt the Six Paths
Spin. If you hit a regular enemy with the spike during the spinning, that
enemy becomes impaled on the weapon, spun around and smashed into the ground.
Additionally, the body that is impaled on the spike can strike other enemies
during the spinning.
Aside from that, it only costs 5000 to have a fully upgraded Heavy Two-Handed
Melee Weapon. It is designed for those players that will never gather enough
Scarabs and Essence to have a fully upgraded Dabilahro (or Unlabored
Flawlessness for that matter). Given that, I still think that the War Hammer
is useful despite my preference for the Dabi and the UF, I'd say that the
balance in this game is pretty remarkable.
Q. What happens if you upgrade the Wooden Sword all the way?
A. You get the weapon called Unlabored Flawlessness. It's a gigantic Oar with
glowing red kanji on it. Its move list is pretty unique and is extremely
powerful. It can kill many enemies in one hit (as well as many enemies at one
time). Unfortunately, it makes the game (even on Very Hard mode) fairly easy.
Q. Where does Ryu keep is weapons and infinite shuriken?
A. Meet Mr. Suspension-of-Disbelief.
Q. What are some of the things carried over from the Ninja Gaiden series?
A. Here is a list:
1. Ninja Gaiden Ryukenden (Arcade) - The Guillotine Throw, Divine Cicada
2. Ninja Gaiden - The Art of Firewheel, Windmill Shuriken, the Demon Statue,
Jay's/Han's Bar (possibly), Bird Flip
3. Ninja Gaiden: The Dark Sword of Chaos - The Dragon Sword's ability to
resurrect (possibly), Dark Disciple character design (Ashtar)
4. Ninja Gaiden: The Ancient Ship of Doom - The ability to survive an airship
catastrophe totally unscathed, hand-over-hand climbing.
5. DOA - Izuna Drop, teleportation ability, Ayane
Hopefully, the sequel will incorporate Phantom Doubles, true Windmill Shuriken
functionality, Dragon Ball Ninpo, and the Dragon Sword extension. The Black
Spider Clan can actually do the Aerial Windmill Slash, so hopefully Ryu will
receive it in a download or a sequel.
Q. What do you call <Insert creature>?
A. Unfortunately, there is no official source of every character's name. This
can make conversations about specific encounters tedious (i.e. those
purple-no-feet-flame-headed-digging-c*&ts). The only official names have been
gathered from interviews with Itagaki, the Mission Mode and the manual itself:
Alma, Lord Doku, Holy Vigoor Emperor, Gurdu (and his Deity offspring), Gamov,
Supreme Fiend Gogohn, Rachel, Ayane, Murai, Dark Disciple, Hydracubus, Bone
Dragon, Smoagan the Flame Dragon, General Dynamo, MSATs, Gallas, Ghuls, the
Shadow Ninja Clan, Flame Ninja, Masakado, Hydracubus, Paz Zuu, Yotunfrau,
Marbus, Nicchae, Ishtaros and the Black Spider Clan Ninjas (their individual
names as well). Any name listed in this guide other than these listed names
is strictly of my own creation. There appears to be several distinctions
between types of enemies:
1. Humans - Shadow Ninja Clan, Spider Ninja Clan, MSATs, Vigoorian Military
and possibly Doku's Samurai
2. Fauna - Bats, Crows, etc.
3. Mechanical - Sentries, Tanks, Helicopters, etc.
4. Lesser Fiends - Hydracubus, Gallas, Ghuls, etc.
5. Greater Fiends - Doku, Alma and Marbus
6. Deities - Gurdu (either singularly or broken into its four pieces) and
Vigoor
7. Dragons - Smaugan the Flame Dragon and the 13 Dragons born from the Serpent
Deity, the youngest of which becomes the Dark Dragon
Q. I <Insert desire> Rachel's <Insert body part(s)>.
A. <Insert admonishment>
Q. Did you know that you could hit the white button and then click the left
thumbstick to get an Encounter Counter?
A. Yes. In fact, I believe that I discovered it. As there's no reference to
it in the manual, and no site (including the official boards) had made mention
to it at the initial time of this writing. I cannot prove this, of course, not
that it makes any difference whatsoever. To see more detail about the Karma
System, please see my other FAQ. You'll learn about Essence Avoidance and Roll
Jumping, too:
http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox/file/ninja_gaiden_x_karma.txt.
Q. I don't understand what's going on in this game. What's the deal with the
Save Statues, the Deity Statues and the Twin Serpent Statues?
A. These things look like randomly generated artifacts until you understand
the complete story.
- The Save Statues are explained in their introduction. The Spirit of the
Dragons record the histories of the mortal world. This is why you can save and
restore. Literally the text goes, "The sacred underground paths of the Dragons
record all the occurs in the world of man. We have not forgotten those who
live on the surface of the Earth."
- The Deity Statues represent the 4 Deities that sprang up from Gurdu and the
Deity, Vigoor himself.
- The Twin Serpent Statue allows you access to the Path to Zarkhan that was
created by The Thirteen Dragons.
Q. Why does the Dragon Sword and the Dark Dragon Blade look like metal if they
were carved out of the bones of Dragons? Presumably, this dragon is a type of
creature like the Flame Dragon.
A. The Flame Dragon, Bone Dragon and Paz Zuu are not the same types of
Dragons as alluded to in the Mythos. The original Thirteen Dragons were
actually virtuous. The youngest, however, was not and became the Dark Dragon.
You don't fight any creature remotely like these creatures, although it does
appear that Murai can summon the Dark Dragon in the final fight.
When you're playing Chapter 15, The Core, and open the Gate to the Underworld,
you can see that the staircase is made out of bones and fangs. These bones are
reflective and give off a metallic appearance. Most likely, they are the same
type of bones that were used to forge the Dragon Sword and Dark Dragon Blade.
They look like the same material that makes up the Dragon Sword.
Q. So is this a prequel to the original series or not?
A. First, we'll remove the original arcade version as there really wasn't any
story in it whatsoever. There are only a couple of things that keep this game
from being seen as a prequel.
First off, Ryu's eye color is green in this game, but brown in the series. See
my FAQ above for possible explanations to this.
Secondly, Ryu has been introduced to the Demon Statue in this game, so you would
think that he would recognize it in the series once he stumbles upon it.
However, given the urgency with which he is evacuated by Irene at this point in
the story when he first recieves the Demon statue, it is understandable.
There doesn't seem to be anything else that would keep this game from being a
prequel. Aside from these issues, this game can exist quite nicely as a
prequel. In fact, in the rest of the Ninja Gaiden games, Ryu is so powerful
that he can become invincible with the Firewheel (unlike the Xbox game), he can
stop time, he has learned the Windmill Slash (possibly from the Black Spider
Clan), he has improved his Windmill Shuriken technique, and he can kill most
enemies in a single slash. What is most important is that Ryu's father is
still alive for the series (to save Ryu's life), and that he is the leader of
the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. Tecmo specifically wrote dialog and manual script
to not only state Ryu's Father's existence, but also to remove him from the
slaughter of the Hayabusa Ninja Village. At the conclusion of this game, Ryu
is EXTREMELY powerful (approaching his combat efficiency of the Trilogy), and
he and his father are the only survivors of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan.
As Itagaki doesn't speak English, any interview you've ever read in English is
a translation. Therefore, there are inaccuracies inherent to them. Itagaki
was once asked if this was a prequel, and he answered that it was a side story,
which neither confirms or negates the possibility that this is a prequel.
Again, the fact that they chose to both mention Ryu's father and save him from
the destruction of Hayabusa Village is thought-provoking.
Q. So what makes this game so great, anyway?
A. In my opinion, the best thing about this game is the attention to detail.
There is a great thread started by Refreshment, to which many forum members
have contributed. Here is a link to the FAQ:
http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox/file/ninja_gaiden_x_easter.txt
Needless to say, this is an EXTREMELY polished game when you take into account
the depth of the story, the fighting engine, the character and level design,
the diversity of enemy tactics, the number of boss-type encounters, the sheer
length of the game, the replayability, the intuitiveness of the controls, the
unparalleled graphics and the sublime scoring system. Additionally, Tecmo has
seen to release an upgrade to the game that implements a user-controllable
camera. Less-skilled Ninja Gaiden players whined for this specific feature,
and Tecmo saw to include it.
Q. What do the kanji in the Lives of 1000 Gods mean?
A. From Rikumaru on the GameFAQs board:
Rin-strength
Pyo-direction of energy/focus
To-harmony of spirit
Sha-healing
Kai-sensing danger
Chin-knowing the thoughts of others
Retsu-invisible
Zai-mastery of the elements.
Zen-full circle in the universe/fullfilment/enlightment
And the whole is supposed to be an exorcism chant of sorts. Ryu sometimes says
this in DOA3 whenever he wins a fight. Thanks to Rikumaru, Buraian nyo,
Yebyosh, Amasawa on the GameFAQ's board for this thread.
Q. What does the Lives of 1000 Gods represent?
A. This is fairly complicated. The Lives of the 1000 Gods itself is a mass of
the Life of Gods themselves (9 to be exact). The Lives are wrapped in rope
with little ribbons connected to them. This symbol has Japanese design
philosophy. The little strips of paper are called shide. They are in a zigzag
pattern that are attached to the rope, shimenawa, which represents a sacred
area or the presence of a god. The shide themselves are meant to represent
cleansing, I think, but now they're not exclusive to Shinto shrines anymore.
They're everywhere in Japan (even in Sumo matches). As an aside, the ghost
guys in Otogi 2 look like Shide, too.
Q. Why does Ryu travel into the future (in regards to the transition from
Chapter 2 to 3)?
A. He doesn't. Hayabusa Village and the Shadow Ninja Clan Fortress exist in
the same time period as the rest of the game. They are simply very far removed
from civilization and choose to forgo modern conveniences.
Q. What is the deal with the bosses? They just throw them out and don't
explain anything!
A. They actually explain a lot. I will outline only the ones that don't have
significant in-game story, but can be inferred.
Masakado - Highest ranking Fiend of Doku's Samurai. He has a personal entourage
of Mages to protect him.
General Dynamo - Highest ranking officer in Vigoorian Military. He is
obviously overseeing the mission to capture Ryu aboard the Zeppelin under
the observation of Gamov.
Gallas - Fiendishly-altered Humans (as explained by Rachel and the Archives).
Hydracubus - Marbus' servant (as explained by Marbus). It comes from the
Fiend Realm initially, and then returns twice from the Underworld (which are
two different places).
Bone Dragon - Not much is said here. If you examine the head before it comes
alive, it says something analogous to, "How did this creature get here? Perhaps
the ones who built this place dug around it."
Inazuma Worm - This creature actually gives you the Inazuma Ninpo. As it
appears both singularly and in pairs, it can be inferred that it is simply a
naturally occurring creature affected by the Fiend Realm. It also seems to be
protecting the Paz Zuu. This creature is most likely corporeal and at
at least somewhat naturally occurring as it doesn't teleport in like most of
Marbus' servants.
Paz Zuu - uh... I'm still working on this one. It's dead, but its door is
of the same fashion as the Flame Dragon. It also comes from a portal just like
the Hydracubus when you place the Brand of Valor into its receptacle. So,
it is probably a servant of Marbus that he recalls from the Underworld. It
simply protects the Moat of Zarkhan.
Inferno Worm - While this creature doesn't grant you the Inferno Ninpo, it does
grant you one half of the access to the Flame Dragon. See the Inazuma Worm
description.
Yotunfrau - Marbus' servant (as explained by Marbus). This creature has red
blood and is the other protector of the Flame Dragon. The relationship between
these three creatures is interesting.
Smaugan the Flame Dragon - This creature is protector of the Devil Deity Statue.
Marbus - Third Greater Fiend. He is Guardian of the Emperor and the third
Greater Fiend to whom Rachel alludes.
Q. Why do some Fiends have red blood and others have green blood?
A. And, then there are also those creatures that don't have any blood at all!
This is never explained, but I've inferred the following.
The Fiends that come directly from the Fiend Realm and are direct servants of
Marbus possess green blood. These creatures are the Lesser and Greater Imp
Fiends, Bast Fiends and so forth. Some mutated fauna also possess the green
blood like the Pill Bugs, Cyclops Wasps and the Inazuma and Inferno Worms.
Those creatures that are human or were once human have red blood. This group
consists of all the human enemies (MSATs, Soldiers, Samurai, Ninja, etc..) and
Fiends that used to be human (Gallas and SAT Fiends) and some naturally
occurring fauna (bats, crows, Yotunfrau and Smaugan).
Those creatures that don't have any blood at all are the Ghuls, Bone Dragon,
Paz Zuu, Doku, etc...
The most notable exception to all of this is Alma. She has green blood but was
once human. Although, an interesting detail is unearthed when Doku
accidentally kills her. When his katana strikes the globe in her abdomen, it
sheds red blood. Perhaps the globe houses her humanity as it is absent
altogether in Nicchae.
Also, Marbus has red blood. So, the three Greater Fiends all have different
types of blood (as Doku possess none). I would've thought that they would've
given Alma red blood and Marbus green blood, but who knows the reason.
Perhaps, Marbus was once human.
Q. What's up with the new costumes?
A. One is a costume from DOA. The other I believe to be an homage to Ashtar
from the Dark Sword of Chaos. Note the blood tear stains, horns/legs coming
down the side of the face and the general body type similarities. The only
thing that is lacking is the cape.
Check out
http://www.classicgaming.net/ninjagaiden to see two pictures of
Ashtar.
Itagaki was quoted as calling it the "Dragon Muscle" costume. It is
interesting to note that it is the costume that the Doppleganger Fiend
utilizes.
The Classic costume is an exact representation of the costume from Ninja
Ryukenden, the original arcade game.
The last costume is very twisted and red. Ryu stores his kunai on his back,
and arm, shin and face guards are all metallic. His suit is has a mesh
construction.
Q. What are those portals lying on the ground everywhere? They don't explain
them at all.
A. Part of the problem of the story is that the most important parts are
difficult to find. The 5 Mythos sections are only displayed during the
caching of the levels, and you will only see them all with consecutive
caches. I have included them in this document for completeness.
Basically, all the relationships between Vigoor, the Fiends, the Thirteen
Dragons, the Deity Statues and Ryu's clan are explained therein.
Now, once you collect all the pieces of the Stone Tablet, the Path to Zarkhan
is explained. The Rings of Stones are entry portals to Pathway. The Thirteen
Dragons created that Pathway. It makes sense that they would create a path from
Hayabusa Village (the home of the Dragon Lineage) to the Vigoor Empire (the
home of the Fiends) to the Fiend Realm (the birthplace of the Fiends) in order
to allow a conflict to be possible. Ryu simply circumvents this at the
beginning by booking passage on a Zeppelin.
Q. Does Ryu gain any abilities from being a Fiend?
A. The only things out of the ordinary that Ryu does while being a Fiend is
cast a spell that cuts a disc out of bedrock in the Underworld and traversing
the Bridge to the Core. He has complete control over the rock at all times
and can summon others as well (somewhat like Alma). However, after Ryu
returns to human form, he simply teleports away in a flash. It's difficult
to say if the disc creation spell was due to his Fiendish nature or simply
Ninpo. I'm inclined that it was simply an extension of his previous Ninpo
abilities. He has command over Fire (Inferno), Water and Wind (Ice Storm),
Electricity (Inazuma) and Earth with that disc spell where it sounds like he
says "Bassara! (Fox)."
I used to think that the ability to stay suspended upside down whilst
traversing the Core could be attributed to his Fiendishness. But, in
Hurricane Pack 2, you meet all sorts of regular, human enemies in the Core.
Q. What does Ryu yell at the Vigoorian Emperor when he comes back to life as
a mountain of skulls?
A. There was a good amount of debate on this. The best sounding explanation
was "MATTE!" which is a fairly contextual Japanese exclamation, that can mean
stop, not yet, wait, etc... Given that it's the only time in the whole game
where Ryu totally loses his composure, I'm assuming that it was fairly
important.
Q. What does Ryu say during the cutscene with Vigoor when he summons the
bedrock platform?
A. I can never tell what he is saying in the full spell. It's not subtitled,
and there is a lot of extra noise going on with all of the explosions and
whatnot. One of the words sounds like "Bassara!" like the name of Kitetsu's
UT.
Q. This game doesn't do anything new. Why do you think it's so great?
A. I'll argue that it does plenty of things new. As much as any other game,
that people like to assume invented the 3D hack 'n slash genre. For those
of you that were introduced to gaming with the Playstation 2, DMC did not
invent this genre. While DMC is an excellent game, it was simply another 3d
hack 'n slash game like Onimusha, Legacy of Kain, Nightmare Creatures, etc...
Ninja Gaiden did invent the buttonless, user-controllable auto-lockon.
I'd go as far to say that it was the best action game available. IMO, Ninja
Gaiden is now the best action game available currently. I see nothing in the
current generation that is to be released that will provide as comprehensive
an experience as Ninja Gaiden. Games do not have to introduce new ideas to
be excellent.
Q. Why is there so much animosity between people that like DMC and people that
like Ninja Gaiden?
A. I hesitate to answer this question, as it greatly dramatizes an already
laughable pseudo-seriousness about a childish pastime (i.e. videogames). I
can only assume that it is due to the fact that Ninja Gaiden is console
exclusive. Of course, it could also stem from the fact that Tomonobu
Itagaki (the game's Producer) is a very headstrong person that has no problems
sharing what is on his mind. Some of his statements can rub people the wrong
way. Of course, these same people need to remember that we're talking about
videogames in the first place.
Q. Jesus, Dude. The story sucks. Why would you waste so much time writing
all of this crap?
A. Updating this document takes very little time. The bulk of it came from
the story discussions that took place during the first weeks and months of the
game's release. I find it to be intriguing material for a video game, and I
simply wish to show how much thought that Team Ninja actually did put into the
story. It does not suck as far as action game stories go.
Q. Why doesn't Ryu act like a Ninja?
A. I can't think of a single game that portrays Ninjas accurately (Tenchu
included). If one were to do some research into the actual history of
Ninjas and Feudal Japan for that matter, it would become obvious that a
game based upon actual Ninja life would not be much of a game at all.
Simply translating the word "Ninja" gives you "Patient One." That's not
exactly something I would write a video game about.
Q. Have you ever been to
http://www.therealultimatepower.net?
A. Of course, I even make a passing reference to it in this very document.
SWEET!
Q. What would Ryu look like totally Fiended out?
A. Have you ever noticed how the Dark Disciple's veins grow all huge and
purple at the end? It's analogous to how Ryu looks as a Fiend with his white
veins, red eyes and blue/purple skin. I would assume that if Ryu would've
succumbed to the Fiend Curse, he would look somewhat like the Dark Disciple
at the very end.
Q. Is this game deep?
A.
http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox/file/ninja_gaiden_x_adv_combat.txt
Q. What is the idea behind the Wooden Sword transforming into an oar?
A. The designs of these weapons come from the legend of Miyamoto Musashi,
legendary Samurai, inventor of the 2 sword style of fighting and author of
"The Book of the Five Rings". Many characters from film, videogames, books
and TV series are based upon this real-life person. Simply look up his name on
Google, and you will find out much information about this man.
In regards to the question, one of the most famous legends of this man comes
in the story of his last appointed duel. He was traveling on a boat to the
island where the duel was to take place and fashioned a wooden sword (boken)
out of an oar. He utilized only this weapon to beat his opponent to death.
Q. Is there a survival mode?
A. Yes, Mission Mode is essentially a survival mode.
Q. What is the coolest Ninja Gaiden related thing you've ever seen?
A. Ninja Gaiden Tribute - In my opinion, this is the single greatest fan
fiction project I have ever seen.
oasisbeyond.cjb.net
Click on the Ninja Gaiden Tribute link either bittorrent or direct download.
I cannot recommend this thing enough. If you have even a passing interest in
Ninja Gaiden, this movie is 100% NECESSARY. Bear in mind that it is a totally
comprehensive spoiler.
Q. What are the explanations of the two new bosses?
A. While there are no official explanations of the two final bosses, they
are most likely Nicchae and Ishtaros. See their descriptions for
more in-detail explanations.
Q. If Doku is the "Lord of the Greater Fiends", that's not saying much.
There are only three of them.
A. There was a great thread on this, too. I have summarized it here.
Doku is the Lord of the Greater Fiends. It states this in the manual and on
many official sites. This means that Doku is the Greater Fiends' boss. So,
in the context of this game, there are only 3 Greater Fiends: Doku, Marbus and
Alma. So, it doesn't seem like being Lord of the Greater Fiends means that
much. However, consider the current cadre of Greater Fiends. Marbus has
existed as long as the Dragon Lineage at least. He resides in the Fiend Realm
and commands it. He also possesses immense power like the ability to summon
Fiends at will. He is not the only creature of his kind as his throne shows.
It is composed of skulls of beings much like himself.
Secondly, we have Doku. We're uncertain as to whether or not Doku's current
form is the way he has always existed. Was he ever a human or fiend? Has he
always been a field of energy bound within been a suit of armor? At any
rate, it is curious to wonder why Doku is considered Lord of the Greater
Fiends when it appears that Marbus is much more powerful. But, perhaps, it
is Doku's ability to fashion fiends from humans (like Alma), that gives him
his stature. Was Marbus once human and was turned by Doku?
Lastly, we have Alma. Her transformation must have been recent as she and
Rachel are twin sisters. Their appearances do not depict advanced age. So,
without Alma, there would be only two Greater Fiends. It can only be assumed
that there have been other Greater Fiends over the eons. Marbus' throne
seems to support that all by itself.
Then, we have the definition of a Greater Fiend. As stated throughout the
game, the distinguishing characteristic of a Fiend which determines whether
or not it classifies as Greater is whether or not they possess a soul.
Perhaps, at one time there were legions of Greater Fiends all commanded by
Doku.
---------------------------
~~ DIFFICULTY DISCLAIMER ~~
---------------------------
Ninja Gaiden Black has had a lot of story content added that really fleshes
out the story. I have added this inline where applicable. You'll find that
in Ninja Dog mode, Ayane will contact MUCH more often to provide insight and
help out with rations, bands and incense. A trip through Ninja Dog mode is
worth it, since it will take next to no time.
No changes to the story are evident aside throughout the different difficulty
levels from the presence of the Black Spider Clan in the Shadow Ninja Fortress.
However, they have actually said that the story will not be changed. Ayane
throws Ryu several new Kunai Scrolls that explain that evil has overtaken the
world. I would assume that the Difficulty levels aside from Normal (even
excluding Ninja Dog mode) are sorts of alternate realities. I will update
character Bio's as they become available, but many encounters and enemies will
appear in different places in the Difficulty levels then they do in Normal Mode.
Also, you will encounter MANY different enemies throught the different levels,
the most interesting of which is the Doppleganger Fiend.
The only story altering aspect that could be considered is that the Black
Spider Clan and the Shadow Ninja Clan are in league with one another.
It has become evident that the engine has fundamentally changed from the
scoring, to the fighting, to the character lists, to the moves themselves. As
such, I have created Hurricane Pack sections in most of the FAQ's, since all
of this information will always be valid given that the Ninja Gaiden game disc
remains.
The Karma System has fundamentally changed, so a new FAQ has been submitted.
The enemies have changed dramatically, but I think that it could be contained
within the same document, so another one will not be necessary.
-------------------------------
~~ ETERNAL LEGEND DISCLAIMER ~~
-------------------------------
Mission Mode and Eternal Legend in particular and involve Rachel, many of the
bipedal bosses and many new characters. How the story ties into the original
game is anyone's guess. Rachel travels to the Shadow Realm, where she
valiantly battles three Shadow Imps. After killing three with impunity. She
turns around to see two apparently female, surviving Greater Fiends
materializing in front of her. Before she can react, the more twisted of
the pair whips her with a tentacle appendage incapacitating her. The scene
ends with the two shadowy entities gazing over her. It is interesting to
note how far Rachel got before being accosted by the two Greater Fiends. Ryu
doesn't reach the Shadow Realm until the Second Phase.
Ryu then begins his journal at the beginning of the Core. He is trapped here
as an evil force bars the way out of the Decayed Soul Door. He fights his way
to the pinnacle of the Core only to be transported to this new perverted Shadow
Realm. There he must again do battle with his vanquished foes who have become
even more powerful and resourceful.
Ryu at first traverses the Core and fights his more human adversaries in the
form of the Shadow Clan, the Black Spider Clan and Doku's Samurai army.
Unfortunately, a new type of Vigoorian Ninja makes itself known to Ryu. They
must've been in training throughout Ryu's escapades and have even mastered the
use of Ayane's "Legendary Weapon." These foes prove most durable as they can
survive even Ryu's most powerful techniques. Regardless, he defeats Ninja
after Ninja. Ryu reaches the apex of the Core and takes what he believes
to be he portal to the Fiend Realm. However, he does not travel there.
Instead, he discovers that he has been transported to a location that seems
totally removed from order and logic. The stage upon which Ryu stands is
hoisted by huge chains stretching off seemingly into infinity. Huge two-
headed spinal columns travel in the background and even overlook the stage.
They appear to be the creatures from which the Core is constructed. This
place is the Shadow Realm.
Before Ryu can gather his bearings, a reincarnation of Masakado and his Mounted
Archer Guard jumps onto the stage. Something seems different about him, though
as his steed proves to be less formidable then before. Ryu kills the beast
which forces Masakado to the ground. However, unlike before, he gets up to
continue the fight. Regardless of Masakado's strength, Ryu defeats these
enemies just in time to see two familiar statues appear out of nothingness.
Ryu spies both the Dragon's Statue and Muramasa's effigy. It seems as though
goodness is not totally absent from this place. Ryu restocks to continue his
battle.
Ryu's second onslaught comes in the form of the Vigoorian military. He endures
several waves of SATs, MSATs, Vigoorian Infantry and a newly dispatched
Mechanized Vigoorian Military. At the end of all these battles, Ryu is then
assaulted by Dynamo again. However, now he has an armed escort and proves much
more challenging despite his total disregard for his fellow soldiers.
After defeating this titan, Ryu reaches another area of respite. However, his
rest is short-lived before he is accosted on all sides by the Fiends. The
coordination of the enemy's defenses has become increasingly harsh as Ryu must
do battle with Imps, Ghuls, Cyclops Wasps and Ghul Archers simultaneously.
Almost every Fiend is present in Ryu's various battles, and then he is put upon
by both the Hydracubus and the Yotunfrau and their accompanying parasites
consecutively.
The last wave proved very challenging, but it was a dance compared to the Phase
ahead. Here now, Ryu must do battle with the Fiendish SAT soldiers and
Infantry, not to mention the Bast Fiends, Ogres, Imps, Greater Imps and a new
horror, the Shadow Imp. These creatures appear to be the distilled evil of the
regular Imp Fiends with unbelievable strength and horrific agility. However,
Ryu bests all of these underlings only to be assaulted by Doku and Marbus
consecutively with their newly added minions as well.
Finally, Ryu reaches the last phase where his is accosted by the Vigoorian
Berserkers armed with huge two-handed swords and powerful magic. These evil
creatures arrive in this place via meteor. Their strength and technique is
unmatched, and Ryu must use everything at his disposal to even harm them.
Although, the creatures prove even more terrible once they become enraged;
transforming into Shadow Beserkers. Regardless, Ryu slays them as he does
everything in his path.
However, he is not allowed a breath before Nicchae appears before him. She
seems to be the pure hatred of Alma that was not present when she saved
Rachel's life. Even more curious is the Globe that housed her humanity is no
longer present in her abdomen. She summons her Shadow Imp minions and uses
much more deadly techniques to attempt to defeat Ryu. Unfortunately for her,
Ryu proves more skilled and slays her. She evaporates into the very fabric of
the Shadow Realm. Before Ryu can celebrate his victory he is assaulted one
last time.
This Fiend seems very familiar even though Ryu has never come across it in his
travels. Its head is incomplete, adorned with an ornate head-dress. Her left
arm is covered in a spiked appendage, while her right arm is almost totally
absent. A long tentacle is in its place. Ryu then realizes that this
monstrosity resembles non other than Rachel. It seems that this thing
represents the curse of the twins, and Ryu must strike it down. He does so
and as soon as the killing blow lands, this perverted Ishtaros disintegrates
and Rachel is freed from her prison.
-------------
~~ Credits ~~
-------------
GameFAQs forum members - Level 99 babe, JayBlahX, NeoMorpheus,
GrizzlyBearTalon, Auburn, Psychotic Kyske, antseezee, Shinobier, SPQR,
kobudera101, Refreshment, Ninja99 (just for having l33t d3b8t sk!llz),
Rikumaru, Buraian nyo, Yebyosh, Amasawa, Darth Reven, VampireHorde, Fedzmonkey,
oasisbeyond and Sour_Tofu for accurate Fiend names.
Tecmo
Team Ninja
Microsoft
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