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Bestiary
By aaxe
Version 4.0
Copyright Information
---------------------------
Copyright 2004, 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 4.0, 08-24-2004 - Began work on Enemy Strategies. Moved Hurricane
Pack info to other document.
Version 3.5, 08-23-2004 - Added Correct Fiend names (Thanks, Sour_Tofu).
Version 3.0, 07-27-2004 - Added Hurricane Pack Disclaimer.
Version 2.5, 06-29-2004 - Various corrections. Added Ninja Gaiden Download
information. Added Bastet and Ogre Fiends.
Version 2.0, 06-05-2004 - Added Timely Boss Strategies.
Version 1.5, 04-27-2004 - Various corrections.
Version 1.0, 04-23-2004 - Added strategies.
Version 0.5, 04-16-2004 - Initial release.
Table of Contents
-----------------
1. Introduction
2. Classifications
a. Humans
b. Fauna
c. Machina
e. Lesser Fiends
1. Undead
2. Humanoid
3. Serpentine
f. Greater Fiends
g. Dragons
h. Deities
3. Ratings
4. Bestiary
a. Regular Enemies
b. Bosses
5. Timely Strategies
a. Sub Bosses
1. Chapter 1 - Ninja Practice Room
2. Chapter 2 - Samurai Cavalry
3. Chapter 4 - Black Spider Ninja Clan
4. Chapter 5 - Gallas
5. Chapter 8 - Military Supply Base Main Gate
6. Chapter 9 - Tank Battalion
7. Chapter 9 - Communications Tower
8. Chapter 10 - Inazuma Worm
9. Chapter 10 - Inazuma Worm Pair
10. Chapter 12 - Inferno Worm
11. Chapter 12 - Ice Fiend
12. Chapter 15 - The Core
b. Bosses
1. Chapter 1 - Murai
2. Chapter 2 - Hatamoto
3. Chapter 3 - Dynamo
4. Chapter 5 - Tentacle Fiend
5. Chapter 6 - Zombie Dragon
6. Chapter 7 - Alma
7. Chapter 9 - Attack Helicopter
8. Chapter 10 - Zombie Drake
9. Chapter 11 - Doku's Corporeal Form
10. Chapter 12 - Smougan the Flame Dragon
11. Chapter 13 - Alma Awakened
12. Chapter 14 - Doku's Spiritual Form
13. Chapter 15 - Supreme Fiend Gogohn
14. Chapter 15 - Vigoor's Angelic Feminine Form
15. Chapter 15 - Vigoor's Devilish Masculine Form
16. Chapter 16 - Dark Disciple
6. Hurricane Pack
7. Credits
--Introduction--
Ninja Gaiden's character roster is fairly robust. The character design in this
game is consistently good from the first Chapter to the final battle. The cast
is very diverse, and little to no repetition in character design is committed
in the game. That being said, there is a natural evolution of the Fiendish
creatures in this game as there are character traits that are shared between
characters. The most noteworthy of these are the Serpentine Fiends and the
Humanoid Fiends. The humanoid Fiends progress in complexity from the brown and
fairly simple Lesser Fiend up to the grotesque Alma Awakened and Feminine
Emperor forms. They share common attributes as disjointed heads and feet,
cranial winglets, spontaneous levitation and supreme acrobatic ability.
Unfortunately, there is no official source of every character's name. This can
make conversations about specific encounters tedious. The only official names
have been gathered from interviews with Itagaki and the manual itself: Alma,
Lord Doku, Supreme Fiend Gogohn, Holy Vigoor Emperor, Gurdu (and his Deity
offspring), Gamov, Rachel, Ayane, Murai, Dark Disciple, Tentacle Fiend, Zombie
Dragon, Smougan the Flame Dragon, Dynamo, SATs, the Shadow Ninja Clan, Gallas
Ghuls, 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.
Please note, that this document only supplies very brief strategies. This
document will outline the pre-Hurricane Pack versions of the enemies.
--Classifications--
The game delineates between several classes of character in this game. These
classes can be summed up as humans, fauna, undead, Fiends, Greater Fiends,
Dragons and Deities. There are very distinct differences between these types
of creatures.
Humans
------
The humans are composed of the Shadow Ninja Clan, Spider Ninja Clan, SATs,
Vigoorian Military and possibly Doku's Samurai. The defining characteristic to
a human in this game is the presence of a soul and their characteristic of
mortality. A character with a supernatural ability does not necessarily make
them non-human.
Examples - Ryu, Rachel, Black Spider Ninjas, Soldiers, etc.
Fauna
-----
The game is populated by various creatures that belong to the animal kingdom.
While some of the members of this group are fairly ghastly, I classify these
creatures as Fauna. The more monstrous variety show no distinct Fiendish
traits, so I'll still classify them as Fauna.
Examples - Pill Bugs, Cyclops Wasps, Bats, Crows, etc.
Machina
-------
Those characters or enemies that have no possession of self-awareness are
designated as Machina. The Sentries, Tanks, Helicopters, and whatnot populate
this group. Obviously, some of these Machina are operated by humans.
Examples - Fire Posts, Sentries, Gun Turrets
Lesser Fiends
-------------
There is a significant back story to the Fiends. In summary, the Fiends are
the descendants of the Ancient Tribes, and they are sentient, conniving
creatures. However, they lack a soul. They take on all manner of shapes,
appearances and severity although there are common themes among their stature.
Basically, there seem to be three types of Lesser Fiends in the game: Undead,
Humanoid and Serpentine.
1. Abominations - Halfway through the game, Ryu happens upon the Underground
Cemetery and awakens the denizens therein. Since the appearance of these
creatures predates the large emergence of the Fiends for the most part, I'll
classify these creatures as the Undead. It can be argued that the Undead are
simply Fiends themselves, however, as stated in the Book of Vigoor. The
official names of these creatures are Ghuls and Ghul Archers. Other examples
include the Fiends that take no humanoid shape in the game, whatsoever.
2. Humanoid - These Fiends differ greatly in appearance, but share a common
theme. They have no feet and float above the ground, somewhat. They are
highly acrobatic and possess teleportation ability. The most severe and
evolved of these forms resemble the Emperor's first form such that they have
disembodies heads that sprout winglets.
3. Serpentine - Fiends of this type exhibit dragon-like qualities. Since the
Dragons in this game arose from the Serpent Deity, we'll refer to them as
Serpentine. They are bipedal as well, but they have huge, reptilian frames and
possess tails. Some varieties of this class possess damaging breath abilities
and can be considered evolved versions of the regular Gallas.
Greater Fiends
--------------
There are only three of these creatures in the game: Doku, Alma and Gogohn.
Unlike their Lesser brethren, they possess a soul.
Examples - Doku, Alma and the Supreme Fiend Gogohn
Dragons
-------
There are at least two varieties of Dragons in this game. One type we never
really see but are alluded to by the story. They consist of the Thirteen
Dragons created by the Serpent Deity and that fought Vigoor. The youngest of
these Dragons becomes the Dark Dragon of which the Dark Dragon Blade is carved.
You can see the remains of these creatures at the pinnacle of the Core, such
that their bones appear almost metallic, and the Dark Disciple is capable of
summoning one in the final battle.
The lesser variety of these creatures are encountered several times in the
game. The Zombie Dragon appears to be the remains of a great creature, and the
Smougan the Flame Dragon itself is a still living beast until Ryu smites him.
The abomination in the Inner Sanctum appears to exhibit dragon-like qualities as
well, so we'll place it in this category as well.
Examples - Smougan the Flame Dragon and the 13 Dragons born from the Serpent
Deity, the youngest of which becomes the Dark Dragon
Deities
-------
There are many Deities composing the Mythos of this game. There is Gurdu which
was the most omnipresent of the group. He split into four Deities which are
represented by the Statues that Ryu collects to activate the Core. There is
Vigoor who is the Ancestor of all Evil Deities, and there are his Deity
offspring. You battle a rebirth of Vigoor in Chapter 14.
Examples - Gurdu, his quartered pieces, Vigoor and his Spawn of Evil Deities
--Ratings--
The ratings for constitution will be derived from blows from the True Dragon
Sword or Unlabored Flawlessness. The strikes used will be a single X slash,
Crimson Slash (X,X,X), Izuna Drop, Flying Dragon Falling Slash and Flying
Swallow along with a single shuriken throw. The constitution ratings are as
follows:
Frail - One shuriken will kill this character.
Very Low - This character can be killed with one Flying Swallow attack.
Low - A single Flying Swallow followed by one Crimson Slash combo will kill
this creature.
Normal - Multiple Flying Swallow techniques and a single Crimson Slash will be
needed for a victory.
Durable - These creatures are able to withstand multiple Flying Dragon Falling
Slash combos from the Unlabored Flawlessness.
Hardened - These creatures and characters possess boss level constitution and
require significant effort to kill.
The difficulty rating is determined by the enemies' combat abilities at the
time Ryu encounters them. Otherwise, most enemies would be listed as easy.
The difficulty ratings are as follows:
Harmless - These characters pose no threat to Ryu whatsoever. Ryu must
actively attempt to be killed by them.
Easy - Ryu's combat abilities far outshine this classification of enemy.
Normal - This classification poses the first threat to Ryu.
Formidable - These enemies are difficult to kill and are capable of easily
dispatching Ryu.
Deadly - Deadly characters can kill Ryu one or two attacks and are extremely
resistant to damage.
--Bestiary--
This section will include the name, class, description, location, constitution,
difficulty, abilities and discussion of each creature or character in the game.
I'm most familiar with the abilities of these characters on the Very Hard
difficulty level, so I will comment as such. I will update this from time to
time when official names become available. Keep in mind that almost every
enemy becomes very easy once you have acquired the Unlabored Flawlessness. I
won't post strategies as it is difficult to die if you keep your health low with
the UF.
Regular Enemies
---------------
Name: Shadow Clan Lesser Ninja
Class: Human
Description: A ninja dressed in a brown shozoku, armed with a Katana and
shuriken
Location: Chapter 1, The Way of the Ninja
Constitution: Very Low
Difficulty: Easy
Abilities: shuriken, Blocking, Reverse Wind, Violent Wind, 3 hit combos
Discussion: Singularly, these enemies pose no threat, but in packs of three or
more, they can be a little troublesome. They tend to form ranks where one will
reside on the periphery of the group and assault Ryu with shuriken to break his
combos and Essence gathering.
Strategy: It's very easy to vanquish these enemies. Simply remove yourself
from the center and attack using the walls.
Name: Shadow Clan Ninja
Class: Human
Description: A ninja dressed in a white shozoku, armed with a Katana and
shuriken
Location: Chapter 1, The Way of the Ninja
Constitution: Low
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: shuriken, Blocking, Reverse Wind, Helmet Splitter, Violent Gale, 3
hit Combos, 5 hit Combos, Wall Running
Discussion: These enemies pose a much greater threat, such that their
abilities are similar to Ryu's at that stage in the game. They tend to forgo
ranks altogether and instead wait for opportunities to strike Ryu. They will
interrupt most charge moves with shuriken and can wall run outside of Ryu's
vicinity to hit him with a Helmet Splitter.
Strategy: It's best to concentrate on these enemies first as they most usually
drop Blue Essence that you can use for Ultimate Attacks. They are most
vulnerable after their five hit combos.
Name: Bat
Class: Fauna
Description: A purple bat
Location: Most Chapters
Constitution: Frail
Difficulty: Harmless
Abilities: flight, bite
Discussion: Bats provide very little threat. It takes an inordinate amount of
bites to kill Ryu, while a single shuriken will kill a bat. They are mostly
used in game to heal and gain Essence.
Strategy: None. Although, you can use the respawn points as Yellow Essence
collection points. Kill two with shuriken and then unleash Gathering Clouds
with the Flail an the Armlet of Benediction for maximum Essence collection.
Name: Crow
Class: Fauna
Description: A black crow
Location: Chapters 1 and 13, The Way of the Ninja and Fiendish Awakening
Constitution: Frail
Difficulty: Harmless
Abilities: Flight
Discussion: Crows provide no threat whatsoever. They do not possess an attack
ability. A single shuriken will kill a crow, and they are mostly used in game
to signify death.
Strategy: None
Name: Samurai Foot Soldier
Class: Human
Description: A samurai foot soldier completely covered in the traditional
samurai yoroi, including mask; wields a katana
Location: Chapter 2, The Hayabusa Ninja Village
Constitution: Normal
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: extreme blocking, counter attacking, Blade of the Undefeatable, 3
hit combos, horizontal slash, vertical slash
Discussion: These enemies must have their guard broken before they can be
struck. Their training is such that they will block almost any normal strike,
while a comrade will take the opportunity to attack Ryu.
Strategy: Their guard must be broken to inflict damage. Therefore, use Divine
Cicada or any other combo listed in the Advanced Combo FAQ as Guard Crush to
initiate a Guard Break then attack.
Name: Mage
Class: Human
Description: A magic user that floats above the ground; wields two Sai
Location: Chapter 2, The Hayabusa Ninja Village
Constitution: Normal
Difficulty: Difficult
Abilities: teleportation, limited Flight, projectile Magic, 3 hit Combos, 7 hit
combos
Discussion: These enemies can be troublesome such that it is difficult to hit
them outright. They will teleport around Ryu waiting to attack and then
immediately disappear if not struck. They can also cast green fireballs at Ryu
with extreme accuracy.
Strategy: To defeat them, attack immediately after their combo is finished as
they put their Sai away. You can also kill them with one arrow while they're
preparing their Fireball. They can also be struck normally during this period.
Name: Mounted Samurai Archer
Class: Human
Description: A samurai outfitted in yoroi, including mask, riding an armored
steed; wields a bow
Location: Chapter 2, The Hayabusa Ninja Village
Constitution: Durable/Normal
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: arrow resistant armor, archery, Horse Kick, Horse Trample
Discussion: The Mounted Archer accompanies the Spearman and is notoriously
difficult to kill. The horse has extremely high constitution, but the Archer
can be shot with arrows to dismount him. Once the rider is knocked from his
mount, he unsheathes his katana and becomes a typical Samurai Foot Soldier.
Strategy: Wait in the blind corner of the clearing and set up the two horsemen
to attack you at the same time. When the Archer passes, slash his horse once
and immediately go into First Person bow mode and fire at his flank or top of
his head. You can only get one or two arrows off before he's ready to fire
again. If you have a chance to fire at him from the front, aim for the horse's
neck, and it will not be deflected by armor.
Name: Mounted Samurai Spearman
Class: Human
Description: A samurai foot soldier completely covered in the traditional
samurai yoroi, including mask, armed with a spear
Location: Chapter 2, The Hayabusa Ninja Village
Constitution: Durable/Normal
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: arrow resistant armor, Spear Impalement, Spear Thrust, Horse Kick,
Horse Trample, Overhead Spear Twirl, Lateral Spear Twirl
Discussion: The Mounted Spearman is very fast and is able to diversely use his
spear to harm Ryu. Like his mounted brethren, he, too, can be knocked from his
horse.
Strategy: Use Mounted Samurai Archer Strategy. You don't need to slash the
horse, though. Simply shoot him as he rides away from you and towards you.
Name: SAT (Special Attack Team) Soldier
Class: Human
Description: A soldier wearing gray soldier outfit with face mask, wields a
stun baton
Location: Chapters 3, 4 and 5, The Skies of Vengeance, Imperial City
Infiltration and The City of Fiends
Constitution: Normal
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, Firearm, Stun Baton, Throat Slice
Discussion: SATs possess the ability to slit Ryu's throat and kick him away
for significant damage. Additionally, periphery SATs will lay down
suppressive fire upon Ryu.
Strategy: These enemies represent the first group of assailants that can
attack Ryu through his block single handedly. Don't block excessively, and try
to use moves that can setup a launch. You should get a Level 2 Dragon Sword as
soon as you can at this point for Flying Swallow.
Name: SAT Riot Guard
Class: Human
Description: A soldier wearing black soldier outfit with face mask; wields a
stun baton and a riot shield
Location: Chapters 3, 4 and 5, The Skies of Vengeance, Imperial City
Infiltration and The City of Fiends
Constitution: Normal
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: extreme Blocking, 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, Firearm, Stun Baton,
Knee Bash, Shield Bash
Discussion: The Riot Guards can stun Ryu with their Shield Bash as well as
utilizing the standard attacks employed by the standard MSATs. They possess a
knee combo as well.
Strategy: See SAT Soldier Strategy
Name: SAT Grenadier
Class: Human
Description: A soldier wearing blue soldier outfit with face mask; wields a
stun baton and a grenade launcher
Location: Chapters 4 and 5, Imperial City Infiltration and The City of Fiends
Constitution: Normal
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, Grenade Launcher, Stun Baton, Throw
Discussion: This heavy infantry soldier wields a grenade launcher and uses it
to pelt Ryu with grenades at a distance. You can either close the distance,
and he will throw the gun away, or you can knock it out of his hands.
Strategy: Attack him before any other SAT as you will be showered with
grenades. You can knock the Grenade Launcher out of his hand with a Azure or
Scarlet Dragon.
Name: Black Spider Clan Ninja
Class: Human
Description: A ninja dressed in a blackish, green shozoku, armed with a
Ninja-to and Incendiary shuriken
Location: Many Chapters, Usually Tairon and Dworku
Constitution: Normal
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: Blocking, extreme mobility, Reverse Wind, 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo,
Violent Gale, Windmill Slash, Shark Attack, Incendiary Shuriken, Wall Running,
Helmet Splitter, throw
Discussion: The Black Spider Clan pursues Ryu throughout the game and pose a
significant threat even at late stages of the game. They possess many tactics
that even Ryu cannot master. Additionally, they will take every opportunity to
skewer Ryu with an Incendiary Shuriken.
Strategy: Perfect your Counter Attack technique, and the Black Spider Clan
will prove a much lesser threat. Additionally, avoid Flying Swallow and the
Guillotine throw, as that will only set them up for opportunities to hit you
with Incendiary shuriken. They dodge Flying Swallow outright. If you Roll or
do a Combo Ender right before the Shuriken explodes, you'll take no damage.
Name: Gallas
Class: Serpentine Fiend
Description: A red, dragon-like biped with large black horns and a long tail
Location: Many Chapters, Tairon, Dworku, The Core
Constitution: Durable
Difficulty: Deadly
Abilities: shuriken/arrow resistant hide, 2 hit Combo, Rush, Jumping Rush, Tail
Swipe, Bite, Head butt
Discussion: These Fiends are very large and have a very high constitution.
They can ram Ryu and lunge at him. Gallas have a tail swipe, and every move
that they have can break Ryu's guard. They're bite is extremely damaging as
well.
Strategy: Hopefully, you'll have Unlabored Flawlessness by this point. Flying
Dragon Falling Slash will make you almost immune to them as it stuns them
perfectly, and they'll stand up to be hit by the aerial attacks of the combo.
However, Ryu does not possess an attack that will interrupt the Bite animation,
so watch out. You can cheaply do Divine Cicada off of a wall and then
immediately Wind Path off of them onto a wall and repeat. This will interrupt
even their Bite.
Name: Monk Fiend
Class: Abomination
Description: A large, skeletal creature composed of arms and a spinal column
that is armed with a gigantic magical scythe
Location: Chapters 6 and 7, The Monastery and The Hidden Underground
Constitution: Durable
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: extreme mobility, Spine Swing, Lunge, 2 hit Combo, teleportation,
Ritual, Glyphless Ritual, Overhead Scythe Twirl, Lateral Scythe Twirl
Discussion: Monk Fiends are first encountered on the Monastery Altar where they
throw off their disguises to reveal their truly heinous form. They have a wide
array of magical and melee attacks and are always accompanied by Lesser Fiends.
Strategy: The Monk Fiend's most troublesome attack is the magic attack that
he'll do off screen. He'll twirl his Scythe above his head, and you will
instantly be Block Stunned. If you don't move immediately, you'll be damaged
greatly. This is different than the Ritual he casts as there is no floor
indication of this move. Additionally, they cannot be hit out of either of
their Teleportation Attacks, so simply block and Counter Attack. Flying
Swallow will also decimate this enemy.
Name: Ghul
Class: Abomination
Description: A huge, skeletal, humanoid creature that is armed with either a
gigantic war ax or mace
Location: Chapters 6 and 7, The Monastery and The Hidden Underground
Constitution: Durable
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: shuriken/armor resistant hide, Kiss of Death, 360 Swing, horizontal
swing, vertical swing
Discussion: Ghuls are very large and have a very high constitution. You can
Haze Straight Slash or Flying Swallow them to remove pieces their bodies and
prevent them from chewing on you.
Strategy: Deal with any Archer Ghuls first. Then either Haze Straight Slash
or Flying Swallow them immediately, so they won't be able to do their Kiss of
Death. There is a way to reliably launch these creatures, by hitting them with
2 consecutive Azure Dragons. They will be launched into the air, and you can
finish your Blade of Nirrti. Unfortunately, you have to use Azure Dragon only.
Scarlet Dragon will not launch.
Name: Archer Ghul
Class: Undead Fiend
Description: A huge, skeletal, humanoid creature that is armed with a gigantic
bow and arrow
Location: Chapters 6 and 7, The Monastery and The Hidden Underground
Constitution: Durable
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: shuriken/armor resistant hide, Volley
Discussion: Ghuls are very large and have a very high constitution. They
will constantly pelt Ryu with man-sized arrows that can break Ryu's guard and
launch him.
Strategy: Deal with these Ghuls before you attack anything else. Once they
attempt to arm their bow, they cannot be interrupted. So, Reverse Wind out of
the way. Then hit with your most destructive combo. Also, see Ghul.
Name: Cyclops Wasp
Class: Fauna
Description: A large, buzzing insect like creature with a single eye, possess a
single stinger
Location: Chapters 6, 7 and 13, The Monastery, The Hidden Underground and
Fiendish Awakening
Constitution: Very Low
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: flight, Sting
Discussion: Cyclops Wasps are always found in swarms and can repeatedly sting
Ryu.
Strategy: Use the Flails to kill two of them, and then repeatedly perform
Gathering Clouds.
Name: Ice Gallas
Class: Serpentine Fiend
Description: A brown, dragon like biped with large horns completely covering
its body and long tail
Location: Many Chapters, The Caverns, Dworku, The Core
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Deadly
Abilities: 2 Hit Combo, Rolling Rush, Jumping Rush, Tail Swipe, Bite, Head
butt, Ice Breath
Discussion: These Fiends have an even higher constitution than the regular
Gallas. Additionally, they possess breath attacks and a severely
damaging rolling attack.
Strategy: See Gallas Strategy. The biggest difference with these Fiends
is that they can damage you greatly from off screen. Use Flying Dragon Falling
Slash, and immediately roll away upon its completion. Unfortunately, not even
Earth Splitter will kill these Fiends outright.
Name: Flame Gallas
Class: Serpentine Fiend
Description: A brown, dragon like biped with large horns completely covering
its body and a long tail
Location: Many Chapters, The Caverns, Dworku, The Core
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Deadly
Abilities: 2 Hit Combo, Rolling Rush, Jumping Rush, Tail Swipe, Bite, Head
butt, Fire Breath
Discussion: These Fiends have an even higher constitution than the regular
Gallas. Additionally, they possess breath attacks and a severely
damaging rolling attack.
Strategy: See Ice Gallas Strategy.
Name: Lesser Imp Fiend
Class: Humanoid Fiend
Description: A brown, humanoid creature with talons for arms and a misshapen
head
Location: Many Chapters after Tairon
Constitution: Normal
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: extreme mobility, burrowing, 2 hit Combo, horizontal slash, running
slash, Reverse Wind, Backflips
Discussion: These are the 2nd Fiends that you encounter in the Dworku Monastery
courtyard. They attack in packs, but as long as you block and counter attack,
you can manage the threat. They are sometimes accompanied by their more
evolved brethren.
Strategy: They do not possess the ability to break Ryu's guard, so simply
Counter Attack with a two-handed weapon to kill them, as they are VERY
acrobatic and difficult to actually hit with Flying Swallow or regular quick
strikes.
Name: Imp Fiend
Class: Humanoid Fiend
Description: A purple, humanoid creature with three talons for hands and a
misshapen, flaming head, and no feet
Location: Many Chapters after Tairon
Constitution: Normal
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: extreme mobility, burrowing, 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, 4 hit
launching combo, horizontal slash, vertical leap attack, running slash,
Helmet Splitter, Backflips, Burrow Surprise
Discussion: These Fiends resemble those that Ryu encounters in the Dworku
Monastery courtyard. They attack in packs, and are much more capable of
inflicting damage. They have a fairly diverse array of attacks with even the
ability to strike Ryu in the air.
Strategy: See Lesser Fiend Strategy. The only thing that makes these
creatures more dangerous than the Lesser Fiends is the fact that they can
easily launch Ryu and hit him out of the air.
Name: Evolved Imp Fiend
Class: Humanoid Fiend
Description: A huge, purple monstrosity with a disconnected head, cranial
winglets, gigantic claws and jewels stumps for feet
Location: Chapters 14 and 15, Vengeful Spirit and The Core
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Deadly
Abilities: Blocking, 2 hit Bayonet Combo, 3 Hit Bayonet Combo, Grenades, Bayonet
Impale and Detonation, Suppressive Fire, Concentrated Fire, Counter Attack,
Vertical Bayonet Slash
Discussion: Evolved Fiends are arguably the most dangerous enemy in the game
including some bosses. They are at least as agile as Ryu while being two to
three times his size. Their arsenal rivals most bosses and are usually
accompanied by Phantom Fish or other Evolved Fiends.
Strategy: These Fiends are possibly the most difficult enemy in the game.
Their repertoire is vast and deadly. Additionally, you'll never fight these
things singularly. Whatever the case is, never stop moving, and limit your use
of moves that cause recovery (i.e. Flying Swallow, Cremator). If you've
dispatched their underlings, you can cheaply do Divine Cicada off of a wall and
then immediately Wind Path off of them onto a wall and repeat. This won't work
though if one has tunneled and is waiting for you to screw up. They cannot be
stunned by Cremator, either.
Name: Vigoorian Soldier
Class: Human
Description: A soldier wearing brownish-green war armor with face mask wielding
an combination automatic rifle/grenade launcher
Location: Chapters 8 and 9, Tairon Under Alert and Military Supply Base
Constitution: Normal
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: 3 Hit Bayonet Combo, Grenades, Bayonet Impale and Detonation,
Suppressive Fire, Concentrated Fire
Discussion: This heavily armored soldier wields an M16 complete with Bayonet
and grenade launcher. They use it to pelt Ryu with bullets at a distance.
They can even increase their fire rate by hardening their stance, and they love
to setup cross fires. They will also launch grenades, and can impale Ryu on
their weapons shortly before detonating him.
Strategy: Soldiers like to setup crossfires, but fortunately, these guys are
very susceptible to Flying Swallow and launching. You have to be a bit tricky
in your placement, though, as their bayonet moves are slightly faster than
Ryu's. They have no answer to the Windmill Shuriken either. Unfortunately,
they will Counter Attack incessantly.
Name: Vigoorian Heavy Infantry
Class: Human
Description: A soldier wearing brownish-green war armor with face mask wielding
a RPG
Location: Chapters 8 and 9, Tairon Under Alert and Military Supply Base
Constitution: Normal
Difficulty: Deadly
Abilities: RPG Launcher
Discussion: This heavily armored soldier wields an RPG (Rocket Propelled
Grenade). They are extremely patient and accurate especially in teams of two.
The explosion from the RPG damages Ryu greatly and will launch his body away.
Strategy: I wish you had access to a True Dragon Nuclear Warhead for these
POS's. You will have to be very random in your Roll Jumping to not get hit
with the RPG. Fortunately, you can shoot it out of the air with an arrow if
you're quick. If you're going to Flying Swallow do it to them, and not around
them. You can also see when the are primed as their launcher will actually
have a rocket attached. You can watch them commit this action before they
fight you.
Name: Machine Gun Turret
Class: Machina
Description: A gun turret with four barrels manned by a Vigoorian Soldier
Location: Chapters 8 and 9, Tairon Under Alert and Military Supply Base
Constitution: Normal
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: Concentrated Fire
Discussion: While turrets can't be destroyed, their operators can be killed
quite easily.
Strategy: With the Strong Bow, it only takes two hits to kill them.
Name: Carrier Gun Turret
Class: Machina
Description: A gun turret on top of the Armored Personnel Carriers with two
barrels and a grenade launcher
Location: Chapters 8 and 9, Tairon Under Alert and Military Supply Base
Constitution: Low
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: Concentrated Fire, Grenade Launcher
Discussion: These turrets can be destroyed by Ryu's projectiles.
Strategy: If you can see them in the distance, use arrows to destroy them. If
you are already in range, dispatch them with the Windmill Shuriken in 3 hits.
Name: Sentry
Class: Machina
Description: A small helicopter with a blue laser gun.
Location: Chapters 9 and 11, Military Supply Base and The Path to Zarkhan
Constitution: Frail
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: Laser Attack
Discussion: Sentries patrol several areas and can launch Ryu with their Laser
Attacks. They can be destroyed with one hit from most arrows and the Windmill
Shuriken.
Strategy: You can quickly dispatch these enemies in the places that they
appear. In one location, you have a limitless supply of arrows, so take them
out in first person. In the moat, simply exit the water as soon as possible
and use the Windmill Shuriken. Sometimes, you'll have to use the DS, though.
Name: Fiendish SAT Soldier
Class: Human
Description: The remnant of a mutated MSAT Soldier, pink with an exposed chest
and talon lined head
Location: Chapters 8 and 9, Tairon Under Alert and Military Supply Base
Constitution: Normal
Difficulty: Deadly
Abilities: blocking, extreme mobility, 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, Throw, Stun
Slash, Helmet Splitter, Fireball
Discussion: This creature is a mutated SAT that is extremely agile and well
equipped. They can even launch fireballs at Ryu and will throw him at any
opportunity. They are physically faster than Ryu as well.
Strategy: Movement is key in this fight, as is the reserved use of recovery
moves. Launch and Izuna Drop these Fiends as much as possible. Once the
Soldier is low on health or all alone, it will resort to a constant bombardment
of Fireballs.
Name: Pill bugs
Class: Fauna
Description: A large, green arthropod with talons all over its body
Location: Chapters 10 and 13, The Aqueduct and Fiendish Awakening
Constitution: Very Low
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: jump, lunge, tackle
Discussion: Pill bugs appear in groups of five or more. They can prove to be
very troublesome, as they'll usually leap at Ryu all at the same time. Once
attached, they will knock him to the ground and continue to feed on him.
Strategy: While it only takes a few hits to kill them, you have to fight them
in groups of six or more at a time. Additionally, you usually have to fight at
least 40 in a row. Stay on the walls, and don't be afraid to burn up your
Firewheels. However, you are not totally immune to their attacks with
Firewheel. You need to continuously move in this battle.
Name: Fiendish Vigoorian Soldier
Class: Humanoid Fiend
Description: The remnant of a mutated Vigoorian Soldier, huge purple and
possess a gigantic bayonet
Location: Chapter 11, The Path to Zarkhan
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: Bayonet Impale and Detonation, Bayonet Swipe, Bayonet Lunge, 3 hit
Combo
Discussion: This huge Fiend is the mutation of a Vigoorian Soldier. They
attack much like Zombie Fiends, but have the ability to impale Ryu in the
ground and detonate a grenade on top of him. They are one of the most hardened
enemies in the game.
Strategy: See Zombie Fiend Strategy. The only difference here is that I think
it's impossible to decapitate these menaces. They have the most health of any
normal enemy in the game, and cannot be launched (although they can be knocked
down). When you kill one, make sure you use the Essence for an UT.
Name: Reptile Fish
Class: Fauna
Description: A huge, reptilian, aquatic creature with two appendages used to
capture prey
Location: Chapter 11, The Path to Zarkhan
Constitution: Normal
Difficulty: Very Low
Abilities: Bite, Swipe
Discussion: These large aquatic beasts swim in the moats of Zarkhan. Once Ryu
is equipped with the Harpoon Gun, these creatures pose little threat.
Strategy: Once you have the Harpoon Gun they pose no threat on any difficulty.
Name: Lesser Phantom Fish
Class: Fiend
Description: A translucent, floating fish phantasm
Location: Chapters 14 and 15, Vengeful Spirit and The Core
Constitution: Frail
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: Bite, Tackle
Discussion: Lesser Phantom Fish appear in schools and can all attack Ryu at the
same time. They must be struck before they attach to Ryu, or they will have to
be knocked off. They inflict little damage singularly.
Strategy: These fish pose quite a problem to most players initially, but are
fairly easy once you figure out how to beat them. If you continue to jump and
slash, and not combo, you can continuously keep them from attaching.
Additionally, they release all manner of Essence very regularly, so you can
burn some Firewheels on these pests. If you slip up, though, you can expect to
lose a lot of health while you attempt to shake them off.
Name: Phantom Fish
Class: Fiend
Description: A larger, translucent, floating fish phantasm
Location: Chapters 14 and 15, Vengeful Spirit and The Core
Constitution: Frail
Difficulty: Deadly
Abilities: Bite, Tackle
Discussion: Larger Phantom Fish appear in schools and can all attack Ryu at the
same time. They must be struck before they attach to Ryu, or they will have to
be knocked off. They normal damage singularly and will kill Ryu outright in
schools.
Strategy: See Phantom Fish Strategy
Bosses
------
To see the most expedient (yet maybe not most colorful) strategies. See
http://www.master-ninja.com/ng. I'll put my own thoughts here. Again, this
section will not contain UF strategies as most of these enemies fall very
easily to a low health UF combo.
Name: Murai, Shadow Ninja Clan Leader
Class: Human
Description: An extremely muscular ninja dressed in a white gi who fights with
nunchaku
Location: Chapter 1, The Way of the Ninja
Constitution: Durable
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: shuriken reflect, Blocking, Counter Attacking, Reverse Wind, Back
Flip, Auspicious Phoenix, 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, Flip Toss, Throw and Kick,
Reverse Kick
Discussion: Murai is a formidable opponent who takes very little damage during
the fight. He is extremely defensive and doesn't leave a lot of opportunity
for striking. He can attack with single strikes, combos, counter attacks and
throws. He can also defend against most of Ryu's arsenal even going so far as
to reflect his shuriken back at him.
Strategy: If you stay in the distance where Murai will tend to flip or
Auspicious Crane, you can use short combos on him. This fight is all about
patience given your sparse movelist at this stage in the game. You can also be
somewhat successful offensively with using combos that begin with Windmill
Slash. Murai doesn't seem to Counter Attack this move very much, and I can get
a very high ratio of Weapon Locking with it.
Name: Hatamoto
Class: Fiend
Description: A warrior wearing a demonic yoroi, including mask, armed with a
huge war staff, with a severely disfigured steed
Location: Chapter 2, The Hayabusa Ninja Village
Constitution: Durable
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: shuriken/arrow resistant armor, Spear Impalement, Spear Thrust, Horse
Kick, Horse Trample, Overhead Spear Twirl, Lateral Spear Twirl
Discussion: This warrior is accompanied by many mages, and while his abilities
are not so different from his mounted underlings, he does inflict much more
damage upon Ryu. Additionally, he cannot be knocked from his steed.
Strategy: Using a bow here is very useful as you are guaranteed a kill on the
Mages if they are in their Fireball animation. Additionally, once you've
dispatched all of them, Hatamoto is susceptible to them as well. Every time you
kill a Mage, try to use the Essence for a UT.
Name: Dynamo
Class: Human/Machina
Description: A severely corpulent, cybernetic soldier with a gigantic,
electrical cannon grafted onto his left arm
Location: Chapter 3, The Skies of Vengeance
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, Lightning Volley, Concentrated Lightning
Volley, Electrocution, Electrical Shield, Roundhouse Smash
Discussion: This rotund soldier has a fair amount of offensive options. And,
he laughs maniacally throughout the fight.
Strategy: He can be defeated with combinations of the Flying Swallow and
Violent Gale during his charging times. Dynamo is also very susceptible to
Windmill Slash combos.
Name: Tentacle Fiend
Class: Fiend
Description: A gigantic mass of eyeballs, flesh, tentacles and talons
Location: Chapters 5, 7 and 15, Dworku, Hidden Underground and The Core
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: Tentacle Swipe, Fireballs, Tentacle Poke, Tentacle Flail, Leg Grab
Discussion: While this Fiend appears troublesome, it is in fact fairly easy to
kill. It will continually launch fireballs onto the ground and lash out in all
manners with its tentacles. It can also shield itself with its Tentacle Flail
as well.
Strategy: Flying Swallow the Tentacles, but watch out for the Tentacle Flail.
The spot in the fight where you are the least vulnerable to the tentacles and
fireballs is right in front of it. Make sure that you kill the tentacles
quickly after one another to setup a Storm of the Heavenly Dragon Gleam
Name: Zombie Dragon
Class: Undead, Dragon
Description: The remains of a gigantic dragon, only the bones and cartilage are
left
Location: Chapter 6, The Monastery
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: Spinal Shot, Lower Tail Swipe, Upper Tail Swipe, Stomp, Swipe, Bite
Discussion: The Zombie Dragon fills up the entire Cavern and positions itself
on the ledges. Ryu must attack the limbs of the creature while avoiding it's
melee and projectile attacks. If it happens to bite Ryu, he will attempt to
eat him.
Strategy: You can Flying Swallow the limbs pretty incessantly with Red-Hot Iron
Brand. Just make sure to not tack on the Dragon Emperor Kick, as its recovery
will make you vulnerable. Watch out for the Stomps and Swipes, and the tail
will swipe twice unless its moving to base another leg. There is a sweet spot
to the right of where the Dragon places its feet that can be used to duck under
the Upper Tail Swipe.
Name: Alma
Class: Greater Fiend
Description: A large, pink Fiend with tentacle hair, cranial winglets and a
large globe in her abdomen
Location: Chapter 7, The Hidden Underground
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Deadly
Abilities: 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, Bubble Drop, Firewheel, Column Toss, Leg
Toss, Strafing Run, Leg Toss, Divebomb
Discussion: Alma's first form is arguably Ryu's greatest challenge in the game.
Alma's agility makes her mostly impervious to Ryu's entire arsenal. Ryu must
adopt a purely defensive strategy with Alma to defeat her.
Strategy: You pretty much have to stay in the danger zone in this fight to
provoke her to do something you can retaliate against. That is, you need to
stay close enough to her for her to do her melee attacks more frequently. She
is VERY hard to hit with Flying Swallow, so only do it if she has to recover
from a fail Drop Kick or combo. She is also vulnerable right when she starts
to summon her pink fireballs. If you can't hit her out of it, prepare to
perfectly Roll Jump. To my knowledge, no one has discovered a 100% reliable
way of damaging her. She can dodge Flying Swallow at any time (even during
attacks).
Name: Tank
Class: Machina
Description: A tank supplied with a mounted machine gunner
Location: Chapter 9, The Military Supply Base
Constitution: Durable
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: Cannon Blast, Suppressive Fire, Steamroll
Discussion: The Tank Battalion consists of two of these vehicles. Ryu can
defeat it with a combination of Explosive Arrows and Armor-piercing Arrows.
Strategy: Dodge the initial blast and quickly make the Mounted Machine Gunner
retreat by firing an explosive arrow in his vicinity. Then setup station next
to the treads, and pummel the tank with first person arrows. It will drive
around you.
Name: Attack Helicopter
Class: Machina
Description: A Hind-type attack helicopter, equipped with a gatlin gun,
heat-seeking missiles and Incendiary Bombs
Location: Chapter 9, The Military Supply Base
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: Suppressive Fire, Concentrated Fire, Strafing Run, Bombing Run,
Missile Volleys
Discussion: While this Helicopter is invulnerable during Ryu's first run-in
with it, Ryu proves a greater challenge the second time. He possesses enough
ordinance to surgically destroy the aircraft.
Strategy: You have to be a pretty good shot with first person bow for this
fight. Use Roll Jumping to avoid the missiles, but you have to be fairly
precise with its implementation. Always run at 90 degrees to the attack
vector. When the helicopter goes under the bridge, you'll have the hardest
time dodging the missiles due to proximity. Use armor piercing arrows here and
refill your quiver from the bins on each side of the bridge.
Name: Inazuma Worm
Class: Fauna
Description: A huge worm with rows of fangs and electrical conductive abilities
Location: Chapter 10, The Aqueduct
Constitution: Durable
Difficulty: Normal/Deadly
Abilities: Slap, Lightning Shot, Environment Charge, Bite, Coil
Discussion: Singularly, the Inazuma Worm is fairly easy to deal with, but in
pairs, the Worms can be quite destructive. You have limited options in the
caves in which you encounter them. Explosive Arrows and ground combos (when
they miss moves) are Ryu's only recourses.
Strategy: Singularly, this creature is not too much of a problem. Roll at the
last second to avoid the Lightning Balls, and immediately fire of an Explosive
Arrow. You can use the cavern walls to Bird Flip and Y attack with the
two-handed weapons. When two worms are out, stay in the forward right side
area, and roll out of the way of the Slaps. If both Worms are going to fire
projectiles, use a Ninpo to get them to retreat.
Name: Zombie Drake
Class: Undead, Dragon
Description: A huge, decaying biped with large wing-like bone structures and a
cylindrical head
Location: Chapter 10, The Aqueduct
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: Laser immolation, Wing Sweep, Stomp, Chomp, Gust, Leap
Discussion: This huge creature can easily navigate its own cavern and can rack
up huge damage on Ryu.
Strategy: Ryu can attack its legs, and the creature will lower its head while
stunned. I tend to use two-handed weapons for this fight along with explosive
arrows. You can setup a pretty reliable loop attacking his legs and then
rolling away when it does its little jump.
Name: Lord Doku
Class: Greater Fiend
Description: A large samurai warrior, possibly without physical shape, only
exists as a purple flame inside armor, wields Kitetsu
Location: Chapter 11, The Path to Zarkhan
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: shuriken/arrow resistant armor, Shockwave, Stab of Extinction, Dead
Soul Bind, Ice Breath, Haze Straight Slash, various Combos, horizontal Slash,
vertical Slash, Spin Slash, Weapon Lock
Discussion: Ryu's revenge on Doku for the murder of his entire village is
brought most easily through the use of the Dabilahro or Unlabored Flawlessness.
Strategy: Use Murai Strategy. You have to stay in the danger zone here, too,
to get him to do something you can retaliate against. Use small combos.
Name: Ice Fiend
Class: Fauna
Description: A white and pink abomination with two huge arms and rows of fangs
Location: Chapters 12 and 15, The Caverns, The Core
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: shuriken/arrow resistant hide, Stomp, Flip, Chew, Ice Shot,
Stationary Ice Geyser, Chasing Ice Geyser, Swing, Jab Combos
Discussion: This disgusting creature can utilize its massive bulk and command
over the ice element to destroy Ryu. However, its bulk also proves to be
helpful to Ryu as the creature is not terribly mobile.
Strategy: This creature has possibly the largest amount of health in the game.
Fortunately, most of its attacks are terribly telegraphed. Therefore, it's
easy to avoid them and attack its backside. His range is deceptive, though, so
watch out for his jabs and grabs.
Name: Inferno Worm
Class: Fauna
Description: A huge worm with rows of fangs and fire control abilities
Location: Chapter 12, The Caverns
Constitution: Durable
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: Slap, Fire Ring, Bite
Discussion: Since this creature never occurs in pairs, Ryu can dispatch it
reasonably. The Fire Ring it shoots can be jumped through.
Strategy: Arm your Explosive Arrows and jump through the Fire Rings. After
each Ring, you can quickly get off a shot. Bird Flip off of the side wall and
do the Y move for whatever weapon you like whenever it attempts to slap you.
Name: Smougan the Flame Dragon
Class: Dragon
Description: A gigantic, golden Dragon with four legs and massive wings
Location: Chapter 12, The Caverns
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Deadly
Abilities: Flame Wing, Fire Breath, Fireball, Bite, Platform Raise
Discussion: This magnificent creature is capable of nearly devouring Ryu along
with utilizing its fiery arsenal.
Strategy: I prefer to stay on the top center platform as the Dragon won't waste
time shooting fireballs and will frequently attempt to bite. It's pretty easy
to avoid this, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to hit it after it
misses. You can also Wind Path off of its head and inflict significant
damage during the unique animation.
Name: Alma Awakened
Class: Greater Fiend
Description: A large, grotesque, purple and black arachnid transformation with
huge winglets covering her body and a large globe in her abdomen
Location: Chapter 13, Fiendish Awakening
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Deadly
Abilities: shuriken/arrow resistant armor, extreme mobility, Twirl, 2 hit Combo,
Globe Fireball, Firewheel, Column Toss, Leg Cradle, Strafing Run, Talon Strike
Discussion: Alma Awakened is a little less challenging to Ryu in this encounter
due to the fact that he has constructed the True Dragon Sword at this point.
Strategy: You can continually pursue Alma now and effectively hit her with
Flying Swallows now. Whenever she comes in to attack physically, you can
quickly do a Dragon Gleam to avoid damage.
Name: Doku's Spirit Form
Class: Greater Fiend
Description: A spiritually, translucent representation of Doku's physical form
Location: Chapter 14, Vengeful Spirit
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: shuriken/arrow resistant armor, flight, extreme mobility, extreme
reach, 2 hit Combo, 7 hit Combo, Soul Bind, Distance Soul Bind, Haze Straight
Slash, horizontal slash, vertical slash, Spin Slash
Discussion: Several of Doku's abilities have been substantially upgraded for
this fight. But, he proves as fallible as his corporeal form eventually.
Strategy: Wait for Doku to do a Haze Straight Slash and then roll and do a
Blade of Nirrti. Many of his other moves such as his Arm Throw and long combo
provide ample opportunity to retaliate as well.
Name: Supreme Fiend Gogohn
Class: Greater Fiend
Description: A great, green monstrosity with bat like wings, huge arms, cloven
feet and three eyes
Location: Chapter 15, The Core
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Deadly
Abilities: Wing Dive, Fireballs, Swoop Strike, Overhand Strike, Fiend
Summon, Lasso Throw, Dash Strike
Discussion: The final of the Greater Fiends that Ryu can dispatch is a very
worthy adversary. Along with having to deal with Gogohn himself, Ryu must
battle every Fiend that Gogohn summons as well.
Strategy: You can continually run after Gogohn and continually do an Air
Destruction Slash. This will interrupt everything but the Spinning Torpedo
attack he does. While it takes little damage off, you will be able to defeat
Gogohn very easily if you're consistent with your Roll Jumping to pursue him.
Name: Vigoor's First Form
Class: Deity
Description: The largest creature with which Ryu must contend, a gigantic
living statue that resembles Alma to a point
Location: Chapter 15, The Core
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Formidable
Abilities: Blocking, multiple Laser Ray configurations, multiple Swipes
Discussion: Ryu levitates up to this creature using a platform of bedrock. Ryu
can attack the jewels on its chest and shoulders to affect damage.
Strategy: Equip the TDS and attack the teal orbs on Vigoor's chest and
shoulders. There are two types of Laser series. One series will consist of
many pairs of two parallel lasers that move laterally around the body. You can
move up and down into the gaps between the lasers. The second type moves
diagonally all around Vigoor. There are sweet spots where you can sit and not
be touched by these lasers. They are conveniently to the lower left and right
of Vigoor's chest and parallel to the orbs on its shoulders. Vigoor will also
swipe at you with its hands. Once you inflict enough damage on a set of orbs,
the camera will pan out showing Vigoor wince in pain. You can still maneuver
and attack during this animation.
Name: Vigoor's Second Form
Class: Deity
Description: A humongous mountain of skulls and skeletal arms
Location: Chapter 15, The Core
qConstitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Deadly
Abilities: Skull Flurry, Bite, Pounce
Discussion: Ryu's adversary, Vigoor, in his true form is truly hideous.
However, since Vigoor's only weapon (the skulls themselves) can be destroyed
for damage, Ryu can dispatch this God as easily as the rest of his adversaries.
Strategy: Unload all of your projectiles against it starting with Explosive
Arrows, since you won't be needing them anymore. Equip the Flail. And
continually do Dragon and Phoenix as they attack. Do not finish the combo,
though, as you will be hit with huge lag on the last X. This is a use of the
combo breaking technique listed in my advanced combo FAQ. You need to be ready
to stop the combo at any time to avoid the big skull. When Vigoor jumps onto
the platform, simply roll underneath him and attack his legs.
Name: The Dark Disciple
Class: Deity
Description: Murai takes a demonic form with purple skin, black tears, and huge
talon hands
Location: Chapter 16, The Dark Dragon Blade
Constitution: Hardened
Difficulty: Normal
Abilities: Various Dark Dragon Blade Combos, Impalement, Shuriken Toss,
Shuriken Shield, Dark Dragon Summon, Torpedo
Discussion: At this point in the game, Ryu is ridiculously powerful. Murai
doesn't hold up well to Ryu's Flying Swallow onslaught.
Strategy: Continuously Flying Swallow him. He does not have an effective
defense against this.
--Timely Boss and Sub Boss Strategies--
I'll probably be updating this FAQ with strategies for beating the bosses in
the time allotted. Most of these strategies will work on Very Hard. Shinobier
from the Master Ninja website (see credits) contributed greatly to this
section. Unfortunately, for those in the Tournament, the times are reduced in
Normal, so some of the regular enemy timings are extremely difficulty to
achieve. Keep in mind that most of these encounters after Alma become very
easy with proper use of a powered up Unlabored Flawlessness.
Sub Bosses
----------
1. Chapter 1 Sub Boss - Ninja Practice Room
The best strategy is to setup a Haze Straight Slash as soon as you enter the
room to hit the White Ninja Captain. Then immediately setup a Divine Cicada
Slash. This will usually release a health, so you can use that to setup an
Ultimate Technique Loop. That is, you will constantly be doing the auto-combo
and then re-charging.
2. Chapter 2 Sub Boss - Samurai Cavalry
Use the bow in First Person to knock the horsemen off, and then kill them with
Divine Cicada. Always try to be on the opposite end of the field as they are.
This is one of the more difficult fights to do quickly on Very Hard. The trick
is to get the archer and the spearman to pass you at the same time, so you can
strike the archer's horse. This will make the horse rear back, and you can
easily get a first-person bowshot off. It takes two or three to knock the
samurai off of the horse. If you have two spearmen in the area, this is
extremely easy. Just set them up to attack you at the same time, and you can
easily shoot them in the back as they both run away. Additionally, there is a
corner on the right-hand side of the area from which the archer can't shoot you
through half of his lap. You can utilize this to your advantage.
3. Chapter 4 Sub Boss - Black Spider Ninja Clan
There are two groups of these guys that I consider Sub Bosses. The best trick
for taking these guys out is to continually reposition, so the one that tries
to distance and throw shuriken is repeatedly brought back into the group. If
you do get stuck with one, hold block right before it explodes, and the damage
you take will be lessened considerably. Also, you won't be thrown across the
screen. Obviously, don't stand there and block or you'll get hit with another
one. Do it precisely. Also, you can farm the Essence from a previous
Encounter to make these Encounters easier.
4. Chapter 5 Sub Boss - Gallas
You have to concentrate on one only for this to work. Try to get him near a
wall and away from the other two and destroy him. He will release enough
Essence for an Ultimate Technique, which you can use on the other two. You
must roll or jump to avoid their Bite-throw. You are pretty invulnerable using
air combos against single Gallas.
5. Chapter 8 Sub Boss - Military Supply Base Main Gate
Get the Strong Bow BEFORE you come into this area. You can take out the turret
guys in four shots total. Additionally, the bazooka guy in the window falls
after two, but you have to be quick on the draw.
6. Chapter 9 Sub Boss - Tank Battalion
Roll Jump to avoid the cannon and always move to the opposite side of the tank
where the cannon stops. You can force the gunner to duck into the tank with
one explosive arrow, and then switch to armor piercing and hammer the front or
back of the tank.
7. Chapter 9 Sub Boss - Communications Tower
You get 120 seconds to kill everybody on the roof including the re-spawning
guys on the tower. It's possible, and you have to pretty much stay in First
Person bow mode and shoot the missiles out of the air. Then go over to the bin
on the side of the roof to refill your quiver.
8. Chapter 10 Sub Boss - Inazuma Worm
This is an easy fight if you have a fully upgraded War Hammer. If you bait the
Worm to try to grab you (i.e. stay in the middle of the platform), you can put
the hurt on. You can also hit the Boss in his hole with regular shuriken and
the Windmill even though the damage is negligible. Magic is useless, as he'll
retreat. Raging Thunder (wall run, Bird Flip, Y) will take this Boss out
quickly. Every time he goes for the "D!ck Slap," immediately start the
sequence, and you'll be fine. Roll to avoid the lighting balls and then
immediately use an arrow or incendiary shuriken. You have just enough time to
dodge. Explosive arrows are good for when he charges the water.
9. Chapter 10 Sub Boss - Inazuma Worm Pair
The difference with this fight is that there are no walls that you can Bird
Flip off of. So, just stay out of the middle and right side of the platform.
Unload all of your arrows on the rightmost and stay in that corner, since you
won't have to worry about being eaten. You can roll to avoid every swipe in
this little pocket, too. The biggest problem is when they're both doing the
lighting balls but at different times. You'll pretty much need to pull a Ninpo
to get them to retreat.
10. Chapter 12 Sub Boss - Inferno Worm
This might be the easiest of the Worm Sub Bosses. Do the typical Bird Flipping
off of the wall. You can now hit him with your weapon when he charges the
magma in front of you. Bait him to come in for a grab, as he is most
vulnerable to combos then. If he shoots its projectile, simply jump straight
up, through it, and immediately hit him with an arrow. You'll have just enough
time to jump again.
11. Chapter 12 Sub Boss - Ice Fiend
Use a two-handed weapon to deal with this Fiend. He is terribly slow, so the
longer two-handed combos will do nicely. But be careful not to finish them, as
the recovery time will get you bitten, stomped or iced. Watch out for his
punches, because they are deceptively long range.
12. Chapter 15 Sub Boss - The Core
This whole level is basically one big Sub Boss encounter. Two-handed weapons
are the rule of the day here, and you'll absolutely have to use some Ultimate
Techniques. So, concentrate your efforts on one enemy at a time. Fortunately,
it's very easy to isolate enemies on either side of the central pillar of every
room.
The 3rd and 4th floor contain the worst enemies in the game. They are the
fully developed humanoid Fiend Forms. They are about as quick as Ryu and have
a ridiculous amount of moves. The worst is the move where they burrow like
their smaller cousins. When they do this, DO NOT DO A MOVE THAT CAUSES
RECOVERY. They will grab you and suck you down onto the previous level, so
you'll have to start the fight all over. That is, don't do a Flying Swallow or
Divine Cicada. If you do, you'll have to hope that you can Roll Jump before
they grab you.
Bosses
------
1. Chapter 1 Boss - Murai
Oddly enough, this fight can be pretty random as far as the time in which you
succeed. The best way to hit him is to sit in the zone where he will charge
you. As soon as he does, you can roll out of the way and get free hits. He
cannot block these. However, if you do get struck and register block stun, he
will be able to recover in time. Also, if you time the Divine Cicada Slash
(wall run, Flying Bird Flip, then Y) to interrupt a combo, it will do good
damage. Make sure you roll away after every successful combo. Do not just
stand there and block. Lastly, disregard the health in the pot in the corner.
You can pick it up in the next chapter. (And it's not even there on difficulty
levels other than Normal).
2. Chapter 2 Boss - Samurai Cavalry Captain
You can repeatedly use Firewheel here, as the Mages will sometimes release red
Ki. I would damage the Captain as much as possible, and then work on the Mages
to get your kill combo up. You can use the bow at a distance pretty reliably
against the Captain's flank, too. Also, the level doesn't end when you exactly
when you kill the Captain, so you can use your Devil Elixirs afterwards. If
you kill the mages with at least some sort of combo, they'll usually release a
health or Ki. Use this as an Ultimate Technique coupled with a Firewheel to
decimate the Captain.
3. Chapter 3 Boss - Dynamo
This is a pretty fun battle. Make sure that you buy Level 2 Dragon Sword and
Inferno from Muramasa before you do this fight, as Flying Swallow will decimate
him. Unfortunately, it doesn't work as well on Very Hard, so you can use
Violent Gale, instead. Also, hit him with some Infernos up close so you can
get the area effect damage, and the fireball damage. I don't think he can
avoid this attack. Don't stand in his vicinity for any amount of time, or
you'll get thrown. The level ends immediately with his death, so make sure
that you replenish you Ki (if you want the 100,000). If not, it will be
replenished automatically for the next level.
4. Chapter 5 Boss - Tentacle Fiend
Flying Swallow the tentacles until they drop. They release a Health and a Ki.
Use one that's dropped, but make sure you use the other one for an Ultimate
Technique. After the tentacles begin to grow back (and it's invincible), use
the Inferno Ninpo since it takes so long to charge. It will go off right as
the tentacles are vulnerable again. If you don't want to waste Ninpo, you can
wait right in front of the beast where the fireballs won't land.
5. Chapter 6 Boss - Zombie Dragon
I use the flails to take out the legs as much as possible. The Flying Swallow
move is called Iron Brand, and it hits multiple times if you jam on X. Just
watch out for the bite. He'll raise his foot when he tries to stomp, and do
the bite.
6. Chapter 7 Boss - Alma
Good luck. I haven't found a good strategy to beating her in the time limit.
I think that as far as difficulty is concerned, she is the most random of the
bosses. Sometimes you can nail her over and over again in the air with Flying
Swallow, but then sometimes, you won't ever touch her. Thankfully, it's not
necessary to get the time bonus on her. It's easier to knock her down when
she's busy doing something (summoning Purple Flames, Diving, etc.). But just
Roll Jump when she throws the columns. It may sound crazy, but the most
guaranteed hit I can get on her is after her failed Bubble Throw (the one with
the purple column). If you avoid it, you can usually land a Flying Swallow
(which knocks down).
7. Chapter 9 Boss - Attack Helicopter
There are infinite explosive and armor piercing bins on opposite sides of the
catwalk. You need to utilize both First Person and regular bow aiming to beat
this fight quickly. Keep in mind that Ryu tries to lead targets in 3rd person
bow, so a lot of times, you'll need to account for it. Secondly, you can still
move Ryu and shoot during the cut-scenes where the helicopter goes under the
bridge. Waste him. Watch out for the bombing run, too. You can keep him from
dropping them, somehow, but I haven't figured out specifically how to do it.
It has to do with not staying stationary, obviously.
8. Chapter 10 Boss - Zombie Drake
The Level 3 Ice Ninpo destroys him if you stick it in his crotch. Attack his
legs up close, and use Explosive arrows from a distance. Do half combos on the
legs, and roll away when he stomps. Then immediately roll back. One side of
the arena allows you to get behind him, and you can air combo him until he
jumps away, but it's more time efficient to attack his legs to get his head to
come down. He'll take a lot of damage to combos in the head.
9. Chapter 11 Boss - Doku's Corporeal Form
Approach this boss fight like fighting Murai. You can't beat the clock if he
grabs you, because he heals himself with it. Retry.
10. Chapter 12 Boss - Smougan the Flame Dragon
Roll to avoid the Flame Wing attack, shoot the head with arrows, and wait for
the head to come down. Then, attack it with the War Hammer or Dabilahro. I
stay up on the platforms, but it's probably just as good to stay on the ground.
He'll try to bite a lot if you're up on the platforms, but he won't spit
fireballs at you.
11. Chapter 13 Boss - Alma Awakened
Use Alma's Strategy, although this time she seems much easier. You can use
Gleaming Blade when she comes in for the grab.
12. Chapter 14 Boss - Doku's Spiritual Form
Bait him to do his single charge move, then use Blade of Nirrti on him.
13. Chapter 15 Boss - Supreme Fiend Gogohn
This fight has multiple encounters. If you have the Unlabored Flawlessness,
you can use it to insta-kill the purple Fiends. Otherwise, use the other
two-handed weapons. Gogohn will summon the Tentacle and Ice Fiends back from
the Underworld. Use the previous strategies on them.
Use Alma's strategy on Gogohn himself. Avoid his servant for the most part, as
you'll never really be able to setup an Ultimate Technique. They're good for
regenerating health though. When he throws his fireballs, use the Roll Jump.
Roll when he attempts his spinning dive-bomb. You have to be precise on when
you roll, or you will take significant damage. When he does this is pretty
random, but he'll emit a very unique sound when he's about to do it. The one
thing to take into account, though, is to roll away after his recovery, or
he'll throw you.
If you are quick, you can continually interrupt whatever he tries to do by
following him around with Roll Jumps and simply doing a Blade of the Empty Air
(jump + X) attack. This will interrupt his fireballs, Fiend Summon and melee
attacks. What's best is that you can continually do it by following him
around. It's only a very small amount of damage, but at least once, I was able
to kill him without being hit. He'll block Flying Swallow forever, but the
Blade of the Empty Air will interrupt everything he does aside from the
Spinning Dive-bomb.
14. Chapter 15 Boss - Vigoor's Angelic Feminine Form
Do not use the UF on either of Vigoor's forms. For the first form, the True
Dragon Sword should be used.
Ryu can control the platform he creates by moving around Vigoor, up and down
and towards and away from the Boss. You can control altitude by holding L
trigger and moving up and down. It's pretty easy to avoid her lasers, but on
Very Hard, they are very quick. So, you need to be able to distinguish what
pattern is coming as soon as the lasers appear. Attack the blue spheres on her
chest and legs, and if you destroy them, it will stop whatever she's doing.
Ice Storm works well, but Inferno is the most damaging to her. When the lasers
move diagonally, you'll need to be in a safe spot. These are to the left and
right of her chest, and parallel to her shoulders. You should continually
slashing her jewel spheres. It's actually more time conscious to pull of an
Inferno Ninpo when she does a laser series that isn't diagonal.
15. Chapter 15 Boss - Vigoor's Devilish Masculine Form
Do not use the UF on either of Vigoor's forms. For the second form, the
Vigoorian Flail should be used.
If you have any arrows or incendiary shuriken left, use them all to destroy the
skulls. Equip the Flails and use them as they come racing at you, but don't do
full flail combos. If you do, you'll get stuck with the ending animation and
get hammered by the skulls. This is especially important when the big skull
comes in for the bite. You damage Vigoor with each regular skull you destroy.
When the big skull comes in for the bite, do a Ninpo. If he jumps on the
platform you're on, simply roll under him and use Ice Storm if you have it. If
not, simply attack his limbs, and you'll be fine.
16. Chapter 16 Boss - Dark Disciple
I didn't have a problem with this boss. Use the strategy from Chapter 1 for
this one, but augment it greatly with Flying Swallow. Watch out for his
shuriken tosses, though. The unsealed DDB he wields totally negates Ninpo, as
well. Overall, he's very easy and this is to account for the fact that Ryu is
extremely powerful by this point in the story. If you can perform Flying
Swallow perfectly back to back, you will never be hit, as Murai's stun
animation is as long as Ryu's recovery.
--Hurricane Pack Disclaimer--
The Ninja Gaiden download content is now available for the 2nd round of the
Master Ninja Tournament. 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.
--Credits--
There hasn't been a reliable source of enemy names presented, yet. So, this
information is only composed of names found in the game itself, Itagaki
interviews, information granted by Sour_Tofu and the game's manual. All
other sources are considered unofficial.
Many of the boss strategies come from Shinobier's vids. Check out his site at
http://www.master-ninja.com/ng
Tecmo
Team Ninja
Microsoft
GameFAQ's
