List of Ninja Gaiden characters

This is a list of video game characters in the Ninja Gaiden video games series. As the universe of the Ninja Gaiden series has been 'rebooted' as of 2004 with the release of Ninja Gaiden on the Xbox, this list will have two sections, one for the original trilogy on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), and another for the 'rebooted' universe since 2004.

The NES trilogy

The NES trilogy chronicles how Ryu and Irene meet up, and their conflicts with the Jaquio, Ashtar, and rogue elements of the CIA.

Ryu Hayabusa

Main article: Ryu Hayabusa

Ryu Hayabusa, the protagonist, is known here as the Ninja Dragon.^[1] He is a young member of the Dragon Ninja clan, whose duty is to uphold peace and to battle evil. His father, the leader of the clan, Ken Hayabusa,^[2] has entrusted him with the family heirloom: the Dragon Sword, forged from the fang of a Dragon.^[3]

In the first NES game, Ninja Gaiden, Ryu goes to America to investigate the disappearance of his father. He learns of the story behind the Light and Shadow demon statues from archaeologist Doctor Walter Smith, and is coerced by Foster to stop the Jaquio's plot to bring back the Demon with the statues. Arriving in the Amazon, he defeats the Jaquio's minions and his own brainwashed father.^[4] He defeats the Jacquio as well, but it is too late to stop the Demon from awakening. However, Ryu manages to banish the Demon and win the love of the CIA agent, Irene Lew.

In Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, Ryu is ordered by Robert to go into the Tower of Lahja and rescue Irene. He fights through the hordes of tribesmen from the world of chaos before being ambushed by Ashtar. He is saved by Robert, and follows Ashtar into the Maze of Darkness. Ryu defeats Ashtar there, but is told by Irene to go destroy an altar. Leaving her in the care of Robert, Ryu returns to find she has been taken away again. He discovers her kidnapper is the Jaquio, and defeats him again. Unfortunately, Irene is killed when her soul is sucked away by the awakened Sword of Chaos, and Ryu is forced to fight the revitalized and transformed Jaquio once more. After defeating the monster for the final time, Ryu bemoans Irene's passing. The Dragon Sword, however, resurrects her for a happy ending, at the cost of its disappearance.

In Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom, Irene goes missing in action, and Ryu is suspected of her murder. He investigates her last known location and is met by Clancy, who leads him to the Castle Rock fortress. There, Ryu encounters Foster and the BIO-NOIDs, including a Doppelganger of himself. Although Ryu loses to his double on the first meeting, he eventually defeats the Doppelganger in front of Foster, effectively removing the latter's power base. Ryu is miffed when Clancy reveals his evil plot to gain control of the Life Energy used to create BIO-NOIDs, and follows Clancy into the subspace to stop him. He defeats Clancy several times - each form more powerful than the previous one - and stops him from carrying out his vendetta against the world.

Irene Lew

Irene Lew (アイリーン・ルゥ^?), (alternately spelled Aileen or Liu) is the heroine in the NES trilogy, serving as Ryu's romantic interest, and the series' damsel in distress. She is an agent of the CIA's Secret Auxiliary Unit, working under the codename "Sea Swallow".

Irene's first encounter with Ryu is in Ninja Gaiden, where she shoots and captures him with a tranquilizer dart. She gives him the Shadow demon statue, and is later taken hostage by the Jaquio in order to force Ryu to hand over the statue. Although Ryu complies, the Jaquio keeps Irene to be sacrificed, and drops Ryu into a pit. However, Ryu manages to find a way out and defeats the Jaquio, escaping the collapsing temple with Irene. As the two fall in love, Irene disobeys an order from Foster to kill Ryu.

In Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, Irene continues her role as damsel-in-distress. She is captured by Ashtar and held at the Tower of Lahja. She proves to be a distraction to Ryu, which Ashtar takes advantage of to ambush the ninja. Although Robert manages to save Ryu, Ashtar brings Irene away with him through the Maze of Darkness. When Ryu finally reaches her, it is for naught, as Ashtar maniacally stabs her from behind. Irene survives the blow, and tasks Ryu with destroying an altar. While she is being escorted out by Robert, they are ambushed by the Jaquio. Taken hostage yet again, Irene is sacrificed as a bait for the demons of the dark world when the Sword of Chaos awakens, but her life is later restored by the power of the Dragon Sword.

In Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom, Irene is attacked by Ryu's Doppelganger while investigating a secret lab. She falls off a cliff into the ocean and is presumed dead. Miraculously, she survives the fall, and turns up later during the last encounter with Foster. She points a gun at Foster to arrest him and stop his plan, but her weapon is useless against the Doppelganger. She is reunited with Ryu at the game's close after his journey through subspace to defeat Clancy.

Irene is mentioned by name in Ryu's backstory in the first Dead or Alive game, and appears in the Ninja Ryukenden anime OVA. At some point, she and Ryu marry and they open up a curio shop together.

Supporting characters

Ken Hayabusa

Ken Hayabusa, named Jô Hayabusa (ジョウ・ハヤブサ^?) in the Japanese version, is Ryu's father. He appears only in the first NES game, Ninja Gaiden (NES). At the beginning of the story, he engages Bloody Malth in a duel and is defeated. He has left a letter entrusting the family heirloom to his son, Ryu, and telling him to go to America to find Doctor Walter Smith if he fails to return home. Presumed dead, he is later revealed to be alive, under the Jaquio's control as "the masked devil". Ken manages to break free of the spell thanks to Ryu destroying the device controlling his mind. However he sacrifices himself to protect his son, by taking one of the Jaquio's energy bolts aimed at the latter.As the temple collapses from the Demon's defeat, Ken slowly succumbs to his injuries. With his dying breath, Ken tells his son that the time has come to carry on without him, and tells him to be ever brave. Proud of his son, Ken dies in the arms of his distraught son.

Robert T. Sturgeon

Robert T. Sturgeon^[5], also known as "Jungle Rat" Robert, is a United States Army Special Forces operative who aids Ryu throughout Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, constantly revealing information about Ashtar. At the start, he informs Ryu of Irene's abduction and whereabouts, setting off the latter's quest. He shadows Ryu, and distracts Ashtar from finishing off Ryu in a sneak attack. After Ashtar is defeated, he escorts Irene while Ryu sets out to a nearby altar. However they are attacked by the Jaquio, and Robert is left injured. He informs Ryu of Irene's capture and makes a stand to hold off the tribesmen of Chaos while Ryu goes off to finish the Jaquio. Robert is last seen mortally wounded, while holding off the demons who're after Ryu. His final fate at the end is not revealed in the game, but he is shown to have survived by his presence in the anime OVA which occurs after the game.

Robert also makes an appearance in the Original Video Animation based on the video game series, again working with Ryu in his battle against evil.

The Jaquio and the Malice Four

The Jaquio (邪鬼王, Jakiō^?, lit. "Wicked Demon King"; Jaquió is also archaic Spanish for "he has left"), is the name taken on by Guardia de Mieux. He is the antagonist for the first two NES games, and is served by the Malice Four in the first game. His title is translated as the Devildoer for the PC Engine version of the first game.

In Ninja Gaiden, he seeks to acquire the two demon statues which the evil power of the Demon was confined in. He plans to bring the Demon to this world with the statues, thereby gaining enough power to control the world.^[6] His minions steals the Light demon statue from Walter Smith, and Ryu is forced to hand over the Shadow demon statue. However the Jaquio is unable to personally witness the fulfillment of his dream as he dies at the hands of Ryu before the Demon is brought back to the world.

After being slain by Ryu in Ninja Gaiden, the also deposed spirit of the demon statues which Jaquio had been attempting to unleash flowed into his corpse in the finale of Ninja Gaiden, possessing and reanimating Jaquio's carcass for one final confrontation with Ryu—a battle that would not occur until the denouement of Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos one year later^[7] -- and intends to use Irene's soul to lure the demons out of the dark world while Ryu's soul opens the Gate of Darkness.^[8] However, Ryu defeats him, and the Jaquio's blood ironically becomes the trigger to open the Gate by awakening the Sword.^[9][10] The enormous power pouring out of the gate also revives and transforms the Jaquio into a monster. Even in this transformed enraged state, he is defeated by Ryu.

The Jaquio's evil network is controlled by his hand picked Malice Four - Barbarian, Bomberhead, Basaquer and Bloody Malth. The Barbarian is an armored axeman slow in both mind and body, while Bomberhead was recruited for his control of the streets of New York. Basaquer is a totally ruthless, deadly fighter who tends to stay in the air. Malth, their leader, is the only Malice Four who plays a part in the story. He is the one who defeated Ken Hayabusa at the start of the game, and reveals to Ryu that Ken is still alive and will be the last thing Ryu ever sees if he goes on.

Ashtar and the Chaos Tribesmen

Ashtar, the Emperor of Darkness (兇魔天帝アシュター, Kyōma Tentei Ashutā^?, lit. "Cruel Demon Divine Emperor Ashtar"), appears to be the antagonist of Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos and to have been the mastermind behind the events of the first game. He is the leader of a demonic tribe from the world of Chaos, and wields the titular Sword of Chaos, which is claimed to have been grown from the bone of the Demon.^[3]

Ashtar plans to open the Gate of Darkness to the world of Chaos, thereby inheriting enough power to rule the world.^[11] This requires him to kill someone with an immortal bloodline which turns out to be Ryu.^[12] To achieve this, he intends first power up his Sword with souls including Irene's, and then kill Ryu to open the Gate. However, he underestimates Ryu and is defeated by him.

Ashtar sends several of his Chaos Tribesmen against Ryu throughout the game. Dando (ダムド^?) who is a combination of the spirits of Vikings lost at sea, and the lizard Funky Dynamite are creations of his sorcery. Dynamite is further enhanced by cybernetics that give it flight and attacks with missiles. Naga Sotuva is a dinosaur, twisted by Chaos to become a nightmarish creature. Baron Spider (クモ男爵^?), the leader of the Chaos Tribesmen is a reject of society picked up by Ashtar. Through a laboratory accident, he became a half-man, half-spider mutant, and is able to summon giant tarantulas.

A. Foster

A. Foster holds a powerful position in the CIA's Secret Auxiliary Unit and is Irene's immediate boss. In Ninja Gaiden, he coerces Ryu to retrieve the demon statues and to help in defeating the Jacquio's forces. However, he later reveals his true intentions after the Jaquio's defeat when he orders Irene to kill Ryu and bring the statues to him. He returns in Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom as a conspirator behind the "Biohazard" plan, his goal being to create a race of super beings. Although he was named as the one responsible for Irene's death, he is unaware of doing so.^[13] He is interested in creating a BIO-NOID out of Ryu's body to improve the project.^[14] However he is betrayed by his co-conspirator, Clancy who makes use of Ryu to get rid of him.^[15] Foster is ripped to pieces by raw energy as he tries to follow Clancy into the subspace.

H.P. Clancy

H.P. Clancy is a young man who works closely with Foster during Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. Both men are responsible for building Castle Rock Fortress, over the ruins of the Jaquio's fallen temple. After the Demon died, a continuous supply of life energy is found within the ruins.^[16] When Clancy and Foster discovered this, they built the fortress to harvest the life energy as an energy source, and used it on humans for experiments. Clancy soon betrays Foster, desiring for total control of the ruins. He lures Ryu into coming and defeating Foster, thereby achieving his aim. Clancy reveals there is a dimensional warship inside the ruins, which he intends to use to destroy the world and reshape it as he sees fit. He expresses hatred toward humanity, and their warlike tendencies.^[17] In the end, he merges with the warship but is still defeated by Ryu.

BIO-NOIDS

Foster and Clancy have created BIO-NOIDs by infusing life energy into experiment subjects, thereby creating super humans. The four great beasts are BIO-NOIDs designed after the four elements of fire, air, water, and earth, able to attack in ways reflecting those elements. The Doppelganger is a BIO-NOID who can be considered an antagonist in the story. Imbued with Ryu's appearance and skills, the Doppelganger caused Irene to fall off the cliff at the start of the game. When Ryu first encounters him at the perimeters of Castle Rock fortress, the Doppelganger simply taunts and defeats the latter, sparing him as per Foster's orders.^[18] He admits to causing Irene's death and challenges Ryu to meet him within the Fortress. When Ryu reaches Foster, the Doppelganger jumps down to confront him. It transforms itself into a large superhuman beast whose skin is bullet-proof but is of no use against Ryu's sword. The defeated Doppelganger appears again in subspace, and is destroyed by Ryu.

Ninja Gaiden (2004)

The story of the 2004 console version of Ninja Gaiden is a prequel to the NES trilogy and is set in the same fictional universe as the Dead or Alive fighting game series as well.^[19][20][21] Ryu is a ninja whose clan has guarded an evil blade known as the Dark Dragon since man's prehistory. When the blade is stolen, he becomes embroiled in the ages-long battle between good and evil, seeking vengeance against those who destroyed his village and clan. After accomplishing his quest, Ryu begins to rebuild the Hayabusa Ninja Clan.

Ryu Hayabusa

Main article: Ryu Hayabusa

Ryu Hayabusa (リュウ・ハヤブサ^?) is left in charge as the 20-year-old guardian of the Dragon Sword while his father, Jô Hayabusa, leaves to train in the mountains. The Hayabusas are of the Dragon Lineage, and as such are susceptible to the power and blood curse of the Fiends.^[22]

While visiting his uncle, Murai, the Hayabusa village is attacked. Ryu rushes back only to find the village in flames and everyone slaughtered, including his childhood friend Kureha. He tries to defeat the dark samurai Doku, who has taken the Dark Dragon Blade from its resting place, but is cut down and killed.^[23] He is resurrected by the Hayabusa's spiritual animal, a falcon, and spends time recuperating and preparing for his vengeance.

Ryu invades the Holy Vigoor Empire, seeking to kill Doku and recover the Blade. He sets himself against the Fiends, and foils the plans of Doku by rescuing Rachel and freeing her sister Alma from the cursed existence of a Fiend. He fulfills his quest by destroying Doku's spirit, slaying the Holy Vigoor Emperor and recovering the Dark Dragon Sword. His task completed, he shatters the evil blade after overcoming his corrupt uncle (who takes it in his own quest for power), and returns to the Hayabusa village.

Rachel

Rachel ( レイチェル, Reicheru), is a fiend hunter whom Ryu meets in the Holy Vigoor Empire. She is on a mission to hunt down the fiends, as well as find her missing sister, Alma, who has become a Greater Fiend. Rachel wields the Great Hammer, a powerful weapon designed to eliminate fiends.

Murai and the Shadow Clan

Murai (ムライ^?) is the leader of the Shadow Clan (composed of brown garbed lesser ninjas, and their superiors, the white garbed greater ninjas), and Ryu's uncle from his mother's side.^[24] Despite helping Ryu by providing the identity of the Hayabusa village raiders, he is actually the mastermind behind the whole ordeal. He intends to let Ryu slaughter thousands to unseal and empower the Dark Dragon Blade with souls. He follows Ryu through the Holy Vigoor Empire in his identity as the Dark Disciple (黒使大兄^?), wearing a black hat, mask and long robe, altering his voice at the same time. He claims the empowered Dark Dragon Blade for his own at the end. Ryu defeats him, and sends him plummeting down to the deep chasm below.

^[25] In executing this task, they beset Ryu at every turn of Tairon to prevent him from recovering the Blade. Their expedition forces in Tairon are whittled down to nothing by Ryu and the Fiends at the end of the game, though the player can read the chronicles of their tasks through diaries picked up from their bodies. It is later revealed that the master of the clan has told his minions that he desires the Blade to grind it to brew herbal tea, and one of the fallen ninjas expresses disbelief in this desire.^[26]

Vigoor Military

Gamov (ガモフ^?) is a bespectacled, green hat and coat wearing spy, who constantly shadows Ryu as the latter ventures through the Holy Vigoor Empire. Throughout the game, he sets up Vigoor military forces against Ryu and observes their battles. He claims to know a lot about Rachel and the Dark Dragon Blade. He has a fight with Rachel in Ninja Gaiden Sigma. Though working in cahoots with the Dark Disciple, he is decapitated by the latter with the Dark Dragon Blade at the end.

The Vigoor military force comprises MSATs (Mechanized Special Attack Team),^[27] MVAPs, the soldiers, and their cybernatic equivalents. The MSATs wear the outfits typical of SWAT forces and are the equivalent of rapid deployment forces. They come armed with a variety of knives, pistols, grenade launchers, and rocket launchers. The MSATs deployed on motorbikes or sidecars are called MVAPs. The Vigoor soldiers wear breastplates and helmets with a laser guiding eyepiece. They are equipped with an assault rifle with a bayonet or a rocket launcher. The military's elite have undergone cybernatic enhancements.

Vehicle-wise, the military include armoured personnel carriers (APCs), main battle tanks and attack helicopters. There are also the FL-2000 series of mini-copters which can independentedly fly around and attack with lasers, guns, or rockets.

Heading these forces are Generals Dynamo (ダイナモ^?) and Alternator (オルタネーター^?). The two are large, rotund, cybernatically enhanced men wielding plasma guns.

Fiends

According to in-game backstory, Fiends are the results of the mixed bloodlines of the "Ancient Tribes," who were apparently the earliest forms of life on the earth.^[28] They possess powers beyond the normal person and are immortal soulless evil beings.^[29][30] As descendants of the ancient twin Fiend sisters, Nicchae (ニケ重鬼卿^?) the Goddess of Destruction, and Ishtaros (イシュタロス重鬼卿^?), the Goddess of Creation, most of the Fiends exist as humans until they are awakened.^[31]

Fiends come in many varieties, the most common of all are the Shadows. They are classed into four types, and are named for their ability to phase into their shadows, moving without fear of damage along the ground. The brown Shadow Fiends (魔神シャドウ^?) are the least powerful, their feet fading away into nothingness. The pink Flare Shadows (魔神フレアシャドウ^?) are stronger, and named for the flames on top of their head. The Crow Shadows (魔神クロウシャドウ^?) have spikes for feet, eyeballs at the major joints of their limbs, and feared for their sliding attacks. The largest Shadows are the one-eyed Ariochs (魔神アリオク^?), black carapaced Fiends taller than a human, and can shoot a laser beam from their single eye.

Among the strongest Fiends are the Dino Fiends (魔神ディノ^?), Triceratops skull mask wearing four eyed giants who crushes all with their heavy clubs. The Bast Fiends (魔神キャット^?), female humanoid cats, are swift and deadly, pouncing on the slightest mistake. The great sword wielding Nightmare Fiends (魔神ナイトメア^?) exude an aura of might. Able to throw fireballs and lay down exploding runes, they are a menace at all ranges.

There are also weak Fiends, like the Girtablilu (水棲魔神ギルタブル^?), mermen who can only float around and fire globules of water, and the Phantoms (ファントム^?), flaming blue globes which simply charge into their targets.

There are Fiends taking on forms of mythical creatures like Paz Zuu (魔神パズ・ズー^?) who is an enormous skeletal roc-like Fiend, and several dragon-like Fiends. The two horned Gallas (魔神ガルラ^?) stand twice the height of a human, but in terms of strength, they lose out to the beefier Gobdecks (魔神ゴブデック^?) who are slightly larger and sport spikes running down their backs. The most powerful dragon-like Fiend is Smaugan, the Lava Dragon (溶岩龍スマウガン^?), a boss in this game.

The most sinister Fiends are the Doppelganger Fiends (魔神ドッペルゲンガー^?) which can assume and copy the abilities of a warrior just by observation. They can perform almost all of Ryu's attacks, techniques, and even ninpos. They typically come dressed as Ryu in his Dragon Muscle Suit^[32] - black suit with red veins, a helmet with skeletal ribs over it, and golden blades on each of the forearms. It has also been seen wearing the Dark Dragon suit - totally black with tiny scales, a helmet with the features of a dragon, and a red scarf.

The Greater Fiends and the Holy Vigoor Emperor

The Holy Vigoor Emperor (神聖皇帝^?) is the main antagonist of the first game in the relaunch. According to in-game literature, the Emperor is said to be the omniprescent ruler of the Vigoor Empire.^[33] He sends Doku and his minions to steal the Dark Dragon Blade from the Hayabusa ninja clan.^[34] He intends to unite with the Blade to bring the Fiends to a new level of power.^[35] He seals himself off in his own realm with the Blade at the top of his palace. It initially appears as an idyllic, lush plain but dispels away to reveal a hellish volcanic cavern. His first form is enormously tall and angelic in appearance. His second form however is a mountain of skulls on legs. His existence fuels the blood curse of the Fiends, and with his death at Ryu's hands, the curse on Ryu is lifted.

Marbus (マルバス重鬼卿^?) is the protector of the Holy Vigoor Emperor and one of the three Greater Fiends.^[36] He tries to prevent Ryu from meeting the emperor by summoning out minions against him. He can even resurrect and enhance the power of bosses slain by Ryu. After Ryu overcomes the odds, Marbus takes him on personally, throwing out pillars of flame to no avail, but soon meets his demise.

Doku (ドーク重鬼卿^?) is the Greater Fiend that attacks the Hayabusa village with his samurai horde including the red samurai Masakado (赤武者^?), taking away the Dark Dragon Blade while leaving only the dead and flames behind. He is also the Lord of Greater Fiends. When his physical body is defeated by Ryu, he escapes in his spirit form and tries to awaken Alma by sacrificing Rachel who was subdued by the Twin Fiend sisters doing his bidding. The sacrificial ritual is foiled again by Ryu, with even Alma going against Doku. Doku sets up a showdown with Ryu in the labyrinth but is defeated for the last time. With his last breath, he places the blood curse on Ryu, which starts to turn the latter into a Fiend.

Alma (アルマ重鬼卿^?) is the twin sister of Rachel. She was transformed by Doku into a Greater Fiend through a curse of her blood, but retains her soul.^[36] She is defeated by Ryu in the monastery, and left vulnerable. Rachel attempts to kill the weakened Alma, but is unable to force herself to do so. Doku later attempts to awaken her full power with a ritual sacrifice of her sister.^[37] The start of the ritual begins to transform her, but Ryu defeats her newly awakened state and rushes off to stop the ritual. Alma at this time regains her mind and outraces Ryu, taking the blow meant for her sister. She reverts to human form in her sister's arms. The two sisters are finally able to look into each other's eyes in human form.

Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword

Obaba

The old leader of the Black Spider Clan. Her objective is to take the Eye of the Dragon away from the Hayabusa Ninja Clan and give it to Ishtaros, the ancient Greater Fiend. First, she sends her ninjas and the Dragon Fiend to kidnap Momiji. Then, as she interrogates her about the whereabouts of the Eye of the Dragon, she realizes that Momiji has fused the jewel into her soul, thus she can't kill her. During her meeting with Ishtaros, she gives Momiji to her and in exchange, Ishtaros gives her power that is more than she imagined and it transforms her into a powerful Fiend. She is later killed by Ryu.

Ishtaros

An Ancient Greater Fiend, she seeks to rid the world of the Dragon Lineage. She heavily despises the Lineage and the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. Her true motive is to gather all eight Dragonstones in order to resurrect the Fiends. When she gathers all of the Dragonstones, she becomes more powerful than Ryu; until Ryu receives the Eye of the Dragon that is. She is later killed by him.

Nicchae

Another Ancient Greater Fiend, her mission is to resurrect the Holy Vigoor Emperor and The Fiends and take over the entire world. She attempts to do so using the Dark Dragon stones fused with Ishtaros, but fails and, after she is defeated by Ryu, is absorbed into the cocoon encasing her sister, accepting her fate.

Momiji

A kunoichi of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. She is a young female ninja from Hayabusa Village and the only Dragon Shrine Maiden. In her hometown, she is like an older sister to all of the children. She looks up to Ryu as her master, and through further training in the ninja arts she acquired her own unique ability.

Ninja Gaiden II (2008)

Ryu Hayabusa

The current leader and protector of the Dragon Sword and the Hayabusa village. Ryu is the main protagonist of the game. He was the sole ninja responsible for the destruction of the Vigoor Empire and all of its worth.

Joe Hayabusa

The father of Ryu Hayabusa, Jô has returned from training in distant lands to resume his duties as the leader of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan, only to be injured in one of his many battles against the forces of evil. He lays in rest at his home in the Castle of the Dragon, unaware that the evil shadow of the Black Spider Clan slowly descends upon his village. When Ryu arrives in the village after rescuing Sonia, Jô is shown fighting Genshin, the leader of the Black Spider Ninja Clan.

Ayane

Another ally of Ryu Hayabusa. She first assisted him with Kunai notes during the Dark Dragon Blade incident. However during the quest to retrieve the demon statue, Ayane stays behind to take care of the wounded Jô Hayabusa and supplies Ryu with the Dragon Eye, to assist him in his journey up Mount Fuji.

Genshin

Overlord of the Black Spider Ninja Clan, Genshin's lust for power is matched only by his hatred of Ryu Hayabusa and his bloodline. Hoping to gain an upper hand in the struggle for Ninja superiority, Genshin enters into an uneasy allegiance with the Fiends. He will stop at nothing to destroy Ryu and put an end to this centuries-old feud once and for all. His younger brother was killed by Murai. He was killed in Chapter 14 "Poisoned Blood" after battling Ryu in his resurectted form as a fiend. Genshin is the secondary antagonist of the game.

Sonia

She apparently works for the CIA and is looking for Ryu, due to the Archfiend's revival, as well as a demon statue that his clan protects. Sonia informs Ryu on the situation once she is rescued by him, and tells him the Hayabusa Ninja Village is in danger because it harbors the demon statue. She is captured by the Fiends on multiple occasions and subsequently rescued by Ryu. Her true identity as Irene Lew was long teased with Itagaki hinting that Sonia may not be her real name.^[38] Her identity as Irene Lew was later confirmed when she appeared in Dead or Alive Dimensions.

Elizebet

Ruler of Blood and Queen of the Greater Fiends, Elizébet is the main antagonist of Ninja Gaiden II. She is tasked with retrieving an important ancient artifact from the ancestral village of Ryu Hayabusa, setting into motion a sequence of events that will threaten the very existence of the human race. While initially appearing as a beautiful woman dressed in dark red leather, she later transforms into her true Fiend form—a succubus with butterfly-like wings, a long tail, and a visible spine in place of her belly. Ryu defeats her in Chapter 10 and kills her with the Dragon Sword and Genshin's Sword in after the death of Genshin and he turns solidified, her body turning black and breaking instantly.

Volf

Ruler of Storms and one of the Four Greater Fiends, Volf is a vicious warrior who seeks an opponent worthy of himself. His Lycanthrope underlings have taken over the canal-lined streets of the tranquil Aqua Capital as he sits in his throne in the castle above. He appears as a massive, four-armed werewolf. He was confronted and defeated by Ryu in Volf's Arena and was killed when Ryu came into the underworld and Volf turned completely solidified after his death.

Muramasa

A legendary blacksmith who first appeared in Ninja Gaiden (2004), and then in Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. In the game, he's not just a blacksmith but an accomplished swordsman as well.

Alexei

One of the Four Greater Fiends and Ruler of Lightning, Alexei attempts to turn New York into a Fiend infested city with torrential storms and lightning. He waits for Ryu perched atop the Statue of Liberty. He is one of the more humanoid Fiends, and is described as "graceful" in the game. He appears as a larger-than-life, almost effeminate man with pale skin, horns, and diaphonous wings. Ryu defeats him in New York and kills him in order to rescue Sonia from his clutches, Alexei then dies, explodes, leaving nothing more than feathers behind.

Zedonius

Ruler of Flames and last of the Four Greater Fiends to be awaken, He claims to have bestowed fire upon the humanity centuries ago. He has a habit of calling humans "apes" and "monkeys". His appearance adheres more closely to the Western image of devils. As such, he has a bat-like form, with red eyes, red skin, large teeth, and leathery wings. Ryu defeats him in Moscow to save the city and encounters him again in the underworld, where Ryu kills him.

Shadow Ninja Rasetsu

One of the Black Spider ninjas of the Dark Sect. He is one of the commanders of the Black Spider Ninjas. He can turn into a big fiend spider like creature with metal blade legs. He is killed in Tokyo, when Ryu tries to rescue Sonia.

Shadow Ninja Gyuki

Another of the commanders of the Black Spider Ninja Dark Sect. His skin colour is different than Rasetsu's.

GigaDeath

A large, worm-like, silver train demon fiend, apparently a part of Alexei's fiend invasion force. Ryu encounters this fiend creature in the subway tunnels of New York City.

Godomos

A large ape-like fiend. Ryu encounters this creature twice; once in New York and the other time in Moscow.

Dagra Dai

Originally a human philosopher, Dagra Dai gazed into the eyes of the Archfiend Vazdah, causing him to develop a third eye and become a Fiend himself. Dagra is the second main antagonist of Ninja Gaiden II, now known as the Infernal High Priest, he commands the Four Greater Fiends to retrieve the Demon Statue necessary for his master's resurrection. Initially manifested as a gnarled, bearded old man, he transforms into his true Fiend form upon encountering Ryu. In this form, he retains his humanoid shape, but his skin becomes maggot-like, and he sprouts small tentacles from his head, and four large ones from his back that are wielded as weapons in the subsequent battle. He himself commits suicide when he agrees to sacrifice his life for the Archfiend. Tecmo has recently put a patch that makes it nearly impossible to fight him without having the game crash.

Vazdah

One of the original Archfiends, Vazdah was put into a deep slumber by the Dragons thousands of years ago. Now, the Four Greater Fiends and the Infernal High Priest are attempting to resurrect him. He has two primary forms in the game—a fetal form and a fully resurrected form. His fetal form is a grotesque monstrosity hundreds of feet tall, with eight segmented legs like that of a spider, a long tail, and a skull-like head from which one blood-red eye is hanging out. Vazdah's "mature" form closely resembles that of Zedonius, as he is humanoid, demon-like in appearance, and possesses wings and an affinity for fire. However, Vazdah is many times larger than Zedonius.

References

1. ^ Smith: Got to get it back...there's no choice...you've got to become the Ninja Dragon...Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). NES. (1988-12-09)
2. ^ Smith: Who? That sword...of course. You must be Ken Hayabusa's son.Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). NES. (1988-12-09)
3. ^ ^{a b} Robert: It's called the Sword of Chaos, grown out of the bone of the Demon. The same way as your sword is supposed to come from the fang of the Dragon. Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos. (Tecmo). NES. (1990-04-06)
4. ^ Ryu: Father's eyes... they show he is controlled like a puppet. If I break the control... Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). NES. (1988-12-09)
5. ^ "Nintedo Power Strategy Guide: Ninja Gaiden II". Nintendo Power (Volume 15). August 1990. 
6. ^ Foster: If someone brings the demon back to life, he will gain incredible power... enough to control the entire world. Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). NES. (1988-12-09)
7. ^ Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos. (Tecmo). NES. (1990-04-06)
8. ^ The Jaquio: Her life force shall be used to call up the demons. You shall awaken them, she shall call them back to earth.Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos. (Tecmo). NES. (1990-04-06)
9. ^ The Jaquio: The Sword of Chaos simply sucks up your life force. And when the Sword awakens, the Gate of Darkness shall be thrown open... Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos. (Tecmo). NES. (1990-04-06)
10. ^ Irene: Ryu! The Sword! The Sword has been awakened by the blood of Jaquio. Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos. (Tecmo). NES. (1990-04-06)
11. ^ Ashtar: The time shall come... When the Gate of Darkness is cast open... All men shall kneel before me... All shall hail me, Ashtar, as their new master! Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos. (Tecmo). NES. (1990-04-06)
12. ^ Ashtar: To the one who releases Darkness with the immortal blood, he shall receive the Power of the Almighty Evil. The legend shall come true. This earth shall fall into shadow and the demons of evil shall rule forever.Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos. (Tecmo). NES. (1990-04-06)
13. ^ Ryu: Was Irene here? You! You're the one who... Foster: Hmmm... I don't know what you're talking about. I heard that you killed Irene. Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. (Tecmo). NES. (1991-06-21)
14. ^ Foster: Imagine the BIO-NOID I could make by blasting your tough Dragon Clan body with life energy. Instead I'll extract the secret of Dragon Clan from your corpse, then I'll make a superior bio-noid. Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. (Tecmo). NES. (1991-06-21)
15. ^ Clancy: Call it what you like. I'm not turning these ruins over to anyone. Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. (Tecmo). NES. (1991-06-21)
16. ^ Clancy:There's an open seam between dimensions that was created when the Demon died. An unlimited supply of LIFE ENERGY is flowing from the seam inside the ruins of the fortress. Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. (Tecmo). NES. (1991-06-21)
17. ^ Foster: I want to protect the earth from humans. Humans are weak and disgusting little creatures who love to fight. You know they should be wiped out, don't you? Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. (Tecmo). NES. (1991-06-21)
18. ^ Doppelganger: Ha ha, I don't just look like you. I've also acquired all of your strengths. Unfortunately, I can't get rid of you just yet, Foster's order. I'll answer your question. I'm the one who eliminated Irene. Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. (Tecmo). NES. (1991-06-21)
19. ^ Mielke, James (2007-11-16). "Previews: Ninja Gaiden 2". 1Up. http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?pager.offset=1&cId=3164447. Retrieved 2008-07-04.  Tomonobu Itagaki: "This is a new story starring Ryu Hayabusa. It takes place after Ninja Gaiden 1 for Xbox, and before the timeframe of the old Ninja Gaiden games on the NES."
20. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (2008-05-22). "Ninja Gaiden 2 Interview". VideoGamer. http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/ninja_gaiden_2/preview-948.html. Retrieved 2008-07-04.  Tomonobu Itagaki: "Story chronologically as well, this takes place after the fist Ninja Gaiden for Xbox, then after this, the story for this game from a chronological stand point leads into the old Ninja Gaiden for the NES. I think we have a nice continuity there."
21. ^ Luke, Anderson (2008-05-23). "Ninja Gaiden II: Q&A with Tomonobu Itagaki". Gamespot. http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/ninjagaidenii/news.html?sid=6191514&part=rss&subj=6191514. Retrieved 2008-07-04.  Tomonobu Itagaki: "In story chronology as well, this takes place after the first Ninja Gaiden for Xbox and then after the story of this game it leads into the old NES ones, so I think we have a nice continuity there."
22. ^ Doku: It is in the hands of the Holy Vigoor Emperor, your true master. You see, young Ryu, you are not so different from us. Those of the Dragon Lineage like yourself draw their blood from the same Ancient Deities as the Fiends. Team Ninja. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). Xbox. (2004-03-02)
23. ^ Johnston, Chris (June, 2004). "Ninja Gaiden". EGM. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-21191655_ITM. Retrieved 2007-09-05. ^{[dead link]} Tomonobu Itagaki: Yes, he died. Do you remember the falcon staring at his dead body? That falcon’s spiritual power resurrected him as a soldier of revenge.
24. ^ Murai: It is a shame that such a sword must go untouched, such power unused... Alas, I am not of the Dragon Lineage. The sword is not of my concern. Team Ninja. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). Xbox. (2004-03-02)
25. ^ Taro's Diary: The blade gripped in the hands of that devil was none other than the Dark Dragon Blade, the artifact that, for 450 years, our Black Spider Clan has been searching for. My brothers, hurry! You must not allow the young Hayabusa to possess that awful power... Team Ninja. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). Xbox. (2004-03-02)
26. ^ Gen's Diary: While it may be true that the Dark Dragon Blade is formed out of dragon bones, one of the greatest delicacies in the ancient world, our master's plan to grind it up and use it for herbal tea is ridiculous. Team Ninja. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). Xbox. (2004-03-02)
27. ^ 1UP.com staff (2004-09-05). "Previews: Ninja Gaiden". 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3061511. Retrieved 2007-09-23. 
28. ^ The Book of the Fiends: 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. Team Ninja. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). Xbox. (2004-03-02)
29. ^ Rachel: Fiends are pitiful beings, destined to live forever, slaves to the forces of evil. Team Ninja. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). Xbox. (2004-03-02)
30. ^ The History of Vigoor I: The majority of them are mutations of human beings, existing in a condition of living without a soul due to their corruption by evil... Team Ninja. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). Xbox. (2004-03-02)
31. ^ Rachel: Then there were the twin Fiend sisters, Nicchae, Fiend of Destruction, and Ishtaros, Fiend of Creation. The bloodline they began invited the awakening of an entire new race of Fiends. Those who have awakened to become Fiends may only find freedom in death. Team Ninja. Ninja Gaiden Sigma. (Tecmo). PlayStation 3. (2007-06-14)
32. ^ Mielke, James (2005-05-13). "Ninja Gaiden Black from 1UP.com". 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3140456. Retrieved 2007-08-21.  Tomonobu Itagaki: Think about it; you will have to fight an enemy version of Ryu Hayabusa, wearing the red and black Dragon Muscle Suit.
33. ^ The Emperor, Lord of All Creation: He controls all, physical and ethereal, regardless of time or place... Team Ninja. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). Xbox. (2004-03-02)
34. ^ Saru's Diary: I have discovered that the mastermind behind the plot to steal the Dark Dragon Blade is none other than the Holy Vigoor Emperor. Team Ninja. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). Xbox. (2004-03-02)
35. ^ The Book of the Future: After seven days, from the unity of His Majesty with the Dark Dragon once again, we Fiends will be blessed with an exquisite harmony. Team Ninja. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). Xbox. (2004-03-02)
36. ^ ^{a b} Rachel: Yes... they are the ones who retain a spirit even after becoming Fiends. There are only three of them, Doku, my sister and another who guards the Emperor. Team Ninja. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). Xbox. (2004-03-02)
37. ^ Doku: ... but instead, I shall use you to make her even stronger. It will be your blood, the cursed blood of a twin sister that shall serve to awaken Alma. Team Ninja. Ninja Gaiden. (Tecmo). Xbox. (2004-03-02)
38. ^ Luke, Anderson (2008-05-23). "Ninja Gaiden II: Q&A with Tomonobu Itagaki". Gamespot. http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/ninjagaidenii/news.html?sid=6191514&part=rss&subj=6191514. Retrieved 2008-07-04.  Tomonobu Itagaki: "Maybe some of you will get the reference, but Sonia in NGII, is a CIA agent, and her name in this game is Sonia. But who knows if that is really her true name or not?"

Bibliography

• Staff of Nintendo Power. Nintendo Power Strategy Guide Vol. 2: Ninja Gaiden II (Tokuma Shoten) (15).