------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ............................................................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................................... .....................................::........................................ ..................................::NN::....................................... ................................::NNN::........................................ .........................::::..::NNN::.::...................................... .......................::NNNN::NNNN::NNNN::.................................... ................::.......:::.::NNN::.::::...................................... ..............NNNN:.........::NNN::............................................ ............:NNNNN:........::NNN::............................................. ...........:NNNNNN:.......::NNN::.............................................. ..........:NNNNNNN:......::NNN::............................................... .........:NNN::NNN:.....::NNN::................................................ .......::NNN:.::NN:....::NNN::..::............:::...::::....::...........::.... ......::NNN::.::NN:...::NNN::..:II:.........::NN..::NNNN::.:JJ:.........:AA:... .....::NNN::..::NN:..::NNN:....:II:.......::NNNN:::NNNN::..:JJ:......:::AAA:... ....::NNN:::..::NN:.::NNN::....:II:.....::NNNNNN::NNNN::...:JJ:....:::AAAAA:... .....NNN......::NN:::NNN::.....:II:...::NNNN::NNNNNN::.....:JJ:...::AAA..AA:... ..::NNN::.....::NN::NNN::......:II:.::NNNN:.::NNNN::.......:JJ:...:AAAAAAAA:... ..:NNN::......::NNNNNN::.......:II:.:NNNN::..:NNNN::.......:JJ:..:AAA::::AA:... ::NNNN::......::NNNNN::........:II::NNNN::...:NNN:.........:JJ:.:AA::..::AA:... ..::::........:GNNN::...........::..::::......:::..........:JJ:.:::......::.... .............:GGNN::.......................................:JJ:................ ..........::GGGN::....................................:::..:JJ:................ .........::GGG::....................................::JJ:..:JJ:................ ........::GGG::....................................::JJJ::.:JJ:................ .......::GGG::....................................:JJJ:::..:JJ:................ ......::GGG::...................................::JJJJ:::::JJJ:................ .....::GGG::....::..............................::JJJJJJJJJJJJ:................ ...::GGG:.....::GG::..............................::::::::::::................. ..::GGG::.....::GGGG::......................................................... .::GGG::....::GGGGGGGG::....................................................... .:GGG:....::GGGG::::GGGG::..................................................... :GGG::.....:GGG:..::::GGG:....::..::..::................::::::::....::.....:::. GGG:........::......:GGGG::.::AA::II::DD::............::EEEEEEEE::.:NN:..:NNNN: GGG::.............::GGGG::.::AAA::II::DDD::.........::EEEEEEEEEE::NNNN:::NNNN:. GGGG::...........::GGGG::.:AAAAA::II::DDDD::......::EEEE::::...::NNNNN::NNNN:.. ::GGG::........::GGGG::.:AAA..AA::II::DDD:DD::....:EEEEEEEE:..:NNNN:NNNNNN::... ..::GGGG::....::GGGG::::AAAAAAAA::II::DD:::DDD::::EEEE::.....:NNN:::NNNN::..... ....::GGGG::::GGGGG:::AAA:::::AA::II::DD::..:DDD::EEE::::::::NNNN:::NNNN::..... ......::GGGGGGGGGG::.AA::...::AA::II::DDDDDDDDDD:EEEEEEEEEE:NNN::..:NNN::...... ........::::::::::...::......:::.:::.:::::::::::.::::::::::.:::.....:::........ ............................................................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................................... ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Story Synopsis By aaxe Version 8.5 Copyright Information --------------------------- Copyright 2005, aaxe This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. Just contact me via GameFAQs if you wish to reuse this material. History ------- Version 8.5, 03-18-2005 - Added add'l corrections. Added add'l FAQ's. Version 8.0, 12-30-2004 - Added add'l HP content. Version 7.5, 09-28-2004 - Reorganized Hurricane Pack Sections. Version 7.0, 09-17-2004 - Various corrections. Added add'l FAQ's. Version 6.5, 08-23-2004 - Various corrections. Added add'l FAQ's. Version 6.0, 08-23-2004 - Various corrections. Added add'l FAQ's. Reorganized Hurricane Pack Information. Version 5.5, 07-27-2004 - Various corrections. Added add'l FAQ's. Added Hurricane Pack Disclaimer. Version 5.0, 07-05-2004 - Added Ninja Gaiden Download information. Version 4.0, 06-05-2004 - Various corrections. Version 3.5, 04-23-2004 - Updated story. Updated Character Bio's. Added add'l FAQ's. Updated Ryu's Death FAQ. Version 3.0, 04-16-2004 - Updated story. Added FAQ's. Rewrote Prologue as transcription. Concluded Ryu's fate in Chapter 2 Version 2.5, 04-08-2004 - Added Mythos subsections. Updated content. Added Additional FAQ's. Corrected additional inaccuracies. Version 2.0, 04-06-2004 - Updated content. Corrected additional inaccuracies. Added Fateful Encounters. Added Mythos section. Added additional FAQ's. Version 1.5, 04-01-2004 - Updated content. Added ASCII art. Corrected additional inaccuracies. Added additional FAQ's. Updated credits. Version 1.0, 03-16-2004 - Included story synopsis. Corrected inaccuracies. Added credits Version 0.5, 03-04-2004 - Initial release Table of Contents ----------------- 1. Story Synopsis a. Introduction b. Mythos 1. The Book of Genesis 2. The Book of Evil Deities 3. The Book of Dragons 4. The Book of the Fiends 5. The Book of the Future c. Prologue d. Chapter 1 - The Way of the Ninja Fateful Encounter - Murai e. Chapter 2 - The Hayabusa Ninja Village Fateful Encounter - Doku's Samurai Cavalry f. Chapter 3 - The Skies of Vengeance Fateful Encounter - General Dynamo g. Chapter 4 - Imperial City Infiltration Fateful Encounter - Black Spider Ninja Clan h. Chapter 5 - City of Fiends Fateful Encounters - Gallas, Tentacle Fiend i. Chapter 6 - Monastery Fateful Encounter - Zombie Dragon j. Chapter 7 - Hidden Underground Fateful Encounter - Alma k. Chapter 8 - Tairon Under Alert Fateful Encounter - Military Supply Base Main Gate l. Chapter 9 - Military Supply Base Fateful Encounters - Tank Battalion, Helicopter, Comm Tower m. Chapter 10 - The Aqueduct Fateful Encounter - Inazuma Worm, Moat Guardian n. Chapter 11 - The Path to Zarkhan Fateful Encounter - Doku, Lord of the Greater Fiends o. Chapter 12 - The Caverns Fateful Encounter - Inferno Worm, Ice Fiend, Smougan the Flame Dragon p. Chapter 13 - Fiendish Awakening Fateful Encounter - Alma Awakened q. Chapter 14 - Vengeful Spirit Fateful Encounter - Doku's Spirit Form r. Chapter 15 - The Core Fateful Encounters - Supreme Fiend Gogohn, Holy Vigoor Emperor s. Chapter 16 - The Dark Dragon Blade Fateful Encounter - Dark Disciple t. Epilogue 2. Character Breakdown a. Heroes 1. Ryu Hayabusa 2. Ken/Joe/Joh Hayabusa 3. Ayane 4. Rachel 5. Kureha 6. Falcon 7. Muramasa b. Evildoers 1. Murai/Dark Disciple 2. Doku, Lord of the Greater Fiends 3. Alma 4. Supreme Fiend Gogohn 5. Vigoor 6. Gamov 7. Black Spider Ninja Clan 8. Shadow Ninja Clan 9. Hatamoto 10. General Dynamo 11. Dark Dragon 12. Smougan the Flame Dragon 13. Vigoorian Ninja Clan 14. Shadow Alma 15. Shadow Rachel 16. Beserkers 3. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 4. Hurricane Pack 1 Disclaimer 5. Hurricane Pack 2 Disclaimer 6. Credits --Story Synopsis-- This is a Story Synopsis. It tells the whole story, so be aware that this entire document is a spoiler. With the help of several forum members and FAQ writers, we have figured out most of the specific details to the story, as there are a lot. Please note, that this information is currently up for debate and, not all of these ideas are my own. See the credit section for the forum members that have contributed to this guide. Introduction ------------ I've read in most reviews that the story in this game ranges from "tacked on" to "abysmal". I was frustrated in this, as Ryu Hayabusa has had a pretty good back-story up to this point. To my surprise, I've found the story to be as relevant as any other action adventure game I've played. Perhaps, I set my sights low, but regardless, there are a lot of facets to this tale. Granted it's not overly exceptional or original material, but there is plenty of merit. Not too many games go through the trouble of not only creating a mythology for the world to use, but to also find some way of tying that mythology to previous games in the series. Additionally, the game is setup so that you might not ever even see some of the mythos sections. Itagaki commented in an interview that this story has nothing to do with the original Ninja Gaiden trilogy on NES. However, the Xbox Ninja Gaiden game can easily be seen as a prequel to the Ninja Gaiden trilogy. Nothing in this game makes the trilogy impossible and likewise, nothing that happens in the trilogy makes the Xbox game's story impossible. Mythos ------ This section includes a literal transcription of the level caching screens. This information is vital to understanding several facets of the game including the Deity and Twin Serpent Statues. 1. The Book of Genesis - In the beginning, a great inconsistency flowed out into the nothing; a nothing that was afraid of its own nothingness, a pure terror without color, without sound and without smell. It formed the root of all deification, and eventually it coalesced into the shape of the first Deity, Gurdu. Gurdu gave birth to all elements and provided them with order and function. In a remote area of space from where Gurdu provided order, there existed the territory of chaos formed from elements without shape. This chaos, which had been forgotten during the blessing of Gurdu, existed at first as only an instinctual fear, but eventually the chaos begin to take shape and a consciousness was formed within it. At first this was just a small curious presence, but eventually grew and became clearer. This marked the appearance of Hatred. The chaotic nature of Hatred further evolved it, bringing it to the level of a Deity. Thus, the ancestor of all Evil Deities, Vigoor, came into being, and the first conflict set into motion. 2. The Book of Evil Deities - The ancestor of all Evil Deities, Vigoor, began to devour the territory of Gurdu, beginning at its center. During endless solar and lunar eclipses, the earth shook and split, the seas dried up only to flood into existence again, and intense winds swept over everything, and fires burned down all of existence ignoring even the concept of time itself. Eventually Gurdu lost his strength, and the world once again plunged into the chaos from which it had come. Then a great change occurred. During the throes of unending destruction, the body of Gurdu himself split into quarters. Each part became a Deity itself controlling Sentiment, Wisdom, Creation and Immortality. Eventually, they would come together to return shape to the world again, but in their panic-stricken state after their birth, they still had little power. 3. The Book of Dragons - In this age of panic, the Serpent, Deity of Creation was the only one of the Deities to keep some semblance of sanity. The Serpent gave birth to a tiny presence, something that no other being would ever notice... the seeds of life. These seeds managed to take hold and grow in the storm of chaos and ever so slightly began to evolve, eventually becoming the Thirteen Dragons, whose destinies were to be found in battle. The Dragons waged an endless battle against Vigoor who never ceased in his attempts to bring the world into a chaos of Hatred. Eventually the Dragons were able to banish Vigoor to the very ends of the world. However, it was in this period that the youngest and lowliest in position of the Dragons, the Dark Dragon, summoned the Hatred with its feelings of inferiority. Due to this betrayal, Vigoor was able to keep from being completely destroyed. 4. The Book of the Fiends - The Dark Dragon, now full of evil intent, joined with Vigoor and his spawn of Evil Deities to further capture the territory of Gurdu. This conflict continued throughout the eons of history and during its struggle the first spark of human life appeared in the form of the Ancient Tribes. Of course, old conflicts never cease, and even in the age of the Ancient Tribes, the Dragon Lineage and Evil Deities continued their battle for tens of thousands of generations; a struggle that finally ended when members of the Dragon Lineage were able to seal away the Evil Deities and their spawn. However, in that age of chaos, all of the bloodlines of the Ancient Tribes were mixed and the form and nature of the Ancients have been carried on by us, the Fiends. 5. The Book of the Future - The land that the Evil Deity Vigoor once held as his final territory has become this, the land of Vigoor. The treachery of the Dark Dragon also occurred here, and this was where the Ancient Tribes lived. That is why their descendants, us the Fiends, have taken over control of these lands. With this land as a barrier, the power of Vigoor is limited only to this Earth. Vigoor is the Demon of Destruction and the Deity who creates history; when the decadence of this world has piled up, he will return in a blaze of all-destroying flame and recreate the world. Chaos, like the floods on the banks of a great river, will fulfill this world once again, and we will be the first recipients of this fulfillment. Evolution has and always will begin from here, the land of Vigoor. It has been several hundred years, since the Supreme Fiend Gogohn established what would eventually become the Vigoor Empire here on these lands. If a new warrior of the Dragon Lineage shall appear, the Holy Emperor shall be infused with the power of the Evil Deities. After seven days, from the unity of His Majesty with the Dark Dragon once again, we Fiends will be blessed with an exquisite harmony. Prologue -------- The evil Dark Dragon Blade... A legendary sword, said to have been carved out of the bones of a Black Dragon, it brought plague and death to the world during the age of ancient myth. It has been sealed by those of the Dragon Lineage since the dawn of history, because of its incredible capacity for evil, made possible by the souls of the vanquished Black Dragons that dwell within it. It is said that if the Blade's seal were to be broken, it would gather the hatred and evil of mankind and confer it upon the on who wields it, transforming him into the Devil incarnate; however not even those of the Dragon Lineage who protect it know the true extent of its power... The Dragon Sword... Another weapon protected by the Dragon Lineage since ancient times. This sword, which is said to have been used by ancient warriors to slay the Black Dragons, is now handed down from generation to generation in the Hayabusa Ninja Clan, the modern descendants of the Dragon Lineage. And now, the Dragon Sword is gripped firmly in the hands of young ninja Ryu Hayabusa. The story begins with a cinematic describing the Dark Dragon Blade and the Dragon Sword, the two rival weapons of the game. Basically, the Dark Dragon Blade was forged from the bones of a Black Dragon. Apparently, these Black Dragons are very powerful creatures, and thusly, the Dark Dragon Blade has several capabilities. It can absorb the souls of those it smites. In fact, it has the ability to vaporize those unfortunate enough to actually be defeated by it. Secondly, it can draw power from the evil committed in its vicinity. A side effect to this feature is the fact that it can absorb all magical energy directed at it; thereby nullifying the effects of Ninpo. Finally, once it has been unsealed and reached its full potential, it has the ability to transform its wielder into an all-powerful devil. The foil to the Dark Dragon Blade is the Dragon Sword. The Dragon Sword was carved out of the fang of a Dragon and was used by the Dragon Lineage to destroy the Black Dragons. The true nature of the sword is not discovered until later in the game, as the True Dragon Sword is a combination of the Dragon Sword and the Dragon Eye. Once these two artifacts are combined, the True Dragon Sword becomes a very powerful tool. In fact, Ryu shatters the Dark Dragon Blade with it in one strike at the story's conclusion. The Hayabusa Clan is composed of the descendants of the Dragon Lineage that fought the Black Dragons and Ancient Tribes. There is a true bloodline though, and it seems as though only Ryu and his father are direct descendants. Apparently, the Black Dragons were wiped out, and the Fiends were nearly exterminated. So, the Hayabusa Clan exists in a somewhat dormant state. Now, it seems as though the Hayabusa Clan merely protects the three Dragon Artifacts: the Dark Dragon Blade, the Dragon Sword and the Dragon Eye. Ryu's father leaves the village to train in the "Sacred Wilderness" and entrusts the Dragon Sword with him. Kureha, the Hayabusa Clan's Priestess, is the protector of the Dragon Eye while the entire village is responsible for the protection of the Dark Dragon Blade. This is probably due to the fact that it's not readily apparent that the Dragon Sword and Dragon Eye can combine to form the True Dragon Sword. Therefore, it is assumed that the Dark Dragon Blade is the most dangerous of the three artifacts. Chapter 1 - The Way of the Ninja ------------------------------ Location - The Shadow Clan Ninja Fortress Fateful Encounter - Murai There is a defector from the Hayabusa Clan, and his name is Murai. It is said that he is Ryu's uncle and leaves the Hayabusa Clan. Ninja clans don't take defection lightly, so it's assumed that Murai and the Shadow Ninja Clan that he creates are sworn enemies to the Hayabusa Clan. Most likely, it is because of this that Ryu slaughters the Shadow Clan with such abandon when Murai summons him. Since, Murai is Ryu's uncle (on his mother's side in all likelihood), Ryu simply ceases his onslaught once they fight to a draw in Murai's Inner Sanctum. What Murai says to entice Ryu to come to see him in the Shadow Ninja Fortress is unknown. Regardless, Murai and Ryu carry on a conversation where Murai inquires about the Dragon Sword and Dark Dragon Blade. Ryu seems both apprehensive about answering his questions and reserved when discussing his father's penchant with acquiring power. Murai comments how he is not of the Dragon Lineage, and so he is unconcerned with the affairs of the Dark Dragon Blade. At this point, Ayane interrupts their conversation with news of razing of Hayabusa Village. Ayane is a member of the Mugen Tenshin Clan and practices Hajin Mon. It is apparent that she works for Murai, and it is possible that Murai uses her to summon Ryu. She seems either startled or compassionate at Ryu's presence in the Inner Sanctum despite the fact that she has been helping him with Kunai scrolls on his entire journey to the Shadow Clan's Inner Sanctum. From the Ninja Fortress's viewpoint, Hayabusa Village is clearly visible. It's evident that something is terribly wrong, as there is a large amount of smoke billowing up from the village. Ryu races back to the Village only to be put upon by the forces of Doku. Chapter 2 - The Hayabusa Ninja Village -------------------------------------- Location - Hayabusa Village Fateful Encounter - Doku's Samurai Cavalry Doku is the Lord of the Greater Fiends and is sent by the Holy Vigoor Emperor to retrieve the Dark Dragon Blade. Doku attacks Hayabusa Village with his samurai army consisting of infantry, cavalry, archers, mages and one Cavalry Captain. Ryu arrives in the village and solemnly discovers the corpses of many of his colleagues. After killing several of Doku's samurai, Ryu visits an effigy to the blacksmith Muramasa. He is able to communicate with Muramasa via these statues and is now capable of outfitting himself. After concluding his business with Muramasa and acquiring several armlets that can increase his offensive and defensive abilities, Ryu happens upon a bow. He equips this weapon and continues his trek through the village. After Ryu dispatches most of the attacking force single-handedly, and he destroys the Cavalry Captain and his entourage as well. Ryu then arrives at the Hayabusa Clan Leader's Residence to see Kureha murdered. She reaches out to Ryu on the footsteps of the residence and clutches the Dragon Eye in her hand. But, she dies before Ryu can intervene. Doku then appears, retrieves the Dark Dragon Blade and dispatches one last Hayabusa Clan ninja. He and Ryu then square off and exchange a few blows. Doku proves the more powerful duelist though, as he strikes Ryu twice, grievously wounding him. It is a matter of debate now as to whether or not Doku kills Ryu at this point. He strikes him first in the lower abdomen, which causes Ryu to cough up blood. He then slashes him from shoulder to scabbard, and it appears as though the sheath of the Dragon Sword at least partially protects him from the Dark Dragon Blade's ability to absorb souls. It could be this or a combination of several factors as discussed in the FAQ's section. The flames that engulf Hayabusa Village eventually die down after consuming the area. We see Ryu lying defeated on the ground, and he looks to be either very mortally wounded or outright expired. It is wise to note that the fires have all extinguished at this point, so Ryu has been lying motionless on the ground bleeding for at least several hours. At this point, a lone falcon then flies in and observes the scene. This is not the last time that the falcon is observed in this story. Chapter 3 - The Skies of Vengeance ---------------------------------- Location - Passenger Zeppelin Fateful Encounter - General Dynamo Next we see Ryu totally healed and preparing for battle in his new outfit. Murai watches on and councils him on who and what decimated his village. He tells Ryu that Doku works for the Holy Vigoor Emperor and if he wishes to exact vengeance, then he'll have to take the fight to them. Ryu then books passage upon a zeppelin bound for the Vigoor Empire with the intent of destroying Doku and retrieving the Dark Dragon Blade. Unfortunately for Ryu, the Vigoorian Internal Affairs Bureau intercepts the zeppelin with the help of the Vigoorian military and General Dynamo, a corpulent cybernetic soldier. At the head of the Vigoorian Internal Affairs Bureau is a man called Gamov. How he happens upon Ryu's actions is revealed later. They intercept the passenger zeppelin and all hands aboard are promptly evacuated. Ryu then must escape capture. He slaughters every MSAT (Mechanized Special Attack Team) soldier that crosses his path, and happens upon another of Muramasa's statue. Now, Muramasa has the materials needed to upgrade Ryu's Dragon Sword. With this improvement, Ryu gains the Flying Swallow ability to spontaneously fly through the air and decapitate his enemies. He then finds a map of the Vigoorian Capital City Tairon, disables the power system of the zeppelin and kills Dynamo. Whilst in the throws of malfunction, Dynamo's rifle misfires several times and destroys the boarding zeppelin. His systems then go critical, and he explodes, which destroys the passenger zeppelin. Ryu escapes the destruction of both zeppelins by jumping off and landing on high-tension power line towers. He then repels these lines using only his arm bracelets into the outskirts of Tairon. Ryu isn't the only survivor, however. Chapter 4 - Imperial City Infiltration -------------------------------------- Location - Tairon Fateful Encounter - Black Spider Ninja Clan The Dragon Lineage's last warrior must now infiltrate Tairon, but without Ayane's assistance, he wouldn't know where to look for Doku. Ayane informs him via Kunai scrolls that he needs to locate Han's Bar and to be on the lookout for the rival ninjas belonging to the Black Spider Ninja Clan. Apparently, they are out to capture the Dark Dragon Blade as well, however, they are proving to be unsuccessful. Ryu happens upon many of their bodies throughout this chapter and the rest of the story. Several of them carry diaries that divulge pieces of the Clan's intentions. Their motivations become clear later. In the first plaza he encounters, Ryu discovers an gigantic, ancient device called the Twin Serpents Statue, which seems to forego modern technology for a more mystic variety. To activate the Statue, it is clear that a Stone Tablet is needed to awaken its machinations. What this will do is unclear at this point, however. Ryu finally reaches Han's Bar, but is refused admittance without a ticket. He discovers that Muramasa, the Blacksmith, is holding a contest where a patron will receive one free ticket with any purchase. Luckily, his shop is located in Tairon. Before Ryu leaves Han's Bar, Ayane informs him that she has hidden a weapon of great power here. Ryu retrieves it, and the weapon turns out to be a Windmill Shuriken that will return to Ryu once it is thrown. Upon one of bodies of the Spider Clan, Ryu discovers some Nunchaku. It seems as though he has much fortitude to come across such powerful weapons, and he puts them to good use. Additionally, he finds a diary of a Spider Clan ninja named Suke that states that the Clan has spied upon a female of remarkable skill and beauty. They question her intentions, but, up until now, Ryu had remained oblivious to her presence. Ryu then encounters his first group of Spider Ninjas. These foes prove formidable with their advanced techniques and Incendiary Shuriken. Ryu must utilize all of his talents to even survive the encounters with these assassins. One technique in particular is interesting to Ryu where the ninja will hold his sword out as he flips in the air. Ryu moves on after slaughtering the opposition. Ryu meets the decrepit Muramasa face-to-face, retrieves the ticket but unfortunately doesn't need it, as something is amiss at Han's Bar upon his return. At this point, he meets Rachel who appears to be very adept at killing Fiends. She introduces herself and explains that she is a Fiend Hunter. Ryu lays bare his intentions of killing Doku at which Rachel scoffs, doubting his ability. She states that her ability to battle Fiends is tied to her tendency to becoming a Fiend, because of her bloodline. Rachel then states that it was Doku that took her sister from her. She promptly leaves the conversation via grappling hook when she senses Fiends in the vicinity. Suddenly, Gamov appears as he apparently survived the zeppelin catastrophe. He makes it known to Ryu that he has been watching him. He also suggests that he and Rachel are acquainted, and that she can take care of herself. Just as abruptly as he appears, he disappears. Chapter 5 - City of Fiends -------------------------- Locations - Tairon, Han's Bar, Dworku Fateful Encounters - Gallas, Tentacle Fiend Ayane hints that Doku's location could probably be discovered if Ryu were to travel to the Monastery in Dworku, a district of Tairon. So, Ryu battles his way there. He fights both the MSATs and Spider Ninja Clan where he arrives at the Drawbridge to Dworku. Unfortunately, it is drawn up, so Ryu must activate the bridge lowering mechanisms. He does so after fighting off many more Spider Clan and eventually arrives at the gates of the Monastery. It is locked unfortunately, so he goes to find another way in. He is again besieged by MSATs, but after dispatching a couple of them, Ryu encounters his first batch of Fiends. These beasts take the forms of large dragons, and they quickly dispense with the SATs and turn their sites on Ryu. After this battle Rachel (who was overseeing Ryu's performance) comments on Ryu's ability and questions his bloodline. Ryu retorts curtly saying that his talent stems from his training. Rachel questions this, and explains her intentions. Her twin sister Alma is a Greater Fiend like Doku, and she intends on releasing her sister from her Fiendish existence. The only way to do so is to murder her. She relates that there are three greater Fiends, Doku, Alma and another Greater Fiend that protects the Emperor. But, before she can elaborate, a Tentacle Fiend (a huge, fleshy mass composed of eyeballs, tentacles and talons) promptly swallows her up. Ryu battles and dispatches this monstrosity thereby rescuing Rachel. She tells Ryu that Doku is most likely in the pathway under the Monastery. It's the best place to continue looking. Ayane then shows herself finally and relates some information about how the Fiends' existences, like men, are tied to their bloodlines. She also says that the Fiend Realm has been disturbed, possibly due to the presence of the Dark Dragon Blade and the Dragon Sword. Rachel agrees that she can feel a stirring in her blood. With this new information, Ryu asks Ayane to take care of Rachel as he proceeds into the Monastery. It appears that Ayane has possibly switched allegiances at this point. Finally, a new character, the Dark Disciple is introduced and is shown talking to Gamov on a balcony. It appears as though Gamov has ulterior motives as well. The Disciple hears about Ryu's exploits so far and comments that he has arrived just in time. Chapter 6 - The Monastery ------------------------- Locations - Dworku, The Monastery, Underground Cemetery Fateful Encounter - Zombie Dragon Ryu heads back to gates of the Monastery from the inside of the wall that the Tentacle Fiend demolished. From now on, Fiends besiege Ryu, as it seems the Monastery is some sort of focal point. Ryu encounters Monk Fiends guarding the altar of the Monastery and dispatches them. He realizes that the altar seems like the entrance point to the Underground Passage, but it appears as though a book is needed to unlock the Cemetery. He happens upon the archives and begins reading the volumes contained within. Here, he learns about the Holy Vigoor Emperor and the structure of Vigoorian society. The Emperor is more than just a figurehead as outlined in the books. It seems that he or she is the corner stone of Vigoorian society and is an extension of Vigoor itself. Ryu also happens upon the first Stone Tablet that appears to be connected to the Twin Serpents Statue along with an Incendiary Shuriken. The same shuriken that have proven so troublesome when dealing with the Spider Ninja Clan can now be used against them. Ryu explores the Monastery and discovers the Principal Monk's Office. This Monk foolishly leaves his safe combinations in his ledger, so Ryu retrieves the Book of Eons from the Monk's office safe. While he's at it, Ryu also retrieves the first of 5 Deity Statues, Raptor, the Deity of Sentiment. He will return to this safe on occasion and find that the Monk never learns how to keep his save from being pilfered. Ryu returns to the altar, places the book upon it, and descends into the Underground Cemetery. Ryu fights his way through many dead things and eventually finds the Old Altar. Occupying this cavern is the remains of a gigantic dragon but only the skeleton remains. It's obvious that something needs to be offered here, so Ryu goes about his way to find what it might be. Ryu acquires the Vigoorian Flail, which proves to be an extremely useful tool in dealing with the creatures in this chapter. After shuffling off many mortal coils, he arrives in a room with a Grail. Ryu is immediately set upon by numerous flying abominations. But, during the course of Ryu's butchering, a piece of one of these creatures falls into the Grail. This sets in motion the reviving of all the corpses in the Cemetery, the Ghuls. After Ryu dispatches the behemoths in his immediate vicinity, he grabs the Grail and returns to the Old Altar. Upon replacing the Altar that has given life to all of the death of the Cemetery, it commits one more action, which is to breathe life back into the corpse of the Dragon that occupies this space. After a decisive battle with the Zombie Dragon where Ryu attacks the creature's frail limbs, it tumbles to the bottom of the shaft and crushes the floor to reveal the Underground Passage. Chapter 7 - Hidden Underground ------------------------------ Locations - Underground Cemetery, Underground Passage, The Monastery Fateful Encounter - Alma The Last Warrior of the Dragon Lineage must navigate back down the Underground Cemetery to the bottom of the cave where the Zombie Dragon's body crushed the floor. While navigating this Underground Passage, Ryu happens upon the second Deity Statue, the Wolf. During this adventure, Ryu must continually do battle with the undead hordes and solve many ancient puzzles. After doing so, he is beset upon by a reincarnation of the Tentacle Fiend. After easily returning this creature to the Underworld, Ryu begins to climb back to the surface. But, unfortunately, the remains of the Dragon weakened the structure of this Cemetery, and a torrent of water comes flooding in, sweeping Ryu away. He must now navigate the flooded caverns by swimming through them. In an unflooded space, Ryu locates an ancient looking platform but is unable to activate it. Instead, he finds the elevator back up to the Monk's office, and escapes despite being assaulted by another group of Spider Clan. They seem to be following his progress closely. Unfortunately, he is unable to exit the Monastery and is finally confronted by Alma, the Greater Fiend. In a hopeless battle, Ryu does actually strike her down, and in the process, Alma's Fiendish energy is released in a gigantic explosion. Rachel spies this encounter and comes in to vanquish her sister but is unable to do the deed. Alma dissolves seemingly to recover later. Rachel laments that she was unable to kill her own sister, so Ryu suggests that it's not safe for her here anymore. After Ryu leaves, Doku appears. He tells Rachel that he should kill her for what she's done to Alma. He also comments that it's a pity that she has to go to waste, as she might have been more powerful than even Alma. Despite Rachel's attempts at combat, he kidnaps her; unbeknownst to Ryu. Doku will attempt to use her in the Awakening. Chapter 8 - Tairon Under Alert ------------------------------ Locations - Dworku, Tairon Fateful Encounter - Military Supply Base Main Gate With the destruction of the Monastery, the Vigoorian Military occupies Tairon. Upon Ryu's egress from the Monastery, Ayane tells him that the city is under martial law, and that the best way to continue his quest would be to knock out the Communications Tower in the Military Supply Base. The Vigoorian Military is fairly well equipped and Ryu has to deal with everything from standard troops to an Assault Helicopter before he can complete this chapter. But, before he sets off, Ryu returns to the ruin of the Monastery to find Rachel's Warhammer lying amongst the ruins. He takes it. The Dragon Ninja decimates the entire occupying force and destroys the Base's Main Gate. During his assault on the gate, he has to survive an encounter with an Assault Helicopter with nothing but his trusty Dragon Sword as a defense. The Helicopter retreats after it is apparent that he proves difficult to kill. He then retrieves a Strong Bow from a building overlooking the Main Gate and invades the Supply Base. Chapter 9 - Military Supply Base -------------------------------- Location - Military Supply Base Fateful Encounters - Tank Battalion, Helicopter, Comm Tower Ryu now takes on ground troops, heavy artillery and air support while dealing with the automated support drones as well. He discovers both APFSDS (armor piercing) as well as Explosive arrows in his scouting of the base. Along the way, he destroys their tank battalion and the Helicopter support that he previously fought to a draw. He disables the Communications Tower and afterwards Ayane confirms that the Military Force is in shambles. Ryu then steals a train and proceeds to leave the Base. Unfortunately, the train meets another train traveling in the opposite direction, which causes a huge explosion that Ryu miraculously survives. Chapter 10 - The Aqueduct ------------------------- Location - The Aqueduct Fateful Encounter - Moat Guardian Ryu now takes the fight to the Aqueducts under the city. Here he meets all manner of Fiends and disposes of them accordingly. After reconfiguring the water cisterns, Ryu meets again with Muramasa to acquire the Dabilahro, a gigantic, two-handed sword. Ryu must then best several gigantic Inazuma Worms while trying to find the path to Zarkhan. After defeating the first of these creatures, Ryu gains the ability to channel his own bioelectricity outwards in an Inazuma attack. He gains access to the Sanctuary and finds that he must prove his valor before he can continue. The Revenger of the Hayabusa Clan locates the Brand of Valor that matches a depression in the floor of the cave and hastens back to it. He places the Brand in the depression and watches as the cavern lights with energy. This act summons a gigantic, Moat Guardian. The creature uses the remains of its wings to launch physical assaults on Ryu, while its laser breath attempts to immolate him. The creature in this lair proves challenging, but Ryu bests it and leaves the Aqueducts to find the Dark Disciple looking over his progress. Chapter 11 - The Path to Zarkhan -------------------------------- Locations - Zarkhan, Tairon Fateful Encounter - Doku, Lord of the Greater Fiends Ryu disregards this new presence and takes to the water. He navigates the moat of Zarkhan and finds more deceased Spider Ninja along the way. Had the Clan possessed a greater organization, they might have fared better. Ryu must now backtrack through several areas that he has encountered before, but now they are flooded with bilgy water from the moat. Along the way, he acquires an oxygen tank and a Harpoon gun, which he puts to use against the denizens of the moat around Zarkhan. He eventually finds his way back to the ancient platform in the Underground Cemetery that takes him to the Arena. Here, Doku is waiting for Ryu with Rachel still imprisoned. Ryu demands to know where the Dark Dragon Blade is now, and Doku responds that he has given it to the Emperor. Doku chides him for the near destruction of Alma, and he unsheathes Kitetsu, a blade of Fiendish power. They commit to mortal battle, and despite Doku's immense power, Ryu strikes down his nemesis. Doku ponders Ryu's fate, as he has never met a human more skilled. He observes that maybe they are not so different. Regardless, his body levitates, and his corporeal form disappears. But not before he mentions that the Awakening of Alma is to take place. This stirs Rachel, now conscious, into action, and she flies away on her grapple. Ryu then attempts to escape the Arena despite being set upon by a seemingly countless number of Gallas. He brandishes Kitetsu, Doku's sword along with the Tranquility Armlet that cancels out the evil blade's tendency to leech life. Using Kitetsu's ability to transfer the life force of his enemies to himself, he overcomes these odds and escapes the Arena to arrive in Zarkhan, the home of the Emperor. Chapter 12 - The Caverns ------------------------ Locations - Zarkhan, The Caverns Fateful Encounter - Smougan the Flame Dragon Ayane sends another message to Ryu stating that Muramasa wishes to speak with him. Ryu does so, but finds that the city has been overrun by Fiendish versions of his previous foes. He fights his way through these horrors again to return to Muramasa's shop. There, he learns that until this point the Dragon Sword has not been serving its true purpose. Muramasa describes to him an artifact that must be placed in the hilt to unlock the Sword's true power. Ryu is stunned to discover that Muramasa is quite versed on both the Dragon Sword and the Dark Dragon Blade. But, Muramasa assures Ryu that the True Dragon Sword affixed with the Dragon Eye will prove more than a match for the Dark Dragon Blade. Ryu must locate this artifact, though. Ryu finally leaves Tairon after being tipped off that the Caverns outside the city might hold the secret to locating Doku. The environment is the harshest yet, with which Ryu has to contend. He battles many Fiends of fire and ice and reconstructs the Caverns' locking system using the Shield of Vigoor and by forging a cog from the iron ore strewn about the Caverns. Ryu finally locates all of the pieces of the Stone Tablet for the Twin-Headed Serpent Statue as well. Along the way, he comes upon a horrendous looking Ice Fiend and smites it. He also locates the Eyes of Fire and Ice that gain him access to Smougan the Flame Dragon's Lair. While this magnificent creature proves to be Ryu's greatest challenge so far, the Dragon Ninja destroys the beast much like his ancestors destroyed the Black Dragons of long ago. For this, he is rewarded the next Deity Statue, the Devil Deity. The beast's body conveniently provides the path to the exit. Chapter 13 - The Fiendish Awakening ----------------------------------- Location - Tairon, Hayabusa Village, The Pyramid Fateful Encounter - Alma Awakened Ryu exits the Caverns through a previously shutoff route and returns to the Twin-Headed Serpent Statue. He places the pieces of the Stone Tablet into its holding place and the Statue moves to life. It is apparent now that the Statue is a teleportation device constructed by the Thirteen Dragons of the Serpent that Ryu may utilize. Ryu has found the Path to Zarkhan. After traveling through the several of Twin-Headed Serpent Statue's teleporters, Ryu arrives back at his home Village. He visits Kureha's grave and realizes that her pendant is in fact the Dragon Eye. After showing his respect to her memory, he affixes the Eye into the hilt of the Dragon Sword. It begins to give off a faint glow, and it is obvious that Ryu now holds in his possession the True Dragon Sword. He is truly able to take on the Dark Dragon Blade, now. A scene is shown where the feminine form of Vigoor is shown harnessing the power of the Dark Dragon Blade. She is actually breaking the seal of the blade at this point. During his escapades, Gamov and the Dark Disciple continue to plot and discuss the Dark Dragon Blade's growing power. They comment on the blade's seal having been broken, and how powerful the weapon is becoming. The Dark Disciple questions Gamov's motives and wonders if maybe he'll attempt to take the blade for himself. Gamov denies this charge, of course. Ayane watches their exchange from afar. Ryu follows the Path to Zarkhan to several more locations, and eventually finds himself in an Aztec-like field with a Pyramid off in the distance. Ryu has just teleported directly into Doku's Awakening Ceremony. To Ryu's surprise, Rachel has been captured and is to be used in sacrifice to transform Alma into a truly fierce-some creature. But, before Ryu can reach Rachel, Alma confronts him and transforms into a much more heinous form. She does this because Doku drains some sort of energy from Rachel which is then transferred to Alma. Had Doku been able to complete his ceremony before Ryu arrived (that is, killing Rachel), there is no knowing what form Alma would've taken on. They again commit to battle with Ryu surgically defeating her. Her frail form slumps to the ground as her life energy ebbs. Ryu then hastens to the top of the Pyramid, as the now Spiritual Doku is about to sever Rachel's life in exchange for Alma's. Alma appears to regain her strength and chases Ryu feverishly up the precipice. Only, she knocks Ryu out of the way and intercepts the killing blow from Doku that was meant for Rachel. Doku's blade pierces the globe in Alma's abdomen as she catches her twin sister. Alma looks peaceful as she cradles Rachel's limp form and explodes in a light of Fiendish brilliance. What is left is a scene of Rachel cradling Alma's now human form, in death. Doku's Spirit throws down his ceremonial blade and vows that, "This is not over." Ryu leaps off of the top of the pyramid (possibly to give Rachel and Alma their privacy) to continue the hunt for the Spirit Form of Doku. Ryu smashes the steps of the pyramid to find yet another maze to be solved. After replacing several relics in their rightful places, Ryu receives the Deity of Creation's Statue, the Serpent. He finds the exit to the Pyramid and proceeds to the Labyrinth where he spies Doku's spirit form hastening to an unknown location. Chapter 14 - Vengeful Spirit ---------------------------- Locations - The Labyrinth, Imperial Palace Fateful Encounter - Doku's Spirit Form The Vengeful Spirit finds the body of yet another expired Spider Clan Ninja, Gen, where the motivation to capture the Dark Dragon Blade is revealed. While this expired soul seems to be have been the leader of the force sent to Vigoor, the leader of the Spider Clan in its entirety turns out to be a tea connoisseur and wishes to grind the Blade into tea. Close by, Ryu has his first encounter in the Fiend Realm where the 3rd of the Greater Fiends holds court. Ryu defeats everything that the Supreme Fiend Gogohn summons to defeat Ryu, and returns to the normal world. Ryu chases Doku through the labyrinth taking on all manner of new Fiends. Once particular abhorrence proves very challenging with its ability to grapple and immolate Ryu. This creature appears very similar to the form that the Emperor takes while harnessing the power of the Dark Dragon Blade. Regardless, Ryu bests the fell beast and retrieves the key to the arena where he will finally confront Doku. They battle one last time, and now that Ryu in his peak of combat ability; he easily vanquishes the Spirit. Unfortunately, in his dying breath, Doku curses Ryu to a Fiendish State that immediately takes hold. Ryu is powerless to prevent the Fiendish transformation as his body changes to reflect his newly Fiendish nature. It seems a hefty price to pay for simple vengeance. Regardless, now Ryu's task is to reclaim the Dark Dragon Blade and return to his former self. Chapter 15 - The Core --------------------- Locations - Imperial Palace, The Core, The Underworld Fateful Encounters - Supreme Fiend Gogohn, Holy Vigoor Emperor Fiendish Ryu arrives at the fringe of the Imperial palace, but there doesn't seem to be any way in. He explores around and locates a winding bridge that seems impossible to navigate. But, since Ryu has been transformed into a Fiend, he is actually able to traverse the span, which deposits him upside down and under the Palace totally in opposition to gravity. A door bars the way to the Core, unfortunately, and Ryu must backtrack. It seems as though Doku has provided Ryu with more than he intended. Ryu finds the decaying body of Dai, the last of the Spider Clan ninjas, at the Imperial Gates holding the Decayed Soul Key. It's ironic to consider that Ryu's greatest human adversaries have now given him the ability to complete his quest. He returns to the Core and proceeds to realize that he must climb up to the top of the Core. In actuality, he is progressing down and the higher he seems to get, the closer he gets to the Underworld. He battles through the five levels of the Core fighting the most severe of the Fiend forms. Each room in the Core is repugnant, and display everything from sentient eyeballs to developing fetuses. At each level he places a Deity's Statue on an altar as an offering, and after doing so, the room pulses with energy, and unlocks the path to the next level. When he finally reaches the pinnacle of the Core, it turns out to be the Gate to the Underworld itself. But, to open the freestanding gate, he must offer another Deity's statue. Gurdu only transformed into four Deities, so this last offering is puzzling. Regardless, he finds another portal to the Fiend Realm where, this time, it appears as though he will do battle with the Supreme Fiend Gogohn himself, the protector of the Emperor. But before he can challenge him, he must do battle with his previously vanquished foes that Gogohn summons from the Underworld. He vanquishes these nuisances again, and Gogohn finally accepts the challenge. Despite Gogohn's ample power, Ryu is successful in smiting him along with his summoned minions. Afterwards, the Statue of Demon, Deity of Destruction is revealed. This figure is an icon to Vigoor itself and is the key to passage into the Underworld. It's interesting to note that the Demon Statue is the same statue that Jaquio uses in the original NES Ninja Gaiden. It is an effigy to Vigoor in this story. Using the Statue, Ryu opens the gate to the Underworld that reveals a skeletal staircase that was, up until this point, invisible. Ryu climbs the staircase at which point the stairs break up and begin to fall down. They then reverse their direction to coincide with gravity and fall up. The Fiendish Dragon Ninja falls into a field of white, red, yellow and blue flowers like the Essences and spies a gigantic statue across it. The statue resembles Alma, but above it lays the Dark Dragon Blade. The field promptly withers and burns, transforming into a hellish cavern and the statue itself awakens to do battle. It towers above Ryu, so Ryu uses his powers to create a platform from the bedrock itself and levitates up to the statue. It appears as though final battle with the Emperor has begun. Ryu attacks the Emperor's armor and avoids her lasers and thrusts. After many blows, the statue crumbles into the lava and the Emperor's true form appears as a mountain of skulls. This is Vigoor, the God, himself. Ryu defeats this form as well, despite Vigoor's substantial power. In doing so, he frees himself from the Fiendish Curse. Chapter 16 - The Dark Dragon Blade ---------------------------------- Location - The Core, Zarkhan Fateful Encounter - Dark Disciple Ryu dispatches the Emperor in both its effeminate and masculine forms and is left alone in this hellish Underworld. Killing the Emperor somehow affects the ability for Fiends to exist as Ryu reverts back to human form. He retrieves the Dark Dragon Blade and seems resigned to die in this cavern. Fortunately, Rachel finds him and they escape the pit together. As they are ascending via Rachel's grappling device, an explosion from underneath launches the Dark Dragon Blade into the sky. It falls down at the feet of the Dark Disciple and Gamov. This explosion also destroys most of the Imperial Palace and surrounding Zarkhan. Rachel and Ryu climb out of the pit and the Disciple and Gamov address them. Gamov excitedly relates what has happened to the Dark Dragon Blade due to all the carnage as the Dark Disciple wields it. The shadowy figure promptly decapitates Gamov saying that, "You've done well, Gamov." It's interesting to note that Gamov's entire body dissolves and all that is left is a coat and blood. This is obviously what happens to those that fall under the unsealed Blade of the Dark Dragon. The Disciple disrobes to reveal Murai. It is at this point when it becomes obvious that everything has been set into motion by Murai. He most likely tipped off the Emperor (via Gamov) to the location of the Dark Dragon Blade. He summoned Ryu from Hayabusa Village so that the Blade be stolen, unsealed and could grow to its true potential. He tipped Gamov off on Ryu's location aboard the zeppelin and then watches as Ryu kills Fiend after Fiend, feeding the Blade. Murai knew that only the Emperor would be able to break the seal on the sword and that only Ryu would be able to defeat the Emperor, so, he waits at the aperture of the Emperor's Palace. Murai then brandishes the blade and transforms into a demonic abomination. Unfortunately for him, he did not count on Ryu combining the Dragon Eye with the Dragon Sword to wield the True Dragon Sword. Most likely, Murai probably didn't even know it existed. At this point in the story, Ryu is extremely powerful and vanquishes Murai despite the Dark Dragon Blade's ability to totally negate Ninpo and summon the Dark Dragon, itself. Murai falls into the Underworld chasm after their battle. Ryu kicks the Dark Dragon Blade into the air and shatters it in one strike. He seems pensive due to all the horrible deeds that were both inflicted upon him, and he himself committed. Rachel attempts to comfort him as Ayane looks on, but Ryu simply turns around and replies, "It's over." With this, Ryu transforms into a beam of light and teleports away. Ayane looks satisfied as she wanders off. Epilogue -------- Ryu returns to Hayabusa village to replace the Dragon Eye in its rightful resting place upon Kureha's grave. He then disappears into the night. He most likely does this to prevent the True Dragon Blade from being easily captured as now the only thing that could have possibly stood up to the True Dragon Sword has now been destroyed. --Character Breakdown-- The following section contains breakdowns for each major character in the game. Heroes ------ 1. Ryu Hayabusa - Ryu is the protagonist of the Ninja Gaiden franchise. He is called the modern super ninja and is a member of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. This Clan protects the Dark Dragon Blade, the Dragon Sword and the Dragon Eye, which are three artifacts of immense power. He and his father are the sole survivors of the slaughter of his village. On his quest for revenge, Ryu improves his technique and eventually turns into a Fiend himself. He smites every foe in his way, destroys the Vigoor Emperor, kills Murai, destroys the Dark Dragon Blade, returns to a normal state and then disappears. 2. Ken/Joe/Joh Hayabusa - Ryu's father. He has traveled away to the "Sacred Wilderness" training ground and is training during the events of Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox. It seems as though Ryu is concerned with his father's propensity to continually strengthen himself. His whereabouts and condition at the conclusion of the story are unknown. 3. Ayane - She is member of the Mugen Tenshin Ninja Clan. She practices Hajin Mon and is the half sister of Hayate and Kasumi. Their shared mother's name is Ayame. Ayane's biological father is Raidou whereas her adopted father is Genra. Kasumi and Hayate's father's name is Shinden and their uncle is Raidou. Ayane apparently runs errands for Murai and follows Ryu's progress throughout the game. She assists him throughout his exploits by providing clues via kunai. Her intentions are unknown, but she seems to be a force for good. She seems to switch allegiances midway through the story as she accepts a request from Ryu to protect Rachel as a direct order. She seems to be a tragic character as her demeanor changes greatly during the events of the Dead or Alive tournament. 4. Rachel - Vigoor Empire Fiend Hunter. She hunts Fiends throughout the Vigoor Empire and seeks to release her own twin sister, Alma, from a Fiendish existence by killing her. She, herself, is susceptible to becoming a Fiend, and befriends Ryu when she learns that he's out to kill Doku. She also has the innate ability to sense when a Fiend is nearby, wields a gigantic War Hammer and possesses a grappling device for navigating the environment. She is captured by Doku and used in sacrifice to awaken Alma after Ryu defeats Alma. Alma then saves Rachel at the cost of her own life. Later, Rachel saves Ryu after he defeats Vigoor. 5. Kureha - Hayabusa Village Priestess. She holds sanctuary over the Dark Dragon Blade and is the protector of the Dragon Eye, a relic that can awaken the True Dragon Sword. She is killed by Doku in the slaughter of Hayabusa Village. 6. Falcon - This creature is present when Ryu commits his two most miraculous acts: surviving Doku's assault and teleporting away at the end. It is the Guardian Spirit of the Hayabusa Clan. There was much speculation about the nature of this creature. For reference, Hayabusa means Peregrine Falcon in Japanese. 7. Muramasa - He is the elderly blacksmith that Ryu encounters throughout the story. He is essential to Ryu's progress throughout his adventures, and it seems as though the old man possesses a hidden vivacity as he remains in the Tairon shop throughout the Military Occupation and the Fiendish Uprising. It is interesting to note that Muramasa was actually a legendary blacksmith whose mentor, Masamune, created the sword of the same name that is found in other games (Soul Calibur and Chrono Trigger to name a few). To read about the legend, see the following website. Thanks to NeoMorpheus for the find. http://trixon.tripod.com/masamune.html Evildoers --------- 1. Murai/Dark Disciple - Ryu's uncle. He used to belong to the Hayabusa Clan, but has chosen a life of exile. However, he is not of the Dragon lineage, which makes him Ryu's mother's brother. Or, he could just be called uncle by affection. He left Hayabusa Village to begin his own ninja school called the Shadow Ninja School. This makes him a Shinobi and is most likely seen as an enemy by the Hayabusa Clan, as is his school. He sets the wheels of the story in motion by summoning Ryu to his side during the invasion of Ryu's village. He seeks the Dark Dragon Blade for himself, but knows that he is unworthy to wield it. Secondly, he knows that its true power is dormant, so he manipulates the characters of the game in such a way that the Dark Dragon Blade will be fully capable by the time he intercepts it. In the end, he wields the Dark Dragon Blade against Ryu, slays Gamov and turns into a devil himself. Ryu defeats him, regardless. 2. Doku, Lord of the Greater Fiends - He is a Greater Fiend and captures the Dark Dragon Blade for the Vigoor Emperor. He assists in the slaughter of Ryu's village and personally kills Kureha. He also strikes down Ryu, initially. Ryu returns and defeats Doku's corporeal form. But, then, Doku captures Rachel for the purpose of awakening Alma. But, Alma betrays him and rescues Rachel at the cost of her own life. Ryu then defeats Doku's Spirit Form. So, Doku curses Ryu and turns him into a Fiend. Ryu removes this curse when he destroys Vigoor. Doku means poison in Japanese. 3. Alma - She is a Greater Fiend and Rachel's twin sister. She was susceptible to becoming a Fiend, and Doku transformed her. Ryu defeats her, and Rachel moves in to end her sister's suffering. But, she stays her hand and spares her life. Afterwards, Alma fights Ryu again in an Awakened State but is defeated again. She sacrifices her life for Rachel's and disrupts Doku's Awakening Ceremony. Her name might be derived from the Latin term "alma mater" which means, "nourishing mother." 4. Supreme Fiend Gogohn - He is the 3rd Greater Fiend to which Rachel alludes. He resides in the Fiend Realm and protects the Demon Statue that allows passage to the Vigoor Emperor. He possesses the non-trivial ability to summon Fiends at will. In the Mythos, he is also responsible for the creation of the Fiend Realm and the territory of the Vigoorian Empire. Ryu defeats him and takes the Demon Statue back to the Core. 5. Vigoor - Ancestor of Evil Deities. It is the Deity that the Vigoor Empire worships. It also acts as the Vigoor Empire's Emperor. The Emperor is able to break the seal on the Dark Dragon Blade at exactly the same time as Ryu fixes the Dragon Eye into the Dragon Sword. After Ryu regresses into a Fiend, he battles his way through the Core and fights its two forms. It first appears in an effeminate, angelic form, and then regresses into a more masculine, devilish form. After Vigoor's destruction, Ryu escapes with the Dark Dragon Blade with the assistance of Rachel and returns to human form. It is interesting to note that the 2nd to last level, The Core, is actually completed upside-down. When Ryu falls up before the final battle, he is actually falling down. 6. Gamov - Head of the Vigoor Empire Internal Affairs Agency. He is in league with the Dark Disciple, but for unknown reasons. He also knows Rachel very well, although it's probably due to the fact that she is a Fiend Hunter more than anything else. Murai kills him after Ryu retrieves the Dark Dragon Blade from Vigoor. He seems to be actively betraying the Vigoorian Empire by aligning with the Dark Disciple rather than the Emperor and Doku. 7. Black Spider Clan - Rival Ninja Clan. Black Spider Clan ninjas are found throughout the game both alive and dead. They get very far in their quest but are ultimately unsuccessful due to the fact that they are unable to unlock the Imperial Gates and bring the Decayed Soul Key to the Core. There are 7 members whose bodies Ryu finds (Suke, Taro, Saru, Sabu, San, Gen and Dai) that keep journals. The journals range in date from January 14th to February 29th. It is revealed that the Leader of the Spider Clan only wants the Dark Dragon Blade, so that he can turn it into tea. The roles of the Black Spider Clan Ninjas are thus. Suke is the powerful one that discovers Rachel and becomes obsessed with her. Sabu is the ninja in training that doesn't accomplish much. Taro is concerned with Sabu's welfare and whom Doku defeats personally. Saru first discovers the Fiend Realm taking over the Vigoor Empire. Sen discovers the pieces of the Twin Serpent Statue's Stone Tablet, which opens up the Path to Zarkhan. Gen is the leader and dies in the Labyrinth wondering if Dai has completed his task. Dai retrieves the Decayed Soul Key but fails to pass the Imperial Gates to bring the Key to the Core. It's interesting to note that Dai's body is not at the top of the Imperial Palace Gate before you enter into the Caverns. So, the date of February 29th is recent to the events of the story. 8. Shadow Ninja Clan - Murai's Ninja Clan. Ryu slaughters this Clan on the way to talk to Murai. It is interesting how unaffected by this bloodletting Murai is when Ryu reaches him. Although Murai references it as "your training here" when speaking to Ryu about his father's quest for power. 9. Hatamoto - This demonic fellow is the Fiendish, Mounted Samurai that Ryu fights at the bridge to Hayabusa Village Clan Elder's residence. Both he and his steed appear to be quite disfigured most likely due to their stature in the Vigoor Empire. He commands a cadre of Mages as well. 10. General Dynamo - This person is the rotund cyborg that Ryu does battle with in Chapter 3. He seems to be a General in the Vigoor National Military due to the star insignia on each of his lapels. There is virtually nothing known about this character, although he seems to derive great pleasure from combat. Ryu kills him, and the resulting explosion destroys the two zeppelins upon which Ryu was attempting to get to the Vigoor Empire. 11. Dark Dragon - This was the youngest of the Thirteen Dragons borne directly from Serpent. It betrays its kind to align with Vigoor and rescue him from destruction. Its bones are used to construct the Dark Dragon Blade. If Vigoor were given seven days to exist with the Dark Dragon Blade, then the Fiend Realm would've opened up to the world. 12. Smougan the Flame Dragon - Very little is known about this creature. But, it protects the Devil Deity Statue. 13. Vigoorian Ninja Clan - A new Ninja Clan is introduced in the second Hurricane Pack. It seems as though the Empire of Vigoor has trained lethal assassins and have fabricated Ayane's "Legendary Weapon," the Windmill Shuriken. These foes accompany Doku as well. 14. Shadow Alma - This creature seems to be the evil Shadow of Alma. There appears to be no good in this enemy at all. Most importantly, the globe in Alma's abdomen which represented her humanity is vacant altogether. 15. Shadow Rachel - Rachel's Shadowy side is represented in the game as a huge female shape, perverted with a tentacle, spikes, claws and a cloven head. An interesting detail is that she animates backwards. --Frequently Asked Questions-- This section contains the FAQs for the game. Q. When does this story take place in the Ninja Gaiden timeline? A. The official word from Team Ninja is that it is unrelated aside from character names. I haven't found one piece of story that would preclude this from being a prequel to the Ninja Gaiden trilogy. I treat it as such. Q. Why does Ryu go to the Shadow Ninja Fortress in the first place? A. He was most likely summoned there by Murai. Murai probably sent Ayane to deliver a Kunai Scroll (as she does throughout the game). It probably would not have taken much to get Ryu to come to the Fortress. Obviously, Murai wants Ryu out of the village as Doku attacks. He makes a direct remark regarding his quest when discussing Ryu's father. Murai meant Ryu's trip to the Shadow Ninja Fortress to be training and addresses it as such, "Perhaps beginning with your training here," inferring the battle to the Inner Sanctum. Q. Why does Ryu slaughter the entire Shadow Ninja Clan, yet Murai doesn't seem bothered by it? A. Murai is a Shinobi, a runaway ninja. Therefore, he is most likely viewed as an outlaw by the Hayabusa Clan. Since, he is Ryu's uncle, there is probably an underlying affection between the two. The Shadow Ninjas would attempt to kill any Hayabusa Clan ninja, so Ryu would have to defend himself. Of course, Murai alludes to Ryu's summoning as a training exercise. However, had anyone other than Ryu and his father defeated the Clan, they most likely would've tried to kill Murai as well and died in the process. Given Murai's true intentions, his disregard for his own clan is understandable. Q. Who is that girl that dies in the beginning? A. Her name is Kureha. She is a childhood friend of Ryu and a Priestess of Hayabusa Village. She was entrusted with the Dragon Eye that Ryu later claims and then subsequently returns. Q. How does Kureha die? A. You see her face Doku before Ryu witness her fall in front of the Clan Leader's Residence. She shakes her head with a surprised expression on her face. The Dragon Eye is still in tact on her chest in the necklace around her neck. It looks as though she breaks the necklace as her knees hit the boards of the Residence stairs, and the little pieces of it fall off. She then has it wrapped around her hand. Most likely, she was given a fatal blow before we even see her on the steps. Q. Does Doku kill Ryu? A. Update: The June 2004 issue of EGM has an interview with Itagaki (Ninja Gaiden's Producer). He states that the Falcon is the Guardian Spirit of the Hayabusa (Falcon) Clan. He resurrects Ryu. I'll keep the previous answer as it was a contested thing for some time. A. This is a hotly contested topic. I now believe that Ryu was killed, but his soul was not taken. However, there are three schools of thought. Ryu dies and is reborn - The argument for this point of view is very strong. This is the rendition that I believe. Ryu confronts Doku and is sliced twice. You see the energy from the Dark Dragon Blade flow diagonally down Ryu's back on both sides of his sheath, and he twitches as this happens. It also intersects the Dragon Sword's scabbard. As Ryu twitches, you can see a LARGE pool of blood collecting under him. You can actually see the pool expanding on the ground, and it completely encompasses Ryu. That is a LOT of blood. The fires of Hayabusa village completely die out, and you see Ryu lying in the moonlight. He looks very dead to me in this scene. It's almost certain that he is as he has lain there with two grievous wounds for at least several hours without moving. He even still grips the Dragon Sword. I would think that the loss of blood would've killed him. The most compelling argument was offered by kobudera101. It entails the idea that Ryu's soul is ejected from his body by the DDB and is killed. His soul is not absorbed because of several factors already listed. Ryu's soul returns as the Falcon seen in the various cut scenes in the game. Also, Ryu can be killed easily throughout the adventure, and descriptions of several objects throughout the game talk about their affects in the mortal world. That is, the Dragon Statues and the Scrolls of Rebirth specifically state that they are tied to the events of the living; not the deceased. Ryu dies and returns as a "Vengeful Spirit" - This argument is not as solid. Indeed, the only lasting piece of information that supports this is Ryu's teleportation/disappearance at the end. However, he appears again after the credits roll to return the Dragon Eye to Kureha's grave. He seems quite corporeal there. Ryu lives and heals - The very fact that you continue the game and can be killed relatively easily is also a strong argument. On top of this, Murai seems pretty natural when addressing him afterwards. You would think that he would've shown some sort of emotion given that his ultimate adversary has just returned from the dead. Lastly, when Gamov is killed by the DDB, he is vaporized. Ryu does not evaporate, though, even when struck twice by it. This could be caused by several factors such as Ryu's heritage, genetic structure along with the fact that the DDB had not been fully charged from the deaths of all of those enemies that Ryu slays (including the Emperor) and was still sealed at the time. Ryu's conversations throughout the game make no mention of the fact that he's either currently dead or has died. Finally, Ryu has two wounds from the encounter with Doku, not one long one. He gets slashed on the one side, which makes him cough up blood, and a pool collects on the ground before he is struck the second time. That is why there appears to be one long slash across his back. It should be noted that Team Ninja did in fact borrow a lot of things from the previous Ninja Gaidens (see the end of the FAQ section). One of these could be the fact that the Dragon Sword has the ability to resurrect people. In The Dark Sword of Chaos, the Dragon Sword resurrects Irene Lew. Of course, it disappears in the process. However, Ryu is again armed with it in The Ancient Ship of Doom. Q. Who buries everyone in Hayabusa Village? A. This is another question that doesn't have a concrete answer. The dates between the first and last Spider Ninja Clan journals lead us to believe that Ryu was recuperating for at least a month before he set out. As the Black Spider Clan would not have begun pursuit of the Dark Dragon Blade until after it was stolen from the Hayabusa Village. He could've used this time (with Murai's assistance) to bury the dead. When Ryu returns to the Village in Chapter 13, the bodies are no longer there. Q. Why is Ryu the only one on the passenger zeppelin? A. Well, that's not necessarily the case. When Gamov intercepts the zeppelin, you can hear a warning claxon very clearly state that the vessel is about to be boarded. The most obvious answer is that the crew and passengers were evacuated. Seeing as Gamov also survives the destruction of the two vessels, it would seem as though there was another escape route. Q. What's up with the Falcon? Update: The June 2004 issue of EGM has an interview with Itagaki (Ninja Gaiden's Producer). He states that the Falcon is the Guardian Spirit of the Hayabusa (Falcon) Clan. He resurrects Ryu. I'll keep the previous answer as it was a contested thing for some time. A. Hayabusa is Japanese for Peregrine Falcon. There are several ideas on this. The Falcon is seen during both of Ryu's most miraculous acts: return from (near, possibly) death and his little teleportation at the end. It's wise to note that the bird is transparent at the end. One idea is that the Falcon represents the spirit of the Hayabusa Clan, since they were all killed. Another idea is that the Falcon represents the spirit of Ryu's father. I don't like this theory because if Ryu's father is dead, this story doesn't fall in line to precede the original NES trilogy. Yet another theory is that the Falcon is a lookout for Ryu's father who oversees Ryu's progress, or that the Falcon is Ryu's Father himself. Lastly, the Falcon might be Ryu's ejected spirit that returns to his body. You would think that they would've made some reference to this via cut scene, though. Q. Where is Ryu's Father during all of this? A. Who knows? Murai says that Ryu's father is off in the "Sacred Wilderness." It is interesting that Team Ninja chose to specifically provide a way for Ryu's Father to survive the slaughter of Hayabusa Village even when he is not mentioned in the entirety of the game. Ryu's father plays no part in the story whatsoever, but the designers specifically chose to have him away from Hayabusa Village as it is invaded. There would be no other reason to set this up other than to setup the next game, or to preserve the continuity between this game and previous games. Q. Why do they call Ryu's father Ken/Joe/Joh Hayabusa? A. His father's name in the original trilogy was Ken Hayabusa. For whatever reason, they refer to him as Joe in the manual of the Xbox game. There is a Japanese given name, Joh, but it is unrelated to the Anglican name of Joe, which is short for Joseph. Ryu's Father's name in the Japanese version of the original Ninja Gaiden was Joe Hayabusa as well, but it was changed for the stateside release. It is also his name in the PCEngine/Turbo-Graphics 16 version of the game. Therefore, all of the Joe/Joh/Ken Hayabusa's should be considered the same man. Q. Who is that ninja that Doku decapitates before striking down Ryu? A. No one knows the identity of the ninja that Doku decapitates immediately preceding his duel with Ryu. This person must've been very important indeed, as he would've been the last line of defense for the Dark Dragon Blade. This battle takes place in "The Hayabusa Village Leader's Residence" as told by the map. Ryu's father is the Hayabusa Village Leader, so it implies that the Residence is his and Ryu's house. I doubt that the ninja killed is Ryu's father, though, as I would think Ryu would've mentioned it explicitly later on. Closer inspection shows that the man decapitated is older. He is dressed like the rest of the clan, but his face wrapping is gone revealing a beard and an elderly face. Q. From whose grave does Ryu take the Dragon Eye? A. That was Kureha's grave. You can see that she is holding the Dragon Eye in her left hand during the razing of Hayabusa Village. You may note that the Dragon eye is in the shape of yin (from Chinese concepts of yin and yang). But, it is also a shape commonly used in Shinto, which is Japanese. Q. Where does Alma continue to get those columns she throws? A. Well, the columns are intact before her first Column Throw, and you can actually see them come undone when she first does the Column Throw. In Very Hard, she throws six columns whereas there are only four in the room, but there are others outside the gate that is locked for battle. She summons the columns to herself first, and then they proceed to fly at Ryu and shatter. Presumably, she reconstitutes the columns out of the dust and fragments they create when they shatter. Q. How does Ryu survive the train wreck? You can see the explosion fill the streets, yet he's standing there right beside it at the beginning of the chapter. A. A more pertinent question would be how he survived the zeppelin explosion. We will chalk it up to Ninja Magic (and that nifty teleportation move he has). Ryu seems to have a penchant for surviving catastrophic events. Q. The Prima Guide says that the creature that you fight right before the Emperor is Alma's 3rd form. WTF? A. WTF indeed. This is incorrect. Alma was killed by Doku in Chapter 13, Fiendish Awakening, and summarily released from her Fiendish stature. She returns to human form after sacrificing herself for Rachel's life. Strategy guides that are released alongside games typically show many inaccuracies. You need look no further than the Prima Guide for Ninja Gaiden itself as it doesn't have the location of all 50 scarabs, nor does it comment about how to correctly attain Ninja Gaiden 2 and 3. Lastly, you can see in one of the cinematics the winged form of the Emperor cradling the Dark Dragon Sword, before you have even battled Alma the second time. This has nothing to do with Alma. Q. So why does Ryu return from his Fiend state after the defeat of the Emperor? A. The Emperor was most likely Vigoor itself. As outlined in the Mythos section, once the Dragon Lineage Warrior has returned and the Dark Dragon has been reunited with the Emperor (in this case in the form of the Dark Dragon Blade), then the power of the Evil Deities shall be conferred unto the Emperor. As such, the ability for Fiends to exist was directly tied to Vigoor's existence and the existence of the Emperor. With the Emperor and Vigoor destroyed, the rest of the Fiend Realm most likely collapsed with it. Q. What were the two creatures that you fight before you fight Murai? A. The two creatures are one in the same, Vigoor. It seems as though the first, winged form is possibly the effeminate (yin) side, whereas the second form is the more devilish, masculine (yang) side. Even though yin and yang are Chinese philosophies, the idea is relevant here. Q. So, those two creatures were versions of the Holy Vigoor Emperor? A. Correct. The Emperor was most likely Vigoor itself. Although, there are conflicting ideas on this, as a lot of societies deify their rulers. But, the fact that Ryu returns to normal immediately after defeating the Emperor is a good argument for the Emperor being Vigoor. Q. Rachel says that there are three Greater Fiends. She says that the last one is the Emperor's bodyguard. Who is the third? A. The Supreme Fiend Gogohn in the Fiend Realm is the 3rd Greater Fiend. He possesses the Demon Deity's Statue that grants passage to the Emperor. He actually seems much more powerful than both Doku and Alma as he is able to recall Fiends from the Underworld at will to fight for him. This ability could be an affect of the Fiend Realm, though. One thing to consider is that, Doku is referred to as the Lord of the Greater Fiends, so the Supreme Fiend Gogohn could just be the Lord of the Fiends. Q. Why does Ryu fall up when the Spiral Staircase collapses? A. Well, when Ryu crosses the bridge to the Core, you'll see that he actually travels upside down. The Core is attached to the bottom of the Imperial Palace, and Ryu spends the remainder of the level actually traversing down, not up. So, when the bridge collapses, it initially falls up (down to Ryu), but eventually rights itself, and both he and the bridge fall into the Underworld. Q. What's up with the flowerbed? A. It's probably meant to symbolize Heaven as far as the Emperor is concerned. Would you actually want to live in a fiery cavern filled with lava? It's interesting to note that the flowers are yellow, blue, red and white; the color of the Essences. Q. Why does Gamov vaporize when struck with the Dark Dragon Blade? Nobody else that was struck with it did. A. There are at most four people that fell under the Dark Dragon Blade. Two of them are debatable. Kureha and that ninja in the Clan Leader's residence were both killed by Doku, but it's not necessary that he used the Dark Dragon Blade to do so. In fact, a blow with the DDB is accompanied by an electrical discharge neither of which Kureha and that Ninja exhibit. Gamov vaporized, because the Dark Dragon Blade took his soul. Ryu was not, as he was protected by at least one of a couple things: his Dragon Lineage bloodline and the Dragon Sword itself. At the beginning of the story, the Blade is still sealed, so its true power is locked. When Gamov receives his haircut from it, however, it has been unsealed by the Emperor and is at full power. Q. Was Murai the Emperor? A. No. There is no compelling argument to support this claim. It makes no sense whatsoever. The Vigoor Empire predates Murai by sometime. Also, I would think that it would be difficult to run an entire empire from the confines of the Shadow Ninja Fortress. Q. What was Ayane's motivation? Was she working for Murai the whole time? A. It seems that around the time where Ryu rescues Rachel from the Tentacle Fiend that she has switched allegiances to Ryu. She even takes a direct request from Ryu as an order. I.e. she replies, "Understood," to Ryu's request that she look after Rachel. Secondly, in the scene were Gamov and the Dark Disciple are discussing the Dark Dragon Blade's powers, Ayane is seen looking overthem. Had she known about Murai's intentions, she would've most likely been included in that conversation. Lastly, in the ending scene, she appears to bealmost smiling after Murai's defeat. That would not be a proper response toyour boss being slaughtered. From Darth Reven on the GameFAQs board: "Murai's Connection to Ayane in DOA3? (SPOILERS!!) Well most likely not, but check this out. Okay we all know Murai is Dark Disciple if you look at the Dark Disciple's uniform thing, you will see several 'S'-like symbols on his clothes. Now you can look at them through NG's Movie Theater. Look at the movie of when Dark Disciple reveals that he's Murai, and you will see those symbols on his uniform. Okay, here's my point. Those symbols are also on Ayane's black shinobi attire (C1) in DOA3!! Theres my connection! www.gamecovers.net/covers/dead or alive 3 booster disc [custom].jpg " Great Find. Q. Dude! could kill Ryu. A. That's not a question. Regardless, Ryu Hayabusa is arguably the most well rounded character in video game history. If you take into account every move, skill and weapon that he has utilized throughout his videogame career (Ninja Gaiden, Ryukenden, Dark Sword of Chaos, Ancient Ship of Doom, DOA 1, 2 and 3), you'll see that he has an answer to almost everything that any other character can throw at him. He is largely unaffected by firearms. While he is vulnerable to large scale munitions, he has the capability of avoiding them entirely whether deployed as a supersonic projectile or a guided munition. Ryu can dodge or deflect with the Dragon Sword every single projectile in the game. So, it would stand to reason that no other projectile would be able to strike him either. Ryu's melee skills are without peer. I can't think of a single character that could even remotely compete with Ryu's combat abilities over the several games where he utilizes them. There are obvious exclusions to this in the form of all-powerful characters in games that aren't necessarily representative of that character's true power without some sort of "god mode" activated. As, I am capable of making Ryu unkillable in the Xbox version, I could argue that as well. In the end, however, Ryu is a fictional character, so it is by definition impossible to factually assert that any other fictional character could defeat him in combat. Besides. Ryu has the REAL ultimate power. All he has to do is flip out and kill people. And if you don't think so, then you're a friggin' moron who probably doesn't even like sweet guitars OR hot babes. Q. Why are Ryu's eyes brown in the original Trilogy, but they're green in this game. A. Ninja Magic. Strictly speaking, green eyes are a recessive trait inherent to the Caucasian race. The green or blue eye trait is caused by a lack of pigment in the front layer of the iris. In most cases, both parents would have to possess green eyes for the offspring to possess green eyes. But, there are cases in Ainu and Chinese people where green or blue eyes were possibly inherited from crossbreeding with European ancestors. Also, just like with babies losing they're blue eyes upon reaching toddler hood, there are cases of the eyes of adults darkening over their lifespan. Most likely, it was just a design choice. Q. How do you do Runaway Lightning? It's the move that is listed for the Vigoorian Flail. A. I can't find who initially found this trick out, as the thread is gone, but props to him. Runaway Lightning is a just frame attack meaning, that when you input the Y after the X determines whether or not you get Wide Heavens or Runaway Lightning. If you input Y too early or too late, you'll get the move where Ryu kicks the enemy up into the air. Ryu jumps into the air in Runaway Lightning do a flip behind the enemy, and he strikes the enemy in the back of the head. The frame window is pretty big, but you have to pause after hitting X before hitting Y. Additionally, I've found that both hits from the X have to hit cleanly (i.e. the enemy can't block or roll out of the way) for Runaway Lightning to come out. Q. Why would anyone use the Warhammer? A. If you neglect to pick up Scarabs along the way, the War Hammer can be very useful, as you won't have access to the Dabilahro for the Imps and Gallas. It has at least two unique moves: Tremor of the Heavens and the Six Paths Spin. Tremor is an Ultimate Technique that encompasses the ground totally around Ryu. The same move for the Dabilahro (Asura Slash) sends a projectile along the ground instead. However, the most useful move is without a doubt the Six Paths Spin. If you hit a regular enemy with the spike during the spinning, that enemy becomes impaled on the weapon, spun around and smashed into the ground. Additionally, the body that is impaled on the spike can strike other enemies during the spinning. Aside from that, it only costs 5000 to have a fully upgraded Heavy Two-Handed Melee Weapon. It is designed for those players that will never gather enough Scarabs and Essence to have a fully upgraded Dabilahro (or Unlabored Flawlessness for that matter). Given that, I still think that the War Hammer is useful despite my preference for the Dabi and the UF, I'd say that the balance in this game is pretty remarkable. Q. What happens if you upgrade the Wooden Sword all the way? A. You get the weapon called Unlabored Flawlessness. It's a gigantic Oar with glowing red kanji on it. Its move list is pretty unique and is extremely powerful. It can kill many enemies in one hit (as well as many enemies at one time). Unfortunately, it makes the game (even on Very Hard mode) fairly easy. Q. Where does Ryu keep is weapons and infinite shuriken? A. Meet Mr. Suspension-of-Disbelief. Q. What are some of the things carried over from the Ninja Gaiden series? A. Here is a list: 1. Ninja Gaiden Ryukenden (Arcade) - The Guillotine Throw, Divine Cicada 2. Ninja Gaiden - The Art of Firewheel, Windmill Shuriken, the Demon Statue, Jay's/Han's Bar (possibly), Bird Flip 3. Ninja Gaiden: The Dark Sword of Chaos - The Dragon Sword's ability to resurrect (possibly), Dark Disciple character design (Ashtar) 4. Ninja Gaiden: The Ancient Ship of Doom - The ability to survive an airship catastrophe totally unscathed, hand-over-hand climbing. 5. DOA - Izuna Drop, teleportation ability, Ayane Hopefully, the sequel will incorporate Phantom Doubles, true Windmill Shuriken functionality, Dragon Ball Ninpo, and the Dragon Sword extension. The Black Spider Clan can actually do the Aerial Windmill Slash, so hopefully Ryu will receive it in a download or a sequel. Q. What do you call ? A. Unfortunately, there is no official source of every character's name. This can make conversations about specific encounters tedious (i.e. those purple-no-feet-flame-headed-digging-c*&ts). The only official names have been gathered from interviews with Itagaki and the manual itself: Alma, Lord Doku, Holy Vigoor Emperor, Gurdu (and his Deity offspring), Gamov, Supreme Fiend Gogohn, Rachel, Ayane, Murai, Dark Disciple, Tentacle Fiend, Zombie Dragon, Smougan the Flame Dragon, General Dynamo, MSATs, Gallas, Ghuls, the Shadow Ninja Clan and the Black Spider Clan Ninjas (their individual names as well). Any name listed in this guide other than these listed names is strictly of my own creation. There appears to be several distinctions between types of enemies: 1. Humans - Shadow Ninja Clan, Spider Ninja Clan, MSATs, Vigoorian Military and possibly Doku's Samurai 2. Fauna - Bats, Crows, etc. 3. Mechanical - Sentries, Tanks, Helicopters, etc. 4. Lesser Fiends - Tentacle Fiend, Gallas, Ghuls, etc. 6. Greater Fiends - Doku, Alma and the Supreme Fiend Gogohn 7. Deities - Gurdu (either singularly or broken into its four pieces) and Vigoor 8. Dragons - Smougan the Flame Dragon and the 13 Dragons born from the Serpent Deity, the youngest of which becomes the Dark Dragon Q. I Rachel's . A. Q. Did you know that you could hit the white button and then click the left thumbstick to get an Encounter Counter? A. Yes. In fact, I believe that I discovered it. As there's no reference to it in the manual, and no site (including the official boards) had made mention to it at the initial time of this writing. I cannot prove this, of course, not that it makes any difference whatsoever. To see more detail about the Karma System, please see my other FAQ. You'll learn about Essence Avoidance and Roll Jumping, too: http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox/file/ninja_gaiden_x_karma.txt. Q. I don't understand what's going on in this game. What's the deal with the Save Statues, the Deity Statues and the Twin Serpent Statues? A. These things look like randomly generated artifacts until you understand the complete story. - The Save Statues are explained in their introduction. The Spirit of the Dragons record the histories of the mortal world. This is why you can save and restore. Literally the text goes, "The sacred underground paths of the Dragons record all the occurs in the world of man. We have not forgotten those who live on the surface of the Earth." - The Deity Statues represent the 4 Deities that sprang up from Gurdu and the Deity, Vigoor himself. - The Twin Serpent Statue allows you access to the Path to Zarkhan that was created by The Thirteen Dragons. Q. Why does the Dragon Sword and the Dark Dragon Blade look like metal if they were carved out of the bones of Dragons? Presumably, this dragon is a type of creature like the Flame Dragon. A. The Flame Dragon, Zombie Dragon and Moat Guardian are not the same types of Dragons as alluded to in the Mythos. The original Thirteen Dragons were actually virtuous. The youngest, however, was not and became the Dark Dragon. You don't fight any creature remotely like these creatures, although it does appear that Murai can summon the Dark Dragon in the final fight. When you're playing Chapter 15, The Core, and open the Gate to the Underworld, you can see that the staircase is made out of bones and fangs. These bones are reflective and give off a metallic appearance. Most likely, they are the same type of bones that were used to forge the Dragon Sword and Dark Dragon Blade. They look like the same material that makes up the Dragon Sword. Q. So is this a prequel to the original series or not? A. First, we'll remove the original arcade version as there really wasn't any story in it whatsoever. There are only a couple of things that keep this game from being seen as a prequel. First off, Ryu's eye color is green in this game, but brown in the series. See my FAQ above for possible explanations to this. Secondly, Ryu has been introduced to the Demon Statue in this game, so you would think that he would recognize it in the series once he stumbles upon it. However, given the urgency with which he is evacuated by Irene at this point in the story when he first recieves the Demon statue, it is understandable. There doesn't seem to be anything else that would keep this game from being a prequel. Aside from these issues, this game can exist quite nicely as a prequel. In fact, in the rest of the Ninja Gaiden games, Ryu is so powerful that he can become invincible with the Firewheel (unlike the Xbox game), he can stop time, he has learned the Windmill Slash (possibly from the Black Spider Clan), he has improved his Windmill Shuriken technique, and he can kill most enemies in a single slash. What is most important is that Ryu's father is still alive for the series (to save Ryu's life), and that he is the leader of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. Tecmo specifically wrote dialog and manual script to not only state Ryu's Father's existence, but also to remove him from the slaughter of the Hayabusa Ninja Village. At the conclusion of this game, Ryu is EXTREMELY powerful (approaching his combat efficiency of the Trilogy), and he and his father are the only survivors of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. As Itagaki doesn't speak English, any interview you've ever read in English is a translation. Therefore, there are inaccuracies inherent to them. Itagaki was once asked if this was a prequel, and he answered that it was a side story, which neither confirms or negates the possibility that this is a prequel. Again, the fact that they chose to both mention Ryu's father and save him from the destruction of Hayabusa Village is thought-provoking. Q. So what makes this game so great, anyway? A. In my opinion, the best thing about this game is the attention to detail. There is a great thread started by Refreshment, to which many forum members have contributed. Here is a link to the FAQ: http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox/file/ninja_gaiden_x_easter.txt Needless to say, this is an EXTREMELY polished game when you take into account the depth of the story, the fighting engine, the character and level design, the diversity of enemy tactics, the number of boss-type encounters, the sheer length of the game, the replayability, the intuitiveness of the controls, the unparalleled graphics and the sublime scoring system. Additionally, Tecmo has seen to release an upgrade to the game that implements a user-controllable camera. Less-skilled Ninja Gaiden players whined for this specific feature, and Tecmo saw to include it. Q. What do the kanji in the Lives of 1000 Gods mean? A. From Rikumaru on the GameFAQs board: Rin-strength Pyo-direction of energy/focus To-harmony of spirit Sha-healing Kai-sensing danger Chin-knowing the thoughts of others Retsu-invisible Zai-mastery of the elements. Zen-full circle in the universe/fullfilment/enlightment And the whole is supposed to be an exorcism chant of sorts. Ryu sometimes says this in DOA3 whenever he wins a fight. Thanks to Rikumaru, Buraian nyo, Yebyosh, Amasawa on the GameFAQ's board for this thread. Q. What does the Lives of 1000 Gods represent? A. This is fairly complicated. The Lives of the 1000 Gods itself is a mass of the Life of Gods themselves (9 to be exact). The Lives are wrapped in rope with little ribbons connected to them. This symbol has Japanese design philosophy. The little strips of paper are called shide. They are in a zigzag pattern that are attached to the rope, shimenawa, which represents a sacred area or the presence of a god. The shide themselves are meant to represent cleansing, I think, but now they're not exclusive to Shinto shrines anymore. They're everywhere in Japan (even in Sumo matches). As an aside, the ghost guys in Otogi 2 look like Shide, too. Q. Why does Ryu travel into the future (in regards to the transition from Chapter 2 to 3)? A. He doesn't. Hayabusa Village and the Shadow Ninja Clan Fortress exist in the same time period as the rest of the game. They are simply very far removed from civilization and choose to forgo modern conveniences. Q. What is the deal with the bosses? They just throw them out and don't explain anything! A. They actually explain a lot. I will outline only the ones that don't have significant in-game story, but can be inferred. Hatamoto - Highest ranking Fiend of Doku's Samurai. He has a personal entourage of Mages to protect him. General Dynamo - Highest ranking officer in Vigoorian Military. He is obviously overseeing the mission to capture Ryu aboard the Zeppelin under the observation of Gamov. Gallas - Fiendishly-altered Humans (as explained by Rachel and the Archives) Tentacle Fiend - Gogohn's servant (as explained by Gogohn). It comes from the Fiend Realm initially, and then returns twice from the Underworld (which are two different places). Zombie Dragon - Not much is said here. If you examine the head before it comes alive, it says something analogous to, "How did this creature get here? Perhaps the ones who built this place dug around it." Inazuma Worm - This creature actually gives you the Inazuma Ninpo. As it appears both singularly and in pairs, it can be inferred that it is simply a naturally occurring creature affected by the Fiend Realm. It also seems to be protecting the Moat Guardian. This creature is most likely corporeal and at at least somewhat naturally occurring as it doesn't teleport in like most of Gogohn's servants. Moat Guardian - uh... I'm still working on this one. It's dead, but its door is of the same fashion as the Flame Dragon. It also comes from a portal just like the Tentacle Fiend when you place the Brand of Valor into its receptacle. So, it is probably a servant of Gogohn that he recalls from the Underworld. It simply protects the Moat of Zarkhan. Inferno Worm - While this creature doesn't grant you the Inferno Ninpo, it does grant you one half of the access to the Flame Dragon. See the Inazuma Worm description. Ice Fiend - Gogohn's servant (as explained by Gogohn). This creature has red blood and is the other protector of the Flame Dragon. The relationship between these three creatures is interesting. Smougan the Flame Dragon - This creature is protector of the Devil Deity Statue. Supreme Fiend Gogohn - Third Greater Fiend, He is explained in the Mythos and Archives and is Guardian of the Emperor. Q. Why do some Fiends have red blood and others have green blood? A. And, then there are also those creatures that don't have any blood at all! This is never explained, but I've inferred the following. The Fiends that come directly from the Fiend Realm and are direct servants of Gogohn possess green blood. These creatures are the Lesser and Greater Imp Fiends, Bast Fiends and so forth. Some mutated fauna also possess the green blood like the Pill Bugs, Cyclops Wasps and the Inazuma and Inferno Worms. Those creatures that are human or were once human have red blood. This group consists of all the human enemies (MSATs, Soldiers, Samurai, Ninja, etc..) and Fiends that used to be human (Gallas and SAT Fiends) and some naturally occurring fauna (bats, crows, Ice Fiend and Smougan). Those creatures that don't have any blood at all are the Ghuls, Zombie Dragon, Moat Guardian, Doku, etc... The most notable exception to all of this is Alma. She has green blood but was once human. Although, an interesting detail is unearthed when Doku accidentally kills her. When his katana strikes the globe in her abdomen, it sheds red blood. Perhaps the globe houses her humanity as it is absent altogether in Shadow Alma. Also, Gogohn has red blood. So, the three Greater Fiends all have different types of blood (as Doku possess none). I would've thought that they would've given Alma red blood and Gogohn green blood, but who knows the reason. Perhaps, Gogohn was once human. Q. What's up with the two new costumes? A. One is a costume from DOA. The other I believe to be an homage to Ashtar from the Dark Sword of Chaos. Note the blood tear stains, horns/legs coming down the side of the face and the general body type similarities. The only thing that is lacking is the cape. Check out http://www.classicgaming.net/ninjagaiden to see two pictures of Ashtar. Q. What are those portals lying on the ground everywhere? They don't explain them at all. A. Part of the problem of the story is that the most important parts are difficult to find. The 5 Mythos sections are only displayed during the caching of the levels, and you will only see them all with consecutive caches. I have included them in this document for completeness. Basically, all the relationships between Vigoor, the Fiends, the Thirteen Dragons, the Deity Statues and Ryu's clan are explained therein. Now, once you collect all the pieces of the Stone Tablet, the Path to Zarkhan is explained. The Rings of Stones are entry portals to Pathway. The Thirteen Dragons created that Pathway. It makes sense that they would create a path from Hayabusa Village (the home of the Dragon Lineage) to the Vigoor Empire (the home of the Fiends) to the Fiend Realm (the birthplace of the Fiends) in order to allow a conflict to be possible. Ryu simply circumvents this at the beginning by booking passage on a Zeppelin. Q. Can you select the Hurricane Pack costumes in the original game? A. Not yet Q. Can you select the old unlockable costumes in the Hurricane Pack? A. Yes. As you're selecting the Master Ninja Tournament #2, you can utilize the previous key combinations to become Space Ryu, Fiendish Ryu or Classic Ryu (at least, Ryu before he was killed). Q. Does Ryu gain any abilities from being a Fiend? A. The only things out of the ordinary that Ryu does while being a Fiend is cast a spell that cuts a disc out of bedrock in the Underworld and traversing the Bridge to the Core. He has complete control over the rock at all times and can summon others as well (somewhat like Alma). However, after Ryu returns to human form, he simply teleports away in a flash. It's difficult to say if the disc creation spell was due to his Fiendish nature or simply Ninpo. I'm inclined that it was simply an extension of his previous Ninpo abilities. He has command over Fire (Inferno), Ice and Wind (Ice Storm), Electricity (Inazuma) and Earth with that disc spell where it sounds like he says "Bassara! (Fox)." I used to think that the ability to stay suspended upside down whilst traversing the Core could be attributed to his Fiendishness. But, in Hurricane Pack 2, you meet all sorts of regular, human enemies in the Core. Q. What does Ryu yell at the Vigoorian Emperor when he comes back to life as a mountain of skulls? A. There was a good amount of debate on this. The best sounding explanation was "MATTE!" which is a fairly contextual Japanese exclamation, that can mean stop, not yet, wait, etc... Given that it's the only time in the whole game where Ryu totally loses his composure, I'm assuming that it was fairly important. Q. What does Ryu say during the cutscene with Vigoor when he summons the bedrock platform? A. I can never tell what he is saying in the full spell. It's not subtitled, and there is a lot of extra noise going on with all of the explosions and whatnot. One of the words sounds like "Bassara!" like the name of Kitetsu's UT. Q. This game doesn't do anything new. Why do you think it's so great? A. I'll argue that it does plenty of things new. As much as any other game, that people like to assume invented the 3D hack 'n slash genre. For those of you that were introduced to gaming with the Playstation 2, DMC did not invent this genre. While DMC is an excellent game, it was simply another 3d hack 'n slash game like Onimusha, Legacy of Kain, Nightmare Creatures, etc... Ninja Gaiden did invent the buttonless, user-controllable auto-lockon. I'd go as far to say that it was the best action game available. IMO, Ninja Gaiden is now the best action game available currently. I see nothing in the current generation that is to be released that will provide as comprehensive an experience as Ninja Gaiden. Games do not have to introduce new ideas to be excellent. Q. Why is there so much animosity between people that like DMC and people that like Ninja Gaiden? A. I hesitate to answer this question, as it greatly dramatizes an already laughable pseudo-seriousness about a childish pastime (i.e. videogames). I can only assume that it is due to the fact that Ninja Gaiden is console exclusive. Of course, it could also stem from the fact that Tomonobu Itagaki (the game's Producer) is a very headstrong person that has no problems sharing what is on his mind. Some of his statements can rub people the wrong way. Of course, these same people need to remember that we're talking about videogames in the first place. Q. Jesus, Dude. The story sucks. Why would you waste so much time writing all of this crap? A. Updating this document takes very little time. The bulk of it came from the story discussions that took place during the first weeks and months of the game's release. I find it to be intriguing material for a video game, and I simply wish to show how much thought that Team Ninja actually did put into the story. It does not suck as far as action game stories go. Q. Why doesn't Ryu act like a Ninja? A. I can't think of a single game that portrays Ninjas accurately (Tenchu included). If one were to do some research into the actual history of Ninjas and Feudal Japan for that matter, it would become obvious that a game based upon actual Ninja life would not be much of a game at all. Simply translating the word "Ninja" gives you "Patient One." That's not exactly something I would write a video game about. Q. Have you ever been to http://www.therealultimatepower.net? A. Of course, I even make a passing reference to it in this very document. SWEET! Q. Does the Hurricane Pack change the story? A. The official word from Tecmo is that the story is totally unaffected. See the next section for more thoughts on the subject. Q. What does it change? A. There are better documents out there to answer this question. Here are two: By VampireHorde http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox/file/ninja_gaiden_x_hurricane_pack.txt By Fedzmonkey http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox/file/ninja_gaiden_x_hurricane_pack_a.txt Q. Is the Hurricane Pack harder than Very Hard? A. There are a lot of competing ideas on this. First and foremost, one should realize that the 2nd round of the MNT is being played on Normal difficulty. Therefore, all of the Enemy AI and Damage Scaling is set appropriately. Team Ninja have guaranteed a 2nd Hurricane Pack, and they have said that they are most likely going to overwrite the original game. Therefore, we will see the Hurricane Pack on Very Hard difficulty. Then, we can really judge. There are really two ways to judge a game's difficulty. One way is to look at the game's learning curve. How difficult is it to the average gamer? Secondly, how difficult is the game once you know what you're doing? To the average gamer, Ninja Gaiden is PUNISHINGLY difficult. There is no learning curve to speak of, whatsoever. One of the tried-and- true measures of an action game's difficulty is how easily is it to button mash through it. Interesting enough, the first Chapter's Boss seems specifically designed to kill button-mashers. Whereas other games will provide an easy mode that will at least allow you to experience the game if you don't understand how to play it, Ninja Gaiden provides no such option. However, once you become good at the system, the game becomes MUCH more manageable at high levels of play. This is where Ninja Gaiden doesn't hold up as well as say Ghosts 'n Goblins far as difficulty is concerned. Personally, I don't think the Hurricane Pack on Normal is harder than the original game on Very Hard due to the Intercept all by itself. But, given that the last Hurricane Pack will most likely incorporate the Very Hard difficulty into the Hurricane Pack. It's safe to say that the game will rival any game's difficulty. Q. What would Ryu look like totally Fiended out? A. Have you ever noticed how the Dark Disciple's veins grow all huge and purple at the end? It's analogous to how Ryu looks as a Fiend with his white veins, red eyes and blue/purple skin. I would assume that if Ryu would've succumbed to the Fiend Curse, he would look somewhat like the Dark Disciple at the very end. Q. Is this game deep? A. http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox/file/ninja_gaiden_x_adv_combat.txt Q. What is the idea behind the Wooden Sword transforming into an oar? A. The designs of these weapons come from the legend of Miyamoto Musashi, legendary Samurai, inventor of the 2 sword style of fighting and author of "The Book of the Five Rings". Many characters from film, videogames, books and TV series are based upon this real-life person. Simply look up his name on Google, and you will find out much information about this man. In regards to the question, one of the most famous legends of this man comes in the story of his last appointed duel. He was traveling on a boat to the island where the duel was to take place and fashioned a wooden sword (boken) out of an oar. He utilized only this weapon to beat his opponent to death. Q. Is there a survival mode? A. Yes, Hurricane Pack 2 is essentially a survival mode. Q. What is the coolest Ninja Gaiden related thing you've ever seen? A. Ninja Gaiden Tribute - In my opinion, this is the single greatest fan fiction project I have ever seen. oasisbeyond.cjb.net Click on the Ninja Gaiden Tribute link either bittorrent or direct download. I cannot recommend this thing enough. If you have even a passing interest in Ninja Gaiden, this movie is 100% NECESSARY. Bear in mind that it is a totally comprehensive spoiler. Q. What are the explanations of the two bosses in Hurricane Pack 2? A. While there are no official explanations of the two final bosses, they are most likely Shadow Alma and Shadow Rachel. See their descriptions for more in-detail explanations. Q. If Doku is the "Lord of the Greater Fiends", that's not saying much. There are only three of them. A. There was a great thread on this, too. I have summarized it here. Doku is the Lord of the Greater Fiends. It states this in the manual and on many official sites. This means that Doku is the Greater Fiends' boss. So, in the context of this game, there are only 3 Greater Fiends: Doku, Gogohn and Alma. So, it doesn't seem like being Lord of the Greater Fiends means that much. However, consider the current cadre of Greater Fiends. Gogohn has existed as long as the Dragon Lineage at least. He creates the Vigoorian Empire and resides in the Fiend Realm. He also possesses immense power like the ability to summon Fiends at will. He is not the only creature of his kind as his throne shows. It is composed of skulls of beings much like himself. Secondly, we have Doku. We're uncertain as to whether or not Doku's current form is the way he has always existed. Was he ever a human or fiend? Has he always been a field of energy bound within been a suit of armor? At any rate, it is curious to wonder why Doku is considered Lord of the Greater Fiends when it appears that Gogohn is much more powerful. But, perhaps, it is Doku's ability to fashion fiends from humans (like Alma), that gives him his stature. Was Gogohn once human and was turned by Doku? Lastly, we have Alma. Her transformation must have been recent as she and Rachel are twin sisters. Their appearances do not depict advanced age. So, without Alma, there would be only two Greater Fiends. It can only be assumed that there have been other Greater Fiends over the eons. Gogohn's throne seems to support that all by itself. Then, we have the definition of a Greater Fiend. As stated throughout the game, the distinguishing characteristic of a Fiend which determines whether or not it classifies as Greater is whether or not they possess a soul. Perhaps, at one time there were legions of Greater Fiends all commanded by Doku. --Hurricane Pack 1 Disclaimer-- The Ninja Gaiden download content is now available for the 2nd round of the Master Ninja Tournament. No changes to the story are evident aside from the presence of the Black Spider Clan in the Shadow Ninja Fortress. However, they have actually said that the story will not be changed. Ayane throws Ryu several new Kunai Scrolls that explain that evil has overtaken the world. I would assume that the Hurricane Pack is a sort of alternate reality. I will update character Bio's as they become available, but many encounters and enemies will appear in different places in the Hurricane Pack then they do in original game. Therefore, I will keep this document the same. The only story altering aspect is that the Black Spider Clan and the Shadow Ninja Clan are in league with one another. It has become evident that the engine has fundamentally changed from the scoring, to the fighting, to the character lists, to the moves themselves. As such, I have created Hurricane Pack sections in most of the FAQ's, since all of this information will always be valid given that the Ninja Gaiden game disc remains. The Karma System has fundamentally changed, so a new FAQ has been submitted. The enemies have changed dramatically, but I think that it could be contained within the same document, so another one will not be necessary. --Hurricane Pack 2 Disclaimer-- Hurricane Pack 2 is now out and involves Rachel, many of the bipedal bosses and many new characters. How the story ties into the original game is anyone's guess. Rachel travels to the Shadow Realm, where she valiantly battles three Shadow Imps. After killing three with impunity. She turns around to see two apparently female, surviving Greater Fiends materializing in front of her. Before she can react, the more twisted of the pair whips her with a tentacle appendage incapacitating her. The scene ends with the two shadowy entities gazing over her. It is interesting to note how far Rachel got before being accosted by the two Greater Fiends. Ryu doesn't reach the Shadow Realm until the Second Phase. Ryu then begins his journal at the beginning of the Core. He is trapped here as an evil force bars the way out of the Decayed Soul Door. He fights his way to the pinnacle of the Core only to be transported to this new perverted Shadow Realm. There he must again do battle with his vanquished foes who have become even more powerful and resourceful. Ryu at first traverses the Core and fights his more human adversaries in the form of the Shadow Clan, the Black Spider Clan and Doku's Samurai army. Unfortunately, a new type of Vigoorian Ninja makes itself known to Ryu. They must've been in training throughout Ryu's escapades and have even mastered the use of Ayane's "Legendary Weapon." These foes prove most durable as they can survive even Ryu's most powerful techniques. Regardless, he defeats Ninja after Ninja. Ryu reaches the apex of the Core and takes what he believes to be he portal to the Fiend Realm. However, he does not travel there. Instead, he discovers that he has been transported to a location that seems totally removed from order and logic. The stage upon which Ryu stands is hoisted by huge chains stretching off seemingly into infinity. Huge two- headed spinal columns travel in the background and even overlook the stage. They appear to be the creatures from which the Core is constructed. This place is the Shadow Realm. Before Ryu can gather his bearings, a reincarnation of Hatamoto and his Mounted Archer Guard jumps onto the stage. Something seems different about him, though as his steed proves to be less formidable then before. Ryu kills the beast which forces Hatamoto to the ground. However, unlike before, he gets up to continue the fight. Regardless of Hatamoto's strength, Ryu defeats these enemies just in time to see two familiar statues appear out of nothingness. Ryu spies both the Dragon's Statue and Muramasa's effigy. It seems as though goodness is not totally absent from this place. Ryu restocks to continue his battle. Ryu's second onslaught comes in the form of the Vigoorian military. He endures several waves of SATs, MSATs, Vigoorian Infantry and a newly dispatched Mechanized Vigoorian Military. At the end of all these battles, Ryu is then assaulted by Dynamo again. However, now he has an armed escort and proves much more challenging despite his total disregard for his fellow soldiers. After defeating this titan, Ryu reaches another area of respite. However, his rest is short-lived before he is accosted on all sides by the Fiends. The coordination of the enemy's defenses has become increasingly harsh as Ryu must do battle with Imps, Ghuls, Cyclops Wasps and Ghul Archers simultaneously. Almost every Fiend is present in Ryu's various battles, and then he is put upon by both the Tentacle Fiend and the Ice Fiend and their accompanying parasites consecutively. The last wave proved very challenging, but it was a dance compared to the Phase ahead. Here now, Ryu must do battle with the Fiendish SAT soldiers and Infantry, not to mention the Bast Fiends, Ogres, Imps, Greater Imps and a new horror, the Shadow Imp. These creatures appear to be the distilled evil of the regular Imp Fiends with unbelievable strength and horrific agility. However, Ryu bests all of these underlings only to be assaulted by Doku and Gogohn consecutively with their newly added minions as well. Finally, Ryu reaches the last phase where his is accosted by the Vigoorian Berserkers armed with huge two-handed swords and powerful magic. These evil creatures arrive in this place via meteor. Their strength and technique is unmatched, and Ryu must use everything at his disposal to even harm them. Although, the creatures prove even more terrible once they become enraged; transforming into Shadow Beserkers. Regardless, Ryu slays them as he does everything in his path. However, he is not allowed a breath before Shadow Alma appears before him. She seems to be the pure hatred of Alma that was not present when she saved Rachel's life. Even more curious is the Globe that housed her humanity is no longer present in her abdomen. She summons her Shadow Imp minions and uses much more deadly techniques to attempt to defeat Ryu. Unfortunately for her, Ryu proves more skilled and slays her. She evaporates into the very fabric of the Shadow Realm. Before Ryu can celebrate his victory he is assaulted one last time. This Fiend seems very familiar even though Ryu has never come across it in his travels. Its head is incomplete, adorned with an ornate head-dress. Her left arm is covered in a spiked appendage, while her right arm is almost totally absent. A long tentacle is in its place. Ryu then realizes that this monstrosity resembles non other than Rachel. It seems that this thing represents the curse of the twins, and Ryu must strike it down. He does so and as soon as the killing blow lands, this perverted Shadow Rachel disintegrates and Rachel is freed from her prison. --Credits-- GameFAQs forum members - Level 99 babe, JayBlahX, NeoMorpheus, GrizzlyBearTalon, Auburn, Psychotic Kyske, antseezee, Shinobier, SPQR, kobudera101, Refreshment, Ninja99 (just for having l33t d3b8t sk!llz), Rikumaru, Buraian nyo, Yebyosh, Amasawa, Darth Reven, VampireHorde, Fedzmonkey, oasisbeyond and Sour_Tofu for accurate Fiend names. Tecmo Team Ninja Microsoft GameFAQs